Strickland lowers himself with remark about Scalia


Other than his immediate apology, Ted Strickland showed himself to be no better than Donald Trump when he made a snarky comment about the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Trump, the Republican nominee for president, who is willing to say anything to fire up his supporters and grab headlines, stepped over the line recently when he seemed to suggest that violence against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, may be justified.

Here’s what the New York City billionaire said with regard to Clinton and the Second Amendment:

“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges – nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don’t know. But – but I’ll tell you what. That will be a horrible day – if, if Hillary gets to put her judges in.”

This newspaper took Trump to task for his inflammatory remarks – even though he insisted he was advocating political action and not violence against Clinton.

Likewise, we say to Strickland, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, in the November general election, “Shame on you.”

The cheapening of political discourse in this country has reached a tipping point, and when candidates like the former governor of Ohio and area congressman indulge in lowest-common-denominator rhetoric, we all must say, “Enough!”

A week ago Monday, Strickland referred to Justice Scalia’s death in a way that was clearly disrespectful. Coming from a psychologist who has long talked about the need for people to respect one another, the statement was over the top.

Here’s what he said, as reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

“My friends, a lot of average citizens out there don’t understand the importance of that [U.S. Supreme] court. … I mean, the death of Scalia saved labor from a terrible decision. And I don’t wish anyone ill, but it happened at a good time, because once that decision had been made it would have been tough to reverse.”

Laughter

The audience was made up of members of the Ohio AFL-CIO and they clapped and laughed, according to the Plain Dealer.

But just because the audience is receptive to such derogatory commentary does not mean that candidates for high office should cater to those base instincts.

To his credit – and unlike Trump – Strickland immediately apologized after the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the right-leaning America Rising PAC circulated his remarks. The NTK Network recorded the speech.

“That was an insensitive remark and I apologize,” Strickland said.

The late Justice Scalia was the leading conservative voice on the Supreme Court and would have voted against labor in the case that centered on the ability of public-employee unions to collect fees from nonmembers.

The 4-4 vote reflects the political upheaval triggered by the GOP-controlled Senate’s refusal to consider President Barack Obama’s nomination of a successor to Scalia.

Republicans, including Portman, argue that the next president should make the appointment. Obama and his Democratic allies, including Strickland, counter that the president has the constitutional duty to appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal judges.

The current eight members of the court have divided along ideological lines on several important cases.

In the union-fees case, Scalia was considered a sure vote against the unions that represent teachers and other public employees. The 5-4 decision would have been a crippling blow to organized labor.

Now, however, the 4-4 deadlock means that public-employee unions can continue to collect fees from workers who choose not to join and do not want to pay for the unions’ collective bargaining activities, according to the New York Times.

The political dysfunction that is now the rule rather than the exception is causing a major backlash across the country. Congress’ approval rating is tanking, while neither Trump nor Clinton inspires public confidence.

That isn’t good for our democracy.