The Campaign to Defend the Constitution, a liberal group that fights Christian extremism, has launched an advertising campaign against mullah James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based hate group, over his ties to disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff:

The campaign will begin with a $200,000 ad in The New York Times, claiming that “These Religious Leaders Have a Serious Gambling Problem.” Television ads will run in Colorado Springs, Washington, D.C., and New York.

The ads center on the actions of Abramoff, who represented Indian tribes with gambling interests before he was accused of bilking the tribes out of millions of dollars and improperly influencing public officials.

One of Abramoff’s clients, the Louisiana Coushatta tribe, tried to block approval of a competing casino project in Louisiana by the Jena Band of Choctaws.

Abramoff reportedly paid former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed to start a campaign blocking the Jena project.

Meanwhile, e-mails released during a subsequent congressional investigation, suggested that Abramoff claimed he got Dobson involved, too.

Dobson’s group denies the charges.