St. Louis -- In a radio interview with Gina Loudon on KJSL Truth Talk 630 AM, Ed Martin perversely claimed that Russ Carnahan and Barack Obama would “take away” America's freedom to “find the Lord.” Today, Russ Carnahan released the following statement in response to Ed Martin's outrageous accusation:

"It is shameful that Ed Martin would use faith to divide rather than unite. This is a baseless attack on my faith and my family.

"My own Christian faith has guided me throughout my life. My wife and I have raised our family with the strong values faith has taught me including service to the community, standing up for civil rights and working to protect religious freedom for all faiths.

"Ed Martin's campaign of personal destruction and fear mongering reveals much more about his true character than anything else. This attack demonstrates his willingness to say or do anything to score political points. Ed Martin has crossed the line and this new low is exactly the kind of campaigning that turns voters off from the importance of public service."