Pete Hoekstra Ad Draws Criticism For Racial Insensitivity Against Asians

While getting ready to head out to a Super Bowl party, I saw the now infamous ad run by U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra against Michigan incumbent Debbie Stabenow. The ad features a young Asian actress thanking Sen. Stabenow for weakening the U.S. economy and making China's stronger. The problem with the ad is that it has the actress speaking in broken English as if she just stepped off the set of a Charlie Chan flick. It was kinda surreal for me when I first saw the ad because I had to ask myself if I saw and heard what I think I did.

Although the ad only aired in Michigan markets before and during The Super Bowl, it is getting criticism on a nationwide level (from both sides of the political aisle) due to its racial insensitivity.  In the article that I linked to above, Hoekstra defended the ad (which is scheduled to run for two weeks on cable stations across Michigan).

By the way, there is actually a website titled Debbiespenditnow.com and it's as over-the-top with the Asian imagery as you can imagine.

In the clips below, Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks and Lawrence O'Donnell attack the ad... but from different angles.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Final Results of the Recent "Who do you think will be the GOP nominee for POTUS?" Poll

In the recent poll in which I asked who you thought would get the GOP nomination, over 1/2 of voters think that Mitt's the man. Here are the final results:

Mitt Romney- 58%
Newt Gingrich- 33%
Rick Santorum- 8%
Ron Paul- 0%

At the time of the post (1/22), I was leaning Newt's way. However, January 22nd seems like a loooong time ago because I now think Mitt will be the nominee. Still, I don't think Newt will go away quietly. I'm also not going to count him out either. Newt Gingrich reminds me of something Bobby Ewing said about his older brother J.R. on the series Dallas. Bobby said something along the lines that J.R. is at his most dangerous when his back is against the wall. To me, that's Newt in a nutshell.

Sunday Funnies: Week Ending 2/4/12

Below are some of my favorite political cartoons from last week. Enjoy!

Don Cornelius - Creator of Soul Train Dead at 75

Don Cornelius, the man who provided a window in which to view Black culture and a platform for established and new musical artists to shine was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. According to authorities the death appears to be a suicide.

Don Cornelius, a Chicago native brought the syndicated music vehicle to the airwaves in the early 1970's. To date it is the longest running syndicated television show in history. Being a child of the 60's and 70's I could not wait until Saturday Mornings to see the new dances and fashions the "Soul Train Dancers" would be sporting.

In later years Don Cornelius would give up his reign as host to the likes of Mystro Clark, Shemar Moore, and Dorian Gregory. In my humble opinion, "Soul Train" was never the same without Don.

Eric Boehlert: How Fox News Is Destroying the Republican Party

Late last week on the "County Fair" blog portion of Media Matters, writer Eric Boehlert lays out his case of how Fox "News" is causing the demise of the GOP. You can read the article by following the link below:

How Fox News Is Destroying The Republican Party

I've been watching how Fox has conducted itself during the Obama administration and I'm in agreement with Boehlert's assessment. Although the less than honorable tactics often employed by many at Fox have paid off in regards to ratings, I think they are causing a lot of Republican politicians to say and do things they wouldn't under normal circumstances. The "Fox-ification" of the Republican party is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. The bottom line is that what's good for Fox isn't necessarily good for the GOP.

Do you think Fox is helping or hurting the Republican Party?