Republican Fights Antigay FRC Ad

Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, the only Republican to be targeted with a Family Research Council ad this fall, is dismissing the attack as "ridiculous."

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the FRC Action PAC launched a last-minute ad on a conservative talk radio station targeting Cao for his support of gay rights, which the ad calls an assault on religious liberty. The congressman cosponsored hate crime legislation last year and this year's effort to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

"As a former Jesuit seminarian and practicing Catholic, it is ridiculous to say that I have ever taken a position against religious liberties," responded Cao. "I am, however, a champion of human rights and justice for all."

Cao faces Cedric Richmond, a Democratic state representative, and two other candidates in the Tuesday election. The state and national Republican parties have come to Cao's defense. Some analysts said the FRC ad could burnish the Republican congressman's credentials in a heavily Democratic district.