Former Michigan state congressman Pete Hoekstra's controversial campaign aid, aired locally during the Super Bowl, resorted to vile racism in an attempt to appeal to disgruntled Michigan workers.

Hoekstra, who is running to be the Republican nominee against second-term Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, should end his campaign for producing an ad which is unacceptable in modern society. The ad featured a young Asian woman speaking about the threat of Chinese economic growth and Stabenow's fiscal policy.

“Thank you, Michigan Sen. Debbie ‘Spend-It-Now,’” the woman says at the beginning of the ad. “Debbie spends so much American money. You borrow more and more from us. Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good. We take your jobs."

Tellingly, she never stumbles over the 'Spend-It-Now' or 'Spend-It-Not" titles for Stabenow or Hoekstra, respectively. She's Asian, perhaps Chinese, and apparently threatening, but she certainly stays on message.

What's worse, the scene honestly opens with a gong. The absurd music, intermittent grammar issues and pointed straw hat that follow are all designed to remind us that this is a foreign culture, a people apart — something different from our wounded, reeling America. This sort of race-baiting is simply unacceptable for a person running to represent Michigan at a federal level, but of course it does not belong in any campaign or conversation.

There is no acceptable move Hoekstra can make other than to withdraw from running for the nomination. His appearance at the end of the commercial reiterating the points in front of a fireplace, ending with "I'm Pete 'Spend-It-Not" Hoekstra, and I approve this message," tells us he cannot legitimately distance himself from the controversy.

Hoekstra may actually believe both the content and strategy of the ad are acceptable and see no problem with them, in which case he has no business running or holding any elected office. The only other alternative is that he was unaware of the extent of the ad's racial bias and stereotyping, that he gave into the pressure of a cut-throat campaign team, which demonstrates he lacks the spine and foresight a U.S. senator should reflexively display.

Resorting to the depths he did with this ad sets back the tone of political discourse decades, if not a century. It is an offense to Asian-Americans and other minorities, but it stings basic human dignity. Hoekstra worked hard to portray himself as the moderate candidate in this race, earning endorsements from national figures including Mitt Romney, but that hard work was undone instantly with this embarrassment.

Instead of trotting out evasive half-apologies or jingoistic defenses, it's time for Hoekstra to step aside and allow the process to continue without him. He has done more than enough already.

Michigan has long battled a poor reputation nationally and internationally. We have suffered as a punchline for industrial decline and social backwardness.

If we are to move forward, tactics such as the campaign commercial must be shelved permanently.

To help us move forward, Pete 'End-It-Now' Hoekstra must stop his campaign.