Corruption Scandals Plague Ohio Races

By David Brody

CBN News

November 6, 2006

CBNNews.com- In Columbus, one of the Republican House leaders is in big trouble of losing her seat.

The story in Ohio is one of corruption.

Ohio is called the Buckeye State, but it's got a black eye right now because of the corruption issue.

One of the victims in all of this could be high-ranking Congresswoman Deborah Pryce.

She's always coasted here in her district before--not this time. She's in a "knife fight" with her opponent.

Pryce is revving up the campaign bus, and what better place to start than breakfast at Bob Evans.

There's a lot of energy for so early in the morning. She'll need that energy this year because the popular Pryce has become red meat for the National Democratic Party. They think they can knock her off.

She's the number four Republican in the House, and she's won handily in her Columbus district for 14 years. But this year it's different.

We spoke to Pryce on her campaign bus.

She said, " I have been beat to a pulp by outside groups, liberal groups for almost a year. They are going after me. There's a target on my back."

Unfortunately for Pryce, it's been the perfect political storm.

"There's a different climate and atmosphere," said Professor Alex Heckman, Capitol University. "The President's now very unpopular, The Iraq war is now very unpopular."

There's a hurting economy in this state, but there's also another problem here that could sink Pryce: the Ohio Republican Party's corruption problems. It reasonates with voters.

"That has played a role in who I would vote for," Pryce said. "We gotta get someone else in there because these people have been sinking into corruption so really I've been aware of that for awhile."

Pryce seems to be caught in the middle. She's done nothing wrong, but the Republican Governor Bob Taft has been plagued with ethics scandals and terrible approval ratings.

Ohio Congressman Bob Ney pled guilty to taking bribes and won't be back in Washington.

Then there's her close friendship with disgraced House member Mark Foley. A month before the Foley sexual e-mail scandal broke, Pryce told reporters he was one of her closest friends. It's hurt her in the polls, which she says isn't right.

"We shouldn't be punished for the misdeeds of others," Pryce said.

Pryce's Democratic opponent, Mary Jo Kilroy has benefited from all this.

Kilroy said, "We've had scandals here. Elected officials looking the other way instead of blowing the whistle."

Kilroy has also tapped in to the anti Iraq war sentiment here. She wants the troops out of Iraq as soon as possible. Her strategy could end up knocking off a GOP leader in Pryce - and that would prove to be a big upset nationally.

"We do have a spotlight here," Kileoy said. "Ohio is a critical state, and we have a lot of momentum in Ohio."

So much momentum that the issues that haunt the GOP this year don't affect only Pryce. This election could be a total flameout for Ohio Republicans. Five other House members are in danger of losing their seats.

Republican Senator Mike Dewine is behind in the polls and may go down too. The democratic candidate is leading in the governorship.

Through it all, Pryce stays hungry on the campaign trail. She thinks Ohio voters will believe that Kilroy's a liberal who receives a lot of her money from left-wing groups such as moveon.org, which is funded by billionaire George Soros.

Pryce has always been able to position herself as a centrist, someone who doesn't necessarily vote with her party. Independence from the GOP may save her in a district, which is pretty much split between Republicans and Democrats.

"George Soros type of liberals can't come into my district and convince my voters that they should throw me out just because he has the money to do it-- and that's exactly what has happened here," Pryce said.

From Buckeye Donuts to Bob Evans, it's a lot of food for thought for voters in Ohio.

It's safe to say that this district in Columbus, Ohio 15, is going to be one of the top two or three house races that Republican strategists will be sweating out.

For the GOP, it's bad enough to lose a House race, but to lose the fourth ranking Republican would be an even bigger blow and send a pretty strong message.

Watch this story plus David Brody live in Columbus, Ohio.