The head of a group airing a television advertisement using Indian actors and images to raise claims that Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Bill Halter outsourced jobs said on Monday he doesn’t think the spot is offensive and has no plans to pull it from Arkansas’ airwaves.
Americans for Job Security President Stephen DeMaura said the ad, which began airing Monday, will continue on Arkansas stations for the next two weeks. Halter and Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who Halter is challenging in the May 18 Democratic primary, have both condemned the ad.
“The airwaves are crowded there. There are a dozen or more candidates, causes or groups on the air, and we needed to design something that would cut through the clutter and actually get people to discuss this issue,” DeMaura told The Associated Press. “We think that so far, that’s working.”
The ad features Indian-American actors “thanking” Halter while superimposed in front of various street scenes in India. The spot has been criticized as playing up stereotypes of India because it features actors with Indian accents and uses the street scenes.
The Arkansas AFL-CIO, which has endorsed Halter’s Senate bid, issued a statement calling the ad “horribly racist” on Monday.
“Bangalore says thanks, Bill Halter,” an announcer’s voice says in the ad.
The outsourcing claims stem from Halter’s relationship to WebMethods Inc., a company where he once served on the board of directors.
Although the company said it saved costs by opening a Bangalore office, it’s a stretch to say the firm shipped American jobs overseas. The company said in a 2006 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had cut costs by increasing the proportion of its product development staff based in Bangalore, India. The company’s filings, however, do not refer to the loss of any American jobs in connection with opening the Bangalore office.
The ad began appearing on several websites Friday night, and both Lincoln and Halter took the unusual step of denouncing it before it appeared on television.
DeMaura says the Virginia-based group has bought more than $900,000 worth of airtime to run the 30-second spot in the Little Rock, Fort Smith and Jonesboro television markets. The ad began appearing on Arkansas TV stations on Monday, the start of early voting for the May 18 primary.
Americans for Job Security calls itself an independent, pro-business advocacy group. The organization has also run ads in Colorado on behalf of Republican Ken Buck’s bid for the Senate.
Lincoln, who has also used the outsourcing claims against Halter, on Saturday called the ad offensive, and Halter’s campaign said it should never appear on television.
Both Halter and Lincoln have been targeted by outside groups in their fight for the Democratic nomination in Arkansas, and the two rivals have been engaged in a constant exchange of negative advertisements.
Eight Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination for Lincoln’s Senate seat.