Robert Menendez Blasts Sharron Angle Ad As 'Racist' And 'Despicable' (VIDEO)

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the DSCC, piled on the recent criticism of Sharron Angle's Latino-based attacks ads, calling her latest spot "despicable" and agreeing that it is indeed "racist."

Speaking with MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Tuesday, Menendez pounded the ad and claimed that it was part of what he saw as an effort to discourage Latino voters on election day.

"It tries to portray all Latinos in this country in a negative light in a state that has such a large, vibrant and productive population," Menendez said. "And it goes hand-in-hand with what Sharron Angle is doing to try to suppress that vote in Nevada."

Menendez continued:

"In the tactics that are reminiscent of the Republican Party in the past: taking pictures of minority voters going to vote in the early vote, passing out literature, trying to intimidate them. This ad is along the line, it is a despicable ad and I hope and I believe it will backfire [on] her in this last week of the election."

Menendez is far from the first to condemn Angle's brazen anti-illegal immigrant ad campaign, though he may be the highest elected Democrat to do so in such an open fashion.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press" called an earlier, equally criticized, Angle campaign spot the "most overtly racist ad of this campaign season."

Joy Behar was so outraged by that earlier spot that she erupted on "The View" Tuesday, calling Sharron Angle a "bitch" who was "going to hell."

The controversy over Angle's advertising content hasn't been confined to liberal pundits, however. Last month, a spokeswoman for her campaign derided her candidate's use of "propaganda" commercials seeking to "blame Mexicans as the only problem."

WATCH:

Comments

[hsr0601]

08:00 AM on 10/29/2010

1. AS we are all aware, while many of small businesses are in financial trouble, lots of big name companies are reluctant to expand businesses, even with adequate capital.
　
From what I understand, they might take into account that plenty of ordinary households are still facing Stagnant Income Raises & Runaway Healthcare Cost, and beyond, say, low demand.
　
Given, the choice is clear, which one is going a long way to desperately needed job boost, tax credit for 95% of middle class or others.
　
2. I hope strongly that Nevada also will take a bold action into solar energy space just like California.
To my knowledge, solar industry became more cost completive with the counterparts.

[elkhawk]

08:25 PM on 10/28/2010

Well, I guess Dr. Maddow, Joy Behar, and Robert Menendez better get ready for Sharron's "2nd amendment remedy". I feel that this woman is a racist and completely against the United States. These Teacrakpots want to take us back to a time when men with blonde hair, blue eyes, and brownshirts took care of business.

[rgc]

08:16 PM on 10/28/2010

Angle, Palin, Cantor, Paul, Joe Miller are constitutionalist who believe in States Rights. These people are all working on behalf of the Klan. They are bullying their way all the way to Election Day. This says it all. And you wonder why there is so much bullying going on with the
youth across America. Is this the new standard in this country? These people are cowards and they plan to manhandle anyone who gets in their way

If the radical political discourse keeps up... they may get the unrest they are so
desperately seeking!

[kimbanyc]

08:14 PM on 10/28/2010

On Sunday these people will gather to pray.

On Monday they will kick an uninsured, unemployed single mom when she's down.

On Tuesday they'll bible bash the gay community.

On Wednesday they'll protest a Mosque and demand repeal of the 14th Amendment.

On Thursday they'll hold fundraisers for Wall Street.

On Friday they'll oppress women's rights Read More... to reproductive choice.

On Saturday they'll protest big government on tax payer funded park land.

And on Sunday they'll rest and pray that next week God smites the poor.

[CTtransplant]

06:49 PM on 10/28/2010

Thank you, Bob Menendez!!!!

[Randy Wetzel]

06:17 PM on 10/28/2010

News flash, Teabaggers and Republicans generally have no morals, scruples or an aversion to lying, trying to shame them for anything they say or do is like throwing a brick at a tsunami hoping to stop it.
Not like shaming them would waken the mental sleep their supporters suffer from. Its all pointless for the most part.

[Petey131]

06:12 PM on 10/28/2010

From Nevada:

Gracis Sr. Menendez. I agre with you 100%

[Donna1224]

05:38 PM on 10/28/2010

She has no qualifications for the office so she is just resorting to smear and slimy attack ads that are blatantly racist and despicible! I'm sure that the Latinos in Nevada are lining up right now to vote for her......NOT!

[Yikes11]

05:14 PM on 10/28/2010

20Dynamite . . Totally agree with your response. " A Jersey Shore character" . . .

[SeaShell226]

04:16 PM on 10/28/2010

.
STOP THE
.
INSANI-TEA PARTY
.
Indeps and Dems ~ Get out and V O T E !

[swp]

04:12 PM on 10/28/2010

What??????????? You expected something different???????? You expected a Pig to bark??????? You have a certain uncanny grasp of the obvious. Now, why haven't you done something about it before now????????????????

[njgal4obama]

04:08 PM on 10/28/2010

Bob Menendez is the best!

[AlanInGA]

03:05 PM on 10/28/2010

Is this the same Bob Menendez who got favorable treatment for a minority-owned bank that just happened to be big contributors to his campaign?

That's what I thought.

[Petey131]

06:13 PM on 10/28/2010

Proof? I forgot the baggers like to grasp at straws.

[mdcolli]

09:39 PM on 10/28/2010

Thanks....I was also going to ask for proof...

[Sandee McHale Delano]

01:44 PM on 10/28/2010

This woman is just not right and I find it so very difficult to believe she is going to win. She wants to take away our childrens' right to a quality education, veteran's benefits, SS, unemployment, and on and on augnauseum. She has yet to share one solid/substantive idea or platform that will help the people of NV or this country.

[jwoww]

12:58 PM on 10/28/2010

Mr Senatorial Relection Committee Chair Roberto Menendez is going down big time like his political carreer that will end with his loss in 2012.

[20DYNAMITE07]

02:14 PM on 10/28/2010

So says someone named after a Jersey Shore character... ;)

[Hardyman1966]

05:01 PM on 10/28/2010

Thank you. There's really no reason to bother going any further.

[BLACKCAT66]

03:41 PM on 10/28/2010

Don't count on it, he is one of the few local pols that actually fights for us "little" people. I for one live in his district and will support him. BTW...its a little hard to take someone seriously who has actually named themselves after one of the butt-clowns on Jersey Shore...unless this actually is Jwoww then kudos for writing a complete sentence ;-0

[njgal4obama]

04:07 PM on 10/28/2010

OH, you are so fanned!

[mdcolli]

09:40 PM on 10/28/2010

x2