WASHINGTON - March 7 - A new hard-hitting ad campaign will launch on Wednesday targeting three religious right leaders caught knee-deep in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

James Dobson, Rev. Louis Sheldon and Ralph Reed are the targets of a TV and broadcast campaign by The Campaign to Defend the Constitution (DefCon), an online grassroots movement to combat the threat posed by the religious right.

The Campaign plans to run a New York Times print ad this week that reads “These Religious Leaders Have a Serious Gambling Problem” and a television ad that juxtaposes a church collection plate with a casino poker table. All three religious right leaders have supported gambling interests and clients of Abramoff.

Join us for a telepress conference on Wednesday to receive full details on the ties between Abramoff and the religious right and to learn more about the ad campaign.

TELECONFERENCE DETAILS

WHO:
* KATE MICHELMAN, DefCon Advisory Board Member, Fmr. Head of NARAL
* MAX BLUMENTHAL, DefCon Advisory Board Member, Author of "Abramoff’s Evangelical Soldiers," (The Nation, Feb. 22)
* ERWIN CHEMERINSKY, DefCon Advisory Board Member, Duke University Professor of Law
* JESSICA SMITH, DefCon Campaign Director

WHAT:
Launch of new TV & print ad campaign blasting religious right leaders for ties to Jack Abramoff

WHEN:
Wednesday, March 8, 1:00 pm ET

CALL-IN:
1- 800-795-1259 Password: DefCon

Please RSVP to Clark Stevens at 202-822-5200 or cstevens@fenton.com. Beta tapes and copies of the ad available on Wednesday morning.

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