Chris Coons, Christine O'Donnell
Steve Ruark  /  AP
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Chris Coons, left, and Republican U.S.Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, right, both of Delaware, participate in a candidates' forum on Wednesday.
updated 10/21/2010 9:50:04 AM ET 2010-10-21T13:50:04

Republican Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell said she regrets airing the campaign ad in which she declared "I'm not a witch."

Speaking to ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview broadcast Thursday, O'Donnell agreed with the suggestion that the ad only brought fresh attention to the issue surrounding her past statements as a TV commentator.

"I haven't publicly stated this, and I don't know if I'll get in trouble for saying that, but our intention was to kill it, and that's not what happened," she said in the interview.

O'Donnell's comments about witchcraft were made over a decade ago during a taping of comedian Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" TV show.

    1. White House defends IRS handling, McConnell asserts 'culture of intimidation'

      President Barack Obama's team emerged on Sunday to defend his handling of revelations that the IRS had targeted conservative groups for scrutiny, as senior Republicans conceded they lacked evidence — so far — that the president directed the abuses.

    2. Ax hovers over food stamp program as costs grow
    3. Capping week of scandal management, Obama says focus remains on jobs
    4. 2016 notebook: Republicans try to dent Clinton's armor?
    5. Issa issues subpoena to Benghazi review board leader
    6. IRS officials testify at House hearing
    7. Michelle Obama urges grads to be 'an example of excellence'
    8. IRS official in charge of scrutinizing political groups now heads agency's role in 'Obamacare'
  1. More politics
    1. Obama's 2nd year
      AP
    2. Political Cartoons
    3. BLTWY: Political news, photos and gossip

"I dabbled into witchcraft. I never joined a coven," she said on the video, a clip of which hit the Internet just days after she stunned longtime congressman Mike Castle in the GOP primary in her third bid for Senate.

O'Donnell also defended comments made during a recent debate with Democratic rival Chris Coons in which she challenged him to show where the Constitution requires separation of church and state. The words calling for separation don't actually appear in the Constitution, she told ABC.

In a lighthearted exchange near the end of the interview, O'Donnell was asked what costume she would wear for Halloween. "I certainly am not going to be a witch," she said. She joked that she may dress up as Dorothy, an apparent reference to the heroine of "The Wizard of Oz" story.

"Kill the witch," she said laughing.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Discuss:

Discussion comments

,

Most active discussions

  1. votes comments
  2. votes comments
  3. votes comments
  4. votes comments
  1. Chris Coons, Christine O'Donnell
    Steve Ruark / AP
    Jump to text

    Republican Delaware Senate candidate Christine O...

  2. Jump to discussion

    Christine O'Donnell regrets 'I'm not a witch' ad