A Super Bowl ad aired by U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra against Michigan incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, is bringing charges of racial insensitivity.
The ad, which aired Sunday, opens with the sound of a gong and other traditional Asian tones and features a young Asian actress riding a bike in what appears to be a rice field. The woman addresses the camera and thanks Ms. Stabenow – who is called “Debbie Spend-it-now” – in broken English.
“Debbie spend so much American money,” the woman says, “You borrow more and more, from us, Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good.”
Democrats were quick to challenge the premise of the ad, questioning whether the Michigan Republican’s post-Washington career as a lobbyist.
“Hoekstra’s ad is nothing more than a hypocritical attempt at a Hollywood-style makeover because the fact is, Pete spends a lot,” Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said in a statement. “Hoekstra voted for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout and voted for trillions more in deficit spending before quitting Congress to get rich at a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. Hoekstra is using the big game to play games with Michigan voters.”
In a statement released Monday, Hoekstra campaign spokesman Paul Ciaramitaro said the ad is meant to be satirical.
“Democrats talk about race when they can’t defend their records,” Mr. Ciaramitaro said. “The U.S. economy is losing jobs to China because of Stabenow’s reckless spending policies. China is reaping the reward.”
In a conference call with reported Monday morning, Mr. Hoekstra, a former congressman, denied that the ad is racially insensitive.
“The ad is only insensitive to Debbie Stabenow and her spending,” the Michigan Republican said, adding that “it doesn’t criticize the Chinese at all.”
“It’s about stopping spending in Washington, and this ad starts the debate,” he added.
The ad comes as the Michigan race for U.S. Senate is seen as one of the most competitive in the nation. A series of recently released polls finds Ms. Stabenow leading Mr. Hoekstra, however the race remains close.
