Schmidt chief of staff gave $100 to McEwen

Turns out Rep. Jean Schmidt's chief of staff, Barry Bennett, gave $100 to Schmidt rival Bob McEwen during last year's primary for the 2nd District special election.

Schmidt beat McEwen 31 percent to 25 percent.

Bennett's wife, Melissa Bennett, who is President Bush's scheduler at the White House, used to work for McEwen when he was a member of Congress.

"I've known Bob for 20 years. It's not like we're strangers," Bennett told the Enquirer, adding that it's the last contribution he'll be making to McEwen - ever.

McEwen is challenging Schmidt again for the 2nd District in the GOP primary May 2.

When asked, McEwen's campaign spokesman, Michael Harlow, put out this statement about the contribution:

It is true that Barry Bennett contributed to Bob McEwen’s campaign the last time.

Bob and Liz (McEwen) have a genuine friendship with Barry's wife, who formerly worked for Bob on Capitol Hill and then in Rob Portman's office.

I am sure that the viciously mean things that Barry has been saying lately are an outgrowth of his new position working for Jean Schmidt.

We have all experienced how mean the Schmidt campaigns are. Bob McEwen was urged by Republicans across the district to restore a voice in Washington, like Rob Portman’s was, of which we can be proud.

We have heard the boasting of how mean they intend to be. I must respond to her daily abuses and I will seek to do so in as gracious a manner as possible.

However, Bob McEwen is a gentleman who is admired across the nation for his commitment to the issues we care about. That is why he was asked to speak in 17 states on behalf of Republican campaigns in 2004, and it is why he his colleagues elected him to represent Ohio on the two most respected committee assignments in the Congress: the powerful Rules Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

The mean and embarrassing attacks, which are the only accomplishment of our current representative in Washington, must be endured until the fluke election of last year can be corrected at the ballot box.