Ohio S.O.S. Blackwell must be beaten (er-defeated)

[mojogeorgo]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/4/122055/518

We have *got* to get rid of Kenneth Blackwell.

New revelations in Ohio and Republican national politics show a clear connection between the Bush re-election campaign and the proposed Ohio constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

The push for the ban amendment takes a convoluted path, beginning last spring with Bush's top political advisor Karl Rove, involving the political ambitions of Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, House Speaker Larry Householder and Auditor Jim Petro, ultimately leading to the circulation of petitions by Phil Burress, president of the anti-gay Citizens for Community Values.

"All things flow from there," said secretary of state and gubernatorial candidate Blackwell of the direction for the amendment coming from the Bush campaign.

Blackwell admitted last week that he was enlisted by the campaign to push the issue in Ohio.

He told the Cincinnati Enquirer September 14 the name of the person in the Bush campaign who he said in an early August letter to GOP faithful had asked him to do surrogate work on marriage in Ohio for the campaign--Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlmen.

Blackwell, his campaign and the Bush-Cheney campaign had previously ignored requests by the Gay People's Chronicle for the name.

The August letter says, "And while, yes, I am running for governor in 2006 I am not overlooking 2004 and President Bush's re-election."

"The President's campaign has asked me to help with a state DOMA effort and I have agreed. I am working closely with state and national leaders to protect and defend the sanctity of marriage. No one is spending more time communicating with the key elements of the GOP base on behalf of the president than am I," he continued.

The intent of Blackwell's letter is to portray himself as the most conservative of the three gubernatorial candidates and most worthy of GOP support because of his stands on fiscal and social issues.

The other two GOP gubernatorial contenders are Attorney General Jim Petro and Auditor Betty Montgomery.