Bill who? Campaign? What campaign?
I suspect that he was a fictional character. Fong wasn't available, so they just picked a name from a hotel register and dummied up an image in PhotoShop. The reason there were no Bill Smith...er...Jones TV ads was they couldn't get the animatronic robot up and running.
After all, why should the GOP put any effort into defeating such a popular and beloved Senator as Boxer? It's not as if there was any issues at stake.
I concur with your description. Sad, ain't it?