Hiltons Support McCain, Reportedly Fuming Over "Celeb" Ad Featuring Paris

The new McCain ad featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears has roiled the 2008 campaign. In an unexpected twist, it turns out that Paris' father is on the record as an enthusiastic supporter of Sen. McCain:

Contributors to McCain's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination included Rick Hilton. In fact, Hilton was so enthusiastic about his candidate of choice that, The Times' Tina Daunt reports, federal records show he donated twice as much as the law allows (the campaign returned the excess).

Now, of course, daughter Paris Hilton is the costar (along with Britney Spears) in a controversial new McCain ad aimed at ridiculing Barack Obama.

It also seems that the eldest Hilton, William Barron Hilton (who has also contributed money to McCain), is furious with ad, according to conservative blogger and McCain supporter Martin Eisenstadt:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that the new McCain ad criticizing Obama for being a celebrity has ruffled some unintended feathers. I, for one, quite liked the ad, but I hear whispers from the inner campaign staff that the phone was burning off the hook today with calls from Paris Hilton's grandfather, William Barron Hilton (co-chair of the Hilton Hotel empire), furious that the McCain ad drew an unflattering comparison between Obama and his own granddaughter...

...Apparently, the elder Hiltons had breathed a sigh of relief that Paris was starting to get her act together since hitting rock bottom with her stay in jail last year, when all of a sudden the McCain ad compares her unfavorably to Britney Spears and Barack Obama.

Who would have thought presidential politics would be what dragged Paris back into the spotlight.

Comments

[Heru1]

Only a McFool would draw Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears into Presidential politics. It is so sad to watch dementia set in.

[AnnieinOR]

I agree, only one with dementia would admit it is a great ad.

[Old time Dem]

Heru1: it's sad to watch a man who was once a military hero fall so low and tear apart his own legacy.

It doesn't seem as if anyone in his campaign , his wife or the GOP can stop him from making a fool of himself.

Saying he was 'proud' of this ad simply left those watching embarrassed for him.

[ZimboChick]

What is he heroic for? I never bothered to google it. Please do not say from being a POW

[YunekFlava]

This American Hero is also an American Zerox2.

[kenbomc]

That's so hot.

[InformedSources]

Today at one of his town-hall blab-fests, some reporter asked McCain what happened to his promise to run an honorable campaign, and what came out of his mouth was pure Bush doublespeak. It did send a chill down my spine. By the way, McCain fathered a black child out of wedlock, didn't he?

[iluvsummr]

No, he didn't father a black child out of wedlock. He adopted a daughter from Bangladesh and that was used against him in 2000 (a whispering campaign in the south that she was a "black" child). Unfortunately he seems to have learned that the Southern Strategy of using race to divide the electorate works, and has fully embraced it. Sad.

[Boris]

It was a joke, summer.

[SeanOcali]

I call BS. How can this guy seriously get upset over every video that draws an unflattering depiction of his granddaughter? You'd think he'd be used to it by now.

[suntzu]

Sexual innuendo and scandals about Paris don't bother Hilton pere et grandpere. It is association with a black man that is scandalous to them.

[Bettysdad]

So where is the Hilton's lawsuit? Or Britney's?

You can't just put a celebrity's picture in your commercial, just like you can't put a celebrity's pic on a tube of toothpaste.

So, the ladies signed a waiver, gave tacit approval (legally stupid) or were paid. Either way, there is nothing to complain about.

[Srkdqltr]

This is just way funnier than it should be.. Now hes biting the hand that supports him. Sad Sad

[ShamusNYC]

There's a saying "not all republicans are stupid people, but all stupid people are republicans"

Therefore, the campaign staff should really have known...

UNLESS, they also fall into the latter group.

[BigFootJesus]

You have it backwards. "Not all stupid people are repubs but all repubs are stupid."

[lissak]

There is no way O bama can even begin to reach the celebrity status of Paris or Britney. Has he ever been in jail or rehab? When was his last DUI? Has he ever flashed the media? He probably even wears underwear.

[Boadicea]

The Republicans used Paris Hilton, a troubled young woman, and Britney Spears, another troubled young woman, to attract attention to themselves and sensationalize the ad, because they are desperate for attention. They're no better than the publication they've modeled the ad after, the National Enquirer.

The offensive elements of this whole concept used in the ad are too numerous to mention. For starters, REpublicans are comparing a man to women as a means of ridiculing him. As a woman, this is the form of sexism that infuriates me the most. There is absolutely no consideration for how this might make those women feel, either. Frankly, if I was Paris Hilton, I'd sue the pants off the Republican Party for using me in their ad without permission.

I'm disgusted with my former party, and there are no words to explain my contempt for Senator McCain personally, and all resulting from this ad. I certainly expected better of him. Nothing has convinced me more than this ad that all that remains of the Republican Party dwells in the gutter.

The rest of the offensive content I'll leave to others, but I can't believe there are any women on McCain's staff who approved this ad.

Shame on the Republicans. Serious, serious shame.

[GunneraGirl]

America is the most entertaining place in the world.

Thankyou Baron Hilton, Thankyou Rick Hilton, Thankyou John McCain. You are all tremendously hilarious and you make me so glad to be part of this whacky whacky nation! I'm barely over exhausting myself laughing that you actually went to a German deli in Berlin Pennsylvania the day Obama addressed a quarter of a million people in, well, there's no other way to say this but, THE REAL BERLIN, when you turn around and produce this ad. You are soooo funny!!!

Now please, will someone PLEASE dig up that footage of Britney Spears snapping her gum and mouthing support for Dubya at the same time, that Michael Moore used in Fahrenheit 9/11? It would make me soooooo happy!!!

[Passenger57]

I have a great commercial for Obama...ru­n the video of McCain saying he would run a clean campaign - and then run snippets of his negative ads, as Obama himself says, "He can't even lead his own campaign like he said he would - how in the world will he lead OUR country? Then they show a shot of a huge crowd as they all yell, "He's Barack Obama and he approves this message!".

[PatA]

Two "celebrities" would be very lucky if they were anything like what I see of Mr. Obama.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

McBack-Stabber

[Lauren1959]

Love it; we now have that footage of Britney saying she "believes her President (Bush)" and the Hiltons are upset. Do we have to wonder why those ultra rich supporters might be offended by the notion that Paris is just a celebrity because she's a celebrity? This is too funny.

[beekeeper]

Uh the Hiltons are incredibly out of touch with reality .... hence their pathetic parenting and Paris issues.... I am not surprised that they support McCain. This family is a joke.

[chosenson]

McCain: "I'm the candidate with the judgment to lead"

WHAT JUDGMENT??