(CNN) – The first line of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's campaign biography boasts the Democratic governor is "the son of a steelworker" who "never imagined he'd be able to go to college."
Indeed, Strickland's humble upbringing is just the type campaigns love to highlight, and never more so during an economic climate that still hasn't shown signs for recovery for many Ohioans.
But the campaign of Strickland's Republican opponent -former U.S. Rep. John Kasich – is causing a stir for attacking the same simple origins Strickland celebrates.
Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said in a statement Tuesday Strickland is a poor manager of Ohio's cities because the Democrat was raised "in a chicken shack on Duck Run."
Nichols' statement came after Strickland's running mate, Yvette Brown, said in a recent speech, "Ted didn't grow up in city, but he fights for our cities every day."
"Not until Ted Strickland feared needing their votes did he give urban Ohioans a second thought. Having grown up in a chicken shack on Duck Run, he has all but ignored our cities' economies and their workers," Nichols said in the statement responding to Brown's speech.
Strickland's campaign seized on the slap at Strickland's upbringing, saying, "Only the Congressman from Wall Street would be so out of touch as to insult Ted's humble upbringing."
"While Congressman Kasich may have spent a lot of time in boardrooms at Lehman Brothers and rubbing elbows with lobbyists at cocktail parties in Washington, Ohioans are looking for a Governor who will represent their values-and clearly that is not John Kasich," spokesman Lis Smith said.
Nichols has since said he did not mean his comments as an insult, but Strickland's campaign has organized a conference call later Wednesday with "representatives from rural and Appalachian Ohio" to take aim at the comments.
UPDATE: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, speaking in Cleveland Wednesday, also took a hit at the comments.
“I noticed that the other campaign yesterday ridiculed him for ‘growing up in a chicken shack on Duck Run Ohio,’” said Kaine. “I’m don’t know why they though that’s a bad thing, but maybe that’s how it looks from the perspective of a Lehman Brothers consultant.”
From CNN Politics
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Typical classless Republican. Not a shock. They always take the low road.
Message to Obama, his minions, and all the rest of the government leeches: we've come to take our country back.
This just in.......Barton apologizes to Kasich. LMAO Another gift from the party of no.
So degrading someone for growing up poor is a worthy political tactic? I guess if you are part of the elitist GOP klan or sitting around the private club sipping mint jullips.
Look out giant killer wombats are coming – why doesn't Strickland care about the danger of giant killer wombats? – because he grew up poor and you know how "those" people are!
These are hard economic times, you've gotta feel sorry for the Repugs.
All they have is their money and wealth, nothing more. Without it they simply don't know what to do, where to go, or how to get there. The average American citizen is a hurdle to them, a hindrance to making more money with their rich business partners.
What is some dumb chicken farmer suppose to know about making money, nothing, he's just a hurdle that needs to be moved out of the way.
So now, during these economic hard times the Repugs show us Americans their true colors, and I don't like it one bit. You'll notice that there isn't a whole lot of talk from them about religious conservatism any more, that dog won't hunt! Their only option at the moment seems to be to slander the opposition.
What a snob this person is to put down hardworking people. I was raised on a farm and we are a large family. We were poor sharecroppers. Hard work never hurt anyone. In our family we have 2 teachers, 1 nurse, a police officer, a store manager, and a small business owner. This is why I am no longer a republican.
Ohio...Always 1 of 5 states that will determine the President really has some bright bulbs there...Joe""your taxes will kill my dream, I wanna be a""Plumber....It didnt take long for him to exit the national stage after being pimped out by Palin and McCain like a 20.00 Bronx whore the night before rent is due.....Ohio is a big place, they have a ton of cities with over 250K people yet the have Amish country and farm land like Indiana and Pennsylvania does...Its politicians are generally corrupt but they do have some huge influence over who wins and loses the big race for President...Kerry lost there by 100,000 votes which was mathematically impossible based on the exit polls but exit polls dont count....Diebolt machines, the worst thing to happen to the Democrats since Chappaquidick
And exactly how this is any different from an attack on a republican by a democrat? More tamer, perhaps? Please save your feigned outrage dems. You guys attack Palin AND her family on a regular basis. Your whining now is ridiculous!
Republicans prove Americans are stupid. If we werent this party would have disappeared long ago and replaced with one with common sense.
Please call all tea party candidate as Republican candidate.
Because they are all same
This is a big scandal to elect Republicans in the guise of TEA PARTY CANDIDATES.
I love how people from states other than Ohio can comment soooo knowledgeable on Ohio politics. Feel fortunate that you do not live here. Two idiot Senators, most reps are idiots, and then there is Strickland. He was elected because he was a dem and he'll be reelected because morons will hear Lehman Brothers (and nothing on the issues) and somehow associate that with governing a state. And don't worry about 2012, BHO is a shoe in here. An electorant that is image first, feeling second and brains last will always choose the socialist. If I didn't laugh, I would cry. Oh and Donkey Party I CAN'T WAIT ALSO, but for different reasons.
Another example of howe some people are out of touch with the world. I'm sorry but the best thing you could say is a chicken shack? Be creative you twits.
My favorite line thoug has to be "we didn't mean any disrespect by the comment". Then why did you say it you twit.
Wasn't Abe Lincoln born in a one room log cabin?
It's too bad people like commentor #3 are so cowardly that they don't say crap like that in public. If they did, they know there would be defenders of the country and the President like me that would kick their teeth in for their right-wing treasonous beliefs. Yellow vermin.
What a wanker this Kasich must be. Hope he loses big. I bet he's a maca ca.
Why am I not surprised by this comment coming from a Republican... More reason to keep power away from them. Hopefully they have the same fate of the late party of the Whigs....
Just in case you'd forgotten just how thoroughly contemptuous Republicans are for the working class and non-wealthy, Kasich has just reminded you. If you're not worth at least in the high six figures, Republicans have no use for you.
Same old...same old. Grand Ole BP party!! a.k.a GOBP...it's been this way for years.
Maybe Kasich should do a little bit of reading to find out where some of our former presidents and other elected officials were born. It might be very eye opening for him to realize the very humble beginnings that some of our leaders actually had.
What a stupid article to bait the hypocritical liberal muckrakers–they fall for it every time and pretend they are the hard-working poor-Pathetic! There are more elitist snobs in the democrat party than any other segment of US society....they, led by Nancy Pelosi take advantage of the simple minded to promote their evil lies......
well you cant make chicken salad out of chicken.....
I would much rather vote for someone who knows what it's like to have to work for a living and not be fed from a silver spoon.
Kasich must really think allot of himself to mention where someone grew up. He is a typical Republican who think only of themselves and know that they are better than anyone. The rest of us are like dirt under their feet.
We're all created equal and I'd much rather vote for someone who has had to work for what they have than for someone who has no idea what it is like to not know where their next meal is coming from or live from payday to payday.
No surprise here! coming form the GOP that hates all middleclass america. GOP'd msntra to eliminate homelessness kill all the homeless
So how long are we going to have to wait before Nichols, another one of the "I don't remember anything that I said or did more than 24 hours ago" Repub-lemmings, turns around and calls Strickland an "elitist?"
Kasich wasn"t much of a congressman and is out for himself and his rich friends. He is hardly someone who would be for working class people and has never done anything for them. But, one must remember he is a Republican, the party of NO and whatelse should you expect?