Clinton: Strickland will lead takeover by Dems

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The ex-president called the Mahoning Valley congressman 'a wonderful man.'

CLEVELAND (AP) — Democrats are poised to take back the Ohio governor's office for the first time in 16 years, former President Clinton said Saturday at a fundraiser for nominee Ted Strickland.

Clinton told a crowd of about 1,000 who paid $100 a ticket that Strickland, his running mate Lee Fisher and the rest of the party's ticket represent the party's best chance to break the lock Republicans have had on all statewide executive offices for the last 12 years.

"I think you're blessed. You have a great ticket. Ted Strickland is a wonderful man and a great public servant," said Clinton, who twice won Ohio. "With Ted and Lee, what you see is what you get. They've had a long and distinguished pair of careers."

Strickland of Lisbon is finishing his sixth term as a congressman representing Ohio's 6th District, which includes Columbiana County and portions of Mahoning County. Fisher is a former state senator and attorney general who was the party's unsuccessful 1998 candidate for governor. They face Republican Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, and his running mate, state Rep. Tom Raga, on Nov. 7.

Brown's prediction

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, an Avon Democrat who is running for Republican Mike DeWine's U.S. Senate seat, told the crowd that post-election headlines will read, "Ohio turns blue."

Clinton picked up on a familiar Democratic theme this year — putting an end to one-party rule.

"In Washington and in Ohio, if you give one party all of the power, they will abuse the power," he said.

The packed ballroom at a downtown hotel also listened to a series of women candidates, including U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, secretary of state candidate Jennifer Brunner and auditor candidate Barbara Sykes. Their theme was that when Democrats win, women win.

Republicans said Clinton's appearance at a Strickland fundraiser sent a different message: higher taxes.

"They raised taxes on hardworking Ohioans by more than $9 billion dollars on everything from gas to Social Security. Uncle Sam got fat and happy as Ohio's manufacturing industry was losing jobs and the threat to Americas security was quietly mounting," Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said in a statement.

Sunday, September 17, 2006