COLUMBUS - The leader of the Ohio Democratic Party said Friday that Attorney General Betty Montgomery has no business appearing in a campaign commercial endorsing fellow Republican and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton.

        Dennis White, the state party chairman, said it was wrong for Ms. Montgomery to appear in an ad endorsing a justice because her office regularly argues cases before the high court. He said the endorsement also creates an appearance that Justice Stratton always rules on behalf of Republican interests.

        “They both have compromised the court,” Mr. White said. “How can (Justice) Stratton now rule on cases pending involving the state?”

        Those comments sparked angry replies from campaign officials representing Justice Stratton and Ms. Montgomery. Both camps said there is nothing wrong or even slightly improper about the ad, which has been broadcast for several days.

        “Betty feels she's well within her rights to support candidates she wants to support,” said campaign spokesman Eric Hardgrove. “We feel it's regrettable that a man in his position would make such a baseless accusation.”

        Barbara Lewis, Justice Stratton's campaign manager, said Ms. Montgomery's endorsement in no way damages the high court's or Justice Stratton's integrity.

        “We're very proud of that ad,” Ms. Lewis said. “I think what's really bothering Mr. White is that Betty Montgomery is a widely respected leader and that her endorsement carries a lot of weight with people.”

        In the commercial, Ms. Montgomery praises Justice Stratton as tough on criminals and “just as tough on corporate crooks. That's why she's called the "Velvet Hammer.' ”

        Justice Stratton is seeking a second term against Judge Janet Burnside, a Democratic-endorsed candidate and judge of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Although a September Ohio Poll showed nearly half of likely voters knew very little about their race, those that did were almost evenly split between the two candidates.

        Because this race could swing the balance of power on the high court, their campaign has become one of the more visible contests on television. Despite that, Judge Burnside said she hasn't seen her opponent's ad. She declined to comment on whether it was appropriate for Ms. Montgomery to be in the commercial.

        “What I've been focusing on is my race,” Judge Burnside said. “I worry about my conduct and whether my campaign seems proper.”

        Mr. White, however, said there is no way of knowing how long ago Ms. Montgomery agreed to campaign for the justice.

        Whenever the decision was made, he said, Justice Stratton should have recused herself at that time from hearing cases involving the state.

        “If a Supreme Court justice and the attorney general don't know better than to do something like this, then the court system is in trouble,” he said

        E-mail djasper@enquirer.com and shunt@enquirer.com

Abduction ordeal rattles councilman
Excerpts of 911 transcript
City vs. suburbs? Friction heats up
United Way far from goal
Pope rejects sex abuse policy
GUTIERREZ: Build as we say, not do
Archbishop supports Metro tax hike
Judge: Charter school must notify parents
Obituary: Rev. Sanford C. Lindsey, served Sayler Park
Prosecutors must say why juror was excluded
Silverton tries again for tax approval
Teachers adapt curriculum to study Iraq
Two men rob Franklin Savings
Cell phone rings up 4 arrests
Congrats
Dem: State AG wrong to stump for Stratton
Faith Matters: Gaither celebrates unity
Judge allows leaflets to be distributed
Neighborhoods: Once-a-year special events
Sewer board to draft bylaws
Kentucky Digest
Nursing home review unfinished
Chemical-spray robber strikes 3 stores
Toledo Zoo to return costly koala
W. Nile donated-blood tie checked