OH-07: Neuhardt Responds to Unfair Attack by Austria

The Neuhardt campaign has issued a response to the nasty smear being pushed by the campaign of Steve Austria:

“Steve Austria knows his campaign is desperate and he will do or say anything to get elected, including cowardly personal attacks. He’s stooped so low as to attack Sharen’s family for standing up and doing what’s right,” said Jessica Kershaw, Communications Director for the Neuhardt Campaign. “Austria’s errand boys pushed this cowardly attack and in doing so are attempting to make a victim of the Rwandan tragedy a victim again.”

Austria and his Washington cronies unleashed an attack on Ishema Umuhoza, a political refugee who fled the Rwandan genocide at 11 years old. He lives in the United States legally as he waits for the federal courts to review his petition for political asylum.

“This smear attempt is telling of Steve Austria’s true character,” said Kershaw. “It is the worst kind of political mudslinging and is reminiscent of the smears John McCain endured in 2000.”

UPDATE: The Dayton Daily News blog "Ohio Politics" picks up Neuhardt's response and asks the Austria campaign for a reaction. Stay tuned.

2nd UPDATE: Eric is exactly right on this: "All of us - wingnut bloggers and GOP candidates included - should defend this as a UNIQUELY American thing to do."