In a late Valentine of sorts, the National Republican Congressional Committee launched a new television ad today attacking Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) over his ties to the now-bankrupt solar firm Solyndra.

The 30-second spot, which cost $6,000 for a two-week run on cable in both the Sacramento and San Francisco markets, features images of McNerney and President Obama set against red hearts and a pink background.

"They say money can't buy you love," a female narrator states as the ad opens. "But don't tell Jerry McNerney."

The ad goes on to disparage McNerney's February 2009 vote in support of the stimulus act and links it to the subsequent failed loan guarantee to Solyndra. It also criticizes donations both McNerney and Obama received from a key Solyndra investor, George Kaiser, although Kaiser is not named in the ad.

According to Federal Election Commission records, Kaiser donated $2,400 to McNerney in the 2010 cycle. McNerney raised more than $2.9 million in that period.

"The fact that Jerry McNerney chose to support a financially unstable company like Solyndra while receiving contributions from the company's billionaire investor says a lot about where he stands when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars," NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay said in a statement. "Not only did Solyndra's employees lose their jobs while McNerney enriched his campaign coffers, but California taxpayers saw their hard-earned money swept away on another big-government gamble."

Republicans have targeted McNerney, who defeated then-House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R) in 2006, in the new 9th District, which takes in parts of the East Bay and Central Valley. He won his last race by 2,500 votes.

McNerney, a former wind energy entrepreneur who serves on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, reported raising $849,000 in 2011 and had $780,000 on hand as of December along with a $9,400 debt.

National Republicans are very high on McNerney's likely challenger, former state Board of Education member Ricky Gill, who is currently a law student. Gill reported raising $814,000 in 2011 and had $838,000 on hand in December. But Gill also reported $143,000 in campaign debt at that time.