Elizabeth Dole was once the model of public service beginning in the Johnson Administration and working in various assignments including Secretary of Transportation for Ronald Reagan and Secretary of Labor for George H.W. Bush. For most of the 1990's, she served as President of the Red Cross then finally once her husband retired from active service returned to her home state of North Carolina to run for Senator in 2002 replacing controversial Senator Jesse Helms.
During her first term as Senator, Ms. Dole has served a rather low-key, competent term serving on the Armed Services, Banking, and Select Committee on Aging.
In a traditional Republican state, even in a difficult year for Republicans, Ms. Dole should have been a sure bet for re-election if she had run a competent campaign. Granted, she makes an easy media target given her past associations, but outside of the "Research Triangle" and Charlotte, her conservative orientation would succeed well.
For a public figure noted for her warmth and candor, she has campaigned looking downright edgy at times, but in the heat of a contested race, her campaign has sadly stepped way over the line in an attack ad against her opponent her opponent, Kay Hagan, is "godless." The athiests advocacy group, Godless America, staged a fund raising party for Hagan from which Hagan failed to disassociae herself. For this, Hagan is to be condemened as this is at the heart of the blatant secularism that is a scourge to today's Democratic party. However, the suggestion that Hagan is "godless" herself is way out of bounds clearly contrary to her background.
While we still stand behind Dole's re-election, we do so reprimanding her in strict terms. Her sensitivity in correcting this issue is expected in a prompt response. For the harm this horrible snub represents, Ms. Dole has a long record of stellar service and the danger of another Senate Seat falling to the Democrats is a risk that no Republican voter can accept. Right now, there is a very good chance the Democrats could hold sixty Senate seats enough to effectively silence the Republican opposition and make fillibusters impossible. For this alone, Dole still deserves support; however, she also deserves a very firim scolding.
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