FNC's Hannity and Colmes addresses Strickland campaign manager controversy

Transcript:

HANNITY: Meanwhile sexual scandal also is spreading out to the Ohio gubernatorial race where democrat Ted Strickland mishandling the case of a former employee who was convicted of exposing himself to children. Republican candidate Ken Blackwell went as far as suggesting that strike land actually supported pedophilia by declining to vote yes on house legislation concerning adult child sex back in 1999. Joining us from the big one WLW radio talk show host, a great American, Bill Cunningham back to talk with us. Sir, how are you?

BILL CUNNINGHAM: Sean Hannity, it's always great to be with you.

HANNITY: It's great to be with you. I will see you in Cincinnati tomorrow. Big question why don't you bring us to what's happening inside the state of Ohio because this issue is exploding.

CUNNINGHAM: As Alan Colmes may know several weeks ago some information was given to me relative to the conduct of democratic congressman Ted Strickland, a few years back when he hired as his campaign manager a gentleman who had participated in masterbatory behavior before school children in a school yard four to five times those were the times he was caught. When Ted Strickland was finally notified of this instead of firing the guy, ala Mark Foley who left Congress, what Alan Colmes good friend Ted Strickland said.

COLMES: I have never met him.

CUNNINGHAM: Keep him on the job, and then Alan and Sean after the election Ted Strickland flies off to the shores of Naples, Italy in order to enjoy a little fun with this 26-year-old boy toy. When this is going on, Ted Strickland and all democrats are claiming that if you knew Mark Foley's situation might have known Mark Foley, might have played tennis with him, resigned, Hastert, Boehner get out of office. I'm saying to Ted Strickland as is Ken Blackwell, and I think as is Sean Hannity, if the same standard applies to Ted Strickland resign your democratic house seat. Quit the effort against Ken Blackwell for governor and let the people have a real choice in this election.

HANNITY: Listen, Bill Cunningham, this is what's stunning about this, for 14 days in this country all we heard about was instant messages with Mark Foley, Mark Foley, Mark Foley, and all the indignation, shock, horror, outrage expressed by the democrats we go back and do history here: Jerry Studds had sex, not internet exchanges, he had sex with a page, he had got a standing ovation,a highly coveted committee position and was loved by the democrats. We had the scandal with Bill Clinton - he's loved by the democrats. Barney Frank, loved by the Democrats. Now you are tell me here is an example far worse than what's being accused of Mark Foley, sounds to me like this is the height of hypocrisy. How big an issue is this in Ohio in this important midterm election year?

CUNNINGHAM: In the Cincinnati Enquirer this morning three inch headlines about Ted Strickland possibly being gay and showing bad judgment. If Ted Strickland can't run a three member office in his congressional delegation how does he run a state, the red state, Ohio, the Buckeye State, the heart that beats America with 50,000 employees?

COLMES: Bill, this is really pathetic. You have a guy who is behind by double digits and out of desperation is he grasping at straws here, suggesting his opponent is gay, suggesting his opponent is a pedophile, there is absolutely no evidence of that, and this is really sad what you and Republicans in Ohio are doing out of desperation because you are going to lose a seat. It's really that they thick.

CUNNINGHAM: My friend, Alan Colmes the truth will set you free, what's good for the democrats is good for the Republicans. What's good for the donkeys is good for the elephants. I would say to you Alan Colmes, if there was a Republican congressman that had a campaign manager and an aide being paid for by your tax dollars performing masturbation acts in front of school kids and the congressman was notified, kept him on, promoted him and then flew off to Italy to enjoy a weekend, what would you do?

COLMES: It happened supposedly in 1994, if it happened. The person denied that it happened.

COLMES: Compare this with the Republican-

CUNNINGHAM: He was convicted, I got the records.

COLMES: Let me finish my point, I'll give you a change to respond. Compare this with the Republican leadership in Congress covering up in fact urging Mark Foley to run until he actually got caught with Ted Strickland a minister and a psychologist.

CUNNINGHAM: Minister?

COLMES: Convince people he is a pedophile is beneath the dignity of somebody like you.

CUNNINGHAM: Alan Colmes I'm a very dignified man. Is he not a pedophile but he has a sensitive blind spot when it comes to pedophilia because he voted with Barney Frank in a vote that was 335 to 0 to condemn pedophilia and not to support NAMBLA. Ted Strickland and Barney Frank said absentia present will not vote.

COLMES: Because that's because there was a line in that legislation that said if you were a victim of child abuse you couldn't grow up to be a normal adult. And as a psychologist he objected to that, he knew that wasn't true and couldn't put his name on it. You've got to give the full context of why someone doesn't vote for a multifacted bill that has lots of things in it - some of which are objectionable.

CUNNINGHAM: Alan Colmes, you may not understand sitting there in your expensive studios in New York, but Ohio.

COLMES: Very expensive.

CUNNINGHAM: Ohio is not New York. Kentucky is not San Francisco. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana is the red heart that beats America. We don't put up with this stuff in the buckeye state. Ohio State is number one in football. Sean Hannity is number one in this market. I'll telling you right now.

COLMES: I thought you were, Bill.

CUNNINGHAM: Ted Strickland has a hook out of his mouth and his eye we are going to bag him in three weeks because is he a hypocrite and democrats cannot do to Mark Foley without the same thing being done to Ted Strickland.