Asian-American actress featured in controversial Pete Hoekstra ad apologizes
An image from the ad featuring Chan.
The Asian-American actress featured in a controversial Pete Hoekstra television ad attacking Debbie Stabenow says she regrets participating, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Lisa Chan posted a message on her Facebook page apologizing for "any pain" her appearance in the ad had caused and calling it a mistake, the newspaper reported.
Chan, 21, was featured in the ad riding a bike along what appeared to be a rice paddy and speaking in broken English while she thanked "Debbie Spend It Now" for spending so much U.S. money in China.
Hoekstra, a former U.S. representative from Holland is running to unseat Stabenow.
The ad prompted Washtenaw County Commissioner Alicia Ping to switch her support to Hoekstra's GOP opponent, Clark Durant. Hoekstra took down his Chinese-themed website and put up a new ad after the controversy erupted.
Comments
gonefishing
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 1:22 a.m.
she has decided to apologize-----why---what came to light after she did the gig----
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.
Hoekstra at it again with fictional advertising. <a href="http://factcheck.org/2012/02/hoekstras-baseless-jobs-claim/" rel='nofollow'>http://factcheck.org/2012/02/hoekstras-baseless-jobs-claim/</a>
snapshot
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 2:57 a.m.
This gal has nothing to be sorry for. I also would suggest that while the commercial may have been distasteful, it was accurate in it's message.
snapshot
Tue, Feb 21, 2012 : 4:31 a.m.
First they actually hold 500 billion of our debt and our trade deficit with China is significantly greater than 8% so I don't have a clue as to your inference.
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 2:15 p.m.
A country that holds 8% of our debt is at fault for Hoekstras debt spending?
Dayne White Bull The Terrible.
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 6:33 p.m.
But it's all good!!!!! She didn't need to apologize! She's just trying to make that politician money!
snark12
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:49 p.m.
Just some facts to help clarify this debate. Hoekstra commercia was jingoistic but, worse, it was flat out stupid. 1) China's economy has not bloomed because it bought US debt. It's the other way around. And its economy has grown primarily because it has been the recipient of the international trend of outsourcing manufacturing. In this country that has primarily been associated with the Republican party, not the Democrats, but certainly not exclusively. Japan owns almost nearly as much US debt as China and they are the poster child country for "stagnant economy," the example which everyone agrees the US must not follow. So owning a lot of US debt apparently doesn't mean you have a good economy. 2) China owns less than 8% of the US debt, and that number has actually DECREASED in recent years. <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biggest-holders-of-us-gov-t-debt.html" rel='nofollow'>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biggest-holders-of-us-gov-t-debt.html</a> 3) Contrary to popular perception, by far the largest holder of US debt is the American public. Note, that's not the case with, say, Greece or Italy, which is why our situations are not directly comparable. <a href="http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/21/who-owns-america-hint-its-not-china/" rel='nofollow'>http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/21/who-owns-america-hint-its-not-china/</a>
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:38 p.m.
I think thi$ i$ a window into what i$ important to Mi$$. Chan: "Lisa Chan isn't from Napa and doesn't live in Napa County, but she's not letting a little thing like geography get in her way. Chan recently named herself Miss Napa Valley USA, enabling her entry into the upcoming Miss California USA 2012 competition." <a href="http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/bay-area-woman-stakes-claim-to-miss-napa-valley-title/article_54f79ebe-2b2a-11e1-8b3a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1mZFJJjNL" rel='nofollow'>http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/bay-area-woman-stakes-claim-to-miss-napa-valley-title/article_54f79ebe-2b2a-11e1-8b3a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1mZFJJjNL</a> Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just "man up".
Peter Baker
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
What exactly does this have to do with anything?
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 2:14 p.m.
So hoekstra picked a hoax as his spokes model! Another fine example of his aptitude!
Roadman
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:11 p.m.
Nobody has contested the fact that Lisa Chan is a highly attractive actress.
hank
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:11 p.m.
To Harry, Look up Hoestra's voting record that will tell you who voted to increase the debt with china and unfunded wars.
Harry
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.
clownfish I guess he could do a commercial about himself but that would really stupid. Do you think Obama will do a commercial about how and why he would put Van Jones as a Czar even though he is a self admitted communist.
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 2:13 p.m.
Got it Hank. When someone accuse someone else of over spending, the accusers record has nothing to do with anything. Got it! Hoekstra Voted for the $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout. Hoekstra Votes Increased the Debt by 46 Percent to $8.6 Trillion From 2002 to 2006. Hoekstra Voted to Increase Debt Limit at Least 5 Times. Hoekstra Supported Unfunded Prescription Drug Benefit. Detroit Free Press: Hoekstra Got Michigan's Worst Ranking For Pork In 2007. Hoekstra voted for Iraq War funding, costs reaching into Trillions of dollars, ALL of it borrowed money. Hoekstra backed "cost-plus", no-bid contracting that cost the US tax payers billions of dollars. ALL of it borrowed money.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.
To Hank. What does that have to do with anything. This commercial is not about Hoekstra its about Stebenow.
xmo
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:06 p.m.
You know when you tell the truth, Democrats call it Racist!
hank
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:17 p.m.
There is two sides to every story and then the truth. Republicans have three sides in case there first lie fails.
Roadman
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
This video is a huge success for both Chan and Hoekstra. Hoekstra's YouTube upload has garnered 1.1 million hits and has not been taken down. The comments on the video often remark what a beautiful actress Chan is. This video could propel her career as had occcurred with Vanessa Williams after her controversial Hustler pictures and the silly blond beauty contestant who could not answer a question properly in a pageant and was picked uup as a model by Donald Trump.
snark12
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 6:57 p.m.
Not that it matters, but we were both wrong: Wililams was in Penthouse. Thank you, Wikipedia.
snark12
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
Vanessa Williams was in Playboy. And that beauty contestant was in Trump's pageant when she couldn't answer the question.
Technojunkie
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:08 p.m.
Democrats were practically warning of the "yellow peril" in some of their attacks on Snyder over one of the companies he's invested in having a 3-man engineering sales office in China during the last gubernatorial campaign. Hypocrisy much? Pointing out that self-inflicted economic wounds caused by politicians like Stabenow benefit China is legitimate. Hoekstra didn't do that very well and from his record he's not in the strongest position to make the case. I'm voting for Peter Konetchy, FWIW. Durant might be OK but Konetchy impressed me more.
hank
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.
She voted against the debt increase to China.
Ron Granger
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
I am not a Stabenow fan, but the irony is that Hoektra is a big supporter of the military-industrial complex. He supports borrowing money to keep America in a perpetual state of war.
Ron Granger
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.
Apparently the money we borrow to pay the military industrial complex isn't real.
Peter Baker
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 3:45 p.m.
Seriously? The military industrial complex is a conspiracy theory? I didn't see the tin foil on Eisenhower's head.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.
Oh, the "military-industrial complex" thing. By the way, watch out for the chemtrails.
Ron Granger
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.
Some people will do anything to make a dollar. Some people will excuse anyone for anything they do to make a dollar. Some people have character and convictions. Some people think those are outdated concepts.
treetowncartel
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 10:09 p.m.
You owe the O'Jays some money for the copyright infringemnt
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:03 p.m.
And she worked for what she was paid.
Elizabeth
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:24 p.m.
And some people add drama. She said a few words in an ad and then she apologized; she didn't murder someone.
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
So does Hoekstra stand for anything positive or is he just interested in tearing down his opponent?
jcj
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
If Charlton Heston did a political add the left wing cry babies would be all over him! They certainly would not say "he is an actor playing a role and reading the lines written for him! And What say you?
Peter Baker
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
Considering Charlton Heston was the president of one of the largest political lobbying groups on the country, I'd say his appearance in a racist ad would garner some well earned criticism. He was hardly just an actor.
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.
Well, clearly this actress proved true what Chuck said about "race mixing" being the root of our problems in this country of immigrants!
jcj
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 8:44 p.m.
Understood
Barb
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
Interesting analogy... Charlton Heston? He's not playing many roles these days.
jcj
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
Spin all you want! She was not offended by it or she would not have done it! She is covering her tracks AFTER the fact!
lordhelmet
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.
Should Samuel L. Jackson apologize for portraying low life blacks in films too?
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.
"The Asian-American actress .......blah, blah, blah" Isn't she just an American actress???? Nice move naming herself Miss Napa Valley though......"According to a report in the Napa Valley Register in December, Chan is a recent graduate of University of California, Berkeley, with a sociology degree who last year named herself Miss Napa Valley USA in order to enter the 2012 Miss California competition."
Usual Suspect
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.
To what charity will she be donating the money she earned for doing the ad?
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
And why would she do that? She earned it honestly. I suppose you would?
Mike
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:39 p.m.
The "progressives" sure are two faced when there is something said they don't like. Why the conservatives don't respond to many of their outrageous claims and statements is beyond me. Free speed isn't so free in this country with the maun stream media attacking conservatives from every angle. I don't think we'll get the premier of China to say what was said on film but you've gotta believe they are thinking it and laughing all the way to the bank. I'm not a Hoekstra fan but re-electing Stabenow who shares a good deal of blame for what is wrong in this country would be a big mistake.
hank
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:24 p.m.
The blame falls on the republicans but more on the people that vote for them.
Peter
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:38 p.m.
Why put progressives in quotes? What stances are two-faced? What outrageous claims should conservatives be responding to? How is any of this in violation of the 1st amendment? Do you have any reasoning to back any of this up at all?
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
Hoekstra's really reaching with his "pun" on Stabenow's last name. I can see a bunch of Republican campaign advisors sitting in a room swapping insults about Stabenow when one of them stumbles upon Debbie Spenditnow. All of them think it's so funny and laugh so much they spill their French wine and burn holes in their bankers suits with their Cuban cigars.
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
I doubt that Republicans would knowingly drink wine from Pelosi's vineyard. And she's making California wine, a made in USA product. They'd prefer to drink wine made by child labor. It's cheaper.
cinnabar7071
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:07 p.m.
Was Nancy Pelosi there? Were they drinking wine from her vineyard?
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:59 p.m.
Politics ain't bean bag.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:55 p.m.
Speaking of insults
Ignatz
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
I'm not upset about any racist "pain" that may be in the ad. I think folks are being overly sensitive about it. However, I do think it makes Pete look bad by referring to himself as Pete Spenditnot. That's pretty lame.
Forever27
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.
I'm more offended by his racism than his terrible pun.
David Briegel
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
She is an actress playing a role and reading the lines written for her! The guilty party is the clown who is trying to deflect attention from his own pathetic record! Mark and Ben are correct. He is best remembered as voting for that conservative republicon Bridge To Nowhere. The perfect metaphor for him and his failed party. Hypocrisy!
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:30 p.m.
@Elizabeth; Yep, she read the script. She agreed to the terms. She could have walked at any time. BUT she took the money, cashed the check, THEN said ---Blah, Blah, Blah. I actually respected her more before her half, ummmm, rear ended apology. Don't get me wrong, it was a crappy, low rent ad and it makes no sense on many levels. The latest level it doesn't make sense on is the self declared "Miss Napa Valley", calling foul.
David Briegel
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:21 p.m.
If the actress doesn't follow the direction of the Director, she will not have a job. But all you genuises knew that, yet you persist!! And eyeheart is correct to compare Right Wing ads to porn!
Usual Suspect
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
It's the old, "I was just following orders" excuse.
Elizabeth
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
Seriously, EyeHeartA2? Comparing this girl to a porn actress?
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
Same line of reasoning is used for porn actresses too? "Hey, she's a good girl, just putting herself through Med School"
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
That is what professional actors do. Read the lines convincingly and get paid. It's called work, unlike what Hoekstra does.Hypocrisy? Where?
Usual Suspect
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:51 p.m.
"She is an actress playing a role and reading the lines written for her!" ... and thus personal responsibility goes out the door.
SonnyDog09
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:12 p.m.
She regrets being in the ad, but she cashed the check. I just love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.
Scylding
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.
For God's sake, Sonny, she's 21 and just trying to make it in the world. Bet you did some worse things at that age. I know I did.
smokeblwr
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.
She'll forever be remembered as the girl who "TOOK OUR JERBS!"
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
And worked for a paycheck unlike Hoekstra who lives off the public dole.
hank
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 2:01 p.m.
Beyond the ad, which was reprehensible , the judgement of Hoekstra comes into question. Try anything to get elected. The regressive spiral of the republicans continues.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 6:05 p.m.
David The republicans did not cut taxes for the rich. They just have not raised them. Taxes are extrememly unfair. How do you tax one citizen 38% while taxing another zero. Everybody lives in the us. Everyone should pay for that luxury. We need a fair tax rate. Everyone at 9% whether you make a dollar or a million.
David Briegel
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:23 p.m.
republicans dined and dashed, cut taxes for the wealthy and leave the tab for the rest of America!
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 5:01 p.m.
Republicans spent a bunch getting us into this great recession like 2 wars off the books and the Medicare Donut Hole = $9 billion. Almost every economist knows and agrees that when the private sector isn't investing (after getting the Bush/Paulsen bailouts) the only entity to keep the economy rolling along, however bumpy, is the Federal Government. Thank goodness that some folks in government know this and do what they can to make sure that the economy didn't fall off the cliff with no way to get back up.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Hut Hut I dont need to tell you that the democrats have been pushing for spending and republicans are known as the party of NO. The democrats ideology is to spend our way out of the recession. For many this is the right way. Republicans believe the opposite. Who's right? Who knows. This gov. 101.
hut hut
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:58 p.m.
Your Republican Congress is responsible for the massive spending. The President writes the budget, Congress spends the money.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:12 p.m.
TRY ANYTHING???? The massive over spending of congress is just a shot in the dark?? Does the Greece mean anything to you???? Congress needs to reign in this massive spending before its too late.
BenWoodruff
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.
Sorry she felt the need to apologize to take a job. Apology should come from Hoekstra and the idiots who thought this ad was a good idea...
clownfish
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
Hoekstra should apologize for all of HIS federal spending before attacking someone else for spending federal money. He voted for TARP and increases in the debt limit, as well as expanding Medicare Part "D". He voted for both of Bush's tax cuts, which have done little to increase job growth, but it has caused our debt load to blossom.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
Where do you get race baiting from?? Would it be better if it was a Irish person with an irish dilect speaking the lines. That would make no sense. Ron- This commercial is not about Hoekstra. Its about Stabinow and her reckless spending.
Forever27
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
@harry, you can point out ideological differences on the role of the federal government without stooping to race-baiting ads made purely to garner attention, albeit negative attention.
Ron Granger
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
Hoektra is a shill for the military industrial complex. He loves spending money - on never-ending war.
Harry
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
I still dont uderstand why anyone should apologize. Hoekstra is pointing out the fact that Stabinow is wasteful. The more money congress spends the more we borrow from China and strengthen there economy. If China stopped loaning us money they could shut down our nation. It would be chaotic. If you dont like his commercial too bad.
Mark Hergott
Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 1:25 p.m.
This just goes to show you: sometimes, in order to win, all you need to do is let your opponent say what they really think.