Cong OH-14: Profile of Cranley (D) on MyDD.com
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News, analysis, and comments on Ohio elections.
This is a TV ad for impressive 38th Ohio House District candidate Carolyn Rice (D-Kettering):
Here is a powerful anti-corruption TV ad for Todd Bosley (D) against incumbent Richard Regula (R), which will run all week starting today:
Up to the minute in Ohio's Congressional contests:
* Canceled 40 percent of his television commercial buys.The article also spells out how moderate-to-conservative Wilson really is. Wilson plans to become the only Ohio member of the Blue Dog Caucus, "because of their stance on fiscal responsibility and demanding honesty and accountability from the federal government." His campaign received $10,000 from the Blue Dog Political Action Committee and $1,000 each from two Blue Dog members. He also received $10,000 from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a moderate who may challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House. Wilson said he would likely support him.
* Not mailing fliers to voters.
* Contributing campaign money to other Democratic candidates.
* Paying back some of the money he loaned his campaign.
* Bragging about it.
Hoyer, who was first elected to Congress in 1981, has worked tirelessly to ensure that America's veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned. In 2000, he sponsored the legislation creating the Veterans History Project. Last year, the American Legion named Hoyer one of its "Unsung Heroes" of the 108th Congress for his efforts to ensure the affordability and accessibility of veterans' health care. Congressman Hoyer also successfully thwarted efforts to gut key military installations on the East Coast.
A CNN poll released today shows Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) leading Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R-Cincinnati) by 23 points, and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Avon) leading Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Cedarville) by 11 points, with only one week to go before voting ends:
In a major development in this race, the Cincinnati Enquirer, hometown paper of Greg Hartmann (R-Cincinnati), today endorsed his opponent, Jennifer Brunner (D-Columbus). The editors call both "strong candidates" but prefer Brunner because of her "experience as an attorney specializing in election law and, later, as a respected Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge, make her the better choice." They review Brunner's campaign proposals in some detail and conclude that she brings a "mature, comprehensive perspective" to the office, "developed over years of solid service and rare expertise in election issues."
The latest on the races for State Representative:
We need to look no further than the Bureau of Workers Compensation in Ohio to see the obvious graft and misuse/misappropriation of public funds. From the investment deals which have cost Ohioans hundreds of millions of dollars, to the managed care method of treating our injured workers, which has resulted in waste of $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion since its implementation in the late 1990s, it is clear that change is needed in the way we administrate this system and also in the level of oversight which is required to insure elimination of waste and ineffeciency.Dansack also takes Wagoner to task for failing to respond to Dansack's public challenge on September 14th to seek a "stay" of new legislation that cuts workers compensation benefits in the wake of investment losses, until a full investigation into the irregularities at the BWC is conducted.
In a district that is 97 percent white, this is the "Willie Horton" ad of 2006, showing a big photo of a black deathrow inmate next to a photo of Dodd. "Dan Dodd does not want this man to be executed," a narrator says. "He kidnapped, raped and murdered a 14-year-old girl. Dodd’s liberal plan would spare his life." The evidence for this claim, which is not cited in the ad, is a scholarly treatise written in 2003 by Dodd and seven other University of Cincinnati law students showing that 88 of 173 Ohio Death Row inmates would be removed from Death Row if criteria used by a commission in Illinois were applied to Ohio.This district includes all of Perry and Hocking counties and parts of Licking and Pickaway counties. Incumbent Ron Hood (R-Ashville) ran for the State Senate, 31st District, but lost in the primary.
Candidates who sling such sludge should not be rewarded.
In addition to the poll reported earlier for the 12th Congressional District, Majority Watch also release results today for the 1st and 2nd Districts, showing John Cranley (D-Cincinnati) statistically tied with Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati) and Vic Wulsin (D-Indian Hill) trailing Rep. "Mean Jean" Schmidt (R-Loveland) by a small margin:
Russell at BSB has just linked to a new article at Salon.com, reporting the results of a four-month investigation of political donations by Bush-appointed judicial nominees. The investigation reveals that six appellate court judges and 18 district court judges contributed a total of more than $44,000 to politicians who were influential in their appointments. Among the recipients are Ohio's two senators, George Voinovich (R) and Mike DeWine (R). There are no laws or regulations prohibiting political contributions by a candidate for a federal judgeship, it just looks really, really bad.
The Ohio Democratic Party announced tonight that ODP Chair Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission alleging that state auditor candidate State Rep. Mary Taylor (R-Green) purposely made false statements to voters about owning a construction business, Welty Building Company. A hearing on the complaint will be held on Wednesday at 11:30 am.
§ 2921.42 - Having an unlawful interest in a public contractThe ODP has launched a website called SomethingAboutMaryTaylor.com, detailing Taylor’s many ethical lapses.
(A) No public official shall knowingly do any of the following:
(1) Authorize, or employ the authority or influence of his office to secure authorization of any public contract in which he, a member of his family, or any of his business associates has an interest; ...
A source who communicated with me on condition of anonymity reports that an internal poll conducted by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus shows city councilman Thomas West (D-Canton) in a statistical dead heat with incumbent State Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton):
The latest in the statewide contests:
This is amazing. The campaign of John Cranley (D-Cincinnati) has put together a staggering list of media denunciations of false advertising by incumbent Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati):
“This ad provides no documentation for its claims”
(The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/25/06)
“Vote cited in the GOP ad had nothing to do with taxes or spending”
(The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/08/06)
“Cranley was endorsed by the FOP for City Council twice after he supposedly ‘turned his back’ on them”
(The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/11/06)
“Outrageous assertions”
(The Boston Globe, 10/28/06)
“None of that money went to ‘riot sympathizers’”
(The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/11/06)
“The charge is a mischaracterization”
(Annenberg Public Policy Center - FactCheck.Org, 10/11/06)
A new independent poll by Majority Watch has Bob Shamansky (D-Bexley) very close to incumbent Pat Tiberi (R-Westerville):
There's always something new in Ohio's Congressional races:
I have two kids, and I'm worried about their future because our country is headed in the wrong direction. Our government doesn't seem inclined to work for us anymore, and we need to change the way business is done in Washington. I believe our government should do the same thing we expect from our own families. This means balance our checkbook, establish pay-as-you-go standards that require us not to spend more money than we have coming in, and bring transparency to the earmarking process to eliminate wasteful spending. Our government must be more concerned with fiscal responsibility.The forum featured calls from listeners. Among the questions was why Padgett, a 20 year educator and member of the teachers' union, failed to receive the endorsement of the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association. Space called Padgett's casual dismissal of the endorsement an "afront to all those thousands competent hardworking teachers in the state of Ohio, and nationally who support this campaign because they understand that I get it when it comes to the need to prioritize educational funding."
Developments in Ohio House of Representatives races, mostly involving newspaper endorsements:
Smith and his supporters have tried to sell the idea that voting for Celeste means a vote for his brother and a vote for the higher taxes seen by Ohioans in the late 1980s. It's a cheap shot that seems to forget the 1-cent "temporary" state sales tax approved by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2003 and the half cent extended in 2005, and a charge that opens the door to all candidates being painted by the shortcomings of their family members. Voters deserve better information and campaigning than that. It's the sort of politicking that tries to keep residents' focus off the real issues that affect their lives.26th District: In a contest that I have read little about, the Columbus Dispatch and the Suburban News Publications both endorse Tracy Heard (D-Columbus) over Michael Elicson (R-Columbus). Heard defeated incumbent Mike Mitchell (D-Columbus) in the primary. The Dispatch notes that she believes in replacing lost jobs through the production of alternative fuel sources, including putting South Side manufacturing infrastructure to use building windmills and solar panels. Both candidates "are passionate about standing up for urban neighborhoods." Neither has held political office but "Heard’s experience as a legislative aide to former state Sen. Leigh E. Herrington of Ravenna gives her the edge." The SNP "gives Heard the edge based on her in-depth knowledge of economic and community development and of the need for a resolution to the school-funding dilemma" and because she "is an advocate of the state taking greater advantage of its agricultural base to become a leader in alternative fuels." They note that Elicson objects to Heard's use of the surname of her mother-in-law (the late Columbus school board member Loretta Heard) on the campaign trail, but state that "her grasp of the issues reveals her to be far more than just a legacy candidate."
Items of interest in Ohio Senate races:
In a big boost for the challenger, Robin Weirauch (D-Napoleon) was endorsed yesterday by the Toledo Blade over entrenched incumbent David Gillmor (R-Old Fort). The editors state that Weirauch "has grown considerably as a candidate since she ran and lost" two years ago, and they slam Gillmor as "an absentee congressman who keeps his home in the suburbs of Columbus [and whose] 18-year congressional year is decidedly undistinguished." The sharpest words concern Iraq:
Five communities in his district have lost soldiers in the Iraq war, yet we see no challenge to the President and no leadership from a congressman who after nine terms in Washington ought to be showing some.The editors note that Weirauch "has put herself out there, [and] is working hard on her campaign" and that she "vows to be a much more visible congressman than Mr. Gillmor." They conclude that she "would be an effective member of Congress for the 5th congressional district."
Political rock star Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will stump for U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Avon), gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon), Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Cleveland), and local candidates on Saturday, November 4th, at 7:45 pm at The Civic, 3130 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Heights. Doors open at 7:00 pm.
Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Concord Township) needs to go. He has repeatedly broken his promises (for example, not to exceed four terms, and to vote against CAFTA), he had a secret affair with a lobbyist, and when he divorced and re-married his best man was Bob Ney. He has a capable opponent in Lew Katz (D-Chesterland), but the mainstream media isn't reporting LaTourette's ties to the culture of corruption.
* $10,000 from The American Liberty PAC, put together by Rep. Bob Ney and funded in large measure by Jack Abramoff;July 27, 2004: Neil Volz donated $500 to LaTourette. Never returned.
* $10,000 from The Freedom Project PAC of Rep. John Boehner, who received at least $15,000 in campaign donations from the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, an Abramoff client.
* $10,000 from the Midnight Sun PAC, another fund closely associated with Jack Abramoff.
* $10,000 from The Americans for a Republican Majority PAC, put together by disgraced and indicted Rep. Tom Delay, who is also closely tied to the Abramoff scandal.
The lame endorsement by the Columbus Dispatch of incumbent Sen. David Goodman (R-New Albany) over energetic challenger Emily Kreider (D-Westerville) has attracted well-deserved criticism. From Democratic Underground:
Looks like the Columbus Dispatch may have dropped the ball on [their] endorsement of State Sen. David Goodman. As I recall it was not so long ago that the Dispatch was telling us we should not vote for candidates that sling mud at [their] opponents on TV. Well as we all know David Goodman [has] done nothing more than attack his opponent with over $1,000,000 worth of TV ads to date. Yet the dispatch went out of its way this morning in making the most unbelievable statements I have heard so far this fall about Emily Kreider: "her attacks against Goodman [...] have been shrill and sometimes ill-considered." Come on, Mrs. Kreider is running one of the best campaigns I have seen in a long time. She has knocked on over 6,000 doors. It is grass roots as well as informative to the people of the 3rd Senate [District]. Emily Kreider has worked hard to take the high road in this race as she is still being attack[ed] by Goodman and his Republican party. David Goodman is hiding, he will not tell us what he has done or what he will do for the people of central Ohio. Mr. Goodman sir you are a coward along with your Friends at the Dispatch.From Blue Bexley:
I challenge the Dispatch or the Goodman campaign to name one shrill attack she or her staff has made against Goodman regarding school funding. One. I know there are a number of Goodman supporters who read this blog. If there is such an attack out there, point me to it. I think that I've been more attuned to every piece of public information in this campaign than anyone, including the Dispatch editorial board, and I can't think of one. They state that there have been 'attacks' (plural). I won't call them out as blatant liars if someone can point out just one single shrill or ill-considered attack that I've missed. ...I've met Kreider several times and I read the Dispatch endorsement and it is totally wrong-headed. Their backhanded dismissal of her innovative, positive campaign as "simplistic" and "shrill" is simply ridiculous. They praise Goodman for his talking point of wanting to "reduce wasteful duplication and competition" in college education, but that turns out to be merely a disguise for buying into Ken Blackwell's dangerously extreme educational platform. Goodman is the candidate who said in a debate that he doesn't need this job, and the voters ought to go ahead and relieve him of it.
... I don't fault the Goodman team for having campaign talking points, I blame the Dispatch for writing something that sounds like it came (to paraphrase one of the more apropos recent criticisms of one of my pieces) from a clueless high-schooler. ...
Catching up with Ohio's Congressional contests:
2 PM: Brown County Fairgrounds, Georgetown, Brown CountyWulsin has a new radio ad called "No More 'Boss Hogg' Politics", featuring former Georgia Congressman and popular Nashville icon Ben Jones, also known as 'Cooter' from the television show "The Dukes of Hazzard". Listen to the ad here.
3:30 PM: Courthouse Square, West Union, Adams County
5:00 PM: Old County Courthouse, 100 E. 2nd St., Waverly, Pike County
6:30 PM: Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall, 1236 Gallia St., Portsmouth, Scioto County
Jim Jordan stands up for religious intolerance. Pardon us--we meant to say American values. But Ohio's fourth district was represented by a great centrist, Republican Michael Oxley, for the past 25 years--a tradition Jordan's opponent will honor.8th District: House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) says that Donald Rumsfeld "is the best thing to happen to the Pentagon in 25 years."
Respect your elders: Bob Shamansky, 79 and a former congressman, decided to get back into politics after suffering through the Bush Medicare reform. "You couldn't have a more antimarket provision," he said of the Bush plan's abdication of price-bargaining rights. Sounds good, as does his intelligent criticism of the war--especially against his forgettable opponent.13th District: The excellent Word of Mouth Blog has a baseball-themed analysis of the third and final debate between Betty Sutton (D-Copley Township) and Craig Foltin (R-Lorain) at Lorain County Community College on Friday. Bottom line -- Foltin swung for the fences and missed, Sutton played small ball and scored.
What do you call an affair-having, Abramoff-linked reactionary? Gone. Don't let the door hit you on your way out, Steve.18th District: Zack Space (D-Dover) campaigned with Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) on Saturday in Athens, Vinton and Hocking counties. "Ted and I believe that Ohio needs a change of direction and new leadership that is focused on Ohio's hard working families who have been neglected for too long," said Space. "When I go to Congress, I'm committed to putting the people, not powerful special interests first." Strickland replied, "As long as I've known Zack, I've known him to be a man of hometown values, committed to helping the people of his community. We need new leadership like Zack Space in Congress to move our country in the right direction." Pollster.com reports that the average of the last three polls puts this race at an 8.3% lead for Space.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued an order staying the temporary restraining order issued last week against the new voter ID requirement as applied to absentee voting. The apparent effect is to reinstate the directive issued by Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R-Cincinnati) on the eve of the TRO hearing, which imposed certain new interpretations of vague terms in the voter ID law.