Liberal Talk Radio Returning To Columbus!

Yipeeeeeeee!
According to the Columbus Dispatch, WVKO, 1580 on the AM dial, will become a liberal talk radio station effective MONDAY!!!!!! Here are a few tidbit from the Dispatch:

Progressive talk radio will return Monday to the Columbus airwaves.

WVKO (1580 AM), which returned from bankruptcy a few months ago and has been airing Spanish-language content, will switch to a format featuring liberal talkers Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz -- barring last-minute engineering issues.......

......The new WVKO lineup includes Press from 6 to 9 a.m., Miller from 9 to noon and Schultz from noon to 3 p.m......

Hurray!!!

Oops!

> Anderson Cooper asked Giuliani about those expenses he billed to the city when he would visit his then mistress Judith Nathan. See the Huffington Post.

> The Huffington Post is reporting that relatives of Republican Sen. Trent Lott have been indicted for bribery.

> How has your holiday shopping been going? Even in our household we are cutting back on the amount of money we spend.

> Why is Republican Jon Husted dragging his feet on moving legislation through the Ohio House? Is he waiting for more political donations to determine what to work on next? (See Times Gazzette)

> So much for the big Bush Mideast peace talks! President Bush just spent a few hours meeting with world leaders. He'd probably say that he was performing hard work. The entire Bush diplomacy effort can be characterized as being on a short attention span. He can't wait for Iraq to abide by U.N. demands. He can't work on diplomatic solutions to problems because it takes too much effort. However, he can show up for the photo op.

Steve Stivers: State Oversight of Mortgages A Bad Idea

Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Steve Stivers, worked as as lobbyist for Bank One (now part of Chase). In his capacity as a member of the Ohio Senate, Stivers worked hard to protect banks and lenders. Here is an example from the Dispatch (January 19, 2006):

...Sen. Steve Stivers, a Republican and former lobbyist for Bank One, said Ohio should remain one of only two states that exempts the mortgage industry from the Consumer Sales Practices Act......
....Instead of expanding the consumer-protection law, the attorney general's office should coordinate with local law-enforcement agencies to create "strike forces" that can quickly go after and punish predatory lenders, Stivers said.....
.....But Stivers isn't finding much support in his own caucus, much less among advocates for the poor.Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said the proposals would not address Ohio's mortgage lending problems.....

Wow! Stivers is against consumer protection laws? Sounds to me that Stivers continues to be a lobbyist!

And......
Stivers also worked to cut asbestos suits in Ohio. (See the Toledo Blade.)

Hard at Work VS. Hardly Working

** Hard at Work: Mayor Mike Coleman

Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman and his administration are working hard to diminish the impact of home foreclosures. With a long list of strategies, Coleman's administration is trying to get things done. The following is an excerpt from the Dispatch:

.....The rise in foreclosures is spreading pain through the city budget for 2008. Mayor Michael B. Coleman calls it a crisis.

"I'm very concerned about developing trends," he said Nov. 15 when he submitted next year's plan to the City Council. "This foreclosure crisis is real. It's hitting us between the eyes."

Coleman will meet Tuesday in Detroit with mayors of six other cities, mortgage-industry executives, two members of Congress and representatives of consumer-counseling groups to talk about ways government and the private sector can get a grip on the problem.....

** Ohio's Republicans: The Hardly Working Group

Looks like the Republicans who control the state legislature in Ohio haven't been working too hard. The Columbus Dispatch, which usually leans to the right, is not very complimentary about the poor work ethic of the Republican controlled Ohio House and Senate. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch article:

....While legislators frequently gather in Columbus for committee hearings and handle a variety of business in their districts, the House will have convened just 37 times in formal session this year, and the Senate 43 times -- assuming each meets for two scheduled days in December.

Once lawmakers, who are paid a base salary of $58,933 a year, passed the state budget in June, they made themselves especially scarce.

The House will have met only 10 times in the past six months of 2007.

The half-year total for the Senate would reach 12.....

Since John Husted and the rest of the Republicans seem to be allergic to work, it might be time to dump these guys in favor of Democrats who'd actually get something done!

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) is also playing AWOL this year. According to the Washington Post, Pryce has missed 131 votes in the House since January. Nice work ethic! Not!

Lots of questions!!!!!

> Democrat, Mary Jo Kilroy, has had her campaign web site up and running in the race for Congress (Ohio's 15th congressional district). Unfortunately (or fortunately), there is no site for Republican Steve Stivers, an announced candidate. Has this been done on purpose or does it just show how unorganized and cash poor the Ohio Republicans are at this stage of the campaign?

> Greek-Americans want to know: Why are Ohio Republicans attacking Democrat Rep. Zack Space? Even though Space is paying for his entire trip to Greece, the Ohio GOP is bad-mouthing Space just the same.

> Republican Sen. Trent Lott is rumored to be ready to resign, according to HinesSight. Will this clear the way for Haley Barbour to run for the U.S. Senate? Barbour is the Governor of Mississippi who managed to profit from Hurricane Katrina. Check out what Think Progress has on Haley Barbour. (Barbour is also considered to be a potential GOP Vice Presidential candidate.)

> Drilling in the Ohio River? The Daily Bellwether has some interesting news about oil and gas drilling. Here are some excerpts from The Daily Bellwether:

....Offshore drilling for oil and gas appears headed for the Ohio River, which may have valuable energy pools locked up in the geological strata deep beneath the waterway's channel. Officials in Ashland, Ky., approved two leases last week with a Colorado exploration company that plans to look for natural gas under the river. There has been no discussion about any potential environmental risks from such wells, which apparently will be drilled horizontally by rigs based near the Ohio side of the shoreline in Lawrence County....
.....Adam Stover, an official with Nytis Exploration Company LLC, told Boyd County, Ky., officials last week that the firm would drill straight down several thousand feet, then horizontally to get under the riverbed. He said the drilling will take place in Ohio, but that the money will be paid to Boyd County.....

I'm no expert in property rights, or oil and gas drilling, but does this sound okay with Ohio? What about the environmental risks? Can someone take natural resources from Ohio and give it to Kentucky????

You Can Help!

The Lube Guy at Quaker Steak and Lube is having a special event on Wednesday night, December 5th:

The US Marine Corp's Lima Company and Toys for Tots Need Our Help!

The US Marine Corp's Lima Company has asked The Lube to help them out with their TOYS for TOTS Drive this winter. Since Lima Company has sacrificed so very much for us, we thought the least we could do is help them out as they even try to do more for others. So Wednesday Night December 5th, The Lube has called an Emergency Holiday Bike Nite to support the Toys for Tots drive. Please join us as we come together with family and friends and show our support for Lima company. Please bring a New Unwrapped toy with you. Please pass this on to your friends and family or anyone else in the military that may want to help out. SEE YOU AT THE LUBE!

Quaker Steak and Lube
8500 Lyra Drive (Located near Target across from The Polaris Fashion Mall)
Columbus, OH 43240
(614) 430-0872

Try to help these Marines with their toy drive!

Republicans Going to the Extreme Right????

> According to CBS News, 17 Republicans have announced their retirements. Most of those, including Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15-R), are considered moderates. However, those who are replacing these members and those Republicans left behind are more Conservative. Does the country want more conservative GOP members? I don't think so!

CBS News:
.....On the Senate side, the majority of the retirements come from longtime members who maintained independent credentials. Three of the five retiring Republican senators- John Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Pete V. Domenici (N.M.) - have publicly split with the Bush administration on key issues, most notably the Iraq war.....

> Today I saw another 1.20.09 bumper sticker. They seem to be very popular.

Check the facts!

1. Washington Post: Deborah Pryce has missed 131 votes (11.7%) during the current Congress (since January 2007).

2. According to the Washington Post, Steve Chabot (OH-1st-R) ....was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1998 to conduct the impeachment proceedings of President William Jefferson Clinton.

3. Do you remember this: (CBS May 20, 2004)
.....Several members of Congress said Mr. Bush expressed his determination to stick to a June 30 date for handing partial governing authority to Iraqis.

"He talked about 'time to take the training wheels off,'" said Rep. Deborah Pryce. "The Iraqi people have been in training, and now it's time for them to take the bike and go forward."
.....Some in Congress, including Republicans, have criticized the Bush administration for not keeping Congress abreast of the cost of the Iraq war and reconstruction, the abuse of Iraqi detainees and the transfer of power.....

That was 2004!!!!

While the Democrats have proposed timetables and a war budget tied to progress, the Republicans still want to give Bush a blank check like they did in 2004. So while the Republicans do NOTHING but block ending the war and bringing the troops home, Americans continue to die. How can Republicans sleep at night knowing that more Americans have died and will continue to die in Iraq because they won't say "no" to Bush?

Another Buckeye Story

New York Jets won today in overtime. Why? How? Mike Nugent, former Ohio State Buckeye, kicked 4 field goals and an extra point following a touchdown. Jets fans should thank their lucky stars for Nugent because he saved the day.

Let me take a moment to say....

Thank God I'm a Buckeye!

News from around the net:

MSNBC: Wells carries No. 7 Ohio State past Michigan

Jim Tressel got the best of Lloyd Carr again, maybe for the last time.

Tressel became the first Ohio State coach to beat Michigan six times in seven years, and the seventh-ranked Buckeyes’ 14-3 victory Saturday over their archrival gave them consecutive outright Big Ten titles for the first time in a half-century.

Chris Wells ran for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns and Vernon Gholston and the Buckeyes’ defense dominated Michigan’s banged-up offense....

Detroit News:

Buckeyes shut down Wolverines in what could be Carr's final home game

This was not the way Michigan's seniors wanted to leave, and it certainly could not have been the way the Wolverines wanted to send off Lloyd Carr, who may have coached his final game at Michigan Stadium.

Carr, Michigan's head coach the last 13 seasons, has scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference Monday at which he will discuss his future, sources told The News.

Michigan lost its fourth straight to Ohio State, which claimed the Big Ten title outright with a 14-3 victory before the second-largest crowd at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. Michigan has not lost four in a row in this series since 1960-1963....

Sports Network:

Buckeyes dominate at the Big House to capture Big Ten crown

Chris Wells ran for a career-high 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns, leading seventh-ranked Ohio State to a 14-3 victory over No. 23 Michigan in the latest edition of the storied rivalry between the Big Ten powers.

Wells scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter and added a 62-yard jaunt for a touchdown in the third. He carried 39 times and eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the second time this season.....

Congratulations, Coach Tressel and the Buckeye football team!

Let Me Explain....

* Why won't the House Republicans vote to override the President's veto? Are they more interested in saving the President from embarrassment or serving the people of their district? Obviously, they love Bush more than they respect their constituents and the nation! Here are the totals from the vote to override Bush's veto of the appropriations bill for the Depts. of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, etc.: (Office of the Clerk)

Yeas 277

Nays 141 (all Republicans!)

The Republicans in the House appear to be more interested in satisfying their own needs and those of their party leader than helping the American people.

* It appears that some, but not all, of the members of the Ohio Republican Party have become aware of their party's reputation and dismal prospects for the future. Did they just wake up?

The Mansfield News Journal:
...Republicans lost all but one of five contested Nov. 6 races in Mansfield, including a bid to retake the mayor's office. Democrat Don Culliver defeated Republican Doug Versaw and independent candidate William Anliker....

....(Ed) Meehan said his party has suffered major losses across the country because of dissatisfaction with President Bush, the war, the national debt and, in Ohio, political scandals related to the Taft administration.

He also said the party in Richland County has suffered from the formation of factions which are acting independently to accomplish their own goals....

As long as Ohio Republicans continue to act in the same corrupt and self-serving manner that brought scandals to former Governor Bob Taft's entire administration and the state, they will lose elections. To solve problems in the state, Republicans have to start thinking about all the people in Ohio, not just their Republican contributors.

>>>> Last, but not least, let me say---

GO BUCKEYES!

Make It Short and Simple

How about a little political action today? Call your Senator and leave a simple message:

Stop funding the war!

For the telephone number of your Senators, check out the Senate Directory.

Here are some Senators that might need extra telephone calls:

Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN) (202) 224-4944

Brownback, Sam- (R - KS) (202) 224-6521

Bunning, Jim- (R - KY) (202) 224-4343

Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA) (202) 224-3521

Coburn, Tom- (R - OK) (202) 224-5754

Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME) (202) 224-2523

DeMint, Jim- (R - SC) (202) 224-6121

Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC) (202) 224-5972

Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - UT) (202) 224-5251

Hutchison, Kay Bailey- (R - TX) (202) 224-5922

Kyl, Jon- (R - AZ) (202) 224-4521

Lieberman, Joseph I.- (ID - CT) (202) 224-4041

Martinez, Mel- (R - FL) (202) 224-3041

McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY) (202) 224-2541

Snowe, Olympia J.- (R - ME) (202) 224-5344

Voinovich, George V.- (R - OH) (202) 224-3353

If you can, make one or two phone calls. You'll feel like you did something to stop the war.

Recent Votes

** You'd think that some members of Congress would jump at the chance to bring more accountability and an exit strategy to Bush's Iraq war. However, accountability and strategies aren't things that some Republicans are interested in supporting. To see more about the vote, visit the NY Times article.

Office of the Clerk: HR 4156/Roll Call Vote 1108 (on passage)

No (They voted against the bill.)

Boehner Chabot Hobson LaTourette Pryce Regula Schmidt Tiberi

(To see where the rest of the Yeas and Nays, visit here.)

>> Who would vote against Head Start? I'm so glad you asked! In a recent vote for HR 1429/Roll Call 1090, some members of Congress voted against the Improving Head Start Act. Here is the list of members of Congress who voted against helping young children:

Akin Barrett (SC) Broun (GA) Burton (IN) Campbell (CA) Coble Culberson Doolittle Duncan Flake Foxx Franks (AZ)

Garrett (NJ) Hensarling Inglis (SC) Johnson, Sam Jordan Lamborn Mack Marchant McHenry Miller (FL) Miller, Gary Neugebauer

Pence Poe Price (GA) Rohrabacher Royce Sali Shadegg Stearns Tancredo Walberg Weldon (FL) Westmoreland

The Ohio Republicans Aren't Having Fun

> Because of the observation of Veterans' Day on Monday, the House of Representatives and the Senate were not in session. However, Tuesday everyone was back to work---- almost everyone.

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15), who doesn't work on Mondays, decided to extend her her weekend an extra day by not showing up on Tuesday. According to the Washington Post, Pryce did not vote on Tuesday 11/13/07 on measures before the House. This brings Pryce's total of missed votes to 130 (12.1%) just since January 2007. Way to go!

> CQ Politics has some insight about how the Ohio Republicans have lost power. Here are some excerpts:

Just a few years ago, Ohio Republicans flexed outsized political muscle on Capitol Hill.....
....But power shifts in the blink of an eye in the political world. The once-mighty Buckeye Republicans have suffered defeat, retirement, the death of veteran Paul E. Gillmor and Ney’s incarceration for taking bribes.

The decline of the party within the large swing state — and the concomitant upswing for Democrats — mirrors the national change in partisan fortunes and the challenges faced by moderates within an increasingly conservative Republican caucus....

Without the power, the Ohio Republicans are just not having fun--- no more trips/vacations with lobbyists, fundraising ski trips just don't attract the big bucks, no more pet projects for the hometown, etc. Also, the political climate in Ohio has shifted. Ohioans associate scandal, dirty politics, and governmental failures with the Ohio Republicans and the mess they left when they vacated the governorship.

> Did you catch the article in USA Today about the Smart Car? The Smart Car is due to make its big premiere in about two months and there is a lot of excitement about it.

Room for One More?

It looks like there will be another Republican on the ballot for the primary for Ohio's 15th congressional district. According to the Dispatch, an Ohio State professor is trying to fill the seat of retiring member of Congress, Deborah Pryce. Here is an excerpt from the Dispatch:

An Ohio State University economics professor with plenty of ideas about changing the nation's system of taxes and social services says he'll make sure Republicans in the 15th Congressional District have a choice in the March 4 primary....
....The 42-year-old West Side resident, who spends most of his time as a portfolio manager, said he will file his petitions Thursday to run against state Sen. Steve Stivers, a Columbus Republican and former bank lobbyist who announced his candidacy last week...

Very interesting.

Did you notice how the article mentioned that Stivers was a former bank lobbyist?

Setting the Record Straight

Here is an interesting quote from Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce as posted in the Ventura
County Star:

"I don't think anything will change until Americans revolt and get it into their heads that they need to be informed voters instead of just listening to the paid political ads," announced Deborah Pryce, the U.S. representative from Ohio, who became so fed up with the nasty partisan politics being practiced these days under the Capitol dome that she resigned....

True. If all the citizens in her district had actually read all Pryce's votes for big oil, big business, Bush's war, and other anti-worker legislation, she would not have received any votes.

How about the "nasty partisan politics"? Pryce is also guilty of dirty campaign ads. (By the way, Pryce has NOT resigned. She is not seeking re-election. We still have to put up with her poor work ethics until the end of next year.)

According to the Washington Post, Pryce has missed 126 votes (11.7%) in the House of Representatives just since January.

> Here is a little hint of what the future looks like in Ohio:
(Akron Beacon Journal)

...based on Tuesday's local elections, the victories that came in 2006, when Democrats took four state offices, including governor, and picked up seven seats in the Ohio House, were a trend and not a fluke.

Democrats now control the mayor's office in the 22 largest cities in Ohio. And despite Bennett's refrain, Democrats won in areas that have been in Republican hands, including Canton where the GOP has controlled the mayor's office for 16 years....

Ohioans are tired of the Republican scandals and ethics violations. Because of that, Democrats will get more money and more votes.

Does this poll predict the future of the GOP in Ohio?

The latest Ohio Poll has some strong opinions about the job performance of President Bush and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch about the Ohio Poll:
...Only 31 percent of Ohioans say the president is doing a good job. He peaked at 89 percent two months after the 9/11 attack. Voters' assessment of Gov. Ted Strickland remains positive; his 69 percent approval rating is essentially unchanged from the 70 percent he registered in May...

...Among the state's largest media markets, Bush's support is lowest in the Columbus area, at 24 percent. However, of Ohio's five regions, Bush's nadir is in southeastern Ohio, where his rating is a mere 18 percent.

Strickland has strong support throughout the state, peaking at 75 percent in central Ohio and 74 percent in the Columbus media market.....

According to this poll, Bush's approval rating in central Ohio is only 24%. How will this play in next year's election in Ohio's 15th congressional district? Does this give an edge to Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy?

Governor Strickland has brought hope and confidence back to the state government. Will all this good stuff carry into next November and give Democrats a big win in Ohio? We can only hope.

We Need Someone That Speaks for the People

> With the announcement of a Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district, people are learning a lot about Steve Stivers. The Other Paper has a few tidbits:

...“Career lobbyist,” is a term you’re likely to hear used repeatedly over the next year as a negative reference to Stivers’s pre-legislature job with Bank One.

Team Kilroy is also focusing on Stivers’s vote against the 2006 law intended to curb predatory-lending practices in Ohio. Championed by advocates for the poor, the law was passed with bipartisan support by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed into law by a Republican governor, Bob Taft.

One Democratic operative described Stivers this week as a “shill for the mortgage industry as a lobbyist” who followed the same path as a lawmaker by opposing the predatory-lending bill. With the housing crisis expected to be an issue in 2008, the operative said that vote could come back to haunt Stivers.....

Just what Ohio needs----someone a little too friendly with the banking industry! With Ohio one of the leaders in the country for home foreclosures, it would not be good to put someone in the House who prefers helping banks rather than people.

Mary Jo Kilroy represents change. We need someone in the House of Representatives who will represent the people in the 15th district ---- not the banks.

Questions for Ohio Republicans

> Do Republicans really have a platform other than attacking other presidential candidates?

> Don't you wonder how religious right wing Republicans really feel about Rudy Giuliani and his wife, Queen Judith, and his new alliance with Pat Robertson?

> Has the Republican candidate for Ohio's 5th congressional district, Bob Latta, ruined his chances for a win because of the messy Republican primary? How does Bob Latta feel about being public reprimanded by the Ohio Elections Commission?

>

Can't Do It

I'd love to report to you how Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) voted the last few days on important legislation before the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, Pryce's votes in the House cannot be reviewed because Pryce has not voted this week at all.

This is from the Washington Post:

Deborah Pryce has missed 126 votes (12.1%) during the current Congress. (That is just since January!)

Pryce has missed 17 votes this week. Is this what we can expect until her term is over?

> Looks like there are problems within the NRCC. They have little money, lots of debt, and they can't decide on a strategy for their campaign. Here are a few excerpts from the fine people at The Carpetbagger Report:

....The GOP’s House committee has $1.6 million in the bank, but is $4 million in debt. The polls look one-sided in the Dems’ favor. Yesterday’s election results offered very little good news. The party has struggled to stop retirements and recruit favored candidates. The Republican leadership has been so discouraged with the National Republican Congressional Committee that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) threatened to fire its chief strategists, and NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) considered resigning....

This sounds fascinating!!!! Here is more about how the Republicans wanted to focus their agenda:

....Among Republican lawmakers elected since 2002, 78% want the party to pursue an aggressive, far-right agenda.

Among those elected between 1996 and 2000, that support dropped to 58%.

Among those elected in 1994 or earlier, 47% favored the conservative strategy....

I guess the more they fight, the better it is for progressives and Democrats.

Republican Candidate for Pryce's Seat Has Friends in Petroleum Too!

Do not fear! The new Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district has some of the same friends in insurance and petroleum corporations that Deborah Pryce has. You can do a search for the campaign contributors for Steve Stivers previous campaigns. If you enjoyed how Deborah Pryce worked to protect insurance companies, health insurance firms, energy companies, lawyers, gas and petroleum firms (instead of Ohio citizens), you'll love Steve Stivers.

To do your own search visit: HERE and type in Stivers in the box for candidate last name. Hit the button "Run Report" and you'll see what I mean.

Reality in Ohio's 15th District

The Ohio Republicans are congratulating themselves because they now have a candidate to run against Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Even though the Republicans might be happy they finally have a candidate, Ohioans are still stinging from the Republican scandals of the Taft administration.

1. Ohioans have not forgotten that Republicans gave control of the funds in the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to political cronies and friends (the Coingate scandal) and in the process lost over $200 MILLION.

2. Ohioans have not forgotten that there have been 20 convictions from the Ohio Republican scandals.
3. Ohioans have not forgotten that while the Republicans rewarded their friends with lucrative state jobs, the Republican administration did nothing to find jobs for regular Ohioans.

If voters in the 15th district want real change for our state and our nation, they'll support Kilroy instead of someone who has close ties with banks and insurance companies. The new Republican candidate has the same ties that Republican Rep. Pryce has and we know how that did not bring us jobs and economic growth.

The climate in Ohio is not very good for Republicans because people have had enough.

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy Has An Opponent

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Republicans have a candidate to run for Ohio's 15th district: Republican Steve Stivers. Stivers is in the Ohio Senate and has always followed the party line.

Stivers, who had refused to be the GOP candidate, has decided to be the candidate for the 15th. (Is this his first flip flop?) Stivers would obviously not be the candidate for change since he follows the Republican party line to the letter. He'd be just the kind of guy John Boehner wants.

What did the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Mary Jo Kilroy, have to say about this development? Dispatch:

....Kilroy said last night that she always expected to have an opponent and was "surprised it took as long as it did" for the GOP to find one.

"My heart is in this race, because the country is ready for change ...and I represent that change," Kilroy said. "I'm very confident about the outcome of this race."

If the people in the 15th want real change, they'll support Kilroy in her campaign and the ballot box.

Fred Barnes Doesn't Know Much About Ohio

Fred Barnes, the arrogant guy who spends a lot of time on Faux News attacking Democrats and liberals, is not very knowledgeable about politics in Ohio. Although Barnes attempts to speak from first hand experience with Ohio, his article in the Weekly Standard shows his ignorance. Here are some excerpts from the Weekly Standard that are bothersome:

.....The Republicans have slightly less than a 50 percent chance in Ohio next year.

The good news is that Ohio Republicans are prepared to fight. "The negativity against Republicans isn't anything like it was in 2006," Ohio Republican congressman Pat Teaberry says. Unpopular governor Bob Taft III is gone, as is the corruption issue. Ohio Republicans have a solid voter turnout infrastructure that saved House members Steve Chabot and Deborah Pryce last year. They'll need it in 2008.

Ohio Republicans relish the idea of running against Hillary Clinton. But what if she chose Ted Strickland, Ohio's likable Democratic governor, as her running mate? He's a bit of a lightweight, but he's also begun rebuilding the Democratic party in the state. "I don't know what [Strickland] brings you except Ohio," says Teaberry. Ohio is enough.....

Mr. Barnes must not do much research before he writes his articles.

(1) Republican Rep. Pat 'Teaberry' is actually Pat "Tiberi". Barnes should verify the spelling of those he interviews.

(2) Republican Rep. Steve Chabot is being heavily criticized for his unwavering support of Bush's unending war in Iraq and his support to uphold Bush's veto of S-CHIP. Chabot apparently is a GOP robot who has adopted Bush's agenda as his own.

(3) Deborah Pryce's win over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy was by 1066 votes. This time, the Ohio GOP cannot even find a candidate to run for Pryce's empty seat! Scores of well-known Republicans have turned down the opportunity to run as as a Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district.

(4) The scandals from the Republican administration of Bob Taft are still being dealt with in Ohio. As a matter of fact, just this week, there was the 20th conviction from the Ohio Republican scandal known as "Coingate." (See Cincinnati Post) The previous Republican administration in Ohio lost over $200 million from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation with their corrupt handling of state money. Does Barnes think Ohioans have forgotten about it? Not a chance!

(5) Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, a Democrat, is NOT a lightweight. Strickland is winning friends even among the state's Republicans. People like Strickland because he is honest, straightforward, and he is getting things done by working with Republicans. Most importantly, Ohioans love Strickland.

My dog knows more about Ohio politics than Barnes.

Think About It

* Columbus is preparing for the upcoming election. Current Mayor Mike Coleman, a Democrat, is being challenged by Bill Todd, a Republican. Mayor Coleman is a very, very popular person in Columbus. Several months ago I was at an event for the ribbon cutting of a new facility and Mayor Coleman was there. Everyone was very excited to see him and hear him speak. I think that Columbus voters will re-elect Coleman to another term.

* Don't you think that Republican Rep. John Boehner should put as much effort providing healthcare for 10,000,000 American children as he does in his golf game?

* Here is something quite amazing: (Cincinnati Post) 'Coingate' has 20th conviction:
Two years after "Coingate" began, Ohio's wide-reaching corruption scandal has netted its 20th conviction.
Although there are no pending cases following Tuesday's conviction of investment adviser Mark Lay, prosecutors say they're not through investigating.
They've won two out of three trials and have accepted numerous pleas - including former Gov. Bob Taft's no-contest plea to ethics violations - in the scandal that helped end 12 years of GOP power in the state.....

20 CONVICTIONS!!!!!

Wow. The Ohio GOP can't understand why voters are turning away from their party!

What a mess!

> Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce missed three votes in the House of Representatives on Monday, October 29th: HRES 3224, HRES 573, and HRES 747 (Clerk of House of Representatives).

> The video showing Ohio State fans being harassed by Penn State fans (throwing beer bottles, yelling obscenities) has been removed at You Tube. However, the local Columbus TV stations have used the video again and again. {UPDATE: The video has been posted here. Warning: OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE.} It just adds to the recent behavior that PSU students have been doing toward out of town fans. When the Ohio State Marching Band (TBDBITL) appeared in Happy Valley in 2005, they were attacked by PSU fans with plastic bags filled with urine and mud. As a result, the OSU Marching Band did not perform this year at State College. Someone at PSU needs to discuss proper behavior for sports fans.

> Why is Republican Rep. John Boehner against healtcare for 10million poor American children?

> Just when you though we'd heard everything there is to hear about Republican corruption in Ohio from the Taft administration, another news story hits the wire:
UPI: A Pittsburgh hedge-fund manager faces up to 20 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Ohio's workers compensation system of $216 million.

MDL Capital Management Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Lay was found guilty by a federal jury of investment advisory fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and two counts of mail fraud....
.....The fraud involved the loss of $216 million of $250 million the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation invested in a highly leveraged Bermuda hedge fund Lay managed....

How much longer will we have to continue to clean up after these Republican messes?