WASHINGTON _ Rep. Ted Lieu, a Chinese-American Democrat from California, took umbrage at a new ad that he deemed "racist" from Rep. Chris Collins as the New York Republican tries to revive his campaign.
The ad in question shows Collins' Democratic opponent, Nate McMurray, speaking Korean, with subtitles saying his goal was to ship jobs overseas when he was a lawyer in Korea. The subtitles did not at all match what McMurray was actually saying in the video.
The ad has been all over Buffalo television screens over the last week.
"Take your racist ad and shove it," Lieu, a U.S. Air Force Reserve colonel who spent time in Guam, where he coordinated defense with Korean officials, tweeted late Tuesday.
"You are an embarrassment to the House of Representatives," Lieu wrote.
Collins, who represents New York's 27th District that covers Buffalo and its surrounding counties, suspended his campaign after being indicted on charges of insider trading last month.
But he later reversed course after GOP leaders attempted for weeks to find a way to remove Collins from the ballot. Local and national GOP leaders were reportedly blindsided by his decision to remain on the ballot.
The House GOP campaign arm will not spend any money to help Collins.
"I don't plan to spend a penny in that race," National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers of Ohio told reporters Tuesday.
"And I think Chris will win on his own accord," Stivers added.
McMurray will hammer Collins on the campaign trail for his alleged criminal activity and pending day in court, if his statement after Collins announced he would re-launch his campaign is any indication.
"Chris Collins has been charged with a crime. He can't buy his way back into his job," the McMurray campaign said in a statement. "Chris Collins thinks the rules don't apply to him. They do. Chris Collins represents everything that's wrong with Washington."
The charges against Collins "are certainly serious," Stivers said in an interview Tuesday with reporters at the NRCC headquarters, The Washington Post reported. "But in America, people are innocent until proven guilty. And I think he has a record to run on _ being effective for his district. And I think he has a relationship with his voters and I think he will win that race, but I certainly don't plan on spending money there."
