• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A South Dakota Republican campaign video depicting a Democratic House candidate jet-setting around the globe to earn environmental degrees and hosting a "raucous" corn dog party has gone viral, and both sides are claiming they benefit from the Web hits.
• The YouTube video portrays U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem as a South Dakota farmer who stays in her home state while Democrat Matt Varilek studies abroad and presents environmental papers.
• Varilek calls the spot a "rare attack ad that would benefit the attackee," saying it's goofy to criticize him for pursuing an education.
• "And then to attack me for my love of corn dogs and beer, I feel strongly that the pro-corn dog segment of the electorate is going to come out in force," Varilek said Monday.
• The "Dueling Visions" video supporting Noem had logged more than 109,000 views as of Monday afternoon.
• Noem campaign manager Tom Erickson deferred comment to the South Dakota Republican Party, which crafted the piece as homage of sorts to a television ad done by Florida Congressman Allen West.
• Tony Post, the South Dakota GOP's executive director, said the goal was to draw a stark contrast between Noem and Varilek.
• "She is South Dakota, and he's not," Post said.
• The video's military intelligence briefing style presentation jumps back and forth between Varilek's travels and Noem staying in South Dakota to farm, raise a family, serve in the state Legislature and earn agriculture awards from the Watertown Jaycees and South Dakota Soybean Association.
• The cursor then zooms into Washington, D.C., as the voice-over announcer belts out a Varilek intelligence briefing over a backing track that sounds like something out of a "Mission Impossible" movie.
• "2006: Matt Varilek hosts a raucous National Corndog Day party in his swanky D.

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