[antimedia] antimedia: I found this story disgusting....

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Posted by antimedia:
I found this story disgusting....
http://www.antimedia.us/posts/1161313902.shtml


   ....but not [1]for the reasons that you might think.

     A "Foley problem" at the heart of Ted Strickland's Democratic
     gubernatorial campaign in Ohio deepened over the weekend when an
     anonymous e-mailer revealed the identity of the "mystery man" in
     the Strickland organization who has a history of sexual misconduct
     involving minors going back to 1994.
     Bryan Specht, now age 33, was the campaign manager for Rep. Ted
     Strickland's 1998 congressional re-election. Specht was named as
     the perpetrator in the criminal records distributed in an anonymous
     e-mail circulated in Ohio last Friday and forwarded to this author.
     The anonymous e-mail apparently was sent simultaneously to several
     different Ohio attorneys and bloggers by someone identified only as
     "Ohio Concerned Citizen."

   The problem is, Specht's problem doesn't have "a history.....going
   back to 1994." That's a lie.

     According to the original Athens Police Department records provided
     in the anonymous e-mail, Specht was arrested Sept. 23, 1994.
     Specht, then a 21 year-old Ohio University student, was apprehended
     for several incidents of public indecency that had occurred on four
     previous days, Sept. 4, 12, 15 and 20, 1994. According to the
     report, Specht was observed disrobing in public areas such as East
     Side Elementary School. The witnesses were adults as well as
     minors.
     A separate witness complaint filed with the Athens Police
     Department Sept. 15, 1994, further documents that Specht was in his
     parked car outside the school. When the two juvenile witnesses
     passed the car, Specht "opened the door and pulled down his pants,
     and began to masturbate."
     According to the Athens Police Department report, Specht appeared
     at court Sept. 26, 1994, and pleaded "guilty." Psychological
     counseling was recommended.

   The entire extent of Specht's known behavior spans a period of 22 days
   in September, 1994, at the beginning of his senior year. There has
   been no evidence brought forward that Specht has re-offended since
   then, and by Specht's own testimony, he came from an abusive home
   (both physical and sexual abuse), acted out and then got help. He
   states, "Today I am a healthy father, husband and Christian. I am
   proud to serve on the board and key committees of two abuse prevention
   organizations. I hope to help any way I can to end this vicious
   cycle."
   Specht's behavior, since he committed his crimes, is entirely
   consistent with his statements. He appears to have channeled the anger
   he felt over the abuse he experience into the positive action of
   fighting against abuse, rather than the negative behavior he
   previously engaged in.
   In fact, according to Specht he got involved in politics because he
   was angry about the lack of assistance he received from insurance
   companies while dealing with his problem. Four years after his arrest
   and guilty plea, he joined the campaign of the present Democrat
   gubernatorial candidate for Ohio, Ted Strickland. Now Strickland is
   being lambasted for not having fired Specht when he found out about
   the arrest and conviction and for having "traveled alone" with Specht
   to Italy to celebrate Strickland's successful re-election in 1998.
   (The obvious implication being there must be something gay going on
   there.) Obviously the goal is to smear Strickland's campaign
   sufficiently enough to tip the election to the Republican candidate,
   Ken Blackwell.
   Is winning in politics so important now that it's OK to destroy
   someone's life? Does anybody give a damn what this does to Bryan
   Specht and his family? I am thoroughly disgusted by this. Specht would
   be fair game if he was still offending. He's not, unless the persons
   who perpetrated this outrage have more evidence that they are
   withholding.
   The Blackwell campaign has had no comment. Were I in Blackwell's
   shoes, I would immediately condemn the revelations as disgusting and
   extremely harmful to Specht and his family. I would apologize on
   behalf of the voters directly to Bryan Specht for the outrageous
   behavior of the anonymous tipster and commend Strickland for having
   given Specht a chance to prove that he was reformed.
   There is absolutely no place in politics for this sort of behavior. It
   needs to stop now. (Hat tip to [2]AJ Strata.)

References

   1. http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52473
   2. http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/2734