In his first 2012 TV campaign ad, U.S. Rep. John Kline is using the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis to explain the scope of the national debt.
In a grave manner, Kline tells viewers that the nation's $16 trillion deficit is the equivalent of selling every seat in the Metrodome every day for 9,000 years. Kline filmed the somber ad at the stadium, the home of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings.
"This debt is weakening America," Kline says while standing on the Metrodome turf. " ... We must pass a balanced budget amendment to force Washington to be responsible."
Kline later adds that: "Selling out the Metrodome is a good thing, but selling out our children's future isn't."
Kline is running for re-election in Minnesota's Second Congressional District against Democrat Mike Obermueller.
Kline's first ad will begin airing in the Twin Cities television market Tuesday. Obermueller released his first television ad last week. Coincidentally, both ads focus on the need to curb spending in Washington, D.C.
Here are some numbers to put Kline's claim in perspective: The seating capacity for a football game at the Metrodome is close to 64,000 and the average ticket price is $75, according to Forbes.com.
