toledoblade.com --

An unbroken string of re-elections since 1982 has made Marcy Kaptur look unbeatable at the ballot box.

But Republicans see opportunity in Miss Kaptur's recent comments comparing the Islamic and American revolutions.

"It's already on our radar screen," state Republican Chairman Robert Bennett said. "This is going to come back and haunt her forever."

After years of putting up sacrificial lambs or endorsing no one at all, as in the 2002 election, Republicans hope that after last week they might attract a candidate with enough heft to force Miss Kaptur into a real political race.

Miss Kaptur's comment, in a story on The Blade's religion pages on March 1, was a reflection on the potent mix of politics and religion.

"One could say that Osama bin Laden and these non-nation-state fighters with religious purpose are very similar to those kind of atypical revolutionaries that helped to cast off the British crown," Miss Kaptur said.

She said America "cast off monarchical Britain" in 1776 with the help of many religious people who had fled repression in other countries. Among them were the Green Mountain Boys, a patriot militia organized in 1770 in Bennington, Vt., to confront British forces, she said.

One encyclopedia said the Green Mountain Boys used "threat, intimidation, and actual violence" to maintain Vermont's independence from New York.

But the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum Web site claims, "the Green Mountain Boys took no lives."

Comparing bin Laden and al-Qaeda to Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys is not likely to endear Miss Kaptur to people whose relatives are in uniform today.

"I would expect more than that from her," said Robert Mettler, director of the Lucas County Veterans Services Commission. "I really don't think it was intended the way it has come out. She has been a friend of our veteran community forever.

"She certainly isn't trying to say that Osama bin Laden or these characters are righteous; they're terrorists who are using the blind faith of their followers," Mr. Mettler said.

He said the comment won't help her, but that the political atmosphere will likely have calmed by the 2004 election. Besides, he said, she is a tenacious campaigner.

ANALYSIS

Some constituents say she will have to work hard to win back their vote.

Tom Ferris of West Toledo has lived in the area more than 20 years and voted for Miss Kaptur several times. He said he was disappointed in her recent comments.

"I think it was a poor choice of analogy, and I really will have second thoughts about voting for her next time," he said.

Known as a person of strong personal views, Miss Kaptur has refused to back down from her remarks. She said she's glad for the opportunity to make her case nationally.

"I know it's political and it's a total spin," Miss Kaptur said. "They're taking my words out of context to twist and distort and cover over the main message, which is the only way we win this war is by a broad international coalition, and this President is isolating us in the world. They don't want that message to be heard because the President wants to go it alone."

Miss Kaptur is one of a series of politicians who have gotten into hot water with comments that radio talk-show hosts and conservatives felt were disloyal to the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks:

Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D., Ga.) was defeated in the primary election in August after demanding an investigation into allegations that President Bush knew in advance of the attack on the World Trade Center and let it happen to reap profits for friends.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) took a public-relations beating in December after saying that bin Laden had built roads, schools, health-care facilities, and day-care centers in Afghanistan, while the United States was seen as "just being the people who are going to bomb in Iraq."

Some democrats say Miss Kaptur may have made a verbal misstep but is not in political trouble. Supporters say that's her style - independent, iconoclastic:

In 1997, Miss Kaptur took on fellow Democrat President Clinton for his free-trade policies that she said had cost people their jobs.

In 1999, she joined Democrats and Republicans in a court challenge to Mr. Clinton's decision to bomb Yugoslavia.

In March, 2002, she outraged Ottawa County officials of her own party by calling for a permanent shutdown of the beleaguered Davis-Besse nuclear power plant.

A former Toledo city planner who was studying for a doctoral degree, Miss Kaptur defeated Republican Congressman Ed Weber in 1982, ending his one term in office.

The following year, she defeated Frank Venner, a popular local television newscaster, with 55.1 percent of the vote.

Since then, she has not received less than 74 percent in any election, cresting at 81 percent of the vote against Republican Ed Emery in 1998.

Her last election, again against Mr. Emery, an unemployed sociologist who by that time had been jailed for menacing a neighbor and who was not endorsed by the Republican Party, was 74 percent to 26 percent.

Miss Kaptur has flirted with statewide and national office. Last year, she considered making trips to the presidential primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire - not far from the Green Mountains, but nothing came of it.

In 1994, she considered running for the U.S. Senate. And last November, she made a last minute and unsuccessful bid for House minority leader to promote a reform agenda.

She said of herself in 1999: "I have a wide independent streak. If it fits my priorities, I fight. And I fight hard."

Jim Ruvolo, a former state Democrat chairman who recruited Miss Kaptur and who is now a member of the Lucas County Democratic Party's executive committee, said Miss Kaptur has no reason to fear for her re-election next year.

"This is a blip, and something that will pass. I think she used words I would not have used, but they were taken out of context" by Republicans eyeing her seat, Mr. Ruvolo said. "You have Republicans scrambling. George Bush's numbers are falling like a stone, so they seize on something like this."

Some area residents said they are aware of the outrage of some of Miss Kaptur's opponents, but they are unconcerned about Miss Kaptur's statements.

"I didn't really pay attention to the whole controversy," Patty Pruss of East Toledo said.

Last he checked, Mr. Ruvolo said, Miss Kaptur's approval ratings were in the high 70s or low 80s, "which is stratosphere. Nobody has that."

"It would take sustained negativity over a long period of time to say she's vulnerable, and that's not happening," Mr. Ruvolo said.

The state GOP's Mr. Bennett said that to compare, in any way, a terrorist movement that killed civilian Americans with colonial Americans is suicidal for an American politician - even if the conflict turns into a Vietnam-like quagmire.

"They are ignorant remarks. You don't equate, at all, the No. 1 terrorist in the world, Osama bin Laden, with the Founding Fathers that gave her her freedom," Mr. Bennett said.

Republican operatives have gone so far as to imply treason on Miss Kaptur's part.

"I think it would be difficult to find a majority in any congressional district in the country who would share Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's seditious views. They strike me as un-American and elevate a wicked mass murderer to the level of the Founding Fathers," said Dan Ronayne, regional press secretary for the Republican National Committee.

Lucas County Auditor Larry Kaczala said he will make a decision later this month whether to run against Miss Kaptur. The Republican said this specific issue may not be enough to defeat her, but it could help weaken her.

"If she faced someone with some credibility, people would be forced to listen to some of her views," he said.

Lori Herman, a Rossford resident who has voted for Miss Kaptur in past elections, said she agrees with the lawmaker about al-Qaeda. Ms. Herman said she would vote for Miss Kaptur again and was dismayed that Mr. Kaczala called for her to resign.

"To ask for her resignation because of what she said is ridiculous," she said. "She's a good person."

Mr. Kaczala said he probably has $1,000 in campaign funds, but is confident he will be able to raise enough money to challenge Miss Kaptur. He said he thinks he will need $1 million to run a race against her. Miss Kaptur has $769,032 in her campaign fund, according the Federal Elections Commission.

"I don't have any problem with [fund-raising], but I need a reason to raise it," Mr. Kaczala said. "I know the [Republican] national committee will watch what I do this year."

Paula Ross, chairman of the Lucas County Democratic Party, said it is overblown to call Ms. Kaptur's comments "an issue," and she does not think it will affect her in a race that's nearly two years away.

"Larry Kaczala is a legitimate candidate. That said, I don't think this was an issue for people in this district until the Republican political machine started to turn to it," Ms. Ross said. "I think it's about [diverting attention from Gov. Bob] Taft's low approval rating and Bush's declining ratings."

Blade staff writer Rachel Zinn contributed to this report.

Permanent Link