GEORGETOWN – Ohio Congressman Ted Strickland urged political figures to stay out of religious controversies, but to use their power and influence for a greater connection.
Strickland spoke at the Brown County Democratic Dinner on Friday.
"We are all a part of the same human family," said Strickland, "with shared responsibility."
Strickland called himself a "golden rule Democrat" seeking to treat people the way he would like to be treated.
"Any so-called political value system," said Strickland, "that does not reward hard work and hold precious every American family has no value."
Strickland, an ordained minister with a Masters in Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, spoke on faith in politics. Strickland said faith, to him, means following the example of Jesus in a life of service.
"I want this to be the direction of my heart as a public official."
Strickland also spoke on the current controversies in Ohio, including "Coingate" and "Pay to Play," and criticized Governor Bob Taft's failure to disclose outings with influential Republican lobbyists.
Strickland, the son of a Lucasville steel worker, was elected to congress for the second time in 1996 and continues to hold the seat. Strickland announced in May that he would be a candidate for Governor of Ohio.
Clayton Meadors, chairman of the Brown County Democratic Party, introduced Strickland saying, "Ted has been tireless in his fight for full funding of veterans health care funding."
Strickland expressed his fondness of Brown County and wasted no time making the point of urgency in his aim as governor.
"These are important days in the life of our country and the life of our state," said Strickland.
He asked the crowd if they had imagined the current type of government in Ohio.
"We were hopeful," said Strickland, "we had faith in our state. Friends, I believe tonight that that kind of hope and faith is what we need to turn our state around."
Strickland said he would like to revive Ohio's economy, improve Ohio's schools and restore honor and integrity to Ohio's government.
Strickland said he received his values from two sources: church and "mom."
"One of my earliest memories," said Strickland, "is when our house burned down."
Everything was lost except for the nine children. Strickland said his father renovated a chicken shack for the family to live in until their barn could be made into a permanent dwelling.
"Through all that hardship," said Strickland, "my mother never showed a hint of bitterness. She never felt sorry for herself and she never gave up on us."
Strickland said she accepted the struggle and encountered each day with forgiveness, kindness and love.
Recapping his days in ministry, serving the mentally ill and acting as a congressman Strickland spoke with pride on his accomplishments.
"I don't think that makes me noble," said Strickland. "I'm just doing what my mother taught me."
Strickland said his past experiences give him faith in the power of the human spirit and a conviction that things can be better for all Ohioans.
"If you learn anything from living in a chicken shack," said Strickland, "It's that things can be better."
Strickland spoke on the current situation in the Hurricane-affected Gulf Coast.
"What happened and what continues to happen down there is the result of two disasters," said Strickland. "One was a natural disaster and the other is a disaster caused by the Bush Administration's inadequate response and incompetence."
Strickland said the tragedy in New Orleans and the Coast fell almost entirely on African Americans and the poorest citizens of the affected regions.
"No one can say today that America doesn't still struggle with racial and economic injustice," said Strickland. "I believe in my heart if (Hurricane Katrina) had happened to a different group of Americans located in a different part of the country the response would have been different.
"We must face the fact that there were American citizens that died of thirst . . . and we saw it all unfold on television."
Strickland said economic inequalities weigh heavily on Ohioans as one in every five children in the state grows up in poverty, and that religious/political agendas may interfere with solutions to the problem of hunger. "Neither political party," said Strickland, "has ownership over political or moral values. We should respect people of every religious tradition and people with no religious tradition."
Former Congressional candidate Paul Hackett was also warmly received by the Democrats. Hackett announced, "I will run again." But he didn't know exactly what he will be running for – he has been rumored to be considering a run for U.S. senate.
The Brown County Democrat Club dinner was well-attended with more than 200 at the Southern Hills Career Center.
"I am certainly pleased to see this many Democrats and democrat supporters together," said Meadors.
Other speakers included Brown County Municipal Court Judge candidate Joe Worley, Ohio Secretary of State candidate Jennifer Brunner and Judge A. J. Wagner.
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