Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Major Turns in the Ohio GOP

* The Dispatch is reporting that Republican candidate for Ohio Governor, John Kasich, is leaning toward having State Auditor Mary Taylor on his ticket. Taylor is the only Republican that holds a statewide office.
Muckety.com:




Here is a reminder about Richard Fuld (see NY Times), friend and colleague of Kasich.


* U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th-Democrat) will be running against the same Republican candidate Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist. However, it appears that Stivers has taken a dramatic turn to the far right and is now courting the teabaggers and extremists.

The Hill:

.....Stivers recently filled out a questionnaire for a local 912 Project group that lays out some of his more conservative leanings. On the form, Stivers criticizes cap-and-trade legislation and praises the Stupak amendment that puts greater restrictions on abortion funding.

He also advocates for taking away the voter’s right to elect a U.S. senator and returning that power to state legislatures. Stivers acknowledged that repealing the 17th Amendment isn’t really a priority right now, but he said he sympathizes with its federalist underpinnings.....

....During the course of the seven-page survey, Stivers also “disagrees” with the statement that global warming is a scientific fact and that catastrophe will ensue if carbon emissions aren’t lowered. In addition, he suggests that any of the federal departments not mandated under the Constitution — everything except State, Defense, Justice and Treasury — could be eliminated to return to a “constitutionally pure government.”

I think that Stivers is definitely courting the far right, loony, tea bag group. His turn to the far right might actually scare off moderate Republicans and Independents.