2nd Congressional District (OH) Race: Voters Fired McEwen AFTER His “Clearance” Was “Common Knowledge”

So, after 12 days, the McEwen campaign has released what it calls “The Truth about the 1992 House Banking Investigation” (currently at their home page, presumably not for long, so it is quote below):

(Dayton Daily News Sept 23, 1992)

“Special investigator Malcolm Wilkey has sent clearance letters to McEwen and Cabinet Members Dick Cheney, Edward Madigan and Jack Kemp.”

“McEwen’s top aide, Barbara Briggs, said Tuesday that Wilkey had sent the Hillsboro Republican a letter clearing him of wrongdoing.”

It’s tempting to pick apart the contents of the Dayton Daily News report (a PDF that is here) and do the “raises more questions than it answers” thing, ask “why won’t he release a copy of the clearance letter?” (which would be valid points), and lose the rest of this campaign dwelling on it.

Forget it. Let’s simply ask: Why did McEwen resist releasing this information?

The answer lies in the timing: This information, such as it is, was available to the voters who rejected Bob McEwen in 1992 and 1993, and its nebulous nature was a large part of their basis for rejecting him.

What matters is this:

• The Dayton Daily News article was published on September 23, 1992.
• By Election Day 2002, six weeks later, the fact that McEwen was “cleared of wrongdoing” was “common knowledge.” *
• With that “common knowledge,” in November 1992, voters of the then-Sixth District rejected 12-year congressman Bob McEwen for newbie Democrat Ted Strickland.
• Again with that “common knowledge,” on March 16, 1993, voters of the Second District rejected now-former congressman McEwen for newbie Republican Rob Portman.

The voters had the last word in 1992 and 1993, throwing McEwen out and keeping him out. What has happened in the past 12 years that would cause the people of this district to override those previous voter verdicts? (sound of crickets chirping)

Mr. McEwen’s “clearance” obviously didn’t impress the voters then, and it shouldn’t impress voters now.

* - Note to Wes Farno, McEwen’s campaign manager: You live by the “common knowledge” (last two paragraphs at link), you die by the “common knowledge.”