This is what Massachusetts Republican Senate candidate Mike Sullivan said a few days ago:

“I don’t have any doubt in my mind that they are going to identify the person or people responsible for this horrific, cowardly and godless act. I think there is going to be so much evidence available to the investigators that they will be able to put the pieces together.”

This afternoon, after many complaints from this site’s readers, his campaign issued this statement:

Team Sullivan Statement: Mike’s real quote in reference to the tragic events that took place at the Boston Marathon was: “I don’t have any doubt in my mind that they are going to identify the person or people responsible for this horrific, cowardly and gutless act.” “Godless” was not stated and is a misquote.

I haven’t heard the audio myself so I can’t vouch for where/how the mistake occurred, but either way, good on his campaign for issuing this clarification.

Even if “godless” was used as a synonym for “evil” and not “atheist,” the damage that sort of statement does is felt by all those good, kind, patriotic atheists across the country.



