Unpacking the Lies

"one of the most vile and repulsive lies ever told in an Ohio campaign for governor."

Long-time Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Brent Larkin took a close look at the latest ad against Amy Acton.

And what he wrote should be shared widely.

Because as he concludes, not only are the ads on Ohio television screens false, they reveal just how dishonest and desperate Ramaswamy and Musk are.

Here are a few excerpts:

“On her 1994 application to be certified as a physician in Ohio, question No. 15 asked Amy Acton if she had ever received outpatient treatment for “emotional or mental illness, drug addiction or abuse, or an alcohol problem?”

Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, whose name at the time was Amy Beech, told the truth. She checked the box marked “YES” and subsequently met the requirement that her “treating physician” provide the State Medical Board of Ohio with a letter explaining the reason for her treatment.

That reason involved the emotional trauma of growing up in an environment of neglect, the product of a dysfunctional, abusive and dirt-poor family in Youngstown.

Nevertheless, Acton not only persevered, she thrived. Her life story is inspirational…

The warm feeling many Ohioans have for Acton poses a significant problem for Vivek Ramaswamy, her Republican opponent in this year’s election for governor. Ramaswamy may be the most unlikeable major party candidate for governor in Ohio history….

There is as yet no evidence the COVID attack line has worked for Ramaswamy, either. So the billionaires who seem to be running his campaign, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest and creepiest man, have teamed with the repugnant folks at the state GOP to attack Acton with one of the most vile and repulsive lies ever told in an Ohio campaign for governor.

They are using question No. 15 from Acton’s 1994 application, in which she honestly acknowledged being treated for emotional problems related to her horrible childhood, and suggesting her checking that “Yes” box was also an admission that she was a drug addict and a drunk.

They are doing it on social media. They are doing it in television commercials costing millions. And they are doing it with a slanderous word-of-mouth campaign. These are sick and twisted people, willing to peddle any lie necessary to keep control of an office Republicans have held for all but four of the past 36 years.”

Larkin then focuses on another aspect of the attack ad, which seeks to characterize Dr. Acton’s medical knowledge as “insufficient.” But here’s the truth:

“Another section of Acton’s application with the state medical board included outstanding reviews from those involved in her medical education. When she was a first-year resident (first-year residents are also known as interns), Acton began a 12-month program at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx. But the married Acton was pregnant, so she decided to leave the program and return home, completing only four months of the 12-month internship.

In those four months, Acton trained under Dr. Steven Shelov, a widely respected pediatrician. Shelov gave Acton high marks on a survey he submitted to the Ohio Medical Board but explained that, on the survey, she received an “insufficient” skills grade only because she spent just four months in the program. When Acton completed the yearlong internship in Ohio, she again received excellent evaluations.

Attempts to contact Dr. Shelov for this column were unsuccessful.

Acton soon finished the one-year internship in Ohio and was granted a license to practice medicine in June 1994.

Nevertheless, the Ramaswamy campaign and his bottom-feeding supporters at the Ohio Republican Party continue to spread falsehoods about her, even maliciously stating that the state medical board determined she lacked essential skills.

That’s a lie.”

The level of dishonesty displayed in this one ad is stunning. Sick, really. And a warning.

Back to Larkin:

“If these parasites gain control of the governor’s office, chances are they will lie about almost everything. Then they’ll do whatever it takes to sell out working-class Ohioans with policies designed to make the rich even richer.”

He’s right.

Help us fight back by sharing this widely.

And by giving what you can here…

…allowing us to also fight back.

Thank you.

Paid for by Ohioans for Amy Acton and David Pepper