Not many people claim to like watching political commercials.

But one such spot in particular, aired locally just one day before Tuesday’s election, caused hundreds of furious viewers to call TV stations to complain.

“I was getting ready for work today and the kids didn’t have school,” said Karen Breininger of Lansing. “I heard ‘this is graphic for children’ and walked into the room where my 5-year-old was watching TV when there was a bloody baby on TV.

“I just said, ‘Go, go, go!’ I’m glad my 9-year-old didn’t see it because she would ask more questions.”

Breininger has never called a TV station over an offensive commercial before. But this ad, she says, crossed the line of what she deems acceptable.

The advertisement was created and paid for by John Mangopoulos, the U.S. Taxpayers candidate for the U.S. Senate. He dropped out of the race Monday and began airing commercials containing graphic images of aborted fetuses.

The “Thanks, Debbie!” ad features testimonials from individuals and families who claim U.S. Rep. Debbie Stabenow, who was challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Spence Abraham for his seat, enabled them to have abortions or commit rape.

Mangopoulos claims he is endorsing Stabenow by showing people who thank his former opponent. But most realize his endorsement is a mockery.

“I didn’t see that particular ad, but I heard they were horrendous,” said Stabenow, who is pro-choice, at her campaign gathering in downtown Detroit on Tuesday. “I think it’s very irresponsible of him.”

Another Mangopoulos commercial began airing Nov. 1 and compared abortion to the Holocaust.

If it was up to Mangopoulos, the graphic ads drawing concern from hundreds of TV viewers calling local stations would run indefinitely.

“I’ve been running the ads, and I’ll continue to buy ads even after the polls close,” he said. “I really don’t care about the election. I’m out to influence people’s attitudes about abortion.

“To me this is about a battle of ideas. I’d continue running the ads if I could. But I know they won’t be running any of them tomorrow.”

All three local TV stations Mangopoulos bought air time from couldn’t be happier to see the advertisements stop running.

WSYM, WILX and WLNS have received hundreds of phone calls from angry viewers.

“People find that these spots are tasteless and offensive, and so do we,” said Ross Woodstock, general manager at WLNS. “We tried everything we could to take it off the air, or change the air time - we didn’t have a choice on it.

“I consulted with our (Federal Communication Commission) attorney and looked for ways to move it to a ‘safe haven,’ a time when children wouldn’t be watching. But the only thing we can do legally is air the disclaimer before the commercial.”

The TV stations have been airing a statement every time one of the commercials is run expressing their inability to pull the ads legally. The disclaimers include Mangopoulos’ phone number. Woodstock said the only thing to do is ignore the ads.

“He’s getting what he wants, attention,” he said.

And the calls are coming in to Mangopoulos, too.

“I have like three or so cassette tapes full of calls,” Mangopoulos said Tuesday. “I’d have to say today alone there’s a hundred or so calls. They’re not all against the commercials, but the people who don’t like it are more likely to call.”

Mangopoulos said he has a specific message for people who are upset with the graphic images airing when children are watching.

“I’ve talked to quite a few of the callers and asked them if they’ve seen the programs the commercials air during,” he said. “Their children have all seen Holocaust photos with piles of dead bodies. There’s not one child who hasn’t seen that already.”

Judy Kenney, vice president and general manager at WSYM, said the station received phone calls even before it began airing the ads.

“Three people even showed up in person,” Kenney said. “That’s unheard of that people came in.

“The moms especially are frustrated. One mom came in after her 5-year-old daughter saw the commercial. She asked me what she can do, and I told her this is the day to put a tape in.”

Moms aren’t the only ones upset with the graphic nature of the ads.

Jane Caldwell says she’s glad Mangopoulos’ ads won’t run after the election ends. She said she has seen the ads and is definitely not pleased.

“I was shocked and appalled,” said Caldwell, a dietetics junior. “It’s disgusting, it never should have been aired in the first place.”

Caldwell said that Mangopoulos has the right to free speech, but he crossed the line.

Mangopoulos is no stranger to graphic ads. He ran graphic abortion ads during a previous failed run for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He ran ads portraying live babies in the womb during his 1998 campaign for the U.S. Senate, but said those commercials stirred up as much controversy as the ads featuring dead babies.

Mangopoulos, whose grandparents were killed under the Nazi regime, said he’s trying to defend victims who can’t defend themselves.

“When I defend an unborn baby, I’m defending, retroactively, Jews who were killed during the Holocaust,” he said. “Maybe if more people spoke out then about the horrors of the Nazi regime, so many wouldn’t have suffered.”

Staff writer Rachel Wright contributed to this report.

Heather Banks can be reached at bankshe1@msu.edu.

Emily Robinson can be reached at robin314@msu.edu.