News and Notes: Ohio [cross posted at ODB]

NOTE: The following is cross-posted from my current blog, OhioDailyBlog.com, because for some reason LeftyBlogs.com/Ohio still has not picked up my feed. I will keep cross-posting until that gets worked out.

What's going on in the Buckeye State today?

Coughlin Announces Bid to Oust Summit County GOP Chair - The Akron Beacon Journal reports today that State Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) has released a three-page, no-holds-barred letter calling for the removal of county GOP chair and power broker Alex Arshinkoff. Coughlin complains that the county party "has slipped into a pathetic state" despite Coughlin's belief that the "demographics of Summit County are more favorable than ever." The letter includes a list of lost elections that Coughlin calls "Arshinkoff's Losing Streak."

More Details on Petro as Possible OH-15 Candidate - The Columbus Dispatch reports that former Attorney General Jim Petro, formerly of the Cleveland suburb of Rocky River but a Columbus resident for twelve years, is the favored candidate of Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Bennett. However, State Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) and former Franklin County Commissioner Dewey Stokes (R-Columbus) are also interested. State Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Upper Arlington) says he will run for re-election in 2008 with a view to becoming Ohio Senate president. Some sources told the Dispatch that any endorsement is likely to wait until after a poll is taken in the district. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Petro's hesitation has to do with his desire to run for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 2010. Several current Justices on the all-Republican panel are also interested, but if any of them vacates a seat to run for Chief Justice then Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) would presumably appoint a Democratic replacement.

Redfern to Meet with Lucas County Democrats Today - Lisa Renee reports on the blog Glass City Jungle that Ohio Democratic Party Chair Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) will attend a meeting of the Lucas County Democratic Central Committee today at 4:00 pm, apparently in a continuing effort to quell the ongoing Turmoil in Toledo which has seen local Democrats divided into warring factions.

Space on a Roll - Don't call the August recess a "vacation," at least not for freshman Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover). Well aware that the 18th Congressional District is a top takeover target for the GOP, Space has been working the district hard. His Healthcare Ohio Tour will take him to all 16 major health care facilities in his district this month, he just finished a four-stop Farm Bill Update Tour with a stop at the Muskingum County Fair, and his office has announced that he is sponsoring a bill to make local communities eligible for up to $25,000 in matching funds for revitalization assistance, and another bill to support innovative approaches to combating diabetes.

Subprime Mortgage Lending Crisis Claims 450 Ohio Jobs at Bank - The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports today that the tanking mortgage investment market has led to the closing of the home equity department at National City Bank, putting 450 jobs in jeopardy. (More in the Dayton Daily News.) The Plain Dealer also reports that local home building companies are being forced into home renovation work by the building slowdown. The stock market rebounded this morning after the Federal Reserve cut its discount rate by half a percentage point, but this foreclosure mess is a long way from getting better.