Dem panel backs Dann for attorney general

Dann says he wants to change 'how business is done' in state government.
COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee late Wednesday endorsed state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, for Ohio attorney general.
The executive committee met in Fawcett Center to discuss the screening committee's recommendations and make endorsements for statewide candidates who filed for office last week.
In addition to Dann, the panel also endorsed these candidates: Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senate; Ted Strickland/Lee Fisher, governor/lieutenant governor; Barbara Sykes, auditor; Jennifer Brunner, secretary of state; Richard Cordray, treasurer; and A.J. Wagner and Ben Espy, Ohio Supreme Court.
"These endorsed candidates reflect the most powerful Democratic slate in recent memory," said Chris Redfern, state Democratic Party chairman. "Democrats will focus on honesty in government, jobs, education and health care instead of the culture of corruption and one-party rule that has plagued this state for the last 16 years."
Debate
Earlier Wednesday, Dann and Subodh Chandra had a debate and discussed their qualifications at the Franklin County Democratic Lawyer Club.
Both took shots criticizing Ohio Auditor Betty Montgomery and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, saying neither Republican neither had accomplished much during their terms as the state's chief legal officer.
Chandra is a former Cleveland law director who's making his first bid for elected office.
Dann criticized Montgomery for a special audit of the troubled state Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
The special audit, also released Wednesday, named former coin dealer Tom Noe and his associates in findings for recovery for $13.5 million for questionable investments the bureau made in two rare-coin funds.
Dann said others, possibly in state government, should be held accountable as well.
"I'm running for attorney general because I want to change the way business is done in state government," Dann told about 50 Democratic lawyers and guests.
What's behind this
Chandra and Dann are vying for their party's nomination for attorney general. The winner of the May 2 Democratic primary election will face the winner of the GOP primary between Montgomery and state Sen. Timothy J. Grendell of Chesterland in the November general election.
Dann, who's become one of the most vocal critics of investment losses at the BWC, the state's insurance fund for injured workers, said he believes he brings a base of political support as a state senator to the race for attorney general.
Chandra played up his experience as an assistant U.S. attorney and said the Democratic Party's attorney general candidate should have a background as a prosecutor.
"Betty Montgomery is not going to out law-and-order me," Chandra said.
Dann countered that as a lawyer he has represented ordinary Ohioans and said that could be an asset to an attorney general.
Both agreed that a campaign for attorney general could cost millions of dollars to wage.
Criticism from GOP
A spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party called the attacks by Chandra and Dann on Montgomery and Petro negative rhetoric.
"They are supposed to be in debate discussing real issues, but they can't," state GOP spokesman John McClelland. "All they can talk about is feeding some negative environment and protesting everything Republicans do because they have no ideas of their own."
Petro is seeking his party's nomination for governor. Montgomery, who served two four-year terms as attorney general before being elected state auditor in 2002, had indicated she would run for governor.
She dropped out of the governor's race recently in favor of running for attorney general.
Contributing to this report was Jeff Ortega, Vindicator correspondent in Columbus.