Secret Service Shenanigans

Some Secret Service personnel were sent home for soliciting Sandra Flukes prostitutes while working on the President's advance team. From US News:

The Secret Service is investigating allegations of misconduct by agency personnel preparing for President Barack Obama’s arrival at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, including that at least one officer solicited a prostitute, according to media reports.

A dozen Secret Service workers were sent home Thursday and replaced by others on site. The service overstaffs on international trips by bringing more agents than needed should one become sick.

Ron Kessler, who wrote the book, "In the President's Secret Service," told NBC News that he had learned that Secret Service personnel brought prostitutes back to their hotel room. They typically stay in the same hotel as the president, NBC News reported. He said that most of the 12 officials were involved.

He said authorities found out when a prostitute filed a complaint that she wasn't paid. Kessler said that police then alerted the State Department, which then alerted the White House and the Secret Service.

Kessler said that contrary to what senior administration officials have told NBC News, he believes those involved were Secret Service agents and not members of the Uniformed Division.

The Secret Service employees had arrived about a week before Obama touched down and stayed at Cartagena's Hotel Caribe, according to The Associated Press. A hotel employee told the AP that they had been drinking heavily throughout the week. Several reporters and White House staff also had rooms booked at the hotel.

OK, so, from the "Just Putting It Out There" Department:
Perhaps the SS agents were preparing and soliciting girls for the President's arrival? Maybe they were sampling the local wares to prepare concubines for the One? Hey, I'm not saying it is true....I'm just putting it out there.....

Resistance Was Futile: Mecklenborg Pleads Guilty

The Cincinnati Enquirer has the story.

While I think a legislator who makes laws ought to get the maximum allowable punishment for breaking said laws, my guess is dude gets a slap on the wrist and a minor inconvenience...

Sweet Mother of All Things Sacred and Holy!!!

&)*%#$#$%))(*(_+)(*&^%$##!#$%^&*&)_)*+(*^^$%$##@#!&^*&()()_&&^$$%@#^%&+)*+&

For the second time in a week, I will ask...  WTH is wrong with Ohio Republican office holders?

Another state representative with OVI rap to beat...  That's just what we need.  Could you guys at least try not to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? 

At least it sounds like there may be a defense in the works for Jarrod Martin; but if he was actually under the influence, I want him gone.  (SIDEBAR: At least he wasn't returning from the State Dinner, no THAT would have been embarrassing...)

And while we're on the subject, if Kris Jordan actuall laid a hand on his wife, I want him outta here too.

THIS is why a Zero Tolerance Policy should have teeth...because when it doesn't, the Children run amok.

UPDATE: Anybody STILL think having a BAR at the statehouse is a good idea??? Anyone?????

Wu Wooed Underage Girl?

Let's jump in to the Wayback Machine for a minute and recall a Congressman from Oregon who was behaving so erratically during a re-election campaign that staff members quit and went home. That man was David Wu and now we may finally get some of the details of what was really going on back then...

From the Oregonian:

A distraught young woman called U.S. Rep. David Wu's Portland office this spring, accusing him of an unwanted sexual encounter, according to multiple sources.

When confronted, the Oregon Democrat acknowledged a sexual encounter to his senior aides but insisted it was consensual, the sources said.

The woman is the daughter of a longtime friend and campaign donor. She apparently did not contact police at the time.
...
Sources who talked to The Oregonian agreed to speak only on condition they not be named. They offered information about the alleged incident independently, and each said they had direct knowledge of its details.

Two people with knowledge of the recording and the later conversation with Wu said the alleged incident took place over Thanksgiving weekend. Sources said they were told that the woman went outside and Wu left after her. The sexual encounter followed, they said.

Two sources said the woman believed there was not enough evidence to press charges. There were no witnesses, and it would be her word against a seven-term member of the U.S. Congress.

The alleged incident raises new questions about Wu's behavior during the 1st District congressman's re-election campaign last year. According to staff at the time and emails from the period, he behaved so erratically that staff avoided scheduling him for public appearances and ran a campaign that relied heavily on advertising. Shortly before the Nov. 2 election, senior staff quietly shut down the campaign office and sent other campaign workers home.

How will Democratic leadership handle this? Will they man the barricades as they did for Rep. Anthony Wiener? Or will they quickly distance themselves and call for investigations and resignation? Only Nancy Pelosi and her plastic surgeon know for sure...

Of course, all accused are innocent until proven guilty; but when there is this much smoke, there has to be a fire.

Hat tip: Don Surber

ManBearPig Sexual Assault?

Could stories like these have been what led to the end of the Al and Tipper lovefest? Check this out:

Vice President Al Gore was accused of repeated, unwanted sexual contact with a massage therapist at a Portland hotel room in 2006, according to police reports.

The woman told police she was "repeatedly subjected to unwanted sexual touching" in Gore's hotel room at the Hotel Lucia, according to the police report.

Gore was in town to campaign for Governor Ted Kulongoski in October, 2006. Neither Gore nor his representatives could be reached for comment Wednesday. He and his wife Tipper recently announced plans to divorce.

No criminal charges were brought against Gore.

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office confirmed on Wednesday that the DA's office was briefed by Portland Police in late 2006 and January 2007 on allegations brought by an attorney representing the woman in the alleged abuse incident. At that time, her attorney indicated that the woman did not want to pursue criminal charges. Details: Initial 2006 police report

The woman herself came forward in 2009 and provided Portland Police with a detailed report on the alleged incident.

The masseuse told investigators about an evening massage session during which Gore allegedly became enraged at times and tried to gain sexual favors from the woman.

"I was shocked and I did not massage beyond what is considered a safe, nonsexual area of the abdomen," she said. "He further insisted and acted angry, becoming verbally sharp and loud."

"I went into much deeper shock as I realized it appeared he was demanding sexual favors or sexual behaviors." The woman said Gore grabbed her hand and shoved it toward his pubic area.

She alleged he later tried to have sex with her and began caressing her before she squirmed out of his grasp.

Gee, I guess Al did learn something from Bubba during those eight years! Now that is what I call Big Willie Style!

More here.

West Ohio UM Update: Shawnee Valley District Wants to Know What You Think...

But only if you don't have a job or are retired or won't be busy to travel to Waverly, OH and be there between 8am and 12noon. And, is this really to see what we think so that the district superintendent will represent the views, or is this to see who we have to take out for not supporting the Bishop and Conference's heretical move that violates the Discipline as well as Biblical teaching? Here is what I am referring to:

In light of the controversial election of West Ohio Conference CFO, Bill Brownson, at Annual Conference last week, we are reminded this from the book entitled, "Three Simple Rules: A Weslyan Way of Living", by Reuben Job: Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in Love with God.

Pastors and one representative from each church in the Shawnee Valley District are invited and encouraged to a District-wide Leadership Team Meeting to discuss the election. District Superintendant, Jospeh Bishman will lead a discussion and would like to gain a sense of response within the district so he can best represent you in Cabinet and to the Bishop.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 28th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Grace UMC's Family Life Center in Waverly. Please contact the District Office if you have questions.

Will the Superintendent be leading a discussion or a rant against bigots and hate filled bitter clingers who actually believe that the faith is supposed to change the world, not the other way around? Stay tuned.

Malfeasance Honored and Protected by Barack Obama: Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson used to be a basketball player in the NBA. He was a guard, who won AllStar appearances for his ability to steal. Well, I guess this is just an extension of that and Barack Obama's incessant desire to get his ESPN on. Check out this story from the Washington Times:

Only in the Obama administration would a public official sanctioned for a form of malfeasance be honored as a speaker by the same organization that sanctioned him. It helps, of course, when he is a self-proclaimed Friend of the First Couple. It also doesn't hurt that the administration already found it politically convenient to fire the inspector general, Gerald Walpin, who blew the whistle on his misdeeds.

Still, the public should consider it a brazen affront for this administration to feature Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson as a key speaker at a major conference sponsored later this month by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Common decency should disallow such a scandal.

On the grounds of image alone, Mr. Johnson sends the wrong message, considering that four different young women or teenage girls have accused Mr. Johnson of inappropriate sexual conduct. Three of the four were actually affiliated with the very institution, the St. Hope Academy, that was sponsored through CNCS grants. (CNCS is the parent body for the AmeriCorps national "volunteering" program.) In none of the cases were charges ever pressed, but one of the students said she was offered $1,000 per month in exchange for her silence, and two staff members resigned from St. Hope to protest how the academy tried (in the words of one of them) to "intimidate the student*." And in the first instance, in the summer of 1995, Mr. Johnson at one point agreed to pay the girl $230,000, according to the Sacramento Bee, after protesting that he "didn't recall us being a hundred percent naked" during the incident.

The sordid sex allegations weren't even what caused Mr. Johnson, a former National Basketball Association star, to be sanctioned. Instead, he was found responsible for multiple financial misdeeds and ordered personally to help St. Hope repay nearly half a million dollars to AmeriCorps. Specifically, investigators found that Mr. Johnson and St. Hope misused federal funds to assign political projects to AmeriCorps workers; to have them run personal errands for Mr. Johnson, wash his car and drive him to personal appointments; to pay staff salaries at St. Hope from funds meant for AmeriCorps grantees; and several other similar improprieties.

Despite such flagrant abuse of CNCS programs, CNCS has invited this man to be a featured speaker at the June 28-30 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, which is advertised as "the world's largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors." Such an over-the-top level of inappropriateness is flabbergasting even for the O Force.

And Byron York weighs in on this as well, with more of the details:

In 2004, St. HOPE received a three-year grant from AmeriCorps totaling $847,673. The money was to help St. HOPE “revitalize inner-city communities through public education, civic leadership, economic development and the arts,” according to the group’s mission statement. But in 2008, the inspector general of AmeriCorps found that Johnson used large portions of the grant for, among other things, “driving [Johnson] to personal appointments, washing his car, and running personal errands.”

After an investigation by federal prosecutors, Johnson and St. HOPE were required to repay AmeriCorps $423,836 — half the original grant. At the same time, officials at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which oversees AmeriCorps, banned Johnson from receiving any more federal dollars. Johnson was not charged with any crime, and the funding ban was lifted in 2009 when Sacramento officials expressed the fear that it might prevent the city from receiving millions of dollars in federal stimulus money. But the fact remains: Kevin Johnson misused hundreds of thousands of dollars in AmeriCorps money.

Here is a pdf of the charges.
Here is a copy of the settlement.
But what do we expect from a guy who sells out Eastern Europe and whose career was launched by Bill Ayers? This guy flaunts his lousy buddies as heroes. He gave us Van Jones, for goodness sake! However, team Obama and Americorps is trying to play "don't blame us:"

A spokeswoman for the Corporation for National and Community Service says CNCS had nothing to do with selecting Johnson and that the Sacramento mayor will appear at the request of a group called “Cities of Service.” “He was invited by Cities of Service, which is working to harness the power of volunteers in cities across America,” says CNCS press secretary Ashley Etienne. “He’s participating in a panel organized by Cities of Service, and we were not involved.”

“Cities of Service” is an organization founded last year by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as part of President Obama’s “United We Serve” initiative. According to the White House website, Cities of Service was created “in partnership with CNCS.”

Hmmm....kind of not adding up, is it? Well, let's ask the guy who got fired for investigating Johnson, former Inspector General Walpin:

“This is a CNCS/AmeriCorps conference,” he says. “I can’t believe that CNCS doesn’t control who is invited and who speaks at a CNCS national conference.” And even if Bloomberg’s group wanted to include Johnson, Walpin says, what was CNCS’s reaction? “Assuming that the invitation was tendered to Johnson by Cities of Service (hard to believe without CNCS approval), when CNCS learned about it, what did it do?” asks Walpin. “Did it, as it clearly could, being the host, tell the supposed independent inviting entity that CNCS would not allow it?”

The audacity of arrogance of this administration is amazing! Thug life, baby, thuggin and buggin.

Prince Charles the Jihadist?

It just may be so. Check this bit of spew from the heir to the throne of jolly old Englandistan:

Prince Charles yesterday urged the world to follow Islamic 'spiritual principles' in order to protect the environment.

In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man's destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions - but particularly those of Islam.

So is Charles saying that environmentalists should go around blowing things up for the sake of an environmental jihad? Some are already doing that.

Is Chuckles saying that environmentalists should take hostages and kill people for the sake of mother earth, because, after all, jihad is an acceptable spiritual premise, according to members of the US's own intelligence and homeland security team.

Gee, I wonder if Charles thinks we should follow the Koran in dealing with adulterers as well? What about those who break the tenets of their faith? Hmm? Does this big eared buffoon ever think about his words or actions?

UnDisciplined West Ohio Conference Update: Bishop Ough and Co. are Guilty!

I just read some excellent work over at the Institute of Religion and Democracy. Under the Discipline, which used to be ironclad and now Bishop Brucie Ough says are merely guidelines (or at least the sections that make him uncomfortable and that may be politically incorrect), both the new treasurer of West Ohio and the Bishop, as well as any other powers that be that voted to hire this Brownson person could be charged under the Discipline. Of course, this regime in the United Methodist Church, like the current Regime in Washington, does not care what its constituents want, nor do they care about what the rules say, just like Congress and President Obama. But, here is what the folks over at the Institute have found:

Though it is quite rare for formal charges to be brought against laypersons in the UMC, Mr. Brownson could be charged under Paragraph 2702.3 for the following offenses: (a) immorality, (c) disobedience to the order and discipline of the UMC, or (f) sexual misconduct.

Therefore, if Brownson could be charged, then it follows that Brucie and Co. should be charged under at least (a) and (c).

And, the author of this piece raises some key questions:

This latest fracas raises at least the following questions:

1. Do the bishop and CFA of the West Ohio Conference believe that standards established by the General Conference do not apply to Annual Conferences?
2. Do United Methodist leaders in West Ohio believe that Disciplinary standards governing sexuality are for clergy only and do not apply to laypersons?
3. Is this an attempt to bring a test case before the Judicial Council for the purpose of changing the sexual standards of the UMC?
4. If Mr. Brownson were heterosexual and living unmarried with a woman, would he have been deemed an acceptable candidate for the position? And if the answer is no, then are we dealing with a double standard?
5. Among the more than fifty applicants for the CFO position, was there not a single one that was both professionally qualified and also in compliance with UM sexual standards?

Let me answer some of these:
1. Yes, Bishop Brucie thinks he is the arbiter of fate.
2. Yes, because the church is bleeding money because of unwise spending as well as misdirected initiatives, and membership is bleeding because of idiotic stands like this, so the church needs new butts in seats, because it is all about numbers, not faith to brucie and company.
3. Yes, Brucie and the libs in west ohio want to cause a showdown and hope that political correctness rules the day, or if it does not, then Nancy Pelosi will muscle the church.
4.No, Yes.
5. Yes, there were, but according to Brucie, only one other person was even considered by the search group. Hmmm, wonder what test case in political correctness they represented?

This is a disgrace and hopefully people in the church who believe in Immutable Truth will make plans to take action and separate themselves from those who believe that social decay and cultural depravity are ok if it puts butts in seats and money in the treasury.

Liberal Patriotism: West Point is Now an Enemy Camp

Chris Matthews is a disgusting human being. Not only did he used to have intern sandwiches with the deceased drunken vehicular manslaughterer Ted Kennedy, but he considers the military academy at West Point as "an enemy camp." He did it last night before Obama's speech about the "quasi" surge in Afghanistan.
Check it out:



This is liberal patriotism. The home of our future officers is an enemy camp. Terrorism is man caused disasters.

Who is writing for Matthews now, Gaffe-tastic Joe Biden?

This guy gets a tingle down his leg when Der Chosen One speaks but can't respect West Point?

Good news is that only 5 people saw it because it was on MSNBC.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Reveals Undercurrent of Liberalism--Eugenics and Racial Superiority

Ruth Bader Ginsberg must be getting sick and/or senile. She let it slip that liberalism is all about racism, that it is about haves and have nots, that it is about separating people into desirables and undesirables. From a soon to be published NY Times interview:

Q: If you were a lawyer again, what would you want to accomplish as a future feminist legal agenda?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Reproductive choice has to be straightened out. There will never be a woman of means without choice anymore. That just seems to me so obvious. The states that had changed their abortion laws before Roe [to make abortion legal] are not going to change back. So we have a policy that affects only poor women, and it can never be otherwise, and I don’t know why this hasn’t been said more often.

Q: Are you talking about the distances women have to travel because in parts of the country, abortion is essentially unavailable, because there are so few doctors and clinics that do the procedure? And also, the lack of Medicaid for abortions for poor women?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

Our friend and colleague Tom Blumer at Newsbusters has some great analysis on this one that I cannot dispute:

It's pretty hard not to see Ginsburg's early perception of Roe as legalizing a convenient means for minimizing the number of poor, who "just happen" to be disproportionately non-white. Also recall that at the time, Medicaid was a program predominantly benefitting only the poor, and not the near middle-class entitlement into which more recent Congresses have morphed it.

Given Ginsburg's stated "at the time" position, there's little doubt that she would have declared the Hyde Amendment, which "barred the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered or in cases of rape or incest," unconstitutional. In the related case, Harris v. McRae, the Court upheld the Hyde Amendment by a 5-4 vote.

In its November 30, 2007 Henry Hyde obituary, the Washington Post quoted Dr. Wanda Franz, president of the National Right to Life Committee, who asserted that, "By conservative estimate, well over one million Americans are alive today because of the Hyde Amendment -- more likely two million."

So 1-2 million babies have been born into financially poor circumstances in the three-plus decades years since the Hyde Amendment became law. This apparently doesn't please Justice Ginsburg, or perhaps didn't please her at the time.

Ginsburg gets the wiggle room, in my opinion, because she told Bazelon that she "realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong." The problem is that we can't tell what "it" is. Is it Roe v. Wade, the Hyde Amendment, or the facts and circumstances of the specific case?

Well, since Ginsburg considers herself a progressive, remember it was the early progressive movement of the 20th century that argued for some eugenic practices, including segregating the infirm from the firm, as well as looking at racial and genetic purity.....

And I wonder what the African American community thinks of such comments, considering that most aborted babies today are African American? Does Ginsburg think they are a population we need less of? Or is it just poor white folk?

The reporter is too dense to realize she had a great place for a followup, or she simply didn't care because she agrees with the eugenicist view of the judge....

Another Well-Vetted Strickland Staffer

Say you are looking for a guy who's job it will be to seek tougher DUI laws. Who better than a guy with a history of alcohol-related arrests, right? If you are Ted Strickland, the answer is "Yes We Can!".

The Columbus Dispatch has the details about John Lang here. Lang has resigned as the state's lobbyist for the Ohio Department of Public Safety after an incident at the Memorial Tournament. Johnny Boy got boozed up and scuffled with police officers and managed to get himself charged with persistent disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

He has three prior DUI-related arrests the most recent having occurred on February 9th.

Good job, T-Shirt Ted...you sure know how to pick 'em!

UPDATE: Just re-reading the Dispatch story. Here is my favorite part:

Public Safety spokesman Thomas Hunter said Lang, who spent the night in jail, resigned yesterday morning from his $64,688-a-year job. Officials were researching records to determine whether a background check was conducted prior to Lang's hiring.

Emphasis added.

News and Reax to a Real Mover and Shaker in Ohio

I get alot of my state news from a key operative for the Ohio Republican Party. He shares his insight with people in monthly emails. Having read his latest, I feel compelled to share and offer reax to his offerings this time. The operative's words are in italics, my reax are not.

Ohio's Races in 2010

Rob Portman for US Senate
It appears that Rob will not have a primary challenge. That is good news!
Bob Paduchik is his campaign manager. Anyone interested in helping with the campaign should contact Eric Toy at 513-519-7845
Now this is good news in a way in that Rob does not have to spend money against a possible primary opponent and can establish a war chest to take on what will be a huge 527 backed Dem campaign. However, for some, Rob Portman is still not quite known. Sure, many of us in SW Ohio know Mr. Portman, especially those in his district. However, for people that still have questions about him, where is the refining edge that a primary opponent can often serve as, to push Rob, to get him to clarify, etc.? While it means no bloody maiming primaries like Blackwell v. Petro, it does leave some questions.

Our next Governor?
Kevin Coughlin has announced his candidacy.
John Kasich has all but officially announced that he is running for Governor. In my February edition, I mentioned that Mr. Kasich has not yet repaired a rift with the gun lobby that was created when he voted for the failed Clinton gun banin 1994. His operatives have informed me that Mr. Kasich has a history of voting with the gun lobby. They are working on assembling a list of his gun related votes to prove that he is pro-Second Amendment. That's great! I'm looking forward to including that data in a future edition. Mr. Kasich's days in Congress are best remembered for his fiscal conservatism and being a budget hawk.
Todd Kritzwiseris a local candidate who is also seeking the office. He can be contacted at 937-444-Ohio (6446). Todd lives in Brown County's Sterling Twp. near Williamsburg. His campaign sent me the following:

Emerging from the small town of Waverly, Ohio, Todd Kritzwiser is not the average career politician. He feels compelled to enter the arena of politics to bring a fresh perspective and a commitment to restore the discarded values of Ohio's past. He is a graduate of the Southern Ohio School of Ministry and the Wagner Leadership Institute. He is co-founder of King's Way Fellowship in Batavia, Ohio and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Todd makes a lifestyle of leading and caring for people. He is a leader among leaders and currently serves as a director and consultant for nonprofit and for-profit corporations alike. Todd and his wife Jenny have been married for 16 years and live in Williamsburg, Ohio. They have two sons, Gabe and Levi, ages 11 and 5.
Todd believes bigger government and higher taxes are never the answer to social issues. Todd strives to empower individual and business success through a commitment to hard work and financial responsibility. His leadership is built on experience and accountability and he will draw from that experience to help restore the dignity and standing of hard working Ohioans. Todd lives by Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Todd will bring wisdom, leadership, and understanding to Ohio government and will work to restore confidence in Ohio's future.
OK, first, to Mr. Kasich, CRAP OR GET OFF THE POT ALREADY! If you check out Kyle Sisk's blog, he has elucidated a fear many of us have regarding Mr. Kasich and his continued delaying of the official kick off of the campaign. Is he really serious? Is he pulling a Fred Thompson? Why aren't there officers and treasurer designates of the campaign?

Regarding Mr. Coughlin, I think he should consider a run against Jon Husted for Secretary of State (we will get to Residency Question Jon later) as Husted will be a disaster of a candidate, though he would be less of a disaster than current SecState Jennifer "Queen of Moving the GoalPosts" Brunner, and certainly better than anyone the party of "plumbing joe the plumber's info, datagate, pimpof ohio faith based gate, and culture of carousing (note Marc Dann, et.al.)" can come up with. Coughlin is a a rising star in the party, and should be placed above a hack and non-principled jock boob like Husted. I think if Kasich gets in, Coughlin will be running a losing race, but it will get his face out there.

Regarding Todd, he sounds like a great guy. He has some great credentials and ideas. However, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in Havana of winning. This is the very essence of a protest campaign, and while it is noble to think Todd wants to serve, I would urge him to use his resources on a more local level first, build a base and political capital, and then ascend. But, he should be a great sounding board for those on the Christian Right who may have questions for Mr. Coughlin and Mr. Kasich and may pin them down on issues that the Christian Right cares about.

Auditor of State
Mary Taylor will run for re-election. It is very important that we support her and retain this Apportionment Board seat. Mary is a great lady and has been doing a fabulous job for Ohio.

State Treasurer
Josh Mandel has announced his candidacy. We met at the Clermont County Lincoln Day Dinner. Josh is a very impressive young man.
My friend the operative has good instincts here. Mary Taylor needs to be Auditor again. Maybe in 2014, she can run for governor or Senator, but for now, we need here right where she is, where she is putting out a record as one of the best Auditors we have had, and where she is the Republican voice in the Executive branch in Ohio.
Regarding Mr. Mandel, he is impressive. He is an Iraq War vet, as well as a distinguished member of the General Assembly. And, I think Jill Miller Zimon, humorless humdrum of another blog may actually support Josh since he is her current representative, and it would get him out of her district, since she seems to have a personal and primal animus toward him. Maybe it is compensation for a secret crush? I don't know. However, Mr. Mandel would be a fantastic treasurer and would bring honor and integrity back to the office formerly held by DICK Cordray.


Secretary of State
Jon Husted contacted me to let me know that he is campaigning for the office. Jon is a State Senator and former Speaker of the Ohio House. He also has an impressive history of being able to raise money.
Sandy O'Brien is also campaigning for the job. Sandy defeated Jennette Bradleyin a primary for State Treasurer in 2006. Unfortunately, she lost to Richard Cordray in the general election. Sandy is a great lady and has a contagious smile. Once you meet her, you'll be impressed.
OK, here is where we need someone like Kevin Coughlin to realize he is needed to bolster the ticket, instead of primarying against Kasich. Jon Husted is a boob of a human being, a dumb jock manipulator who took us from being a majority party in both houses of the General Assembly and manhugged his way with the governor to us being the minority party in the State House. Jon is a contemptible self serving individual, who doesn't even really reside in his own district, and who left other candidates out to dry by hoarding campaign money for himself. He was given the keys to the Ferrari far to young and wrecked the precision machine into minority status. He does not need to make the office of treasurer another of his political wastelands.

Sandy O'Brien is a sweet lady, and I don't know how she has been preparing herself since her disastrous campaign against Cordray a few years back. If she hasn't gotten more political capital and political insight, we are not looking good with her running for the position either. This race is one that really troubles me.

Attorney General
One of Dave Yost'soperatives contacted me. Mr. Yost is interested in seeking the office of Attorney General. Mr. Yost was my favorite to run last time. He dropped out and chose to support Mike Crites.
Mike Crites may be interested in running for this office again. I've met Mike and heard him speak. He is very impressive and has had a distinguished career.
I've also heard that former Senator Mike DeWine is interested in running. Mr. DeWine was John McCain's Ohio campaign chairman and performed admirably in that role.
OK, regarding Dave Yost. I don't know him very well, I can't say anything good or bad about him. However, if my operative thinks he is good, then that is a plus. Mike Crites ran a helluva campaign for someone many thought was just a placeholder candidate initially. He did quite well in SW Ohio, and did better than expected statewide. I think he should be given all due consideration for the post. Lastly, to Mr. Mike DeWine, STAY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We do not want nor need the RINOs of the past to save us. If we are going to reach out to new voters with fresh faces, the last thing we need is Mike DeWine. And I disagree with my friend the operative regarding DeWine's handling of the McCain campaign, unless you are saying he was less of a trainwreck than other states. Mike, keep the flannel shirt in storage and stay home!

Matt's Chat

I am glad Mark posted this as I always have a hard time trying to decide just what I want to pull from this particular source...

Let me add one thing...I like Mike Crites for AG again, but if he isn't willing or able to run a bigger campaign, I'm willing to give Dave Yost another vote of confidence. Read his blog to learn more about this terrific candidate.

VIDEO: Montgomery County Commissioner Lieberman (D) Arrested

Today's Culture of Carousing Update:



It is absolutely stunning that this woman (Debbie Lieberman) actually beat Peggy Lehner in an election...

EXIT QUESTION: The tape says this occured on 1/19/2008...or did this just happen?

UPDATE: This did happen a year ago...how did this NOT become a MAJOR issue in the campaign???

UPDATE 2: How did the Montgomery County GOP NOT find a candidate to run against her??? Seriously, that's lame.

Ohio's Culture of Corruption Update

Ohio's former Attorney General Marc "The Man" Dann is back in the news. Turns out, Dann spent tons of campaign cash on himself and then lied about it on his financial disclosures. I'm pretty sure that's a no-no...even for a Democrat. As Ohio's top cop, Dann was a bust.

The Columbus Dispatch has the highlight:

Payments to a supplier of a personal business operated by Dann's wife, Alyssa, that were "converted to the personal use of Alyssa Lenhoff Dann."

Air travel and lodging for Dann's immediate family, along with cell phones for his wife and two minor children. Brunner's complaint also listed more than $4,000 in improper cell-phone spending.

Regular payments to communications director Leo Jennings III for "consulting services" actually were used for rent and utilities at a Dublin-area condo shared by Dann, Jennings and Anthony Gutierrez, Dann's general services director. Both Jennings and Gutierrez were fired last spring. Payments to campaign treasurer Mary Beth Snyder for "consulting services" actually went for keeping Dann's campaign books.

Purchases of snacks, beverages, fast food and incidental items were made almost daily both in the Columbus area and around Youngstown, where Dann resided.

Outlays from a separate pool of cash collected from corporations, political action committees and others for Dann's transition also were improper, Charles said.

My favorite part of the whole article is when the Dispatch had to write this bit:

Dann took office in January 2007 after campaigning against the "culture of corruption" in Columbus. He was forced to resign May 14 of this year after his fellow Democrats mounted an impeachment effort and investigators led by Charles conducted an extraordinary raid on the attorney general's office.

Good times were had by all...

John Boehner (R-OH) on Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL)

Statement:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement regarding reports that Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) paid more than $120,000 in hush money to a former staffer:

“This is a gravely serious matter, and to date, the collective response from Speaker Pelosi, Congressmen Emanuel, Congressman Van Hollen, and Congressman Mahoney has been entirely inadequate.

“The American people, beginning with the people of Florida’s 16th Congressional District, deserve to know the facts immediately about Congressman Mahoney’s conduct. They are also entitled to know immediately what House Democratic leaders knew about it, when they knew it, and what they did with the information. Congressman Mahoney and House Democratic leaders must provide these answers to the American people at once. They should not be permitted to hide behind the shield of a nonfunctioning House ethics committee or any convenient loopholes in House rules. If this truly is ‘the most honest, open, and ethical Congress in history.

Culture of Carousing Update: 20th Senate District Edition

This is different... From the Columbus Dispatch blog Daily Briefing:

If Rick Shriver asks you to switch airline seats, you may want to do it and avoid having your e-mail box filled with sexually explicit spam.

As part of a his former website – rickshriver.net, which has since been turned into his campaign site – Shriver, a Democrat from McConnelsville running in southeast Ohio’s competitive 20th Senate District, included some podcasts where he told personal stories -- stories his campaign says were fictional and didn't really happen. Senate Republican campaign officials found one particularly interesting: “How I got even with Howard Kochs.”

You have to read the whole thing to believe it...

Now, this is Joy Padgett's district... I really can't imagine this sort of thing will be going over real well out there.....

Culture of Carousing Update: John Edwards Edition

I'm not sure which of the Two Americas John Edwards thought he was in, but he didn't get away with lying to the American people after all.

UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh Pearl of Wisdom:

"How can they ban Edwards from the Democrat convention and welcome Bill Clinton? Everyone lies about sex."

Rush is so money...

Culture of Carousing Update: Tennessee Edition

From knoxnews.com:

DYERSBURG, Tenn. - A candidate for the 77th House seat has been charged with driving under the influence and evading arrest.

Sixty-year-old Dr. Rosaire "Ross" Dubrule, a Tiptonville physician, is a Democratic candidate for the 77th House seat being vacated by Rep. Philip Pinion of Union City.

Dubrule was arrested Friday and held in the Dyer County Jail.

This guy led police on a chase...when he finally stopped, he resisted arrest and had to be restrained.

But here is the best part:

Dubrule already faces federal prescription fraud charges from a 2007 incident. With this latest arrest, he violated his $20,000 bond on the pending charges.

Well, at least the Dems aren't giving this clown a Congressional Medal of Distinction......

Culture of Carousing Update: Lorain Edition

BizzyBlogger Tom Blumer found this one and deserves credit for exposing it...

A city councilman in Lorain, Ohio, a city of about 75,000 west of Cleveland, was arrested during a prostitution sting on Friday.

Now the media bias part of this story is that the 527 media in Ohio are doing their very best to keep the news minimized as much as possible. Why? Well, let's let the Chronicle-Telegram tell us in the 13th paragraph of their piece...

Ohioans are very sensitive about the conduct of elected officials since the resignation of former state Rep. Matthew Barrett and former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, Giardini said.

Ohioans are sensitive? No, Ohioans are outraged. Democrats are sensitive. Here we have a Democrat charged with DUI and soliciting a prostitute and Ohioans are sensitive? Get a clue. Dennis Flores is a scumbag who deserves whatever measure of justice that can be exacted upon him.