Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > July > 24 > Entry
Cordray strikes back
Just a day after it started, the race for Ohio attorney general is heating up.
On Thursday, July 24, Democrat Richard Cordray sent a letter to his supporters that didn’t exactly have nice things to say about Cordray’s Republican opponent, Mike Crites, a former U.S. attorney for southern Ohio.
In declaring his candidacy on Wednesday, July 23, Crites referred to himself as a “prosecutor” and to Cordray as a “career politician.”
In his letter Cordray said that since leaving his job as U.S. attorney in 1993, Crites “has been sitting on the sidelines of public service.”
“His contributions to the quality of life, personal safety and economic well-being of Ohioans has been marginal at best, through sporadic part-time service, mostly as a village solicitor,” Cordray, now state treasurer, wrote.
Crites, in a prepared statement, said Cordray “has sadly sunk to the level of most career politicians” and that his rhetoric “sounds a lot like Cordray’s close ally, Marc Dann.” Democrat Dann, of course, resigned in May as attorney general in a sexual harassment scandal, setting up the battle between Cordray and Crites.
Here’s Cordray’s letter:
July 24, 2008
Dear Friend,
The race for Ohio Attorney General is now off and running with my opponent’s declaration for office yesterday. And since it’s up and running, I’d like to ask you for your endorsement.
As we are all used to seeing in political campaigns, my opponent made a number of claims about his record — and mine — that I would like to clarify for you.
A common political tactic is to compare and contrast experience. My opponent used that technique, with the curious twist of employing time travel. He spoke at length about his years of service as a political appointee, which ended more than fifteen years ago.
The most recent installment of my opponent’s history will show that, since entering private practice in 1993, he has been sitting on the sidelines of public service. His contribution to the quality of life, personal safety, and economic well-being of Ohioans has been marginal at best, through sporadic part-time service, mostly as a village solicitor.
Let me acquaint you with a more modern comparison of the relative preparation and qualifications of my opponent and myself:
Today I am writing you from Canton, Ohio, where I joined local leaders in my grassroots drive to get widespread public support for ending unfair credit card practices. On talk radio, the phone lines lit up with callers eager to share their stories.
My opponent has been nowhere in that fight.
Since being elected Ohio Treasurer in 2006, I testified and fought for credit freeze legislation, payday lending reform, foreclosure prevention, and to save taxpayer dollars by the millions.
My opponent has been nowhere on any of those issues.
In 2001, I was hired by the Justice Department under a Republican administration to argue successfully in the United States Supreme Courton behalf of America’s top foreign policy officials, including former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and former NSC head Tony Lake.
In that same year, my opponent was defending an embezzler who stole $10,000 from the Treasury and downplaying the theft from Ohio taxpayers as a “one-time thing.”
In 1997, I was representing Ohio bar associations and legal aid groups to defend the constitutionality of funding for legal services for the poor in the United States Supreme Court. This was a six year fight, and we were successful.
In that same year, my opponent was responding to an audit of the school district where he was President of the school board, which cited school officials for misuse of a credit card to run up improper charges.
In 1993, I persuaded the Attorney General to create a new job of State Solicitor, representing Ohioans in the toughest cases in the U.S. and Ohio Supreme Courts and working to keep convicted criminals behind bars.
In that same year, my opponent was leaving government service to go out and make money.
I regard public service as an opportunity for leadership and the rare chance to stand up for Ohioans and their families. What we need from our public officials is someone to be strongly and effectively on our side. I have done that throughout my time in public life, and I am glad to be running on my record this year.
So off we go. And I deeply appreciate your friendship, your voice, and your support on the road ahead.
Richard Cordray Candidate for Attorney General
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Comments