Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate for a Virginia Senate seat up against incumbent Democrat Mark Warner has brought the Redskins name change debate into the race for that seat. Virginia has Redskins practice facilities in Ashburn and outside of Richmond and is the "home" team for Northern Virginia and arguable the entire state.
In a campaign ad, Gillespie calls out Warner for not taking a stand on a bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), that would eliminate the NFL's tax-exempt status unless the league takes action to force Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder to change the name of the team, which some Native Americansand a variety of primarily Democratic legislators and officials have said they find offensive.
The ad asks why Warner won't say where he stands on the question of the name change, while Gillespie, smiling, says he will answer the question. "I'll oppose the anti-Redskins bill. Let's focus on creating jobs, raising take-home pay and making our nation safer, and let the Redskins handle what to call their team."
Read more at B&C here.
