“This ad is offensive to some and I think it should be taken down,” McCain said. Critics have said the ad, which discusses Obama’s voting record on crime and features clips from some of Wright’s controversial sermons, is racist.

The North Carolina GOP is defying McCain by standing by the ad. It is available on the internet now and will begin airing in North Carolina next week and through the run-up to the state’s May 6 primary.

McCain ends his “Time for Action” tour with stops in Arkansas and Oklahoma Friday. His former rival Mike Huckabee is scheduled to campaign with McCain for the entire day.

“To say the least [these areas] have not been part of the American dream,” McCain said. “Washington is out of touch with the needs and hopes and aspirations.”

McCain said along his tour he’s been greeted by “warmth and affection probably in a way I have never experienced.”