What have we learned so far? Apparently, in order to get scumbags out of office, you have to have divided government. That's what I have learned. When Bob Taft was in the Governor's Mansion, Republicans couldn't be bothered with impeachement and the governor had actually committed an actual -- you know -- crime. Marc Dann's crime is... Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't know. He is a scumbag, but the last time I checked that wasn't against the law.Unless something new gets presented, I don't see what the legislature could charge Dann with that would warrant impeachment. I applaud the Ohio Democrats for uniting against this dirtbag, but I don't encourage Ohio Republicans to go along to get along in this case either. Why? Politics. That's why... Let me explain.
If the Republicans go along with this charade, Ohio Democrats can run a campaign saying "We took care of our our bad apples. Republicans couldn't be bothered with it until there was a Democrat in office." And they would be right. Speaker Husted is in a real jam here... If he goes along -- which doesn't seem to be a problem for the Speaker -- he screws the Ohio Republican Party. If he doesn't, then the Democrats can lay a claim -- however false -- that the Republicans are in favor of having scumbags in office.
The best outcome for Ohio Republicans is if Husted loans the gavel to [the] Minority Leader
And, yes, Kevin DeWine blew it on this one. By pushing the issue, he forced the Democrats' hand and thus illustrating that he forgot the very first rule of politics: When your political opponents are burying themselves, don't get in their way.
Of course, the best outcome for Ohio is for the dirtbag to just resign and go away...
