In a Roll Call story this morning, P.G. Sittenfeld attacks “Retread” Ted Strickland for his position on guns, noting, “The last time he was on the ballot, Gov. Strickland bragged about voting against the very same background checks he claims to support.”
Strickland’s team fired back that his position changed following the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
But on March 10, 2015, three years after the supposed reason for Strickland’s flip-flop, Strickland did a radio interview with WOSU where he was asked to clarify his position on guns. Strickland bragged about his A-rating from the NRA and said, “I was the guy who voted against the Assault Weapons Ban.”
The interview was the topic of P.G. Sittenfeld’s press conference this morning.
LISTEN HERE, or read the transcript:
CALLER: Hey there. Governor Strickland, I know you are a big supporter of the President and when you campaigned for him in 2012 you wrote an article about his support for the Second Amendment. I was just wondering how you continue to say you support the Second Amendment when you have been lobbying for additional gun laws when you were working in D.C.
TED STRICKLAND: Well, I have not lobbied for additional gun laws and, my brother, let me put my record in front of you. As a Congressman, I had an A and most of the time an A+ rating with the National Rifle Association. That has been my position and it is my position and… so I know I have some political enemies that would like to reinterpret my beliefs but they don’t have a right to do that. I’m the only one that has a right to say what my position is and where I stand on these issues and you can look at my record back to the time when I first ran for Congress during my years in Congress. I was the guy who voted against the Assault Weapons Ban. The current governor of Ohio John Kasich voted for the Assault Weapons Ban. So I will put my record up against anyone’s record when it comes to defending the Second Amendment.
FISHER: Thank you Jeffrey for that call. When it comes to the Second Amendment and your record that isn’t necessary a strong point with rank and file Democratic voters is it Governor Strickland?
STRICKLAND: Well you know, Ann, I try to be who I am… I don’t try to tailor myself depending on the particular audience that I am addressing, and so people can take me as I am or they can reject me as I am but they are going to get me… they’re not going to get some poll driven position paper that doesn’t really reflect my record. I’ve got a record that I feel very comfortable in defending.