news-record.com

If Elizabeth Dole is still the gracious person North Carolinians have admired for many years, she'll pull her new attack ad off the air. It's worse than dishonest in its depiction of rival Kay Hagan as a "Godless American."

Hagan raised a strong defense Wednesday, addressing the media in front of Greensboro's First Presbyterian Church, where she's been an active member and elder. Talking about her Christian faith and works, backed by family, friends and former minister Joe Mullin, she revealed a side of herself most voters haven't seen.

Dole's ad forced the political debate into the realm of religious beliefs. It exploits what now looks like a campaign misstep by Hagan -- attending a Boston fundraiser at the home of atheist activist Woody Kaplan, a founder of Godless Americans.

The event did not promote the agenda of that organization, which Hagan says she opposes. The gathering was sponsored by a Democratic group, not Godless Americans.

From that one association, the Dole ad links Hagan to unpopular views. With Hagan's picture on screen, a female voice avows, "There is no God" -- a deceptive attempt to put an atheist's words into a Presbyterian's mouth, with the goal of helping Dole's election chances.

Even in a campaign long ago driven down in tone by Democrats and Republicans, this is a low blow. Making false insinuations about a candidate's religious beliefs is beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement.

Hagan said Wednesday she thought about calling Dole and asking her to pull the ads. She should have. Instead, her campaign will respond with ads of its own refuting the allegations. Politically, it probably has no choice. But it would be nice to think that, if the two spoke directly and honestly, Dole might realize she was wrong, and both candidates could finish this very competitive campaign on a higher plane.