Friday, October 29, 2010
By Jim Siegel and Darrel Rowland
Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS
Gov. Ted Strickland can continue to say that Republican John Kasich has an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association, but an Ohio Elections Commission panel said Thursday that it’s likely that two GOP statewide candidates made false statements about their opponents.
The panel voted 2-1 to toss out a complaint that Strickland lied about challenger Kasich’s record on gun issues. The panel’s Democratic and Republican member voted to dismiss the complaint, while the independent, Harvey Shapiro, thought it should move forward to the full commission.
Later, the same panel found probable cause that GOP state treasurer candidate Josh Mandel falsely depicted his Democratic opponent, Kevin L. Boyce, as a Muslim in a controversial TV spot and two mail ads.
The panel also agreed that Republican secretary of state candidate Jon Husted and the Ohio GOP probably made three false statements against his opponent, Democrat Maryellen O’Shaughnessy.
The full elections commission is not likely to hear the cases before Election Day, said Philip Richter, executive director.
Kasich backers accused Strickland of falsely stating in a news release that Kasich has an “F” rating from the NRA. Kasich got an “F” in 1994 after favoring a congressional ban on assault weapons; his current rating is a “B.”
Campaigning in Columbus yesterday, Strickland applauded the commission’s decision and said “the record is very clear” that Kasich had earned an F from the NRA. Strickland indicated that the complaint was a political miscalculation by Kasich.
“I do think he called attention to an issue that I’m not sure it’s helpful for him to draw attention to,” Strickland said.
Kasich said he’s not overly concerned about the ruling or whether the NRA’s endorsement of Strickland will cost him votes in rural Republican areas.
“I’m a Second Amendment person, and I think we’ve got the record straightened out,” Kasich said. “But we have to tell people because again, if somebody says you got an F and you want to break into their house and take their guns away, it makes people concerned.”
Mandel’s 30-second attack ad against Boyce contained a postcard of a mosque, a picture of a man with an Arab name and the implication that Boyce, who is black, is a Muslim. He is a Christian.
The spot criticized Boyce for approving a state contract that went to a Boston firm whose sole Ohio lobbyist is a friend of Boyce’s deputy treasurer, who is a Muslim.
Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern, who filed the complaint, said Mandel is running a “disgusting campaign,” and the panel’s finding shows his “willingness to lie about another person’s religion to get elected.”