Beware Ohio’s moral arbiters

They’re at it again.

Not satisfied with:

a) Orchestrating a constitutional amendment on marriage in 2004 by scaring simpleton voters into believing that a gay invasion was imminent;

b) leading the charge against casino-style gambling in Ohio, thus guaranteeing the export of billions of dollars to others states;

c) forcing hot-blooded males to leave Ohio for the simple pleasure of a lap dance ...

... the self-anointed paragons of virtue (can anyone spell ayatollahs?) have found a new cause — just in time for the 2008 presidential election.

What better way to get Christian conservative voters riled up — again — than to accuse Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, who is Jewish, of being disrespectful of Christianity?

It is important to recall that in 2004, the constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman was a blatant political move by the Republican Party to bring out voters who were not enthusiastic about President Bush because of the war in Iraq.

Gay bashing

Indeed, Ohio was one of the 12 states political operatives in the Bush White House determined were key to the president’s re-election bid and, therefore, needed an issue to rally the troops. Gay bashing worked wonders.

Bush’s slim victory in Ohio over Democrat John Kerry is the reason he is now on the last lap of his final term.

The state will again be pivotal in the 2008 presidential election, and Republicans are desperately in need of another rallying cry. Unlike in 2004, Democrats now control all statewide administrative offices except treasurer. Gov. Ted Strickland, an ordained Methodist minister, is riding a wave of public support and will play a major role in the election. By the way, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is Jewish.

So, what did Dann, former state senator from Liberty Township, do to become the conservatives’ Public Enemy No. 1? He mentioned Good Friday in an e-mail he sent to his Communications Director Leo Jennings that the Ohio Christian Alliance and the Ohio Republican Party have found offensive.

Dann, whose political career has been marked by many moments of unrestrained rhetoric — to put it kindly — was reacting to an editorial in The Vindicator in April and the subsequent posts on the discussion board in Vindy.com, the newspaper’s Web site.

In the April 6 e-mail to Jennings, Dann wrote: “Bentley said there are six nasty posts after the Vindy editorial. All about you. Jesus had it better on good Friday.” Bentley is Bentley Lenoff, Dann’s father-in-law.

The e-mail was first published by The Dayton Daily News, and that prompted a demand from Chris Long, president of the Ohio Christian Alliance, for Dann to apologize. Long called the remark appalling, bigoted and insensitive.

The Daily News quoted GOP Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine as saying, “His remark comparing a bad press day to the crucifixion of Christ is outrageous and inappropriate from anyone, much less an elected official. ... If comedians and talk show hosts can be fired and publicly scorned for a single racial remark, Marc Dann should be held no less accountable.”

But DeWine’s true intentions for beating this stalking horse became clear when he called on Gov. Strickland to join him in calling on the attorney general to publicly apologize.

Political sham

Fortunately, the governor’s office saw through the political sham. Keith Dailey, the governor’s spokesman, said Strickland was “focused on moving the state forward” and “doesn’t have any time for Kevin DeWine.”

There are many things Dann can be criticized for, but any suggestion of anti-Christian bigotry is hogwash.

Anyone who has followed his political career will know that on issues of race, sexual orientation and religion, he is a bleeding heart. And he makes no excuses for being such.

That said, Dann does have his faults. He comes across as an arrogant know-it-all and at times can get just plain tiresome.

But he’s a talented politician who, more than any other statewide candidate last year, was responsible for the Republican Party’s losses at the polls.

He successfully tagged the GOP as the pay-to-play party. Since then, Dann has been in its cross hairs.