What's Hot

PoliticsMitch McConnellalison lundergan grimes adPolitics

Progressive Group MoveOn Demands Alison Lundergan Grimes Remove Immigration Ad

Progressive Group Demands Alison Lundergan Grimes Remove Ad
Elise Foley
By 

Copy Chief, HuffPost

Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes is in deep water with progressives and immigration advocates after her campaign ran an ad calling undocumented immigrants "illegal aliens" and bizarrely accusing her opponent, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), of being soft on immigration.

On Tuesday, progressive group MoveOn.org Political Action urged Grimes to take down the ad, calling it "upsetting."

"MoveOn members in Kentucky and across the country are contacting millions of voters to help prevent a Republican takeover of the Senate, and it makes that important work harder when Democrats embrace inflammatory Republican rhetoric," Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, said in a statement. "It’s deeply troubling that Grimes would stoop this low in order to try to defeat McConnell, and she needs to take this offensive advertisement off the air immediately."

Grimes' ad, first reported by Vox, criticizes McConnell for voting for "amnesty" -- in 1986. The ad doesn't mention his many votes against immigration reform since, including his opposition to the 2013 Senate bill that Grimes has said she would have supported. (That bill, according to its supporters, was not "amnesty" because of the strict qualifications it would have required before undocumented immigrants could gain legal status.)

In the ad, Grimes, who is Kentucky's secretary of state, doesn't talk up immigration reform or support for a path to citizenship, which she has voiced before.

"I've never supported amnesty or benefits for illegal immigrants, and I never will," Grimes says in the spot.

The ad's tone and its message against undocumented immigrants drew criticism from immigrant rights groups as well. Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigration reform group America’s Voice, said that the ad "smacks of desperation."

"By trying to get to McConnell’s right, Grimes jeopardizes her attempts to define herself as a leader who will tackle tough problems with bipartisan solutions," Sharry said in a statement. "Democrats should leave it to Republicans to be the anti-immigrant party that has fought tooth and nail to block an immigration reform proposal supported by a strong majority of American voters."

UPDATE: 8:01 p.m. -- Democracy for America, a group founded by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D), joined MoveOn later Tuesday in calling for Grimes to pull the ad.

"The Grimes campaign must take down this offensive ad," Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America, said in a statement. "It's simply wrong for any Democrat to use right-wing talking points and dehumanize struggling immigrant families. Democracy for America members have been proud to work with allies to end Mitch McConnell's 30-year career in Washington and save the Senate from Republican control, but every moment Secretary Grimes fails to remove this hurtful ad ignores the plight of millions and makes our work more difficult."

Before You Go

Iowa Senate
Tom Williams via Getty Images
Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) appears to be picking up momentum in her bid to turn retiring Sen. Tom Harkin's (D) seat from blue to red. The Democratic nominee, Rep. Bruce Braley, has continued to suffer from the backlash over his comments about Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) background as a farmer. Democrats, however, think they can paint Ernst as extreme by highlighting her comments about the minimum wage, nullification of federal laws, Medicaid recipients, personhood legislation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Alaska Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D) has worked to show he is independent from President Barack Obama's administration as he battles former state Attorney General Dan Sullivan, a Republican. The senator has opposed Obama's strategies to combat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and to expand background checks on gun sales. He has also disassociated himself from his party by remaining open to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.Republicans, on the other hand, have worked to tie Begich to the president, who is deeply unpopular in the state.
Colorado Senate
Mark Udall (Kent Nishimura via Getty Images)
Sen. Mark Udall (D) and Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) are locked in one of the closest races on this year's Senate map.Democrats have put Gardner on the defensive over his past support for personhood legislation, which would give legal rights to fetuses from the moment of fertilization. Republicans have continuously hit Udall over the Affordable Care Act, his energy policies and national security issues.
Arkansas Senate
Mark Pryor (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is now the slight favorite in his race against Sen. Mark Pryor, the only Democratic member of his state's congressional delegation. The dialogue between the two candidates has moved from the farm bill and food stamps to the minimum wage and funding for pediatric research to the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision.
Kansas Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The surprise race of this cycle is in Kansas, where Sen. Pat Roberts (R) may be edged out by independent Greg Orman, who insists he's disenchanted with both parties. Republicans are scrambling to paint Orman as a Democrat in disguise, but Roberts is still experiencing the fallout from a New York Times report that revealed that he doesn't maintain a permanent home in the state.
New Hampshire Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is fighting for re-election against former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).Democrats have done everything they can to ridicule Brown's candidacy, but President Barack Obama's unpopularity in the Granite State, as in other states, may hurt Shaheen on Nov. 4.
Louisiana Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) is a political survivor, having won her last three Senate races by narrow margins. She'll need another miracle if the nonpartisan primary on Nov. 4. goes to a Dec. 6. runoff, as all of the GOP's energy will presumably be focused on putting Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) over the top, especially if control of Congress' upper chamber hinges on this race.Landrieu would need to significantly boost turnout in cities such as New Orleans to eke out a runoff win. Her brother is the mayor of New Orleans, though, so that could help.
North Carolina Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sen. Kay Hagan (D) has so far held on against a challenge from North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis (R). Republicans have gone from being gleeful with expectations that they would take the seat to glum, as Democrats have worked to tar Tillis with the actions of the state legislature over which he presided. Republicans have called Hagan ineffectual, while Democrats have consistently highlighted Tillis' record on education spending, voting rights and abortion rights.
Kentucky Senate
Win McNamee via Getty Images
One of the Democratic Party's pickup opportunities is in Kentucky, but that possibility seems to be receding as Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) has been dropping off in the polls against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). While McConnell's campaign has run ads touting his work on behalf of constituents and accused Grimes of being too close to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Grimes has distanced herself from others in her party. Though McConnell remains unpopular in the state, Grimes would need heavy turnout to surpass him.
Georgia Senate
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The second of the Democrats' two pickup opportunities in red states is in Georgia, where nonprofit executive Michelle Nunn and businessman David Perdue (R) both hope to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R). Both candidates have well-known surnames: Nunn's father is popular former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), while Perdue's cousin is former Gov. Sonny Perdue (R). Democrats think they can turn the state purple with the help of groups like the New Georgia Project, led by Georgia state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D), which has collected tens of thousands of voter registration applications.
Elise Foley - Copy Chief, HuffPost

Copy Chief, HuffPost

Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how.

Go to Homepage

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot