OH-07: Austria Campaign Goes Negative with Callous, Mean-Spirited Smear

Sharen Neuhardt's surging congressional campaign has been boosted by important endorsements and by upward reappraisals on the part of political prognosticators. State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek), hand-picked by retiring Rep. Dave Hobson (R) as a successor and supposedly a shoo-in when this contest began, is plainly unnerved. His campaign has unleashed a nasty smear that is so misleading, so mean-spirited, and so utterly cynical that it ought to drive clear-thinking voters over to Neuhardt in droves.

The 7th District is a far-flung rural-to-suburban district that prides itself on traditional values, and those values include charity and good works. Consequently, the story that gives rise to Austria's underhanded smear ought to be a huge plus for her. Here is what happened.

A child named Ishema Umuhova and his family were caught up in the Rwandan Genocide in the 1990s. Ishema and his family were separated during their flight from the country, and Ishema wound up in a refugee camp in Zaire. There he was found by a friend of his mother, who protected Ishema by pretending that he was her nephew and brought him to America in 1998. She applied for asylum for Ishema, but (unknown to Ishema at the time) that application was ultimately denied.

With charitable assistance Ishema went to high school and college in Dayton. However, his adjustment to life in this country, following his horrific experiences in Rwanda and Zaire, has been difficult. He has several arrests for traffic violations and public intoxication, the most recent of which occurred about a month ago.

Sharen and Dave Neuhardt first took Ishema into their home over the Christmas holiday in 2002 when the dorms at the University of Dayton were closed and Ishema had nowhere else to go. They took an interest in Ishema and eventually have come to look upon him like a son. They successfully reopened his asylum case and Sharen is an attorney of record for Ishema. In June of 2005 a federal judge ordered a stay of deportation or removal proceedings while the asylum application is reconsidered.

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This is unquestionably the story of a troubled but sympathetic young man in need, and a concerned and generous couple who have given of themselves to try to help him. Nevertheless, the Austria campaign are pushing a cynical, twisted view of this act of charity. In a story in the Dayton Daily News today, Austria campaign manager Brad Mascho accuses the Neuhardts of "harboring an illegal immigrant with a criminal record." As if Ishema had eluded border guards to enter the country. As if there were not order staying any deportation proceedings against him. As if he has engaged in a career of crime, as opposed to a few minor and victimless infractions. The NRCC has piled on, commenting to the Dayton Daily News that the Ishema "has a problem with getting arrested."

Of course, Sharen Neuhardt is outraged at this attack:

Neuhardt said many of these cases — such as not showing up to court — are likely the result of Umuhoza's naivete about U.S. bureaucracy. She was angry with Umuhoza about his recent arrest, she said, but is furious with the Republicans.

"They make it sound like he's some awful illegal immigrant who's been on a rampage since he got here," she said. "That's stupid. He's a wonderful young man who went out and drank, like a lot of other people do, and then walked home."

Ishema's asylum application is proceeding, and Sharen Neuhardt will not be deterred from pursuing it. Last month a federal magistrate recommended to the judge on the case that he find part of the immigration laws are unconstitutional as applied to Ishema's situation. The Neuhardts are to be commended for their care and concern for Ishema, and for their selfless work to secure a promising future for him. As for Austria's misleading and cynical attack, it speaks volumes about why he is not fit for this office.