Strickland campaign seeks to educate voters on Kasich's anti-gun record

Governor Ted Strickland's re-election campaign, under the banner Sportsmen for Strickland, has released two pieces of campaign literature aimed at Ohio's pro-gun voters.

The first piece features a photograph of a camo-clad Strickland and his brother Roger standing next to a pickup trick holding shotguns. The caption reads "Ted and his brother Roger have enjoyed the outdoors their whole lives."

Across the top of the flyer is the following large text:

Governor Ted Strickland
Pro-Second Amendment
Pro-Hunting

Below the photograph, the text notes that "As Congressman and Governor, Ted Strickland has been an unwavering supporter of our Second Amendment rights. The National Rifle Association has always rated Strickland an "A."

The second half of the flyer provides a comparison between Strickland and his Republican opponent, John Kasich, on the gun issue. Both men were members of the United States Congress in the 1990's and both men had the opportunity to vote on proposed gun control legislation. The Sportsmen for Strickland flyer, and a second flyer entitled "Kasich's Dirty Dozen," which will be detailed below, seeks to educate pro-gun voters on the contrasting voting records of the two former Congressmen.

Featuring a large "Ted Strickland A+, John Kasich F" graphic, the main thrust of the comparison between the two men on the Sportsmen for Strickland flyer is that, "in 1994, Ted Strickland voted AGAINST the Clinton Gun Ban and received an A+ from the NRA," while "John Kasich voted FOR the Clinton Gun Ban and earned an F from the NRA."

For many pro-gun voters, this is the beginning and the end of what they know about John Kasich's record on gun rights. Indeed, when Buckeye Firearms Association announced its endorsement of Ted Strickland, some conservative bloggers actually questioned the judgment of BFA for having held "one anti-gun vote cast more than a decade and a half ago" against Mr. Kasich.

It is clear from the second piece of campaign literature that the Strickland campaign is determined to make sure pro-gun voters are informed that Mr. Kasich cast far more than "just" that one anti-gun vote.

The second piece of campaign literature is a flyer entitled "Kasich's Dirty Dozen." This document lists what the Strickland campaign calls the "Top 12 Assaults on gun owners and sportsmen by Congressman Kasich."

The flyer notes that, in 1999, Kasich voted twice to ban private transfers of firearms at gun shows - legislation that industry experts say would effectively end the shows altogether.

The "Dirty Dozen" flyer reveals that Kasich also voted against an attempt to repeal the D.C. Gun Ban in 1999. The ban remained in effect for another nine years, until the United States Supreme Court finally restored residents' Second Amendment rights in the Heller case.

The flyer also mentions two anti-hunting votes, a vote against an amendment designed to prohibit the use of evidence obtained by the ATF unless it was obtained under a search warrant, and a 1986 vote to restrict handguns.

And finally, the "Dirty Dozen" flyer notes that Kasich not only voted for the Clinton Gun Ban in 1994, but that in fact that the unpopular and now-defunct gun ban could not have passed without Kasich's support (the bill passed 216-214). The flyer also contains a quote attributed to Kasich by The Columbus Dispatch after the bill passed:

Kasich said on WTVN (610AM) that an overwhelming number of calls to his office were against a ban on assault weapons, but he ignored them because he knew that the "gun lobby" pays people to call.

Two years later, after Republicans took control of the U.S. House and attempted to repeal the ban, Kasich voted to keep the ban in place.

As we have indicated on this website previously, our own research indicates that John Kasich has, at best, a 50-50 voting record on gun rights.

The Kasich campaign told voters about the pro-gun half of his record in February, when his campaign released a list of his pro-gun votes, quotes, and historical NRA ratings.

It is clear that the Strickland campaign intends to work hard to ensure that pro-gun voters know about other half of John Kasich's voting record, which most certainly will prove to be of far greater concern to pro-gun voters.

Download the "Sportsmen for Strickland" flyer.

Download the "Kasich's Dirty Dozen" flyer.

UPDATE 9/21/10 - Download the "Defend Freedom, Vote Strickland" poster.