Ohio Political Journal

Obama's Pastor Creates Tough Spot for Frontrunner

2008-03-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's longtime Chicago pastor, the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, has come under intense media scrutiny for comments about whites in America and claiming that his primarily black congregation should support Obama over Hillary Clinton because Hillary has never been called the n-word. Right.

Obama has attempted to distance himself considerably from Wright and he posted a halfhearted defense of Wright while condemning specific comments that have been posted across the Internet.

Then in an interview with Fox News, Obama again tried to distance himself from Wright yet again but that supposed distance does not jive well with Obama's history of supporting Wright's church and having Wright serve on a spiritual advisory board for Obama's Presidential campaign. This 2007 New York Times piece details how close Obama and Wright really are--including the nice little tidbit that Obama had tape recordings of Wright's sermons on cassette tape and brought them to Harvard Law School with him.

Given Obama's political past, it's not surprising Obama would be closely aligned with someone as radical as Jeremiah Wright. When it suited his political fancy, Obama also rallied against white Americans for the sake of rallying black voters in his State Senate district.

And even media outlets that are generally friendly toward Obama's candidacy, such as The Atlantic, are worried about how Obama and his campaign team have handled this issue. In his Fox News interview and in his written response, Obama claims that Wright's bigotry and radical views are news to him. Really? As he readily admits, Obama has been a regular member of the Trinity Church since 1991 or 92. And at no time in all those years attending Trinity Church, this bigoted pastor never once railed against whites, conservatives, Republicans, Israel, Jews, or any other group in his line of fire? The Atlantic points out the obvious answer, that just isn't credible at all.

It's not credible because certain evidence points to the idea that Obama did in fact know of Jeremiah Wright's racist views and bigoted past. Wright was, after all, de-invited from Obama's official 2007 Presidential campaign kickoff event. Now the question is why. There is a sense that Obama is not being completely honest as he tries to spin his way out of the thicket but Obama's less than candid response could become a story in itself.

The Perks of Government Health Care...

2008-03-08T21:08:00.001-08:00

A 19-year-old British man opted not to have surgery when he was alerted by hospital staff of a nasty smell caused by a dead rodent in the building. Despite deep assurances from the government doctors that the rotting rodent did not pose any medical risk, he thought it would be best not to go ahead with the medical procedure.

And although Reuters treats this little pertinent factoid as perfectly ordinary, the young British man had already waited 11 months for the surgery!

Cheers for government bureaucracy, 11 month waiting periods, and dead rodents in hospitals!

Amtrak High Speed Rail Coming to Ohio?

2008-03-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has requested that Amtrak, the nation's only passenger rail system, study the possibility of connecting Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati by a passenger high speed rail line with other various stops along the way.

An Amtrak spokesman said that Strickland would have to wait 12-18 months for the high speed rail study to be completed because at least 5 other states have requested similar reports from Amtrak.

I think this plan is a good investment in the infrastructure of Ohio and a solid alternative for travelers in Ohio looking to avoid higher gas prices. Amtrak, however, should not be in charge of the passenger rail line. Even if the Ohio rail line found a way to become profitable, Amtrak would surely find a way to squander a good business opportunity. For decades now (since about 1971), Amtrak has talked about becoming self-sufficient and at least breaking even on the balance sheet. But as of yet, that has never happened. All told, the federal government has provided billions in subsidies over the years. For FY 2008 alone, Amtrak executives asked for $1.68 billion from Congress, without any strings attached for enhanced performance or to ensure efficient use of the public funds.

And despite manipulation of the numbers by Amtrak's press office, total ridership has been done on Amtrak trains for the past three years running. Even the only almost-profitable train line in America, the Northeast corridor, has seen ridership steadily decreasing.

The moral of the story here should be quite clear for Strickland and Ohio. Keep Amtrak out of the picture. High speed rail is the transportation of the future and it can connect Ohio cities in a way that cars simply cannot. But handing over the rail lines to a dying railroad bureaucracy is not the answer. Cooperation and participation of the private sector is crucial for any such plan to work effectively. A lack of private sector interest and political willpower doomed high speed rail plans in both Florida and California to failure.

Everyone has to be on board for high speed rail to be an Ohio success. If a private carrier is brought in and given the rights (for a price) to develop a line and bring in trains, Ohioans will have an alternative mode of transportation that will likely be more efficient and cost-effect than Amtrak could ever hope to be.

Six Months Makes All The Difference for Brunner

2008-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner committed the ultimate flip-flop in just six months' time. The flip-flop in question? Her decision to completely scrap electronic voting machines in certain Ohio counties and use optical scanning equipment. The Associated Press is reporting that they obtained a letter dated June 13, 2007 that was sent to Congress. In that letter, Brunner claimed that states, including Ohio, were just becoming comfortable with the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and that Congress (at that time) should not change how voters use electronic voting machines. Brunner said she had no comment at the moment but was preparing a response for later today.

And what about the paper ballot shortages in Cleveland and elsewhere around the state that led the Obama campaign to take court action to keep certain precincts open? That problem exposed the real problem of paper ballots and a stronger turnout than expected can send County Election Boards scrambling to find extra ballots for voters.

And apparently many Ohio voters who used the electronic voting machines this past Tuesday in Ohio's primary election are largely in disagreement with Brunner's June 2007 opinion. Brunner demanded that Ohio counties that were still using the electronic equipment for the primary make paper ballots available to voters. And in those counties, voters were not very concerned with conspiracy theories of hackers changing their votes. Ultimately, a very small percentage of voters in those Ohio counties that used the electronic voting machines requested paper ballots. It appears Ohio voters are comfortable with electronic voting, despite Brunner's absurd conspiracy theories. This reaction to electronic voting seems to contradict the assertion in Brunner's December 2007 report on electronic voting in Ohio that the possible problems with the voting machines in question caused a lack of trust and confidence in Ohio's electoral process. Based on the primary this past Tuesday, that assertion is not only unfounded but is a prime example of partisan hyperbole and a fabricated claim used to bolster Brunner's pre-determined to scrap electronic voting in Ohio altogether.

Over 1,100 Ohio Signatures Collected for Casino Initiative

2008-03-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

At the polls around Ohio Tuesday, a petition was circulated for the MyOhioNow.com Casino initiative. The petition was able to collect more than 1,100 signatures.

The MyOhioNow.com casino plan calls for building a $600 million casino in Clinton County, Ohio along Interstate-71, not too far from Cincinnati. The web site claims the large casino would employ 5,000 Ohioans and generate around $200 million in state tax revenue. The revenue would then be divided among Ohio's 88 counties on a per capita basis.

And it appears this initiative has a large majority of Ohio voters on its side. According to a recent statewide poll conducted by the reputable firm SurveyUSA, a whopping 68% of Ohioans approve of legalized casino gambling in Ohio.

The proponents of the plan claim its different from past casino initiatives in that it calls for only one casino at a single location. While obviously true, it is not clear how that is an advantage to this specific plan. On their web site, the organizers claim the location in Clinton County would be close to all the major population centers in Ohio. That's simply not true. Northeastern Ohioans, such as myself, are actually closer to the casinos in Michigan and Ontario by driving time than we are to this proposed site in Clinton County.

Casinos scattered throughout Ohio would ensure maximum tax revenue and large volume of visitors. Clevelanders will not travel down to Clinton County when they can go to Detroit or Windsor and save an hour driving. I think any plan for legalization of casinos in Ohio should include at least 3 locations. One casino each for the metro areas of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Nonetheless, any amount of casino gambling in Ohio is a definite step in the right direction.

Another thing is that they were only able to collect 1,100 signatures throughout the state on Tuesday? Millions of Ohioans voted, the most in any primary before, and they were only able to secure 1,100 signatures? That seems kinda...pathetic. Their web site says they need to collect 402,275 from all 88 counties in Ohio. I hope their very close to that number of this initiative will likely never make the ballot in November.

Michelle Obama Delivers Another Gaffe

2008-03-05T18:17:00.001-08:00

My God, when will the Obama campaign finally realize that they need to stuff Michelle Obama's mouth with a sock. Apparently at a campaign stop, she described us (the America n people) as downright mean. She also described us as a nation of nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents." Now that's certainly going to bring us together!

Hillary's last stand in Texas and Ohio last night not withstanding, it still appears that Obama will win the Democratic nomination. With the amount of miscues committed by Michelle Obama already in this campaign, she's gearing up to be a bigger liability than Teresa Heinz Kerry was to John Kerry!

Obama Observer Sitting in on Rezko Trial

2008-03-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

Well, for someone who didn't do anything wrong ever and is the most ethical politician in the history of the world, it's interesting to see Barack Obama send a campaign staffer to the jury selection of the Rezko trial. Keeping tabs on his old real estate buddy, I suppose.

Also worth noting that the Obama observer in question didn't what to reveal her affiliation.

A Closer Look at Obama's Record in Illinois

2008-03-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

This article, by a journalist named Todd Spivak who worked in Barack Obama's State Senate district when he was an unknown entity, has shed some valuable light on the man who is on the verge of becoming the Democratic Presidential contender.

The picture he paints is very underwhelming, especially when contrasted with the media darling Obama has become today. Obama worked his way up the chain of command not through hard work and community activism, like his recent television campaign commercials would have you believe but through hiring a Harvard Law buddy to comb over Illinois election laws and find loopholes to ensure he was the only candidate on the ballot and all the other Democrats (including the longtime incumbent) were kicked off the ballot.

The story also shows an incredible lack of leadership on Obama's part. He refused to get involved in community redevelopment and eminent domain abuse by the city of Chicago within his own district.

Crime, quality of life? Obama usually silent.

Obama's main objective appeared to be a constant rise in position and prestige. He ran for U.S. Congress against incumbent Congressman Bobby Rush but was portrayed as an Ivy League elitist who was out of touch with rank and file South Side Chicagoans.

And all the bills and passed legislation that Obama constantly rattles off as proof that he is experienced at passing laws and working across the aisle? They were bills originally authored by various other members of the Illinois State Senate. Obama's name was attached to the legislation by Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Jr. Obama's role in actually crafting the legislation and negotiating the eventual passage is cast in an uncertain light here.

Emil Jones is responsible for Barack Obama's rapid rise in national politics. Much more so than Obama is responsible for it himself.

And Obama's squeaky-clean image is tainted by his endorsement of Chicago Alderman Dorothy Tillman who once brandished a gun and was involved in serious corruption allegations months before Obama's endorsement came.

The bottom line here is evident. Obama wasn't the courageous community activist who rejected a lucrative career on Wall Street. He was an ambitious, well-educated young man who was intent on advancing into national politics. Leadership, clean government, etc. all came second to ambition.

That's not to demonize Obama. McCain and Hillary are both guilty of that same offense to some extent. But the problem here is that the mainstream media is allowing Obama to cast his own image of himself. When he says he will clear out the Washington lobbyists and power brokers, no one challenges him. No one, most especially Tim Russert or Brian Williams, are willing to do the research and visit Chicago's South Side.

They appear unwilling to accept the fact that the Obama hype isn't what it's all cracked up to be.

Michelle Obama is Out of Touch And a Hypocrite

2008-03-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

In a campaign stop in Zanesville, Ohio over the weekend, Michelle Obama urged young people not to go into corporate America. As Byron York of National Review outlines, Muskingum County (Zanesville) had a 2004 median household income of $37,192. Only about 12% have a bachelor's degree and nearly a fifth of the county population doesn't even have a high school diploma.

What is Michelle Obama's solution for these economically disadvantaged citizens? Forego high-paying corporate jobs! Forget a bachelor's degree in business and a MBA, get a degree in social work and work for around the same amount of money you make now!

The other obvious problem here are the charges of blatant hypocrisy by Michele Obama. Beside the multi-million dollar estate the Obama's bought in 2005 with the help of their crony Tony Rezko (see below), Mrs. Obama worked as vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago hospitals until May 2007. In that capacity, she made $316,962 a year. Too bad all of us can't be a spouse of a U.S. Senator and land cake jobs that pay over $300,000 per year!

And what about Michelle Obama's involvement in corporate America? Back in May 2007, she took a lot of heat for being on the corporate board of a major food supplier to Wal-Mart, a firm called TreeHouse Foods.

So, it's obvious that Michelle Obama doesn't hesitate to become involved with corporate America and lucrative corporate board gigs when they stand to benefit her financially. But now she has the audacity to come to Zanesville, Ohio and tell a struggling population they should reject the profitable opportunities of corporate America and take jobs that offer a salary that doesn't make ends meet.

Obama's Sweetheart Land Deal Grows Deeper

2008-03-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama has criss-crossed the country proclaiming himself as a new kind of politician who refuses contributions by lobbyists and will bring change to Washington.

There's just one snag to this rosy picture--Obama has been long involved in the rough and tumble game of Chicago politics. After being elected to the U.S. Senate and scoring a book deal that landed him millions in cash, Obama went on to buy an estate in an upscale Chicago suburb in 2005 for $1.65 million. The owners of the property at the time claim that was the best price they could secure then.

On the same day (June 15, 2005) that real estate deal went through for the Obama's, the wife of Chicago developer Tony Rezko purchased an empty plot of land immediately adjacent to the Obama mansion. She purchased that lot for $625,000. How she came up with that money has been anyone's best guess.

But now The Times of London has added a new twist the plot. A British businessman by the name of Nadhmi Auchi had loaned Rezko millions just days prior to Rezko's wife purchasing the land.

Barack Obama ended up buying a 10-foot parcel of the land from Mrs. Rezko in order to expand his garden. Obama has maintained his involvement in the land deal was "boneheaded."

But does anyone seriously buy the idea that Obama bought the 10-foot plot of land for his garden? Come on. Even Obama admits he paid his landscaper to cut the lawn on the land owned by Mrs. Rezko. Why did he feel compelled to take care of the property? And why did Mrs. Rezko jump at the empty plot of land the same day Obama purchased the mansion right next door? That's a coincidence of immense proportions. The usual argument offered by the Obama camp was that Rezko was in the business of developing properties and jumped at the chance of buying an empty lot in an upscale residential neighborhood. But it's not at all clear that the property was even on the market on that particular day. Also, The Times of London article linked above says the plot of land is only accessible through Obama's estate. How could an empty plot of land have any potential development value if it was blocked in by Obama's new house?

Even the most fervent of Obama supporters admit that Rezko was obviously trying to curry favor with a sitting U.S. Senator and possibly influence federal legislation. But this whole episode calls into question Obama's sense of judgment. After all, he is thin on a public service record. While McCain has major dents in his armor like his involvement in the Keating 5 Scandal and the recent flap that was mismanaged by The New York Times, he does have significant legislative accomplishments to fall back on when discussing ethics and the effect of money on national politics. Obama certainly doesn't have that luxury. Plus, unlike the Keating 5 scandal or the standard lobbyist connections that most Congressmen have, Tony Rezko was already being investigated by a federal grand jury at the time Obama purchased this estate. Why would Obama event want to be loosely associated with such ilk?

Obama Dressed Up as a Somali

2008-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Drudge Report first picked up on a photo of Sen. Barack Obama dressing up as a Somali elder, which included a traditional turban. Drudge has reported that the photo has been circulated via e-mail by the Hillary campaign. If this is true, perhaps the shame should be on the Hillary campaign and not the Obama campaign for some health care mailing that is basically true (see below).

In response to the Obama's camp condemnation, the Hillary campaign engaged in its usual spin that made little sense.

Another curious photo from that trip to Africa made by Obama can be found here.

These photos are meaningless but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and the Hillary campaign is undoubtedly exploiting that. A nuanced explanation of wearing traditional garb when visiting a foreign country is drowned out by the fact that Obama is wearing a turban. Think Michael Dukakis in a tank all over again.

Analyzing the Obama Health Care mailings

2008-02-25T08:15:00.001-08:00

In Cincinnati over the weekend, Hillary went sharply on the offensive by criticizing the Obama campaign for mailing out fliers that was highly critical of Hillary's universal health care plan. Before we get into the substance of the attack by Obama's camp, it's worth noting that Hillary's sincerity here should be questioned. These fliers are not new to the scene. During the debate in Texas, Hillary fawned over Obama and commented on how proud she was to be sharing the stage with Obama. By then, the "Karl Rove-like" mailings had been widely circulated by the Obama campaign. Earlier this month, on Feb. 2nd, Hillary was asked about Obama's mailings on ABC's "This Week." There was no shame put on the shoulders of Barack Obama and she certainly compare them to *gasp* Karl Rove. So this feigned indignation on Hillary's part may have more to do with her disappearing leads in both Texas and Ohio and little to do with the substance of Obama's attack on Hillary's health care plan.

But I digress.

Hillary has long been unwilling to compromise on universal health care coverage. In 1993, her health care proposal died in Congress in large part due to her unwillingness to compromise. David Brooks of the NY Times had an interesting piece on that 1993 health care debacle. The gist of it is Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN) proposed an alternative health care plan to Hillary's not did not call for universal mandates. Cooper's plan had a much more realistic chance of passing through Congress but Hillary and The Clinton White House made sure it was dead on arrival. Without addressing the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country, Hillary wants (yet again) to mandate that all Americans must be covered--without much regard to their willingness or ability to pay for it. This is the substance of Obama's attack and it is essentially true.

Aside from the fact that Hillary has not developed any viable enforcement mechanism to ensure that everyone buys into her health care system, it's inevitable that everyone will not be able to pay for it. On ABC's "This Week," Hillary admitted that garnishing the wages of hard-working Americans is a definite possibility.

In that network interview, Hillary implicitly admitting that the substance of Obama's attack on her health care plan is exactly correct. People will be forced to join her massive health care bureaucracy, even if they cannot afford it or don't want it.

Hillary is making the same mistake she made as First Lady in the 1993-94 health care debate. For her, everything hinges on universal health care. Why that nebulous goal is her primary concern is difficult to ascertain. If her 35 years of experience was a learning experience, she'd drop this universal coverage mandate immediately.

Is it really progress when the federal government forces every single person to pay for health insurance? Perhaps individuals should make their own choices on health care, free of any government interference and massive bureaucracy.

Ohio Poll: Clinton up by 8 (or 11) Points

2008-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

A recent poll released by the University of Cincinnati shows Hillary Clinton leading her rival Barack Obama by 8 points, 47%-39%. A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Hillary with an 11 point lead over Obama, 51%-40%, down from a commanding 21-point lead that she held on Feb. 14.

The moral of the story here is clear. The more time Obama has to campaign in a given state and spread his "hope" or "excitement" or whatever it is he markets, the closer he makes the race with Clinton.

The same phenomenon is also being witnessed in Texas. The state was long held to be a Hillary stronghold but recent polls directly contradict that. One poll even has Obama with a commanding lead over Hillary, 57%-40%. If that poll is even half-true, Hillary is obviously in big trouble. She must win both states, Ohio and Texas, on March 4th. Anything less than commanding wins there will damage her campaign beyond repair. Remember, Obama has been winning all the states after Super Tuesday with decisive double digit margins of victory. If Hillary can't pull off that feat in Ohio and Texas, she'll be done in the delegate count. Not even the superdelegates will save her then.

And it doesn't look like double digits in either state will happen for Hillary. Hopefully the Democratic campaign wages on far beyond March 4th because that only helps Republicans in the end but everyone has to start wondering how much longer Hillary can last without many recent victories in her column.

McCain Campaigning in Cleveland Today

2008-02-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sen. John McCain, the Republican Presidential frontrunner, will be campaigning in the Cleveland area today. As I type this, he is in Rocky River at the Dom Hurley Civic Center on Hilliard Road. Later this afternoon at 4:45 PM, McCain will be at Colonial Eatery in Parma on Rodge Road. Tomorrow McCain will be campaigning in the Cincinnati area.

Political Robocalls from Hillary

2008-02-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just a few minutes ago, I received a phone call at my home from 703-637-9323. I immediately recognized the area code as coming from Northern Virginia, and so I answered the call--thinking it might be a friend from the Washington, DC area. I answered but there was no one on the other end. I hung up but curiosity got the best of me so I called back the number that had shown up on my caller ID. I got the voice mail of a young lady explaining it was the campaign headquarters of none other than Hillary Rodham Clinton. The young staffer explained that if I wanted my number removed from their list that I needed to leave my number and the state I was calling from. I did so and left an unkind message explaining that no one in my household would be voting for Hillary Clinton anytime soon.

Apparently, many disgruntled voters from around the country have received unsolicited calls from the same Hillary number. And to paraphrase one the posters at that above link, Hillary and her associates are truly nuts if they believe that these unsolicited calls at 8:30PM on a Sunday night will lead to more votes.

The other curious aspects of these unsolicited Hillary calls is: where did her campaign get my number? I am proud to say no one in this household has ever voted in a Democratic primary (despite my own temptation to contribute to this year's defeat of Dennis Kucinich). And as we all know, the Ohio primary is closed. Independents and Republicans cannot vote in the Democratic primary. It's been this way for a while here. My home phone number has been on the Federal Do Not Call Registry since its inception (of course politicians in Washington conveniently excluded themselves from the ban). So, how did Hillary get my number? It was likely purchased from somewhere or taken out of the phone book. Either way, Hillary isn't helping herself with unsolicited phone calls.

These political robocalls have recently garnered the attention of the U.S. Senate. The proposed Senate bill would not allow political robocalls to mask their identity on caller IDs, make more than one call to a number per day, or call before 8AM or after 9PM local time. The restrictions would only be in place 30 days before a primary (60 days before the general election). The bill is being sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), and Daniel Inouye.

No word yet if Hillary will be taking a break from her flourishing Presidential campaign to co-sponsor the bill!

Seeing Through the Ohio Sick Days Smokescreen

2008-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

A group calling itself Sick Days Ohio has been pushing the Ohio Legislature to take up possible legislation that would mandate all Ohio employers with 25 or more employees to provide "full-time" employees with at least 7 sick days per year.

The first glaring problem with the poorly worded proposal is that it blatantly includes part-time workers--despite assertions claiming otherwise.

From the proposal,

"Employers shall provide each employee with not less than: (i) Seven days of paid sick leave for employees working 30 hours or more per week."

The last time I checked, a full-time work week is 40 hours a week, not 30. So, despite claiming the 7 day sick leave mandate would only apply to "full-time" employees, they've included part-time workers under their safety umbrella.

Hilariously, the third section of the policy proposal includes a list of approved uses of sick leave. As if workers with enough accrued paid sick leave will only use it for personal or family illness. Heck, if I had a hefty amount of paid sick days and I wanted to catch a Tribe game at the newly-Christened Progressive Field...well..Section 4414.03 of the Ohio Healthy Families Act is not going to stop me but its intended purpose will allow me to catch some afternoon Tribe games. Not that I would ever do that.

The entire case for supporting this sick day mandate is protecting families and their health. Emotional testimonials are made on their website claiming single mothers have nowhere to turn when their young children get sick. But the actual wording of the proposed bill includes a clause urging workers to notify their employers of an expected sick day 7 days before it is used. Huh?

"I think in a week's time I'm going to get the flu, I better notify my boss to comply with the Ohio Healthy Families Act!"

Please. This entire legislation is a thinly veiled attempt to rack up more paid vacation time for workers. It appears that Sick Days Ohio is being heavily backed by organized labor in Ohio--a group always trying to find political relevance as its membership continues to whittle away.

Organized labor's influence on this ill-conceived legislation is abundantly clear as the Ohio Healthy Families Act rolls on. Section 4114.08 is completely devoted to protecting Ohio workers' right to collective bargaining agreements. So, legislation that is advertised as nothing more than a straightforward plan of providing full-time workers with 7 annual paid sick days has turned into a pre-emptive protection of collective bargaining.

Unfortunately, Sick Days Ohio's website includes a YouTube video of a recent meeting with Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, who committed to giving the proposal a committee hearing.

On the flip side, Ohio Senate President Bill Harris has given no indication that the bill will be given time for debate in the Senate.

God bless Bill Harris. The last thing Ohio needs is more government regulation on small and independent businesses looking to provide Ohio with some much needed jobs.

Why would Ohio businesses be vigorously opposed to more paid sick days? Because inevitably, with more sick days, employees take more days off.

In Europe, the continental capital of paid sick days, a workplace study of sick days determined that countries that provide more paid sick days by law also experience employees taking more time off more illness (supposedly).

In Sweden, the land that prosperous capitalism left behind, generous sick leave packages cost the Swedish government an eye-popping $5.2 billion in 2002. Or 0.16% of Sweden's total GDP.

To put it mildly, I don't think Ohio is in an economic position right now to shave off 0.16% of its shrinking GDP so that I or anyone else can pull a Ferris Bueller and catch a afternoon Tribe game. And that's precisely what would happen if this legislation was passed, this isn't about a child's health. It's about organized labor trying to secure more paid vacation time for its members by disguising it with emotional appeals and sick children. Now that kind of politics is what is truly sick.

Marc Dann: Stopping Foreclosures and Screwing Taxpayers

2008-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

This highly informative Bloomberg News piece lays out the latest legal strategy in thwarting home foreclosures. During the housing market boom circa 2003-2006, there was a hot secondary trading market for mortgage notes. Now that many homeowners have fallen behind on their monthly payments and banks are seeking to foreclose on the property, homeowners are going to the courts and claiming banks cannot foreclose on them because they do not have the proper paperwork definitively proving either: (a) that particular owns the property (and thus has the right to foreclose on it or (b) the new owner of the mortgage note is granting permission to that bank for the foreclosure to take place.

Bloomberg also mentions that our very own Attorney General, Marc Dann, has employed this legal tactic to prevent a whole host of home foreclosures in Ohio. In the article, a representative from Dann's office makes the claim that, "The best thing to do is to keep people in their homes and for everybody to take steps necessary to make that happen.''

The obvious question is: Why? As critics of the tactic and this faulty philosophy point out, homeowners who cannot obviously afford the property hurt everyone. Other residents in the neighborhood suffer from lower property values as a result of foreclosed residents hanging on to property and letting it rot or . And area taxpayers suffer because these residents usually owe thousands of dollars in back property taxes that they also cannot afford.

Indeed, it was this obvious conflict of interest that led a Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge to chastise Marc Dann for trying to prevent a foreclosure when the state of Ohio had a lien on the same property.

And again as a real estate attorney points out in the Bloomberg piece, big lenders don't print their own money. The original home mortgage was funded through someone's savings account, retirement fund, etc. That's where banks get money. The homeowner then defaulted on a loan they likely had little chance of ever repaying.

And Marc Dann wants to protect that reckless homeowner.

Ohio Republicans Are Rooting For Hillary

2008-02-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

No real surprise here. Ohio GOP Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine and others are openly admitting that they are rooting for Hillary Clinton in March 4's Democratic Presidential primary because they believe she can unite the Republicans like no other opponent and be ultimately defeated in the general election due to her high negative ratings. As evidenced by the recent USA Today numbers that gave her a negative rating of 49%.

I'm not so sure this conventional wisdom is completely accurate. Obama appears to be a big gamble for Democrats. There is real hesitation among Hispanics toward Obama's candidacy and Obama is polling weakly in some key states, including Ohio. Here in the Buckeye State, SurveyUSA has Clinton leading McCain by 10 points, 52%-42%, while Obama only has a three-point advantage over McCain, 47%-44%. Obama fares far worse against McCain in places like Florida and mind-bogglingly, Obama is only two points ahead of McCain in....drum roll...Massachusetts!

Obama will either win big or lose in a landslide. It seems unlikely he can win in a fairly close election scenario. While Obama and his rhetoric are playing well among independents for now, the real test will come in the fall. Obama has been mediocre thus far in his debate performances against Hillary. Not that McCain is a collegiate debater with a cabinet full of trophies, but he is a better candidate than Hillary ever will be. And I still maintain Obama's numbers are bound to drop. The current love affair the media has with Obama now will end once Hillary is out of the picture for good.

So, Ohio Republicans may be supporting Hillary in the hopes of drawing the weaker candidate but be careful what you wish for. Hillary is still polling well among seniors (the most reliable voting bloc) and union voters. As Pat Buchanan has pointed out more than once, those are exactly the kind of usual Democratic voters McCain can peel away to win The White House--especially in a state with a demographic makeup like Ohio.

Ameritrust Tower Saga Continues...

2008-02-23T14:57:00.001-08:00

The Ameritrust Tower has been a permanent fixture of downtown Cleveland's skyline since it was built in 1971. The 29-story sat empty for years after the building's main occupant, Ameritrust Bank (originally the hometown Cleveland Trust) was bought out by (then) Society Bank (now Key Bank).

In 2005, the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners purchased the tower for $29 million in taxpayers' money. The Commissioners (Peter Lawson Jones, Tim Hagan, and Jimmy Dimora) purchased the building with the intention of constructing a Cuyahoga County Taj Mahal of county offices, which all 3 of them would surely directly benefit from.

The Commissioners than had the audacity to approve another $33 million in county funds to be used to demolish the Ameritrust Tower and construct their precious county palace. But the plan soon became controversial and the Commissioners, ever mindful of public opinion, decided it would be in their self-interest to scrap their waste of taxpayer dollars and sell the property to a private developer.

As they shopped for a possible developer, it quickly became evident that only one developer would truly be interested. K&D, a locally-based developer, offered to turn the Ameritrust Tower into a mix-use property of a hotel, shopping, and restaurants.

But now the Commissioners voted to reject K&D's bid for the property. K&D was only willing to pay $20 million up front and then secure the other $15 million through a loan. But with banks unwilling to loan out millions of dollars amid the still-developing subprime mortgage crisis, K&D's loan fell up short in the eyes of Hagan, Dimora, and Jones.

And despite wasting so much time, money, energy, and effort on this ridiculous idea of consolidating county offices for no apparent reason, the Commissioners are still demanding $35 million for the property. Why? To make up for the $8.8 million in taxpayer money they've already wasted, of course!

This debacle over the fate of the Ameritrust Tower illustrates the consequences of one-party rule anywhere. Fearing no repercussions at the ballot box, the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners arrogantly decided to waste public money on a project that would provide with cushy and modern office space.

Hopefully Cuyahoga County voters punish Tim Hagan for his hands-on complicity with this project this November and elect Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland as their next Commissioner.

Quinnipiac: Clinton Maintains Healthy Lead in Ohio

2008-02-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

Quinnipiac University has released its latest round of polling in the wake of Hillary's big losses in the Potomac states this past Tuesday. And despite Hillary's recent campaign woes, she is maintaining a healthy lead in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Among Ohio Democrats, women back Clinton,
56 percent to 30 percent for Obama, while men
back Clinton 52 percent to 42 percent, the poll found.

The Quinnipiac poll is basically in line with the previous SurveyUSA poll (see below). Quinnipiac has Hillary with a 56%-30% edge over Obama.

The pollster pointed out that Ohio possesses the perfect demographic for Hillary Clinton: blue collar Democrats with no college education.

In an Ohio general election matchup with the presumed Republican nominee Senator John McCain, McCain has a very slight lead against Clinton, 44%-43% and McCain had a bigger lead against Obama, 44%-40%. Both set of numbers are good news for McCain. His ability to win The White House is obviously strengthened if he manages to keep Ohio in the Republican column. Plus, the Quinnipiac poll also found that McCain is polling very well in neighboring Pennsylvania. McCain only trails Obama by one point in PA, 42%-41%, but does trail Hillary by a 6-point margin, 46%-40%.

This set of polls from battleground states like OH and PA should serve as a wake up call for Democrats. While Obama may be leading McCain in national polls by a slightly better margin than Hillary, he's performing considerably worse against McCain in these key states. It should be warning sign for Democrats everywhere, but I hope not.

Is Mayor O'Grady a Plant?

2008-02-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

One of the dirtiest (and most brilliant) tricks often employed by the Richard Daley machine in Chicago was to plant candidates in primaries where a rising challenger was threatening the political career of an incumbent officeholder who was allied with Daley.

Could this dirty tactic be finding its way into Cleveland politics?

Cue North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady.

O'Grady is a Democratic primary candidate for the Congressional seat currently held by Dennis Kucinich.

Kucinich had to drop his (second) wild-eyed Presidential campaign and come back to Cleveland to beat back the credible challenge currently being waged by Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman.

There are 5 candidates in the race to the Democratic nominee for Oh-10: Kucinich, Cimperman, Barbara Anne Ferris, Rosemary Palmer, and O'Grady.

Palmer was the first to announce her candidacy, partially inspired to run after the tragic death of her son in Iraq.

Ferris is a perennial candidate who has made a recent career of running for Congress in this district.

Cimperman is the credible challenger to the longtime incumbent who is relatively young and ambitious--and smelled blood in the water while Kucinich was criss-crossing the USA in hopes of becoming President (gag me).

And O'Grady is a little-known suburban mayor who was late to the game.

So why is O'Grady running? He and everyone else knows he has no chance of winning the primary. No one outside his hometown of North Olmsted even knows who he is. And he has no money to spend to close that gap. Through the last quarter of 2007, he's only collected funds from 22 people!

And in the recent candidates' debate, O'Grady took very few jabs at Kucinich. Nearly all of his time was spent talking up his international experience and military career, ad naseum. Admirable, certainly, but not the things winning campaigns are made of.

O'Grady's campaign web site is a very simple endeavor that is noticeably thin on details--especially for a man who seemed to like talking at the debate. The issues on his web site are jobs, health care, education, being a military career officer (?), and restoring the American dream (what a courageous platform!). Each of these issues is given a small paragraph of explanation without details such as policy ideas or--say--possible legislation he would introduce as a member of Congress.

Not that Cimperman or even Kucinich lay out the intricacies of rising health care plans in a detailed presentation or anything. But O'Grady's campaign web site could be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

O'Grady smells like a plant but no one can ever be sure.

One thing is for certain, O'Grady will definitely help split up the anti-incumbent (Kucinich) vote.

Survey USA: Hillary leading Obama 56%-37%

2008-02-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Finally some good news for Hillary coming from here in Ohio. One of the most reputable polling firms in the country, SurveyUSA, has her beating Barack Obama by a very healthy margin, 56%-37%.

It's no doubt great news. Especially since the media has been portraying (and the Hillary campaign has freely admitted) that she must win both Texas and Ohio on March 4 to remain in the hunt against Obama.

I'm sticking with my prediction of a Hillary win in Ohio by 51%-47%. But while she may win the battle in Ohio, I think she's destined to lose the war. Obama has racked up huge margins of victory in various states up until now and he looks poised to win Wisconsin and Hawai'i next Tuesday. And with the Democrat's system of awarding delegates proportionately to the candidate's share of the vote, Hillary will not be able to gain any clear advantage in the delegate count. With that reality setting in after March, it looks likely that Hillary's superdelegate advantage will begin to erode as Congressmen and Governors look to jump off Hillary's sinking ship.

Hillary's last asset was her strong support among Latinos but now even that advantage is questionable. Obama actually won the Latino vote in Virginia this week (though lost it 55%-45% in MD to Clinton).

As for SurveyUSA's poll, I have no reason to doubt it but March 4 is still a long time from now in political terms. Assuming Obama amasses even more victories in Wisconsin and Hawai'i, Ohioans will switch to Obama in larger numbers. Plus, the more time Obama has had to campaign in primary states and let this message be heard--he was on over the Democratic voters and won the primary. Again, I think he'll come up short in Ohio, but just barely. And that alone could be interpreted as an Obama victory.

That said, Obama is not in the same territory as McCain. It is now mathematically impossible for Huckabee to catch up to McCain. It cannot happen, ever. Hillary and Obama, on the other hand, are neck and neck (as any evening news program will tell you). The Obama campaign is trying to go after McCain and ignore Hillary in the process, but they do that at their own peril. The "aura of inevitability" it was got Hillary in trouble in the first place.

Breakdown of GOP Presidential Race in Ohio by Congressional seat

2008-02-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

By popular request, I've also done a breakdown of the Republican Presidential primary in Ohio by Congressional district. Despite Huckabee's latest "surge," if it can be qualified as that, this race is far less close (and consequently less exciting) than its Democratic counterpart. Nevertheless, there are some Congressional seats and pockets of rural Ohio where Huckabee could perform well.

OH-01: McCain.Whatever amount of urban area Republicans exist in Cincinnati will support McCain in large numbers. The Butler County portion of this district could tilt toward Huckabee, however.

OH-02: McCain. Although a safe GOP district (usually), the makeup here is primarily suburban Republicans and I just don't see them going toward Huckabee. On Super Tuesday, many of these suburban Republicans supported Romney because of his economic views. I suspect them to now go to McCain by default.

OH-03: McCain yet again. Dayton should be kind to McCain, especially when considering Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located there. Military servicemen and women have been behind McCain from the beginning.

OH-04: Finally we get to a district Huckabee has a realistic chance of winning. I'll say Huckabee wins here by a few points.

OH-05: Combination of rural counties plus Toledo suburbs (Wood County). In recent special election here, attacking the Democrat on illegal immigration and abortion played well. Social conservatives will come out for Huckabee here but I think the more populous counties go to McCain. I say McCain here by about 5 points.

OH-06: Rural Republicans. This is the perfect demographic for Huckabee. I say Huckabee here by a healthy amount.

OH-07: More suburbs of Dayton and Columbus spells good news for McCain. McCain will win here by a healthy margin with strong suburban support.

OH-8: Another rural district. It would seem like a good pickup opportunity for Huckabee but I'm not so sure. Urban sprawl has brought some of the Cincinnati exurbs into Butler County and likewise for Dayton exurbs. I say McCain here, but barely.

OH-09: This one is hard to predict. It includes Toledo (good for McCain) but also some rural areas along Lake Erie. With McCain as the obvious frontrunner, I say he wins. Ohio Republicans like to support the winner.

OH-10: McCain and it won't even be close. Bedroom communities won't identify with a preacher from Arkansas.

OH-11: McCain by a lot, again. These safe Democratic districts all go for McCain. Remember Super Tuesday and the California primary. One reason McCain beat Romney by so much in California was because he carried all the safe Democratic districts in a rout (think LA, SF Bay). The same will hold true in Ohio and elsewhere around the country.

OH-12: Another suburban district for McCain.

OH-13: McCain.

Oh-14: McCain. Wealthy suburbs of Chardon, Pepper Pike, Gates Mills, Kirtland Hills, etc. will be supporting the establishment candidate in landslide.

OH-15: McCain, Huckabee won't play well in inner city Columbus or on OSU's campus.

OH-16: McCain, but not by much. He'll rack up big margins in places like Canton, Massillon, and Medina. That's enough to win the whole seat.

OH-17: McCain. Huckabee won't break 30% here.

OH-18: This could be Huckabee's strongest showing in Ohio. Rural counties will like Huckabee. I say he could conceivably win here by 10 points.

Statewide: 60%-35% McCain. A clear win for McCain but maybe not as impressive as some would imagine. Doesn't matter, he's got a clear path to the nomination. Huckabee should have dropped out before Romney. Then again, I would have preferred he never ran in the first place.

Scalia was on Bob Dole's Short List

2008-02-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

On Feb 5th's episode on Hannity & Colmes on the Fox News Channel, Bob Dole mentioned that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was on his short list for Vice President:

DOLE: Great choice, yes. There are others. You could start making a list. And maybe Huckabee would be on the list. I don't know. I had Judge Scalia on my list. Probably shouldn't –
COLMES: Judge Scalia was on your list to be VP?
DOLE: I never contacted him.
COLMES: Is that right?
DOLE: Yes.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328525,00.html

It's a revelation by former Senator Dole that hasn't received much press coverage but it's very interesting, nonetheless. One thing is obvious enough, Dole was trying to make a splash with Veep pick back in '96. Jack Kemp never really measured up. Dole would have been better off pulling a Mondale and picking a women or minority that would have made history to generate news coverage and gain positive momentum from it. Scalia doesn't fit that bill but it'd be a first in the sense of a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice vying to become Vice President. Justices are supposed to appear (at the very least) as apolitical. So it probably wouldn't have looked had Scalia been vying for the very political job of Vice President. And plus, I'm not so sure Scalia would have give up his lifetime gig on the land's highest federal bench. Nevertheless, it's a fun "what if" to think about.

Breakdown Hillary vs. Obama by Ohio Congressional Districts

2008-02-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

OH-01: Obama. Cincinnati gives Obama a nice urban base of support of African American and urban liberals (plus UC and Xavier campuses).

OH-02: Hillary. This is largely a wealthy, suburban district that is also heavily Republican (or should be, you wouldn't know it with Jean Schmidt's recent performances there). Obama's performance in that straw poll not withstanding, this district holds that kind of demographic Hillary needs to carry.

OH-03: Obama, though it will be close. Dayton and Middletown should put Obama over the top.

OH-04: Not many Democrats in this rural district. This is an area EdwSpards would have carried had he stayed in the race. I'll guess Hillary but it's anyone's to grab.

OH-05: Same as OH-04 though it includes Bowling Green. Probably Safe for Obama.

OH-06: Combination of rural Democrats and union Democrats. Likely Hillary country.

OH-07: Sprawling district of rural area, Dayton suburbs and Columbus suburbs. I'm going to say slight Hillary here but it does include Wittenberg's campus.

OH-8: Rural district with few Democrats. Miami University's campus should give Obama the advantage.

OH-09: Toledo and the Lake Erie coast would suggest fertile ground for Hillary. This district also includes parts of Lorain with significant Hispanic populations. All good news for Hillary.

OH-10: I expect Hillary to carry OH-10 comfortably. The blue collar communities should serve her well: Parma, Brooklyn, West Park, Lakewood, etc., etc.

OH-11: Obama.

OH-12: Wealthy Columbus suburbs. Hillary with a slight edge but she needs to carry these areas to win.

OH-13: Interesting district. Obama will carry Akron proper and Hillary probably everything else. It's probably hers.

Oh-14: The wealthy snowbelt. Hillary.

OH-15: Obama. Downtown Columbus + OSU = Obama

OH-16: Hillary.

OH-17: Hillary. Obama will carry KSU and some precincts in Youngstown.

OH-18: Rural district, almost entirely. Hillary.

Statewide: 51%-47% Hillary. Everything can change from here on out, especially if Obama builds up enough momentum. But that's where I see it standing right now.

Battle Royale Continues within Summit County GOP

2008-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

On Friday, the Secretary of State's office ruled that three candidates for the Republican Central Committee in Summit County can stay on the ballot. I doubt Arshinkoff and his goons were amused. The candidates were recruited by State Senator and rising star Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) in his attempt to rid the County Republicans of current Chairman Alex Arshinkoff. Usually Republicans should stick with Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment of "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican." But Summit County presents a rare case where the Chairman of the County Republicans should be ousted. Akron area Republicans have had their own version of Tammany Hall for decades now and it's time to put an end to Alex Arshinkoff's tenure as the boss.

In a county as strongly Democratic as Summit County obviously is, it is beyond belief that Republicans would keep Arshinkoff in charge. In every regard, Arshinkoff is a total liability. He has made numerous threats to elected leaders, including the President of the Hudson City Council. Hints and allegations of corruption by Arshinkoff persist. And beyond the usual political corruption of party bosses, Arshinkoff's private life has also been scrutinized--including allegations of a male college student being touched by Arshinkoff in his Audi.

No matter if Arshinkoff is gay or not, Summit County Republicans need to welcome new members and promising candidates to the party, while also cutting out elements of corruption.

Good riddance Alex Arshinkoff.

Plain Dealer Endorses McCain, Obama

2008-02-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

No big surprise here. Practically every major U.S. newspaper has endorsed John McCain and Barack Obama.

The big question is of these major newspaper endorsements will translate into increased support. The endorsement of every relevant newspaper in California certainly didn't help Obama secure that state in his column. Media endorsements provide good bragging rights against your opponent but that's about it. Voters are unlikely to base their individual vote on how many newspaper endorsements some candidate was able to rack up in a given state.

As for the Ohio Presidential primary itself, Hillary appears to still have the edge. Between now and March 4, however, Obama has the clear advantage. This Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Potomac Primary (Maryland, DC, Virginia) will hold their primaries and Obama is favored to sweep all three states. So, the momentum could clearly shift between now and March 4. Hillary's strategy should be to build up Texas and Ohio as firewall states to halt any momentum Obama has racked up sweeping the primaries/caucuses last night (Saturday, Feb. 9) and his likely sweep this Tuesday. If Hillary can win the big states of Texas and Ohio, she's back in the thick of it. If not, Obama has likely won the nomination.

As for the varying calculations of the delegate count, superdelegates (Congressmen, Governors, big city Mayors, union leaders, etc.) should not be counted in at this point. Whomever wins the most votes and goes into the Democratic convention with the most votes and/or delegates will secure the nomination. Superdelegates are purely political creatures who fully realize that nominating a candidate who received less votes than another is tantamount to political suicide. Plus, the party that felt cheated out of the 2000 Presidential election in Florida is unlikely to give their nomination away to someone who was beaten at the polls.

Turn Around Ohio.....with Club Keno!

2008-02-09T17:36:00.001-08:00

In 2006 as a candidate for Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland vigorously opposed an amendment on the fall ballot legalizing casino gambling. The Earn-and-Learn Initiative would have sent a portion of the funds raised from casinos to fund Ohio public schools. I have long been a proponent of casino gambling. The tangibles benefits in instant revenue, jobs, tourism, hotels, restaurants, etc. are very significant. And a struggling state like Ohio needs any and all economic activity it can develop. Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, riverboats on the Ohio River, and now Kentucky have realized this truth. All have or are in the process of legalizing gambling.

For his part, Strickland is trying to wipe away Ohio's widening budget deficit with a video gambling game called Club Keno. It's like a mini super lotto game where players pick numbers while placing a wager, and numbers are drawn every few minutes or hours. But for some reason, Strickland is still claiming he is opposed to casino gambling. Why? Strickland is making a distinction without a difference. The Toledo Blame ran an unusually scathing editorial of a Democrat because of this Club Keno plan--going so far as to call it "hypocritical" of the anti-gambling Strickland to propose it.

I applaud Strickland for bringing some form of gambling to the table in Ohio. Ohio Republicans have shamefully been opposed to any form of gambling for reasons of family values. Gag me.

But make no mistake about it, Club Keno is most definitely a form of gambling. Just because it doesn't include Blackjack tables or Russian roulette, doesn't mean it isn't gambling. Strickland is certainly being disingenuous with this plan and needs to call it what everyone already knows it as--gambling. Strickland's main objection to legalized gambling appears to be the fear of rampant addiction and blowing an innocent kid's college fund. But the risk of addiction to Club Keno is as possible as addiction to Craps or Poker. (As is the potential for addiction to Ohio's SuperLotto or on Ohio's horse tracks).

And while Strickland is trying to solve Ohio's budget woes with increased use of gambling, he might as well bring full scale casino gambling to Ohio. Every year Ohio loses out on a great economic opportunity to keep gambling and associated tourism here in Ohio. Ohioans constantly travel to Detroit, Windsor, or West Virginia for gambling. And in the short term, the building and operation of big casinos could take a bite out of Ohio's 6% (and growing) unemployment rate. Another lost opportunity in Ohio.

Brunner's Cleveland Election Gamble Falling Apart

2008-02-09T17:22:00.001-08:00

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's decision to require Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) to scrape their multi-million dollar electronic voting machines for no real reason has caused quite a stir. The New York Times politics blog has picked up on the saga.

Brunner's last minute decision to rid Ohio of touch-screen voting machines is reckless and a move done only to appease a fanatical base of liberal supporters who think Diebold, Halliburton, and Dick Cheney will rig every election. Brunner claims touch-screen voting provides no paper trail for ballots. False. In Butler Coutny, as one example, Diebold machines printed a paper receipt of each voter's ballot. Before printing, the machine had the voter verify their votes for each candidate and issue before tabulting the vote. Then the receipt is printed by the machine and the voter can see the receipt before leaving the polling place. Touch screens not only provide a paper trail but they keep ballots more secure. The use of paper ballots opens up vulnerabilities to tampering and illegal tabulation that Brunner is plainly ignoring.

Now individual counties, like Union County, are fighting in the courts to keep the touch-screen system and Brunner has a mess on her hands. If the touch-screen system had to be replaced, it should have been done after the 2008 primary--at the very least. Jeers to Jennifer Brunner.

OH-02 Labelled as One of the Worst

2008-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Washington Congressional pundit Stu Rothenberg has labelled the Congressional race being one of the worst in recent history. Incumbent Congresswoman Jean Schmidt barely hung on against Dr. Victoria Wulsin in 2006. Wulsin is running for the Democrats again this year and Schmidt has drawn a Republican primary challenger in state legislator Tom Brinkman. Brinkman has grabbed headlines for his unsuccessful lawsuit against Miami University in which he claimed the school's domestic partner benefits violated Ohio's ban on gay marriage. Pure idiocy. Schmidt is not well liked by the Republican establishment or by voters in her own Congressional district. Her own poll from last month shows she doesn't have majority (50%+1) support among Republicans.

Wulsin, for her part, is not better. She recycled a campaign TV advertisement from the 2006 election and constantly talks in circles. Rothenberg provides an entertaining case in point at the end of his article. Apparently Wulsin considers herself a liberal AND conservative. What issues does she take a conservative stance on? Well, apparently she loves marriage and families! I had no idea such stances were only taken by conservatives. My bad.

In all seriousness, Rothenberg has this race handicapped perfectly. Schmidt has given no reason to re-elect her but Wulsin provides nothing to be elected in her own right. And despite this Congressional district being one of the most Republican districts in the state of Ohio, it's likely to be a barn burner yet again. Sigh.

Plusquellic's Sewer Plan Sets Right Course for Akron

2008-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Akron Mayor Donald Plusquellic has announced a plan to sell the Akron City sewer system to finance a plan to send Akron high school students to college for free-specifically to area institutions of higher learning such as the University of Akron. According to city estimates, the sale could bring in anywhere from $100 million to $400 million.

It's encouraging to see Ohio Democrats finally coming around to the innovative idea of selling or leasing infrastructure to generate the funds necessary to rebuild Ohio's future. Remember the 2006 gubernatorial election when Ken Blackwell proposed leasing the Ohio Turnpike for 99 years and Democrats acted as if it would the equivalent to proposing beating baby seals to death? For all of Blackwell's numerous faults, that turnpike leasing plan would have provided a much needed $6 billion revenue stream to rebuild roads, interstates, and bridges. Strickland opposed that plan basically because Blackwell was the first to propose it. Strickland claimed he feared higher tolls but of course higher tolls are inevitable for the Ohio Department of Transportation to maintain the turnpike currently.

How far we have come in less than 2 years. Cheers to Plusquellic. Hopefully more Ohio Mayors follow his innovative example.

Democrats Take the Helm; First 100 Hours Begins Without GOP Voice

2007-01-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

As Nancy Pelosi takes the helm of command as the new Speaker of the US House, the first 100 legislative hours become key to their legislative success. But, unfortunately, they've already started out on the wrong foot. Congressional Democrats have decided to silence the Republican Minority and prevent them from offering amendments or any other legislative motion to the bills that Democrats plan to bring to the floor of the House. Pelosi, Hoyer, & Co. have promised over and over again to make the 110th Congress the most open and bipartisan Congress in this nation's history. This first step does not seem like a move in the right direction to make that campaign promise a reality.

The Democratic agenda for the first 100 hours includes:

-raising the national minimum wage rate to $7.25 per hour

-enact lobbyist and ethics reform legislation

-slashing the interest rates on college student loans

-enact furter recommendations of the 09/11 Commission to prevent other terrorist attacks

-mandate that the federal government directly negiotiate with drug companies for lower prescription drug prices

-widening stem cell research beyond what President Bush has previously allowed

Yesterday, President Bush held a press conference at the White House after his first cabinet meeting of the new year to articulate his hopes and wishes for what the new Congress will tackle. In a very shrewd political move, President Bush underscored the need for a balanced budget and said his Administration would introduce a proposal to balance the federal budget by the year 2012. Bush also mentioned reforming Social Security and Medicare as other top legislative priorities on his agenda.

Taft Signs Math and Science Standards into Law

2007-01-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

As one of his last major acts as Ohio Governor and his last public appearance as Governor, Bob Taft signed stricter math and science standards into law for Ohio's elementary school s. The new law requires that the fifth graders of today pass math and lab-based science courses before they're allowed to graduate from high school in 2014. Gov. Taft cited the ever changing world economy and the new requirements in the job market for implementing these academic standards.

The signing ceremony of this education bill coincided with a study released that placed Ohio's schools in the middle of the pack compared with the education systems of the 49 other states. The areas that seemed to really hurt Ohio were preschool and post-high school. Taft's education program seems to at least attempt to solve the post-high school problems with Ohio's students. While offering proper and effective K-12 education, Ohio is severely lacking in its training for students after high school. Hopefully, this new law will give Ohio students a boost and much needed head start in a worldwide competitive job market.

On the preschool end, incoming Gov. Ted Strickland has claimed he wants to make quality preschool education programs available to all of Ohio's preschool-aged children. Strickland, however, has yet to offer any specifics or how such a program would be funded.

Good Riddance to Bob Taft?

2007-01-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Conservative malaise over Bob Taft has boiled over to the point of welcoming Ted Strickland into the Governor's Mansion in Bexley and rehashing Strickland campaign messages at the direct expense of the Ohio Republican Party. A column by James Uhrling recites the typical mantra about how horrible Taft's reign as Governor was. But exclusive focus on Bob Taft, his record low approval ratings, and state tax increases is precisely what has gotten us to this point. The GOP candidate for Governor, despite being on the verge of electoral history in Ohio and garnering the support of national political celebrities like John McCain and Rudy Giuliani lost to the generic and virtually unknown (and surely untested) Democratic candidate by a 23 point margin. Republicans lost all statewide offices but one and Democrats came very close in capturing the state house.

Nobody likes Bob Taft or his reign as Governor. Fine. But let's put that fact to bed already.

Bob Taft is a nice man with noble intentions. His executive leadership and management skills are certainly lacking. But to purge the Republican Party of so-called "RINOs" simply because they supported the legislative agenda of a GOP Governor seems short-sighted at the very least.

The fact of that matter is that the Ohio Republican Party needs as many members as possible now. The balance of power in the state house now stands at 53 Republicans and 46 Democrats. Purging the party now could lead to vindictive legislators joining the Democratic caucus.

The 2006 election results in Ohio were a part of a national wave of discontent with Republicans and their political leadership. In Ohio, specifically, Taft became a punching bag for that voter discontent. But the election result involved much more than Bob Taft. After all, his name appeared nowhere on the ballot and Ken Blackwell ran far to the right of Bob Taft on nearly every issue. In the Republican Primary for Governor, Blackwell tried to tie both of his primary opponents (Petro and Montgomery) directly to Taft. Blackwell tried to cast himself as the anti-Taft, with a conservative solution for every problem Taft has caused. Yet Blackwell's candidacy went down in a crushing defeat.

Beyond the Governor's race, characterizing Rep. Jean Schmidt as a RINO is beyond ridiculous. Schmidt is solidly pro-life, pro-gun with high marks from the NRA, supported President Bush's tax cuts, opposes gay marriage, obviously supported the President's policy in Iraq, and . There's not one issue that Schmidt has a moderate-to-liberal position on, let alone any evidence indicating tagging her as a RINO is fair.

These hardline conservatives of Ohio need to realize that a Gov. Taft and Sen. DeWine are much more hospitable than Gov. Strickland and Sen. Brown. The real RINOS appear to be those so-called conservatives who openly welcome the defeat of Republican candidates and the election of Democrats solely for the sake of purging a party that has already been purged of its most recognizable and experienced candidates.

Taft Signs Stricter Sex Offender Laws

2007-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Outgoing Governor Bob Taft (R-OH) signed two pieces of legislation that will institute new and stricter sex offender laws in Ohio. Each new law, called Jessica's Law and Nicole's Law respectively, will require courts to consider prior criminal behavior when setting bail, require convicted sex offenders to wear GPS satellite devices, and judges will now be required to sentence sex offenders with a child under the age of 13 to a minimum sentence of 2 years in state prison. Nicole's Law will require a sexual offender to appear before a judge and also a parole board.

New Era of Government in Ohio

2007-01-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

This past Novemeber Republicans were smoked at the polls. Republicans lost statewide races for Governor/ Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, US Senator. Ohio Republicans also lost a significant number of state legislature seats as well.

But the news isn't all bad. Despite all the damage done this election season, Republicans were able to pick up a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court with the retirement of Alice Robie Resnick due to her drunk driving charge from February 2005. Republican Apellate Judge Robert Cupp (R-Lima) was able to survive the toxic political climate for the Ohio GOP and defeat his Democratic political opponent former State Senator Ben Espy (D-Columbus) by a 53%-47% margin. Cupp's victory in 2006 was nothing short of a miracle. Despite Ken Blackwell heading the GOP ticket in Ohio and losing by about 23 points, Cupp as a non-incumbent Republican candidate, carried 70 of 88 counties in Ohio and kept Espy's margin of victory in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) down to about 54, 000 votes. Cupp even managed to carry heavily Democratic Lucas County (Toledo)!

Incumbent State Supreme Court Justice Terrence O'Donnell easily defeated his Democratic opponent William O'Neill. O'Neill refused to accept any campaign contributions as a sort of protest against Ohio's current elected system for the state judiciary. O'Neill's quirky campaign style (which included using an old printing press he purchased and used in his garage) earned him glowing press coverage from the esteemed New York Times. The Times portrayed the Republican Terrence O'Donnell has always siding with big corporate donors and O'Neill wanting to fight for the little man. The NY Times didn't make much of a difference in the race as O'Donnell went on to defeat O'Neill easily by 18 points.

In the state senate, Democrats had only one pickup in District 12, Jeffry Armbruster's seat. Democrat Susan Morano defeated Republican Martha Wise by 26 points in that race. In all the other competitive state senate races, Republicans were able to hold on.

The closest state senate race on election night came in the Akron area with incumbent State Senator Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) defeating Democrat Judy Hanna by nearly 5 points. Hanna's campaign was hampered by numerous gaffes, most notably a blog entry she authored for a liberal blog called Week. The article is filled with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and is largely incoherent. Another interesting note to make with State Senator Kevin Coughlin is that his name is already being floated around as a possible GOP contender against Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012. Coughlin has some baggage due to allegations of sexual harrassment but that allegation has been used over and over by his former opponents and all have been defeated.

The state house was full of GOP campaign mishaps and seats with candidates who did not campaign vigorously. Democrats ended up picking up a total of seven state house seats, leaving the balance of power count at 53 Republicans and 46 Democrats. This was a major upset of sorts for Ohio House Democrats. No pundit paying attention to Ohio would have even considered the possiblity of Democrats coming as close as they did in overtaking the state house. I suppose this is the story of the 2006 election cycle and Republicans should be thankful we're entering a new year.

Charlie Wilson's Dilemma in OH-06: He's Off the Ballot

2006-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday at approximately 4pm the Columbiana County Board of Elections confirmed that Democratic Congressional candidate in OH-06 and current State Senator Charlie Wilson (D-Bridgeport) did reach the 50 required (and valid) signatures to be placed on the ballot. This was verified despite insistence from (non?)candidate Wilson earlier in the week that he believed his campaign had the 50 required signatures, even with all the evidence pointing to the contrary. As it turned out, Wilson only had 46 valid signatures actually from the OH-06. He originally submitted 96 but 5o of those signatures were obtained from outside the OH-06. Despite the State Senator's apparent difficulty in obtaining 50 signatures from within OH-06, two obscure and unknown Democratic candidates were able to reach the 50 John Hancock's threshold rather easily. Former Michigan Republican Congressional candidate Bob Carr and John Luchanstay will be on the Democratic Primary ballot for OH-06 on May 2nd but Charlie Wilson won't be.

This complicates Wilson's two remaining options from here on out. Wilson can either 1.) run as a write-in candidate in OH-06 Democratic primary and if he should beat Carr and Luchanstay, then Wilson would appear as the Democratic candidate in the general election or 2.) he could run as an independent candidate in the general election. The second option would be disastrous and practically hand the election to likely GOP candidate St. Rep. Chuck Blasdel (R-East Liverpool). Wilson would be splitting up Democrat votes with the Democratic candidate on the ballot (either Carr or Luchanstay), while Blasdel would coast to victory with soild GOP support. The first option is the most appealing at this point but by no means failsafe. Victorious write-in campaigns are the exception, not the norm, in politics. Democrats seem to have an odd overconfidence in that Wilson's failure to initially get on the primary ballot is no big deal. They seem to think DCCC Chairman and Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL) will come to the rescue and send in footsoldiers to obtain the 1,886 signatures Wilson will need to qualify as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary. The manpower, resources, and money necessary to carry out this signature drive shouldn't be downplayed, not to mention that merely qualifying Wilson as a write-in candidate doesn't secure victory. Certainly there are historical examples of successful Congressional write-in campaigns (Strom Thurmond, Joe Skeen, etc., etc.) but OH-06 is a special circumstance. First the physical boundaries are such that Wilson is not a political powerhouse or even well known (particularly in conties bordering the Ohio River in southern Ohio). Managing a successful write-in campaign (which are at least Demcrat-leaning) will not be easy.

The political ramifications of this screw-up are becoming abundantly clear in the aftermath of Wilson being thrown off the ballot. CQPolitics now lists the Congressional race as a true toss-up thanks to Wilson's blunder and fellow Democrats are starting to wonder out loud if Wilson's staff (consisting at the top of a campaign manager that also happens to be his son) is second rate. The fact that the Wilson campaign could not even determine where OH-06 began and ended is more than a simple screw-up, it suggests a candidate who thinks he's entitled to the seat without an election.

Corruption also looms over the entire event. Columbiana County Board of Elections Chairman John Payne apparently contacted the Wilson campaign to alert them ahead of time that their were problems with their filing petitions. Wilson wanted to get the petitions back to add more signatures and qualify for the primary ballot, but Wilson was informed that the deadline had passed and doing so would violate Ohio election laws. Why would John Payne personally contact the Wilson campaign like this? Payne had made it clear to Democratic circles that he would like Wilson's state senate seat if he is elected to Congress. There's so much here for the Blasdel campaign to use that it might not be worth the Democratic effort to go ahead with the Wilson write-in campaign, but don't tell them that.

Strickland Leads; Blackwell Falters

2006-02-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough start to the week for the Blackwell campaign. First came the bad news from Rasmussen Reports, showing Secretary of State Ken Blackwell the weaker general election candidate against Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) for Governor in November. According to Rasmussen, Strickland leads Blackwell by a whopping 12 points, 47% to 32%. The other Republican candidate for Ohio Governor, Attorney General Jim Petro, fares much better against Strickland. He trails the Democrat by only 6points (just outside the MOE of 4.5%) at 44%-37%.
The bad polling numbers for the Blackwell campaign coincided with a stunning rebuke from Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett of their tactics:
"The race for governor should be a contest of ideas, not smear tactics and attack ads. I expect this kind of negative campaigning from the Democrats, but Ken Blackwell should have a better strategy for winning this primary than simply burning down the house. A man who models himself after Ronald Reagan should have a little more respect for winning on ideas and vision. He knows the accusations in these ads are politically motivated, and this kind of guttural politics doesn't win votes. If we can't win with substantive ideas for leading Ohio, we don't belong in the race."

The smear tactics Bennett alludes to appears to involve Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff and a local political ally of his in Akron, area attorney Jack Morrison, who accused the Petro for Attorney General campaign of soliciting campaign contributions from him by claiming that in order to receive legal work from the Attorney General's Office, Morrison would have to get out his checkbook. This charge has been brewing for a while but Blackwell has recently made it the centerpiece of his negative attack against Petro and last month Arshinkoff endorsed Ken Blackwell for Governor, which should at least raise a few eyebrows. Petro wrote a defense in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on February 3rd saying campaign contributions never affected decisions regarding who to hire for legal work in the Attorney General's Office and that the attempt to question his integrity was being brought on by Arshibkoff and the Blackwell campaign.

The new TV ad released by the Blackwell campaign this week tries to link Gov. Bob Taft and the Tom Noe Coingate scandal all with Attorney General Jim Petro. In many ways, the ad could have been made by the Strickland campaign. Furthermore, the negative ad doesn't make much sense. It shows Tom Noe and Bob Taft at the beginning of the ad and then tries to tie in Jim Petro with allegations that are in no way connected to Taft or Noe.

With the strategy of going negative seemingly have blown in their collective faces, the Blackwell campaign cannot even revert to the policy arena. Opposition against Blackwell's proposed Tax Expenditure Limitation (TEL), which is modeled after Colorado's failed Taxpayer Bill of Rights, is still gaining steam from the Ohio Municipal League, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and The Columbus Dispatch. The main weakness of TEL appears to be the devastating effect it could have on higher education; especially profitable athletic program like Ohio State Buckeyes football, whose revenue is used to pay for the program and various academic ventures (books, computers, library, staffing, housing, etc., etc.) at The Ohio State University. Under TEL, revenues from Ohio State's collegiate football program would be frozen in bank accounts to prevent institutions like Ohio State from overspening beyond the limits outlined in Blackwell's proposal. In the Plain Dealer article linked above, one of the authors of TEL acknowledges the proposal did not take programs like Ohio State's into account when writing the proposal. To me, it seems like TEL was poorly conceived and too hasitly drafted. It directly prevents state institutions of higher education in Ohio from spending on their own students.

To boot his own policy credentials, Petro propsed his own statewide ballot iniative to curb state tax rates, the Citizens' Amendment for Prosperity (CAP). CAP would be a revenue limit, essentially a cap on state tax rates, rather than a limit on actual dollar spending (like Blackwell's TEL) by state institutions. Petro was joined by St. Sen. Gary Cates and St. Rep. Larry Wolpert in the introduction of the proposal.

Through this all, Petro has chosen to take the high road and not go negative like Blackwell. His campaign is for the future of Ohio and not driven by ego. Petro has the better temperment, policy formulation, and vision to be the next Governor of Ohio. Ohio Republicans need to vote for Jim Petro on May 2nd, for the betterment of our party and our state.

Taft's Approval Dips Down to 14%

2006-02-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was In the new batch of polls for January 2006 from SurveyUSA, Gov. Bob Taft's (R-OH) approval rating for the month of January stood at an incredible 14%. The second most unpopular governor, according to this SurveyUSA poll, is Gov. Frank Murkowski (R-AK), which is strange because as a US Senator he was fairly popular with Alaskan voters. I guess appointing his daughter to his US Senate seat didn't help matters but they did elect her back to Washington in 2004.
Back to Ohio and Taft, Gov. Bob Taft has previously set a record for the lowest approval rating of any Ohio Governor at 17% (the previous record was held by Dick Celeste in the mid-1980s, in the neighborhood of 30%), but this new number beats Taft's own previous record. His numbers for last month, according to SurveyUSA, were 14% approve, 82% disapprove and apparently 4% unsure of any opinion of the Governor. With all the gubernatorial candidates for '06 continually distancing themselves from Gov. Taft (both the GOP and Democrats) it's no wonder that Taft truly exemplifies a lame duck executive. Taft will also be a haunting ghost for either Petro or Blackwell come November. With Taft still in the Governor's Mansion in Bexley, he is a constant reminder of how dissatisified Ohio voters may be with the status quo and how they may want a change in political leadership. It would have been nice for the White House to step in and appoint Taft to some far off US Ambassadorship so he could have become an afterthought in Ohio. At this point, appointed-Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson (R-Columbus) would serve as a more effective Governor of this state anyway. Had the rumors of about a year ago worked out, Gov. Taft would have gotten an Ambassadorship from the Bush Administration but only before Taft would fill the vacant Lt. Gov. spot (due to Lt. Gov. Jeanette Bradley being appointed State Treasurer after Deters' resignation to become Hamilton County Prosecutor) with then-US Rep. Rob Portman. Portman would almost instantly be elevated to Ohio Governor after Taft would resign to become an Ambassador. Thus, Portman could walk into 2006 as an incumbent and possibly scare off Blackwell, Petro, and Montgomery in the Republican primary for Governor. But this well-orchestrated plan (pure speculation but I think the whole idea has Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett's fingerprints all over it and much kudos to him for thinking of it) never panned out. Portman was ultimately appointed US Trade Representative and Taft was left to his own devices in Columbus. What a squandered opportunity. Now, as a party, we face an energized Democratic gubernatorial candidate who is currently leading in the polls. What could have been...

Rasmussen: DeWine Leads Brown 46%-37%

2006-02-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

According to a recent poll published by Rasmussen Reports, incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R) leads his likely Democratic challenger Rep. Sherrod Brown, 46%-37%. The poll was taken on February 16th of 500 'likely' Ohio voters, the MOE is +/- 4.5%. The trend here is very encouraging for DeWine. Just last month, Rasmussen had DeWine over Brown by just 5 points, 45%-40%. He has finally been able to get out of the margin of error of 4.5% and statistically leads Brown. But DeWine is still under the 50% benchmark for incumbents. Political conventional wisdom usually dictates that any incumbent still polling under 50% is technically vulnerable, at least on paper. But the circumstances of this Senate race have changed drastically since Hackett's departure and bitter remarks about the Ohio Democrats, DSCC, and Charles Schumer (see postings below). Hacket's remarks about the strongarm tactics against his Senate campaign has apparently left a bitter taste in the mouths of at least some Ohio Democrats. From the Rasmussen poll: "Overall, 29% of the state's voters agree with Hackett and say he was betrayed by party leaders. Fifteen percent (15%) say he was not, but a majority of voters (55%) have no opinion on the topic. Among Democrats, 31% say he was betrayed and 24% say he was not." This Democratic bitterness about Hackett could match hardline (social) conservatives' concern for DeWine's more moderate stances, meaning neither Senate candidate would have the full backing of his respective parties' factions. The softing of Brown's support from fellow Democrats is evident in Rasmussen's internal numbers: "Br own's support among Democrats has fallen from 77% in January to 69% this month." Brown's softening of Democratic support coincides with growing pessimism of Brown's chances of taking this Senate from DeWine. From the poll, "Fifty-four percent (54%) of Ohio voters believe DeWine will be re-elected while 29% expect Brown to defeat the incumbent. Republicans overwhelmingly expect a DeWine victory while Democrats are evenly divided." Hopefully this downtrodden attitude will be a self-fulfilling prophecy for Ohio Democrats come November!

OH-06: Charlie Wilson Files Election Petitions Illegally

2006-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

From reporting posted by The Columbus Dispatch and the wonderful LincolnLogs blog, St. Sen. Charlie Wilson (D-Bridgeport) failed to file his petitions to run for Congress in OH-06 properly before the deadline, which was Thursday, 02/16. The controversey began when his son and campaign manager, Jason Wilson, failed a second set of petitions that totaled 96 signatures. By Ohio election law passed in late 2002, which Wilson amusingly voted for as a member of the General Assembly, requiring 50 signatures for each county that a US House district is composed of. The local Ohio media has been underscoring the fact that Wilson's first set of filing petitions actually had 53 signatures, 3 more than what is required by law. But this lovely fact is totally irrelevant. Jason Wilson formally and legally had the first set of petitions withdrawn on Thursday. It's as if the first set of petitions never legally existed and they should not even be considered for certification when the Columbiana County Board of Elections meets next Wednesday at 4pm to certify the petitions of various candidates. Acceptance of the first set of petitions would be a clear violation of Ohio election law cited above. A Democratic member of the Board of Elections, John Payne, apparently contacted Democratic Party boss Dennis Johnson to tell him that the first set of petitions included invalid signatures and many of the signatures would have to be thrown out. This led to Jason Wilson going back to the BOE and filing the illegal second set of petitions that simply does not meet the guidelines spelled out in Ohio law. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's office then got involved and said that the second set of petitions could be discarded. The Wilson campaign has been arguing that must mean they can revert back to the first set of petitions and certify those 53 signatures and then Wilson can be placed on the Democratic primary ballot. This argument completely ignores Jason Wilson's withdrawal of the first set of petitions. One cannot revert back to a legal set of documents only because the other documents one was relying on are now discovered to be illegal. Certification of the first set of petitions would be a violation of the law and I can only imagine that either St. Rep. Chuck Blasdel (R-East Liverpool) or the Ohio Republican Party would go to court if such action was taken by the Columbiana County Board of Elections.

And by all accounts, John Payne and the Columbiana County Board of Elections is prepared to certify Charlie Wilson's first set of petitions next Wednesday. This is where the story gets really juicy. Again relying on the exhaustive and highly detailed reporting of the LincolnLogs blog, the Democratic member of the BOE who contacted the local Democratic bosses and who also apparently met with Democratic partisan officials after the BOE office had closed Thursday, John Payne, has made it quite clear that he is in the race for Charlie Wilson's state senate seat if Wilson is elected to Congress. This direct conflict of interest is utterly disgusting. Payne has a vested interest in ensuring that Wilson is ceritifed and becomes a Congressional candidate. He should not even be involved in the certification process. Even the appearance of impropriety should be frowned upon. After all, it looks like Payne met in private with Democratic officials and the content of their conversation is still unknown. To speculative how serious this could be, it's entirely possible that Payne was promised Wilson's state senate if Wilson wins his Congressional race, as long as Payne certifies his withdrawn petitions on Wednesday. This level of corruption and total disregard for the law even trumps Frank Lautenberg's move of 2002 in the New Jersey Senate race, after the Torch faced the music and realized his own sleaziness was going to get him kicked out of office. The Democrats' ignorance and waving off of the applicable election laws is honestly very troubling. Wilson has pled ignorance and has said he "thought" he was filing the law. It's nice to see his intentions were sincere but unfortunately for him that means squat legally. Democrats are also arguing, on a partisan basis, that voters in OH-06 should be given a "meaningful choice" in their Congressional election. But the reality is that Charlie Wilson gave up the opportunity to be that "meaningful choice" when he failed to follow the law. Following the law (as always) is what matters here, not ensuring there is a Democratic candidate on the ballot. The Democrats can always wage a strong write-in campaign. But let this fiasco be a lesson to both major political parties: never clear the primary field for an establishment-favored candidate until it assured that all the proper paperwork has been filed on a timely and legal basis.

UPDATE: The plot thickens yet again, much thanks to LincolnLogs blog. Apparently, Charlie Wilson has a history of difficulty in filing election petitions. In 1994, Wilson sued The Tuscarawas County Board of Elections because they refused to certify his candidacy. Apparently, he only filled out the front page of the declaration of candidacy. The BOE refused to accept his candidacy as valid and the case went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, in Wilson v. Hisrich. A decision was reached unanimously against Wilson and he was left off the ballot. So there might be some legal precedent here that actually involves and would presumably go against Wilson!

Ney Gets Primary Opponent

2006-02-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

Embattled Rep. Bob Ney (R-Bellaire), with the deadline to file petitions with elections boards across the state looming yesterday, found out he would be having a primary battle in May after all. As per The Hill's reporting, Ney will face off against James Brodbelt Harris, a financial advisor from Zanesville. Harris has never run for political office and his included quote reflects that, "I think this is an unusual opportunity for someone like me to get into the race," said the 36-year-old political neophyte. "I believe any good Republican could hold this Republican gerrymandered district and the only way a Democrat could win this district is in the midst of a scandal." Acknowledging Republican-engineered gerrmandering to kick off your Congressional campaign in that very "gerrymandered" district, as a Republican, is no way to start.

The more interesting aspect of this article is Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett's role in contacting Washington to get a feel for their sentiment regarding Ney and directly asking if a credible candidate like St. Sen. John Carey (R) or St. Sen. Jay Hottinger should enter the Republican primary against Ney. Ulitmately, they apparently decided against that. St. Sen. Carey is running for re-election and Hottinger is running for State House due to term limits. Bennett's contacts to DC campaign insiders illustrates the latest episode in a Ney v. Bennett showdown that started last month when Bennett suggested the Ohio Republican Party would ask Ney to step down if he was indicted. Ney had this to say about Bennett's phone calls, "No matter what phone calls Bob Bennett made, no one considered running...Bob Bennett gets phone call dialing fever, but he did not call me."

Ney appears to be a good Congressman for his district, representing their interests proudly in Washington and trying to save jobs for his district as well. But the impact of Jack Abramoff and his testimony and evidence over "Representative No. 1" looms large over this election. I agree with Bennett that if Ney is indicted, he should step down. Unfortunately we may be left with this political novice who thinks it proper to point out possible GOP gerrymnadering tactics, but it's better than an indicted Congressman who may lose. Without an indictment though, I think Ney will win by better than 10 points. His campaign staff is fighting back tirelessly and the Joe Sulzer (D-Chillicothe) campaign is still asleep behind the wheel.

Schumer May Have Violated Election Laws Against Hackett

2006-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Despite his exit from the US Senate race and his apparent retirement from politics, the Paul Hackett saga continues, much to the chagrin of Democrats. As the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, if Hackett's report that Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (D-NY) contacted campaign donors to Hackett and strongarmed them into stopping their contributions and switching their support to Sherrod Brown (D-Avon), then Schumer was acting in direct violation of Federal Elections Commission laws governing campaign committee chairman from harassing political donors of any persuasion. Hackett has since shrugged of Schumer's strongarm tactics, but if this supposed proof of Schumer using the FEC electronic database to gather information on Hackett contributors, Schumer could stand indictment by the FEC.

Commentary: Hackett's Senate campaign would be totally worth it if it led to an indictment or even a mere fine against the political showboat that is Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. Schumer is a raving partisan who is unbending and unwilling to compromise on any issue anyone could possibly name. He has an ego as large as the state he represents, which is evidenced by his personality conflict with NY Attorney General and current gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer. Election law violations would sure deflate an ego that needs to be brought back into the atmosphere. Attempting to avoid a divisive party primary is perfectly within the confines of Schumer's job as DSCC Chairman, but strongarming donors he's never met from Ohio is entirely a different matter.

Brinkman Endorses McEwen; Fmr. Congressman Returns the Favor

2006-02-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

State Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Mount Lookout) formally endorsed the candidacy of Former Rep. Bob McEwen for Congress in OH-02 in the Republican primary against incumbent Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). Brinkman said, "“It’s more important that we restore integrity and honor to that office than that I become a congressman." He also indicated that either he or McEwen could beat Schmidt in the GOP Primary but in a three-way race, Schmidt would most likely claim a narrow victory, much like the special election primary of last summer. McEwen returned the endorsement afvor by signing Brinkman's petition to run for re-election as state representative.

Commentary: Here's hoping to a McEwen victory. Schmidt has brought on a lot of unnecessary attention and her comments on the House floor concerning Rep. Jack Murtha were political story for about a week. It's not so much that I find her comments so terrible, just perhaps rude. Then again, her comments were no more rude than Congressional Democrats were during the State of the Union Address. But McEwen is much more of a gentlemanly figure with many contacts in DC, and respect from the conservative community. In other words, he's less of a political liability. And let's drop the House checking scandal of over a decade ago. This race is not about political differences or public policy positions, as I'm sure both Schmidt and McEwen would be hard-pressed to point out any significant differences in their stances. Rather than policy, the Schmidt vs. McEwen race will be about temperment. What's ironic in all of this, however, is Tom Brinkman's apparent disdain for Jean Schmidt. He speaks of the desire to restore "honor and dignity" to OH-02 by supporting McEwen, but the whole controversey that made Schmidt so vulnerable concerning Jack Murtha (D-PA) was actually based on a note written by none other than everyone's favorite state representative, Schmidt protege, and co-sponsor of HB 515 (see below) with Brinkman, Danny Bubp. If Schmidt's conduct was so disgraceful, as it appears Brinkman is contending, perhaps he should not be co-sponsoring legislation with the person most responsible for Schmidt calling Murtha a coward.

HB 515 to ban Gay Adoption in Ohio But Husted Kills the Bill

2006-02-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

HB 515, a bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives by Representatives Ron Hood, Tom Brinkman, Linda Reidelbach, Willamowski, Derrick Seaver, Hoops, Dan Bubp, Gilb, Buehrer, Schaffer, would ban the adoption of children by "homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered" people in the state of Ohio. The bill was introduced on the Assembly floor last Thursday, 02/09, and the co-sponsors are currently pushing for a Housewide floor as early as possible. Aside from this legislation being in clear violation of the Equal Protection clause of the US Constitution, which nearly all anti-gay legislation is, the extent to which adoption agencies in Ohio would have to go to determine the sexual orientation of those wanting to become adoptive parents is humorous and would be funnier if it was not so scary.
The bill stipulates: "The (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the following persons individuals may adopt:
...(B)(2) An unmarried adult;"

Now plenty of gay, bisexual, and transgendered Ohioans are 'unmarried adults.' And so starts the sexual witchhunt that would follow if this legislation is enacted. The bill even goes further though, and prevents gay adoption even if the possible parent is a step-parent. What a wonderful way to break families apart. The bill is slim on enforceable measures (likely because it is unenforceable) but one interesting section reads as follows:

"(2) When the department of job and family services is satisfied as to the care given such children, and that the requirements of the statutes and rules covering the management of such institutions and associations are being complied with, it shall issue to the institution or association a certificate to that effect. A certificate is valid for two years, unless sooner revoked by the department. When determining whether an institution or association meets a particular requirement for certification, the department may consider the institution or association to have met the requirement if the institution or association shows to the department's satisfaction that it has met a comparable requirement to be accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation organization."

Thus, the bill mandates the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services to somehow formulate protocol that would be in complete compliance with preventing gays from adopting (i.e. an exhaustive investigation into a potential parent(s) and their sexual orientation). I'm not even sure how this is possible. A married man (sadly) can be gay or bi, same with married women. Does an unmarried person immediately become the subject of a sex investigation? Will the adoptive agency worker be forced to solicit the potential parent for sex? How ridiculous. This bill is just another way to hold up gays and others not conforming to 'traditional' standards as deviant and menaces to society. There are actually really issues out there that the Ohio General Assembly could be grappling with other than this bigoted and unenforceable legislation. Issues likes secondary and higher education, the state budget and setting spending limits, political ethics reform, etc., etc.

The Cincinnati Enquirer had a nice article on a lesbian couple from Anderson Township who were raising young daughters. By all accounts, the daughters in question appear to be living happy and normal lives with two loving parents in a stable home, which is what all adopted children ultimately need. The Ohio Supreme Court recognized this fact when in 1990, the Court ruled 6-1 that "nonmarital sexual conduct" including "homosexual activity" must be shown to have a direct adverse impact on the child before it can be the rationale for prohibitng the adoption of a child(ren). HB 515, as written and presented to the General Assembly, simply assumes that homosexuality itself is harmful to a chilren. The question on everyone's mind should be: how?

Fortunately, the infinite ill-effects of this proposed legislation need no longer cause migraines because House Speaker Jon Husted (R-Kettering) has ensured the bill will not get to the floor for a vote. Through his Chief of Staff, Speaker Husted said, "Most reasonable people would have a preference for being in a loving, alternative setting rather than an abusive, heterosexual setting," Scott Borgemenke told the Columbus Dispatch.
"There’s a growing concern within the Republican party of continuing to introduce this divisive legislation." Speaker Husted said he would like to concentrate the rest of the legislative session on job creation. Jon Husted makes me proud to be a Republican.

A note on Brinkman: State Rep. Tom Brinkman came to my school (Miami Univeristy--Oxford, Ohio) a few weeks ago to address the merits of his lawsuit against Miami Univeristy concerning its domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples. Brinkman did try to answer every question thoughtfully. The basis of his lawsuit is that the current domestic partnership benefits program here at Miami violates the Ohio constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage and defined marraige only between a man and woman. As a matter of strict state law and putting blinders onto implications of the US Consitution, Brinkman may be right. After all, the unversity is extending medical benefits to couples who cannot be legally marriaged in this state but are receiving medical benefits from their relationship, nonetheless.

However, the Constiutional amendment is in clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause and possibly (depending on the circumstances) Art. IV, Sec. I also known as the 'Full Faith and Credit' clause. If a gay married couple from Vermont or Massachusetts moved to Ohio, their marriage has to be recognized on a constitutional basis by Ohio. The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 does not null and void Art. IV, Sec. I. Congressional statues cannot supercede clear constitutional text. My hope is that Brinkman's unintended consequence of his lawsuit is a court ruling against the ban on gay marriage itself on constitutional grounds and the upholding of Miami's domestic partneship program.

One pehaps irrelevant but troublesome inconsistency with Brinkman was pointed out by a friend of mine. One questioner at the forum a few weeks ago brought up Brinkman's floor vote against a symbolic acceptance of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. (Apparently Ohio has never technically ratified the 14th Amendment because the state legislature had to adjourn but obviously it still has the force of law, having been ratified by the necessary number of states). Brinkman was the only member of the Ohio General Assembly to vote against this symbolic gesture because he felt he wanted to cast a symbolic vote against an amendment that has allowed the legalization of marriage and has been used to broaden federal government power at the expense of the states. I don't mind this point at all, but when Brinkman came out in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment banning gay marraige, the inconsistency of his ideology (agenda?) became abundantly clear. This was not about constutitonal principle or the rule of law. Brinkman wanted to curb the right of individuals, at the expense of the states. His opinion falls right in lines with the court decisions he considers abominable.

Hackett Steps Aside in Senate Race; Assails National Dems

2006-02-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Cincinnati area attorney and Iraq Veteran Paul L. Hackett III dropped his bid to become the next US Senator from Ohio today. When Hackett initially announced his campaign for Senate, he was being wooed by national Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Hackett's entry into the Senate race came only after Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Avon) announced his intent to run for re-election in his safe Democrat US House district and pass on an opportunity to take on incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R) in the 2006 election cycle. But just days after Hackett's entry, Brown changed his mind and entered the Senate race as well. Since Brown's entry, it has been quite clear that Rep. Sherrod Brown has been the establishment choice of Democrats (particularly DC Democrats) to take on DeWine in November. And Hackett more than acknowledged this reality in his exit from the race, Hackett denounced national Democratic leaders like Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer for 'sabotaging' his Senate campaign by telling big Democratic to donors to skip on giving to the Hackett coffers and pointed them in the direction of the Sherrod Brown camp. Hackett specifically targeted Sen. Schumer, claiming, “The original promise to me from Schumer was that I would have no financial concerns. It went from that to Senator Schumer actually working against my ability to raise money.”

Analysis: As some sort of consolation prize, both national and Ohio Democrats urged Hackett to enter the OH-02 race against incumbent Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), who narrowly beat Hackett in a special election by about 3 points in August of 2005. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Youngstown), DCCC Chairman Rahm Emmaunel (D-IL), and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory all urged Hackett to enter that race yet again but it seems this latest conflict with the party establishment and its swing of support to Brown almost immediately has left a sour taste in Hackett's mouth. Hackett said he'd return to his private law practice and is now most likely done with political life.

Republicans cannot help but feel some sense of satisfication that Hackett's Senate campaign ended up being a thorn in the side of many national Democrats who had themselves originally begged and pleaded with Hackett to join the Senate race. It's also great to see Hackett go public with his complete dissatisification with the Democratic Party. Ohio Republicans knew the Hackett candidacy would turn out to be an utter disaster for Democrats (both Ohio and national) but I thought that disaster would play out at the ballot box rather than as a clash of egos between Democratic bigwigs and Hackett.

There's no doubt that DeWine is a vulnerable Senate incumbent but much of the dissatisfication with DeWine comes from the right-end of the political spectrum who are themselves fellow registered Republicans (case in point for this theory is the Senate candidacy of Bill Pierce, who received the endorsement of the Knox County Republican Party on January 27th with 70% of the vote). Hard-right Republicans were not going to turn out at the ballot box to cast votes for Hackett OR Brown, the worst they could do is stay home in November. DeWine is a scandal free incumbent who is also largely uncontroversial and notably moderate. With this backdrop, it's hard to imagine a known liberal Congressman from northeastern Ohio mounting the campaign necessary to beat the 2-term incumbent.

It's also worth noting that DeWine's future in the Senate could rest on the outcome of the Republican primary for Ohio Governor in May. If the darling of the social conservatives, Ken Blackwell, wins the primary and goes on to November as the Republican standard bearer for Governor, his campaign machine will turn out social conservatives at the ballot box to the same degree that the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign team was able to do in 2004. With this key demographic presumably turning out in high numbers to cast votes for Blackwell, they certainly would be holding their noses when they got to the Senate race on the ballot, but all of them would almost certainly cast votes for DeWine over the liberal Brown. This situation would lead to a 10-12 point win for DeWine over Sherrod Brown, assuming Blackwell is the gubernatorial nominee for the Republicans. If Petro is to win (which this blogger is praying for), DeWine's future could be more uncertain and more vulnerable. This may perhaps be the only possible advantage of a Blackwell candidacy for Governor.

Fingerhut Ends Campaign for Governor

2006-02-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

St. Sen. Eric Fingerhut (D-Shaker Heights) has officially ended his bid for Ohio Governor in the Democratic Primary. Fingerhut was a second tier candidate for Governor to begin with when he entered the Democratic primary for Governor earlier this year, but as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, Fingerhut's rival for Governor, US Rep. Ted Strickland's (D-Lisbon), choice of former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher as his running mate for Lt. Governor struck a big blow to Fingerhut's fundraising base of the Jewish community in northeastern Ohio. Without that fundraising base solidly behind his candidacy, Fingerhut could not hope to raise the necessary funds to compete with Strickland in the Democratic Primary for Governor. In his announcement, Fingerhut endorsed Strickland-Fisher for Governor and pledged his support throught the campaign.

Commentary: With Strickland all but handed the nomination for Governor with this announcement, his $3 million campaign warchest can now be kept intact for the general election (Former St. Rep. Bryan Flannery is a non-entity, despite going to St. Ed's). This announcement and Fingerhut's realization that the fundraising support he had for his 2004 campaign for US Senate was not fully behind him with Lee Fisher in the mix illusrates the Strickland campaign's true motive in adding Fisher to the ticket. Rather than spending a hefty amount in defeating Fingerhut in what could have been a fairly contentious primary battle, Strickland & Co. swept the fundraising rug right from underneath Fingerhut.

Blackwell Picks Raga for Lt. Governor

2006-02-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

On 02/05, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell made his choice official with the selection of St. Rep. Tom Raga (R-Mason) as his running mate for Lt. Governor. Raga is a three-term state representative in a solidly Republican district, where he did not even receive major party opposition in the general election of 2004. He also currently serves as vice chairman of the Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee. Raga hails from a region of the state (solidly GOP Cincinnati suburbs) that should already expect to heavily favor Blackwell in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Analysis: I have said this before in posts made here last month and I will say it yet again: Tom Raga is a poor choice by the Blackwell campaign for governor. He does not bring any strategic, geographic advantage to the campaign at all, whether in the Republican primary or general election. As a former Cincinnati politician with much name recoginiton, Blackwell should fully expect to carry Mason (about 20 miles from downtown Cincinnati) in either the primary or general election. If he is having trouble accomplishing that easy feat, perhaps his campaign is in more trouble than anyone currently realizes. Some spin doctors in the Columbus Dispatch article tried to make it seem that Raga is some sort of "rising star" in the Ohio GOP, and while we could debate the actual definition of "rising star" for hours, the point remains is that he is not a "risin star" specifically for Blackwell and brings nothing to the table for him. Politically and ideologicall, Raga also has no advantage for the Blackwell camp. Raga is a solid conservative who is currently heavily invested in budget and state spending debates in Columbus. Many of the question marks surrounding the Blackwell campaign have been concerning his rigid conservative ideology. Blackwell should have selected a moderate yet respected Republican Ohio politician who would help to balance his overt conservative ideology, without doing this, the selection of Raga is entirely underwhelming and constrats significantly with Petro's pick of Padgett, who can bring an obvious geographic advantage in southeastern Ohio against Ted Strickland in the general election, not to mention a little gender diversity that plays well with Ohio voters (re: Nancy Hollister, Maureen O'Connor, and Jeanette Bradley).

Padgett Joins Petro Campaign

2006-02-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

St. Sen. Joy Padgett (R-Coshocton) joined the Jim Petro for Governor campaign as Petro's running mate for Lt. Governor just weeks after Petro's original Lt. Governor nominee, Phil Hemilich, left the campaign to run for re-election as Hamilton County Commissioner. According to analysis provided by the Columbus Dispatch, Padgett was selected by the Petro campaign to counter southeastern Ohio strength by favored Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland of Lisbon, if Petro wins the Republican primary for Governor on May 2, 2006. A week before the Padgett announcement, Strickland as selected former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher of Cleveland as his Lt. Governor candidate. The other major Republican candidate for Governor, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, has yet to make an announcement concerning his choice for Lt. Governor. In Ohio, the winning gubernatorial candidate of his or her party's primary election selects their own Lt. Governor candidate and they both run as a ticket, unlike in Illinois or Pennsylvania, where Lt. Governor candidates run in their own separate primaries without much input from the gubernatorial candidates themselves.

Commentary: The choice of Joy Padgett is an especially solid pick for the Jim Petro campaign. Her gender makes her the first female to be part of a gubernatorial campaign of the 2006 cycle in Ohio and her geographical advantage would be of immense help against Ted Strickland in the general election in November 2006. As a former school teacher, Padgett also brings much legislative and professional experience in education. Before being elected to the State Senate in her own right in 2004 against Democrat Terry Anderson (which was a fairly competitive race that ended 54%-46%), Padgett served as Director of the Office of Appalachia for Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and before that served four elected terms in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Strickland taps Lee Fisher for LG; Blackwell Might Go With Raga

2006-01-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

Leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate and US Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) tapped former Ohio Attorney general and 1998 Democratic gubernatorial candidates Lee Fisher (D-Cleveland) as his running mate for Governor. Fisher is currently director of the Center for Families and Children (?) in Cleveland. Fisher served as Ohio Attorney general from 1991 to 1995 before being defeated in the 1994 general election by Betty Montgomery. Fisher is also the last Democrat in Ohio to run a semi-competitive gubernatorial race in Ohio, losing to then Secretary of State Bob Taft, 50%-45%. Fisher served in the State Senate and State House before being elected Attorney General. Fisher is the first former gubernatorial candidate to later run for Lt. Gov.

Another piece of gossip circulating through the press concerning Lt. Gov. choices involved the Blackwell campaign potentially choosing St. Rep. Tom Raga (R-Mason) as Blackwell's running mate.

Analysis: I suppose Fisher brings marginal statewide experience to the Strickland campaign (don't get me wrong, Strickland desperately needs that) but not as much as he needs to play to the minority groups in Ohio that vote solidly Democratic. In other words, Strickland basically needed to pick an African-American. Obviously, racial "diversity" is an important characteristic of a statewide ticket to DNC Chairman Howard Dean (see the Skyes' article below), and Strickland went with an uninspiring choice if not potentially disastrous choice with Lee Fisher. Indeed, there already appears to be discontent within Democratic circles of Strickland choosing Fisher for LG. Steve Reece, who ran for Ohio Democratic Chairman last month and is the father of former Vice Mayor of Cincinnati Alicia Reece, seemed upset of the choice based on racial diversity. Referring to Democratic candidates in the primary he said, "Minorities can't be governor. They can't be lieutenant governor. They can't be treasurer. They can't even be secretary of state."
All St. Sen. Eric Fingerhut has to do to make this primary suddenly competitive is convince a leading African-American in the state (Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, Toledo Mayor Jack Ford, to name a few) to join his ticket and Fingerhut suddenly has a message of his candidacy representing the racial "diversity" many Democrats are apparently craving, partricularly the minority groups that vote straight-ticket Democrat. Not to mention the lack of geographical diversity on the ticket (which I personally feel is more important in a gubernatorial election). Fisher is from Northeastern Ohio (Cleveland area) and really doesn't bring much to the campaign in terms of Cleveland votes. Fingerhut and Flannery are going to dominate the Cleveland vote in the Democrat primary, being from that area and all. Fisher's name won't even be on the ballot in the Democrat primary in early May.
This lack of geographical diversity also calls into question Blackwell's probable choice of Tom Raga, whose district is in suburban Cincinnati (Mason) and is basically a safe GOP seat that probably is going to be won by Blackwell overwhelmingly in the GOP primary, again being from that area. Petro's original LG choice of Heimlich was so strong because it united two leading Republicans from northern and southern Ohio. Blackwell needed to tap a LG running mate from northern Ohio or at least the Columbus area. Also for sheer political and public perception issues, I think Blackwell should choose a woman. I think it could act to counterbalance claims of him being an uber-conservative who is too ideological to be governor, perhaps not someone as moderate as Former Lt. Gov. Nancy Hollister (R-Marietta) but perhaps someone like my St. Rep. at home in the Cleveland area, Sally Conway Kilbane (scratch that suggestion Kilbane apparently has a lesbian daughter who would end up being placed in the barn) or maybe even wait and see if Rep. Deborah Pierce (R-Upper Arlington) might be interested in the switch and getting out of Washington, especially since her future in the leadership position of Chairwoman of the Republican Conference has recently been called into question by fellow Republican members of Congress.
With all that said, I feel like gubernatorial candidates should wait until after the primary to choose Lt. Gov. running mates anyway, they don't bring much to a primary election and a Lt. Gov. choice whose candidate ends up losing is forever politically damaged.

Taft Delivers Final State of the State Address

2006-01-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

Gov. Bob Taft (R-OH) delivered his last State of the State Address as Ohio's Governor in the statehouse this afternoon. In his speech, Taft devoted much attention to the issue of education and said, "Unfortunately, we also know that in Ohio too few high school graduates are prepared for college or a well-paying job. The evidence is overwhelming that when it comes to our high school students, it’s not just about graduation. It’s about preparation.
Only one in three of Ohio’s high school graduates have the skills they need to succeed in a good entry-level job, an apprenticeship, the military, or in college.
And our students know it. A survey of recent high school graduates found that 39 percent of those who went to college and 46 percent of those who went straight to work said they were not well prepared. They said that if they’d only known, they would have taken tougher courses in high school. "

While Gov. Taft is undeniably correct about the continuing devaluing of a high school diploma in this country, his State of the State address remarkably (sarcasm) lacked any details on how he would strengthen high schools throughout Ohio to ensure the value of a diploma does not continue to decrease. I know Taft has felt the issue of education is (was?) an issue near and dear to the heart of his Administration, but little has been on that front recently. The most recent reform in education came from the federal level with passage of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Taft only very briefly mentioned the scandals and crimes that have plagued both himself and his Administration within the past year saying, "Workers’ Compensation has been an asset for Ohio in the competition for jobs, and it will be again. We’ve got a new leader and management team hard at work transforming the Bureau to better serve injured workers and employers." Taft did not mention his midemeanor conviction for failing to report golf club outings that were actually campaign fundraisers.

Taft's State of the State Address essentially reflected his current state: lame duck. Taft feebly attempted to promote some sense of a positive legacy that he can leave behind in Columbus when he will be leaving the Governors' Mansion next January. But if the approval ratings recently released by Survey USA are any indication, 76% of Ohioans simply cannot wait for him to leave office, including this one.

Boehner Calls on Republicans to Build 'A Majority That Matters'

2006-01-25T14:05:00.000-08:00

In an op-ed posted on townhall.com, Rep. John Boehner (R-West Chester) explained his call for Republicans to renew the vision and boldness they had during the Gingrich Revolution of 1994 and the innovative legislative proposals that encompassed the Contract With America. Boehner a struck a theme for his campaign to succeed Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) as majority leader: 'A Majority That Matters.' In other words, a Republican majority that is hawkish on spending (including in Iraq, see below) and other issues that strike a chord with disillusioned conservatives. Boehner laundry lists various legislative victories of Congressional Republicans since their takeover of the House of Representatives in 1994 including the largest tax cut in US history under the urging of the Bush Administration and the highlights of the Contract With America that were all passed in the first 100 days of the Republican majority in Congress. The substance of his article has some eyebrow-raising comments including criticism of the current House leadership for simply surrendering Congress' power of the purse to the Bush Administration over Iraq. Boehner is currently embroiled in a three-way race (Boehner, Blunt, and Shadegg) to replace embattled Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) as US House Majority Leader.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the article is what Boehner did not say. While he devotes a sizeable paragraph at the end of his op-ed to the recent scandals plaguing House Republicans, most of his article his devoted to conservative values and principles rather than the current state of the Republican Party. The focus of Boehner's article compares starkly with Rep. John Shadegg's (R-AZ) article from last week. Shadegg devotes almost the entirety of his article to the issue of corruption and even mentions Boehner by name, "Yesterday John Boehner wrote on this page about a proposal to reform the earmark process offered by Rep. Jeff Flake. While Mr. Boehner is suddenly talking about this idea, I was one of the first co-sponsors when it was introduced last spring. Aside from Shadegg treating "last spring" as if it were Biblical time, Boehner has always been a fiscal conservative and he has been especially troubled with recent spending hikes under Republican leadership. Boehner's election as US House Majority Leader would bring a lot of clout and public spotlight to the state of Ohio, which as an Ohioan I would like to see, but Boehner's election as Majority Leader would mean a lot as a Republican who is looking for a Majority Leader that is the opposite of Tom DeLay. John Boehner's mild-manndered approach to politics (which includes a willingness to reasonably compromise) is what this party and Congress needs now more than ever before.

Ney Makes Re-Election Bid Official

2006-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

Embattled US Rep. Bob Ney (R-Bellaire) announced his re-election bid today to his US House seat (Oh-18) in eastern-central Ohio. Ney has been recently implicated as the infamous "Representative No. 1" in court documents obtained from convicted DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But despite all the recent ethical questions surrounding Ney, he has remained amazingly popular in his home Congressional district. But Ney's critics have not been exclusive to Democrats here in Ohio, Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said, "If he's indicted for a felony, we would ask him to step aside until the matter is cleared up." Ney responded angrily, "No party boss tells my constituents what to do..." Ney will likely face former St. Rep. and current Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer, Sr. Sulzer's House campaign against Ney has been MIA recently, which still only has a temporary website up on the internet and accepts online contributions only through a Democratic third party organization, ActBlue. Sulzer has been viewed by many as something of a political novice, especially when he continually mispronounced convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's surname as "Abaramoff." And while some national political figures like Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) have given away contributions from Ney's PAC that they received as candidates during the 2004 election cycle, some state lawmakers in Ohio are standing firmly behind Ney and refusing to give up donations from his PAC:

"I looked him in the eye," St. Sen. Joy Padgett said. "We've talked. If he says to me that he is going to be cleared of all of this, then I believe him."

"Bob has worked hard for us, and his constituents know that," State Rep. Jim Aslanides (R-Coshocton) said. "And I'm anxious for all the facts to come out in the case, because knowing Bob as I do, I'm confident that most of those concerned and their concerns will be mollified."

Additionally, Ohio Republicans have claimed they took a poll in Ney's Congressional district when Ney was first implicated in the Abramoff scandals and that he is still "not in trouble." But the recent confrontation with Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett highlights the high stakes of this House race and the GOP prioritiy of retaining the seat in their grasp.

Analysis: Just a few weeks ago I assumed Ney would be stepping aside from his re-election effort and someone along the lines of Joy Padgett would be stepping in for Republicans and maintaining the seat for the GOP. And if somehow Ney stayed on and ran, it'd be a very close election in a Republican district that he would ultimately lose. Now I think Ney has to be the favored candidate. His main Democratic opponent, Joe Sulzer, does not even appear to have a campaign appartus up and working yet, and it's January 24th and counting. Sulzer seems almost aloof, unable to effectively fundraise, and merely running because he sees a potentially vulnerable incumbent. But Ney might not be as vulnerable as conventional wisdom would have us believe, he has $600,000 in his campaign warchest and many high profile endorsements within his district. As the Cook Political Report has now been predicting, this House seat now leans Republican, at the very least.

Barbara Sykes to Run for Auditor

2006-01-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

St. Rep. Barbara Sykes (D-Akron) has announced her candidacy for State Auditor and her entry into the Democratic Primary for that office. Sykes' announcement is suprising because just two months ago the State Representative had announced her intent to retire entirely from state politics. In her reasoning to retire from state politics Sykes said to the Akron Beacon-Journal, "There are other things I can do. I am looking forward to not driving to and from Columbus, attending long meetings and ending up at the same place every week." She added that she'd rather go back to doing work "at her own pace and on her schedule." (Akron Beacon Journal, 11/15/05) But suddenly now she is ready to become Ohio's next Auditor, almost reminiscent of a Ted Strickland who wanted to stay in Washington to tackle issues near and dear to his heart but now is the leading Democrat running for Governor. Sykes replaced her husband in the state legislature after he was forced out of the seat due to term limits. Barbara Sykes has served as President of the Black Legislative Caucus in the General Assembly. She served on the Akron City Council in the 1980s and ran as the Democratic candidate for State Treasurer in 1994 but was defeated by incumbent Treasurer Ken Blackwell. Now Sykes' husband, Vernon Sykes, who Barbara Sykes herself replaced, is taking out petitions to run for the legislative seat. Interesting hypocritical action from a political party that has recently denounced tactics by statewide Republicans and viewed their process of 'musical chairs' as undemocratic, as the LincolnLog blog intelligently ar gues.

Sykes' change of heart in deciding to continue her political career is being linked to her secret meeting with DNC Chairman Howard Dean last Wednesday when he came to Columbus to unveil the Democrats' political corruption reform package. Dean's strong encouragement for Sykes to enter the race for Auditor is almost a direct slap in the face to Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon, who before Sykes' entry, was the absolute favorite for the being the Democratic nominee. But that is no more for Reardon. Dean's overt recruitment of Sykes may have something to do with the remarkably lack of diversity (always a paramount concern of Democrats) in their potential statewide candidates for 2006. Other then potential Secretary of State candidate Jennifer Bruner, there is not much diversity among the candidates to speak of. Meanwhile, the Republicans may have two African-Americans running statewide in 2006 with Ken Blackwell for Governor and Jeanette Bradley for Treasurer. Mary Taylor and Betty Montgomey are also heavy favorites in their respective primaries for statewide posts as well.

But whomever ultimatey wins the nomination for Auditor in the Democratic Primary, the candidate will have to gear up for the November general election against CPA & St. Rep. Mary Taylor (R-Green), who will almost assuredly be the Republican candidate.

Montgomery Quits Gov. Race, Jumps into AG Race

2006-01-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

As the Columbus Dispatch first reported early last night, State Auditor Betty Montomgery has decided to withdraw her candidacy for Governor in the Republican Primary and instead jump into the Republican Primary for Attorney General, a statewide post Montgomery formerly held from 1995 to 2003. Montgomery had consistently lagged in third place in polling and fundraising numbers between her two other GOP rivals for Governor, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Attorney General Jim Petro. It is not immediately clear what effect her exit will have on the GOP primary for governor, in what is now essentially a two-man show between Blackwell and Petro. With Montgomery's departure, Secretary of State Blackwell called on Attorney General Jim Petro to also drop out of the primary for Governor. Montgomery was the top statewide vote-getter in both 1998 for her re-election as Attorney General and in 2002 in her election as State Auditor.

Her entry into the primary for Attorney General may not heal all the rifts in the Ohio Republican Party. The GOP primary for Attorney General already has two delcared candidates, St. Sen. Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien. Grendell's brief but harsh statement was that he was running for Attorney general because "I don't need the job, but I want the job." O'Brien went even further in his criticism of Mongtomery's apparent entry into the primary for Attorney General, claiming he had been promised by her personally that she was in the Governor's race to stay.

Analysis: Montgomery's departure from the race for Governor gives Petro's candidacy a much needed breath of fresh air. Now with only Blackwell as a main rival, he can focus his attention on Blackwell and not worry of a fracturing in the GOP moderates voting in the primary. I would expect a new Lt. Governor running mate for Petro coming very soon to boost his name ID and capture headlines in hopes of polling better against Blackwell. As for Montgomery, she's a lock for the Attorney General primary and will beat any Democrat she faces in November. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if St. Sen. Marc Dann (D-Youngstown), who is a declared candidate for Attorney General, bowed out in the face of what would surely be a creaming at the ballot box against him. If O'Brien's assertion is true and she assured him that she would not be running for Attorney General and was committed to the Governor's race, I can't say that's good conduct on her part and I would personally have to evaluate all the candidates in the Republican primary for Attorney General before casting a vote, otherwise I would be supporting her.

National Health Care from the Governor of Ohio?

2006-01-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

In a campaign speech for Ohio Governor delievered by gubernatorial candidate and Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon), the Congressman claimed he would use his insider DC connections to push for a national health care system that would supposedly benefit "all Ohioans." Strickland said, "I am absolutely convinced that we need a national health-care system." He tried to quell potential criticism about such a health care system modelling the system put in place by our neighbors to the North in Canada, by describing their system as a "paper trial." This speech did earn Strickland a key union endorsement from SEIU District 1199, which mostly represents hospital and health care workers.

Analysis: This speech hightlights what is fundamentally wrong with the Strickland campaign and why I think he will ultimately lose his bid for Ohio Governor. Strickland is focusing on alot of federal issues, particularly as evidence here, health care. How could the Governor of Ohio possibly push for a national health care system? And if such a system is truly Strickland's pet project, why is he running for governor? Such legislation is drafted and debated on Capitol Hill in Washington, not in the Governor's Mansion in Bexley, Ohio. It's amusing to see Strickland brag about his DC connections that could benefit Ohio. Apparently Strickland isn't aware that he is a member of a minority party that currently holds no power in Washington. The election of a GOP governor, assuming national Republicans hold onto both houses of Congress, is the best kind of connection Ohio could have to DC.

Fingerhut Getting Vocal with Tax Cut Plan

2006-01-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

St. Sen. Eric Fingerhut (D-Shaker Heights) became a vocal and bold candidate for Governor in the Ohio Primary with a bold business tax cut plan designed to spur economic growth and job recovery in the state of Ohio. The plan would only tax certain small businesses in the state of Ohio, while letting various other businesses run tax-free by the state. Another tax on bussinesses, that of equipment, Fingerhut believes should be eliminated. While Strickland remains the heavy favorite in the Democratic Primary for Ohio Governor with the full establishment behind his candidacy, dealing with shrewd and well conceived tax reform proposals is probably not something the Strickland camp felt they would be dealing with at this point. In potential match-ups for the general election this November, Strickland is now trailing Secretary of State Ken Blackwell by about 4 points in the latest Zogby Poll, 45.9% to 41.4%. Blackwell's GOP rival for Governor in the Primary, Attorney General Jim Petro, is trailing Strickland, 41.8% to 34.3%.

McEwen to Challenge Schmidt in OH-02 Primary

2006-01-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

Former Congressman Bob McEwen (R) made the official announcement last night, 01/18, in Anderson Township that he would be challenging incumbent Congresswoman Jean Schmidt in the Oh-02 Republican primary in May. McEwen, who also ran in the Republican primary for the same seat last year in the special election following Rob Portman's resignation, was a Congressman in the US House from Hillsboro for 6 terms before redistricting and a bitter primary with Congressman Clarence Miller in 1992 led to his ultimate yet narrow defeat against Democrat Ted Strickland in 1992. McEwen flirted with the possiblity of challenging incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) in the Republican primary but ultimately decided against that. McEwen also briefly considered running as Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's Lt. Governor and running mate. This will be McEwen's third attempt to represent the OH-02 district in Washington, DC. McEwen ran also in the 1993 special election but lost the Republican primary to Rob Portman. After his failed 1993 campaign, McEwen moved permanently to the Washington, DC metro area and became a Congressional lobbyist. McEwen moved back to Ohio shortly after it became clear that Rep. Rob Portman was going to be accepting a position in the Bush Administration as US Trade Representative and his House seat would be opening up. McEwen is originally from Hillsboro, a city outside of OH-02 district, but much of his old Congressional district has since been merged with the OH-02 that Schmidt currently represents. McEwen faced an unlikely primary battle in 1992 against Clarence Miller mainly because of his involvement in the house banking scandal and supposedly bouncing checks repeatedly. He has since made amends for that and promised such practices would never happen again.

Rep. Jean Schmidt has come under fire recently for characterizing Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) as a coward on the House floor, but her defense was that she was merely quoting a constituent of hers, St. Rep. Danny Bubp, a former US Marine. St. Rep. Tom Brinkman made it clear a few weeks ago that someone credible would need to challenge Schmidt in the Republican primary but it's unclear whether or not Brinkman meant himself specifically or another challenger like McEwen. Brinkman is currently grabbing headlines with his lawsuit against Miami University of Ohio (Oxford) over the institution's domestic partnership health care package. Brinkman and his lawyer contend it violates the state Constitution's amnedment that was added by voters overwhelmingly in 2004, which defines marriage in the state of Ohio as between a man and a woman. Miami's domestic partnership program allows any couple (same-sex or otherwise) that has been together for more than 6 months to earn certain health care perks (dental particularly) if they sign an affidavit affirming their relationship. This lawsuit has garnered much attention for Brinkman and leaves open the possiblity for his entry into the Republican primary.

Analysis: Schmidt now has marginal incumbent advantage in a Republican primary but McEwen should be able to eat into her solid conservative support that led her to victory last summer in the special election primary. McEwen is already characterizing himself as an elder statesmen who will bring "dignity and experience" back to Congress, a clear allusion to Schmidt's controversial remarks regarding Rep. Murtha a month ago. But Schmidt's style of politics has always been aggressive and "in your face." McEwen has already lost one key endorsement in the primary that he garnered in the special election primary last year, that of Rep. John Boehner. Boehner now finds himself embroiled in a hot race for US House Majority Leader and his staffer made it clear that in any possible primary the Boehner camp would be supporting Boehner's colleague, Jean Schmidt. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who briefly considered McEwen as his running mate for Lt. Governor, said he considered both McEwen and Schmidt "good friends" and probably will not make an endorsement of either candidate over the other.

This blogger is personally pulling for McEwen simply because Schmidt has garnered far too much unwanted publicity, that is bad publicity. McEwen is a solid conservative with identical stances on the issues as Schmidt but approaches politics with a much different style and is well regarded by many power brokers in Washington.

Hackett Compares Republicans to bin Laden

2006-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

Democratic US Senate candidate Paul Hackett compared the so-called "right wing" of the Republican Party to terrorist Osama bin Laden on Monday in comments made to The Columbus Dispatch. Hacket was referencing the divisive battle over gay marriage in the country and called actions to implement gay marriage bans "un-American." 2004's "Issue 1" was approved overwhelmingly by voters and was added an amendment to Ohio's state consitution, defining marriage only as a union between a man and a woman. Hacket's most controversial remarks came in regards to religious conservatives who vote Republican.

Hackett said, "The Republican Party has been hijacked by the religious fanatics that, in my opinion, aren't a whole lot different than Osama bin Laden and a lot of the other religious nuts around the world."

In an e-mail message sent out today, 01/18, Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett demanded an absolute apology from Hackett over the bin Laden comparison but Hackett refused. Hackett replied, "I said it. I meant it. I stand behind it."

Heimlich Steps Aside as Petro's Lt. Governor

2006-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Hemlich (R) stepped aside Monday as Attorney General Jim Petro's running mate for Lt. Governor, citing his desire to run for re-election on
the Hamilton County Commission and his wish to preserve the current 2-1 GOP majority on the board. Petro accepted his formal withdrawal and Petro has begun searching for a new running mate. Heimlich's departure from Petro's gubernatorial run potentially signals a Petro campaign that is in total disarrray. But the Petro camp pointed to their recent endorsement from the Franklin County Republican Party (Columbus) as proof that their message is catching on and that rank and file Republicans are supporting Petro's candidacy. Heimlich joined Petro's campaign as his running mate in March 2005, scores ahead the other two main GOP candidates for governor (Blackwell and Montgomery) in finding a running mate. But both Blackwell and Montgomery have yet to annonce their respective choices for Lt. Governor, so Petro is not behind any of the two candidates.

Phil Heimlich is currently a member of the Hamilton County Commission and formerly a member of the Cincinnati City Council. Heimlich is the son of the developer of the famous Heimlich maneuver but when Phil Heimlich ran for City Council he became famous for his record fundraising abilities. In his race for City Council in 1997, Heimlich raised over $400,000. A record-breaking total at that time. His hard work in fundraising made him a valuable asset to the Petro campaign for Governor and may be one of the reasons the Petro camp has been able to raise so much money over the past year. Heimlich says he will continue to support Jim Petro for Governor and he is confident Attorney General Jim Petro will be able to find another quality candidate for Lt. Governor.

Bob Ney Steps Down as House Administration Chairman

2006-01-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) has temporarily stepped down as Chairman as the small but significant House Adminstartion Committee because he claimed the current investigation of him is distracting other lawmakers on the committee and preventing the committee from doing its tasks. While small and not capturing much news coverage, the House Administration Commitee is highly significant for members of Congress themselves. The Committee often deals with issues of parking, transportation, food services at the Capitol Building, staffing salaries, office space alotted, and other various concerns that directly impact federal lawmakers. Despite this resignation, Ney maintains his innocence and claims he has done nothing wrong. According to him, this decision was simply made because he felt he was a personal distraction to the management of the committee.

Back home in Ohio, St. Sen. Charlie Wilson (D-Bridgeport) (himself a US House candidate to replace Ted Strickland) was very cautious in verbally indicting Ney as corrupt and said that, "I don't believe we should pass judgment until he's had his day. I think we should wait and see when he has his day in court what he can say to defend himself."

Commentary: Not to diminish the possible severity of the alleged acts committed by "Representative No. 1" in the Abramoff plea agreement but newspaper columnist Colin McNickle wrote a very interesting and highly personal take on Bob Ney's political career in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

One remarkable story was Ney's promise to drive the columnist to a job interview in Columbus while Ney was a State Senator but something came up yet Ney still offered his car to the columnist for the interview, since he had made a promise. A strikigly different take on a man that many have come to loathe in the national media recently.

John Boehner a 'Frontrunner' for House Majority Leader

2006-01-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) has become one of two frontrunners to replace Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) as US House Majority Leader after DeLay contacted House Republicans on 01/07 to inform them that he would be stepping down as House Majority Leader amid charges back in his homestate of Texas of corruption and illegaly funneling campaign funds of more than $200,000 to Texas Republicans running for the state legislature.

Boehner's main Republican opponent for Majority Leader is Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), who also took over DeLay's duties as Majority Leader in the interim, when he was forced to step down temporarily a few months ago. Blunt leads Boehner in a tally of public endorsements from House GOP members by a count of 45-30. There continues to be a debate among Republican caucus members to decide when to hold the election for Majority Leader. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, has moved to delay the final vote for Majority Leader until at least a retreat meeting that is scheduled for Jan. 30th-31st. But five GOP members of the House from Florida that includes US Senatorial candidate Katherine Harris and Rep. Clay Shaw, have asked the vote to occur before President Bush's State of the Union Address on Jan. 31st.

John Boehner represents the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio, which comprises Butler, Preble, and parts of Hamilton Counties. He was first elected in 1990 after a Republican primary against two former House members, Thomas Kindness and Don Lukens. Boehner served as the Republican Conference Chair from 1994 to 1998. Boehner currently serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and is credited with House passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. Boehner was also a key part of a coup attempt against House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1998, by vocally supporting New York Congressman Bill Paxon for Speaker over Gingrich.

If Boehner were to be elected US House Majority Leader, he would be the first Majority Leader in Congress from Ohio since Sen. Robert Taft (R-OH) led the US Senate in 1953.

Eric Fingerhut to Enter Governor's Race

2006-01-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

St. Sen. Eric Fingerhut (D-Shaker Heights) is preparing to enter the Democratic Primary for Ohio Governor. Fingerhut has already sent out fundraiser fliers to potential supporters and he also moving roughly $14,500 from his State Senate campaign account to a new financial account for Governor. Fingerhut joins two other delcared candidates in Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) and former St. Rep. and Democratic challenger for Ohio Secretary of State in 2002 Bryan Flannery of Strongsville.

Analysis: Strickland is the heavy favorite here and almost a lock to be the Democratic candidate for Governor in '06. Both Fingerhut and Flannery are not well known outside the Cleveland area and they will be hard pressed to raise the necessary funds to get their names out there. Strickland has the support of the Ohio Democratic establishment and of big Democratic donors in the state. Aditionally, Fingerhut and Flannery will effectively split the Cleveland vote since they are both known fairly well in the metro area. This leaves Strickland with the support of much of the state outside Cuyahoga County. Expect a Strickland blowout at least in margin of victory but perhaps not in over percentage of the primary voters. Something like a 50%-30%-20% victory is plausible but nothing worse than that for Strickland.

Abramoff's Guilty Plea Could Spell Doom for Ney

2006-01-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea yesterday 01/03 could spell doom for Rep. Bob Ney (R-Bellaire). According to the LA Times, the unnamed federal lawmaker in court documents who exchanged legislative favors in Abramoff's behalf for gifts from Abramoff is Bob Ney. But Ney has contiuned to deny any wrongdoing or even acknowledging being aware of Abramoff's illegal actions. But Abramoff's guilty plea could mean his eventual cooperation with federal investigators and an indictment of Bob Ney.

Ney's most recent claim to fame was his resoultion on the House floor to officially rename french fries "freedom fries" in protest against France's refusal to participate in the Iraq War. Ney also chairs the House Committee on Administration, which oversees management of House facilities, including parking spaces for House members. Ney was first elected in the 1994 GOP landslide and re-elected subsequently.

Commentary: His district was redrawn after the 2000 census to make his seat overwhelmingly Republican. But this recent scandal could make his political future uncertain. There is already one declared candidate to defeat and/or succeed Bob Ney. Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer, Sr. is so far the only declared Democratic candidate for OH-18. Sulzer is a former Ohio House member and current Mayor of Chillicothe, Sulzer was defeated in 2002 for his state house seat by Republican John Schlichter. Sulzer would be Ney's toughest opponent since he defeated Robert Burch, Jr. by less than 4 points in 1996. Oh-18 is now an overwhelmingly GOP district and if Ney would be forced to retire and not run for re-election, a non-Ney GOP candidate would have to be favored, no matter the circumstances surrounding Ney. There are no possible replacements for Ney since he is still officially running for re-election but a feasible GOP list would include: State Rep. John Schlicther, State Sen. Joy Padgett, State Sen. John Carey and State Sen. Ron Amstutz. The Oh-18 runs north into Carroll County and New Philadelphia and extends south all the way to Chillicothe. The district also runs west into the Columbus exurbs of Newark and Mount Vernon.

Blackwell, Montgomery Revert to Push Polling

2006-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

According to reports from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, calls have been made to Ohioans across the state by pollsters hired by the Blackwell campaign denouncing Blackwell's gubernatorial rival Jim Petro's supposed "horrible track record" and fundraising relationships with "favored GOP whipping boy Bill Clinton" and also "being part of the problem in Columbus." The calls are not really measuring any voter support for any candidate and never even mentions Ken Blackwell by name, only Petro in a purely negative light. Blackwell has been able to sucessfully avoid mentioning himself in the calls by masking the effort through his front gorup "Citizens for Tax Reform."

The third main GOP contender for Governor, Auditor Betty Montgomery, has also hired pollsters to do a similar practice over the phone. The Petro denounced the practice as pure "push polling" in an e-mail sent to supporters this morning on 01/02.

Betty Montgomery

UAW Endorses Hackett

2006-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

A surprise announcement came from the United Auto Workers of Ohio when they decided to endorse the candidacy of Paul Hackett over Congressman Sherrod Brown on 12/16. The vote to endorse Hackett over Brown in the Democratic Primary for US Senate was overwhelming, a 26-1 vote in favor of Hackett. Hackett is a mere political novice compared to organize labor supporter Congressman Sherrod Brown. Brown dismissed the union endorsement claiming, "I've won consistently in Republican areas and I'll continue to fight for working families," he said. "I predict with absolute certainty that I'll still get a majority of the rank-and-file. They know me and know my record." But the surprise endorsement could signal a divide in Ohio's organize labor groups between Brown and Hackett and that spells bad news for Ohio Democrats this coming year.

Jackson Sworn in As Cleveland Mayor

2006-01-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Former Cleveland City Council President Frank Jackson was sworn in as the 56th Mayor of the City of Cleveland on Monday after defeating incumbent Mayor Jane Campbell last November 54%-46%. Jackson faces tough challenges as he takes his new executive post, including a declining population rate in the city of Cleveland, high poverty, and a public education systemthat will see its reknown Superintendent Barbara-Byrd Bennett leaving soon. Jackson promised to make Cleveland "one community," but the challenges remain. Meanwhile, the defeated incumbent Jane Campbell took a temporary 4-month teaching position at Harvard University in Massachusetts where she will be teaching courses on politics.

ANWR Drilling Defeated, DeWine Sides With Democrats

2005-12-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) amendment to add the allowance of drilling in the Artcitc National Wildlife Refuges (ANWR) to a defense appropriation bill for ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere was defeated. Senate Democrats denounced Stevens' tactics, citing Senatorial courtesy and tradition that controversial amendmends are not added to defense appropriation bills. But Stevens was handing down all Senators an ultimatum on the issue and seeking out the passage of the bill as amended as a personal favor to the powerful Chairman of the Senate Appropiations Committee. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) joined 4 other GOP Senators in siding with the Democrats and voting against the amendment.
From the article, "Five Republicans defected on the deficit-cutting votes, including Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Snowe, Chafee and DeWine face re-election next year. Also in opposition were all 44 Democrats and Sen. James Jeffords, the Vermont independent."

Suit Filed Against Taft, Petro

2005-12-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

A Columbus area attorney, Kevin O'Brien, claims a Jim Petro campaign staffer by the name of Amy Gravengaard offered O'Brien a position as special counsel to the Attorney General in exchange for a campaign contribution. Another Columbus area attorney claims the Ohio Republican Party created loopholes around the $1,000 donation cap that enabled him to exceed donations of $1,000 to the various GOP officeholders and the party itself. Gravengaard replaced Kyle Sisk on Petro's staff after Auditor Betty Montgomery complained in 2003 that Sisk was strongarming state employees for campaign contributions to Petro's candidacy. Another part of the lawsuit claims in 2001 when both Petro and then State Treasurer Joe Deters were running for Attorney General, attorney Lee Smith shipped donations of $5,000 to each candidate via county parties that favored each candidate and in turn handed the $5,000 over to Petro and Deters, illegaly.
It should be noted that Kevin O'Brien is a Democrat and his ex-wife works for Attorney General Jim Petro.

Noe on the Offensive over State Coin Investment

2005-12-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

Toledo coin dealer Tom Noe, the target of much political scandal and concern over the past year, is now fighting back his critics. Noe made a rare and probably only public appearance with his attorney at his side yesterday to counter the claims made by mainly Ohio Democrats that the $50 million investment by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation was a total failure. Noe and his attorney claim the investment will net the Ohio BWC with a profit of $11.9 million this year. Noe did not explain how this projected profit fits with the state's assertion that the fun will end the year with a $13 million shortfall. Meanwhile, an investigation spearheaded by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro continues into reports of Noe stealing up to $4 million from the Bureau of Workers' Compensation fund. Noe is also cooperating with law enforcement in regards to 119 coins (at a value of $93,000) that are believed to be property of the state of Ohio but ended up in the home of a suburban Colorado man. St. Sen. Marc Dann (D-Youngstown) accussed Noe's attorney of attempting to taint a potential jury pool and found the profit claim without merit.

Tom Noe

Ohio Faces Loss of 2 US House seats come 2010

2005-12-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

According to a new AP article, Ohio could loss as many as 2 Congressional seats (and 2 electoral votes in the Presidental election) after the 2010 census and redistricting takes effect for the 2012 elections. If current projections of population loss stands, only New York and Ohio would be states set to lose 2 Congressional seats. Several other states face the loss of single House seats. The US Census Bureau is set to release its projections for 2010 today and the results will reportedly show that the Nevada is now the fastest growing state in the union, particularly the Las Vegas metro area. The entire US population grew by 0.9% over this past year to now 296.4 million people.
From the article: "In 1940, Northeastern and Midwestern states had a total of 251 seats in the House, compared with 184 for states in the South and West.
Today, Southern and Western states have the edge, 252-183."

Redfern Elected New Ohio Dem Chairman

2005-12-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ohio House Democratic Leader Chris Redfern of Catawba Island was handily elected the new Ohio Democratic Chairman on Monday night. Redfern collected 88 votes to Dayton Democratic Party Chairman Dennis Lieberman's 31 votes. A delay in the vote occurred to determine how the process should proceed but in the end Redern won overwhelmingly.
Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke was given a note by Jerry Springer to read at the meeting, announcing his intent not to run for Ohio Governor next year. But the meeting was quickly adjourned and Springer had to release the announcement via e-mail to Ohio media outlets.
Chris Redern's election was to serve the remainder of former Chairman Denny White's term, who resigned as Ohio Democratic Chairman effective November 23. Another election for a full term will occur next spring or summer of '06.

Jerry Springer Out of Race for Governor

2005-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

Not that he was ever really in the race for Ohio Governor in 2006, but former trash TV talk show host Jerry Springer has formally taken his name out of the Democratic Primary for Ohio Governor in 2006. He endorsed Congressman Ted Strickland for Governor. Springer also said he was "dead serious" about his professional radio career and was not using the show as a springboard. Springer merely confirmed what evryone had known for months, Springer was not about to jeporadize his re-entry into politics with a divisive and contentious primary against a current Congressman who already had the backing of the Ohio Democratic establishment.

Portune Out for Ohio Dem Chairman, Election Tonight

2005-12-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune took his name out of the running to lead the Ohio Democratic Party over the weekend. With the election to pick the new Ohio Dem Chairman schedule for tonight 12/19, my money is still on House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, Rep. and '06 Governor candidate Ted Strickland's personal choice. Redern also apparently got the backing of Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and Redfern supposedly already has 80 votes (only 68 are needed to win the majority of 137).

Is Mallory's Replacement a loyal Democrat?

2005-12-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Eric Kearney, former CEO of a newspaper publishing company, attorney, and Dartmouth College graduate, was chosen to succeed Mark Mallory last month in the State Senate after Mallory resigned to assume his new elected position of Cincinnati Mayor. But there has been local mumbling about where Kearney's political loyalities really lie, given his campaign contributions in the past. Kearney has donated to Ken Blackwell's Secretary of State and Treasurer campaigns and Joe Deters' State Treasurer campaign. Apparently, Kearney has also never voted in a Democratic Primary election before. Indeed, Kearney's first run for public office was for Cincinnati City Council in 1993 and he ran as a Charterite, not a Democrat. This has made some Cincinnati Democrats uneasy with the choice and led to Senate Minority Leader CJ Prentiss (D-Cleveland) writing an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer defending the choice. Kearney's appointment spells doom for former Vice Mayor of Cincinnati Alicia Reece, who is still looking for a way to advance her political career. Kearney has already drawn one primary opponent in St. Rep. Catherine Barrett, but I'd have to give the edge to Kearney at this point. Kearney's relative youth, nice personality, and likeability should carry him through. If Kearney fends off Barett's challenge in the primary, he will most likely face former Cincinnati City Councilman Charlie Winburn (R) in the general election.

Commentary: Given Winburn's outspoken social stances, I'm not sure who I would personally support in such a matchup. Kearney has an impressive resume and is not like the other Cincinnati politicians who are only concerned about holding an elected position at all times (a la Pat DeWine and Alicia Reece). I suppose only time and Kearney's voting record in the next year will tell. Leslie Ghiz anyone?

Legislature Passes 'Ohio Patriot Act,' and Election Reform Is Tabled

2005-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Ohio General Assembly passed what its critics called the "Ohio Patriot Act" last week by a vote of 69-23. The bill gives law enforcement agencies greater discretion in questioning terrorist suspects and also makes it a misdemeanor for a witness of a crime not to report certain information to law enforcement. Agencies also have greater authority to check IDs and ask pribing questions at aiports and checkpoints throughout the state.

Another important piece of legislation that came out of the State Senate last week was a contentious election reform bill that requires voters to present identification when voting at the polling place. Some Senate Republicans voted against the provision because it included a $200 cap on how much money local elected officials (county comissioners, county prosecutors, sheriffs, etc.) could receive in campaign contributions from their own employees. The Ohio House soundly rejected the $200 contribution cap and the ID provisions and the differences in the two versions will not be resolved until the new year.

Petro Claims Dead Heat with Blackwell

2005-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

After a $1 million TV ad campaign, Attorney General Jim Petro has claimed a statistical dead heat with Secretary of State Ken Blackwell but only in a two-race that does not include Auditor Betty Montgomery. In a two-way match, Petro and Blackwell are tied at 33%-33%. In match of Blackwell vs. Montgomery, Blackwell leads 40%-27%. In the three-way race, Blackwell still leads Petro and Montgomery 30%-35%-12%, respectively. But among those who have claimed to see Petro's recent TV ads, Petro leads Blackwell 40%-26%. The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies 12/06-07 with a margin of error +/- 4.38%.

The Public Opinion Strategies constrasts considerably with the Columbus Dispatch poll conducted 09/22-10/08. That poll showed Blackwell with a hefty lead over Petro and Mongtomery at 32%-18%-16%, respectively.

While the Public Opinion Strategies poll was conducted for the Petro campaign, it's certain that the recent TV ads have had a positive effect on his numbers and name ID. Blackwell will have to respond soon to counteract the trend.

NOTE: This blogger proudly endorses Jim Petro for Ohio Governor.

Neo-Nazis March in Toledo Again

2005-12-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

A Neo-Nazi group that demonstrated in Toledo in October returned to the same neighborhood this Saturday to protest the police's handling of the event. In October, demonstrators against the Neo-Nazis began rioting which led to local vandalism and many arrests. Fortunately the protest this Saturday only brought out 100 counter-demonstrators in the cold winter weather. According to the group, the original October demonstration was organized by Neo-Nazis because of increased crime in a neighborhood that has seen a recent influx of African-Americans. Security checkpoints were set up by the City of Toledo to ensure safety in the demonstrating area that was formed by court order.

Cranley for Congress, 48 hours later

2005-12-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Newly elected Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley (D) announced his intent to challenge Rep. Steve Chabot (R) again (he first challenged Chabot in 2000, losing by 5 points) less than 48 hours after being sworn into his third term as a Cincinnati City Councilman. Executive Director of the Hamilton County Republican Party Brad Greenberg has some harsh words for Councilman Cranley, "John Cranley must have set a record for the shortest amount of time between being sworn into one office and announcing plans for the next office. To wait only 48 hours is disrespectful to the voters of Cincinnati. John Cranley cares more about his own advancement than fulfilling his duties on City Council."

Greenberg's counterpart in the Hamilton County Democratic Party shot back, " Since Chabot is in his sixth two-year term, when will he announce that he won't seek re-election?Or does Brad Greenberg think Steve Chabot cares more about advancing his own career than keeping his promises to Ohio's First Congressional District?Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. John Cranley has officially run for two offices during his distinguished career. Elected three times, with over five years of service on City Council, John Cranley has added more police to the streets, fought blight in neighborhoods, reinvested in the urban core, and balanced biennial budgets."

Analysis: In a Chabot v. Cranley rematch for OH-01, Chabot should win by about 10 points. While Cranley has more name recognition by being in this third term as a Cincinnati City Councilman, OH-01 is considerably more GOP than it was in 2000. Best prediction at this point is 55-45, Chabot elected to a seventh term.

Dann On the Offensive Over Tax History

2005-12-10T22:43:00.000-08:00

State Senator Mark Dann (D-Youngstown) took the offensive over growing criticism and Republican demands for him to release his tax records. Soon after announcing his candidacy for state Attorney General, Dann's tax history was put under scrutiny. Dann has been the subject of interest by state debt collectors dating back to 1997 and just 17 days ago the state of Ohio filed a collection of $561.71 in back taxes against Dann. Dann called the news of his tax history Republican "smear tactics" and that he never abused the power of this office, like leading Republicans in the state. But Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett offered a different prespective on the State Senator who has been a leading critic of the Noe scandals, calling Dann a "hypocrite" who was "throwing rocks from a glass house."

Eight Vie to Lead Ohio Democrats

2005-12-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

Since former Chairman Denny White's resignation over the Thanksgiving holiday, eight candidates have declared their intent to vie for the position of Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. The candidates include: House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, Former Rep. Dennis Eckert, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, 2004 Congressional Candidate (against Rep. Mike Turner) Jane Mitakides, Erie County Democratic Chairman David Giese, Athens County Democratic Chairwoman Susan Gwinn, and former state party Executive Director Bill DeMora. For now, House Minority Leader Chris Redfern appears to be the frontrunner, as he was endorsed by Rep. and leading candidate for Governor Ted Strickland. But the campaign for White's replacement continues.

Chris Redfern

Taft Cousin Defeated by One Vote

2005-12-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

Incumbent City Councilman Rick Taft, cousin of Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, was declared the loser in a city council race in the upscale Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike. Rick Taft had won a coin toss to determine the winner of the race after the results showed the race to be a perfect tie. But a recount on Thursday showed challenger Richard Bain had won by a one-vote margin, 1,124 to 1,123. The result of the race may not be over and a another recount may be necessary, as the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections confirmed on Thursday that the determining vote may be a chad issue.

Rick Taft

The Race to Replace Sherrod

2005-12-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

With U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Elyria) having formally announced his candidacy for US Senate (see below), the race to replace Brown in the House has already begun.

Analysis: Brown currently holds the 13th Ohio Congressional district, which is essentially a seat gerrymandered to be overwhelmingly Democratic. The district streteches from the shores of Lake Erie in Lorain south to Medina and finally east into the heart of Akron. The two largest metropolitan areas of the district are Lorain and Akron, with Akron having the edge in population. There are Republican portions to the district, especially the I-71 corridor. Strongsville, Medina, Brecksville, and Brunswick are quickly becoming upper-middle class Cleveland suburbs that are definitely trending GOP more and more. Brown is a Lorain native (now living in the suburb of Elyria) and has avoided a contentious primary with courting the Akron labor union crowd and voting much in line with the blue collar tilt of the district.

Akron and Lorain are nearly an hour away from one another but their blue collar Democratic politics are nearly identical. But in a Democratic primary where candidates largely agree on the issues, name recoginition will be the key. Former Akron Mayor and US Rep. Tom Sawyer has already thrown his hat in the ring and announced his intent to run for the seat. Another Akron Democratic bigwig, Former St. Rep. and current Chairman of the Summit County Board of Elections Wayne Jones is also considering the race. If both these candidates run, the Akron vote will effectively be split and open the way for a Lorain-based candidate to win a three-way primary fight. For now, the Lorain standard bearer appears to be Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo. Rep. Steve LaTourette's (R-Madison-on-the-Lake) 2004 challenger, Capri Cafaro, is also considering a run but her effect would be marginal at best. She is not from the district, being a Youngstown resident and would not have the name reciginition to equal Akron and Lorain pols. With the current field of candidates, the edge should be with Kalo.

Capri Cafaro Tom Sawyer Ted Kalo

Sherrod Brown Makes Senate Run Official With 4 Stop Tour

2005-12-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Elyria) has made his US Senate bid against incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine official with a 4 stop tour that began in Avondale on Sunday with a stop Pastor Fred Shuttleworth's church. While there, Brown delivered a fiery speech in which he compared the policies of the Bush Administration to the racial segregation in the south of the 1950s and 1960s. Brown exclaimed, "Whether we're embarrassing segregation or embarrassing a president of the United States who has wrongfully and deceitfully taken us into war, or embarrassing someone who uses his power against the poor and against working families unfairly..." Less than 20 people showed up for Brown's speech, supposedly due to inclement weather. Today Brown took his campaign kickoff tour to Columbus to officially announce his candidacy in the state's capital city.

Brown has decided to focus his attention on the supposed failure of President Bush and Republican policies in general. But he does face a Democratic primary challenge in Paul Hackett, who was not hesitant in crticizing Brown as a Washington insider. Hackett himself is a fiery candidate who last week, on MSNBC's "Hardball" show, claimed President Bush used cocaine as a young adult, despite the lack of evidence available.

Mayor Coleman Out for Governor

2005-12-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman has ended his bid for Ohio Governor, leaving the Democratic nomination solely in the hands of US Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon. When Coleman first threw his hat in the ring this past summer, he was assumed to be the frontrunner and only credible candidate the Democrats would field in 2006. But the recent scandals and constant unpopularity of Gov. Bob Taft led to Strickland entering the race and quickly becoming the favorite among the establishment within the Ohio Democratic Party. Coleman citing family troubles and his current job as Mayor of Columbus, OH that precluded him from running.

St. Sen. Eric Fingerhut (D-Shaker Heights) claimed the field was now wide open and said he would be making a decision soon as to whether or not he would be entering the Democratic Primary for Governor in 2006.

Schmidt Could Face Primary Challenge(s)

2005-12-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Jean Schmidt's comments on the floor of the US House concerning Jack Murtha's plan to pullout of Iraq within 6 months and labeling him a "coward" as inspired many Republican political figures to weigh a run against Schmidt in the OH-02 Republican Primary next May. State Rep. Tom Brinkman (R) has already expressed his sentiment that someone should challenge Schmidt, though he would not signal whether or not he will enter the race. Former Rep. Bob McEwen may be getting into the mix as well, after showing up uninvited to newly elected Cincinnati City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz's celebration party. McEwen has also announced that he will not be running against incumbent US Sen. Mike DeWine in the Republican primary next year, again leaving the possibility open for another US House run in the 2nd District.

On the Democratic side, Housing executive Thor Jacobs has announced his intent to run in the OH-02 Democratic Primary next year.

Mallory Sworn in As Cincinnati Mayor

2005-12-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Former St. Senator Mark L. Mallory took the oath of office as Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio today, succeeding longtime Mayor and Cincinnati politician Charlie Luken. The ceremony was largely celebratory, except for the notable exception of Councilman David Crowley (D). Crowley was outraged that Mayor Mallory had stripped him of a Chairmanship in the City Council dealing with public access to the happenings at Cincinnati City Hall. Mallory made a surprised pick for Vice Mayor of the City by reaching across party lines and choosing Charterite City Councilman Jim Tarbell. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) made an appearance at City Hall to swear in fellow Republican and newly elected Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz. Ghiz's choice of Schmidt is puzzling not only because of the timing coinciding with Schmidt's controversial remarks on the floor of the US House concerning Jack Murtha's Iraq War pullout plan, but also because Schmidt's politics are considerably more conservative than Ghiz's. More on Schmidt and her troubles above.

State Rep. Seaver to Retire

2005-12-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

When elected in 2000, Derrick Seaver (R-Minster) was the youngest person ever elected to the Ohio Assembly at age 18. Seaver originally ran as a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Republican district and beat his Republican opponent, Dave Shiffer, by only 242 votes. After the 2004 election, Seaver changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, citing growing rifts with the Democratic caucus, particularly on social issues. With only one term left to serve after 2006, Rep. Seaver has decided to retire. Declared candidates in the race to find his replacement include former Rep. Bob McEwen's campaign Manager Wes Farno, among others.

Bob Taft's Disapproval Reaches New Low

2005-12-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

According to a Zogby Online Poll, Gov. Bob Taft (R-OH) has an approval rating only in the single digits at 6.5%. And only 3% rate his job performance as either"good" or "excellent." The poll also found that 61% of respondents felt Taft should have resigned his office after the Tom Noe scandal surfaced and when Taft was convicted of failing to report golf outings with donors to his re-election campaign in 2002. The latest SurveyUSA poll of US Governors released on 11/29 shows Taft's approval/disapporval standing at 18%/77%, respectively. Still a fairly dismal outlook for the final year of Taft's Administration.

As an aside, the same Zogby Online Poll showed President Bush's approval rating in Ohio at 46%.