Congressional Races: News and Notes

Items of interest in Ohio's Congressional races:

2nd District: As Ohio Goes reports that CQPolitics has changed this race from "Safe Republican" to merely "Republican Favored." Ohio 2nd reports that Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) will campaign for Dr. Victoria Wulsin (D-Indian Hill) this Saturday. Very good signs indeed.

7th, 12th & 15th Districts: In a triple whammy, the Columbus Dispatch today endorses the three Republican incumbents in the area, Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington), Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Westerville), and David Hobson (R-Springfield), mainly on the basis of their influence as legislative veterans. The editorial ends with a call for the three rubberstampers to work in a more bipartisan way in the future. Yeah, right. This move is consistent with the conservative bent of the Dispatch, but is nevertheless disappointing.

13th District: The Akron Beacon Journal has a profile of the contest between Betty Sutton (D-Copley) and Craig Foltin (R-Lorain) today, along with biographical sketches of the candidates. Debates are coming up Oct. 24 at the University of Akron; Oct. 25 at the City Club of Cleveland; and Oct. 27 at Lorain Community College.

14th District: The Cleveland Plain Dealer blog Openers yesterday quoted statements by Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Painesville) that were uncharted territory for him - actual criticism of Donald Rumsfeld and Bush's handling of the Iraq War. Opponent Lew Katz (D-Chesterland) didn't get much attention in the piece, but he's speaking out about it now, in a press release title "Steve LaTourette is Not a Moderate":

"There must be an election very soon now that Silent Steve is speaking out against the Bush-Rumsfeld policies and admitting he and Congress have not provided adequate oversight," stated Katz. "LaTourette is playing politics again. He has had years to speak out, but only chose to do so in an endorsement interview less than a month away from the election. Furthermore, he deliberately neglects to mention he is a republican in his television ads in an attempt to distance himself from the party.

"The job of a congressman is to be independent and represent the needs of the district. It is not to pretend to be independent while voting 81% of the time with the President and 87% of the time with the GOP. LaTourette is not a moderate Republican; he just likes to act like one to get votes. It is time for a Congressman who will work for the people of the district, not one that will vote eight times against raising the minimum wage before voting for it."

16th District: The Akron Beacon Journal today endorsed 81-year-old, 17-term dinosaur Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) over Rev. Tom Shaw (D-Wooster), praising the aging legislators ability to bring pork to the district.

18th District: OMG. Unbelievably stupid statements by State Sen. Joy Padgett (R-Coschocton) in this article about a visit to Chillicothe. Having "high speed and broad-band Internet" is very important, she says. Both, is it? Not just one or the other? Padgett "believes in fighting a war on terror." Well, that's a relief. "I have to believe what I'm told is accurate," she continues. Great, what we need more of in Congress -- unblinking credulity. This from the woman who proclaimed Rep. Bob Ney's innocence on the basis of having looked him in the eyes while he said he didn't do it.