Others Notice: GOP Trouble in OH-15

The word has gone out-----Republicans still don't have a candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district.

Real Clear Politics:

....In Ohio's 15th District, where Rep. Deborah Pryce announced her retirement in August, Republicans face an even more basic challenge: Finding a candidate to begin with. The GOP has thus far failed to recruit any serious candidate, though the NRCC maintains it is a top priority. "We will have an A-list candidate sooner rather than later," NRCC press secretary Ken Spain told the Columbus Dispatch more than a month ago.

Strong candidates including former Attorney General Jim Petro, former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka, state Rep. Jim Hughes and State Sen. Steve Stivers have all passed on the opportunity. Only Aaron Wheeler, a pastor at Mountaintop Missionary Baptist Church, has declared on the GOP side.

Democrats will again back Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, who lost to Pryce by less than one half of one percent -- just over 1000 votes -- in 2006. Kilroy has already raised more than $425,000 this year, and maintains $380,000 cash on hand, albeit with $62,000 in debt. This morning, she got more good news when EMILY's List, a powerful Washington-based group dedicated to electing pro-choice women to Congress, announced they would back her campaign.....

The deadline for filing for candidacy is approaching fast. Don't you wonder why Republicans just haven't found a candidate? Is no one interested in running as a candidate for a party associated with so many scandals? Is no one interested in running as a candidate for a party that supports an unending war?

Ohio Political Update

Update: Republican Rep. Deborah "I don't vote in Congress on Mondays" Pryce (Oh-15) has now missed 108 votes since the current session of Congress started in January (Washington Post).

Last night, President Bush was in Cincinnati to raise funds for Republican Rep. Steve Chabot. Besides hanging out with his supporters and Chabot, Bush managed to stop by Johnny Bench's birthday party, according to the Cincinnati Post. The picture below is from the Post by Melvin Grier.

(Notice Chabot on the far left, Johnny Bench center with Bush, and Republican Sen. George Voinovich on the far right.)


It is important to know that Bush doesn't seem to have time to attend one military funeral, but he has time to visit the birthday party of a washed up baseball player. Guess we know his priorities.

Pryce and Chabot

Lobbyists are saddened by the recent announcements of retirement for so many Republicans.
The Hill:
....Rep. Deborah Pryce, another Ohio Republican who is retiring after surviving a close election in 2006, is a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, which handles a variety of critical business issues, from trade to monetary policy to insurance.

After the Dubai Ports World controversy, when Congress considered toughening rules for foreign companies to buy U.S. firms that performed critical tasks, Pryce led an effort to craft a compromise that would not crimp foreign investment in the U.S., said Nancy McLernon, senior vice president of the Organization for International Investment (OFII).

“She is definitely a member of Congress who gets it in terms of in-sourcing,” McLernon said, using the word that foreign companies use to counter complaints regarding the outsourcing of U.S. jobs overseas......

Pryce and others in the Republican Party were willing to cater to the demands of big business and industries. As a result, the American worker suffered.

>>> Republican Rep. Steve Chabot and his best pal, George W. Bush, had a little get-together that raised over $500,000 for Chabot's re-election campaign, according to WCPO. Here is more from WCPO:

....People attending Monday's fund-raiser donated $1,500 to Chabot for the right to attend the event.

A photo with Mr. Bush meant a $10,000 donation.....

......The fund-raiser comes after the President vetoed the S-CHIP, Children's Health Insurance Bill.

Chabot voted with Bush to uphold the veto......

Don't you wonder how many people paid $10,000 to have a picture with President Bush?

Bush Helps His Friend Steve Chabot

(Pic from Wash. Post)
President Bush is headed to the Cincinnati area for a fundraiser for his cheerleader, Republican Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1st). Here are a few excerpts from the Cincinnati Enquirer:
...The fundraiser comes a little more than a week after Chabot voted to uphold the president's veto of the children's health insurance program...

"Apparently, loyalty to Bush beats loyalty to children and Chabot is getting his payoff for dutifully playing Bush's puppet," Chairman Chris Redfern said.

In fact, Driehaus has a rally scheduled for this afternoon to highlight Bush's ties to Chabot - and, with a backdrop of children, highlight Chabot's vote on the children's health insurance program....

Democratic challenger, Steve Driehaus, is right to focus on Chabot's undying obedience to the Bush agenda. How many children will have to lose healthcare because Chabot must march in lockstep with President Bush's demands?

Chabot, who has voted with his party and Bush 88.8% of the time, will have a tough campaign ahead of him with Democrat Steve Driehaus as his opponent.

A Possible Republican Candidate for OH-15th???

Is there a possible Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district? Dayton Daily News:

Former state Rep. Don Mottley won't challenge Kettering City Council Member Peggy Lehner in a Republican primary race for the 37th Ohio House seat.

He's leaving Montgomery County, after living here for a half-century, but is not ruling out running for office — perhaps even the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio — from his new home in Columbus......

......Mottley said no one is endorsed for Pryce's 15th Congressional District seat.

"No one in authority has asked me to consider that," he said.

Do you think many people in the district have ever heard of this guy? Besides, is that how it works--- you move into a district and then you run for office even though you know nothing about the people, assets, and problems of the district?

Time Ticking Away for GOP for Ohio's 15th District

There is still no Republican candidate to run for the 15th congressional district. This is from the Daily Briefing from the Columbus Dispatch:

Since the Rep. Deborah Pryce’s August retirement announcement, Republicans seem to be having a wee bit of trouble coming up with a GOP candidate to take on Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, and Kilroy’s increasingly substantial campaign coffer, next year.

But the swing central Ohio district, in which Pryce, R-Upper Arlington, barely beat Kilroy in 2006, is one Republicans will “never give up on,” says Tom Cole, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Campaign. Cole, a House member from Oklahoma, spoke to reporters today in a conference call where he gave his views on how the GOP was doing in the run up to the 2008 House elections.

Still, Cole acknowledged that unlike other retirement decisions by House Republicans that were anticipated ahead of time, GOP campaign architects were “caught a little bit by surprise” when Pryce announced she too was stepping aside. The search for a credible candidate is a “work in progress,” Cole said.....

According to Dave at Wide Open, Republicans have until January 4th to file for the primary. With just a little over 2 months to go, Republicans must be making lots of phone calls looking for a candidate.

Gov. Strickland

Stateline:

Gov. Ted Strickland, a once-obscure congressman from Appalachia, cruised to victory in a Democratic sweep of Ohio in 2006. With Republicans tarnished by a statehouse financial scandal known as “Coingate,” the Democrats won every statewide office except for state auditor and supreme court justice, including the U.S. Senate seat held by incumbent Mike DeWine (R).

Today, with his first legislative session under his belt, Strickland is riding high in popularity and poised to be an asset in a state destined to be pivotal – again – in the presidential race.

Facing a GOP-controlled Legislature, Strickland won nearly unanimous passage of a two-year, $52.3 billion package in what many called the smoothest budget process in years. It ended with a spontaneous hug between the governor and Republican Speaker Jon Husted......

The article goes on to say that the Democratic Party has been able to get some highly qualified candidates to run for office.

**** In the meantime, there is still no Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district to run for Deborah Pryce's seat. Don't you wonder how many Republicans have turned down the offer to run?

The Responsiblity of School Districts

Columbus Dispatch:
Worthington Christian Schools will no longer hire sex offenders, and officials at the private school say they will dig into employees' backgrounds to look for any skeletons in their closets.

On Friday, a high-school teacher resigned after The Dispatch reported that he had been rehired after allegations that he fondled a girl. And Monday, a teacher was arrested on charges that he sexually abused a student while working at a school in Wisconsin.....

Did I read that correctly---'Worthington Christian Schools will no longer hire sex offenders'? It is sad that they seem to be admitting that they haven't been investigating the background of their teachers and staff.

There have been more news stories about teachers having sex with students. I am sure it is not an epidemic. I think that more has been published and the media just keep feeding on those stories.

Many decades ago when I first started to teach, I attended a workshop for all the teachers in my building about teacher behavior. Here are some of the things that were discussed:

1. A teacher should never be alone with a student.

2. A teacher should never touch/hug a student.

3. A teacher should never provide a ride to a student.

4. A teacher should have the principal/assistant principal/counselor/team leader sit in on all parent teacher conferences.

As a former teacher, I am saddened by these recent scandals. However, I think that the schools/districts have not been doing their jobs investigating their applicants for their jobs. It is the responsibility of the school districts to confirm the fitness, skills, previous employment, documentation, and police record of all their potential employees. School districts who have not been doing this are opening themselves to litigation.

Poll Workers Needed ASAP

If you live in Franklin County, Ohio and are a Democrat, your help is needed ASAP.
Dispatch:

County elections officials across Ohio are scrambling to find Democrats willing to serve as presiding judges just two weeks from Election Day......
........board needs 135 additional Democratic presiding judges to run the election. That is because Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, won all but 22 of Franklin County's 854 precincts last year. State law requires a presiding judge to be of the same political party as the gubernatorial candidate who last won that precinct.....
....Poll workers earn $110; presiding judges in Franklin County get $160. Those interested in working can register online at http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov or call the Board of Elections at (614) 462-3100.

Delaware County also needs Democratic poll workers. Call the Delaware County Board of Elections at
(740) 833-2080.

If you live in Ohio and are interested in helping to insure fair elections, call your local board of elections and volunteer to work the polls.

>> I bet you are wondering if Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) showed up for the Monday session of the House of Representatives! Keeping with her aversion to working on Mondays, Pryce once again missed votes. According to the Washington Post---- .....Deborah Pryce has missed 107 votes (10.9%) during the current Congress.

Musgrave

According to Raw Story, Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4th) wants to put religion into the Capitol Visitor Center.
Raw Story:

...Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) has introduced a bill that would place on permanent display the Pledge of Allegiance -- with its mention of "one nation under God" -- and the motto "In God We Trust." The bill also would prohibit the Architect of the Capitol from excluding exhibits and materials that contain "a religious reference or Judeo-Christian content."

The bill was introduced last week in the wake of a flap over the Capitol architect's refusal to include a reference to God on a certificate accompanying a flag flown over the Capitol. That decision was reversed as lawmakers seek to prevent future censorship of religious messages on flag certificates.....

Marilyn Musgrave must need to get her right wing base fired up to get herself money for her re-election campaign. Musgrave voted against overriding President Bush's veto of S-CHIP for America's poor children (Washington Post), but she has been right up there supporting President Bush's never ending war in Iraq.

Musgrave must not get out very often. She probably hasn't noticed that this country is made up of many different nationalities and religions. Musgrave should also be told that we do have separation of church and state.

Jean Schmidt

Are there problems ahead for Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH-2)? Here is a little info from the Dayton Daily News:

...Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, has $108,336 in the bank for her next campaign, but her competitors in that race all have more.
Republican primary challenger Phil Heimlich has $218,287 in the bank and no debt, and Democrat Victoria Wells Wulsin, whom Schmidt narrowly beat in 2006, has $343,001 in the bank and no debt.

Democrat Steve Black, meanwhile, has $256,937 in the bank for his candidacy and $58,320 in debt.
Schmidt has $277,150 in debt.

Jean Schmidt doesn't seem to be attracting the big bucks.

Pryce Has Not Listened Well to the People

A recent column by David Brooks that appeared in the New York Times gave a glowing picture of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15). However, letters to the editor in response to the column show that not everyone has such high regard for Pryce. You can check out all the letters here. Here is my favorite:

....David Brooks’s tribute to my representative, Deborah Pryce, was truly bizarre. It may be true that Ms. Pryce has retained an honest, inner voice, but her outer voice — the one that actually votes in Congress and has an impact on people’s lives — has been extremely problematic.

With a few exceptions, Ms. Pryce has been a reliable rubber stamp and cheerleader for the administration’s failed policies at home and abroad. She may have done so with a heavy heart, but that is no excuse....

I agree with this letter to the editor. Brooks does not know Pryce and how she has sided with her party instead of the wishes of her constituents. The fact that a majority of Pryce's constituents want an end to the war in Iraq has been ignored by Pryce because of her admiration and devotion to the GOP and George W. Bush. Time and time again, Pryce has supported big business, insurance, and petroleum conglomerates over the needs of regular people. Her tenure has served her party well. Her constituents? Not so much.

Does Boehner hate poor children?

ABC News has more on the Republican retirements:
.... (Rep. Ray) LaHood is one of a dozen House Republicans, many of them veterans able to hold swing districts by the force of their personality, who have announced they will not seek re-election next year. More than half the retirements are in the Midwest, a perennial political battleground....

.....In Ohio, Republicans have yet to settle on a candidate to replace Pryce, a 15-year congressional veteran who is retiring to spend more time with her young daughter. Democrats back Mary Jo Kilroy, who came within a half-percentage point of beating Pryce last year.

Rep. Ralph Regula's decision to step down after 35 years in Congress gives Democrats another shot at an Ohio seat. Their candidate: state Sen. John Boccieri, an Air Force reservist who recently completed a fourth tour of duty supporting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.....

With so many open seats, Democrats have plenty of talent to run for the House and the Senate.

> Has anyone seen Republican Rep. John Boehner recently? The man, who voted against overriding the President's veto of S-CHIP, seems to be spending too much time on golf courses. While Boehner is hobnobbing on plush, private golf courses, poor American children are going without health care. Mr. Boehner is more concerned with his golf handicap than the handicaps disadvantaged American children face when trying to get medical treatment.

You may wish to contact Boehner and let him know that you are very unhappy with his vote against S-CHIP:
http://johnboehner.house.gov/
telephone numbers: DC- (202) 225-4000 and (202) 225-6205
(513) 779-5400,
(937) 339-1524
toll free for constituents (800) 582-1001.

Ohio GOP's Future

Free Internet Press:

....While Bush and the Democrats fight it out in public, the Republican rank and file have grown increasingly demoralized. Eighteen Republicans in the Senate and 45 in the House abandoned the White House on the children's health bill, and lawmakers expect even more to vote to override his promised veto of a water projects bill as soon as next week.

As Republicans lament life in the minority, many are giving up. Nearly a dozen Republicans in the House and five in the Senate have announced their intention to retire next year. Rep. Tom Cole (Oklahoma), chairman of the National Republican Congresional Committee, said that the party should hold many of those seats, but that some will be tough, such as that of Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio). "If Deborah would change her mind, I'd be the happiest guy in the world," he said......

>>> Blog Cleveland:

....(Tom) Cole called Ohio "a challenge state" for Republicans in light of Gillmor's death and recent retirement decisions by Republicans Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington, Ralph Regula of Navarre and David Hobson of Springfield....

.....Unfortunately we knew all of this, unless the one tidbit is that the GOP has no idea who they're going to put up against Kilroy in 15.....

What have we learned from all of this?

1. The NRCC is having difficulty getting recruits and and money.

2. Republicans are not having fun being in the minority in the House and the Senate.

3. The Republican scandals in Ohio are still fresh in the minds of Ohio voters. Ohioans are very skeptical of any promises made by Republican candidates.

4. The Ohio GOP still doesn't have a candidate to run against Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio's 15th district.

-------------------------

Did you catch Rachel Maddow on the Today Show? Rachel Maddow was having a conversation with Matt Lauer and some right wing radio guy about Bush's pro-Iran war stance. Maddow put it all in perspective when she said (I'm paraphrasing.) that if you liked the war in Iraq, you'll love war with Iran because that is what you'll get if you elect a Republican for President.

Improving Chances for Democrats in Ohio

Just on the heels of the announcement of the retirement of Republican Rep. David Hobson (OH-7th), there is word of a possible Democratic candidate for the open seat. According to the Buckeye State Blog, the person considering a run for Congress is Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly! Here is an excerpt from BSB:

.....Kelly, Clark County Sheriff since 1987, has earned numerous awards--including being named "Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer in the State of Ohio"--during his long and distinguished career in Springfield and Xenia's police departments and as Sheriff. Kelly graduated from Antioch and received his Masters in Criminal Justice from Xavier. He also was first in his class at the Kennedy School of Government's Leadership for the 21st Century program......

The candidacy of someone like Sheriff Gene Kelly will make many Republicans fearful.

The following is an excerpt from the Zanesville Times Recorder:
....Ken Spain, press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said he doesn't believe the retirements of Reps. Ralph Regula and David Hobson and the death of veteran Rep. Paul Gillmor have left the GOP vulnerable in those areas.....

"If you take a look at those districts, all of them have proven to be reliably Republican in the past," Spain said. "Any Democrat attempting to compete in these reliably Republican districts in a presidential year will find themselves in an uphill battle."

....At the end of August, the National Republican Congressional Committee had spent nearly all of the $34.6 million it has raised during the cycle, reporting only $1.6 million cash on hand and $4 million in debt, according to federal filings. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had banked more than $22 million of the $44 million it raised and was about $3 million in debt.....

No one is saying that winning these districts for Democrats will be a an easy task. However, with changes in the Ohio statehouse, the unending war promoted by Bush and Republicans, the unpopularity of the Bush administration, and improved voting procedures in the state (thanks to Jennifer Brunner), there is a greater possibility of gaining these seats for Democrats.

In The Money

While Republicans in central Ohio continue to knock on doors looking for a candidate, any candidate to run for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy has been building up her funds for her run for the 15th.

Dispatch:
......In a report filed yesterday with the Federal Elections Commission, Kilroy, a Franklin County commissioner making her second bid for Congress, listed total third-quarter contributions of $342,423 and expenditures of $25,561. The report represented fundraising from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Combined with money she carried over from her second-quarter report, Kilroy has $383,000 on hand to fight for the seat being vacated at the end of next year by Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington, who is retiring. Pryce narrowly defeated Kilroy in 2006.....

---- While we wait for next year's election, we continue to watch our current member of Congress, Deborah Pryce, Republican. Pryce has given new meaning to the phrase, "I don't do Mondays." Pryce apparently is allergic to working on Mondays. According to the Washington Post, Pryce was NOT in attendance to vote on Monday in the House of Representatives. This latest absence means Pryce has missed 10.3% of the votes in Congress since January. Pryce has gone from part of the leadership in the House to someone who doesn't care enough to show up to represent her district. Nice going, Deborah.

Never Underestimate the Voter

It has finally happened-- Republican Rep. David Hobson (OH-7th) will retire at the end of this term, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Besides Hobson, Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15-R) and Rep. Ralph Regula (OH-16-R) have also announced their retirements. Rep. Paul Gillmor (OH-5th-R) recently passed away.

The Ohio Republican Party seems to be saying that these four GOP members of Congress will be missed, but the GOP will retain control of these districts. Isn't that a tad arrogant?
Here are some excerpts from the Columbus Dispatch:
......However, Hobson's district, which stretches from the Dayton-Springfield area into southeastern Franklin County and Fairfield County, has been considered a GOP stronghold because it is dominated by conservative voters. It isn't clear whether national and state Democrats will make the district a target in Hobson's absence......

......Robert T. Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, called Hobson's retirement a "big loss for Ohio," but he insisted that the Republicans would hold onto the seat....

The Ohio Republican Party is tainted by scandals and ethics violations. A week doesn't go by that we have some news regarding the Ohio GOP scandals. Here is an excerpt from WTOL about another lawbreaker associated with former Republican Gov. Bob Taft and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation:

.....Opening statements are scheduled for tomorrow in the case of Mark D. Lay, the head of a money management firm who is accused of losing $215 million in state investment funds.

Lay, founder and chief executive of MDL Capital Management in Pittsburgh, was indicted in June on charges of investment advisory fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.....

....The wide-reaching case began with the 2005 revelation that Republican donor Tom Noe was investing state money in rare coins. Nineteen people have been convicted in the scandal, which rocked state politics.

The Ohio Republican Party and their leadership think that voters will ignore these scandals. The GOP also thinks that voters will forget that these four Republican members of Congress gladly gave President Bush a blank check for his war in Iraq, which is now costing us $2 billion/week.

If Ohio voters in the 5th, 7th, 15th, and 16th districts are truly looking for change, then they'll need to vote for Democrats. Support for Republicans in these districts has only cost us the loss of American lives overseas, a larger national debt, scandals, major losses for Ohio farmers, and violations of the laws. Ohio has lost too much to continue to support Republicans who care more about their party than their constituents and their country.

The Ohio GOP should not assume that any district belongs to only the Republican Party. It should be an interesting campaign season.

Is there anything "reliably Republican" in Ohio?

CBS News: Following the retirement of announcement by longtime Republican Rep. Ralph Regula (Ohio) on Friday, speculation has now intensified over whether his fellow Ohioan, Rep. David Hobson (R) will also step down at the end of the 110th Congress.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer says Hobson "is also weighing departure," and reporters have been pressing Hobson during the last several days for a definitive statement on his political plans, and they have not been able to get that so far, according to House insiders on both sides of the aisle.

Hobson, who is his ninth term, turns 71 this week (Oct. 17), and the departure from the Ohio delegation of Regula and Rep. Deborah Pryce (R), as well as the recent death of Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio), has him thinking hard about what he wants to do.....

Ohio's 7th district is called "reliably Republican" by the same article. However, the people of Ohio are still recovering from the Republican scandals of Taft, Tom Noe, Bob Ney, and the rest of the GOP evildoers. People are very distrustful of the Republican tag. I think it presumptuous to call any district "reliably Republican" in this climate.

>>>> Coach Jim Tressel has a new website called..... coachtressel.com and it is very popular. Besides the expected areas of the site (tradition, schedules, facilities, and gallery, etc.), there is a page called "Buckeye Troops" that must be seen!

Another Ohio GOP Retirement

According to PRNewswire, Republican Rep. Ralph Regula (OH-16) will retire at the end of this term. The statement on his retirement was issued by Republican Rep. Roy Blunt, who is the Party Whip. Can Steve Chabot be far behind?????

More Refusals in Ohio's 15th District

According to an article in The Other Paper, Chris Spielman has been talked to about a possible run as a Republican candidate for Ohio's 15 congressional district. Chris, and his wife, Stephanie, have both declined the offer.

However, there is a possible GOP candidate in Hilliard. Republicans are trying to convince the president of the Hilliard City Council, Bret Sciotto, to run for the 15th district. (Wow! I've never even heard of him!) If Mr. Sciotto refuses the offer, the Republicans may have to look elsewhere.

The Ohio Republican Party looks to be in horrible shape. They do not have a viable candidate one year before the election. Does this indicate that the GOP has lost both power and prestige in Ohio?

Never Judge A Book By The Cover

- If you saw Henry Navin on the streets of Cleveland, you'd think he was just another homeless man. However, Mr. Navin is a very highly-educated man (law degree and an MBA) who has been unable to find work. You can read his story in this Dispatch article. Perhaps there is someone out there who can help Mr. Navin get a job and a place to live.

- In the front page of today's Columbus Dispatch, there is a picture of three students who survived the shooting at a Cleveland high school. The picture shows 3 African-American students from the high school after the shooting. However, there is not a picture of the shooter, Asa A. Coon, who was white. Is the Dispatch and other newspapers trying to make people believe that the shooter was African-American?

Still More Problems for Republicans

CBS News:
......The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which focuses on fundraising for House races, has almost a 14-to-1 lead in cash on hand over its Republican counterpart, and a recent Gallup Poll showed Americans favor Democrats over Republicans by 15 percentage points....

The loss of their big campaign chests will definitely hurt the GOP candidates.

.....GOP Reps. Deborah Pryce of Ohio and Jim Ramstad of Minnesota will be retiring, as will Republicans like Rep. Jerry Weller, former Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Rep. Ray LaHood, all of Illinois....
.....The Democratic Party has set its sights on winning the swing district left open by the impending exit of 14-year incumbent Pryce, who barely held on to her seat in the last election.....

> Even though the House of Representatives was not in session yesterday for Columbus Day, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce took it upon herself to miss votes again today. According to the Washington Post, that brings Pryce's tally to 100 missed votes since January. If Pryce doesn't want the job as our member of Congress, she should resign now.

War

A farmer in Fremont, Ohio, has turned his corn maze into a political statement.
Toledo Blade:
The message hovering over Dave Rimelspach's cornfield is none too subtle. At the end of a straightaway, 200-foot-long path cut into the field is a sign that says, "Iraqi Corn Maze: No Way Out." The "maze" is, quite simply, a dead end.....

> Jonathan Alter appeared on Countdown on MSNBC-TV last night. Alter said that Rudy Giuliani has many neo-con advisers, including Norman Podhoretz. Podhoretz has been campaigning for a war with Iran. Alter said that one way to guarantee another war would be to elect Giuliani.

Why do some Republicans hate children?

The Republicans in the House are playing games with the health care of poor children. These same Republicans are talking about holding down spending but they have gladly given President Bush blank checks for his war in Iraq. Why won't these Republicans help take care of our country's most vulnerable children?

Here are some excerpts from today's NY Times about SCHIP:

“If this was October of next year, I’d be really worried,” said Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the second-ranking House Republican. “But this is October of this year and the beginning of us getting our credibility back by showing that we are willing to take principled stands on spending.”

Roy Blunt is a cold, heartless, fool. What about those children who need medical care now? Is he willing to tell them they can wait until next year for funding for their insulin or treatment for their asthma? Will those same children be alive to get health care next year?

With regard to a major push by Democrats and children's health care advocates, Republican Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1st) isn't concerned.

.....The Republican targets of the advocacy campaign say they do not view it as much of a threat, saying many of their voters will not consider the advertisements credible and that tactics like robocalls can backfire.

“I don’t worry about it,” said Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio, who noted that he strongly supported the insurance program when it was created in 1997. “I am perfectly satisfied with my vote and there is a range of reasons why I think this is a bad bill.”

How nice of Chabot not to be worried about a backlash. Chabot can be viewed as a flip-flopper. He was for SCHIP and now he is against it.

Contact Chabot's office and tell him to support SCHIP: http://www.house.gov/chabot/contacts.html

While you are at it, you might as well let Blunt hear from you: http://www.blunt.house.gov/Contact.aspx

The Republicans are for giving Bush $2billion per week for Bush's Iraq war but they want to give nothing for poor American children.

For a complete list of Republicans who voted against SCHIP see this link: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/1/votes/906/

Their votes will be needed to override Bush's veto.

Great Leadership???????

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) missed 10 votes yesterday in the House of Representatives, according to published records in the Washington Post. This means that Pryce has missed 98 votes (10.3%) just since January.

* President Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill will certainly hurt American children. ABC News:

....The program, which provides health insurance for children from families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance, was created in 1997 to address the growing number of children in the United States without health insurance coverage. It currently provides coverage for over 6.6 million kids.

Health policy experts now say low and moderate income families like the Taylors will be hit the hardest if the veto stands, and individuals fear the social and financial consequences......

Is this what Bush meant when he said he was a 'compassionate conservative'?

* Sen. Larry Craig (ID-R) will not resign. Here is a picture of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky at a press conference with Craig. Do you think McConnell looks just a tad bit uncomfortable? (link)

Override the SCHIP Veto

Join the push to override Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill. Contact Republican Sen. George Voinovich at the following numbers:
DC: (202) 224-3353 Toledo area: (419) 259-3895
Cleveland: (216) 522-7095 Dayton area: (513) 684-3265
SE Ohio: (740) 441-6410 Columbus: (614) 469-6697
Cincinnati area: (513) 684-3265

Contact the following members of the House and tell them to vote to override Bush's veto (Wash Post):

Robert Aderholt, Todd Akin, Rodney Alexander, Michele Bachmann, Spencer Bachus, Richard Baker, J. Gresham Barrett, Roscoe Bartlett, Joe Barton, Judith Biggert, Brian Bilbray, Gus Bilirakis, Rob Bishop, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Jo Bonner, John Boozman, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, Paul Broun, Henry Brown, Ginny Brown-Waite, Michael Burgess, Dan Burton, Steve Buyer, Ken Calvert, Dave Camp, John Campbell, Chris Cannon, Eric Cantor, John Carter, Steve Chabot, Howard Coble, Tom Cole, Michael Conaway, Ander Crenshaw, John Culberson, Geoff Davis, David Davis, Nathan Deal, Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, John Doolittle, Thelma Drake, David Dreier, John 'Jimmy' Duncan, Terry Everett, Mary Fallin, Tom Feeney, Jeff Flake, Randy Forbes, Jeff Fortenberry, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Elton Gallegly, Scott Garrett, Phil Gingrey, Louie Gohmert, Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Sam Graves, Ralph Hall, J. Dennis Hastert, Doc Hastings, Robin Hayes, Dean Heller, Jeb Hensarling, Peter Hoekstra, Kenny Hulshof, Duncan Hunter, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Tim Johnson, Sam Johnson, Walter Jones, Jim Jordan, Ric Keller, Steve King, Jack Kingston, John Kline, Joe Knollenberg, Randy Kuhl, Doug Lamborn, Jerry Lewis, Ron Lewis, John Linder, Frank Lucas, Daniel Lungren, Connie Mack, Donald Manzullo, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Thad McCotter, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry, Buck McKeon, John Mica, Jeff Miller, Gary Miller, Marilyn Musgrave, Sue Myrick, Randy Neugebauer, Devin Nunes, Ron Paul, Stevan Pearce, Mike Pence, John Peterson, Chip Pickering, Joe Pitts, Tom Price, Adam Putnam, George Radanovich, Thomas Reynolds, Mike Rogers, Hal Rogers, Mike Rogers, Dana Rohrabacher, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Peter Roskam, Edward Royce, Paul Ryan, Bill Sali, Jim Saxton, Jean Schmidt, Jim Sensenbrenner, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, John Shimkus, Bill Shuster, Adrian Smith, Lamar Smith, Mark Souder, Cliff Stearns, John Sullivan, Tom Tancredo, Lee Terry, Mac Thornberry, Todd Tiahrt, Timothy Walberg, Greg Walden, Zachary Wamp, Dave Weldon, Jerry Weller, Lynn Westmoreland, Ed Whitfield, Roger Wicker, Joe Wilson

Dan Boren, Kathy Castor, Bob Etheridge, Baron Hill, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Marshall, Mike McIntyre, Gene Taylor

Still No GOP Candidate

There is more speculation about Ohio's 15th district from CBS News:
Since Rep. Deborah Pryce’s retirement, Republicans have been scrambling to find a candidate willing to run against the presumptive Democratic nominee, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy.
They haven’t had much success.
At least four candidates have opted out of the race. An African-American Baptist pastor, Aaron Wheeler, announced his candidacy, but he is viewed as a long shot.
Even though Pryce won reelection with healthy margins until last year, the Columbus-based district has been quite friendly to Democrats in recent years.
Young college-educated voters have been swarming into the area, giving the district a more liberal flavor....

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy has been pulling in the campaign funds, making appearances, and collecting volunteers. Democrats in central Ohio are ready and willing to help Kilroy win the seat that she lost by only 1,000 votes.

However, Republicans appear to be without a viable candidate. When will they announce the name of their candidate? Will it be someone who has better name recognition than Mary Jo Kilroy? Will the Republican candidate be someone who has knowledge about the people in Ohio's 15th district? We will just have to wait and see.

Too Busy To Go To Congress?

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) is proving once again that she doesn't give a damn about her constituents. Pryce, who has decided to skip Monday sessions, has once again gone AWOL. According to the Washington Post, Pryce missed votes on Monday, October 1st. Pryce has now missed 87 votes since January.

>Bloomberg has been sizing up chances for Republicans to gain seats in next year's election. Unfortunately it doesn't look very good for the GOP. With retirements, scandals, and empty campaign chests, Republicans are finding that their prospects look dim. Read the Bloomberg article here.

>>> Here is what Salon found out Blackwater:
When Blackwater contractors guarding a U.S. State Department convoy allegedly killed 11 unarmed Iraqi civilians on September 16, it was only the latest in a series of controversial shooting incidents associated with the private security firm. Blackwater has a reputation for being quick on the draw. Since 2005, the North Carolina-based company, which has about 1,000 contractors in Iraq, has reported 195 "escalation of force incidents"; in 156 of those cases Blackwater guns fired first. According to the New York Times, Blackwater guards were twice as likely as employees of two other firms protecting State Department personnel in Iraq to be involved in shooting incidents.

On Tuesday morning, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will be holding a hearing on the U.S. military's use of private contractors. When Waxman announced plans for the hearing last week, the State Department directed Blackwater not to give any information or testimony without its sign-off. After a public spat between Rep. Waxman and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the State Department relented. Blackwater CEO and founder Erik Prince is now scheduled to testify at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

But the attempt to shield Prince was apparently not the first time State had protected Blackwater. A report issued by Waxman on Monday alleges that State helped Blackwater cover up Iraqi fatalities. In December 2006, State arranged for the company to pay $15,000 to the family of an Iraqi guard who was shot and killed by a drunken Blackwater employee. In another shooting death, the payment was $5,000. As CNN reported Monday, the State Department also allowed a Blackwater employee to write State's initial "spot report" on the September 16 shooting incident -- a report that did not mention civilian casualties and claimed contractors were responding to an insurgent attack on a convoy.....

Blackwater is a private army and it was founded by a right wing, religious conservative. It continues to receive protection from Republicans. Gee, why would these right wingers feel the need to have a private army?

Ohio's Children

The passage of the SCHIP bill in Congress is getting attention in the Chillicothe, Ohio area.

Chillicothe Gazette:
......Here in the Scioto Valley, where the number of kids with medical cards is well above the state average, this is a good thing. This would mean those parents who make just a little too much money - that still doesn't have to be a living wage, mind you - to qualify would be able to get insurance for their kids....

Reps. Zack Space, Chillicothe's Democratic Congressman, Dave Hobson, a Republican, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, voted for the bill.
President Bush is plain wrong on his determination to veto SCHIP. It's the wrong decision for kids and constituents of the Scioto Valley - this is the kind of dream legislation lawmakers should be waiting for, dreaming about....

.....The point is: these kids and their families can't afford and don't have access to private providers....

Sen. Voinovich and Jean Schmidt voted against SCHIP. Apparently, President Bush, Voinovich, and Schmidt don't care about Ohio's children.