Most notably, former Democratic Governor Dick Celeste endorsed Ted Strickland’s primary opponent, P.G. Sittenfeld. Following the endorsement, Celeste sat down for an interview with WKYC where he said, “I’m frankly disappointed that Governor Strickland hasn’t agreed to debate P.G.,” and, “I think it’s a disservice to both the democratic process and the voters.” (WATCH HERE, transcript below.)
[youtube url = "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcGRbVfwl64"]
Also this week – a pro-Sittenfeld super PAC released a new TV ad focused on Strickland’s gun record flip-flop.
This ad came after reports earlier this week that an internal memo from the Sittenfeld campaign showed that his attacks are resonating with democratic primary voters. According to the memo, once voters are educated about Strickland’s flip-flop on gun control, they are less likely to support him. More here.
And finally, The Washington Free Beacon reported that as Governor, “Ted Strickland flagged the official at the heart of the current water contamination crisis in Sebring…but allowed him to continue working at the agency despite serious misdeeds.” Interestingly, this report follows a February 3rd op-ed written by Strickland where he grandstands about the Sebring water crisis and taking no responsibility for his actions, or lack of, as Governor.
TGIF, Ted!
CELESTE, WKYC INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:
CELESTE: I think it was a mistake for the Ohio Democratic Party, for example, to make an early endorsement in the Senate race and on that –
TOM BERES: Elaborate on that.
CELESTE: Well, I think the idea that somehow you want to close off debate and discussion, when you have highly qualified candidates who hold public office and seek higher office, that’s a mistake for the party. But the party should be encouraging people to, especially young people, to seek higher office and to promote those young people. So my own feeling is that what we have here is a race between the future and the past frankly, and when I say past, I’m talking about the Democratic Party itself. It is trying to operate in an old way, and that old way was insiders who tried to make decisions, and insiders who tried to call the shots, and that’s not what people want. That’s not what the Democratic voters in Ohio are, my friends and neighbors here, my kids here and when I talk to them that’s not what they want, so I think P.G. Sittenfeld represents a fresh way of moving forward and I’m frankly disappointed that Governor Strickland hasn’t agreed to debate P.G. because it would give Ohio voters a chance to compare these two side-by-side.
TOM BERES: Is that a disservice to the process or a disservice to voters? Disservice to Mr. Sittenfeld?
CELESTE: Well, I think it’s a disservice to both the democratic process and the voters. You know, when I ran for governor in 1978, I could not persuade Jim Rhodes to debate me. He was saying come but he didn’t have to debate. In 1986, when I was running for re-election against Jim Rhodes, he challenged me to debate, and I accepted. I was an incumbent, I didn’t have to accept, but I accepted because I felt that was in the interest of all Ohioans to see the two of us side-by-side. The great forum that is represented by the City Club of Cleveland is the home of debate in Ohio. I’m astonished that –
TOM BERES: It seems like there’s something missing if that’s not going to happen.
CELESTE: Right. Exactly. I’m astonished that somebody who I actually think served with distinction as governor is unwilling to stand up and debate.