Group Urges Vitter To Stop Illegal Immigration Ad
Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Demands Apology
POSTED: 11:24 pm CDT October 7, 2010
UPDATED: 11:51 pm CDT October 7, 2010

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NEW ORLEANS -- The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana said a new political ad is racist, and the group is calling on Sen. David Vitter to stop running the spot.

Vitter has long pushed for tighter border security. It's an issue front and center in his campaign, but the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believes his new ad is a low blow.

The Republican senator chairs the Senate Boarder Security Caucus. On his website, Vitter says one in every 25 people living in the U.S. is here illegally. It's issue that he takes up in a new political ad to attack his opponent's record on immigration.

"We found the ad to be totally abhorrent and shocking, and I'm going to use the 'R' word and say racist," said Darlene Kattan, of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana.

Kattan said her issue is not with the senator's position on border security, but rather how he presents his message.

"In this ad, he has these Hollywood stereotypes, caricature-types portraying Latino workers," Kattan said. "First of all, he uses the word 'illegal' so many times."

Kattan said the more humane word is "undocumented," and she said most of the people entering the country illegally are not Latino.

"No one seems to be objecting to the cute little blond-haired, blue-eyed cocktail waitress with her darling little eastern Europe accents serving cocktails in downtown New Orleans, but everyone has a problem with the workers who have come here to rebuild this city," she said.

Kattan said she has called Vitter's offices in Washington, D.C., and in Louisiana and has even reached out to his campaign staff with a message.

"To Sen. David Vitter, we are saying you owe us an apology, we are offended, we expect an immediate apology and we expect this ad to be yanked from the airwaves immediately," Kattan said.

Thursday night, Vitter's office issued a statement, sticking by his ad.

"Sen. Vitter believes in a legal immigration process for those who want to pursue the American dream," the spokesperson's statement said. "But (Rep.) Charlie Melancon's votes making it easy for illegals to get taxpayer-funded benefits, highlighted in the ad, are offensive to the senator and many, many Louisianans."

WDSU contacted Melancon's camp, which released the following statement: "Louisiana newspapers have already called David Vitter's ads 'distorted,' 'misleading,' and untrue, and this latest ad is just plain dishonest. Truth is, Charlie Melancon has fought to stop illegal immigration, supporting a border fence, opposing amnesty, and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants."

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