OH-02 Dem Steve Black: 'Nothing In Our Ad Is False' About Vic Wulsin And Medical Experiments

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Dan Herkert, the campaign manager for OH-02 Democratic congressional candidate Steve Black, has sent an e-mail and press release to The Daily Bellwether about the TV ad sharply criticizing Victoria Wulsin's work for the Heimlich Institute. Rather than summarize, here's what Herkert and the Black campaign have to say:

Bill: Below you will find a press release we emailed out today with regard to our television ad. We fully stand by this ad and I would be happy to provide you with all copies of the documents upon which it is based. Nothing in our ad is false.

We have merely exposed the fact that Dr. Wulsin is in fact under investigation by the Ohio State Medical Board and the fact that she did not report these experiments to any government body. Also, she has claimed on different occasions that she merely wrote a "literature review" for the Heimlich Institute. This so-called literature review does not cite any of the numerous articles from the New York Times, LA Times, or New England Journal of Medicine that are critical of malariotherapy. Further, her report actually lists recommendations to the Heimlich Institute for ways to continue these experiments.

We have never gone "negative" in this campaign. The public record of a candidate is indicitive of how they will perform as a Member of Congress and that record should be compared to other candidates. The truth is often harsh, but every statement that has ever come from Steve's campaign is fully based on public documents.

Below is our press release from earlier today. If you have any questions or would like copies of the documents supporting our ad, don't hesitate to call me.

Dan Herkert

For Immediate Release
Date: February 29, 2008
Contact: Dan Herkert, Campaign Manager
(513)561-7232 office

Just The Facts

Today, the Steve Black for Congress campaign began airing a television ad that exposes the fact that Dr. Victoria Wulsin is currently under the cloud of an active ethics investigation by the Ohio State Medical Board. The information contained within that ad is entirely true, factual, and based on public documents. Click here to read all relevant documents and to watch the President of the National Council Against Health Fraud explain the issues surrounding their request for this ongoing investigation.

In an effort to distract voters from her own record and the ongoing ethics investigation that currently surrounds her medical license, Victoria Wulsin's campaign has spent the past two weeks knowingly running a television ad that completely distorts the truth with regard to Steve Black's family farm. Click here to view the documents that prove Wulsin's ad to be a complete distortion of the truth.

"The public record of a candidate is indicative of how they will perform as a Member of Congress," said Dan Herkert, Campaign Manager. "Voters should be well aware of the public record of a candidate when making a choice on Election Day. Congress has been plagued in recent years by ethics investigation after ethics investigation, from Republican Bob Ney in Ohio to Democrat William Jefferson in Louisiana. As a nation, we cannot restore public trust in our government and focus on the needs of the American people if we continue to elect public officials who are surrounded by ethical questions."

"As Democrats, we cannot beat Jean Schmidt with a candidate currently under the cloud of an active ethics investigation," continued Herkert, "and we certainly can't change Congress until we change the people we send there."

"All communications that emanate from the Steve Black for Congress campaign are true and supported by public documents," said Herkert. "As a campaign, we are happy to provide any member of the press or any voter with a copy of those documents."

John Edwards Stands Down: Full Text Of His '08 Departure Speech

The entire speech is available here, and John Edwards was eloquent as he left the 2008 presidential race today: "It is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path. We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is that our Democratic Party will make history. We will be strong, we will be unified, and with our convictions we will take back the White House in November and we'll create hope and opportunity for this country."

There is more from New Orleans. His words were gracious and uplifting. Still, I had a pang of triste as he stood down.

OH-02 Dem Steve Black: New Campaign Chief Is Union President's Son

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- As things stand now, voters can expect at least two televised joint appearances/debates next month by OH-02 Democratic candidates Steve Black and Vic Wulsin. Final details have not yet been ironed out, but the candidates are expected to appear on WKRC-TV, Channel 12 and WCET, the public broadcasting outlet in Cincinnati. Dan Herkert, Black's campaign manager, told The Daily Bellwether today that details are being set. (Prediction: Expect to see this in the Cincinnati Enquirer after you read it here first.)

Herkert, 26, is an Illinois native who became Black's manager in mid-December. His father is the president of a Painter's Union local in Alton, Ill., and is chairman of the Democratic Party in Calhoun County, which is where the Illinois and Mississippi rivers converge. Herkert said he was a consultant to U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a Democrat elected in 2006. He has also worked on local races in southern Illinois.

"My dad has been involved in politics since he got out of the service. I actually walked door-to-door for the first time (1988) for Dukakis and Bentsen. I'm as diehard Democrat as you can be. If my right hand tried to vote for a Republican, my left hand would cut it off. I'm a very strong partisan. The joke in my family is that if I had a death wish it would be to become a Republican and join the Navy. My dad was a Marine."

Herkert, a graduate of the University of Illinois/Springfield, said he knows that Black was a Republican who changed parties to seek the OH-02 nomination against Wulsin. He said Black's conversion is genuine. He also said OH-02 -- which borders the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Portsmouth -- is quite alike to the area of Illinois where he cut his political teeth.

"The thing is, the district is very similar to the St. Louis metro area. The issues are very close to being the same."

And what are the big issues? Economy and jobs; health care, the Iraq War. Mostly, says Herkert, "kitchen table issues." Also, pushing Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt aside. "Jean Schmidt can be beat. I think Steve Black is the guy to do it."

Herkert predicts Feb. 9 could give a hint how strongly Black -- who has a well-financed campaign -- is competing against Wulsin for the Dem nomination. The Clermont County Democratic Party holds a forum that night followed by a straw poll. If Black comes close, Southwest and Southern Ohio Dems can expect a real showdown.

OH-02 Dem Steve Black: Dumped Halliburton Shares At $1,700 Loss

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Democratic congressional candidate Steve Black -- whose campaign literature denounces Halliburton as a "war profiteer" -- says he briefly owned some of the company's stock in his Fifth Third Bank IRA. As word of Black's investment began to circulate widely in Ohio today, the campaign told The Daily Bellwether he had dumped the stake early last year at a loss. Black said he got out of Halliburton after discovering the bank's portfolio manager made the purchase.

Dan Herkert, Black's campaign manager, sent the following e-mail in response to an inquiry from TDB:

"Steve owns an IRA that is managed by Fifth Third Bank. On average, there are over 60 stock holdings, but this fluctuates monthly because of trading. Beginning on May 26, 2006, the Fifth Third IRA manager purchased shares of Halliburton stock, which was then worth $10,029.06. When Steve was reviewing his year-end statement (received in early 2007) he discovered that Halliburton stock was held in his IRA. He called the Fifth Third Bank IRA manager and requested that the stock be sold from his account. In the January 31, 2007 statement (the next statement available after the end of 2006) the Halliburton stock is shown to have sold for $8,326.30. The amount represents 1.1% of Steve's IRA. Steve took action as soon as he discovered the presence of this stock in his IRA. As is shown above, he in no way profited from owning Halliburton stock. Further, he in no way intentionally bought the company's stock."

Black, a lawyer, is challenging physician Vic Wulsin for the OH-02 Democratic nomination in the March primary. Wulsin's camp seemed prepared to make an issue of Black's Halliburton investment, but may back off. Or, it may contend that Black was not a socially conscious investor. The House seat now is held by Republican Jean Schmidt, who barely defeated Wulsin in 2006.

By the way, here's what Black had to say about Halliburton, a company once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, in campaign literature mailed to Democrats across the seven-counties of the 2nd Congressional District in southern Ohio:

"War profiteers like Halliburton must be held accountable for their fraud and abuse -- as should the leaders who caused the mess in Iraq that has killed our brave soldiers and cost taxpayers billions."

OH-02 Dem Steve Black Gets Whacked: Viral Website Questions Farming Tax Break

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Democratic congressional candidate Steve Black is the target of an attack Website. It says that he is taking advantage of property tax breaks on his home that are intended to aid Ohio's farmers. The site links to Hamilton County records. It's a hardhitting slam that portrays Black -- a wealthy lawyer -- as someone who uses legal loopholes to dodge taxes that would support public schools and other local government entities. The site does not say who is responsible for the attack on Black. State law does allow agricultural exemptions, and there is no allegation that Black has done anything illegal.

Black is campaigning in the March primary against Vic Wulsin for the Democratic nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congression district, which covers seven counties in Southern Ohio. Here's a sample from the website, which labels Black a hypocrite:

"Well, it seems that the former Republican Mayor (sic), heir to a significant family fortune, and running for congress as a pillar of the community may have taken lessons from the 'culture of corruption' regarding rural issues and agribusiness. It appears the wealthy Mr. Black has been getting a big (CAUV) tax break on his Indian Hill estate."

OH-02 Dem Vic Wulsin: If Elected, Won't Take U.S. House Health Care Benefits

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Democratic congressional candidate Vic Wulsin says she will refuse to accept employer-paid benefits from the House health insurance program "until Congress does its job and passes affordable health care for all." Wulsin is seeking her party's nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional district and says she plans to follow the example of Gov. Ted Strickland, who reimbursed the government for health care benefits during 12 years as a House member from Appalachian Ohio. Strickland has continued the practice in Columbus, and pays the state for his coverage.

Wulsin, the OH-02 nominee in 2006, faces a challenge from Steve Black, a lawyer who was a Republican until he turned against the policies of the Bush administration. She polled 49.4% of the vote in 2006 against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, who is seeking reelection. Although Wulsin lost, she ran better than Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in OH-02.

Wulsin is a public health physician. Her first political ad of the 2008 campaign is now on YouTUBE and was shown on TV during some broadcast news reports about the Iowa presidential caucuses. The ad trumpets the health care issue. She also used the familiar I-approved-this-message-tagline, but added a kicker:"it's time to make your family a priority." She also tried to tie herself to Strickland, who is popular statewide, is a native of what is now OH-02, and represented counties on the eastern edge of the congressional district during the 1990s before population shifts altered the boundaries. Wulsin said she will mail a check to the U.S. Treasury every month to reimburse the House for any medical care coverage she would receive as a member of Congress. Strickland did the same. Said Wulsin:

Gov. Strickland took a bold stand for hard-working Americans without health care coverage. Spiraling medical expenses are hurting businesses and families. The time to ensure affordable, quality health care is long overdue."

OH-02 Dem Vic Wulsin: 1st Endorser Is Unabashed Cleveland Liberal

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- State Rep. Mike Foley -- who represents a district that includes Brook Park, Parma Heights and three Cleveland wards -- has endorsed Vic Wulsin, a Cincinnati-area physician seeking the Democratic nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. It is a long-distance attraction. Foley comes from the shores Lake Erie, which is a long way from the Ohio River and Appalachia, the region where OH-02 is located at the state's southern tip.

Foley's Web site shows he's a liberal Dem and he makes no bones about the fact U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich supported him when he ran for the Statehouse in 2006. He also said the state government had done a "rotten job" under 16 years of Republican governors.

Wulsin faces Republican-turned-Democrat Steve Black in a primary for the OH-02 nomination next March. The Cincinnati area is far more conservative than Cleveland, and the district is mostly suburban and rural. Foley's appearance in the campaign at this stage may not help her win votes in a general election, but it may help Wulsin -- who has Cleveland roots herself -- gain early support and, more importantly, financial backing from both labor and her party's activist wing.

Foley was effusive about Wulsin.

"As a public health physician, she has succeeded by bringing people together and finding common ground. Her life work has been dedicated to public service -- and her track record is marked by her leadership in finding innovative solutions to difficult problems. As the Congresswoman from Ohio's second district, she will continue to work tirelessly to serve her community."

OH-02 Dem Primary: Former Ohio Governor Backs Vic Wulsin

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- In a primary contest between two Harvard-educated Democrats who both have so far built up significant campaign coffers (more than $200,000 each), the edge might be with the candidate who has the strongest party credentials. And Vic Wulsin, the physician, has the advantage on that score. Her opponent, lawyer Steve Black, has been a Republican for most of his adult life. And Wulsin has the backing of one of the biggest names in downstate Ohio Democratic politics -- former Gov. John J. Gilligan. (Gilligan's middle initial stands for Joyce, which happens to be the surname of the great Irish author.)

Cincinnatian Gilligan, whose daughter is now serving her second term as the Democratic governor Kansas, a rarity in that most GOP of states, gave Wulsin a $250 check last month for the congressional race, according to Federal Election Commission records. His presence among her donors is a signal that the main stream of the Hamilton County Democratic Party may not be predisposed to desert Wulsin, the party's 2006 nominee in Ohio's 2nd District.

Gilligan, who is in his 80s, is not retired from political life. He holds a seat on the Cincinnati school board, and his $250 donation to Wulsin shows the old line Cincinnati-area Democrats aren't entirely at ease with the ex-Republican suddenly within their midst. They say things like this about Black: "I don't trust him. He'll vote with the Republicans if he wins. He's really not one of us."

That said, Black's father has become a pariah among many in the GOP. Robert L. Black served on the Hamilton County Common Pleas and 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals bench, but publicly denounced President George W. Bush as incompetent on the eve of the 2004 election against Sen. John Kerry. The rebuke was published in the Cincinnati Enquirer as a guest column, and the judge openly said he was voting for Kerry.

"The record of this incumbent president is a history not only of repeated violations of the key principles underlying our democracy, but of the core values of the Christian faith to to which he claims commitment."

Strong language from the Black family patriarch -- Bush is wrecking our country and making a mockery of his faith.

Besides criticizing the Iraq War, Judge Black said Bush was wrong on abortion, wrong on stem cells, wrong on tax cuts, and wrong for appointing federal judges "who hold extreme rightwing views." But he wasn't done yet, adding:

"He has again and again reversed the regulations and policies designed to protect the environment, always adopting a policy that favors those manufacturers and industrialists whose action have clearly fouled the air and water. He pushes for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and throughout northern Alaska. He is allowing the logging of our national parks. He ignores scientific findings that the world is being subjected to a warming climate change that is man-made and that could otherwise be forestalled or radically slowed down."

Bottomline: It sounds like Steve Black's dad has a feud with President Bush. Maybe that's why Black quit the GOP -- to carry the feud to Washington.

OH-02's Steve Black: Dem Newcomer Has Raised Serious Jack

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Those sharp-eyed political beancounters at Buckeye State Blog have been poring through the Federal Elections Commission reports for the 2008 congressional campaigns in Ohio. They've found a darkhorse in the Democratic primary stable, Steve Black, who has banked some serious jack.

[UPDATE: 7/16/07, 6:44 am EDT -- The Oh-02 blog has some fresh data about the race and Wulsin's fundraising report, and Oh-02 shows Wulsin's stash of cash actually exceeded Black's. It's an excellent examination of the Democratic contest, and suggests the D's are the frontrunners for the congressional seat that has long been considered a GOP lock.]

BSB doesn't know much about Black. But Cincinnatians know him as a lawyer with a downtown law firm, Graydon Head & Ritchey, the firm where Bob Taft once hung out his shingle and where one of the names on the sign on the door was the Hamilton County GOP's chief fundraiser. Black is from Indian Hill, a Cincinnati suburb with a Zipcode that means moola resides here. It is where Paul Hackett lives.

Black's Democratic primary opponent, physician Vic Wulsin, hails from the same village. She has not yet reported her stash for the run against Black. He's not drawn much attention, either locally or around the state, but he will from now on as serious jack Steve Black. Check out his bio, and note that he's a Harvard grad who spent time in Beirut teaching. He's also opposed Bush on the War and calls the Iraq invasion one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.

What really makes Black a contender? He's a genuine Indian Hill blue blood whose dad was a judge. The corporate crowd in downtown Cincinnati can feel comfortable with him -- he once headed the Harvard Club and was on the board at Seven Hills School, a private prep school. In other words, on paper he's got the feel of being a Democratic version of Rob Portman, who was undefeatable in OH-02 and gave up the seat to become the Bush administration's trade rep, then budget director. And, Portman worked at Graydon Head before running for Congress.

Betting here is that the GOP, which now holds OH-02 with U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, is facing sharply steeper odds to hang onto the seat because the money people who write its checks may finally see a Democrat they can at least be comfortable with. Hackett, then Wulsin, both came close to capturing the second district. Now it looks like Wulsin may not have the clout to win the nomination this time around -- no slam at her. But Black definitely is the guy to watch.