Strickland clarifies remark about Iraq refugees

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Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Gov. Ted Strickland said he would welcome Iraqi refugees to Ohio, clarifying earlier remarks about wanting President Bush to leave the state out of a plan to relocate those displaced by war to the U.S.

Strickland said Monday that he was trying to express his frustration with the Bush administration and the Iraq war, which the Democratic governor opposed while he was serving in the U.S. House.

“It’s one of those incidents out of many (when) I’ve said something inartfully and conveyed something that I did not wish to convey,” said Strickland, elected Nov. 7 and sworn in last month. “I guess it means that when you’re a governor, people seem to be interested in what you say, which is fine, but I think everything has a context.”