The Issue That Dare Not Spoken Of

GOP Scandals Dog Ohio Candidate - washingtonpost.com

Joy Padgett, the GOP's new congressional candidate in Ohio, has been in a jam when it comes to finding a big-name Republican who could come to town and bring more than trouble.

Gov. Bob Taft? He was convicted of illegally accepting gifts. GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell? He is getting trounced in the polls. Bob Ney, the current congressman? He admitted taking bribes and then checked himself in for alcohol rehabilitation.

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In a year when Republicans are battling low poll numbers nationally, there are few places where the GOP brand is more scuffed than in Ohio, where, since President Bush's election-night triumph here two years ago, national and local scandals have polluted the political atmosphere for GOP candidates.

A poll released this week by the Columbus Dispatch indicated Democrats could sweep races for U.S. Senate as well as Ohio governor, auditor, treasurer and secretary of state. This would be a remarkable turnaround after 16 years in which Republicans have enjoyed uninterrupted control of the governorship and dominated most statewide races.

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Padgett, who has represented 14 of the district's 16 counties, is counting on voters to overlook her self-described "casual" and "not social" relationship with the prison-bound Ney.

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This is the kind of district Republicans usually dominate in state politics.

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The Democratic candidate said that while he has been trying for months to focus voters' attention on the ethical transgressions committed by Ney, it was not until the lawmaker's recent agreement to plead guilty that it hit home. "The reaction among constituents is that he lied to them," said Space. "It constitutes a betrayal."

Space said voters now are beginning to understand that Ney's actions are not simply the result of one bad seed but rather are indicative of the stranglehold special interests have on the Republican majority. "It is a manifestation of something more malicious," the candidate said.

And, though Padgett rarely mentions Ney by name, Space is convinced that her ties to the legislator will complicate her campaign. Space said that Ney "anointed" Padgett as his replacement. She has said that is not true -- but she has to deny it over and over, underscoring the predicament of Republicans in a year when bad breaks outnumber good by a wide margin.

But ... but ... the intellectually-challenged community says this sort of thing is just imaginary!!!