BY SANDY THEIS
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted, calls Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lee Fisher "a tough crime fighter" in Mr. Fisher's first general election campaign commercial.
The 30-second ad, along with a companion one that also features Mr. Walsh, begins airing today in Cincinnati and other TV markets around Ohio.
Fisher campaign Chairman Alan Melamed said the commercial reinforces one of Mr. Fisher's greatest strengths: "He has a history of getting things done."
Mr. Walsh's 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted from a store 14 years ago. His slaying, still unsolved, prompted efforts nationwide to strengthen laws aimed at protecting children.
The commercials highlight Mr. Fisher's role in Ohio's efforts. In one, his wife, Peggy Zone Fisher, tells how it began:
"I was five months pregnant with our first child when we saw the movie about the murder of Adam Walsh. Lee was so moved that he got up immediately and called the 800 number that was on TV."
The camera cuts to Mr. Walsh:
"Out of nowhere, I had Lee Fisher in my office asking me how we could prevent more kidnappings."
As a state senator, Mr. Fisher wrote Ohio's missing-child law. As Ohio's attorney general, he created the Missing Children's Clearinghouse that combined Ohio's fragmented programs into a single office. It set up a 24-hour, toll-free hot line and computers linked to law enforcement agencies.
