this is how the the republicans are acting in Ohio where they know they are about to lose....
JOE HALLETT
Standing over the body with bloody knife in hand, the Ohio Republican Party pleaded innocent.
It didn’t kill the candidate it had just stabbed to death, the party said. And if it did stab the candidate, it didn’t know it was stabbing him. Most assuredly, the party protested, it would never condone stabbing the candidate it had just stabbed.
Only a political Houdini could rationalize that twisted logic. Still, that was the GOP’s explanation — for a couple of days, anyway.
By Thursday, state Chairman Robert T. Bennett knew the party had been caught red-handed and issued an apology to the victim, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, the Democratic nominee for governor. But the scurrilous mission had been accomplished: Let the whispering campaign begin.
The attack had nothing to do with records or resumes or policy. It was brutally personal – and a lie. The message the GOP had asked its followers to spread across the Ohioscape is that Strickland and his wife are gay, never mind their nearly 20 years of marriage.
In yet one more perversion of religion, the state party hired a conservative Christian to do the dirty work, using a computer at party headquarters to spread the rumor via e-mail to "profamily" conservatives. Gary Lankford, headmaster of a Christian home school, started in early July as the Ohio GOP’s "social conservative coordinator."
On July 17, Lankford launched an e-mail titled "10 Things to Know About Ted Strickland." The e-mail noted that Strickland married his wife, Frances, at 46, they have no children and they live apart, which, in truth, is the case when Strickland is tending to his congressional duties in Washington. Lankford linked readers to an Internet blog written by Scott Pullins, who questioned the sexual orientation of both Stricklands.
Pullins is best known as the former anti-tax crusading head of the Ohio Taxpayers Association. He lost his credibility around the Statehouse when he gave the green light to corporate-tax increases in a budget-balancing bill and later attacked GOP lawmakers for tax increases.
After appalled recipients of Lankford’s e-mail forwarded it to news organizations, including The Dispatch, and reporters began asking questions, the GOP went into its Houdini act. The party didn’t know about Lankford’s attempt to assassinate Mr. and Mrs. Strickland’s good name, a spokesman said. That is not a strategy the party would ever contemplate. Certainly, the party would never condone Lankford’s tactic.
But emerging details about Lankford’s connections make it difficult for the party to disavow knowing exactly who it was getting when it hired him. Lankford was less than two months removed from serving as a paid "voter contact consultant" for the primary election campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee J. Kenneth Blackwell.
And before being hired by the GOP, Lankford worked for the Ohio Restoration Project, a conservative religious group that has been accused of violating its tax-exempt status by favoring Blackwell at its meetings. The group is headed by the Rev. Russell Johnson, a staunch Blackwell supporter and pastor of the Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster.
In an interview Thursday, Johnson perpetuated the rumor by suggesting that the Stricklands file a lawsuit and go to court to prove they are heterosexuals. If Lankford’s claim is untrue, Johnson said, "It’s slanderous and they’ve got a case. I’m withholding judgment until the facts are in."
Boxed in by a rash of incoming bad publicity, Bennett did the right thing: He fired Lankford and sent a letter of apology to Strickland, continuing to disavow any prior knowledge by him or his senior staff of Lankford’s e-mail.
Strickland accepted the apology with skepticism, saying it was issued only after "they got caught." Meanwhile, the e-mail is wending its way to "pro-family" homes and echoing in the blogosphere.
"I’m pretty battle-hardened when it comes to politics, and I’m not a novice at this, but I think it’s very unfortunate that they would draw Frances into this," Strickland said.
Sadly, it’s just the start of what portends to be the ugliest governor’s race in state history. By Nov. 7, Ohio voters might be too sickened by it all to go to the polls.
Maybe that’s the goal.
Matt, Blackwell is a “rising star” in the republican party? The guy is 20-points down in the polls. Bush is really helping. Maybe Bush can stump for Lieberman?
Go, Mr. Blackwell!
:)
Bush is stumping for Blackwell, who did so much for Bush a couple of years ago. That figures.
I'm sure all those low-income Ohioans, many of them African Americans, who were forced to wait hours in line to vote in '04, some to be hassled and even denied once they finally got near one of those swell, EZ-rig Diebold voting machines, will be mightily impressed.
Sounds to me like you're saying Bush's value is in his moneymaking ability, not in his ability to woo any throngs in Ohio to vote for Blackwell. That says a lot.
many of them African Americans, who were forced to wait hours in line to vote
Tell me all about your concern for "African-Americans." Just tell me all about it. Liberals are Soooo concerned about "African-Americans," Uh, huh. They just have very very slippery tongues that, ya know, are totally hard to control. And ya'll specially show great sensitivity whan an "African-American" who gets four stars in the Army and becomes Secretary of State shows what they can achieve with effort, determination and ability.
Or these fine words by Robert Byrd, Democrat, on why he would not serve in the US military:
So said Robert Byrd, Grand Kleagle, KKK, Democrat. Yea, you liberals are realllly worried about "African-Americans" alright.
Good luck to Mr. Blackwell, if he uses the President's "star power" or not he's got a long road ahead of him. I feel for any "black Republican" for having that label alone, let alone the crap that comes with it.
I've never understood the vitriol that comes with a black person claiming a Republican political view. You'd think all black people were supposed to think alike and move as a crowd instead of being the intelligent individuals they are. *Shrugs*
"I'm sure all those low-income Ohioans, many of them African Americans, who were forced to wait hours in line to vote in '04, some to be hassled and even denied…"
Us low-income Ohioans who were responsible enough to register to vote had no problems at the polls! We were however hassled by moveon.org!
The fact that the "Reverend" finds it necessary to put quotes around African-American is telling enough
Hey Willem...what do you call people with African Heritage in your country?
I'm assuming if I say "black" people you'd find that offensive as I'm using the "quotes" to indicate that's what others use.
Robert Byrd used to call them "niggers." Does that make him an evil ass too? probably not...and I'm presonally offended just typing the word... granted it's his word he's rather familiar with, as he used it in 2004.
So let's be real dude... racism knows no political party nor does it know geography... as the way some Europeans have started to treat the muslims in their own countries.
The fact that the "Reverend" finds it necessary to put quotes around African-American is telling enough
Somehow I don't think so, so I will elaborate. The quotes are to ridicule the term since it was invented by liberals as part of their hyphenated people series of PC approaches. All of the Black people here are Americans. And our Constitution and Civil Rights Act clearly state that they are to be treated no differently than any other American. Therefore, although, for instance, my ancestors came from Ireland only four generations ago, I am an American, not Irish-American. I have never been to nor seen any part of Ireland.
Most Blacks (the name they prefer for the most part) have never been to nor seen Africa. Many generations ago their ancestors were brought here in horrific conditions, in chains, and as slaves. Most, BTW, were sold into slavery in Africa by their fellow Blacks. But after the emancipation and finally the Civil Rights Act, they were finally able to achieve the same status in this country as I have.
Democrats, seeing yet another group of people they could herd into following them if properly indoctrinated, gave them the false hope of a better life by changing their name to a PC "African-American." They developed a system of handouts and welfare with attendant rules that destroyed families leading to a whole host of problems that now the liberals could go back and say, "If you vote for us, we will fix them all." Many Blacks, especially in inner-cities are in worse shape now than ever and still the Libs make more promises and the Blacks wait for the fix that never comes. Some have wised up, and as time goes by more will and the libs will be in big trouble.
So the reason I put quotes around "African-American" is because it is a phony, leftist PC name given to an ethnic minority that the Left plays for suckers year after year. Your implication that I am a racist is baloney beyond any belief. The first place where Blacks found true equal treatment in America was the US military. My father spent 40 years in the Navy and I spent 10. Blacks were our shipmates and the color of their skin never mattered one bit. I believe in the Civil Rights Act which says that they should have the same rights and opportunities as I do. And throughout my 35 years of civilian government service I supported those ideas whenever and wherever I could.
Rev. Scaramonga wrote:
Well, at least we liberals didn't make that fine four-star general a Cabinet officer, only to ignore every sensible thing he had to say.
And, we liberals didn't send that fine four-star general who became secretary of state to the U.N., to recite before the whole world a speech that was a pack of lies, making him look like a liar and/or a dupe.
As for the rest of your little exercise in demagoguery, I'll see your Robert Byrd of decades ago with Strom Thurmond and raise you a Jesse Helms.
The conservative housewife wrote:
You of course checked out the situation statewide, which must've made for a very busy day.
Still, as was reported at the time, Blackwell's election setup provided different strokes for different folks. In district's where the GOP's kind of people were the one's most likely to vote, there were more machines and poll workers, little or no waiting and almost no one was hassled.
In districts predominantly poor and black, machines were fewer, poll workers fewer, lines were longer and a surprising number of people encountered difficulties.
I don't doubt some who encountered difficulties had failed to register or lacked proper ID. I just think generally the poor and the black were scrutinized more rigorously and, when there was any doubt, denied a vote. Meanwhile, those of other types in other districts were scrutinized less closely and usually given the benefit of the doubt.
this is how the the republicans are acting in Ohio where they know they are about to lose....
JOE HALLETT
Standing over the body with bloody knife in hand, the Ohio Republican Party pleaded innocent.
It didn’t kill the candidate it had just stabbed to death, the party said. And if it did stab the candidate, it didn’t know it was stabbing him. Most assuredly, the party protested, it would never condone stabbing the candidate it had just stabbed.
Only a political Houdini could rationalize that twisted logic. Still, that was the GOP’s explanation — for a couple of days, anyway.
By Thursday, state Chairman Robert T. Bennett knew the party had been caught red-handed and issued an apology to the victim, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, the Democratic nominee for governor. But the scurrilous mission had been accomplished: Let the whispering campaign begin.
The attack had nothing to do with records or resumes or policy. It was brutally personal – and a lie. The message the GOP had asked its followers to spread across the Ohioscape is that Strickland and his wife are gay, never mind their nearly 20 years of marriage.
In yet one more perversion of religion, the state party hired a conservative Christian to do the dirty work, using a computer at party headquarters to spread the rumor via e-mail to "profamily" conservatives. Gary Lankford, headmaster of a Christian home school, started in early July as the Ohio GOP’s "social conservative coordinator."
On July 17, Lankford launched an e-mail titled "10 Things to Know About Ted Strickland." The e-mail noted that Strickland married his wife, Frances, at 46, they have no children and they live apart, which, in truth, is the case when Strickland is tending to his congressional duties in Washington. Lankford linked readers to an Internet blog written by Scott Pullins, who questioned the sexual orientation of both Stricklands.
Pullins is best known as the former anti-tax crusading head of the Ohio Taxpayers Association. He lost his credibility around the Statehouse when he gave the green light to corporate-tax increases in a budget-balancing bill and later attacked GOP lawmakers for tax increases.
After appalled recipients of Lankford’s e-mail forwarded it to news organizations, including The Dispatch, and reporters began asking questions, the GOP went into its Houdini act. The party didn’t know about Lankford’s attempt to assassinate Mr. and Mrs. Strickland’s good name, a spokesman said. That is not a strategy the party would ever contemplate. Certainly, the party would never condone Lankford’s tactic.
But emerging details about Lankford’s connections make it difficult for the party to disavow knowing exactly who it was getting when it hired him. Lankford was less than two months removed from serving as a paid "voter contact consultant" for the primary election campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee J. Kenneth Blackwell.
And before being hired by the GOP, Lankford worked for the Ohio Restoration Project, a conservative religious group that has been accused of violating its tax-exempt status by favoring Blackwell at its meetings. The group is headed by the Rev. Russell Johnson, a staunch Blackwell supporter and pastor of the Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster.
In an interview Thursday, Johnson perpetuated the rumor by suggesting that the Stricklands file a lawsuit and go to court to prove they are heterosexuals. If Lankford’s claim is untrue, Johnson said, "It’s slanderous and they’ve got a case. I’m withholding judgment until the facts are in."
Boxed in by a rash of incoming bad publicity, Bennett did the right thing: He fired Lankford and sent a letter of apology to Strickland, continuing to disavow any prior knowledge by him or his senior staff of Lankford’s e-mail.
Strickland accepted the apology with skepticism, saying it was issued only after "they got caught." Meanwhile, the e-mail is wending its way to "pro-family" homes and echoing in the blogosphere.
"I’m pretty battle-hardened when it comes to politics, and I’m not a novice at this, but I think it’s very unfortunate that they would draw Frances into this," Strickland said.
Sadly, it’s just the start of what portends to be the ugliest governor’s race in state history. By Nov. 7, Ohio voters might be too sickened by it all to go to the polls.
Maybe that’s the goal.
OhioGolfer:
Besides the fact you cut-and-pasted and entire news article from an online site for a newspaper which is a violation of fair use policy, you also posted said article's text in two different comment threads, which is a violation of the Blogs for Bush comment policy which lists the following as one of the things that are not allowed:
Multiple postings of the same comment in various comment threads.
Someone who doesn't like you could report you to the newspaper and they could take legal action for stealing their story without permission.
This US Copyright Office has a pretty good description of what is and what is not fair use.
Here's what one legal site says about fair use penalties:
And that's for an individual like you.
And Blogs for Bush probably isn't too crazy about your multi-thread spamming either. Just a heads-up.
BSOD again...
Who care about Blackwell? Come November we will get answers. Even a typical Republican wants to know if the Chaney energy meeting set in motion the rise in gasoline to $3. They want to know which of the five or so reasons given by the administration is the correct one as to why 2600 of our troops died. Who set up the new drug plan for senior citizens; pharmaceuticals? How was the $500 billion spent in Iraq? The list of questions is endless, but come November this group of Texans will be testifying under oath!
Deleted - Off Topic