(Washington, D.C. -- Sharon Rae, WAMU) Northern Virginia Rep. Jim Moran (D) thinks D.C. area Metro has gone too far permitting a contentious political ad to run at the Clarendon Metro station.

The ad, which is placed on one of the lit displays on the train platform, advertises a movie that targets President Obama and contains the phrase "Go to Hell, Barack." Moran fired off an angry letter to the transit agency asking for the immediate removal of the ad, which he calls "disrespectful."

Metro spokesman Dan Stessel says Metro advertising has been ruled by the courts as a public forum protected by the First Amendment. "We may not decline ads based on their political content," Stessel says.

But Moran says the ad, which advertises for the film "Sick & Sicker" about Obama's health care policies, are inappropriate. "It troubles me that Metro allows it to be shown," Moran told NBC Washington. "People of whatever political persuasion should not have to deal with ads that are clearly over the top."

Metro says it doesn't endorse any of the ads on the system, and the advertising does not reflect the position of the transit agency.

What do you think? Should the public nature of Metro make the messages free speech in a public forum? Or is there something about the nature of a subway station that should keep potentially offensive messages away from weary commuters?

Some riders clearly share Moran's views. ARL Now has a photo up on their site of the portion of the ad that says "Go to hell, Barack" with graffiti that responds "That's President Obama to you."

Here's Moran on NBC Washington (after an ad):