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Strickland denounces GOP at Frolic for Funds

Governor says campaign season will be a ‘gully washer’ and a choice between recovery or a return to power by GOP.

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By Lynn Hulsey, Staff Writer Updated 10:25 AM Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland came out punching in his speech to the party faithful on Tuesday, April 6, framing the 2010 elections as a choice between economic recovery or a return to power by the people he blamed for the near ruin of the country.

“It’s going to be a gully washer of a campaign season,” Strickland told Montgomery County Democrats at the county party’s annual Frolic for Funds at the Dayton Convention Center.

“They are out of power,” Strickland said of Republicans, “They have lost power and influence and they don’t like it a bit.”

He said Republicans gave control to greedy Wall Street executives and adopted policies that “led us close to the abyss.” Democratic policies averted an economic collapse, Strickland said. He called Democrats the party of working people and warned against reverting back “to the likes of George Bush or Dick Cheney.”

Strickland denounced his Republican opponent for governor, former U.S. Rep. John Kasich, for his work with Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers, which went bankrupt. And he attacked state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, for his opposition to a $400 million federal stimulus grant for a passenger railroad that would pass through Dayton.

“You can create a lot of jobs for $400 million,” Strickland said.

Husted, who is running for Ohio Secretary of State, contends the rail plan is a waste of taxpayer money.

The Democrat’s fundraiser also featured short speeches by other statewide candidates including Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who are seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Both spoke of the need for party unity in the November election when the winner will face Republican Rob Portman, a former congressman.

In comments prior to his speech, Fisher said Montgomery County is critical to statewide candidates.

“It’s no surprise that every statewide candidate is here,” said Fisher, who has traveled the state attending similar events. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

Contact this reporter at 937-225-7455

or lhulsey@daytondailynews.com.

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