"Campaign to Defend the Constitution" runs Smear Campaign Against Conservatives

The liberal activist group Campaign to Defend the Constitution (not to be confused with the ACLU Campaign to Defend the Constitution) has taken-out newspaper and television ads to smear the names of three conservatives, Ralph Reed who is running for lieutenant governor of Georgia; James Dobson of Focus on the Family; and Louis Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition. The ads accuse the three individuals of being "knee-deep in the Jack Abramoff Scandle" in an "unholy alliance with the Bush Administration to wage war against our Constitution."

Tom Minnery, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, corrected the false accusations, "Never have we engaged in a gambling fight at the behest or direction of Jack Abramoff."

Erwin Chemerinsky, a member of the activist group and Duke University professor, stated "The purpose of the ads is to educate people about the critical importance of separation of church and state."

Liberal activist group takes out ads attacking three conservative leaders