U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel sends fundraising plea to Second Amendment advocates

Earlier this month, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that, in a recent fundraising letter addressed "Dear Fellow Gun Rights Activist," Ohio's Republican state treasurer touts himself as a "proud pro-gun candidate" for U.S. Senate.

From the article:

"When it comes to the defense of my own home and wife Ilana, I'm the proud owner of a Berretta handgun and a Marlin .22 caliber rifle," writes the Beachwood resident.

The letter includes the slogan "When Washington is broken ... Send in a Marine" -- a reference to Mandel's two tours of duty in Iraq. The letter also asks for campaign contributions of up to $2,500 to be mailed "right away" with a "Protect Gun Rights Reply Form."

"Endorsed by the NRA and the Buckeye Firearms Association throughout my career, my record of standing up for the Second Amendment speaks for itself," Mandel writes.

Specifically, he notes that that he co-sponsored the "Castle Doctrine" bill while a state representative in 2008. The law presumes that homeowners acted in self-defense if they used force against someone who illegally entered their house or car. It also relaxes rules on how guns can be transported in cars. The House and Senate adopted the bill by wide margins.

Mandel indeed was a co-sponsor -- one of more than 50 in the lower chamber.

In the letter, Mandel blasts his likely 2012 opponent, incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, as an "Obama-Democrat [who] simply doesn't share our deep respect for the Second Amendment."

Mandel's autopen signature appears under the closing "Charging Hard." A postscript contains another plea -- complete with gun imagery -- for donations to "land a major strike across the bow of the Washington anti-gun lobby by defeating liberal Democrat Sherrod Brown."

Asked by The Plain Dealer about the letter via email, campaign spokesman Joe Aquilino said Mandel "feels very strongly about defending citizens' Constitutional rights, including their rights to hunt and protect their families and businesses."