From wcpo.com

The newspaper's review looked at individuals, political action committees and employees of companies that have funded Republicans since the 1990s.

Some of the largest contributors who supported Taft and now support Strickland include:

• Homewood Corp. founder and former Ohio State University Trustee George Skestos and his family ($30,000);
• Cinergy Corp. CEO James Rogers, an elite fundraiser for President Bush's campaign, his employees and PAC ($16,000);
• employees of Columbus-based engineering firm DLZ ($10,425);
• and the GOP-supporting Boich coal-mining family ($30,000).

Strickland has also accepted at least $36,000 in contributions from companies, their employees and their PACs represented by Hicks Partners, the consulting firm of former Taft chief of staff Brian Hicks, the report said.

Strickland also attended an April event hosted by Hicks, who was convicted last year of failing to disclose vacation stays at rare coin dealer Tom Noe's Florida home on his annual ethics statement.

Money talks.

From wcpo.com

Montgomery is trying to build her stamina and is working from home. She hopes to return to the office this week, she said.

When she fell ill, she needed a ventilator to help her breathe and when she was awake, listening to family and friends talk by her bedside, she could not open her eyes.

"When this thing hits you, it hits you like a freight train," she said.

The paralysis faded after a week, and she was walking within two.

She credits treatment to replace her plasma and the doctors and rehabilitation staff at Ohio State University Medical Center for her recovery

Wish her the best.

From the PD

After two years, dozens of subpoenas and countless interviews, federal authorities have closed their investigation into ex-House Speaker Larry Householder and his top political allies.

No charges will be filed, and subpoenaed records are being returned to their owners.

"The FBI investigation into the office of the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives has been closed as a result of the declination of prosecution from the Department of Justice," said FBI legal counsel Mike Brooks.

That's a shocker.

The underclassmen at the The Dispatch look forward to the would-be gubernatorial debates if for no other reason, so that Ohians can be introduced to the reclusive stealth candidate, Ted Strickland. In case you didn't know-- and most voters don't-- there was a Democrat primary in May, too, and some guy named Ted Strickland won.

It appears that Strickland's and the ODP's innovative strategy for winning in Nov. is to avoid any publicity about himself or his "campaign". Apparently, he is desperate to try and skate through to Nov. without upsetting the following perception (from the editorial):

"Strickland, a Congress member whose district hugs the Ohio River, is considered a moderate Democrat, but his views aren’t widely known across the state."

Apparently, what makes TS "moderate" is that he is against infanticide (at least late-term), admits to a religion, and recognizes that the 2nd Amendment exists-- a pretty low standard to be sure, but that does place him in the extreme rightwing of the Democrat party (lifetime ratings from the American Conservative Union of 18 and Americans for Democratic Action of 88). If only TS can avoid public appearances, statements, and campaigning for 4 more months he may actually win! The difficult job ahead for the Republicans, Blackwell, and the Media is to drag Strickland out of his cave and force him to say something relevant to the electoral process. Once this occurs-- if possible-- the electorate may get a chance to evaluate "that Democrat guy, What'shisname, who wants to be governor".

So far the Dems have done a good job of hiding the inconsequential backbencher, Strickland, from scrutiny; and defining Blackwell as a flip-flopper, which is worse than the extremist that they had intended (which no one believed anyway). Of course, KB handed them their flip-flop issue that they plan to ride to Nov. and has stayed on defense (weakly) since the primary.

Until the Blackwell campaign overcomes their self-inflicted debacle by going on offense to force Strickland into the public eye, I don't foresee the polls changing. Right now, TS has no reason to come out of his hole. There's still time to regain the momentum if KB is willing to give a full accounting of the real reasons he killed TEL, and to try to convince conservatives that his rationale was not just sound but critical-- I personally don't think he can, or will. Otherwise, he is going to end up playing defense 'til Nov. and TS will skate into the governor's office without anyone knowing anything about him, which is their grand strategy: Vote Strickland! He's not as out of touch with reality as the rest of the party.

I don't know how someone can be against this-- especially one that wants to be governor of a red state-- but that "moderate Democrat" Ted Strickland and 152 other leftists were (HT: Hugh Hewitt):

HR 861: Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror, whether as first responders protecting the homeland, as servicemembers overseas, as diplomats and intelligence officers, or in other roles;
(2) honors the sacrifices of the United States Armed Forces and of partners in the Coalition, and of the Iraqis and Afghans who fight alongside them, especially those who have fallen or been wounded in the struggle, and honors as well the sacrifices of their families and of others who risk their lives to help defend freedom;
(3) declares that it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
(4) declares that the United States is committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq;
(5) congratulates Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and the Iraqi people on the courage they have shown by participating, in increasing millions, in the elections of 2005 and on the formation of the first government under Iraq's new constitution;
(6) calls upon the nations of the world to promote global peace and security by standing with the United States and other Coalition partners to support the efforts of the Iraqi and Afghan people to live in freedom; and
(7) declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.

This would have been a good chance for TS to break with the walking pathologies that make up the mainstream of the Democrat Party.

UPDATE: Oh yea, Rep. Sherrod Brown voted in support of the terrorists and against the U.S. also, but no one even pretends that he's a "moderate" Democrat.