Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Still More Ohio Politics

* A story in the Dispatch reads: "Ruling Against Brunner Not Partisan, Court Says"

I doubt that people actually believe it. Dispatch:

Although some critics have detected a partisan flavor to the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling against Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and in favor of Republican state Sen. Jon Husted, the record shows otherwise, a court spokesman said yesterday.

Last Tuesday, Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously that Husted lives in his Dayton-area district for voting purposes, a rebuke to Brunner's contention that Husted actually lives in Upper Arlington.

All seven justices are Republicans.....

It is clear that Husted's residency problems will not go away, and Chris Redfern, Ohio Democratic Party Chair reiterates that. WHIO:

A unanimous Ohio Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Republican lawmaker whose residency was challenged will not end the dispute.

The high court said state Sen. Jon Husted does live in the Dayton-area district he represents and should continue to vote there.

But Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern says that voters still perceive that Husted spends too much time staying in Columbus and not enough time in Kettering. Democrats will also emphasize that the all-Republican court sided with a Republican....

I can just imagine people saying to themselves, "How can Husted question my residency when he doesn't live where he votes?" I guess Republicans subscribe to the belief that guidelines, and residency laws do not apply to them.

>>>> CQ Politics takes on Ohio politics, with a special look at Ohio's 15th district:

....In Ohio, Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers is certain that he’ll benefit from the gubernatorial candidacy of John Kasich, a former congressman from the Columbus area who briefly ran for president. Stivers lost to Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by a mere 2,312 votes in 2008, when the presidential race boosted turnout among students and black voters across the Columbus-area 15th District....

...
Democrats point out that they have a voter registration advantage in Kilroy’s district...

One thing that Stivers and other Republicans forget is that Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy has been hard at work in the House of Representatives writing bills and supporting legislation that helps homeowners, college students, our military, and the unemployed. She has not been helping people that Stivers likes---- bankers. Kilroy has strong support in central Ohio.