COLUMBUS, Ohio - A group of Republican state senators, including the Senate president, has taken issue with Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's since-retracted comments on Iraqi refugees, offering a resolution to clarify that those displaced by the war are welcome in the state.

"Whereas, Gov. Ted Strickland has indicated his desire that no Iraqi refugees be resettled in Ohio...," the measure introduced Tuesday reads. "That sentiment does not accurately reflect the compassion or generosity of the people of the State of Ohio."

State Sen. Kevin Coughlin introduced the measure the day Strickland's apology for his remarks hit the news, during the first working floor session of the year.

The full text of the resolution was not available, however, until Wednesday afternoon.

"My first thought is political gamesmanship, my second is political cowardice," said Senate Minority Leader Teresa Fedor, a Toledo Democrat. "They were not politically courageous enough to put the full language on the Senate floor when we were all there to offer comment and debate."

Coughlin said the resolution is intended to be a positive statement in favor of President Bush's efforts to assist Iraqi families in starting a new life - not to punish the governor.

"The resolution I've introduced doesn't call on the governor to do anything, it doesn't rebuke the governor," Coughlin said. "It's a positive resolution in favor of the president and the families displaced by the war. Our country has a long history of making room for those whose lives are uprooted by war."

After Bush announced the U.S. would accept up to 7,000 war refugees, Strickland told The Associated Press last week that he was not inclined to accommodate them in the state because doing so would help bail out the president.

"I am sympathetic to the plight of the innocent Iraqi people who have fled that country," he said at the time. "However, I would not want to ask Ohioans to accept a greater burden than they already have borne for the Bush administration's failed policies."

In retracting the remarks, Strickland said he meant to express frustration with President Bush instead of the people displaced by the war.

His spokesman, Keith Dailey, said Strickland rescinded his remarks and the resolution's wording wrong.

"As the governor said yesterday, he welcomes Iraqi refugees to Ohio," Dailey said. "Any assertion in this resolution, or elsewhere, to the contrary is not accurate."

Coughlin said it was appropriate to mention Strickland's comment in the resolution, even though they have been retracted and an apology issued.

"I accept that and I'm glad that he's done that, but there is an issue of the damage that was done to Ohio's image on the national and international stage," he said. "It would be appropriate for the Legislature to pass a resolution affirming our gratitude to the men and women in Iraq for their sacrifices."

Fedor said Strickland showed humility in admitting he misspoke.

"The governor talked about the frustration of this war and it being the result of failed policies from Washington. That was clear," she said. "The Republicans can't let that lie, they're going to play political games."