From the good blog over at Callahan’s Cleveland Diary…

A few days ago, I spoke with a Democratic state representative who complained that the House Democratic leadership is actively discouraging its members from pushing alternative legislative proposals, in the belief that attempts to legislate will just get in the way of exploiting the corruption issue.

The correct term for this is “crackpot pragmatism”… and it’s the best possible way for the Ohio Democratic Party to elect another Republican Governor — probably one named Ken Blackwell.

It’s nice to see someone calling something wrong regardless of politics, if the Republican leadership did this, we’d be just up in arms as Bill Callahan. The Democrats need to realize that just because Bob Taft has a 6.5% approval rating does not guarantee them the keys to the Governor’s mansion. Need to be a credible alternative, not just an attack party. Leave the attacking to the bloggers.

Wow, Michael Meckler puts in another epic post.

“Republican insiders are scratching their heads trying to figure out what attorney general Jim Petro is doing in his bid to become the GOP gubernatorial candidate next year. Does Petro intend to portray himself as a conservative? If so, why did he call secretary of state and rival candidate Ken Blackwell “an extreme right-winger” in an interview last week with David Skolnick of the Youngstown Vindicator, and imply that auditor Betty Montgomery, the other major candidate for the Republican nomination, needed to drop out of the race so that moderates could rally behind him? If Petro intends to campaign as a conservative, why did he suggest last week to Mark Naymik of the Plain Dealer that he might end up with a new lieutenant-governor running mate to replace conservative Hamilton County commissioner Phil Heimlich?” Read the rest HERE.

You would think a campaign which was considered so impressive have this many missteps so far….

Well actually Mark Weaver did, the quote is “petro used to be pro-choice. now he is multiple-choice.” From NPR.

According to ProjectLogic either Tom Brinkman or Bob McEwen (who both lost against her in this year’s primary) will probably run against Rep. Jean Schmidt. It looks like McEwen is going ahead with push polls while Brinkman is out trashing Schmidt.

Personally, we don’t think we would have voted for Schmidt in the primary back in May, but she does have our support now.

Oh my….these numbers are so low that Bob Taft might not exist in the next round of polling.

From Buckeyepolitics

FINGERHUT TAKE? Interesting. He tanked pretty terribly in 2004 versus Voinovich for Senate, but that is a very different race than governor, in a very different year. Substantively, there is a legitimate rationale for a Fingerhut campaign for governor in 2006, I’m not sure there was one for Senate in 2004. He sounded like he was running for governor last time, mainly because he’s a state senator, focused on state policy. He’s a wonk’s wonk, and that may play well in the current climate. He is an unabashed liberal. That may not help in the general.

Boy, we look like idiots for praising Coleman early in the day, but Fingerhut does have a shot, if the Jewish, urban, and younger Democrats support him in huge numbers. He has much more of a chance now that Coleman is out, and probably has a better chance than most people will give him.

Yesterday, I reported that Ken Blackwell was the first Gubernatorial candidate to respond to our candidate survey.
That was not correct.
Republican candidate Pete Draganic responded via email on November 11th. I did not see that email, and I apologize to the Draganic campaign for the oversight. Often toted as “the people’s candidate,”
Pete’s pro-gun stance is irreproachable:
I’ve never understood the concept of restricting the freedoms of law-abiding people in an effort make us safer from criminals. Read the rest HERE.

Ahhh, Pete’s back in the news!

For those of you that don't know Josh Mandel, or aren't on the distribution lists, Josh Mandel is a Lyndhurst City Councilman who is seeking to replace Rep. Jim Trakas in the 17th Ohio House District. I have only met the lad a couple times, but if he lives up to even half of his reputation than he is going to be an amazing candidate. Mandel has earned a reputation of being one of the hardest working politicians in NE Ohio, and has been called, by several media sources, the most popular rising politician in NE Ohio. He is certainly living up to his hard-working title. Just a few weeks out from the 2005 elections, Mandel has officially announced his candidacy and has scheduled 3 (that we know of) fundraisers before the year closes. If you get some time, you should meet this 28-year old phenom who one political boss called the Ohio Republican Party's ”�“Rock Star”?. We would refer you to his website, but we can't seem to find one for him, so instead here are a couple articles a quick internet search provided us. If we find his website we will post it for you.

Mandel Enters Statehouse Race For 17th District

Lyndhurst City Council

Joshua Mandel Has Knack For Service

Former OSU USG President Running For State Rep.

Mandel Touts Tax Rebates

2006 is shaping up to be an amazing year for Ohio politics. Less than a month out from the local elections we have seen the known candidates for Governor start campaign advertisements, take bold political swings at other candidates, and now a candidate dropping out of the race. That is all in just one race. Let us not forget that we have statewide seats that are up also next year, as well as other seats, such as those being sought by new star Republicans like Josh Mandel and Ed Herman. This is certainly going to be an interesting time in Ohio politics, and a great time to be involved.

WKYC has picked up on the Coleman story on their website. To see their story CLICK HERE.

The Columbus Dispatch broke with this story early this morning. See their story by CLICKING HERE.

A Coleman campaign official, who we will leave nameless, has confirmed that Coleman will be leaving the race for Governor. He will announce it this afternoon at a press conference at Columbus City Hall.

Rumor has hit, Coleman is dropping out of the race for Governor of Ohio, clearing the path for Democrat front-runner Strickland to secure the Democrat nomination for Governor. More to come on this once it hits the wires and is officially announced.

Betty Montgomery - Will have the hardest time winning the primary, and would probably lose against Strickland. Two things going for her is she usually gets favorable press coverage and she might attract women who voted for John Kerry to switch over and support a pro-choice, moderate, Republican woman. Obviously on the flip slide, she will alienate some conservatives. Wouldn’t count her out just yet.

Jim Petro - Easier time to win the primary compared to Betty, but it will be an uphill fight. A slight underdog against Strickland and a slight favorite against Coleman. If mainstream Republicans think Blackwell is too conservative to win, they will jump to Petro and push him over the top in the primary.

Ken Blackwell - If he energizes the voters who voted for Bush in Ohio, he can win the primary easily. Will have a tougher time in the general election, but if Strickland can’t cut into Bush voters, Blackwell can win. He would easily defeat Coleman however. The major problem with Blackwell is the media will unload with both barrels if he is the nominee and this will hurt him, the question will be…how much?

Ted Strickland v. Michael Coleman - Everyone assumes Strickland will win, but remember there are not that Democrats in many of the counties that have endorsed him. If Coleman can get people like Tubbs Jones to support him and rally the African American vote in his favor, he can pull the upset. Also if people like Bryan Flannery and Eric Fingerhut get into the race, that means there will be less “white” voters for Strickland. He’s leading now, but this is still too early to call.

Your thoughts? Remember our e-mail is [email protected], send us tips, rumors, and news.

As we expected, Mr. Blackwell’s answers reflect a staunch support of the right to keep and bear arms.
Law abiding citizens always should have the option to own and use firearms. We must fight any attempt to threaten these guarantees.

1. Article 1, section 4 of the Ohio Constitution reads, ”�“The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.”?
How do you think that applies to the ability of Ohio citizens to own firearms in this day and age? Both the federal and state constitutions grant our rights to bear arms. Law abiding citizens always should have the option to own and use firearms. We must fight any attempt to threaten these guarantees. Read the rest HERE.

We’ll post the rest of the survey answers from other candidates when they turn theirs in.

“More action is required now,” Dion told delegates at the talks, likely to involve up to 10,000 representatives of governments, environmental groups and businesses, charged with working out how to limit emissions of heat-trapping gases from fossil fuels.
The talks will start mapping out what to do after the U.N.’s Kyoto Protocol, a first step by about 40 industrial nations to curb emissions, runs out in 2012. Negotiations on a successor could take several years.
The Montreal session included actors and video images showing the risks of a changing climate — including more frequent hurricanes, ice storms, desertification, locust swarms, forest fires, floods and melting ice caps.
Dion said climate change was the single most important environmental issue facing the world today.
He did not mention Washington by name but the United States, the world’s biggest polluter, and Australia have pulled out of Kyoto, denouncing its caps on emissions as an economic straitjacket. Read the rest HERE.

If global warming means Cleveland hitting 67 degrees on a late November day, then we’re all for it! Plus it will make the midwest more liveable throughout the year, while making growth areas like the southwest and the deep south, almost unliveable. Mabye it will make some snowbirds stay here for a little longer.

Along with Dennis Eckart, Lee Fisher’s name pops up every election cycle, well here it is again…

Former attorney general, former gubernatorial candidate, current poster child for obscenely-paid non-profit CEO's (FY 2003, $358,464), Lee Fisher, since losing to Bob Taft in 1998, keeps turning up in conversations about statewide Democratic stuff like a bad penny. He's coming up again in the context of the ODP chair race. And the Columbus chattering classes are floating the notion that Chris Redfern might pull out, Lee Fisher might get in. (From Buckeyepolitics.net)

We would say this is much ado about nothing, but then again, look what Chairman Bob Bennett did to the Republican Party; chairmen do count. Let’s hope the Dems screw it up

Blackwell wants to be Ohio’s next governor.
He has the strong support of Parsley and an infantry of more mainstream Patriot Pastors across the state — “allies on the battlefield of issues of importance,” as Blackwell defines them — who urge Christian activism in Ohio politics.
Eight years ago, the former Cincinnati mayor and then-state treasurer might have been described the Dennis Kucinich of the Republican Party: Aspiring to higher office but too close to the fringe to make the cut.
He delayed his gubernatorial aspirations to make way for Bob Taft.
Since then, much has changed.
Blackwell has built a national following and emphasized, rather than shied away from, his position as a fiscal, political and Christian conservative.
His religious fervor, attention to raising money, networking with national leaders and focus on the governor’s mansion have moved him from the fringe to the position of viable — if not feared — candidate. Read the rest HERE.

It’s like they make him out to be a villian of some sort…

Remember our e-mail is [email protected]

Democrats hoping to turn around their also-ran status in Ohio must decide how soon they need to fill the party’s top job.

Denny White resigned last week as chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party after three years spent trying unsuccessfully to end Democrats’ long exile out of power.

Democrats have just one statewide officeholder - Justice Alice Robie Resnick of the Ohio Supreme Court - and have not controlled the Legislature in more than a decade.

One candidate for governor, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, says the party should not let much time lapse before choosing a successor, given the importance of the 2006 elections.

Another candidate, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, disagrees and says the new full-time director should be elected after the party’s gubernatorial nominee is determined. The primary is May 2. Read the rest HERE.

This is going to be a wild ride folks….

From an e-mail sent out to her supporters…

But you could ask everyone you know and listen to hundreds of answers and you still wouldn’t hear someone talk about whether they prefer Jim Petro’s gimmicky constitutional amendment or Ken Blackwell’s phony constitutional amendment. Both claim that their RON-like amendments will magically cut states pending. Yeah, right.
Yet — as the newspaper article below points out -that’s what Jim and Ken are spending most of their time arguing about. Kind of reminds me of two used car salesmen arguing over which old junker will get better mileage. A lot of promises and rhetoric but not much under the hood.While the Jim and Ken squabble and squawk about which vial of snake oil will miraculously cure our ills and cut state spending, I’m traveling to every corner of Ohio making one simple point: a real leader doesn’t need a too-good-to-be-true constitutional amendment to cut spending and lower taxes.
A real leader — a Ronald Reagan-style leader -only needs two things: a veto pen and a backbone. And I’ve got them both.
Too bad the “trust me” twins Jim and Ken don’t have enough trust in their own leadership ability to cut spending the old-fashioned way: work hard and make tough decisions.

Wow it sounds like we have the Republican version of Howard Dean on the campaign trail. It’s amazing how nasty this race is going to get. Your comments?

Also, we updated a ton during Thanksgiving break, make sure you scroll down and check it out.

From the Plain Dealer

Meanwhile, in an interview this week, Petro offered a tepid rebuttal to rumors that he and his more conservative running mate, Phil Heimlich, are breaking up.
Petro said Heimlich is “all for our agenda” but there’s “always a chance” Heimlich, the father of young children, could bow out because of the “grueling nature of driving around the state” to campaign.
Petro campaign Chairman Robert Paduchik, however, said supporters shouldn’t read too much into the comments. He said the campaign already has collected nearly half of the signatures needed to qualify the Petro-Heimlich ticket for the ballot.

Hmmmmmm, although I though Heimlich was great at attracting conservatives and down state $$$ Regardless of the reason if Heimlich and Petro split up it will cause major headaches in that camp.