Is this the most awkward U.S. Senate campaign ad ever? Former ethics czar running in Minnesota shows ACTUAL dumpster fire while he delivers speech sounding like 'South Park' character

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A Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful in Minnesota is promising to put out the 'dumpster fire' burning in Donald Trump's Washington – and he burned an actual dumpster to make his point.

Richard Painter, a longtime Republican who changed his party registration this year to increase his chance of winning former Sen. Al Franken's old seat, launched a campaign ad Sunday night in which he stands in front of one of the giant flaming trash receptacles.

'Dumpster fire' is an overused Washington euphemism for a chaotic, bad-news political disaster.

Painter's stern delivery reveals a voice that's every bit as unusual as Franken's, leading some Republicans to mock him on Monday.

'This is great. Now everyone thinks French Stewart is running for Senate,' a Minnesota GOP political operative told DailyMail.com, referring to the 'Third Rock from the Sun' actor with the goofy nasal twang. 

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Richard Painter, a longtime Republican who changed parties two months ago, released a campaign ad featuring an actual 'dumpster fire'

Painter's oversized mug hovers onthe screen toward the end, but not until viewers see him venting about Donald Trump and blasting him for claiming figurative dumpster fires in Washington are 'fake news'

'This is great. Now everyone thinks French Stewart is running for Senate,' a Minnesota GOP political operative said of Painter's voice in the ad, while a journalist in Washington likened it to Mr. Garrison from the animated TV show 'South Park' (right)

Fox News Channel opinion columnist Stephen Miller tweeted Monday afternoon that the White House press room was treated to the sound of the spot playing.

He called it 'the Richard Painter Mr. Garrison ad,' referring to the Mr. Garrison character on the animated TV show 'South Park,' who also sounds unmistakably like the Democratic pol.

In the ad, a deadly serious Painter grimaces at every step of his just-the-facts-ma'am delivery. 

'Some people see a dumpster fire and do nothing but watch the spectacle,' he says, staring into the camera. 'Some are too scared to face the danger, or they think it will benefit them if they just let it keep on burning.'

'Others shrug,' he continues – literally raising and lowering his shoulders – 'and say, "All this talk about dumpster fires, it's just fake news!"'

Painter has been a steady Trump critic and is building his campaign largely on a promise to stand up to him in Congress

Painter is trying to fill the Senate seat left vacant with the resignation of Al Franken, who was drummed out of Congress after photos emerged of him groping a former Playboy model during a USO tour

Painter's voice in the ad drew instant comparisons with 'South Park' elementary school teacher Mr. Garrison

'There is an inferno raging in Washington, but here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we know how to put out a fire,' the Senate hopeful concludes, while a torrent of water cascades into the dumpster from above and extinguishes the blaze.

In the 2000s Painter spent two years as President George W. Bush's chief ethics lawyer. But a decade later he accepted a posting as vice-chairman of the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington organization.

CREW's previous vice-chair had been David Brock, the long-time Hillary Clinton operative behind groups like Media Matters for America and 21st Century Bridge.

Hinting at his political transformation, Painter tweeted last year that claims of inappropriate sexual touching against Franken – which ultimately drove him to resign – were 'likely a Roger Stone / FOX set up job.'

A 'dumpster fire' is political slang for a horrible, no-win, chaotic and awkward failure

Painter literally lifts and drops his shoulders while describing how some in Washington 'shrug' at obvious dumpster fires

Minnesota politics has produced stranger things than a party-switching senator: In addition to Al Franken, the 'Saturday Night Live' comic who served in the Senate, Minnesotans elected former World Wrestling Federation personality Jesse 'The Body' Ventura (left) to be their governor (right) in 1999

Painter declared his candidacy this year just in time to qualify for the primary ballot in August as a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party – the state's closest analog to the Democratic National Committee.

He aims to knock Tina Smith, the appointed incumbent who took Franken's place in January, out of Congress.

Republicans are holding out little hope of snatching the traditionally liberal Senate seat.

But the GOP strategist told DailyMail.com: 'We [Minnesota] brought you Governor Jesse Ventura. Don't forget that. Anything can happen.'