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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- At first, the four men in the dark suits look strangely familiar. Smirking and nodding, their arms crossed, they stand behind a miniature image of the Rhode Island State House that is partly obscured by yellow police tape.
In fact, the men are actors, and they feature prominently in the first television commercial from Moderate Party gubernatorial candidate Kenneth J. Block.
"Government is broken," Block says, standing to the right in a light-blue dress shirt but no jacket or tie. "They take care of themselves, they waste our money, and they leave us behind."
Block's words, like his appearance, are intended to set him apart as the 30-second spot unfolds.
As the four "professional politicians" fade away, Block tells viewers that he built "a successful high-tech business, created green jobs and helped to invent a system that saved over a billion dollars on welfare" -- a reference to fraud detection software his company created for state of Texas.
As Block wraps up, the foursome come back into view.
"Recycling is good for the environment," Block says, motioning to them, "but recycling politicians is not good for Rhode Island. We should expect more. Let's clean up and fix Rhode Island."
Unveiled Thursday for the media, the ad will start running the morning of June 1 on local stations for the three major networks as well as CNN, Fox and MSNBC, said Christine Hunsinger, Block's campaign manager.
It will run for about three weeks, at a cost of more than $100,000, she said.
That could be just the beginning.
Hunsinger said the ad is one of four that Block taped, at a cost of more than $30,000.
