Getting things ready!

* President-elect Barack Obama is definitely putting all the ducks in a row in preparation for taking office. Today, Obama made more announcement regarding his economic team. When asked if he felt he had a mandate, he said that the election shows "....the American people want common sense, smart government...." Yes. Yes. Yes.

* We are still waiting to hear about the court decision concerning the 1,000 provisional ballots for the election in Ohio's 15th congressional district.

* We'll be having lots of family here on Thanksgiving. It is my annual cooking extravaganza--- turkey, ravioli, good Italian meatballs, potatoes, and lots of food.

It is Monday.....and the Buckeyes Beat Michigan, again.

The Dispatch has an update on Ohio's 15th congressional district vote counting:
The Franklin County Board of Elections trudged onward yesterday through a pile of questionable ballots with some races still undecided....
...The votes considered yesterday were separate from the 1,000 or so provisional ballots under scrutiny because people made mistakes such as not printing and signing their names on the ballot envelopes....
....The provisional ballots can't be counted until a federal appeals ruling expected this week.

I'm sure that Republican candidate, Steve Stivers, will appeal again, if he doesn't get his way. Keep pulling for Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy.

> Does anyone else think that Republican Rep. John Boehner has become irrelevant and out of touch with average Americans? Boehner and his Republican pals continue to push their right wing agenda. Hello, Boehner! We've had 8 years of your party's control and now we have the greatest economic failures since the Great Depression. To Boehner and the rest of the old, crabby GOP---- thanks, but no thanks.

> Yes. Ohio State beat Michigan again. Go Bucks!

TGIF

Tomorrow is the Ohio State vs Michigan game here in Columbus, Ohio. It will be an exciting game. It will also be very, very cold. I'll be there wearing scarlet and gray.

* It will be at least another weak until we hear more on the lawsuit filed by the Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th Congressional district. We need to get on with the counting of the 27,000+ provisional votes from Franklin County. Mary Jo Kilroy and those of us who voted for her, demand that votes be counted! Why is Stivers being such an obstructionist? We have work to do in this country and we need to get on with it.

* The state is buzzing about Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's school funding plan. According to WCMH-TV, Strickland will reveal his new school plans in early 2009.

* Today on the Stephanie Miller Show, Stephanie and the Mooks kept playing the song "Nobody Does It Better" as a tribute to Republican leader, John Boehner. Under Boehner's leadership, Republicans have lost almost 50 seats. Wow. Boehner is good. He should stay as their leader.

A Ruling on the Provisional Ballots

The Columbus Dispatch:
Franklin County's 27,306 provisional ballots came one step closer to being counted after a federal judge ordered today that 1,000 of them whose validity was questioned should be counted.

However, a challenge to the 1,000 ballots could still put the count on hold until the order can be appealed. U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley said he will decide this evening whether to put his order on hold pending the appeal.

A final count would decide the 15th Congressional District race between Republican Steve Stivers and Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy. Stivers holds a 149-vote lead, according to the Franklin County Board of Elections....

Republican Stivers said he would appeal. Isn't this amazing? Why can't they just count the ballots? Stivers is trying to use legal delays to stop the counting of the votes. Let the Franklin County Board of Elections know that you want all the votes counted now. You can contact the FCBOE at (614) 462-3100.

I find it absolutely incredible that Stivers is doing his part to try to find a "friendly" judge who will allow him to win. We are tired of all these delays-----just count all the votes.

Nota Bene

It appears that everyone wants to go to the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. In an article in today's Newark Advocate, members of the U.S. House and Senate have been inundated with requests for inaugural tickets:

...Rep. Zack Space, the Dover Democrat who won a second term to the U.S. House and serves Ohio's 18th District, which includes eastern Licking County, has received more than 600 requests for inaugural tickets, according to spokesman Stuart Chapman.

The office of Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who campaigned for Obama, already has heard from 5,000 people who want 20,000 tickets. The requests have come by phone, e-mail and letters....

It will be a big event and everyone wants to be there to be a part of it.

> A federal judge will render his decision today about some provisional ballots in Ohio's 15th congressional district.

Still No Decision in Ohio's 15th

With everyone waiting for the decision on the provisional ballots from the federal court, there were questions about why Republican supporters of Steve Stivers sued over the ballots.

The Columbus Free Press suggests that Matt Damschroeder, Republican, may have provided some insider info on the provisional ballots to the Ohio GOP and the Stivers campaign. Damschroeder, the Deputy Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, has been at the center of voting problems in the past.

The Columbus Free Press reminds us of Damschroeder's activities:

...With the help of Matt Damschroeder, Deputy Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, the GOP has used a range of insider information to challenge about a thousand provisional ballots cast in heavily Democratic areas of the district. In particular they argue that a minor voter omission on the ballots should disqualify them. If they win that case, Stivers might well take the seat....

....Prior to that (2004) election, while acting as Director of the Franklin County BOE, Damshroeder accepted a $10,000 check from a Diebold representative in his office at the BOE. The board was deciding at the time whether or not to buy Diebold machines.

Damshroeder asked that the check be made out to the Franklin County Republican Party. When the incident surfaced in the media, he apologized for the "impropriety." But the GOP kept the check. And Damshroeder was "punished" with one month's paid leave, even though Democrats could have had him removed....

It is time for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to remove Damschroeder from his role in the Board of Elections. He has been at the center of too many voting problems.

Please keep hope alive for Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, candidate for Ohio's 15th.

Jon Husted's Residency Problem (continued)

Next Wednesday, the Montgomery County Ohio Board of Elections will decide where Jon Husted, Republican "big macher" resides. Even though Husted was elected to the Ohio Senate for the 6th district, he and his family enjoy the plush life in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Husted still owns a house in the district he represents, but he doesn't live there. If you are interested in attending the hearing regarding Husted's residency, you may contact the Montgomery County, Ohio Board of Elections for the exact time and place of the hearing:

http://www.mcboe.org
451 W. Third Street
P.O. Box 8705
Dayton, Ohio 45481-8705
Phone: (937) 225-5656
Fax: (937) 496-7798
E-mail: mcboe@mcohio.org

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Husted thinks he is the presumptive Republican candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. I want to know why we all must follow the rules, but Husted gets a free pass. What do you think? Let the Montgomery County Board of Elections hear from you.

More Delays in Counting Votes

The vote count in Ohio's 15th congressional district is on hold while a federal judge studies briefs submitted to him by lawyers for Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican Steve Stivers. Here are some news articles about the case and the count.
The News-Messenger:

A federal judge in Columbus says he’ll decide by Thursday whether to allow disputed provisional ballots to be counted in a tight central Ohio congressional race....
...An estimated 1,000 ballots are in dispute because of defects such as voters failing to both print and sign their names....

iStockanalyst:

....Provisional ballots are required when voters fail to update their registrations, don't bring adequate ID to the polling place or when their names don't appear in the poll books. The ballots are held a minimum of 10 days and checked for eligibility. Typically, about 83 percent of provisional votes are accepted.

To Republicans acting on behalf of congressional candidate State Sen. Steve Stivers, the law is clear: Provisional ballots that lack a printed name and a signature on the ballot envelopes should be discarded. The GOP wanted the case heard by the Ohio Supreme Court, but Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner not only had a different interpretation of the law but filed successfully to have the case heard in federal court.

Franklin County used ballot envelopes that differ from those used in Madison and Union counties, which also are in the 15th District, where Stivers has a 400-vote lead over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy. Franklin County requires that voters print their names, while Madison and Union counties have poll workers fill in the voters' names....

Let me repeat that last line----

....while Madison and Union counties have poll workers fill in the voters' names....

Of course, Stivers and his Republicans want to throw out those ballots in Democratic-leaning Franklin County! In Madison and Union Counties, which lean right, the margin of error is reduced because of the manner that the ballots are handled. Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, may file other lawsuits, despite the fact that he pushed through laws in the legislature to reduce nuisance suits.

We need to keep our fingers crossed that Kilroy wins this!

You Heard It Here!

Here is an update about the election for Ohio's 15th congressional district as posted in the Columbus Dispatch:

A federal judge this morning rejected a request to move a dispute about the counting of provisional ballots to the Ohio Supreme Court, ruling that the fight belongs in federal court....

....An order from the federal case previously had said a provisional ballot cannot be rejected because of a poll worker error, and Marbley noted that is one of the elements of the legal fight.

Marbley, appointed to the bench in 1997 by President Clinton, also chided the Stivers’ campaign for going to the all-Republican Ohio Supreme Court first, saying it raises concerns about “impermissible forum shopping.”

It is clear to me that Republican Steve Stivers will do anything to steal this election from Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy. Why is Stivers afraid of counting all the ballots? Is he afraid he might lose? Perhaps Stivers and the Ohio GOP should stop wasting the court's time with these frivolous lawsuits and let the counting continue. By the way, does anyone else think it is ironic that Stivers, who championed lawsuit reform in the Ohio Senate, is now tying up the courts with lawsuits?

And on, and on, and on.....

They are still counting the ballot for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Here is more from the Zanesville Times Recorder:

....Election workers on Saturday will begin tallying military and overseas absentee ballots in a close U.S. House race that will determine the breakdown of Ohio's congressional delegation.

There are about 27,000 provisional ballots that need to be counted, too.

As it stands now, Republican Steve Stivers of suburban Columbus leads Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by just 149 votes.....

No wonder Stivers and his crew want to stop the counting now. Go Mary Jo!!!!!!

Jennifer Brunner Deserves Our Thanks

Just before the general election, Republican Rep. John Boehner started to attack Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Boehner appealed to President Bush to protect the votes in Ohio. The Republicans even went as far as the U.S. Supreme Court to complain about Brunner and her work to protect Ohio voters.

Because of the vicious attacks by Boehner and Ohio Republicans, Brunner, a Democrat, has had numerous death threats and harassing phone calls. Now Brunner has a security detail protecting her and her family (Coshocton Tribune).

Why would the Republicans raise concerns about a Democrat as the Ohio election chief? The Republicans are desperate to control elections and the counting of ballots in the state. Do you remember how former Ohio Sec. of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, was able to deliver votes for George W. Bush? Now the Republicans have started a complete aggressive campaign to tarnish Brunner's reputation because they want some Republican like Jon Husted to be in charge of elections in Ohio.

Ohio voters need to look at our most recent election and realize that early voting was great and people actually had their votes counted this time. Brunner's hard work protected votes and made voting accessible. Brunner deserves our thanks and admiration.

Not Yet

* The counting goes on for ballots in Ohio's 15th congressional district. According to the Dispatch, there are still 27,306 provisional and 716 absentee ballots that must still be counted. Both Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and her Republican opponent, Steve Stivers, await the outcome.

* With the possible loss of 8,000 jobs in Wilmington, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland visited the area (NBC4). DHL is pulling out of Wilmington, Ohio, and the area will never be the same.

* One of the amazing things about the Obama-Biden win is the way they communicated with volunteers. I cannot begin to count the number of times I received text messages and e-mails from the campaign. One of the reasons the Republicans lost was their failure and inability to use technology effectively.

Counting Continues

> The counting continues for Ohio's 15th congressional district. According to the Kilroy for Congress site, 27,000 provisional and absentee ballots still need to be counted. Cliff Schecter has a great article over at the Huffington Post about why it is important that Kilroy win this race. We might need some of those 10,000 Obama lawyers to straighten out this ballot count.

> Republicans are still confused about why they lost the election. They are still looking for someone to blame. In the meantime, some GOPers are trying to decide what to do to rebuild their party. It might be to their advantage to look at themselves and review some of the things they said on the campaign trail.

> Those people who want to build a casino in Ohio are now looking at the Columbus City Center as a possible location for a casino. The City Center, which was once the place to shop, is now closed. The location and design might prove to be very valuable in their efforts to sell the idea.

Still Counting for the 15th

> The ballot counting continues for Ohio's 15th congressional district. With only a couple hundred votes between them, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, and Republican Steve Stivers, await results. However, there are still paper ballots and absentee ballot yet to be counted. There will most definitely be a recount.

> The Ohio GOP is still stunned. They can't figure out how they lost. Even as I type, they are looking for someone to blame. According to the Toledo Blade, a big shot in the Ohio GOP found someone to blame:
.....Last week, Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine (R., Fairborn), who is also being forced out of the House by term limits, partly blamed the Republicans’ loss of the House on the death of U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor more than a year ago....

Kevin DeWine has no right to blame anything on the deceased Paul Gillmor. If the Republican Party had a platform, a record of helping the average worker, and had remained free of scandal, it is possible that Ohio voters would have been interested in them. Things change. Voters were looking for change and help. The only thing Republicans were offering was more of the same.

> Meanwhile........ Republican Jon Husted, who just won an election for the State Senate, is enjoying living in Upper Arlington, instead of his "home" district. If the people of his "home" district let him represent them, they are foolish. It might be a good idea for people to start photographing Husted hanging out in Upper Arlington. Husted cannot expect that his run for Ohio Secretary of State to go smoothly if he can't even tell the truth about where he lives.

The GOP Represents the Past

The Republican Party members are still trying to figure out what happened in Tuesday's election. I can honestly tell them that the reason they lost was because they relied on their party's methods from the 1950's. The Republicans still hold Reagan as their hero. Many young people today have no idea about Reagan. I lived through the Reagan administration and I never liked his administration. The Republicans had campaign offices that worked only certain days and never on the weekends. The Obama campaign and Democrats had volunteers staffing call centers in every county seven days per week.

What message did the Republicans put out there for voters? If the McCain-Palin rallies are an indication of their message, it was intolerance, racism, lies, and a myth about a guy who really wasn't a plumber. People are tired of these old messages and are ready for new direction, new messages, and a better life. The Republicans are just old, white, and full of people still stuck in the past.

I'd like to congratulate all the volunteers that were involved in the Obama campaign. Our work, passion, and determination will provide real change for us and our children. Yes we did!

Not Yet

Once again, the Board of Elections is still counting votes for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Dispatch:

....In the 15th, Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers clung to a 146-vote lead last night over Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy out of nearly 290,000 votes counted in the district. The 15th covers western Franklin County and all of Madison and Union counties.....

.....Yet to be counted are provisional ballots, which won't be tallied for 10 days; the military and overseas absentee ballots postmarked by the time the polls closed Tuesday and received by Nov. 14; any domestic absentee ballots postmarked by Monday that are received by Nov. 14; as well as any of the estimated 5,000 absentee ballots with errors that voters correct by Nov. 14......

Keep our fingers crossed for Mary Jo!!!!!

New Day!

It is indeed a new day. Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States!!!!! I watched Obama last night with tears in my eyes. I thought of that line from Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.....

".....I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character..."

Barack Obama, as President, will need our help and prayers. Americans voted yesterday for a better tomorrow. We can roll up our sleeves and help get our country back on track.

One More Day....

With less than 24 hours to go before the polls open, people are trying to plan their election day. If you have to work, make sure that your colleagues have voted. If you are able to volunteer to get out the vote, call your local Obama office and ask how you can help. There are plenty of jobs to go around. If you don't have the time, call on your friends and relatives and make sure they've made it to vote.

Things are tightening up in Ohio. Even though McCain has spent enough time in Ohio to qualify for a Buckeye Senior Discount Card, many Ohioans are looking for positive change.

> Ohio's 15th congressional district has Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy running against Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist. Mary Jo Kilroy has lots of supporters, young and old, who have poured their hearts and time into her campaign. Go Mary Jo!!!!! Stivers wants to go to DC and help his friends in the oil companies and banks who have so generously contributed to his campaign.

> Republican John Boehner, leader of his party in the U.S. House of Representatives, called Sen. Barack Obama a "chickensh*t" over the weekend. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Boehner is just plain disgusting.

> Ohio Republicans are taking lots of anti-depressants. They are worried that they may lose 3-4-5, or even 6 congressional districts in Ohio alone. Don't feel sorry for these GOPers. They are the ones that "adjusted" the Ohio votes for their party in 2000 and 2004. Let those Ohio Republicans know that you are tired of their politics--------- VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!!!

Columbus Welcomes Barack Obama

It was a beautiful day in Columbus, Ohio! After waiting in line for over two hours, and standing in close quarters with 60,000+ Obama's supporters, I can say that it was worth it. Everyone in the line was friendly and very enthusiastic. Many people brought their children and grandchildren. Young and old alike cheered for Sen. Obama and Michelle Obama, Richard Cordray, Gov. Ted Strickland, Mary Jo Kilroy, and John Glenn. Sen. Obama encouraged people to vote early and volunteer.

Channel 10 has a slide show of pictures from the Obama rally------- HERE!