The opponent of U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Illinois) in Tuesday’s election apparently supports controversial sex columnist Dan Savage, who once said he wished Republicans “were all (expletive) dead.”
Democrat Sean Casten is an outspoken supporter of Savage, a sex columnist known for attacking people of faith, according to a press release and accompanying video from the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council Action PAC.
“It's disturbing that a candidate for U.S. Congress would give a platform to Savage's extreme views,” said J.P. Duffy, vice president of the Family Research Council’s Action PAC. “This video is Dan Savage in his own words. Sean Casten embraces Dan Savage, and as the video says, it's now up to voters to decide who they will embrace on Election Day.”
The 90-second video begins with the on-screen words: “Democrat candidate Sean Casten showed us who he stands with.”
Casten is then shown in a segment aired on WTTW, Chicago’s PBS affiliate, saying, “Listen, the person I embraced, and I will stand by to this day, is Dan Savage.”
Next, the ad shows footage of Savage with his own quoted words surrounding him: “right-wing religious,” “anti-gay bigots,” “hate,” “scum” and other pejorative attacks on people of faith.
The video identifies Savage as an MTV host, X-rated sex columnist and gay activist. More footage at roughly the 32-second mark shows Savage speaking at a microphone hurling an expletive-laden diatribe at Christians. In a segment during the video, Savage describes himself as an atheist.
Roskam and Casten are vying for the 6th U.S. House District, comprised of Crystal Lake, Darien, Elgin, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, Rolling Meadows, St. Charles, Warrenville, West Chicago and Wheaton.
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