By Mark Wineka and Steve Huffman
mwineka@salisburypost.com
An angry Kay Hagan said today she was ěappalled at the vile tacticsî behind the ěGodless Americanî television ad that Republican rival Elizabeth Dole began running against her last night.
Hagan called it politics of the worst kind and ěso unbecoming of a woman like Elizabeth Dole.
ěHow dare she attack my Christian faith,î Hagan told reporters during a noon conference call. Hagan spoke as she was traveling to the General Baptist Convention in Fayetteville.
Earlier in the day, she held a press conference at First Presbyterian Church, where she is an elder, has taught Sunday School and has accompanied youth mission trips.
The Hagan campaign has said it will seek a cease-and-desist order against the ad, which links Hagan to supporters of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee.
ěIs Elizabeth Dole that desperate to keep this Senate seat?î Hagan asked.
A spokesman for the Dole campaign said everything about the ad is accurate and the senator has no intention of pulling it from the airwaves.
Hagan attended a Democratic fundraiser in September that was held in the Boston home of author Wendy Kaminer and her husband, Woody Kaplan, who belongs to the advisory board of the Godless Americans PAC.
The couple also are advisory board members of the Secular Coalition for America.
The fundraiser was organized by the Democratic group ActBlue. Hagan said some 40 people attended the fundraiser, including U.S. Sen. John Kerry and an ambassador.
Hagan said she had never heard of the Godless American PAC until the Dole camp issued a press release about it in August.
The Dole campaign issued a press release three weeks before the fundraiser saying who the hosts of the event were. It also claims the Hagan staff took great pains to modify the original invitation to the fundraiser so the hostsí names would not be mentioned.
The N.C. Republican Party has made references to Haganís appearance at the fundraiser in two direct-mail pieces.
Dole spokesman Dan McLagan said Hagan snuck into the Boston home through a side door to avoid cameras outside.
He said footage showing Hagan at the event was shot by representatives of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
McLagan said he couldnít believe Hagan attended the event, especially after the Republicans put out word of her plans.
ěI was absolutely floored that she went,î McLagan said. ěItís just a colossal error in judgment. Itís campaign malpractice, almost.î
The 30-second ad from the Dole campaign starts with an announcer saying ěA leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser in Kay Haganís honor.î
It goes on to show clips of Ellen Johnson, executive director of Godless Americans PAC, saying ěThere is no god to rely onî and, in a different interview, ěThere was no Jesus.í
The ad continues with David Silverman of the Godless Americans PAC saying the group would be for taking ěunder Godî out of the Pledge of Allegiance and removing ěIn God We Trustî from money.
The ad concludes with the narrator saying, ěGodless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took Godless money. What did Hagan promise in return?î
Then thereís a cut back to Johnsonís voice saying, ěThere is no God.î
Hagan was particularly upset that the the voiceover was shown with her photograph, as if she was saying, ěThere is no god.î
ěThatís not my voice, and I definitely do not share their beliefs,î Hagan said.
McLagan, the Dole spokesman, said he finds it odd that the Hagan camp is ěhanging their hatî on the ěThere is no Godî voiceover.
He said itís ěobviousî that the voice is not intended to be Haganís, noting that Johnson had spoken and been shown earlier in the ad.
ěShe doesnít look anything like Hagan,î McLagan said.
He laughed when asked if the Dole camp was considering pulling the ad as a result of Haganís complaints and threats of a cease-and-desist order.
ěIt happens every campaign,î McLagan said. ěSomeone makes a great deal of noiseî in response to an ad.
He said heíd never known of a campaign ad being pulled because of a cease-and-desist order.
ěItís virtually impossible to do for a campaign ad,î McLagan said.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has put out a longer version (2 minutes, 42 seconds) of the ěGodless Americansî ad thatís been showing on Web sites. Dole is responsible for the 30-second television ad which debuted Tuesday night statewide.
Hagan said her family always attends her churchís 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service, then spends Christmas morning making breakfast at a residential home for elderly adults with cerebral palsy. It allows the staff to have Christmas at home with their families, she said.
Hagan said Dole should be ashamed of herself. ěWhat she is doing right now is slandering me and my personal character,î Hagan said.
Most polls have shown Hagan with a slim lead in the U.S Senate race against Dole, a Salisbury native, and Libertarian Christopher Cole.