UPDATED: GOP House candidates move to nationalize races

In a preview of fall campaign themes, two Republican candidates for the U.S. House are trying to link paint their Democratic opponents as out-of-touch by tying them to their national party.

First, former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Fred Dailey (R-Mt. Vernon) attacked U.S. Rep. Zach Space (D-Dover) in a press release for Space's comments that he fully supports Barack Obama for president.

Dailey said this means Space supports Obama's April comments that people "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Dailey accuses presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) of calling gun owners "mentally unabalanced" and says Space by extension agrees with Biden becuase he supports Obama.

Second, state Sen. Kirk Schuring's (R-Canton) campaign sent a release yesterday accusing state Sen. John Boccieri (D-New Middletown) of preferring to "ignore" voters of the Congressional district by choosing to attend the Denver convention instead of the Stark County Fair.

"This is just another example of how close Senator Boccieri is to Washington insiders. These are the same people who are out of touch with the people of the 16th District," Schuring said.

UPDATE: Space's campaign manager Dan Kelly responded to Dailey's attack. 

“These are not Zack Space’s words, and Fred Dailey knows it.  What Fred Dailey doesn’t want to talk about is that Zack Space is the only NRA endorsed candidate in this race, and has been a full and proud supporter of second amendment rights. This is the type of misleading smear we’ve come to expect from a Bob Taft/Bob Ney protégé, and the type of judgment we expect from a proud NAFTA supporter," Kelly said.