The Real GOP

* Frank Rich talks about the politics of the Grand Old White Party in yesterday's New York Times.

* The Republican Party in Ohio is not even close to being multicultural.
Ohio.com:
More than 15 years have passed since the Ohio Republican Party boldly announced it would open its big tent to African-American voters and begin to run candidates of color.
The Ohio GOP's track record on this matter is unremarkable.......
.....The 99-member Ohio House of Representatives, the people's house as it is called, has no black Republicans and neither does the 33-member Ohio Senate.

Twelve of the 46 Democrats, about 26 percent, in the Ohio House are black. Five of the 12 Democrats, about 42 percent, in the Ohio Senate are black.....

When you see the members of the Ohio GOP, just think of the nearly all white political party.

* I was flipping through the cable channels when I came across some national political pundit who said he thought that Ohio Republican John Kasich would make an excellent Vice President for John McCain. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Kasich, a former member of Congress, is an author and talk show host on Fox News. The Fox News ties should disqualify him immediately.

Money in Ohio Politics

How did I miss this??????
The Ohio Daily Blog had the scoop about Steve Austria, Republican candidate for congress:

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Mitchel (R-Beavercreek), now running for the seat of retiring Rep. Dave Hobson (R-Springfield) and a veteran of past campaigns for Governor and Congress, charges that opponent State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) and his spouse Eileen are co-conspirators in a scheme to steer no-bid contracts to campaign contributors of Hobson, who supports Steve Austria in the race and has paid Eileen Austria large consulting fees. Mitchel compares the scheme to the steering of federal contracts by Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) that resulted in his resignation from Congress in November 2005 and guilty plea to federal conspiracy charges. Cunningham is serving an eight year prison sentence......
.....On the telephone yesterday, Mitchel further explained his accusation. Steve and Eileen Austria sit on the referenced advisory committee along with Sam Greenwood of the Greentree Group. They were instrumental in causing money transferred by Greene County to the Dayton Development Corporation to be used to award a large no-bid contract to Greentree Group, purportedly to assist in an effort to keep Wright Patterson Air Force Base open during the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) process. Mitchel contends, however, that the base was in no real danger of closing, so the transactions in reality amounted to no more than an enormous transfer of public wealth to private hands, and in any event the purpose of the contract was lobbying and that is not the business of Greentree, an IT firm. Greentree in turn awarded a $660,000 contract to PMA, which is in fact a lobbying firm. During the period for performance under these contracts, principals or employees of Greentree and PMA gave $50,000 in campaign contributions to Hobson. Eileen Austria was a district director for Hobson, and while so employed Hobson paid her $50,000 as a political consultant.....

Ouch! We'll see what happens.

Of course, these Republicans help each other all the time. Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Steve Stivers, is married to Karen Stivers. Mrs. Stivers is employed as the spokesperson for Republican Speaker of the Ohio House, Jon Husted.

According to the Federal Elections Commission, Stivers has $403,122 of cash on hand for his upcoming campaign (as of 12/31/07). Only 45.7% of his contributions have come from individuals (54.29% from PACs). The FEC reports that Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th, Mary Jo Kilroy, has $638,087 for the same time period. Of those campaign contributions for Kilroy, 66.8% has come from individuals (28.75% from PACs).
PACs don't vote, people do.

Ohio's Primary

Everyone is getting ready for the Ohio primary.
CentralOhio.com:
Congressional candidates are jockeying for position in March 4 primary contests lively, sleepy and brutal as Ohio's once mighty Republicans seek to retain their power in Washington while Democrats try hard to erode it.

Republicans hold an 11-7 edge in the Ohio delegation they have controlled for 14 years. But three seasoned Republicans - Reps. Ralph Regula, David Hobson and Deborah Pryce - aren't running for re-election, and the bellwether state's politics waxed Democratic in 2006, when voters delivered the then-powerless party a near sweep of statewide offices.

The fight for control takes shape on primary day. Of eight Democratic primaries, six are considered competitive. Of 10 Republican primaries, five will be meaningful - with two of the Republican winners slated to face a popular, well-funded Democratic incumbent in the fall....

Republicans are nervous in Ohio. They no longer are held in high regard by Ohioans. The Republican scandals are still fresh and the leading Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, is anxious to keep fighting the Iraq war forever.

Pryce Part of GOP Walkout

I think it is amazing that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has been missing many, many votes (according to Washington Post: 161 votes since Jan. 2007). Pryce, who is doing a great job avoiding work, had the nerve to be part of the Republican walkout today.

Washington Post :

2/14/08

Vote 60: H RES 982: Providing for the Adoption of H. Res. 979 and H. Res. 980, Contempt of Congress Resolutions.

Not Voting

Updates from Buckeye Country

>Keeping with her tradition of not working too hard during her last year of her congressional term, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) continues to miss votes in the House of Representatives. According to the Washington Post, Pryce has missed 156 votes during the current Congress (since January 2007). Pryce has missed the following votes this week (Washington Post):
February 12th: Votes 43, 44, 45; February 13th: Votes 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52.

>With the presidential primary just a few weeks away, we've seen lots of television ads for both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama.

>Senator Hillary Clinton will be speaking at The Ohio State University today. Check here for information.

Taking A Look

> Keeping with her established work habits, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15), continued to skip votes on Tuesday. Pryce missed Roll Call Votes 43, 44, 45 on February 12th (Link).

> Have you noticed the rallies of the presidential candidates? The Republican presidential candidates seem to have most old white men at their speeches. There is a real lack of enthusiasm at the GOP rallies. However, the crowds at Clinton and Obama rallies are loud, multi-cultural, young/old, and men and women. It seems that the Democratic rallies represent the faces of the real America.

> Why should we be concerned about Sol Trujillo and his pals George W. Bush and John McCain? Read the article from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Their Strategy

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the local newspaper and the Ohio Republicans are pushing their candidate for Congress. Since Republican State Sen. Steve Stivers announced his intention to run for Congress (after previously turning down the offer), he has sponsored new legislation in the Ohio Senate nearly every week. It appears that this strategy is being promoted by the Ohio GOP, the Republicans in the state senate, and the Columbus Dispatch. If some legislation is planning to be introduced, the Republican controlled state legislature is apparently allowing Stivers to be the sponsor. In this way, he appears to be actively participating in creating new laws and his name keeps appearing in the Republican-leaning Dispatch. By all accounts, Stivers, who previously was a no-name in the state senate, recently has had his name in the newspaper at least once per week.

Why has the newspaper suddenly become so important to the Republicans? It is free publicity! The Ohio Republican Party and the National Republican Party have had difficulty getting contributions. Their campaign war chests are a little empty compared to previous years. Therefore, they will maneuver the GOP's candidates' names in the newspaper through stories, announcements, and in Stivers' case, sponsoring legislation.

People have to realize that if they elect people like Stivers to the House of Representatives, nothing will get done. Stivers and the Republicans will continue to be pro-business, and let the rights of the consumers be trampled upon as they've done in the past. (Example: Stivers was against putting a top on the percentage rate that could be charged to customers at payday loan outlets.)

Legislation from Steve Stivers in 2003

The News Bank has this article from the Dayton Daily News (originally published June 22, 2003):

Gov. Bob Taft and state Sen. Steve Stivers, R-Columbus, chose May 1 to unveil legislation that would radically change Ohio's system of civil justice and dictate how law is practiced in this state.
The first day of May had been set aside years before by President Dwight Eisenhower as "Law Day" - a time to celebrate the country's judicial institutions and equal justice under the law. But Gov. Taft and Sen. Stivers had other ideas on how to observe the day. They announced their legislative proposal - Senate Bill 80 - benignly describing it as a series of balanced reforms that would make Ohio more attractive to new and existing businesses. In fact, they launched a one-sided, cynical assault on the independence of the state's courts and the integrity of its legal profession - one that puts profit ahead of consumer protections and judicial independence....
....Sen. Stivers, the bill's sponsor, has no formal legal training and was a high-powered lobbyist for a bank. He's been an Ohio senator only since December, when he received one crucial vote - that of his pal, Senate President Doug White, who picked him to fill a vacancy created by a retiring senator.....

Known as Senate Bill 80, the bill tried to protect businesses and industry from lawsuits even if they had been negligent. Check out the entire article to see what Taft and Stivers had planned for the legal system in Ohio.

According to a website called thislawhurts.com Stivers' legislation was considered very controversial and dangerous to consumers. The original bill is posted here.

Is this bill an indication of the type of legislation that Republican Steve Stivers would vote for in the U.S. House of Representatives? Is Stivers more interested in protecting businesses and corporations instead of the consumer? Would Stivers sponsor a bill like this today? Is his recent rejection of a cap on interest rates on payday loans a predictor of his pro-business stance?

Campaign Money Will Boost Candidates in Ohio

Western-Star:
.....Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern predicted that at least $50 million will be spent on the Democratic side alone....
.....When asked about vice presidential candidates, Redfern said he thinks the dream ticket for the Democrats would be Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton....
.....When asked which congressional races in Ohio are truly competitive, Redfern said he thinks his party will capture two of four seats that are currently held by Republicans Ralph Regula, Jean Schmidt, Deborah Pryce and Steve Chabot.....

Besides well-qualified candidates, the Democratic Party has something else that Republicans are lacking------ campaign money. Citizens are not sending much money to the GOP campaigns. After the last seven years of an unpopular president, failing economic policies, failures in foreign policy, the unfunded federal mandates like the No Child Left Behind Act, Americans are running away from the losing Republican policies.

**** I've seen a few commercials for Steve Austria, a Republican running for Ohio's 7th congressional district (replacing Hobson). Austria, according to Project Vote Smart, is against a woman's right to choose and got a 66% rating on environmental issues from the Ohio League of Conservation Voters. Some news reporter needs to ask Austria how long he'd like to keep American troops in Iraq.

Update!

Since the last time I wrote about Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's (OH-15) voting record, she had missed additional roll call votes. According to the Washington Post, Pryce has missed a total of 146 votes since January 2007, including Vote 32, Vote 33, Vote 34, Vote 35, all on February 7, 2008 (see Washington Post for details).

Here are some Vote Smart notes about Steve Stivers, Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district:
*Senator Stivers supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio 0 percent in 2004.

*Environmental Issues: In 2003 Ohio League of Conservation Voters gave Senator Stivers a rating of 0.

Want to Help?

Dependable Renegade suggested that those interested in helping storm victims should visit the Monkeyfister. Monkeyfister lists the following local charities to assist people:

American Red Cross
Mid-South Chapter
1400 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
901-726-1690

And:
United Way of the Mid-South phone in a donation at (901) 433-4300.

They take DIRECT donations, so you can skip all the National-level waste and delay, AND they
serve nearly every community in the effected radius.

We know that this administration really doesn't care about regular people. (Think of how they helped after Hurricane Katrina.) Donate a few bucks to help.

Is this what we want?

> In keeping with her hardly working campaign, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is skipping those votes again. According to the Washington Post, Pryce has missed more votes in the House of Representatives:

2/6/08: Vote 31-Not voting

2/6/08: Vote 30-Not voting

2/6/08: Vote 29-Not voting

1/29/08: Vote 28-Not voting

1/29/08: Vote 27-Not voting

Deborah Pryce has missed 142 votes during the current Congress.

That is 142 missed votes since January 2007. Pryce must now be working just to increase the size of her congressional retirement check. No one is docking her pay for not showing up to vote. I'd like to see one of us try that. At this point, Pryce is a member of Congress in name only.


> Sen. George Voinovich (OH-R) had some critical things to say about President Bush's gazillion dollar budget for 2009. Here is part of an article from the Dispatch:

....critics included GOP Sen. George V. Voinovich of Ohio, who called the budget fiscally irresponsible, and a spokesman for Ohio hospitals, who said Bush's bid to curtail Medicare and Medicaid would gut the institutions' finances.
Bush was the first president to issue a $2 trillion budget, in 2002, and now becomes the first to propose a $3 trillion budget....

I find it incredible that Voinovich has just come to his senses. After spending the last seven years providing the Bush administration with blank checks, Voinovich finally raises his voice in opposition to the Bush budget. Is Voinovich looking at his re-election and just following the fad of criticizing an unpopular President or does he really care?

These Ohio Republicans have allowed this current administration to have free reign over everything. Part of the reason our country is in such a mess is that these GOPers put their loyalty for their party and their President above that of their country. It is time for change.

Ohio GOP

> Here is an update--- According to the FEC's disclosure report, zero individuals have contributed to the Stivers for Congress Committee. Looks like Republican Stivers is really not popular among voters in Ohio's 15th congressional district.

> Why haven't the Republicans in the Ohio House moved on House Bill 333, which would put a cap on interest rates charged by pay day lenders?

Contact Jon Husted's office and demand action on HB 333:
Telephone: (614) 644-6008
Fax : (614) 719-3591
Email Address: district37@ohr.state.oh.us

It is time for Husted and the Republican controlled legislature to get to work on important business.

Ohio's GOP-----Doing Nothing

* Do you remember the initiative to have paid sick days for workers in Ohio? Did you ever wonder what happened to the bill? Now we know: (Lancaster Eagle Gazette)

....Senate President Bill Harris said top lawmakers hadn’t discussed the proposal, which was submitted to the Legislature about a month ago after receiving the necessary number of signatures to put it before lawmakers.
Frustrated supporters of the policy — which would require businesses with 25 or more employees to provide them with at least seven paid sick days a year — vowed they would gather enough valid signatures to place the proposal on the November ballot if the Republican-controlled Legislature doesn’t act.....
....Harris, an Ashland Republican, said there had been no discussion of taking up the initiative, while Republican House Speaker Jon Husted of Kettering has not yet decided whether to address it, said spokeswoman Karen Stivers.
The initiative has not been assigned a bill number, and lawmakers have a full plate of complex issues to deal with in an election year, including a comprehensive energy bill and proposed changes to Ohio’s voting systems.....

I guess that Husted just doesn't think it is that important. I hope that Jon Husted and the rest of the Ohio GOP don't get involved in anything that involves actual work. It would interfere with all those fundraising parties.

UPDATE: Forbes has picked up the same AP article mentioned above. ^^^^

> Democrats only need 4 more seats to gain control of the Ohio House. However, Republican hatchet man, Kevin DeWine, says it won't happen (Western Star):
...Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine said if the Democrats couldn't take the House in 2006, they won't pull it off in 2008.

"In no way do I think 2008 will be a repeat of 2006. 2006 was the low point for the Republican party in the state of Ohio," said DeWine, who is also a House member....

DeWine certainly is arrogant. Wouldn't you like to prove DeWine wrong?

How to Make a Postive Change in Ohio

I read an article from the Marysville Journal Tribune that let readers know that some Republicans had endorsed another Republican, Dave Burke, in his campaign for Ohio's 83rd General Assembly District. In his comments about the endorsements, Burke said the following:

Those endorsing him "....know I have the leadership skills and legislative experience necessary to make positive change in our state house. I welcome their support in my campaign and more importantly look forward to working with them to get Ohio back on track.”

The only way to "make a positive change in our state house" is to throw the Husteds and the rest of the do-nothing Republicans out of office. While the Republicans have controlled the agenda for the state legislature over the past years, nothing has gotten done. When Ohioans demanded that the legislature work on fixing school funding, Republicans decided to work on the 'Defense of Marriage Act' or some other totally worthless right wing item. While Ohioans looked for jobs, the Republicans worked on returning favors for their campaign contributors in the form of plush jobs or special projects or new highways in their district. (Coingate and the missing millions from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation all happened while the Republicans controlled the governor's office and the state legislature.) Republicans looked the other way while money floated out of state agencies. Even now the Republicans are stalling the work in the legislature as they seek to embarrass Gov. Ted Strickland and win back the governor's office.

Ohioans need change. If the same Republicans are returned to office, nothing will be different or improved.

Money, Money, Money

* The Lancaster Eagle Gazette has an article about the fundraising being done for Ohio's 15th congressional district:

.....Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, a Franklin County commissioner who narrowly lost to incumbent U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce in 2006, will report $356,400 in new contributions this quarter, for a total of $828,361 this election cycle, her campaign said.

Republican state Rep. Steve Stivers has raised $404,703 in just seven weeks since he formalized his candidacy, his campaign said.....

It looks like it will be an expensive election.

* Looks like there will be some cuts coming to the state government.
Canton Repository:

Three positions here, 815 positions there. Gov. Ted Strickland wants to cut 2,700 state jobs as a way to trim $733 million from the two-year budget as national economic conditions saddle Ohio with a financial disaster.....

.....J. Pari Sabety, Strickland's budget director, said a significant amount of the savings will come from cuts and changes in central office operations in state agencies......

Of course, Republican Jon Husted had to chime in------

.....Earlier in the week, House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, told reporters if cuts could be made to state government, he wondered why they weren't made before Strickland proposed and the Legislature approved his two year budget last spring.....

Hmmmmm. I wonder how much money the state of Ohio would have saved if that unnecessary highway interchange in Husted's home district had not been constructed with the help of Husted's political campaign contributor. I bet you wonder too.

Absentee Voting Rush

> Many, many voters are getting absentee ballots. Here is a story from the Dispatch:
Half of all Franklin County voters could cast their ballots before the first poll opens on Ohio's primary election day.....

"It's very possible that we will hit 100,000 absentee votes, a record for a primary," said Matthew Damschroder, director of the Franklin County Board of Elections....

......Franklin County has 780,000 registered voters, though most don't show up for primaries. But Damschroder figures that, given the high-profile local and presidential races, well more than the usual 200,000 might vote in the March 4 primary.....

It should be interesting.

> Karen Gillmor has gotten an endorsement. According to the Dispatch, Karen Gillmor got the Republican endorsement to run for the Ohio Senate's 26th District. Did anyone bother to ask if she lives in the district? Does she still live in Dublin? Does anyone care?

> Popular Blue Jacket, Jody Shelley, has been traded (Star Telegram). He will be missed.

Good Stuff

> Do you remember Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine? Here is some good news from the Salt Lake Tribune:

It appears that Joe Germaine will be the Utah Blaze's starting quarterback for a long, long time.
Germaine, the former Ohio State quarterback, has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep him in a Utah uniform through the 2012 season....
......His 5,005 passing yards broke the AFL record of 4,841 set by San Jose's Mark Grieb in 2007.......

> An interesting poll at 10tv.com asks viewers to grade President Bush's State of the Union speech. Of those responding, 49% did not watch it, 16% gave it an F.

....the likely Speaker of the House....

Ohio Republicans are so sure that they'll retain control of the Ohio legislature that they make decisions based on this assumption. Here is an example from the Newark Advocate:

.... (Rep. Jay) Hottinger has been a member of the House Finance and Appropriations committee since early 2007.

The outgoing chairman, Matt Dolan, R-Cleveland, son of Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan, is the likely Speaker of the House in 2009. He resigned Wednesday to prepare to become speaker....

Did you see that------ ...Dolan is the likely Speaker of the House in 2009...? Amazing. Why does Dolan need eleven months to prepare to become Speaker of the Ohio House? What if Dolan loses? What if the Republicans are swept out of office? It could happen.

When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, she did not need 11 months to train. Something tells me that Pelosi's job is far more complicated than being Speaker of the Ohio House.

Right Wing Blogger Wrong

This blog's content has been attacked by some right wing GOP apologist who hates unions but loves the politics of Bob Taft, Tom Noe, and Bob Ney. Here is what the Ohio Red November had to say about my previous post about Steve Stivers friendship with banks: (I have not corrected his/her spelling errors!)

...Well my friends, here is another fine example here where the lefty blog tries to make a claim about State Senator Steve Stivers, canidate for Congress in OH-15, is “buddies” with the banking community, making a not so veiled attempt to say there is something “smarmy” going on....

1. Fact: Mr. Stivers was a lobbyist for Bank One before he joined the the state legislature. He has met with OBL (the Ohio Bankers League -See post below.) Mr. Stivers has received campaign contributions from PAC committees that are associated with banks, health insurance companies, tobacco, insurance companies (LINK) like American Bankers Assoc., National City, Huntington, Keycorp, Motorists, RJ Reynolds, Medco, Cardinal Health, etc. (Check the FEC.)
2. I never used the word smarmy.
3. My facts have links.
4. The right wing blog writer uses the Editorials of the right leaning Columbus Dispatch newspaper and a letter to the editor to support his/her case. The editorials and the letter are based on opinions.


More from the Righties--
....Now, word around the town is that this story may only be beginning and that there may be more decisions made in teh near future that will give this “Pay-to-Play” scheme with Mary Jo Kilroy and the Unions even more scrutiny.....

What word around the town?

> Here is another tidbit-----
On January 17, 2007, that same blogger calls members of unions thugs. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Why does the right wing blog writer hate unions? I know many union members and they are not thugs.

Stivers and Banks

** Even as recent as last year, Republican candidate for Congress, Steve Stivers, has continued to court and support his friends at the Ohio Bankers League.

Ohio Bankers League (motto as posted= "Working for Banks and Bankers"):
(4/26/2007)

Foreclosures topped the agenda as more than 60 Ohio bankers descended on Columbus for the annual OBL Day at the Capitol on Tuesday.
OBL Chairman and President & CEO of American Savings Bank, Bob Smith (pictured, center with Representative Chris Widener and OBL VP of State Government Relations Mike Adelman) commented, "With foreclosure rates front and center, this year's Day at the Capitol was more important than ever. The bankers who attended in Columbus yesterday did a great job of educating legislators that banks are not the cause of this problem and that we, as an industry, want to work with elected officials to develop a solution that is good public policy."

Representative Chris Widener (R-Springfield), chairman of the Ohio House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee and Senator Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) briefed bankers on recent developments from the Governor's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force as well as other pressing legislative issues. Armed with this information, the bankers went to the Statehouse for meetings with their state representatives and senators....

If Stivers were elected as a member of Congress for Ohio's 15th district, would he help and protect citizens or banks? Someone needs to ask which he considers more important.

> In 2006, Stivers participated in OBL Day at the Capitol in Columbus.

It seems to me that Steve Stivers just can't shake off those good buddies in the banking industry.

DeWine in a McCain Administration?

* Ohio Republicans are dusting off their resumes in hopes of landing a job with a John McCain administration. First in line is former Republican Sen. Mike DeWine. The Dispatch article said that DeWine could be the Attorney General in a McCain presidency.

* A new study reveals that members of the Bush administration lied in the buildup before the Iraq War. (I think a majority of Americans already knew that information.)
Raw Story:
A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks...
...The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism....
...The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both....

I'm surprised that they found only 935 false statements from the Bush Republican administration.

*** There is some good news out of Missouri! MSNBC:
Gov. Matt Blunt abruptly announced Tuesday that he will not seek a second term, leaving Republicans without a candidate in a race for which the incumbent had stockpiled millions of dollars.

The 37-year-old said he had decided not to seek a second term in November because he had accomplished virtually everything he set out to do when he ran for governor four years ago. Blunt has trailed in the polls, however, behind Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon, who has been campaigning against him for several years......

Are the citizens of Missouri tired of the Blunt administration, Republicans in general, or both?

Fred and Food

>>> Zzzzzzzzz! Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the presidential race, according to the Toledo Blade. It just seemed that Thompson was not willing to work hard enough to get the nomination. There will be some Ohio GOPers who are going to be very disappointed.

>>> Whole Foods will ban plastic bags, according to Business First. I think it is a great idea. I carry my own canvas bags when I go shopping. It would be great if Kroger would encourage re-usable bags also.

>>> New York has an interesting proposal. Reuters:
New York again sought to force fast food chains to display calorie counts on their menu boards on Tuesday after a federal judge quashed a similar proposal last year.

The rule affects restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide such as fast-food chains Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's but also casual dining chains such as Ruby Tuesday and IHOP Corp's Applebee's.....

Fabulous. I'd also like to see restaurants post their grade from their last health inspection.

>>>> Speaking of food......
Republican Mike Huckabee said that he used to cook fried squirrel in his popcorn popper while he was in college. The New York Times has a recipe for fried squirrel if you're interested in following Huckabee's gourmet leanings.

Of Note

* Fun fact--(U.S. Treasury Direct)
On 1/14/2000, the total public debt outstanding was $5,719,849,572,269.03.
On 1/17/2008, the total public debt outstanding was $9,187,584,466,089.71.

* There are more Republican disputes. Oh, goody. CQ Politics:

The winter meeting held by Republican National Committee (RNC) and concluded this weekend did not even seek to compete for attention with the presidential nominating events on Saturday in Nevada and South Carolina. But they did, in a low-profile manner, revive a debate over whether and how to fix a presidential nominating process that many participants and observers view as broken.

The GOP officials meeting in Washington, D.C., did not miss the fact that the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary were already the fifth and sixth Republican voting events in the 2008 campaign — by Jan. 19 — with their multicandidate field hurtling toward a historic traffic jam of 21 Republican nominating events scheduled for Feb. 5......

Are the Republicans blaming their system for their failure to get voter interest for their loser candidates?

* The NY Times is reporting that stocks are falling in Asia and Europe due to fears about the U.S. economy. NY Times:

Global stock markets plunged on Monday as fears spread that the turmoil in United States mortgage markets is spreading. Indexes in Europe fell as much as 7 percent after a huge selloff in Asia.....

What a mess!

Special Attention in the 15th

*** The DCCC's "Red to Blue" campaign will send extra money and support to the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy.

CQ Politics:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the campaign arm of the Democratic Party majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, has announced its initial roster of candidates in a program that will provide them with enhanced fundraising and strategic assistance — most of them for efforts to take over Republican-held seats in this year’s elections.....

Mary Jo Kilroy, Ohio’s 15th (Western Columbus and suburbs). Kilroy, an elected commissioner in the county that includes Columbus, has a return engagement on the “Red to Blue” list: She nearly defeated Rep. Deborah Pryce in 2006. Several Republicans are running in the March 4 primary election, the best-known of whom is state Sen. Steve Stivers.

2004 vote for president: Bush 50 percent, Kerry 49 percent...

Sad but true----> Pryce did get some Democratic and Independent voters in the last election. Now that we've seen the disastrous results of the Bush administration and the rubber stamp support of his Republican lap dogs, the likelihood of crossover votes should be kept to a minimum.

Also, a large majority of the people in the 15th are very disgusted with Bush's war, the toll on our military men and women, the state of the economy, and our government's response to events/circumstances (Katrina, the inability of wounded war vets to get timely health care, the failure of Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, the lack of new jobs, etc.). People are looking for change and hope.

Speaking of our wounded vets--- Some wounded vets are being forced back into war after sustaining severe wounds, head trauma, concussions, and PTSD (see the Denver Post's article). Is this anyway to run a country? See Bush's sword dance.

Questions

** Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce voted against the passage of the S-Miner Act (HR 2768) in the House of Representatives yesterday, according to the Washington Post. The S-Miner Act is a bill to improve the safety of miners. Why would Pryce vote against the safety of miners? Would it be because of contributions received from people like Robert Murray, president of Murray Energy Company? According to Open Secrets, Robert Murray and his staff, have contributed over $127,000 to Pryce, George W. Bush, and other Republican members of Congress (see Open Secrets).

** Now we must deal with meat from cloned animals. Since the FDA has approved cloned meat for sale in our stores, will members of the FDA eat this cloned meat and serve it to their children?

Stivers Gets Cozy With Business Contributors

The Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Steve Stivers, has been courting the same PACs and business leaders that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce had as contributors. According to a listing from the FEC (Federal Election Commission), the PACs are pouring in their money to help Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, and now member of the Ohio legislature. In a recent report from the FEC, Stivers received substantial campaign money from PACs which represent banks, insurance companies, health insurers, and large corporations. These PACs are hoping to get a business/corporation protectionist into the House of Representatives.

However, according to the FEC website (as of today), there have been no individual contributors. Regular citizens have not given campaign money to Stivers as yet.

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th, Mary Jo Kilroy, has PAC contributions too, according to the FEC. However, these contributions are from worker/employee/group PACs. The FEC lists many individual contributors for Kilroy for the 2006 race and for 2008 election.

Repeat That Again

>> John McCain is looking for voters. I didn't know he'd go this far.
Cumberlink:
John McCain, campaigning in a funeral home, hoped for a large turnout by the living Tuesday as Michigan voters judged the Republican presidential pack in a snowy primary.....

How many votes do you think he picked up in the funeral home?

>> Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution.
MSNBC:
...These two topics usually feature prominently in Huckabee's stump speech, but last night he got specific, promising to build a border fence within 18 months if elected and elaborating on his belief that the constitution needs to be amended.

"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards," Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Huckabee often refers to the need to amend the constitution on these grounds, but he has never so specifically called for the Constitution to be brought within "God's standards," which are themselves debated amongst religious scholars. As a closing statement he asked the room of nearly 500 supporters to "pray and then work hard, and in that order," to help him secure a victory in Tuesday's GOP primary....

Huckabee gives me the heebie-jeebies. I guess he'll be advocating a state religion soon.

>> Giuliani is not doing well in Florida. Even though Giuliani has campaigned almost exclusively in Florida, his poll numbers do not look good.

NY Daily News:

....A new Quinnipiac University poll Monday found Giuliani has lost his once-dominant lead in Florida, a must-win for the ex-mayor. He is locked in a virtual four-way tie for first place in the state's GOP primary with Sen. John McCain and ex-Govs. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

At the same time, two new polls showed Giuliani - the Republican front-runner for virtually all of 2007 - sliding into third or fourth place nationally....

If Giuliani continues to spend his little remaining campaign cash in Florida, he'll have an empty campaign war chest for other states.

Kilroy vs. Same Old GOP Talking Points (Stivers)

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is running for Congress for Ohio's 15th Congressional District. Kilroy lost to Republican Deborah Pryce by only 1,000 votes. This election year should be different.

On the other side, the Ohio GOP has Steve Stivers as their mostly likely candidate for Ohio's 15th. Stivers is running on the usual Republican talking points (Stivers website):
--- economic development and job development (Pryce never helped us. Why would he?),
--- limited government (George W. Bush has actually expanded the federal government!),
--- lower taxes (Does he mean lower taxes for his buddies at corporations?), and
--- securing our borders (How does he intend to do this?).

Stivers served in the military. Does he support Bush's Iraq policies?

The Stivers website states that ".....Washington, D.C. is broken." Is it because of the failures of the Bush administration? I noticed in the photos on his website that all the people in the pictures are white. Does Stivers know that there are many different races and ethnic groups in the 15th district?

I'll be watching this race and I'll keep you informed.

Updates on Ohio Politics

> Ohio Republicans are in deep oatmeal hoping for a savior for their fractured, corrupt party. According to the Plain Dealer, the Ohio GOP had a straw poll in Northeastern Ohio. Giuliani came out a winner (41 out of 103 votes), and McCain close behind with 30 of the 103 votes. It appears that, as reported in the article, 20 percent of these Republican leaders are undecided.

> If you are interested in reading some works of fiction, you need to visit the Ohio GOP website. Some of their fictional stories include that President Bush's "surge" worked in Iraq (Why are our troops still there? Why is there violence? Why haven't the Iraqis taken over their own security?), the No Child Left Behind Act is a success (LOL!!!! They must not be talking to public school teachers! All those charter school owners are getting rich.), and that the Republican Party is good for woman (I guess that is why all their presidential candidates are white men.).

> It is official! We now have the candidates for the congressional primaries. According to the Dispatch, Mary Jo Kilroy will be the Democrat running for the 15th congressional district. Republican candidates include Steve Stivers and Robert Wagner. Should be interesting. I'm waiting for Stivers to claim that he represents change!!!

> It appears that Republican Speaker of the House, John Husted, is doing a good job trying to cater to the public utilities. Here is an excerpt from Ohio.com:
.....Husted's plan at this point offers just the right combination of hope and fear to all the stakeholders involved to keep them actively interested in the political process, which means retaining lobbyists and writing hefty campaign contribution checks....

Ohioans need to get the Republicans out of control of the state legislature so that real people, not lobbyists, get what they need.

Huckabee Not A Fave of Ohio GOP

According to a story in The Other Paper, Ohio Republicans are not in a lovefest with Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee. Here are some excerpts from the article:

....Despite winning last Thursday’s Iowa caucuses and leading in national polls, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is getting little respect from the leadership of the Ohio GOP.

Last month, when Huckabee was on the cover of Newsweek as the biggest story in presidential politics, state Republican Chairman Bob Bennett downplayed his chances for the nomination, predicting the GOP race would come down to a fight between former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Yesterday, state Rep. Kevin DeWine, the party’s deputy chairman, was similarly dismissive of Huckabee.....

The article goes on saying that Huckabee reminds Ohio Republicans of their failed, right wing, religious extremist candidate for governor, Ken Blackwell.

Huckabee is very similar to Blackwell on many issues. Would Ohio Republicans just hold their noses and vote for Huckabee if he was their candidate? It makes you wonder.

An Open Letter to State Rep. Kevin Bacon

If you live in Ohio, you may have gotten a "newsletter" from your Ohio State Representative. I got mine today from State Rep. Kevin Bacon (District 21). Mr. Bacon asked what things that he and the rest of the ("do-nothing" Republican-controlled <--my words) state legislature should work on in the new year.

I'll make this short and sweet:

Fix the school funding problem in Ohio!

The Ohio Supreme Court found, in 1997, that the Ohio school funding was unconstitutional. However, the Ohio GOP would rather work on less important issues (like the defense of marriage act, building roads in their home districts, and so on...). (See Bricker & Eckler for a summary of the Ohio school funding litigation.)

Ohio Republicans Are Worried

*Ohio Republicans are worried that a strong Democratic presidential ticket could doom their party in the November elections. The Ohio GOP and Republicans across the country fear an Obama-Clinton or
a Clinton-Obama ticket. It would be historical and offer the country real change and leadership. (If you want to try my theory on a Republican friend, tell him that you heard that it will be a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket and watch the panic in his eyes.)

On the other side, the sad, all old white guy Republican presidential club has little to offer but the same old GOP mantra ==> more war, taxes, protect corporations and oil companies. Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart showed a number of great clips. One video showed Giuliani and his ability to add "9/11" to every sentence. Amazing.

Not Everyone Represents Change

It seems that many candidates are claiming that they are agents of change. However, only certain individuals have the right to be using the word "change" to describe what their run for office means. The Dispatch has this:

The word is change, and the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have fallen in love with it....

....The talk of change has even dripped down to central Ohio. Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers, who faces Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy for the congressional seat held by Republican Deborah Pryce, announced that "this election is about change."
The voters are left to sort out the word's meaning....

After reading the article, here are my rundowns on various people and if they can claim the mantle of an agent of change.

AGENTS OF CHANGE:

Hillary Clinton--- first woman to run for President. It would bring a different perspective to the office.

Barack Obama--- his views, background, and goals would provide a change of focus.

Bill Richardson--- his experience in foreign diplomacy, his background, and his experience in being a governor would provide a fresh approach.

NOT AGENTS OF CHANGE (REPRESENT THE SAME OLD SAME OLD):

Steve Stivers--- as a candidate for the House of Representatives and former bank lobbyist, Stivers would bring the same pandering that the current member of Congress, Deborah Pryce (OH-15), has done for businesses, financial and insurance groups, and pharmaceutical corporations. Stivers DOES NOT represent change.

John McCain--- he'd continue the war in Iraq (forever) and continue the policies of the current administration.

Mitt Romney--- supports a continuation of the war and Bush policies, but there is a chance of a flip-flop.

Mike Huckabee--- I think of Huckabee as being a more religious Bush. Huckabee has no experience in national decision-making.

Rudy Giuliani--- someone once described him as being like George W. Bush, but on steroids. Giuliani would bring us to a police state and a larger war in the Middle East.

Only the Democrats represent change. The rest are just adopting the rhetoric of the day.

Friday's Notes

> It appears that Republican Rep. Bob Latta (OH-5th) has some new challengers for his recently acquired seat in the House of Representatives. Toledo Blade:
Newly elected U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) will face a challenge for the Republican nomination March 4 from an Iraq War veteran and West Point graduate who filed his candidacy papers yesterday. Scott Radcliffe, 28, avoided discussing Mr. Latta in his announcement yesterday in his hometown of Perrysburg, other than saying he was not pleased with the vitriolic primary battle Mr. Latta won.....

Don't you just love the fighting in the GOP???

> President George W. Bush apparently forgot about his "compassionate conservative" pledge.
San Francisco Sentinel:

The Bush administration is imposing restrictions on the ability of states to expand eligibility for Medicaid, in an effort to prevent them from offering coverage to families of modest incomes who, the administration argues, may have access to private health insurance.

The restrictions mirror those the administration placed on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in August after states tried to broaden eligibility for it as well.

Until now, states had generally been free to set their own Medicaid eligibility criteria, and the Bush administration had not openly declared that it would apply the August directive to Medicaid. State officials in Louisiana, Ohio and Oklahoma said they had discovered the administration’s intent in negotiations with the federal government over the last few weeks....

Mr. Bush has no interest in the health of poor American children.

Another Snowy Day in Columbus

* We had some snow overnight in Columbus. As soon as there are two flakes of snow, some drivers forget how to drive!

* Ohioans have to work to take back the state legislature. The do-nothing Republican majority in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate have refused to work on the school funding issue. Jon Husted and his GOP cohorts would rather work on getting contracts for their big campaign contributors than help Ohio children get a decent education.

* A Taft holdover has been accused of a conflict of interest. Dispatch:

As a high-ranking lawyer for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation for 17 years, Kevin R. Abrams had his fingerprints on many of the policies governing how injured workers should be paid.
Now, Abrams judges disputes arising from decisions made by his former employer. Some see a conflict between those two roles...
...At least some of Abrams' votes are tainted by his work at the bureau, alleges a complaint filed by Joseph C. Sommer, a bureau lawyer....

It might be time for Mr. Abrams to find another job outside of the state government.

* Shoppers in central Ohio are increasingly bringing their own bags for their grocery shopping trips.
Dispatch:
...Natural-food stores such as Whole Foods have encouraged shoppers to reuse bags for several years, and mainstream supermarkets such as Kroger and Giant Eagle are joining them....

BYOGB=Bring Your Own Grocery Bag!

Start Worrying

>I watched a little bit of Republican Mike Huckabee on Meet The Press. It was enough to scare the hell out of me. The more I watch Huckabee, the more I realize that he does not seem to have a complete grasp of the problems and the issues to become president. He is clearly in over his head.

>According to the New York Times, Republican Rudy Giuliani, was back at his familiar mantra: 9/1, 9/11, 9/11. Giuliani must not fully comprehend all of the responsibilities of the President. Giuliani is like that relative you see only a few times per year, and all he does is talk about one topic. What Giuliani refuses to talk about is that his failure to properly equip the NYPD and NYFD with fully working walkie-talkies, increased their deaths on 9/11.

Ohio News

>>> What does Rep. Zack Space (OH-18-D) have that his Republican opponents don't have? Space has money in his campaign war chest.
Dispatch: Through Sept. 30, Space had $591,905 on hand in campaign cash. He has raised $845,570 total for his campaign.
>> U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) had a few things to say about his first year in the U.S. Senate.
Morning Journal:
...Brown also pointed to an increased minimum wage, raised fuel economy standards, and more federal assistance for college tuition as Democratic accomplishments last year.
But he said he was frustrated as other efforts were foiled by filibustered, or in the case of an increase in funding for the State Childrens Health Insurance Program, were vetoed by President George W. Bush.
''It broke my heart, and it's just outrageous to me that Bush made those choices,'' Brown said.
While the Senate had enough votes to override the president's veto of an increase in the S-CHIP program, it failed in the House of Representatives....

>>>> Warning! Even though you thought (and hoped!) that Tom DeLay and Ken Blackwell would crawl back under a rock, they are back. DeLay and Blackwell are trying to do their best to get their extreme right wing views into the public arena. If you see them, don't buy any of their hogwash.

More on Husted

I've written before on Ohio Republican Jon Husted and his nasty temper, demanding attitude, and his ability to get work for his political campaign contributors (Ex.: Oberer Construction + campaign $ = Austin Pike interchange (LINK)). I've been told that nothing gets done in the state of Ohio without Husted's okay. Since Husted has no real plans to do too much on the school funding issue in the state, nothing will get done.

Clearly, the only way to get the state away from Husted and the Republican corruption machine, is to elect Democrats. Husted and his cronies are not planning to help Ohio's children get fair and equal education, but they do like to reward their friends with state contracts. Even though Ohioans voted to put a Democrat as governor, the GOP controlled state legislature has done nothing to move forward on issues for real people.

Wake up, Ohio!

Greetings to all!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Pray for peace and a Democratic New Year!


GO BUCKEYES!

Is Steve Stivers Still Helping His Banking Friends?

A recent proposal in the the state legislature might help clean up cities but it would also get money to banks a lot sooner. According to the Dispatch, some legislators are hoping to help clean up homes that have been abandoned because of the foreclosure problems in the state. While looking for possible sponsors for the legislation, who else but Steve Stivers offered to jump in and help get things going. Steve Stivers, Republican, probably was happy to help his old banking buddies get some of the money they've lost in the empty homes. Once a lobbyist, always a lobbyist?

What has the Republican controlled state legislature done to fix the school funding problem in the state of Ohio? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Work and Money

>>>> After an exhausting day of work, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15), can now return to home to rest. (Check my previous posts on Pryce's hectic non-work schedule.)

+ The Democrats are raising more money for the election next year. Politico has this:

The Democratic Congressional campaign committees ended November with nearly five times as much cash-on-hand as their Republican counterparts. This means Democrats will enter 2008 well-positioned to pick up additional seats due to their continued financial advantage and a slew of GOP retirements, largely in highly-competitive districts.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $4.1 million in November, compared to the $2.7 million brought in by the National Republican Congressional Committee....
....On the Senate side, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ended November with $25.5 million banked, more than double the cash-on-hand of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, with about $10.4 million....

How nice.

Today.....

* Good news! Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15), finally showed up on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday!!!! According to the list of Roll Call Votes, Pryce voted yesterday on several issues.

* Tom Tancredo is going to announce his withdrawal from the presidential campaign, according to the New York Times.

* I don't have any sympathy for domestic automakers because of the new gas mileage requirements. They've refused to adapt to the changing market and climbing oil prices. They'll either work to catch up or collapse.

* It appears that the CIA will turn over some documents to Congress.
Raw Story:
Under a subpoena threat, the CIA is expected to quickly begin turning over to Congress documents related to the destruction of videotapes showing the harsh interrogation of two terror suspects.

The agency could begin producing the material as early as Thursday, according to senior intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of ongoing investigations into the destruction of the tapes in 2005.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, said Wednesday the CIA had agreed to turn over the documents sometime this week after he prepared subpoenas for former and current CIA officials and attorneys if they don't voluntarily come before the committee to testify about the tapes. The document request includes records related to the 9/11 Commission and to al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, whose attorneys were seeking interrogation videos.....

* Last night, my husband and I watched a replay of the House Judiciary hearings with the young woman who was raped, and held captive by KBR employees while she was in Iraq. She is definitely a brave young woman. It is amazing that the U.S. Justice Department has done nothing to investigate this case. The Philadelphia Daily News has more on this story.

Deborah Pryce-No Show

Republican member of Congress, Deborah Pryce, is enjoying an early vacation. If you call the office of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15), her staff will tell you that she is working in her district office. However, Pryce is not where she should be working --------> on the floor of the House of Representatives representing her constituents with her votes. According to the Clerk's website, Pryce has missed all 20 of the votes this week.

* Don't tell me there is another Republican scandal in Ohio? This time it involves Republican James Nimz, the Seneca County Engineer.
Toledo Blade:

....Yesterday, the longtime Seneca County engineer resigned the elected position he's held for 17 years and pleaded no contest to ethics violations for employing his wife, giving her raises, and promoting her to chief deputy engineer. Mr. Nimz, 62, of Tiffin, declined to comment following the brief hearing in Tiffin Municipal Court, but his attorney said his client was unaware he had violated the law when he married Caroline Minges in 1996. She had been employed by the county engineer's office since 1991......
..... Visiting Judge Thomas Osborn of Upper Sandusky Municipal Court accepted Mr. Nimz's no contest pleas and found him guilty of the three first-degree misdemeanors....

It is amazing that while the Republicans held the governorship, this went unnoticed.

Ohio's 15th District Turning Blue?

Charlie Cook provides some insight about Republican chances in 2008. Govexec.com:

....Then there are eight or so open-seat races that the GOP is in real danger of losing: those in Rick Renzi's 1st District in Arizona, Jerry Weller's 11th District in Illinois, Jim Ramstad's 3rd District in Minnesota, Jim Saxton's 3rd District and Michael Ferguson's 7th District in New Jersey, Heather Wilson's 1st District in New Mexico, and Deborah Pryce's 15th and Ralph Regula's 16th districts in Ohio. All of these contests are now in the toss-up category.....

Did you notice that two seats "that the GOP is in real danger of losing" are in Ohio----- Regula's 16th district and Pryce's 15th?????????

With the GOP having difficulty recruiting first tier candidates and an almost empty campaign war chest, you can see why they got so nervous about possibly losing the seat vacated by the death of Republican Rep. Paul Gillmor in Ohio's 5th district. The Republicans had to pour big money into a campaign that should have been a completely safe seat.

Ohio's 15th district is turning blue. Deborah Pryce's decision not to run again may have been slightly influenced by family issues. However, her final decision not to seek re-election was based on polls that showed the Democrats and Progressives gaining power in central Ohio. Things are changing in Ohio.

What?

> Apparently Republican Steve Stivers thinks it is okay for payday lenders to rip off people. In a vote this fall, Stivers was against legislation that would put a cap on the interest rate charged by these payday lenders. Legislators wanted to put a cap on the interest charge at 36%. Stivers was against it. (I guess once a bank lobbyist, always a bank lobbyist!) Here are some excerpts from The Columbus Dispatch:

Sen. Steve Stivers, R-Columbus -- Doesn't favor a 36-percent rate cap. "You can't take away people's ability to screw up their own financial situation by taking away the legal loan products, because they'll move to the illegal loans." Wants to encourage competition and avoid having people caught in a debt spiral.

Shouldn't Stivers be voting to protect the consumer instead of financial institutions/corporations?

> Is M*chigan QB Ryan Mallett planning to transfer because of the new coach? Rotoworld said that rumors say it is possible.

> What has happened to Sen. Joe Lieberman? He plans to endorse Republican presidential candidate, John McCain (CNN).

> Smart Cars will start to be delivered in a few months. Yipeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Preparing for Snow?

*** The TV weather people are predicting a big snow. Since major snowstorm for central Ohio. Citizens are stocking up on snow shovels, food, and other stuff in case they get stuck in their homes.

*** Ohio's Republican lawmakers are concerned about background checks for teachers, nurses, doctors, hairdressers, and others who need licenses/certificates. However, these same Republican lawmakers don't want background checks done on them. What are they trying to hide? Speeding tickets? DUI's? Civil suits? Columnist Ann Fisher of the Columbus Dispatch has the story about the GOP legislators:

State Sen. Jeff Jacobson, a Republican from Vandalia, called it a cheap stunt this week when a Democratic colleague proposed checking lawmakers' backgrounds for criminal offenses.

Stunt or not, the idea isn't implausible.....

...Sen. John Boccieri, a New Middletown Democrat, proposed the amendment to include state lawmakers and also have the results posted on the Internet....

Boccieri's proposal sounds like a great idea!

**** Do you know how many former Ohio State football players are in the NFL? Here is a list that I've compiled (sorry if I missed someone):

Buckeyes in the NFL:

Ravens: Troy Smith
Bengals: (1) Anthony Schlegel, (2) Alex Stepanovich
Browns: Simon Fraser
Steelers: Santonio Holmes

Colts: (1) Anthony Gonzalez, (2) Quinn Pitcock
Titans: (1) Ben Hartsock, (2) Donnie Nickey
Bills: (1) Dustin Fox, (2) Donte Whitner, (3) Ashton Youboty
Dolphins: Ted Ginn, Jr.

Patriots: Mike Vrabel
Jets: (1) Adrien Clark, (2) Nick Mangold, (3) Mike Nugent
Broncos: Kenny Peterson
Raiders: Jay Richardson

Chargers: (1) Shane Olivea, (2) Matt Wilhelm
Packers: (1) A.J. Hawk, (2) Ryan Pickett
Vikings: (1) Mike Doss, (2) Antoine Winfield
Falcons: (1) Tim Anderson, (2) Michael Jenkins

Panthers: (1) Drew Carter, (2) Na’il Diggs, (3) Chris Gamble
Saints: (1) Kevin House, (2) Will Smith
Buccaneers: (1) Joey Galloway, (2) Will Allen

Cowboys: (1) Bobby Carpenter, (2) Terry Glenn
Redskins: Shawn Springs
Cardinals: Rodney Bailey
49ers: Nate Clements

Seahawks: Rob Sims
Rams: Antonio Pittman

Quite a lot of Buckeyes, don't you think? I wonder how many other colleges can meet or exceed this number?

Wednesday's Notes!!!!

> The Ohio State - Michigan game will be different starting in 2009, according to USA Today:

Thanksgiving leftovers and the Ohio State-Michigan game could become a new tradition.

The Big Ten will move to a 13-week schedule beginning in 2009, pushing the rivalry game and the rest of the conference's schedule to the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Big Ten school presidents voted to support a 13-week schedule on Dec. 2, spokesman Scott Chipman said. That will allow teams one week off during the 12-game regular season.....

Awesome!

> Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15th) has extended her long weekends to include Tuesdays. She did not show up for the votes in the House of Representative on Tuesday.

> According to the Ohio Secretary of State's Election web site, Republican Bob Latta has won the election for Ohio's 5th congressional district. Latta won 56% of the vote. Voter turnout was from 12% in Ashland County to 30% in Henry County.

Bankers Love Latta

If you look at the last minute contributions that candidates in Ohio's 5th district receive, you might learn something. Here are lists of recent donations from the FEC, as published in the Toledo Blade:

> Republican candidate Bob Latta's contributors include:
...Henry Gandy ($1,000), a lobbyist/attorney for major blue-chip companies at the Duberstein Group; the Baker and Hostetler Political Action Committee ($1,000); the Franchising Political Action Committee ($1,000); Federal Express PAC ($5,000); TOMPAC, better known as NRCC chairman Tom Reynold's PAC ($5,000); Lafarge Cement PAC ($5,000); Worthington Industries PAC ($1,000); Mortgage Bankers Association PAC ($2,000); Ashland Inc. PAC ($2,000); and the election campaigns of Steve Stivers and Mike Turner ($1,000 each).

Latta himself kicked in another $15,100 on Friday...

Those at the mortgage association want to protect their money, so they donate to a Republican who will speak for them. Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, also threw in some money.

>> Democratic candidate Robin Weirauch's contributors include:
...Jeffrey Boyd ($1,000), executive director of the Ohio Association for Justice; Craig Hall ($2,300), an entrepreneuer and Napa Valley vintner; California congresswoman Barbara Lee's campaign ($1,000); the Congressional Black Caucus PAC ($5,000); Sen. Sherrod Brown's campaign organization ($2,000); Joseph Kanfer of Akron ($2,300), president of GOJO Industries; the Progressive Patriots Fund ($2,500), and the National Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education ($2,000).....

Did you notice that Weirauch doesn't have any bankers' associations listed?

The FEC (Federal Elections Commission) shows that Latta's other PAC friends include BANKPAC, COALPAC, INSURPAC, and various big business PACS. I guess this is an indication of which groups Latta will work for if he is elected.

Latta Did Get Money From Tom Noe

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Republican Bob Latta did indeed take money from Tom "Coingate" Noe. A quick search at the Ohio Secretary of State's website on campaign finance shows the following:

Tom Noe gave $250 to Citizens for Latta Committee on 10/14/2004.
Tom Noe gave $250 to Citizens for Latta Committee on 11/20/2003.
Tom Noe gave $250 to Latta for Ohio Senate Committee on 8/6/1996.
Tom Noe gave $310.03 to Latta for Ohio Senate Committee on 8/6/1996.

If you don't believe me, check out the Ohio Secretary of State's campaign finance site and search yourself.

Robin Weirauch Is The Best Choice for Ohio's 5th District

Anyone who has ever met Robin Weirauch, Democratic candidate for Ohio's 5th district, is always impressed with her intelligence, warmth, and dedication. Weirauch has, according to the Toledo Blade, campaigned "....on protecting factory jobs, pushing for a troop withdrawal from Iraq, and establishing universal health care...."

Voters in the 5th district have to realize that in order to move the district ahead, they have to vote for someone who has fresh ideas, motivation, and a great work ethic. Robin Weirauch has it all.

On the other hand, Republican Bob Latta has been the perpetual candidate. He'll run for anything and smear everyone in the process. What a guy! Latta just wants a job and he is ready, willing, and able to work just like his friends, Tom Noe and Bob Taft (and we know how well they did!).

If the voters in Ohio's 5th congressional district want a member of Congress to just sit and warm a seat, Latta, is for them. However, if the voters want progress, and a real fighter for the district, Robin Weirauch is the best choice for Ohio's 5th District.

Did you know that...

......Republican candidate for Congress for Ohio's 5th, Bob Latta, took over $1000 from Tom "Coingate" Noe.
See You Tube here.
.....the Daily Kos has even more stuff about Latta here.

Great News!

The Plain Dealer has just announced that Ohio State's James Laurinaitis has won the Butkus Award.

Of Concern

> Things are getting bad at central Ohio's food pantries. Even the Mid-Ohio Food Bank is facing shortages. See information additional information at The Dispatch. Visit midohiofoodbank.org or mail checks to Mid-Ohio FoodBank, 1625 W. Mound St., Columbus 43223.

> According to The New York Times, the CIA has destroyed some tapes of their interrogations. How convenient!

> The military families are very upset with President Bush. See the LA Times for the story.

I'll write more later. I have to go move some snow off the driveway......

* President Bush and the Republicans in the Senate are upset that an energy plan that has been approved by the House will cut tax breaks to Exxon Mobil and other big oil companies. President Bush has promised a veto. For more information, see the Bloomberg article. Isn't this just like this administration and the Republicans to protect the oil companies? With gasoline at nearly $3/gal., the oil companies are making enough money ripping off Americans, and now Bush and the Republicans want to protect their tax breaks!!!! Where is that compassionate conservatism?

* I've come to the conclusion that I'd be happy with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or Bill Richardson as the Democratic nominee for president. I like them all and I think they are all extremely well-qualified.

Items of Note

* I'm just wondering why we haven't seen a website for the Republican candidates for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Do they know about the internet?

* President Bush wrote a letter to Kim Jong-il recently. This follows Bush calling the leader of North Korea a "pygmy" and categorizing North Korea as part of the "axis of evil." (See The Guardian.) Now Bush wants to either make 'nice nice' or start a war with North Korea since a war with Iran didn't pan out.

* Democrat Rep. Zack Space is impressing many people in Ohio's 18th congressional district. Space, who won the seat following Republican Bob Ney's Abramoff scandal ties, is doing well. According to CQ Politics, Space has over $800,000 in his campaign war chest. Each of the 3 Republicans who have announced intentions to run against Space, have $50,000 to 76,000 each, according to CQ Politics.

The Ohio Republicans

> You mean the Ohio GOP didn't have ethics and a code of conduct?
Times Reporter:
Angry at inter-party attack ads in a recent congressional primary, the Ohio Republican Party will develop a code of conduct and ethics and a preferred list of vendors and consultants for future primary and general elections, including one next year in Northeast Ohio....
......Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine tried to navigate the difficult primary. He tried to keep it civil, Bennett said. “He tried very hard.”
But to no avail. Now DeWine will develop a code of conduct, which the central committee will discuss at its February meeting. He also will create a list of vendors who will be asked to pledge to abide by that code.....

The Republicans in Ohio have destroyed so much in the state because of their greed. Now they will try to learn some ethics and follow a code of conduct. Interesting.

> Who is to blame for the crumbling of Ohio's cities? If you ask the mayors in Ohio, they'll tell you that former Gov. Taft and the Republican controlled legislature are to blame. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch:

Much of the blame for Ohio's mortgage-foreclosure crisis goes to the Ohio General Assembly, says Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis.

His county had about 7,000 foreclosures in 2000. Six years later, the number had skyrocketed to 13,000. This year, residents of Cuyahoga County will lose about 17,000 homes.

The shattering of so many dreams didn't have to happen, Rokakis said. Cleveland, like Dayton and Cincinnati, had passed tough ordinances to rein in predatory lenders. But in 2002, the Republican-controlled legislature passed, and GOP Gov. Bob Taft signed, a law wiping out the local ordinances....

Kevin DeWine, Steve Stivers, Jon Husted and the rest of the Ohio Republican legislature have helped create the mess in Ohio's cities. The sad thing is that they really don't care as long as their cronies and campaign contributors get contracts and their help.

Tuesday's News

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional, Mary Jo Kilroy, will be getting some special help for her campaign.
CQ Politics:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s political action committee has been busily funneling money to House candidates since July, handing out donations that totaled $107,000 as of Nov. 21.
Pelosi’s PAC to the Future ordinarily would not file with the Federal Election Commission until Jan. 31, but a donation it made to Robin Weirauch, the Democratic candidate against Republican state Rep. Robert Latta in a Dec. 11 special election in northwestern Ohio’s 5th District, meant it was required to file early....
...That list includes Mary Jo Kilroy, in Ohio’s 15th District, where GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce is retiring after barely defeating Kilroy last year.....

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is running against a career bank lobbyist from the GOP for Ohio's 15th congressional district.

> > >Here is an article about the Bush administration's false drumbeat to war with Iran.

The Sidney Morning Herald:
In an embarrassment for the Bush Administration reminiscent of the weapons of mass destruction saga in Iraq, the National Intelligence Council has reversed its assessment that Iran is intent on developing a nuclear arsenal.

It has declared that the Islamic state halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.

"We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003 Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program," said the assessment by the council, comprised of 16 intelligence and security agencies.....

Would we have gone into another war just to fulfill another desire of the Neo-cons in the Bush administration? By the way, check out what Think Progress has on Bush.

We were lied into the war in Iraq. Now they are lying to say they didn't know that Iran's nuclear program was inactive. The President said no one told him!!!!????? Incredible liars!

Monday's Morsels

* GO Buckeyes!!!!

* Ask Ohio Republican leaders their definition of "family values." I think that when someone says that they support "family values" that should mean that they love and respect their spouse, respect the family, and provide a loving, protective home for their children. (There are a few Republicans in the Ohio legislature who have left their first wives for new, younger ones. I'll let you do the research on that.)

* December 11th is the day of the special election to fill the seat of the late U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor. Vying for the seat are Democrat Robin Weirauch and Republican Bob Latta.

* According to the Dayton Daily News, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has a 65% approval rating among Republicans in the state!

* Don't forget to tune into the new liberal talk radio station in Columbus------ WVKO 1580 AM (you can listen live). Stephanie Miller is back (9am-Noon)!!!!!!