CLEVELAND -- An Ohio political campaign ad containing images of the smoldering World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, is now being pulled after sparking controversy among political opponents.

Sen. Mike DeWine is seeking re-election, with Democrat Sherrod Brown seeking his seat. But now, DeWine is taking heat from several directions concerning the ad, NewsChannel5 reported.

The controversial video of the burning twin towers has sparked fierce debate. DeWine used the image of the burning Trade Center in an ad attacking Brown for being weak on national security.

Critics have called the ad a political exploitation of the Sept. 11attacks. The DeWine camp has pulled the ad and replaced it with a different one, showing the towers before the terrorist attack.

DeWine stands by his use of the reference to Sept. 11. His campaign said, "The senator was unaware the image of the towers was a graphic representation.

Case Western Reserve University political science professor Joe White said this is only the beginning of backlash in the heated senate race.

Democrats are fighting back with a political ad saying DeWine is exploiting the Sept. 11 attacks to smear Brown. Brown's campaign director calls the ad "shameful."

The DeWine ad showing the burning towers is actually fake: the images are computer generated, not actual video footage.

The generated image is also incorrect, showing the south tower burning first, when it was the north tower that was first to be attacked.

DeWine's camp said the despite the error, the facts of the ad remain the same.