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GOP Slams 'Godless Friends' of Dole’s Foe
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ShareOctober 18, 2008 6:04 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Julia Hoppock Report: The GOP targeted the so-called "Godless friends" of Elizabeth Dole's opponent on Saturday, circulating a YouTube video which assails Democrat Kay Hagan for attending a Boston fundraiser co-hosted by Woody Kaplan who sits on the advisory board of the Godless Americans PAC .
"Either she shares their views or puts money over her principles," said John Randall , the online communications manager for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). "Neither is a ringing endorsement for her as a senator from North Carolina."
Dole, who served as NRSC chair in 2006, is one of nine incumbent Republican senators who is in a tough fight for re-election.
Watch the video circulated by the NRSC HERE:
Hagan's campaign confirmed that the Democratic Senate candidate attended a Sept. 15 fundraiser at Kaplan's Boston home. Hagan's spokeswoman noted, however, that Kaplan was one of 40 co-hosts and called the web video, which follows similar mail attack pieces from the Dole campaign, a "desperate" and "pathetic" attempt to save the Republican seat "at any and all costs."
"Elizabeth Dole knows that Kay Hagan is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro," said Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan. "This kind of behavior is so unbecoming of a woman like Senator Dole, and it speaks volumes about her as a person and as a politician."
The video seeks to tarnish Hagan by showing representatives of the Godless Americans PAC articulating their views.
Ellen Johnson, the group's executive director, is shown at a Nov. 2, 2002, conference, saying, "All Americans are Godless Americans because there is no God."
"What is their agenda?" asks the video's narrator.
It then seeks to answer its own question by showing clips of David Silverman, a spokesman for the Godless Americans PAC, telling Fox's Bill O'Reilly that his group would like to remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, erase "in God we trust" from U.S. currency, and abolish Christmas as a federal holiday.
Hagan's campaign rebutted the specific charges in the video, telling ABC News that Hagan does not support any changes to the Pledge, U.S. currency, or the status of Christmas as a government holiday.
The Hagan spokeswoman then counterpunched, pointing to Dole's defense of a 2006 Republican ad against Harold Ford which featured a scantily clad white woman telling the black Senate candidate, "Harold, call me".
"This kind of smear-first, explain-later campaigning is nothing new for Elizabeth Dole," said Flanagan, the Hagan spokeswoman. "She perfected these tactics at the NRSC two years ago, defending ads that had a 'serious appeal to racist sentiment' and launching attack websites with 'racial overtones.'"
October 18, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (92)
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And the American "Taliban" speaks.
Posted by: JR | Oct 18, 2008 6:22:18 PM
By that logic, Palin must believe in the Alaska Independence Party. So we should extrapolate using GOP logic that Palin is very much Anti-American as the AIP wishes to secede from the US of A.
Thanks GOP, great point.
Posted by: AIP | Oct 18, 2008 6:23:15 PM
Its hard to figure out how anyone could not be embarrased to admit that they are a Republican. Lincoln must be rolling over in his grave to see what has become of his party.
Posted by: jim | Oct 18, 2008 6:24:27 PM
Let us see now:
If you support Obama, your un-American.
If you disagree with a neo-con, your un-American.
If you want to voice your opinion (different than the GOP) your un-American.
Yep, as far as I'm concerned the republicans are un-American, they just don't get it.
Posted by: JR | Oct 18, 2008 6:26:35 PM
-- Its hard to figure out how anyone could not be embarrased to admit that they are a Republican --
It is getting harder and harder, I must admit. After this election cycle and Obama winning the presidency, I'm going to switch my registration over to either the Democratic side, or perhaps Independent.
The GOP may be old, but it is no longer grand.
Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 18, 2008 6:26:44 PM
Dole is going done this Nov. She's a carpetbagger! Where's Bob.....never see him in N Carolina!
Posted by: linda n carolina | Oct 18, 2008 6:30:37 PM
I think the republican party is going the way of the "Loyalist Party."
It soon will be the Democrats vs. the Independents and the green Party.
so much for Mccain Palin doing their party any good... Bush destroyed it...but they are now put the nail in so to speak.
Right wing morons run amock.
Posted by: dl | Oct 18, 2008 6:33:45 PM
Republican party...
a footnote in history...
a party that existed for a period of time that was considered "fiscally conservative" and dragged through the mudd and into the gutter by right wing houligans (aka Pharissees) who co opted values into a crime.
ugh.
Posted by: dl | Oct 18, 2008 6:35:39 PM
Man, this guilt by association nonsense is getting really pathetic. It comes from both sides, but the Republicans seem to have made a religion out of it.
Posted by: jock59801 | Oct 18, 2008 6:39:16 PM
Welcome to the new Republican party that is the new McCarthy party.
Posted by: David | Oct 18, 2008 6:39:20 PM
this is ridiculous. Sen. Dole runs an ad on the issues, and Sen. Hagan responds with "that's a dirty ad!" Why can't Sen. Hagan just respond to or concede the issues in the ad? Sen. Hagan, like Sen. Obama, sees every issue as a "distraction" and make the conduct of the campaigns the only thing the friendly press will talk about.
Posted by: DemMcCrat for McCain | Oct 18, 2008 6:44:24 PM
David - you're right. McCarthyism is making a comeback, a gift to this country from the Republican Party. I hate the cold but I'm packing my bags to head to Canada just in case there's an upset and McCain wins. I don't want to be around when the Gestapo disguised as the American flag comes knocking at my door.
Posted by: counting crows | Oct 18, 2008 6:52:51 PM
The GOP has become desperate, they are giving up any semblance of National unity and going for their core base, the "redneck, anti-American, un-democratic" among us.
Posted by: JR | Oct 18, 2008 6:54:51 PM
When Palin or any of the McCain surrogates say that to vote for Obama is un-American, they show how un-American they themselves are. What kind of people are they they that they don't believe in free speak. Oh, that's right, they're republican and they don't believe in speech that doesn't support them.
Posted by: JR | Oct 18, 2008 7:02:24 PM
That is all they have left......
McCain can not be told NO so think of that when you vote people.....
Posted by: NH Voter | Oct 18, 2008 7:03:15 PM
THE REPUBLICANS RUNNING WOULD DO ANYTHING TO WIN. I THINK SOME EVEN KILL TO GRT INTO OFFICE.IF THEY WOULD HAVE DONE A DESCENT JOB WHEN THEY WERE IN OFFICE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO USE THESE TACTICS
Posted by: REB | Oct 18, 2008 7:11:25 PM
NeoConnies are exploding all over the country!! Won't be many left in office after Nov 4th.
Posted by: Clint | Oct 18, 2008 7:19:32 PM
When in heavens name, did the Republicans get this notion that they had God in their (increasingly) tiny box?
Any true believer knows God is NOT Republican. HE IS INDEPENDENT. And he works on a case by case basis. If the Republicans believe are portrayal was truly GOD, I may have understood a group like the aforementioned.
God has never been for hatred (nor ignorance).
Posted by: val | Oct 18, 2008 7:31:47 PM
The Republicans have one argument and one argument only: Guilt by association.
It is the same election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election after election...
Until one day the American people will stand up and say: No More.
Posted by: Fortunate Son | Oct 18, 2008 7:32:33 PM
REPUBLICANS ARE SOOO DESPERATE. THIS IS SO SAD...WHAT AN EMBARSSMENT
Posted by: Steven | Oct 18, 2008 7:42:47 PM
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