Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine announced today that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will headline the party's first state dinner in more than a decade.
The "Leading Ohio" Dinner, named for DeWine's 10-point resurgence plan for the Ohio Republican Party, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio.
I wonder...could we ask the Chairman if he is actually sticking to that 10 point plan, aside from just talking the talk? I mean, one of his points of resurgence was getting fresh points of view and new candidates....yet we are besieged with retreads like Mike DeWine and Jon Husted, people who weren't part of the solution, but the problem. How does that jibe with the 10 points for resurgence? Just askin'. But wait, there's more:
Other featured speakers include 2010 statewide Republican contenders such as gubernatorial candidate John Kasich, U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman, Auditor of State Mary Taylor and Secretary of State candidate Sen. Jon Husted, with special messages from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and House Republican Leader John Boehner.
Wow, can we ask Candidate Portman why, if his PAC is called Ohio's Future, he is giving thousands of dollars to the candidacy of one of the architect's of Ohio's failed past, one Mike DeWine for attorney general? Could we ask the former congressman that, please? Also, could we ask Jon Husted if he has figured out where he really lives yet? And for Michael Steele, could we ask him if he is going to keep expanding the tent by knocking down the pillars of principle that have held us together? Just askin'. But wait, there is more:
"This is an important opportunity to kick off our 2010 campaign by uniting around one of the strongest statewide tickets we've seen in a generation," said DeWine. "Republicans are ready for a comeback, and I can't think of a better spokesman for that resurgence than Tim Pawlenty. He's one of the smartest, most pragmatic conservative leaders in our party today, and he believes as I do that our party needs to modernize its message without moderating its principles."
Mr. Chairman, I couldn't agree more on the street cred of Pawlenty. But I guess you are throwing gun owners under the bus, because with a guy like Mike DeWine on the ticket, you highlight the questionable vote by Kasich on the assault weapons ban (which he has all but mea culpa'd on, by the way), and my sources tell me Husted ain't exactly liked by gun owners either. So, I guess we don't need the gun owners in the coalition anymore, there, Mr. Chairman?
And Mr. Chairman, if you don't believe in moderating our principles, why are you giving stagetime to someone like Jon Husted, who despite having a clear majority in both Houses, rolled over and hugged the governor on disastrous budgets? How can you say you aren't about moderating principles when we aren't coming together to tell Mike DeWine to go to Hell? Sounds like the old talk out both sides of the mouth game to me....Wonder what Gov. Pawlenty will think about that....
As the two-term Republican governor of a staunchly Democratic state, Pawlenty balanced Minnesota's budget four times without raising taxes, despite record budget deficits. Under his leadership, Minnesota ranks first among states in Fortune 500 companies per capita, first in overall quality of life, first in home ownership, first in percentage of residents with a high school diploma and first in residents over 25 with a bachelors degree. Minnesota has the highest average ACT scores in the nation and is among the "Healthiest States in America."
As Pawlenty prepares for a possible 2012 presidential campaign, CNN notes, "the Minnesota governor's political stock has been on the rise over the past seven months." Gov. Pawlenty spoke last week at the Republican National Committee's summer meeting in San Diego, and, according to news reports, "the speech drew RNC members to their feet - a standing ovation."
Yeah, I like Pawlenty, especially since he came out swinging against Mitt and Romneycare.
Should be a fun event, if only to see how much Husted lies through his teeth and how much Mike DeWine obfuscates. Wonder if he will bring a barbershop quartet.
