BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (TDB) -- Oh-05 Republican Steve Buehrer says it was "despicable" and unethical for Bob Latta to use Project Vote Smart candidate survey data in an attack ad. Yet the Club for Growth -- which has given Buehrer about $260,000 for his House campaign against Latta -- did the same thing in another political contest. It used Project Vote Smart data as a political weapon.
Jeff Coryell at Ohio Daily Blog had this piece on Oct. 18 about Project Vote Smart's complaint that Latta had used its material in an attack ad. The PVS presser noted it happened very rarely.
Still, Red SeaLLC made an attack ad with PVS as a source for the Buehrer-backing Club for Growth to use in an Idaho House race. It seems that what is wrong in the Midwest is proper in the Far West. Or maybe the Club for Growth and Buehrer figured nobody would notice.
Buehrer and Latta are arguing over a 2002 survey about school prayer and the Ten Commandments. Latta did a mailer to GOP voters earlier this month noting that the Project Vote Smart survery showed Buehrer was opposed to religion in schools and public buildings. Buehrer, however, said he didn't answer a question and indeed supports school prayer and the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, Project Vote Smart has complained Latta was not supposed to use the survey results in an attack ad, and Buehrer has been ballistic over the incident. He was quoted in the Toledo Blade:
"Project Vote Smart is categorically criticizing Mr. Latta for using something that is supposed to be a guide for voters as a political weapon. I think that is the most despicable sort of attack you can think of."
Apparently, the Club for Growth -- Buehrer's financial angel in the NW Ohio GOP primary contest -- had already delivered the "most despicable sort of attack you can think of." Doesn't seem like Latta is the only guy with muddy hand in the NW Ohio House contest.
The Blade story was by Joe Vardon and it captures nicely Buehrer's horror. Of course, it doesn't mention that Buehrer's backers had done the same thing in another state.
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