Clint Eastwood on Chrysler Super Bowl Ad: 'I Am Certainly Not Affiliated With Mr. Obama'

4:03 PM PST 2/6/2012 by Paul Bond

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Art Streiber

As partisans dissect the actor's Super Bowl commercial, which seems to tout auto-industry bailouts, the actor tells Fox News Channel that he donated his salary to charity.

Clint Eastwood does not want his patriotic Super Bowl ad to indicate an “affiliation” with the current presidential administration – or any politician or party, for that matter – but that’s not stopping partisans from talking about the Chrysler commercial.

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“I am certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama,” Eastwood told Fox News Channel on Monday.

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“It was meant to be a message,” Eastwood told The O’Reilly Factor producer Ron Mitchell, “just about job growth and the spirit of America. I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK.” Video of the commercial is below.

The ad, which has Eastwood declaring that it’s “halftime in America,” seems to support the White House decision to bail out certain carmakers – including Chrysler – with taxpayer money, a decision that apparently sits better with Democrats than it does Republicans.

White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer tweeted his support for the commercial, as did Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod. Republican strategist Karl Rove, on the other hand, told Fox News on Monday that he was “offended” by the ad, even though he’s “a huge fan of Clint Eastwood.” Other conservatives also weighed in. Columnist Michelle Malkin, for example, tweeted: “Agh. WTH? Did I just see Clint Eastwood fronting an auto bailout ad???”

Despite the political brouhaha, Eastwood told Fox News that the ad is non partisan.

“I just want to say that the spin stops with you guys, and there is no spin in that ad. On this I am certain,” Eastwood said. “I am not supporting any politician at this time.”

Eastwood also told Fox News that he donated to charity the money that Chrysler paid him for starring in the suddenly controversial Super Bowl commercial.