Even more ineptitude.

And the 3BP drumbeat against Coughlin continues.

As you recall from yesterday, Coughlin released an e-mail to supporters and the press claiming John Kasich maintained the same stance on gambling as Ted Strickland. His reasoning was a stretch at best, claiming that since two volunteers of Kasich's have the gambling industry as clients, then Kasich must have the same stance.

Yep, it's hard to get much more intellectually dishonest than that.

But it does.

It turns out State Senator Kevin Coughlin's proclamation of having a principled stance against gambling is, to borrow a term from Colonel Sherman T. Potter, horsehockey.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you SB 125, the Instant Racing Systems Act, passed May 23rd, 2007 by the Ohio Senate.

Authorizes live horse racing permit holders to conduct pari-mutual wagering at their place, track, or enclosure on horse races that are telecast via an instant racing system.

Kevin Coughlin voted "yes".

So not only is Kevin Coughlin intellectually dishonest. And not only do his attacks fail to make news. But he's a hypocrite on top of it all.

Now quit wasting our time, Senator. We have bigger fish to fry.

Finally, I want to address those in the Ohio blogosphere who may be clamoring for Kasich to attack Strickland. As I discussed yesterday, Strickland is drowning right now in criticism from those that normally are a Democrat's greatest allies....unions, children's advocacy groups and even libraries!

There are articles and editorials in newspapers across Ohio this week criticizing the Governor for his choices on gambling. Kasich entering the fray right now would only distract from this laser-like focused negativity on Strickland. The fact is there is a finite amount of space in the Columbus Dispatch, Plain Dealer, Cincy Examiner, and on and on. Let Strickland take his lumps from his allies. Those punches are much more legitimate to the voting public than those from an opposing candidate.

Kasich will have his time to attack Strickland, but doing so right now would only distract from the assault he's currently facing.

UPDATE: The Dispatch proves my point today. Kasich attacking Strickland would only distract from this story.