OH Sen-20: So Jimmy Wants To Play Rough

David Potts - Posted on 31 October 2008

This has been a really bad year to be a Democratic State Senate candidate with the Senate Caucus is a “transitional period” and the rest of the party focusing on the Ohio House races, but Rick Shriver still seems to be quite literally giving Republican Jimmy Stewart a run for his money. Stewart has mysteriously gotten a hold of around half a million dollars that he’s used to try and smear Rick Shriver with, and unfortunately we won’t find out where it came from until after the election.

Jimmy Stewart has been using this money to send out tons of mailing that attack Rick Shriver over things that he has to know aren’t true.

Frankly I’m getting sick of receiving these love letters from Jimmy (at least one a week for the last five weeks, sometimes more) and I think it’s high time to get even. While Stewart has had no qualms whatsoever about making personal attacks, Shriver has tried to keep the campaign about the issues (and I challenge Stewart supporters to prove me wrong). Well guess what, I don’t play that way.

Back in 2006, Stewart used the same negative tactics in his bid to be elected as a State Rep. While he did get elected (barely), his plan to smear his opponent as a criminal backfired when it was revealed that Stewart had a, shall we say, less than stellar driving record.

March 21, 1995: Stewart was pulled over for the first time (that I know of) in Athens for speeding.
February 8, 2003: Stewart is pulled over for improper plates.
June 3, 2003: Stewart is pulled over after being clocked driving 62 MPH in a 35 MPH residential area.
July 21, 2003: Stewart fails to appear in court or pay his fine for the June 3^rd incident. His license is suspended.
August 31, 2003: While his license is suspended, Jimmy is again pulled over for speeding (65 MPH in a 55 MPH zone). He is cited for driving without a license.
September 2, 2003: Jimmy finally pays his fines, his license is reinstated.
March 30, 2005: Stewart is pulled over for making a prohibited turn, he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
August 8, 2006: Stewart is pulled over in Columbus after going 99 MPH in a 65 MPH zone.

I haven’t even tried to find out what his driving record has been like after the ’06 election.

So next week I won’t just get to vote for Rick Shriver on the issues, I’ll also get to make it clear that I don’t want Jimmy Stewart driving from Athens to Columbus and back each week.