I have no idea why youtube would remove video of the Ohio Legislature in action… one would hope that video would be in the public domain. Or, at the very least, the state house put video in some other format than Real Player, which is about as useful as communism.
The video of Geoff Smith making a total ass of himself was removed from youtube- So I updated the original post here for your viewing pleasure.
From openers
Montgomery, 58, said she would like to return to elected office someday but isn't sure yet that's in the cards.
“I think it's time for me to sort of take a little time and sort of listen to that wee small voice and say all of your prayers and listen to what's on the agenda,”? Montgomery said. “I don't know what that is. I think I'm going to have to be guided by something other than motivation or somebody else's ambition or my own ambition. I just have to think it through.”?
Well even though she's tainted with a bit of scandal, she probably still has a future in Ohio politics. Of all the statewides who lost she has the best chance of returning someday.
From Washington Post's The Fix :
* Ohio's 2nd District (R): Rep. Jean Schmidt's (R) demonstrated weaknesses as a candidate should counteract the Republican nature of this Cincinnati-area seat and make it a top target for Democrats in 2008. Dare we raise the possibility of a return run by Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett? Hackett ran surprisingly strongly against Schmidt in an August 2005 special election and was courted to run for the seat this past cycle after national party heavies talked him out of challenging Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown in the Democratic primary. Hackett rejected a 2006 House run but left the door open for a bid for political office down the line. Could 2008 be that next race? Vic Wulsin, who nearly beat Schmidt last month, is also mentioned as a potential challenger.
* Ohio's 18th District (D): If Rep.-elect Zack Space (D) hasn't sent a "thank you" card to former Rep. Bob Ney (R), he should. Ney's entanglement with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the congressman's decision to drag out his resignation for months made it almost impossible for Republicans to win a district that, by the numbers — Bush won 57 percent here in 2004 — should be theirs. Republicans didn't help their cause by nominating a replacement candidate with ethical baggage of her own in state Sen. Joy Padgett (R). With Ney likely to be just a memory in 2008, Space must prove he can win a race on his own merits.
How much money and resources will it take to keep Schmidt in office in one of the most Republican districts in the country? That's a horrible situation. From a distance, I'll cheer for Tom Brinkman, because he is as big of a conservative jerk as I would be if I was somehow elected to public office.
And Zack Space will most certainly lose in 2008 as long as Republicans find a better candidate than Joy Padgett, who is probably happy to not be joining Ney in jail.
Oh man- This guy doesn't work for Ted Strickland, does he?
Bethel Twp., Miami County ”� A man who startled a female delivery driver when he answered the door naked from the waist down told sheriff's deputies he simply forgot to put on his pants.
An employee of Tom's Deli in New Carlisle told Miami County sheriff's deputies Tuesday she was sent to a rural Tipp City residence to deliver an order around 9 p.m.
She said the man came to the door without any pants, paid for the order and went back inside.
A deputy sent to the house to find out what was going on said the man told him he "just didn't think about putting his pants on." The man said he was trying to get out of the bathtub and to the door before the delivery person left.
Heh.
I'm not a lawyer, so I'm curious- If this guy broke the law, what law did he break? Is it a public indecency charge, when the guy was in his own home? Or is it a more serious crime?
And how do you forget your pants? Didn't he notice how drafty he felt?
I missed this because the article came out on Christmas Eve day.
The pawpaw lobby lost out …
There will be no official native fruit. No official amphibian or children's book author.
The Ohio Senate wrapped its two-year session last week without approving amendments to a highway bill that included more than 60 items unrelated to its original purpose.
Among them were honorary designations that would have named the pawpaw Ohio's official native state fruit, the bullfrog the official state amphibian and Hamilton native Robert McCloskey the state's official children's author.
Who sponsored the official state amphibian bill? State Rep. Jim Hughes. I was a page almost three years ago, and I remember Hughes sponsoring this bill back then. I'm glad to see Hughes hasn't given up on the bullfrog.
Pawpaws, which are called Kentucky bananas and many other names, are tasty. And you certainly haven't lived until you have attended Ohio's Pawpaw Festival.
What a boring guy this Jim Petro is. I just read his interview in This Week - Where he explains his lofty, and nearly impossible goal of combining 23 state agencies into 9.
In addition, Jim Petro would like local cities to be able to pass gun bans, and only defended the legislature because his job requires him to:
In the case of concealed-carry laws overriding local government control, Petro argued for the legislature's pro-carry position against the cities' home rule position, even though he would more likely have favored home rule if he had made the overall decision himself.
"We took their side (in the General Assembly) because the statute directed it," he said. "We are the lawyer for the General Assembly, arguing in favor of the validity of statutes. There's nothing more debatable in Ohio law than the authority of local governments versus the authority of the state government. But I would be comfortable arguing that local governments have that authority."
Wow- Jim Petro's pro-gun position didn't last much longer than the 2006 primary campaign season. I can go into great detail on Petro's lengthy anti-gun history, as the former Petro campaign knows. And then, Jim Petro shows his general distrust of the free market:
Petro would like to privatize many state functions as nonprofit organizations. He sees this as a way to insulate boards from various cumbersome legal requirements and from the politics of the state budget process. Among likely candidates, according to Petro, are workers' compensation and development. He's not comfortable turning such functions over to the for-profit, private market.
"There's always an important difference," he said. "For-profit is for profit, for those who have invested in it, to drive a bottom line, to enrich themselves. Not-for-profit is more for the public good."
Ah yes- And as we have seen, so many public sector types are purely altuistic, and not concerned about their own finances… of course! And Jim Petro is making this argument while discussing the bureau of workers compensation- Which, in Ohio, dominated the news cycles because of corruption. What an idiot. Jim Petro can never run far enough away from his liberal views. It is that selfish, for-profit motivation which makes the market work. In a competitive marketplace, where private insurance firms compete for customers, insurance premiums stay lower. Ohio is only 1 of 3 states which doesn't have a private workers comp system, and it is time for a change. And if a function of the state government can be run better the private sector, maybe we should question why it is a function of the state government in the first place.
I listen to Bill Cunningham on XM radio all the time, and I'll never understand how Joe Deters is on the radio and became the Hamilton County Prosecutor. The man left office in disgrace, yet folks in Cincinnati seem to love him.
Now, Governor-elect Ted Strickland hired Deters' criminal fundraiser.
From Mark Naymik :
Governor-elect Ted Strickland has tapped the Columbus public relations and marketing powerhouse Dascenzo Creative Inc. to help pull off the inaugural party Democrats have dreamed of for 16 years.
That move, however, generated a little buzz because the firm employees Republican operative Eric Sagun, the convicted fund-raiser of former Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters.
Sagun, who is working on the inaugural event, was found guilty in 2004 of a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a $50,000 donation for Deters from rogue stockbroker Frank Gruttadauria and disguising it as a contribution to the Hamilton County Republican Party.
So much for cleaning up corruption in Columbus.
Who supports Mental Health Parity in Ohio? Governor Taft , the Ohio GOP , and the Republican legislature- and it was sponsored by Republican State Senator Bob Spada.
Who supports Mental Health Parity in the US Congress? According to Psysorg.org : The late Sen. Paul Wellstone, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of RI, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and a number of other liberals.
So on this issue, are Ohio Republicans more in tune with Nancy Pelosi than the interests of small businesses? We report. You decide.
Folks at Buckeye Statists Blog are promoting a petition to demand more leftist radio hosts in Columbus. Paul at BSB is celebrating that the petition has collected 422 signatures so far. Yip Yip Yip Yip YaHOO!
Funny how conservatives just became popular because millions of people tune in. Liberals would rather have progressive talk radio by mandate of the government, and would like to reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine. Some of you may remember that when President Reagan vetoed the Fairness Docrtine, that opened up the airwaves to Rush Limbaugh and many other talk radio shows.
Air America simply couldn't become profitable, so they went bankrupt. But the left still has NPR, ABCNBCCBSNYTIMESCNNAPREUTERS, and who could forget Al Gore's cable TV network, which surprisingly remains in my Time Warner digitial cable package.
The left dominates the MSM, but because there are so many popular voices in the New Media that stand for freedom, capitalism, and traditional American values- The left wants to MANDATE the broadcasting of liberal views, regardless of market forces.
Maybe I should start a petition to force liberals to stop acting like damn fools and be happy that they dominate most major media outlets… at least for the time being!
Earlier, I mentioned that Ted is leaving the Plain Dealer.
As it turns out, he applied for a job in the Strickland Administration.
This really won't be a big change for Wendling. All this means is Ted Wendling will continue stumping for Ted Strickland… but Ohio taxpayers, and not The Plain Dealer, will now pay his salary.
With Wendling working for Strickland, Sandy Theis working as Marc Dann's spokesman, and Connie Schultz being the wife of Ohio's next US Senator- Is there any doubt that The Plain Dealer is simply an extension of the Ohio Democrat Party?
Hey Ted… Michigan still sucks!
Before Ted leaves the sinking ship known as the "Plain Dealer" after taking a massive buyout, he wrote the Cleveland PD Opener's Blog "Political WMD Awards." I did enjoy that on his list he added State Rep. Geoff Smith's incredibly embarrassing farewell speech, but I'm annoyed with two other of his selections:
The Clarence Thomas Potty Mouth Award — To Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who, during his final televised debate against Gov.-elect Ted Strickland, accused Strickland of supporting the plank of the North American Man/Boy Love Association. Actually, Blackwell referred to the group as the “Male/Boy”? Love Association, a butchering of a perverse accusation perhaps second only to Thomas' memorable, “Who has pubic hair on my Coke?”?
Ah yes, Ted Wendling, a liberal, attacks two black conservatives in one big swipe. What a great guy.
Ted Strickland, as a Reverend in the Church of What's Happening Now, didn't want to be judgmental about a study which said adult-child sex can be healthy. Ted also attacked his fellow members of Congress for not being educated enough to condemn statutory rape.
NAMBLA really did celebrate the study, and here is a copy of NAMBLA's press release. The study was found to have a number of flaws, and it was later retracted.
Also, it was Ted Strickland who showed himself to be soft on sex offenders- Ted Strickland hired a pedophile who exposed himself to young girls. And if Ted Strickland wasn't so politically connected in Athens County, his former criminal campaign manager wouldn't have an expunged record.
I'm disappointed that a sicko like that is not still in jail. And I'm disappointed that the parents of these young female victims didn't hunt Strickland's campaign manager down and blow his face off (or some other useful extremity) with a shotgun.
Thankfully, Taft will sign Ohio's version of Florida's Jessica's Law. I doubt Ted would want to be so hard on sex offenders.
Then, Ted brought up the bobblehead story, AGAIN…
The Terrell Owens Good Sporstmanship Award — To Matt Naugle, amateur videographer and angry young man who served as the Blackwell campaign's blogger. Pointing a golf club at the camera and saying he had a gift for Gov. Bob Taft, Attorney General Jim Petro and Taft's chief of staff, Jon Allison, Naugle took a mighty swing and blasted a Taft bobblehead to smithereens. Alas, the video, which had been posted on YouTube, is no longer available.
I was NOT angry when that was filmed in the parking lot of the Blackwell campaign office, but I stand by my video. Taft's career is over, but I will always be there on the other side of any future Jim Petro campaign.
And as a good friend once said, Jon Allison is a d-bag.�
Its a very nice review of President Ford's time in Ohio. And Jon Husted comments are classy.
And Ohio won …
COLUMBUS - The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the state's transfer of $60 million from federal welfare programs to balance Ohio's budget five years ago.
The court's unanimous decision found that Cuyahoga County, which sued over the transfer, did not have legal standing to challenge the shift of the money from Ohio's human services agency.
The county sued over the 2001 decision to move the money on behalf of all 88 counties, saying the shift was an illegal transfer of dollars needed to help former welfare recipients out of poverty.
The administration of Gov. Bob Taft argued that the money transferred from the Department of Job and Family Services was reimbursement from the government for earlier welfare-related expenditures and could be used for other purposes.
This time, it's in Lorain …
LORAIN ”� The Inland Seas Maritime Museum is a gubernatorial signature away from receiving $500,000 to help pay for plans to be used to attract private donations for the $25 million needed to move the museum to Lorain.
The Ohio Senate approved its annual capital budget Thursday, which includes the half million earmarked for the museum, said Chris Gilchrist, the museum's executive director.
Once Gov. Bob Taft signs the budget bill, the money will be available to pay for exhibit sketches and plans that can be used to help promote the museum's move.
“This is the most money we have ever received in the capital budget,”? Gilchrist said.
With all the museums that stay open with no public funding, why must Ohio taxpayers pay for this museum?
Saddam Hussein on Trial WACO, Texas -
Saddam Hussein's death sentence is drawing mixed reactions around the world.The range of reactions reflects new geopolitical fault lines drawn after the U.S. decision to invade Iraq.The European Union welcomes the verdict. But the EU said Saddam should not be put to death. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict's top prelate for justice issues called the sentence a throwback to "eye for an eye" vengeance.
A respected Muslim cleric in Thailand calls the Saddam case "the problem of America and its domestic politics." He said "Maybe Bush will use this case to tell the voters that Saddam is dead and that the Americans are safe." But as he puts it, "actually the American people will be in more danger with the death of Saddam."
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The US might make a martyr of Saddam Hussein
2006-11-08 18:02 Source : Moneycontrol.com
Saddam Hussein has been demonised quite a bit by the media and he does deserve it, to a fair extent. But when his trial has been such a travesty of justice, does he now deserve the death sentence? Wouldn't life imprisonment have been better, especially since the Americans have hardly got Iraq under control to begin with and their former president's death at the hands of an occupying power could so easily set the country up in flames?
Financial Times, South Asia correspondent, Jo Johnson told CNBC-TV18, "I think the verdict may be just but the sentence is wrong and a big political mistake. No one disputes that Saddam was guilty of many of the crimes for which he was tried. I think the political mistake is that countries which are behind trying him are seeking to impose the death sentence on him."
"For eg. Britain opposes the death penalty at home and normally wouldn't extradite people to countries which have the death penalty - it does seem to be extraordinary that our foreign secretary seems to be endorsing the death penalty. Britain seems to be caught in a complete political quagmire of its own making. A life imprisonment would have been much more consistent with Britain's stand on the death sentence."
But Strategic Affairs editor from Indian Express, C Rajamohan feels that to expect amnesty is futile because "we are talking about the consequences of war and it is not the first time or the last time, when victors have delivered justice. Given the conditions that exist in Iraq today, and in the broader context of the Middle East - the point is that a dictator pays for his sins and it's a reasonable outcome out there."
"You can keep questioning the process but it won't take us very far because he (Saddam Hussein) is a divisive figure in Iraq. If the Sunnis or the Iranians had got their hands on him, they would have handed out their own justice. So, we've got to see this in the right perspective rather than be troubled by whether the highest level of western jurisprudence will be applied."
National Public radio, South Asia, Philip Reeves disagrees and explains, "I feel the issue here is the moral authority of the people who are now running Iraq, be it the US or the Iraqi government. I think the task they have is to recover some moral authority, which they have lost over the last three years. And by applying the death penalty, they are missing the opportunity to show that they could have handled this differently, that they could have given him a life imprisonment and dealt with all his crimes and given the Iraqi people time for reconciliation."
Chief correspondent, South Asia, Al Arabiya, Walel Awwad feels that this sentence has made any ordinary American a target, anywhere in the world. He says, "I think counterproductive measures have been carried out by the American administration." But Reeves says that this would give rise to even more anger among the Sunnis and Saddam Hussein could become a martyr if executed.
Also there is the timing of the verdict. It's come just in time - right before the November elections in the US, and no one is surprised because it seemed like a foregone conclusion - that the judgment was delivered just in time to boost President George Bush's rating at the hustings.
So now, America seems to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea and with no face-saving measure in sight to retreat with any amount of grace. — Manali Rohinesh
I believe to execute him so quickly can have more negative results — turning him into a martyr for the Sunnis, increase the insurgency, lend credence to thoughts that Iraqi government is just a pawn of the USA, and a vital opportunity may be passed up.
To have the USA ask that his execution be held off, can possibly serve us well. With the threat of a rope around his neck - We can try to turn Saddam into an "asset", show that Bush did not go to war with Iraq just to "get" Saddam because of Bush Sr, and get a larger return on our investment of playing both sides during the Iran/Iraq War, to name a few. 
Simply put, offer Saddam a chance to save or extend his own life. I feel his public defiance will slowly be waning now that he knows there is a rope waiting for him. Utilized the right way, he can become a very effective tool.
The Marietta Times' reports that some prosecutors and public defenders are nervous about a new anti-sex offender law that I assume Taft will sign:
Local prosecutors and public defenders expressed concern Tuesday over a bill awaiting the governor's signature that would dramatically increase prison sentences for child rapists.
Both sides agreed that the proposed changes would result in more trials. A concern is forcing young victims to testify and relive their experiences.
“The offender has pled in almost every case I can think of that we've handled,”? said Assistant Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings. “It's going to be awfully hard to get someone to come in and plead guilty when the minimum possible sentence is 25 years.
The bill awaiting Ohio Gov. Bob Taft's signature will boost the punishment for rape or attempted rape of victims younger than 13 from a minimum of 10 years to 25 years.
Washington County public defender, Ray Smith, said if minimum sentences for certain crimes are increased there is less incentive for offenders to plead guilty.
It means prosecutors are going to have to offer reduced charges or take a chance at trial.
“The stronger the penalties, the more trials you're going to get. It's that simple.”? Smith said. “And the way our court system is set up, we would rather have 10 guilty men go free than have one innocent man convicted.”?
That measure and several other proposed sex offender laws gained urgency this year because of publicity surrounding a judge's decision to sentence a man to probation for assaulting two boys.
The bill was Ohio's version of a Florida's “Jessica's Law,”? named for a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in 2005 by a repeat sex offender. The girl's father, Mark Lunsford, testified before an Ohio Senate committee in March.
Yes, it will take more trials and prison time- And justice isn't cheap. But my only disappointment with this legislation is that there is a chance sex offenders who are sent to jail may someday be released! These sickos stole a child's innocence, and these criminals should never see the light of day.
Sex offenders should be executed. Sure, the death penalty may not be a deterrent, but it certainly stops the problem of high rates of recidivism.
The good folks at Human Events alerted me to this show. As a former campaign blogger, this film on the Sundance Channel interests me :
Blog Wars
Thursday at 10pm, and Saturday at 7pmIn 2004, political bloggers came of age. They propelled Howard Dean from fringe candidate to front-runner. They took on Dan Rather and won. And they charted the course for the "swiftboating" of John Kerry. As the 2006 mid-term elections approached, bloggers were preparing for battle again. Filmmakers James Rogan and Phil Craig's sharp documentary examines how online democratic activism is shaping important elections by focusing on the decisive Connecticut senate race and Ned Lamont's challenge to incumbent Joe Lieberman.
I don't like that telling the truth about Hanoi John Kerry has turned into a negative adjective. But I look forward to seeing what these hippie Birkenstock-wearing peacenik bloggers have to say.
And sure, the Kos Kidz helped Ned Lamont in the primary, but he lost in the general- The lefty nutroots' overall track record is pathetic.
From al AP via al Dispatch :
The Ohio Supreme Court today publicly reprimanded outgoing Gov. Bob Taft over ethics violations while in office, a black mark that stays on his permanent record as an attorney.
Taft, a Republican who has been an attorney since 1976, pleaded no contest in 2005 to failing to report golf outings and other gifts and was fined $4,000. He was the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime while in office.
The reprimand, which ends the ethics case against Taft, fell between other sanctions the court could have considered, from no punishment at all to revoking the governor's law license.
“The governor is pleased that the matter is concluded and that the court recognized his reporting error was nothing more than an oversight,”? spokesman Mark Rickel said.
Taft has no regrets over his handling of the reporting failure, he added.
“He's always said that it was unintentional,”? Rickel said. “He came forward, he fully disclosed, he admitted to his errors and accepted all the consequences.”?
Taft is not an active lawyer and has talked about teaching after leaving office, not practicing law.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel, an arm of the state Supreme Court, said in April that Taft violated Ohio's code of professional conduct for lawyers, and Taft later signed an agreement admitting to the violation.
The court's 6-0 decision constitutes the reprimand, which goes in Taft's attorney registration record. Five of the justices are Republicans and one, Alice Robie Resnick, is a Democrat. Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, without explanation, did not participate.
The justices agreed with a recommendation from a court board that hears complaints about alleged wrongdoing by lawyers.
In its six-page ruling, the court noted there was no evidence that Taft had purposely tried to hide the gifts and said that the governor was guilty of an oversight.
This story is completely silly- Taft can afford as much golf as he could ever want to play, and it was simply an error by his staff.
Sadly, its not unethical or illegal to be an embarrassingly horrible Governor.
Update @ 3:50 PM- Make sure to read State Rep. Jim Trakas' post in the comments section here.
There are 3 words that bug me the most about President Ford: John Paul Stevens
And here are 4 more words that also bug me about President Ford: Vice President Nelson Rockefeller.
Ford also was pro-abortion, and supported Dwight Eisenhower for President over conservative Ohio-native and New Deal foe Senator Robert Taft.
But, as Barry Goldwater once said , "Ford was a good President, not a great President but a good President. He restored honor to the White House, and the country could not ask him to do more, or expect more. History should treat him kindly for that."
And I really like how John Derbyshire from NRO remembers Gerald Ford:
The main thing I recall about the Ford presidency”�the first presidency I lived right through here in the USA”�was how normal the guy was. Richard Nixon was an admirable chief executive in many ways (and not, in other), but you could never shake off the feeling that there was something slightly odd about him. Carter was, and is, a USA Grade A freak, out of Aimee Semple McPherson by Noam Chomsky. Ford was an interim of sheer ordinariness”�uncomplicated, likeable, competent, and patriotic. You can't even imagine him "struggling with inner demons," nor even having any. He was, as we used to say back in 1975, "together." He gave the impression of having been born that way. A great American.
And here is President Ford's 1976 TV Ad, which quickly summarizes his biography:
President Ford did the right thing by pardoning President Nixon and truly saved the Republican Party after President Nixon's scandals. Ford was a kind and honest man- and he will be missed.
From the Newark Adocate�
Taft expected to approve grant for Davis-Shai House
Money will be used toward expansion and renovation of historic house
By MARK SZAKONYI
Advocate ReporterHEATH — Gov. Bob Taft is expected next week to approve a $300,000 grant for the historic Davis-Shai House in Heath.
If received, the money will be used toward the house's planned 3,400-square-foot expansion and renovation of its kitchen, restroom and lobby, according to the grant application submitted by State Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark.
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The expansion also will add 36 more parking spaces to the house's current parking capacity of 54 and add additional historical lighting, according to the grant application.
"The lion's share of money given to Licking County went to the Davis-Shai House," Hottinger said.Unlike Newark, Heath does not have a cultural civic center, and he hopes the historic house at 301 Central Parkway will become one for the city, he said.
The application states the expansion of the Davis-Shai House will "serve as a catalyst to promote development of 300-plus acres of prime commercial and residential land. …"
The expansion on the house, which was built in 1861, also will add at least five Health Community Arts Council positions at a cost of about $150,000 a year, according to the application.
The expansion also will allow the house to be the host of more events and serve as a training facility for vocational high school students and Juvenile Court wards, the application stated.
Heath Mayor Dan Dupps and Janice Wilkin, executive director of the Davis-Shai House, declined to comment on the grant until it gained final approval from the governor. The funding is included in a state budget bill that passed the General Assembly earlier this week.
The Davis-Shai House is available for parties, small weddings and meetings, but it is best known for hosting teas, garden luncheons and monthly events such as dinners and dinner theaters.
Is it wrong of me to say that these types of historical houses should be funded privately, through donors or fees?
Wth Ohio having the 3rd worst tax burden in the nation, and with an unhealthy business climate, why is the legislature approving this sort of spending?
