Nasty in North Carolina, Part 2

Earlier today I discussed a sleazy attack ad Elizabeth Dole is running in the North Carolina Senate race against Kay Hagan. The ad tries to connect Hagan to a PAC called Godless Americans and even possibly suggests that Hagan is an atheist herself.

Well, Hagan's not taking that crap. She's filing a defamation lawsuit against Dole's campaign. And recent polls have her winning! She's also up with a response ad:



I think it's great that Hagan is taking a stand. Dole's ad was lame and misleading.

But it's a bit unsettling to watch a political candidate declare her belief in God as if it's a prerequisite for public office. Hagan has every right to defend herself and to set the record straight. And I know it's not her job (and might cost her her job!) to set the record straight about atheists and agnostics. But I get tired of the suggestion that atheists and agnostics are somehow morally unfit for public life and for public trust.