OH-02: TPM Catches Schmidt With Hand in the Cookie Jar

From TPM Election Central:

Okay, here are two new twists on the GOP myth that China is drilling for oil off America: We now have a GOP Rep. who is apparently raising campaign cash off the tall tale -- and as an added bonus, her campaign tried to deny she ever did this!

The culprit is good old Rep. Jean Schmidt, the Ohio Republican who famously called Jack Murtha a coward. In her fundraising letter -- which you can read here -- she blasts unnamed liberals who have "decided to come after me because I stood on the House Floor and pointed out that Cuba was drilling off our shores."

"Now whether they are drilling on the coast of Cuba or offshore less than 60 miles from Florida," Schmidt later adds, "it doesn't change the fact that the Communists in China understand the laws of supply and demand more than the Democrats."

When we contacted Schmidt's campaign a few days ago, Schmidt spokesperson Bruce Pfaff denied it was hers: "That does not appear to be from Congresswoman Schmidt's campaign," he said.

But it sure looks like hers. It was sent our way by the campaign of Schmidt's opponent, Victoria Wulsin, who in turn got it from a local supporter who confirmed to us today that he'd received it in the mail a week ago.

And when we took this info back to Schmidt's spokesperson, he suddenly clammed up and refused to discuss the matter on the record any further. Wonder why