“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure not only they stop it but that kind of leadership is rejected,” McCain said in an interview with CBS’s Early Show, adding that he has communicated his wishes “in every possible way.”

However, the senator also noted that the state party is “an independent organization,” indicating that he is unable to order North Carolina officials to stop the ad.

The Democratic National Committee said McCain is not doing enough to get the ad pulled.

“If doing everything he can is sending an email, how can we trust John McCain to do everything he can to tackle the challenges America is facing,” said DNC communications director Karen Finney. “Here’s some straight talk: instead of sending emails Senator McCain could take real action to show he's serious by firing the state party chair from her position with the Republican National Convention and kicking the Republican party leaders who helped fund this ad off his campaign steering committees.”