Ken Blackwell smears opponent with gay & pedophilia innuendos

[Thomas Veil]

Just when you thought the Ohio governor's race couldn't get any more interesting:

Strickland: GOP charges 'reprehensible'
BY HOWARD WILKINSON | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland said Wednesday that the suggestion by Blackwell in Monday night's debate that he covered up his former staff's 1994 conviction for exposing himself to children - a conviction that was expunged from the court record in 2002 - is untrue and "outrageous.''

"I swear to God I had absolutely nothing to do with that,'' said Strickland, after a meeting with the Enquirer editorial board. "I didn't even know the records had been expunged until (Democratic primary opponent) Bryan Flannery brought it up this spring.''

Strickland said "innuendos" by Blackwell and other Republicans that he is gay and had some sort of sexual relationship with his former aide are "reprehensible.''

"No, I am not gay, although it is none of their business in the first place,'' Strickland said. "I am married to a very wonderful woman and have been for 18 years.''

Blackwell, in the debate Monday, questioned why Strickland would take a 1998 trip to Italy with the aide.

Strickland said Wednesday it was supposed to have been a trip with three of his top campaign aides, "a way to relax and have fun after a very tough re-election campaign." But the other two aides backed out "because other things came up or it was too expensive for them, so they didn't go."

By raising such issues, Strickland said, Blackwell is "making a laughingstock of himself. He is skating on thin ice."

Cincinnati Enquirer

I notice that, though this "story" was supposed to have broken on Monday, nobody else in the media seems to have picked it up. Probably because it seems kind of lame so far.

But I also noticed that it didn't stop Sean Hannity and other Republicans from shouting it from the rooftop of the "Hannity & Colmes" studio. They asked how this is any different from what Mark Foley did, and would Strickland likewise step down?

Dear Lord, this is so ugly. I can't wait for Nov. 7 to be over.

[clevin]

he is 20 points behind in poll, who cares what he said.

[mactastic]

Desperating sure is ugly...

[solvs]

If Kenny boy wins, everyone will know the election is rigged. He has no chance. This is just pathetic and will work about as well as when the guy running against Patty Murray in my former state of residence WA tried to paint her as an Osama sympathizer by taking something she said out of context. Which didn't go over so well with people.

[Desertrat]

Yeah, desperation makes for ugly. For some folks, though, ugly is built in. Clayton Williams blew a pretty good lead over Ann Richards in the governor's race by refusing to shake hands when they met for a debate. Bunches of us figured she'd be better than a walking Aggie joke.

'Rat