If you read my previous post titled Right to Life Candidate Endorsements, you noticed at the end a favorable report of both John Michel’s and Sandra O’Brien’s pro-life candidacy. In this post, I want to elaborate on why O’Brien is the best candidate for Secretary of State.
In the past post, I wrote about a letter written by past state representative Diana Fessler to the Liberty Council in which Fessler exposes Jon Husted’s deceptive advertisements that touts his saving prayer in the House of Representatives. After further research, I found supporting evidence that the content of Fessler’s recent letter is true. For example, Ohio Christian Alliance reported the following on October 7, 2007:
On May 16th of this year, the Clerk’s Office at the Ohio Statehouse sent a memorandum to all House members in regard to the Guest Minister Prayer Policy after a protest was filed by minority leader Democrat Chris Redfern (80th District) and Democrat Robert Hagan (60th District) who objected to the prayer offered by Pastor Keith Hamblen, a guest of State Rep. Matt Huffman (R-4th District). Their objection to Pastor Hamblen’s prayer was that he had prayed in the name of Jesus and that he had referenced legislation that was to be voted on in the Ohio House that day.”
As Fessler letter indicates, the intent of the memo was to implement a policy that would censor the name of Jesus from all opening session prayers.
The Alliance report continued:
The memo from the Clerk’s office informed House members that a prayer policy that had been adopted in 2001 during Rep. Larry Householder’s Speakership, but never enforced, was now going to be enforced, at the Speaker’s urging. The policy called for ministers to submit a copy of their prepared remarks at least 72 hours prior to the session day for which they were scheduled to pray. “If it is determined that the prayer is of a denominational, sectarian, or proselytizing nature, we will ask for it to be changed to conform to the guidelines.”
The speaker of the House was none other than Republican Jon Husted.
The Alliance report rightly concluded “[i]t was clear that the action taken by the Clerk’s office was oppressive and discriminating toward Christian ministers.” However, the Clerk was merely the scribe of the memo not it source. Husted was the source who borrowed from a unenforced liberal policy.
As the Alliance Defense Fund press releases state, it was Diana Fessler who initiated legal action against Husted’s oppressive policy. It was Fessler, not Husted, who saved prayer in the House. Husted was the problem. (See also a letter by Fessler published by Citizen USA; To see information provided by the Alliance Defense Fund about this case, go to here and here)
If Husted is lying about this and about his Tea Party affiliation, what else is he lying about.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Ohio Tea Party officials’ denouncement of any affiliation with Husted. In fact, they claim a general hostility of entrenched GOP politicians like Husted to the Tea Party movement. “Chris Littleton, president of the Ohio Liberty Council, said Husted’s overtures to the Tea Party are all propaganda.” Husted’s record demonstrates his opposition to Tea Party values such as reduced government spending and debt, limited government, and the like. (To read the article, go here.)
Sandra O’Brien is an Ohio Tea Party favorite. Unlike Husted, she is also a real pro-life supporter. Husted has proven to be a pro-lifer for votes. Other wise he has supported pro-abortion candidates against pro-lifer. One of those candidates was O’Brien during the 2006 Republican primaries.
Sandra O’Brien is a genuine social and fiscal conservative. She deserves Republican and independent vote for Secretary of State, not Husted.
Don’t believe me? Good, check her website out for yourself.