From Townhall.com

Did you know that just over the past 11 quarters, dating back to the June 2003 Bush tax cuts, America has increased the size of its entire economy by 20 percent? In less than three years, the U.S. economic pie has expanded by $2.2 trillion, an output add-on that is roughly the same size as the total Chinese economy, and much larger than the total economic size of nations like India, Mexico, Ireland and Belgium.

This is an extraordinary fact, although you may be reading it here first. Most in the mainstream media would rather tout the faults of American capitalism than sing its praises. And of course, the media will almost always discuss supply-side tax cuts in negative terms, such as big budget deficits and static revenue losses. But here's another suppressed fact: Since the 2003 tax cuts, tax-revenue collections from the expanding economy have been surging at double-digit rates, while the deficit is constantly being revised downward.

So cut some more taxes!

From the Post

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, usually oblivious to the news media's circadian rhythms, provided one of the week's more interesting bits of news when he ordered early reductions in the amount withheld from paychecks for Ohio income taxes.

Believe it or not, Ohio: A) is in the midst of a five-year program that will cut state income taxes by 21 percent and B) is nonetheless running a comfortable budget surplus. The latter enabled Taft to lower withholding rates earlier than expected, putting a little extra money into the paychecks of Ohio workers - about $83 for each of the 4.7 million workers who have taxes withheld, according to the Associated Press.

Statehouse Democrats promptly accused Taft of engaging in an election-year stunt, and complained that the tax cuts will give more dollars to the wealthy than to lower- or middle-income households. Whatever the merits of their argument, crabbing about tax cuts is not going to get the Democrats back into power.

Apparently, liberal or conservative, the media does not appreciate candidates who get in it's way. The Plain Dealer is accusing both Blackwell and Strickland of playing politics with "the fourth debate" they agreed to by saying they would only participate if the Call & Post was allowed to be a part of it.

While the Call & Post is a publication with a long and rich history - and while it routinely provides news of social and political interest to African-American audiences in Cleveland and Columbus- covering state government is not its specialty. For those reasons, and others, its participation has never been considered. The same goes for scores of other Ohio newspapers.

So why would the candidates think of the Call & Post?

The answer to that question is political gamesmanship - a trait that could prove very problematic for a state as starved for leadership as Ohio.

Both Strickland and Blackwell have recently been criticized by the Call & Post - or its leadership - and each is trying to outflank the other for black votes. Plain and simple, they're pandering. And in the process, they're junking a valuable opportunity to illuminate some of the most pressing issues facing Ohio and tell what they would do about them.

Blackwell, an unapologetic lightning rod for controversy in state government for nearly 20 years, is suddenly ducking debates. Strickland, a five-term congressman, is acting like a man afraid of his own shadow.

Any candidate serious about wanting to lead this state ought to be doing everything in his power to show that he's the better fighter and the better man. Instead, they're showing that they're both small enough to hide behind a little newspaper.

Politicians looking for political leverage out of a political debate? Yeah, right. And I'll bet the major newspapers are keeping smaller papers from taking a seat at the table in order to maintain their level of influence.

In Ohio's 2nd Congressional district, we have what could be the state's most vivid contrast in campaigns.

This weekend Congresswoman Jean Schmidt spoke to a crowd estimated to be at twenty thousand, participated in a parade in Brown County, and ran a marathon. (On Monday, among other things, she will help Citigroup executives announce new job creation in Blue Ash.)

Her opponent, Victoria Wulsin, hung out at Paul Hackett's house and stuck to Democrat-only events.

A thousand apologies to Ann Driscoll, but Little Miss Malaria is still DOA.