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Strickland Courts Pro-gun Vote PDF Print E-mail
Written by Daniel White   
Thursday, 25 May 2006

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland(D) wants you to believe he is pro-gun at heart. For some, it is enough that he is pro-gun on paper.

Strickland has been an "A" rated politician by the NRA. He was endorsed by the NRA in the Democratic primary. Yet, some disturbing facts surround his purported views on gun control:

­• He selected Lee Fisher, one of the few politicians to ever be rated "F-" by the NRA, as a running mate

• He was once quoted as saying, "I personally do not like guns and I do not own a gun"

• Last week, Hillary Clinton, no friend to gun owners, hosted a "secret" fundraiser for him in New York 

• The next day, Stickland was in Toledo at a fundraiser headlined by John Kerry, who tried very hard to fool gun owners in the 2004 presidential election.

• In 2004, during his presidential campaign, John Kerry visited Ohio in a failed bid to try to convince gun owners he was on their side. The goose "hunt" he went on was hosted by Ted Strickland

Strickland has explained away these discrepencies by stating that although he personally does not have a problem with gun control, he votes according to the wishes of his constituents. While this may be an admirable trait for a congressman, it is not strong enough of a position to lead gun rights reform in Ohio.
Current Ohio Governor Bob Taft was also weakly opposed to gun control when he was elected governor. Once in office, he kow-towed to the anti-gun media and political pressure from the gun control movement; first stalling ccw reform in Ohio, and then attempted to sabotage HB12 by demanding two provisions hoped to be poison pills: the media access loophole and the ludicrous "open carry in a motor vehicle" clause.

For some, it may be enough that Strickland is not blatently anti-gun. For those who are truly concerned about their gun rights in Ohio, that is not nearly enough.