Ken Blackwell must be stopped - Democratic Underground

BobcatJH

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Tue May-09-06 01:50 PM
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Ken Blackwell must be stopped

Edited on Tue May-09-06 01:57 PM by BobcatJH

With the primary behind us, the choice for Ohio's next governor is now set. And the differences between Republican nominee Ken Blackwell and Democratic nominee Ted Strickland couldn't be more clear.

In Blackwell, voters are faced with an opportunistic hypocrite whose incompetence is as well-documented as are his ties to the Bob Taft-led culture of corruption. In Strickland, voters are faced with a candidate who recognizes that true leadership and a voice for all Ohioans is what this state needs to return to prominence.

But this race isn't just about Ohio. It's about driving a stake through the heart of the Republican Party. It's about showing everyone that the politics of division have no place in our society. It's about demonstrating that the people have the power to chart a course for a better tomorrow.

Before that better tomorrow, however, we've got to cure what's ailing us today. And make no mistake, Blackwell is as malignant a presence as Ohio has ever faced. In his current role as Ohio Secretary of State, Blackwell is charged with overseeing the state's elections. I'm sure you've heard how well a job he's been doing. Not only in 2004, when he tried to disenfranchise thousands of Ohioans while attempting to deliver the election to President Bush, but also as recently as last week, when voters again experienced problems at the polls.

What's more, Blackwell owned stock in the scandal-plagued Diebold, a company he gave statewide contracts to despite the obvious conflict of interest and problems associated with the Ohio firm. But what else would you expect from a man who, in his role as state campaign chairman, was charged with doing the same thing former Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell promised to do in 2004 - deliver votes to the president.

What else? How about the special brand of incompetence that allows someone like Blackwell to not once, but twice, illegally distribute citizens' Social Security numbers? When he first did so on the Secretary of State's Web site, he said he couldn't do anything about it - until a federal judge stepped in and mandated he take them down. Next, he handed out more than a million Social Security numbers to 20 organizations, he excused the problem away. The groups, he said, didn't have a history of identity theft. Well, isn't that comforting? Said consultant Alan Melamed, who received the sensitive information, "For someone who prides himself on what a good job he does protecting voters, this suggests the contrary." Indeed.

When running against Blackwell in a shameful Republican primary, Jim Petro labeled Blackwell a hypocrite. And he's right. How else could you characterize a man who, despite claims that he's anti-gambling, owned stock in the world's largest slot machine manufacturer? Or a man who, despite an extremist anti-choice stance, owned stock in the company that manufactures emergency contraception? Or a man who, despite calling state spending "out of control", himself oversaw a Secretary of State's office witnessing an 82 percent spending explosion in seven years?

Or, most importantly, a man who, despite criticizing Petro for being unethical, is himself awash in ethics woes. No matter what Blackwell says, his fingerprints are all over the statewide Republican culture of corruption. Take CoinGate, for example. Speaking about that debacle, Blackwell said, "When you run a fund size of $18 billion and you're looking at $50 million, 'Beyond what one's disposition might be, is that an irresponsible amount of risk?' Most people would say no." Actually, Ken, most people would beg to differ.

All in all, Blackwell has yet to prove to Ohioans he's ready and capable to do his current job, let alone a higher office. That he has failed shouldn't be much of a surprise. We're talking, after all, about a man who had no desire to hold the office he currently holds. "The only thing worse than running for secretary of state would be being secretary of state," Blackwell said in 1998. Inspires confidence that Blackwell would make a great governor, doesn't it?

Make no mistake, Blackwell knows what he's up against this fall. Recent polling gave Strickland a 17-point lead over his opponent. Like his friends in the Republican Party, Blackwell will panic and resort to the politics of desperation and division in hopes to chip away at Strickland's healthy lead. He dragged an already nasty Republican primary further into the mud. And he'll try to do it again against Strickland. This, however, is where we come in. With our support and a show of our power, we can show Blackwell that Strickland isn't Petro and this election isn't business as usual. Further, we can send a signal to Republican leadership that 2006 won't be their year.

Ohio has had enough of the Republican Party. A vote for Blackwell is a vote for corruption, for incompetence and against the future of every Ohioan. A vote for Strickland is a vote for genuine leadership, for progressive values and against the politics of fear and smear. Thanks to Blackwell and his Republican partners-in-crime, Ohio has lost its way. This fall, however, we can set things right. And I'm confident we will.