(Image Source: WSJV)

BY SAMANTHA KUBOTA

ANCHOR TOM MARTIN

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Michigan, Pete Hoekstra, aired his political ad on Michigan TV stations during the Super Bowl -- and it’s raising some eyebrows. Here’s a clip.

“You borrow more and more from us. Your economy get very weak, ours get very good [sic]. We take your jobs. Thank you Debbie Spenditnow.”

The ad attacks Debbie Stabenow and the incumbent Democratic senator’s spending record, but the accent used by the actress, as well as the background music -- are not going over well with some people.

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Michigan Chapter issued a statement saying, “It is very disturbing that Mr. Hoekstra’s campaign chose to use harmful and negative stereotypes that intrinsically encourage anti-Asian sentiment.”

WXYZ reports local religious and community leaders are outraged and call the ad “racist.”  The station says ministers gathered for a news conference Monday to ask for an apology from Hoekstra.

The Detroit News quotes Reverend Charles Williams ..."The Asian woman speaking in this video would be no different than him having a black person speaking in slave dialect.”

But The Detroit Free Press caught up with Hoekstra at a fundraiser Monday morning -- he says the ad isn’t racist.

“There’s nothing racist in this ad. This is all about holding Debbie accountable for her reckless spending,” said Hoekstra.
 

And Real Clear Politics quotes Hoekstra’s campaign spokesman as saying, "Democrats talk about race when they can't defend their records.”

And CBS Detroit reports “Hoekstra said the ad was meant to be ‘satirical’ and was only offensive to someone like Debbie Stabenow.”