From townhall.com

“Ken Blackwell’s candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in Ohio is a golden opportunity for Republicans, not only in that state but on the national political scene as well. Still, Mr. Blackwell would do well to watch his back.”

Sowell is a great conservative columnist.

Ken Blackwell was on two radio programs yesterday, Lanigan and Malone 105.7FM and on Wills and Coleman on WTAM1100. While on the Lanigan and Malone show he was in an attack mode against Jim Petro even when the attacks were not warranted. You could tell that the hosts did not particularly care for Blackwell especially when he would just launch into an attack of Petro without even getting a question about Petro. He did rebound a bit when he started talking about his turnpike plan, spending and taxes. Regardless, he needs to do better next time on the show and was a bit disappointing in this appearance.

45 minutes later

He appeared on Bill Wills’ show and did a much better job. Attacked less and spent more time talking about his proposals and his vision for Ohio. It did help that Wills was much more of a favorable interviewer, but it seemed that Blackwell had settled down quite a bit. Much much better performance. Listen to that interview here.

From the Beacon Journal

“It’s extremely important for the whole state of Ohio. It will set the political landscape for the next decade and longer,” Salling said.
Trakas knows the importance of the board’s makeup. In 1991, when Republicans took over the board after 20 years of Democratic control, they redrew several
Cleveland-area districts that had been Democratic-leaning.
“My district would not exist and I would not have had a chance to help my constituents for the last eight years if it hadn’t been for Republican control of the Apportionment Board,” Trakas said.
Trakas, a former chairman of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, said Republicans could lose at least six seats in suburban areas around the state if the Democrats take over. He said the possibility is a motivator when it comes to down-ticket races.
“Volunteers and donors are attracted to the secretary of state race because of the Apportionment Board.
Many people, partisans on both sides, understand the importance of the pen,” he
said.”

Very true.

From WND

“With the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal rocking the Republican Party nationally, the “pay to profit” scandal takes on an additional dimension. The only major Ohio Republican the scandal seems not likely to touch is Blackwell.

“If I could have nailed Blackwell, I would have,” Seminatore told WND. “Believe me, I looked hard, but Blackwell is clean.”

If Ken Blackwell emerges as the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Ohio, national pundits believe he will be in a position to carry a reform banner forward for the Republican Party, not just in Ohio, but nationally as well.”

From the Beacon Journal

“Cleveland firefighters sued the mayor on Monday, trying to force him to accept
a new state law allowing city workers to live outside city limits three months before it takes effect.
Mayor Frank Jackson, in a letter to city employees Jan. 18, wrote that the city views the change to its residency law as a violation of the Ohio Constitution and that any Cleveland employee still can be fired for violating employment terms requiring city residency.
Gov. Bob Taft signed a bill Friday banning the local governments’ residency rules. Also, residency provisions in union contracts.”

Can’t blame them, they just need to remember that it was the GOP who helped them out.

From their website

“Ohioans For Concealed Carry has Endorsed J. Kenneth Blackwell for Governor of the State of Ohio “Ken Blackwell, a Life Member of the NRA, has been a strong, consistent supporter of the rights of gun owners,” said Jeff Garvas, president of Ohioans For Concealed Carry (OFCC). “As Governor, we believe he will be instrumental in furthering concealed carry reform in Ohio.”

They said nice things about Jim Petro and Pete Draganic, in fact, Petro spoke at one of their picnics in previous years.

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) continues to pick up steam in the race for House Majority Leader. In case you missed it over the weekend:

National Journal’s Chuck Todd said “it’s all about the second ballot. If this goes to a second ballot, John Boehner wins.”

The Hotline wrote: “For all of Team Blunt’s bravado about what [Blunt’s staff] terms its ‘117+ public and private supporters,’ the hard fact remains that they are 23 public endorsements short of the magic number. And of their 94 public backers, how many are committed to their Whip beyond the first ballot?”

Roll Call’s Mary Ann Akers told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that the race between Roy Blunt and John Boehner is much closer than anyone realizes.

Perry Bacon of Time Magazine writes: “[Blunt] has annoyed some Republicans by acting like the front runner, declaring he already has enough votes and refusing to debate his opponents on TV. In fact, the ground could quickly shift. More than 70 Republicans have not allied with any candidate, and if Blunt does not have the votes to win on the first ballot, the top two will go to a runoff. Boehner has been reaching out to backers of Shadegg, who lags in public endorsements, hoping reform-minded members will coalesce around him in a Boehner-Blunt race.”

National Journal’s Rich Cohen wrote that “widespread uncertainty remains over whether Blunt will prevail when the House Republican Conference meets on February 2 to elect a leader by secret ballot. In contests of days gone by, he might have been a shoo-in, given that he has served as acting leader since September. But this clearly isn’t your grandfather’s leadership race.”

Keep your fingers crossed.

From his press release…

Columbus, Ohio - Results from a poll commissioned by the Ohio Republican Party show that either of the two Republican candidates for governor stand to lose in a general election match-up against Democratic candidate Congressman Ted Strickland.

The results, made public Saturday, indicate that Strickland holds leads over both Attorney General Jim Petro and Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch reported on the poll, which found that Petro trails Strickland by 3 points (39% to 36%) and Blackwell trails Strickland by 6 points (39% to 33%) in head-to-head match-ups.

Conducted last week by phone, the poll surveyed 800 likely general-election voters, of which 400 were likely Republican primary voters. The poll was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates.

That’s still alot of undecided voters. But this race is sure going to be a doozy.

“A senior Petro campaign official who requested anonymity says Padgett’s stature in eastern Ohio would help in a faceoff with Congressman Ted Strickland, the favorite for the Democratic nomination.”

That quote from an Ohio News Network story … read the post-press conferance coverage here.

Petro to announce State Sen. Joy Padgett to his ticket. Read the article from here entitled: Petro Expected To Name ‘Country Girl’ To Ticket”

Supposedly he’ll be on WMJI 105.7 at 7:10am and WTAM at 7:50am. As always, these times can change.

Courtesy of the Beacon Journal

“At least two more candidates for Ohio governor are expected to announce their choices of running mates this week — decisions that can provide insight into their campaign message and strategy.

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, one of two Republicans running, has scheduled an announcement in Columbus at 11 a.m. Monday to reveal his pick for lieutenant governor. Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the other Republican in the race, also is expected to announce his choice this week.

Petro’s campaign manager, Bob Paduchik, declined to comment on what qualities the campaign was looking for in making its selection.

Petro previously chose Phil Heimlich, a Hamilton County commissioner, to be his running mate.
Heimlich dropped out of the race this month to run for re-election.

His thoughts were echoed by Blackwell spokesman Gene Pierce, who said the campaign is not looking for someone who would be considered a moderate counterpart to Blackwell’s strong conservative bent, but rather someone who is like-minded.

“We want someone who is basically ideologically compatible with Ken so that they’re headed in the same direction. We’re looking to solidify the ticket, not balance it,” he said.”

An interesting article.

Tim Grendell isn’t the most popular man at Toledo City Hall nowadays (or for that matter any big city with residency rules) From the Blade.

“Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner urged Ohio’s big-city mayors to fight a new law signed by Gov. Bob Taft yesterday that would prohibit governments from requiring their employees to live where they draw their taxpayer-funded paychecks.

Barring a court order to the contrary, the law will take effect in 90 days.”

Stay tuned for the court battle.

For the State Supreme Court (From the Blade)

“In 2000, when then-state Sen. Bob Cupp sought the Ohio Republican Party’s backing to do battle with Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick, he was told to come back after he had some judicial experience under his belt.”

Will the GOP go 7-0 on the high court?

Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Attorney General Jim Petro, looking beyond his expected primary contest to the November ballot, has selected state Sen. Joy Padgett as his new running mate, The Associated Press has learned.
Padgett, a Republican from Coshocton, will be introduced Monday as Petro’s lieutenant governor candidate, a senior Petro campaign official said Sunday.
The official requested anonymity because the choice had not yet been announced. Padgett was selected because her stature in eastern Ohio was expected to help Petro in a potential faceoff with U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, considered the likely Democratic governor’s candidate in November, the source said.

Our hits per month.

Primary or General Numbers?

From the Dispatch

Jason Mauk, Ohio GOP political director, said the poll's primary-election numbers are the most important.

“I wouldn't read too much into the general-election numbers because there's a lot of time and a lot of ground to cover before November,” Mauk said.

Sounds like the ORP is hedging their bets.

From what we’ve heard…

Because 71% of the people polled don’t know Ted Strickland, the so- called Petro/Strickland “informed” head to head Petro is crowing is a bit misleading.

Remember, that number is based on respondents that are familiar withboth Strickland and Petro. An extremely small group in the party’s poll know both of them…

This poll keeps getting more and more interesting.

From the PD

“Columbus- Two prominent Republican lawyers said their law firms lost
virtually all of their state legal business after they refused to donate to Attorney General Jim Petro’s campaign.

One of the lawyers, Jack Morrison, said Petro personally explained that his firm would be pun ished for donating to Joe Deters, who briefly challenged Petro for the 2002 Republican nomination for attor ney general.

After Deters dropped out of the race and cleared the field for Petro, Morrison said, he did a fel low lawyer a favor by attending a fund-raiser he hosted in Petro’s honor. Morrison said he bought no ticket to the event but did bring one of his law partners to help boost the crowd size.

“I’ll never forget it,” Morrison told The Plain Dealer.

Probably not the coverage the Petro camp was hoping for.

From the Enquirer

COLUMBUS - Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell is expected to name his running mate next week. Scuttlebutt around the Statehouse is that Rep. Tom Raga of Mason is Blackwell’s choice.
“They’re rumors,” said Gene Pierce, campaign spokesman for Blackwell, a Cincinnati Republican.
A screening committee for the secretary of state placed Raga and state Rep. Courtney Combs of Hamilton on its short list of running mates last month along with state Agriculture Director Fred Dailey.

This is going to big week coming up.