Gillespie backs Redskins name in new ad

Virginia Senate contender Ed Gillespie (R) is standing behind the Washington Redskins’ name, he says in a new ad.

The ad makes reference to a bill introduced by Senate Democrats that would revoke the National Football League’s tax-exempt status if it continued to stand behind the team’s name. In the ad, the Gillespie campaign claims that his opponent, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), refused to say whether or not he supports the bill.

{mosads}The team’s moniker has been called racist by many, who see it as an affront to Native Americans. Opponents of the name got a big victory in June, when the Patent and Trademark Office cancelled the team’s trademark on the name and logo because they found it to be disparaging.

“I’ll oppose the anti-Redskins bill,” Gillespie says, before he says that government should focus on job creation “and let the Redskins handle what to call their team.”