U.S. Sen Elizabeth Dole, her poll numbers plummeting, has released a second "Godless" ad - this one telling voters she's questioning challenger Kay Hagan's judgment, not her faith.
Dole also filed a motion in Wake County Superior Court to dismiss as frivolous a defamation lawsuit Hagan filed in response to Dole's original "Godless" ad.
That controversial ad has thrust the Dole-Hagan race into the state and national spotlight. A new CNN poll today has Hagan, a Democrat, leading Dole, 52-43. A week ago, the race was even in polls.
Dole's ad today stresses that Hagan attended a fundraiser last month in Boston hosted by two members of the Godless Americans political action committee.
The new ad:
The fundraiser in question was held in honor of Hagan by Sen. John Kerry and other Democratic supporters. The event was co-hosted by 35 people at the home of Woody Kaplan, who is listed on the advisory board for a group called the Godless Americans Political Action Committee.
Dole's first ad, released earlier this week, concluded: “Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took godless money. What did Hagan promise in return?” A voice that sounds like Hagan's says: "There is no God."
Hagan, who called the ad "pathetic," said the voice at the end of the ad was not hers. Hagan, an elder at First Presbyterian Church at Greensboro, told reporters that she has taught Sunday School there and gone on youth missions.
Hagan released a response ad Thursday:
Friday, October 31, 2008
New Dole ad: Godless, part 2
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take God from our everyday lives? will you be less Christian if we take "In God We Trust" off our money? Do you say the pledge of allegiance every day and will really miss that part? if that is all it takes to remove God from your life, then you are weak of faith, indeed.
and Hagan is so pathetic she has to sue over a factual ad. the future of the US, challenge the Dems and get sued, kicked off a plane(journalist today) or in Joe the Plumbers case get your business shut down and Partisian Dems in the Govt. illegally search your private records for dirt.
give up old lady. you've lost.
It is such a shame to see such a strong leader with such a long history of public service go down like this. Sen. Dole is a moderate and I wish she would have shown more independence in Washington. But, I know she had to play the game and be in lock-step with the party to gain any type of foothold. So sad. These Godless ads won't win any new votes for Dole and may actually cause her to lose some of the more conservative-leaning Democrats.
Liberals find salvation in government while conservatives know that salvation can only come from God. If nothing else that makes them idol worshippers.
At least learn to pronounce your own name. Uluzabuth doesn't work for me.
Good nite(MS. Dole)sweetheart, the partys over! Glad to see you, would
not want to be ya.
Hagan is right. Elizabeth Dole is pathetic.
Atheist and Agnostics are Americans also. They deserve representation and to support which ever canidate they want. It is unbeliveable in this day and time that folks still have to fall back on the Constitution. Why is this not common sense in North Carolina in 2008?
Dole is lying about what Godless Americans do. They don't want to take God from people's lives.
"GAMPAC endorses candidates for public office who support the First Amendment separation of church and state; defend equal rights and protections for our nation's godless Americans; inform our community of the voting records of their elected representatives on issues of concern; and support our goal of having "a place at the table" in formulating public policy." - Godless Americans
Why wasn't this second ad put out there first? I was an E. Dole supporter for President in 2000, and I voted for her for Senate in 2002. I was leaning in her favor, even after being disappointed by her lack of individuality in the Senate. I ask again, why was the pathetic, stupid ad put out there in the first place, when the second is more accurate and effective? Too late now. The damage is done. This Republican will not supoport slimey politics, and will not vote for Dole on Tuesday.
So many Christians...so few lions.
Sitting in church will no more make you a Christian than sitting in a garage will make you a car.
Judgement IS the question here - and suitability to represent North Carolinians. Liddy has shown that her time is past and attacking her opponent regarding her religion is the lowest of the low. WWJD???
Show Dole the door, she has sat with Bush & Rove waaaay toooo long.
Mike Bush
Belmont
Chris Cole (LP) is by far the best candidate in this race. I'm tired of these two "mudslingers".
the voters should make it clear to the rest of the world that they don't approve of what the right has done.
Dole is worse than Godless... she's brainless.
There is no place for religion in politics, and people who try to link the two should be very suspect.
For example, why would there be a law restricting what you can do on a Sunday? The Musiim holy day is Friday, Jews worship on Saturday, and Christians on Sunday.
Are we supposed to be a Christian nation? I sure hope not!! I've seen Islamic and Jewish states, and I can only imagine a Christian one would be just as terrible!!
Typical of the GOP, recourse to dirty tatctics when they are loosing !! Dole has to go !! she so old, she should be hanging out with MCCain, that party is so out of touch with reality, the do nothing party !! that's why we are in this mess, their President, their people their problem !!
Sad that Dole should fall so far. Sad that my grandsons live in a state that is home to this.
What's most interesting is that the words "Under God" were not added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954--over 60 years after the Pledge was originally written. If the Baptist minister who wrote it in 1892 didn't believe that God belonged in it then--in an America supposedly bereft of all the things conservative claim have ruined our society--then why wouldn't it belong now.
If Elizabeth Dole does win, it will say as much about the character of North Carolina as a whole.
I am a Christian....I also can read and think for myself. Anybody swayed to vote for Dole by a cheap shot ad deserves what they get in representation.
I am also a registered republican who doesn;t agree with Hagan on many issues but could NEVER support a bitter old woman.
Funny how the Dole camp forgot about the 33 other co host. lol, her staff made her look like an idiot with that commercial and it is showing in the polls now. Im also sure a few of the early voters are wishing they could have votes back now
a Pew study about negative reporting just released. For all Obama’s complaints, on Fox, 40% of stories about Obama were negative, and 40% of stories about McCain were negative. Meanhile, on MSNBC, 73% of stories about McCain were negative, and 14% of stories about Obama were negative.
Unbelievable.
Dole showed bad taste in the first ad, but the second one makes it just disgusting.
Hagan has the RIGHT to sue
and the ad is NOT factual.
you want ot take rights away? Ms american taliban!
it was OBAMA plane !!
he had RIGHT to kick anyone off.
Heck, I have some friends that don't believe in God. I don't agree with them, but I think they have a right not believe and a polititian has a right to accept their money if they so choose. That may be a hard pill to swollow for some bible thumpers here, but that's the reality of liivng in a diverse pluralistic society.
I gladly voted for Hagan. Dole's ad are repulsive. Heck, I even voted for Obama just because I am tired of the ignorant bigotry that Republicans spew. That is all they know.
Libby got my vote when she voted against the obscene bank bailout.
You hear the voice at the end twice during the ad, it is a lady named Ellen Johnson, the one that speaks during the ad's TV shows. How does any intelligent person jump to a conclusion that something sounds like Kay Hagan, when you have just heard the actual person twice!! I had no problem and I am partially deaf in one ear. Never have so many bent over so much to ensure Obama his 60 disciples. Just pathetic and dishonest, and I am not talking about the ad.
I live in Texas and this is a Bible Belt state ut the actions of Dole are absolutely horrendous. The Republican right wing will do ANYTHING to get re-elected. If the good citizens of North Carolina elects a person that stoops that low and is that (un)Christian then you are all abit out of your mind. Oh, and I apologize for Texas for the Cheney, er Bush administration. We were jsut glad to get rid of him as governor.
If the Republican Party goes down in flames next Tuesday, it will be over the issues in this example of sleazy, name-calling, holier-than-thou, "real" versus "fake" American, dirty politics.
Kay Hagan could be criticized for attending such a fundraiser, but putting words in her mouth ("There is no God") is libelous.
As an atheist, I know that I am often seen as a second-class citizen (if an actual "citizen" at all).
Republicans such as Bush (I and II) and Dole have made this abundantly clear.
And I really don't care because I know they are the biggest losers now.
But what makes me laugh the hardest is the hypocrisy in claiming that Hagan is taking "atheist" money!
Who in this country DOESN'T take "atheist" money?
I've never had mine turned down.
John McCain even accepts it since I always pay that $1 to the campaign fund on my tax return.
There is no telling how many "atheist" dollars have flowed into the McCain campaign.
(And all I ask from him is that he fail in his campaign, ha!)
The U.S. Treasury doesn't turn down Chinese "atheist" money in their desperation to fund all the "god-fearing" people looking for a handout in this country.
-anon1
And religious conservatives want government to give official endorsement to their particular version of God as if they alone hold the truth...which they don't.
So if you don't need government for salvation does your Christian religion wrap itself in the US flag?
Sounds like a convenient idol worship to me.
It's amazing how many self-described 'Christians' are so ready and willing to rescind the seperation of church and state as long as it's *their* religion that is getting promoted. If they'd trouble themselves to study history a bit more critically, they'd recognize that this very same seperation of church and state is one of the greatest factors in religion still be relevent in this country.
These ads really are pathetic and they prove how desperate Libby Dole and the NC GOP really is. I had seriously considered voting for the Republican ticket after McCain won the nomination. But the last few months of toxic attacks has turned me off to the GOP as it currently exists. It stinks like the rotted corpse it's become.
Dead and irrelevent.
Is it possible that Dole wants to lose this election, and the only "politically correct" way to do so is to release scurrilous ads?
People are always oppressing atheists, poking them with sticks and eating their food. This must stop!
Elizabeth Dole is not fit to clean bedpans at a hospital. It will be good riddance when Hagan beats her.
This Christian is a liberal. There's a LOT of us, thank God! I am shocked by how reprehensible Ms. Dole's ads (e.g. "Godless") are. Does that mean if Mrs. Dole takes money from tobacco she wants our children to get cancer?! (ah, no.) If she had spent more than 2 weeks a year here (how can you have a legal residence in NC with that kind of arrangment?) she might be able to form real arguments about Ms. Hagan. Lib, I voted for you before. Now, no way. Vin
There is no "religious test" for elective public office in the USA that candidates are required to pass. Elizabeth Dole has devolved into a smug, sneering, self righteous, desperate, pathetic politico who North Carolina voters will happily send kicking and screaming into retirement November 4. Buh-bye, Liddy, and please let the screen door hit you on your way back to your D.C. townhouse.
The government cannot impose a religious test for public office. A voter can. It is not a question of law. It is a question of good manners.
This "Godless" ad business -- I refuse to believe it's true. I've followed this story for the past few days, and I'm in disbelief.
Greetings N.C. from an out-of-state Elizabeth Dole admirer who would have liked to see the Doles decamp up here to Illinois. Former admirer? I hope not.
I've followed and respected the career of Elizabeth Dole much of my adult life. Note that her presidency at the American Red Cross won much international respect perhaps not noted here in the States. When I lived in Japan for several years, Elizabeth Dole's tenure at the Red Cross was well-noted and indeed admired from there, given the importance of the Red Cross and its civic prominence in Japan. For example, note her uncharacteristically detailed Wikipedia entry in Japanese.
These "Godless" ads: I sincerely hope they are not coming from Mrs. Dole's office. I heard the (apparently first) "Godless" ad on the radio and it was nothing short of creepy. I won't listen further to this garbage. I sincerely hope that they're from an outside PAC (or whatever they're called) and I'm anxiously awaiting for Mrs. Dole to denounce these ads.
Paul Burley
Chicago, Illinois
Do any of you think God is happy with Elizabeth Dole right now?
Is God happy with JOhn McCain and Sarah Palin?
Is God happy that people are using His name in order to hide behind their lies and innuendo and distortions?
Is God happy that McCain and Palin are distorting the truth about Senator Obama?
Is God happy that black people are being called "the other ones" during this election?
Is God happy that these people have resorted to filthy, vulgar, vile campaigning, lies and distortions, to win an election?
I honestly think God is very sad right now....and I know I'm very sad, too.
The republican candidates (Dole, McCain, Palin, etc.)have shamed and cheapened themselves this election. I do not want these people running our country and making decisions for me. They have proved that their abilities are sub-par and very divisive. Our country need not be divided by race creed or color - we are all Gods children, and for these few republicans to insult and lie and divide us is acts of hate. True christians don't lie about their fellow candidates, and true christians certaintly don't try and divide our country because of skin color or region where you live.
I'm a christian and I'm ashamed of John McCain, Sarah Palin, and now Elizabeth Dole. Their false accusations and lies and distortions are unworthy of the christian faith. I will vote democratic for the first time in my life because these lies and the race baiting, and socialist, marxist, and communist, and treason, and terrorist mud-slinging lies against Senator Obama are just that....lies! Lies from supposed christians - McCain and Palin who would rather lost their souls than lose an election.
I believe that Christ taught us to reach out to everyone, regardless of their faith. In running these ads, it is Dole who is not behaving in a Christ-like manner, and Hagan is much more of the Christian. Dole should be ashamed of herself and go to church this Sunday. She has much to learn about Christianity.
It is heartening to see these comments. If these comments are the reflection of the temperament of North Carolinians in these modern times, we have ALOT to be optimistic about. Jesse Helms is indeed dead and so is everything he stood for. It is a new day in America. It is going to take some work and some sacrifice, but it is going to get better.
It's sad to see politicians stoop to such low tactics out of desperation. I would think they would rather go out at least with their dignity in tact, rather than be remembered for something such as this. Then again, I'm not a politician, so I don't really know how they think, if at all.
First Jesse Helms...now this. The Republician party is making North Carolina appear to be nothing more than a nest of biggots and slimy pond scum. Liddy you've had one face-lift too many. Time to go home to the Watergate. Your a disgrace.
Elizabeth Dole apparently has nothing worthwhile to say, so she throws mud.
Same thing with McCain.
They're totally negative because they're out of ideas.
It's time for them to step aside.
What truly amazes me is the second Dole ad. You'd think after the reaction to the first one, which clearly wasn't what the Dole campaign was hoping for, you wouldn't go around the same seedy block again.
Sen. Dole is a disgrace for our state and our country. This is why Americans reject politics. Time to retire, desperate old lady! Did you forget who your employer is? The people. Enjoy your last three days as Senator of this great state!
Holla back Elizabeth Dole...You just lost your senate seat. I hope Kay Hagan has a landslide win.
Many godless folks are making their journey in this world and still trying to find God. What Dole's campaign did was reprehensible and deserves no place in a re-election to a public office of high responsibility. We are taught to pray for those who need the gift of grace of salvation from God, not to criticize non-believers. The use of God on money (began in 1863 on coins and in 1954 on paper money) and in oaths/pledges is an irrelevant side-show in the grand scheme of things.
Questionable judgment? Pot, kettle.
God was added to the pledge and coins long after both existed. Seemed the country got along fine without them.
Why do so many conservatives go against the teaching of the Bible. They constantly want to mix Caesar with God and they practice a type idolatry not seen since the 100 year war - 500 years ago.
Liberals vote against life, vote to take prayer from schools, vote to limit the rights of the religious Americans and then want to be considered religious. Hagan is associating and receiving funds from Godless Americans group. A religious person would never do that, use some logic. Actions speak louder than words.
Dear Jesus, I pray to you: Please save me from your followers. Amen.
Republicans, please abandon the blog and volunteer to get out the vote. This effort is futile, the liberals are a lost cause. You will make yourself crazy on this blog.
this blog and newspaper is garbage.
Dole doesn't represent NC - not any more, anyway - so don't worry, NC isn't "home to this kind of thinking/behavior" - as we'll show proudly on Tuesday, we will not tolerate it any longer.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/senate/nc/north_carolina_senate-910.html#polls
Here are the actual poll numbers. Hardly "plummeting". Plummeting is a word used by a newspaper that is in the tank for any and all democrats - that is afraid this ad will hurt their candidate.
Anon, 7:47: In the polls before the ad was released, Dole had momentum - tightening two polls to within 3-4 points and taking the lead in a third.
Since the ad was released - polls have her trailing by 5, 6 and 9. (Civitas, which only had one day of after-ad polling in a three-day survey, had Dole trailing by 2.) In the context of a very tight race, 5, 6, and 9 makes for a sudden, stark drop.
Thanks, though, for the thoughts.
Peter
This ad is an embarrassment. We need to draw national and international business to NC and this nonsense just drives it away.
This who thing cracks me up! How STUPID it was of Hagan to even attend a group function like that. Even if she IS aligned with their views, she should have known better...it just won't play well. I'm a supporter, but wow is she a total idiot. The closer this gets to election date, the more I think my own democrats are just plain dumb...oh well...its the best we have.
I am voting for Pat for Gov. though...we need him.
Perhaps the next civil rights movement should be to gain more acceptance for those of us who are secular.
Many of us who have no religious affliations or beliefs are principled,honest hardworking individuals who love this country also and respect the ideals that is was founded on.
One of those ideals is that we should not elect or judge someone only based upon their religion or lack of it.
Secularists don't accept the ludicrous notion that a person without faith is somehow evil,inferior and unworthy of all the rights and responsibilities that any other citizen of this country has.
It is the overt injection of religion into politics that has made our society so polarized.
A person has the right to their religious beliefs, but when they try to impose their particular beliefs upon all of us then that is not in keeping with what this nation was supposed to represent.
There is no reason that a civil and just society cannot be operated without overt references to sectarian beliefs.
All the laws that serve to protect us are based upon thousands of years tried and tested principles which reflect the values that most humans expect from each other to maintain what we have come to know as civilization.
We may have borrowed values that arose from religions but that does not mean we have to be beholden to one religious belief to have a functioning society. Our American society, is to use that dreaded politically correct term is "muti-cultural" and multi-religious or non-religious.
To have a society based on real fairness and equity then we must work to have a government that is not based on just one religious belief or even non-belief, but as neutral and fair as possible to respect the basic rights of all it's citizens.
(Neutrality does not mean nihlism or that anything goes though. Rationality,justice, order and balance is what keeps a civilization sustainable)
Would you please give up and come back to Salisbury? .....wait a minute, we don't want you here either!
I really expected better from Libby Dole. This ad is a complete embrassment. Hagan now has my vote!
When Fascism comes to America it will be wearing a cross and be wrapped in the flag.
Paul Burley from Chicago
I called Doles office Wednesday and her aide said that Dole's campaign had approved this message and they were retaliating against Hagan for not signing a pledge not to run smear type ads.
To say the least, Dole is doing nothing positive either to elevate the political discourse in this election. She has resorted to the using false voiceovers,distortions and provocation instead of addressing real issues in a rational manner.
I have no problem with a Chrsitian like Hagan taking money from secularists. They are part of our culture also. Money is neither godless or full of God. It is a inanimate form of exchange for goods and services.
Stay out of the mudslinging and preserve the Constitution: vote Christopher Cole and the rest of the Libertarian ticket!
Why is it OK to put atheists and agnostics in such a negative light? This kind of comment wouldn't be tolerated of other belief systems, and it shouldn't be tolerated here.
I can clearly see one things, some people here may be genuine but this blog over all is loaded with left wingers who don't mind lying about who they are or what their intentions are.
Please run more of those ads Elizabeth Dole and run them often. Most North Carolinians are God fearing people who want to know what the DSCC is up to. They aren't supporting a high tax mama like Kay Hagan for nothing.
She has helped ruin this state to the point where it is now #1 in high taxes in the southeast. You have to be out of your mind to support a candidate like for Senate. Most North Carolinians didn't have a clue who Hagan was until the DSCC seeking to destroy the nation further (they already messed up freddie and fannie) reached out with 10's of millions of dollars in ads filled with lies and enuendo about Elizabeth Dole. If anyone should be suing or upset it should be those of us who know Ms. Dole and what she stands for against the DSCC and Hagan.
As for the one person who wants to know would we be less of a Christian, the answer is simple. Have you ever heard the term, give them an inch they will take a mile.
We have allowed you to take all you're going to get. You have removed God from school, removed God from government builds, and on and on. You are not removing God from anything else if we can help it and WE CAN!
Chew on that for a while!
The lefties here are like lefties everywhere, pretending to be conservatives speaking out of shame, LOL, hahahahahahahahahahaha.
It violates no founding American ideal to vote for the candidate with whom one is most comfortable. A voter who is uncomfortable with a secularist as a representative is not imposing his beliefs on anyone. Nor is he violating any civil right. He is merely deciding for himself that with which he identifies most strongly. It is ill-mannered to challenge the sincerity of another candidate's religious faith, and certainly reason enough to vote the offensive candidate out of office. But it hardly rocks the foundations of the Republic. Chill.
Tired, old, VERY OLD, and now a LOSER. Goodbye Dole. Go back to your LOSER husband and spend your retirement viewing your pathetic ads.
I think anonymous at 9:58 just blew a head gasket judging from his closing manical laughter.
Real good example of "calm rational thought" there ??
Exactly what DOES Dole think Hagan promised the atheists?
And how on earth does she think atheists can deliver on that promise?
Seriously, now, what sort of political organization do atheists have anyway? Not much of one that I've ever seen. What are they, maybe 5% of the population? With probably only 10% of that who are interested in "atheist" political issues?
They can't even get a stupid motto off a coin, after trying for decades, for chrissakes!
And their only lawsuit to get organized prayers "banned" from schools was more of a "me, too" lawsuit than anything that wasn't previously backed by religious groups.
This is typical Republican crap about non-issues blown way out of proportion.
We have some serious problems out there and all a state senator can do is try to appeal to religious bigotry?
Talk about fiddling while Rome burns...
Open letter to Kay Hagan
When I saw the ad where Elizabeth Dole called you an atheist,I immediately donated $50 to your campaign.
I am an atheist, and I do not live in North Carolina.
So, why would I do such a thing?
Reason #1 is obvious. Telling lies about someone is simply wrong under any circumstances.
Reason #2 is the one that makes me even more angry with Dole and her tactics because her message goes below the radar.
That is the assumption that being an atheist is vile and despicable, and certainly an atheist should never be trusted to hold public office.
The same kind of thing happened when John McCain corrected the woman who said Obama is an Arab, he did the right thing. However, once again below the radar is the message that being an Arab is synonymous with evil and not trustworthy.
I sure wish someone would set the public straight on this issue.
There are many fine upstanding atheists in this country. Actually we are a substantial minority and a voting block not to be ignored.
My best wishes to you and I hope your campaign succeeds in achieving its goals.
Best Regards,
Marilyn LaCourt
What concerns me most is if she accepted money from Godless America? If so, its poor judgement...worse than Doles, imo.
9:58AM
You have lost the culture war and you don't even know it. Wait 30 years and you'll be talking about the good ole days of Dominionism. America is returning to its fact-based, liberal roots, and your pitiful grasp of reality dooms you and your party to a future as a Confederacy of Dunces.
If securalism was good enough for Franklin and Jefferson, it's good enough for you. Just you wait: if you're young enough you're going to see an 'evul librul heathern' ascend to the presidency in the next generation.
Personally, I can't wait: The threats from globalization, the medicaid time bomb, spreading Islamic radicalism, the ascension of China and India, etc are challenges too great to leave to weak-minded fundamentalist know- nothings such as Sarah Palin to deal with.
I am an independent who voted early. I also work in a conservative Christian school where I am a minority in my political views. I am also respected. Ironically, while voting for Obama, I also voted for McCrory b/c I believe he will take care of us in Charlotte. I have also voted for him.
Elizabeth Dole: I was conflicted b/c I can't see what she has done for us in her terms in office. Yet, I respect her years of public service (i.e. Red Cross). This is stupid, I will admit, but I ran into Sen. Dole in Winston-Salem in 2000 at the Hampton Inn. She was obviously in a rush as she walked through the lobby. I stopped her anyway, and said, "Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you, but are you Elizabeth Dole?" She smiled, and spoke to me for a minute or so. She took time to talk. I admired that. Therefore, I voted for her, and my husband voted for Hagan.
Now, I feel cheated. I assured my husband that Sen. Dole was different from the smear tactics of the GOP. I assured him that she would NEVER stoop that low.
I was shocked when my principal, and all the teachers at the school, were in an uproar about what her campaign put out regarding Hagan. Let me tell you that the conservatives at my school will not be voting for Elizabeth Dole because of her attack.
I am not putting secularists down. The reason I would not vote for her again and wish that I hadn't in the first place is b/c what her campaign did attacked the personal beliefs of Kay Hagan. I will never attack anyone's beliefs or unbeliefs.
Sen. Dole, I am disappointed to say the least.
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