With the race for the governor's job tightening to within two points, candidates Ted Strickland - the Democrat incumbent - and John Kasich - his Republican challenger - are pulling out all the stops to attract the votes of hunters and anglers.

The latest moves comes from the Kasich camp. There, the team is utilizing the services of retired Ohio Division of Wildlife chief Mike Budzik in a recorded telephone  message forwarded to Ohio sportsmen.

In his sales pitch Budzig notes his long-standing Republican roots and that Kasich stands four-square on the issue of Second Amendment Rights, once even receiving an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Budzik was appointed chief by the-then Republican governor Bob Taft. He also in his recorded message poo-poos the talk from the Strickland forces that Kasich is not any longer a friend of gun owners.

Just what the outcome will be remains in the arena of speculation though clearly sportsmen are being tugged from both directions. Part of the reason for this  is because the NRA's political victory fund has endorsed Strickland's reelection as Ohio's governor.



- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com