Former Ohio GOP U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen: Yes, My OH-02 Republican Friends Voted For Vic Wulsin And Hillary

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- OH-02 Democratic Congressional candidate Vic Wulsin remarked Wednesday in a blog comment that conservative Republican Bob McEwen told her his guests at a dinner party earlier this week had abandoned the GOP. The six picked up Dem ballots on primary day March 4 and joined the crossover crowd. McEwen, who spoke to The Daily Bellwether about the big switcheroo, confirms Wulsin's account is correct. He said he phoned her Wednesday morning with the news. Says McEwen:

"I guess she left out the other part -- that they voted for Hillary, too. I had six people over for dinner that night and we talked about the voting. They all picked up Democratic ballots. Everybody was Republican, and they voted for Hillary and for her [Wulsin]. The reason they took a Democratic ballot? They wanted to help Hillary. I think it really was the Rush stuff."

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh urged listeners to vote for Hillary rather than John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. McEwen told the Bellwether he stuck with the GOP on primary day. He also wonders if his friends -- the half dozen new Democratic converts -- would switch back to their original party by November's general election. "Only time will tell. I guess we're going to find out."

Wulsin's comment about McEwen's dinner party appears in this thread on FireDogLake. Here's what she said:

"The 2nd District has some very interesting dynamics. Congressman Bob McEwen [OH-R]called this morning to congratulate me. He said that at his dinner table last night, the other six guests-- all Republicans -- had chosen Democratic ballots and voted for, yep, Vic Wulsin! He says the Repubs want her OUT (he barely lost to her in the '06 primary so remember where he's coming from) and want a reasonable alternative. So, I'd like to think some of the crossing over comes from a desire to get Schmidt out. As an epidemiologist, I look forward to crunching some numbers to where the biggest 'crossing over' occurred and how that affected the Clinton:Obama ratio and the Wulsin:Black ratio."

OH-02: Anthony Munoz Backed Bob McEwen Last Year, McEwen Lost

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Anthony Munoz is supporting U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's challenger in the OH-02 GOP congressional primary. Will that put Phil Heimlich over the top? It doesn't hurt, of course to have a marquee endorsement but Munoz's backing didn't turn former Republican Congressman Bob McEwen into a winner. Schmidt whomped McEwen in the 2006 primary.