Hoekstra fundraises off charges his Super Bowl ad was racist

Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) is fundraising off accusations that his first Senate ad is racist.

Hoekstra's ad, which aired Sunday, drew criticism from Democrats, Asian-American groups and some Republicans for featuring an Asian woman mockingly thanking his opponent, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), in broken English for shipping jobs to China.

After a day of controversy, Hoekstra sent out a fundraising plea. "We dared to take on Debbie Stabenow and China, and the liberals are doing what they always do — crying racism," Hoekstra writes before asking for donations.

Hoekstra's campaign spent $150,000 on the ad buy. It has garnered more media attention than most ads, but its message on debt and spending has been drowned out by the controversy over its racial overtones. Read a full account of Monday's back-and-forth here.