Hoekstra launches 2nd ad after controversial commercial drew heat
- UPDATED story: Hoekstra takes down controversial Chinese-themed website
- Related story: Alicia Ping pulls support from Pete Hoekstra after 'racist' Super Bowl ad
Republican Senate hopeful Pete Hoekstra on Thursday launched a campaign ad days after taking heat for a spot that ran in Michigan before the Super Bowl featuring a young Asian woman speaking broken English.
Pete Hoekstra
Many Republicans and Democrats criticized the earlier ad, which opens with the sound of a gong and shows the woman riding a bike on a path lined by rice paddies. She thanks "Michigan Senator Debbie Spenditnow" for helping China's economy improve.
"There's no more time for 'Debbie Spenditnow,' " Hoekstra says in the new ad. "I'm Pete 'Spenditnot' Hoekstra and I approve this message."
Republican Washtenaw County Commissioner Alicia Ping is throwing her support behind Hoekstra’s rival, Clark Durant, in the wake of Hoekstra's controversial Super Bowl commercial.
Ping, whose grandparents emigrated from China, called the ad “offensive and racist.”
Ciaramitaro said Hoekstra was unavailable for comment Thursday, but earlier this week he told reporters that his ad's "insensitive" only to the spending philosophy of Stabenow and Democratic President Barack Obama. Hoekstra said he knew he was taking "an aggressive approach" with the ad.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Other related media coverage:
- Mlive: Judge the new Pete Hoekstra commercial that focuses on Debbie Stabenow's spending
- Detroit Free Press: Pete Hoekstra releases 2nd ad; Senate candidate Clark Durant points out 'hypocrisy' in first
- The Detroit News: GOP Senate hopeful's first TV spot blasts Hoekstra ad
Watch the controversial first ad below:
Comments
Veracity
Sat, Feb 11, 2012 : 6:43 a.m.
It appears that the editorial staff of annarbor.com has decided to show its support for Republican candidates early in this campaign. I am sure that many readers are dismayed that the distasteful ad is included in the article. And by the way there is no Senator Debbie Spenditnow so Hoekstra must be engaging in adolescent-style name calling. I am awaiting Mr. Hoekstra's next impropriety which I expect will be featured by annarbor.com.
Wilford John Presler IV
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 6:31 p.m.
Pete...you old bigot...you kinda derailed your campaign before it even started...now you are going to have to do damage control over this racist, bigoted, culturally insensitive commercial for the rest of your campaign...
clownfish
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
Well, if people want to run the country on stereotypes and mis-information, maybe Hoekstra is the man for the job! Based on comments I read here, and on other blogs, there are a LOT of people that DO want to run the country that way. It makes me sad. Profligate spending was all the rage for the last administration in DC, along with cutting revenue to the bone. Where were The Whiners then? Why was it OK to spend a trillion in Iraq but it is not OK to spend at home when the economy needs a kick start? Was it truly better for the USA to build the Laura Bush Hospital in Iraq (massive cost over runs and way past deadline), but it is gosh darn evil socialism to rebuild our roads? Why was it fine for Hoekstra to vote to increase our debt limit then, but bad for Stabenow to do it now? Why was it OK for Halliburton to set vehicles on fire rather than repair them, at US tax payer expense, but now The Whiners are upset over Solyndra? Why was it OK for pallets of cash, LITERALLY PALLETS OF HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS, to go missing while Hoekstra said nothing, but when we can document stimulus spending it is bad? Why was it OK to bail out multi-millionaire hedge fund managers, but it was bad to bail out the Michigan auto industry? All I can come up with is: If Hoekstra spent it then Over There, that was good, if Stabenow spends it now here, that is bad. Great.
hmsp
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 12:44 p.m.
I understand running the first ad -- that is indeed news, and shows us what kind of a guy Hoekstra is. But the second ad? aa.com is just giving out free advertising on that one. How about running a couple of free ads for Stabenow now, just to show that you aren't exhibiting your frequent conservative bias?
Goober
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 10:50 p.m.
Debbie Spenditnow. A very funny and true ad. Isn't politics something?
Veracity
Sat, Feb 11, 2012 : 6:30 a.m.
Goober: Sorry but are wrong: nothing either funny or true about the ad, just poor taste.
shutthefrtdoor
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 9:10 p.m.
This cat Hoekstra reminds me of Pee Wee Herman... "I know you are but what am I?" My mom always told me " it takes one to know one...and a bigger one to call one"! Debbie should come out with a spot that plays on his name "Pete 'the HOAXSTER' Hoekstra"!!! LOL!
Robert Northrup
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
"featuring a young Asian woman speaking broken English." I would amend that to say "a young Asian woman giving an unconvincing impression of what broken English sounds like." She sounds perfectly clear until she gets to that part of the script. I figured that's what kept her smiling and almost laughing through the whole thing, because it sounded so silly. As Harrison Ford supposedly told George Lucas, "You can type this s**t but you can't say it."
xmo
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 7:30 p.m.
Why are the ads the Democrats run never considered lies, distortions or insensitive? What Senator Spenditnow has done to us in Michigan is criminal yet the press continues to cover it up.
Wilford John Presler IV
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 6:22 p.m.
Pete...is that you Pete?...you sound hurt and angry...
clownfish
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
The problem you have XMO, is that the GOP has been the Party of Moral Values, Moral Majorities and Family Values. They have assigned themselves the place of moral police in our country. This SHOULD mean that they hold themselves to a higher, not lower, standard than the lying, thieving morally bankrupt democrats. So, rather than try to re-direct anger towards the dems, why not ask why can't the GOP candidates live up to their own standards?
Roy Munson
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 8:54 p.m.
That is because liberals are never wrong.
Sparty
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 8:24 p.m.
What specifically are you referring to that is "criminal"? Please advise with facts, outside of the Fox News talking points please.
Forever27
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.
way to feed the troll aa.com. this is exactly what he wanted; coverage of his race-baiting ads.
David Briegel
Fri, Feb 10, 2012 : 1:29 a.m.
Plays perfect to his TeaPublicon Party geniuses! They deserve him!