Nevada Senate race turns uglier with Hispanic ad

Nevada Senate race turns uglier with Hispanic ad
By CRISTINA SILVA
The Associated Press
October 19, 2010

A Republican campaign urging Latinos not to vote was yanked from the airwaves Tuesday amid an outcry from Democrats that it was a dirty trick against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his hotly contested race against Republican Sharron Angle.

Reid sought to link the ad to Angle as the ad drew a harsh rebuke from President Barack Obama, Hispanic leaders and candidates from both parties in Nevada. Angle's opponents also pounced on the tea party favorite for her comments to Hispanic high school students that "some of you look a little more Asian to me."

"Listen to her latest, running ads on Hispanic television telling people not to vote," Reid said. "She is trying to keep people from voting."

Reid has fiercely courted the Hispanic vote in the contest against Angle, who supports strict immigration policies. With the race in a dead heat, a dip in turnout among Hispanics would likely land Angle in the U.S. Senate.

The Republican group Latinos for Reform had planned to eventually run the commercials in Nevada, Florida, California, Texas and Colorado through the Nov. 2 election.

"Don't vote this November. This is the only way to send them a clear message," the ad's narrator announces in Spanish. "You can no longer take us for granted."

Univision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the spot was pulled from one of its Spanish-language radio stations in Las Vegas shortly after the commercial hit the air.

Univision said it will also not run a companion ad on its Spanish-language TV broadcasting network and will continue to encourage Hispanics to vote.

Telemundo, the nation's other major Spanish-language network, also said it would not broadcast the TV spots if approached.

Obama slammed the campaign during a roundtable with reporters from Spanish-language outlets.

"I think it is terrible," he said. "It is a cynical political ploy to try to drive Latino votes to benefit a Republican candidate in Nevada who would never vote for immigration reform." ...