By Julie Kent
Ohio governor John Kasich is already facing backlash by taking on the state's unions, and now has enraged police officers after today's revelation that he called a Columbus police officer an "idiot" last month for giving a traffic ticket in 2008.
According to court records, Kasich was pulled over on January 8, 2008, heading northbound on Rt. 315 for not moving over for a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights flashing. Kasich pleaded guilty and three days later he paid the $85 fine.
The "idiot" comment came up during a staff meeting that Kasich held with most of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's employees on January 21.
Kasich said:
"Have you ever been stopped by a policeman who's an idiot?"
"I had this idiot pull me over on (Route) 315. He says, 'You passed this emergency vehicle on the side of the road and you didn't yield. I said, 'I didn't... officer, are you kidding? I didn't see... where the heck was it? The last thing I would ever do would be to pass an emergency... Are you kidding me?'
"He says, 'Well, I understand, give me your license... goes back to the car, comes back, gives me a ticket. He says, 'You must report to court. If you don't report to court, we're putting a warrant out for your arrest.'
"He's an idiot. We just can't act that way. And what people resent are people who work in government who don't treat the client with respect."
