Democratic Mayor John Hickenlooper is making the most of those political attack ads dressing him and Governor Bill Ritter in striped suits, claiming the two are “politicians of the same stripe,” responsible for higher taxes that have led to job losses.

“Zebras are being unfairly maligned, and this notion of these attack ads starting six months (before the election), I don’t think anybody likes it,” says gubernatorial candidate Hickenlooper after showing up at 9News’ offices in a suit covered in stripes fashioned with duct tape. “It’s certainly unfair to zebras. Zebras are among the most friendly, social creatures in the animal kingdom.” He adds, “It’s a worldwide recession. The (commercial) is a distortion. It’s not even close to a factual basis.”

Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines’ owner also takes issue with the ads, which are funded by the Republican Governors Association in a bid to help GOP candidates for governor, according to the Denver Business Journal. The airline says it did not move hundreds of jobs out of Denver because of taxes. The company adds that the commercial “distorts the facts” and that Frontier is considering expansion in Denver.

The RGA stands behind the ad.