MANSFIELD – Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland gave a speech at the Democratic headquarters on Park Avenue Saturday in an attempt to make up his decreasing poll numbers in the race for the U.S. Senate.
Strickland used his 25-minute speech to refute claims from his opponent Rob Portman, and asked those in attendance to help campaign for him and other Democratic candidates.
In one advertisement, Strickland recalled Portman claiming Strickland spent $50,000 to modernize a bathroom in the Governor’s mansion.
“Let me tell you a story about that,” Strickland said. “It said basically that I took money that should have went to children, and used it to modernize my bathroom.
“When I moved into the Governor’s mansion, my bathroom was a pretty primitive bathroom … The people who look after the residence said, ‘we need to modernize your bathroom.’ I said, ‘absolutely not. We are not spending tax dollars in this difficult time on my bathroom.’
“Now the bathroom was improved. Because I went to Lowe’s, I bought a can of paint — paid for it myself — and on a Thanksgiving weekend, painted that bathroom.”
The crowd laughed and applauded.
“That’s the only improvement, a can of paint,” continued the 86th Ohio Governor.
Strickland said the ad was misinformed because the mansion had no public bathrooms or wheelchair accessible facilities, and improvements were made with money allocated by the previous governor.
Governor Bob Taft, who served from 1999 until 2007, had set aside $750,000 for repairs around the house and to create public bathrooms in the carriage house, Strickland said.
“You can’t believe everything you hear on T.V.,” Strickland said.
Later, Strickland said there where many differences between Sen. Portman and himself.
“He has voted five times, against paid equity for women. It’s incredible,” Strickland said. “He has voted to put a tax burden on the backs of working people; he’s not good for the environment.
“There’s a reason the Koch Brothers like him so much. He’s their lap dog — I don’t want to degrade lap dogs because they can be great,” he said, pausing to allow one small dog to have a brief moment of fame. “But the fact is, they know what everthey ask of Rob Portman, he’s going to do for them.”
Strickland claimed Portman’s campaign has spent $59 million on his campaign, a figure he had never seen before.
“Why are the Koch Brothers and others spending so much money against me? Why would they do that? $59 million is precedent setting. I don’t know that that has happened anywhere in the United States of America. Why?” Strickland asked. “Because he (Portman) does what ever they ask him to do. And I want to look out for working people. That’s what I came from.
“That’s why I think women should make as much money as men. Why I believe a woman should be able to control her own health care decisions. I believe the middle class needs a tax cut. I’m for things that are going to impact the lives of regular working people.”
Despite the set back in campaign spending at advertisements against the Senate hopeful, Strickland remains positive about his campaign. He said the polls are showing he is making up ground and he believes he can still win on Nov. 8.
“We have strong reason through polls to believe that I’m picking up steam in this race,” he said “I’m very hopeful.”
