From Peter Roskam’s campaign:

In WTTW debate, Casten doubles down on bizarre admiration of sex columnist Dan Savage

WHEATON, IL — Just days following an interview with The Wall Street Journal where Sean Casten bizarrely idealized controversial sex columnist Dan Savage, Casten sat in front of WTTW’s Carol Marin and Peter Roskam, and doubled down again stating he “embraces Dan Savage to this day.”

WATCH THE CLIP HERE.

Casten seeks to represent a district where nearly half of the residents are Republican, yet embraces a man who wishes Republicans “were all f*ing dead.” He stands by Savage even though he compared gay people voting for Republicans to Jews voting for Nazis. Savage, the leader he looks up to, invoked violence against another candidate, stating “Carl Romanelli should be dragged behind a pickup truck until there’s nothing left but rope.”

Savage isn’t the only controversial figure in Casten’s circle of inspiration. He continues to raise money with and receive support from Cards Against Humanity Co-Creator Max Temkin, publicly accused of sexual assault. Temkin’s game, known for its offensive and crude humor, took it a step farther by creating an expansion pack mocking the Jewish faith and making light of the Holocaust. The cards were so controversial that Target was forced to pull them from their shelves.

Casten fails to denounce his friends’ disturbing remarks and actions—or express any remorse for his own vicious rhetoric. During the debate, Marin asked him about his comparison of the President to Osama bin Laden, to which Casten responded, “What I said needed to be said.”

WATCH THE CLIP HERE.

“Of all the leaders in the world, Casten most looks up to Dan Savage, someone who has literally stated he wishes all Republicans were dead and has invoked violence against a candidate he disagrees with. Instead of distancing himself in the debate, he doubled down on his support of Dan Savage,” said Roskam for Congress Spokesman Veronica Vera.

“Simply put, Casten is not the moderate, well-reasoned candidate he would like voters to believe in. If Casten embraces vicious, deeply personal attacks on those who make up half of the district, how can he possible expect to bring people together and work in a bipartisan fashion to get things done?”