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.