KEN BLACKWELL:

DANGEROUSLY INCOMPETENT

As Secretary Of State, Blackwell Recklessly Spent Taxpayer Dollars …

Blackwell's Office Increased Overall Spending By 73% Between 1999 And 2006. "When he lists his accomplishments as secretary of state, J. Kenneth Blackwell proudly says he has improved service while reducing the office's reliance on tax dollars by 61 percent. What he doesn't say is that the office has increased overall spending by 73 percent since he arrived in 1999, by charging higher fees for business services. The dueling numbers have become a focal point in the debate about Blackwell's performance in office as he campaigns to become Ohio's next governor. . . . According to state budget data, Blackwell's general-fund spending fell from $7.7 million in 1999 to $3 million last year, while total spending with the higher user fees increased from $10 million to $17.3 million." (Mark Niquette, "Blackwell's Office Spent Less Tax Money But Budget Soared — Part 1 Of 2," The Columbus Dispatch, April 9, 2006)

… While Funding TV Ads To Boost His Own Name Recognition

"Blackwell . . . Spent $2.4 Million In Federal Funds On Television, Radio And Print Ads - Featuring Himself - In 2004 For A Voter-Education Campaign Run By A New York Public-Relations Firm. Critics say the campaign was meant to boost his name recognition for his gubernatorial run, and that the money should have been spent this year - when new voting machines are being used for the first time in many counties." (Mark Niquette, "Blackwell's Office Spent Less Tax Money But Budget Soared — Part 1 Of 2," The Columbus Dispatch, April 9, 2006)

That's Why Ohio's Voters Overwhelmingly Rejected Him For Governor

Blackwell Lost The 2006 Governor's Race With The "Worst Showing For A Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Since Robert B. Brown Garnered 26 Percent In A Six-Candidate Race In 1912." "Ted Strickland led a Democratic onslaught last night by swamping Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell in the most lopsided governor's race since 1994. Strickland, who ascends to the state's highest office from his humble roots in rural southern Ohio, held a 22 percentage-point lead, 59-37, with 83 percent of the statewide vote counted. Blackwell was en route to the worst showing for a Republican gubernatorial candidate since Robert B. Brown garnered 26 percent in a six-candidate race in 1912. . . . A controversial secretary of state who hitched his primary election candidacy to the religious right, Blackwell performed worse than any gubernatorial candidate since Democrat Robert L. Burch won only 25 percent of the vote in 1994." (Joe Hallett and Mark Niquette, "Governor's Race," The Columbus Dispatch, November 8, 2006)

We Can't Afford Blackwell's Dangerous Incompetence At The RNC