Democratic candidate for governor Tim Hagan lit into Cincinnati boycott leader Nathaniel Livingston on Thursday night, telling him he acts as if God had divined that he is right about the boycott and everyone else is wrong.

Tim Hagan sternly lectures Nate Livingston about Livingstonšs confrontational style Thursday. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        “The fact is, when you make those kinds of statements, all you do is alienate people, including me,” an angry Mr. Hagan said after his speech to an urban affairs class at the University of Cincinnati.

        “I don't need a lecture from you or anyone else on my commitment to social justice and civil rights,” he said. “I've lived it. I'm 56 years old, and I've fought for it — and I'm proud of that.”

        Mr. Hagan's comments came after Mr. Livingston, 33, of Avondale, showed up at the class and blasted him for refusing to oppose the Democrats' decision to defy the boycott, which has been organized by several civil rights groups to protest what they see as economic and social injustice. He said Democrats should never have attended a recent AFL-CIO dinner downtown.

        “My question to you, Mr. Hagan, is why do you run around talking about how you care about the little man?” Mr. Livingston said. “Why hasn't that translated into action?”

        After the class ended, Mr. Livingston went to the front of the auditorium and continued to criticize Mr. Hagan, calling him and Mayor Charlie Luken “no-good Democrats.”

        Mr. Hagan put his hands on Mr. Livingston's shoulders and asked, “How old are you?”

        Then he shook a finger at Mr. Livingston and said, “I want to be very clear to you ... if you would like to speak to me in a rational way, I'd be glad to do it. But don't ever attack me — because I don't need to take that from anybody. I don't need you to abuse me. I don't abuse you.”

        Mr. Hagan added, “You've got to clearly understand: I'm not taking anything from anybody — I'm running for governor.”

        After hearing about the encounter, Mr. Luken said: “You put that in a headline, and (Mr. Hagan) just might get elected.”

        Mr. Hagan is behind in the polls in his race against Gov. Bob Taft.

        “We need more people who can't be intimidated,” Mr. Luken said. “Some people who get yelled at have very good civil rights records, but they are called names and treated as if they know nothing about the civil rights movement.”

        Mr. Livingston was released from jail last week after serving part of a 60-day sentence for disorderly conduct. He was jailed for disrupting a speech by Mr. Luken at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Oktoberfest.

        Mr. Hagan said he opposes the boycott of Cincinnati because people don't effectively resolve problems through confrontations.

        “The boycott hurts the very people that gentleman thinks he's representing,” Mr. Hagan said as he left the class. “I don't disagree that many areas of this city and this state have been neglected. But I don't need a lecture about it either.”

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