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July 2008
Dann campaign spends cash on lawyers, consultants
In his last few weeks as attorney general and even after he resigned under pressure, Democrat Marc Dann spent more than $120,000 out of his campaign fund on lawyers, political consultants and new Apple computers, according to the latest campaign finance report filed this week.
Dann used the campaign fund to pay $13,680 to an Austin, TX-based political consultant hired in April to strike back at Dann’s critics. Dann for Ohio paid $3,100 to The Campaign Group, political consultants in Philadelphia.
The day he resigned, May 14, the campaign shelled out $50,000 in legal fees to M&R Land Co., which is an aviation company owned by Dann’s friend Mike Harshman, who is a pilot and an attorney. Two days later, Dann for Ohio paid a $10,000 retainer to Neal & Harwell, a civil and criminal defense law firm in Nashville.
Dann said via e-mail that the expenditures are allowed under Ohio law. “All expenditures were made after prior consultation with the campaign attorney. Each firm has provided significant services to the campaign and met all contractual obligations to the campaign,” Dann said in the e-mail.
According to his mid-year campaign finance report, Dann spent $233,567 out of the account since Jan. 1 — $120,325 of that since May 1.
The Secretary of State is still auditing Dann for Ohio’s 2007 campaign finance report. On May 2, Dann admitted to an affair with a junior staffer, said he wasn’t prepared to be attorney general, and acknowledged that his behavior may have sent the wrong message about how his managers could treat subordinates. He fired two friends he had hired into top slots and two others resigned. Dann resigned May 14.
His administration is now the subject of investigations by the state inspector general, state auditor, highway patrol, Ohio Ethics Commission and others.
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Eye On Ohio: McCain ‘Celeb’ ad
By Howard Wilkinson
Cincinnati Enquirer
The ad: “Celeb,” 30 seconds.
Producer: The McCain campaign.
Where to see it: Airing on Ohio TV stations and in other battleground states. View it at DaytonDailyNews.com/eyeonohio.
Script: Announcer: “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead? With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling. And he says he’ll raise taxes on electricity. Higher taxes. More foreign oil. That’s the real Obama.” McCain: “I’m John McCain, and I approve this message.”
Video: As the announcer calls Obama the “biggest celebrity in the world,” a series of images flash by of enthusiastic Obama supporters at his appearance in Berlin, which drew a crowd of about 200,000. Interspersed among the Berlin shots are two quick frames that show celebrities who are famous for being famous, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
This is followed by long shots of the throngs that greeted Obama in Berlin and of the Democratic candidate, waving to the Berliners. The scene suddenly shifts to a still photograph of Obama, with a series of graphic messages: “Higher taxes,” “More foreign oil” and, the kicker, “That’s the real Obama.”
Analysis: While the ad makes points that the McCain campaign has raised before about Obama and his energy policies, the energy issue is almost an afterthought to the central point — the suggestion that Obama is more interested in adoring crowds than in being the kind of leader the nation can trust.
By emphasizing Obama’s “celebrity status,” the McCain campaign is trying to cash in on recent media coverage suggesting the Democratic candidate and his campaign operation have been presumptuous and arrogant, acting as if the election is already over.
This ad hits Obama again for his opposition to lifting the moratorium on oil drilling off U.S. coastlines, which Obama has said, accurately, “won’t produce a drop of oil for seven years.” Even McCain, who supports offshore drilling, has said that it would produce no immediate relief from high gas prices.
The McCain ad’s claim that Obama says “he’ll raise taxes on electricity” is based on an interview Obama gave to a San Antonio newspaper in February in which he said “what we ought to tax is a dirty energy like coal, and, to a lesser extent, natural gas.”
According to the Obama campaign, what Obama was referring to was his proposal for a cap-and-trade mechanism that would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions, allowing entities to buy and sell rights to emit. If that is the case, McCain is criticizing Obama for a proposal that he, too, supports.
Howard Wilkinson is a reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer. E-mail: hwilkinson@enquirer.com.
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McCain and Obama neck and neck in Ohio
Two crucial swing states in the presidential election — Ohio and Florida — are now too close to call, according to a poll released Thursday, July 11, by Quinnipiac University.
Among likely voters in Ohio, Democrat Barack Obama has 46 percent of the vote to Republican John McCain’s 44 percent. Obama held a 6-point lead over McCain in a June 18 poll in Ohio.
In Florida, Obama has 46 percent to McCain’s 44 percent. Obama had held a 4-point lead last time.
In Pennsylvania, another swing state, Obama leads McCain 49 percent to 42 percent, but that’s down from a 12-point lead the Democrat held last time.
Pennsylvania and Ohio voters say energy policy is more important than the candidate’s position on the war in Iraq while Floridians are evenly split over which is more important.
By wide margins in all three states, voters support the idea of allowing offshore drilling for oil — something McCain supports but Obama opposes.
The poll was conducted July 23 to 29 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent in Florida and Ohio and 2.7 percent in Pennsylvania.
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Dayton leaders praise Bush for signing homeowners act
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin and city leaders issued a statement Wednesday in response to President Bush signing the Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008, which promises mortgage relief to hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the country.
“On behalf of the entire Dayton Commission, we are very happy that President Bush today signed long-overdue legislation to provide relief to homeowners who have become victims of the mortgage crisis in America,” McLin said in the statement.
“Studies have shown Ohio to be among the hardest-hit by the mortgage crisis. Dayton and the surrounding region have certainly not been immune to the affects of predatory lending practices and the related impact to the housing industry at large.
“This new federal legislation will provide much-needed assistance in the form of aid for homeowners, a permanent housing fund, and neighborhood grants. These measures will certainly provide welcome relief for the residents of our community.”
McLin also encourages anyone who has been affected by the mortgage crisis to contact the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center at 223-6035 for more information on how they can take advantage of the new federal legislation.
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Lauterbach to testify Thursday
Mary Lauterbach, the mother of Maria Lauterbach, will testify before a House subcommittee Thursday, July 31, to talk about her daughter’s experience in the military leading up to her murder in December.
Mary Lauterbach will testify before the National Security and Foreign Affairs subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Thursday morning. She said she wants to talk about her daughter’s experiences after she accused a colleague of sexual assault last year.
Lauterbach, a 20-year-old Vandalia native, was discovered Jan. 11, buried beneath the fire pit in fellow Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean’s backyard near Camp Lejeune. Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, had accused Laurean of raping her in April 2007. Laurean has been charged with Lauterbach’s murder.
Turner and a colleague, Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., earlier this week introduced a bill listing issues regarding rape in the military that they would like to see the Department of Defense investigate. The bill is expected to be a first step to further action on how to better address sexual assault in the military.
Turner, a member of the subcommittee, credited a visit to Capitol Hill by Mary Lauterbach earlier this year with spurring Harman’s interest in the bill. Harman, also, is scheduled to testify before the subcommittee on Thursday.
Among the ideas Mary Lauterbach would like to push: making it easier for victims of sexual assault to transfer to another base. In the aftermath of her allegations, Maria Lauterbach often expressed a desire to transfer to another base. “Maria would be alive today if that option were available,” Mary Lauterbach said.
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First trailer for Oliver Stone’s ‘W.’ released
First it was J.F.K and then Nixon, now director Oliver Stone is turning to President George W. Bush. The first movie trailer for Stone’s controversial movie “W.”, about the life of President Bush, was released earlier this week. The movie will open in U.S. and Ohio theaters in October, just in time for Election Day.
Josh Brolin portrays President Bush, James Cromwell is President George H.W. Bush and Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush.
There is no question the movie will be controversial. Let us know what you think of the trailer and if you plan to see the movie when it hits Dayton-area theaters later this year.
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Dann wants public records
When Democrat Marc Dann started his career as a state official, he often used the Open Records laws to pry information from the hands of opponents. Then as attorney general, he delivered records to the media that sometimes damned his administration.
Now out of office, Dann is once again using the Open Records law.
Dann sent a records request to the Attorney General’s office asking for his personal schedules, e-mails and expense records that have been given to others through records requests. He also wants the names and contact information of anyone who asked for public records about him. And he’s looking for copies of talking points and speeches he delivered, news stories about him or the office accomplishments, and drafts of the office annual report that was being prepared before May 15.
Ted Hart, spokesman for Attorney General Nancy Hardin Rogers, said it’s a lot of records.
“It’ll take a little bit of time (to fulfill the records request) but it’s not as large as some of the ones we’ve received,” Hart said. The office already gave Dann the news stories and a spreadsheet of all the records requests, he said.
Dann and former members of his administration are the subject of investigations by the Ohio Ethics Commission, state Inspector General, Ohio Highway Patrol, state Auditor, and others.
Dann resigned in May after admitting he had an affair with his scheduler, that he was ill-prepared to be attorney general, and that his behavior may have sent a message to his friends about how they could treat colleagues in the office.
Dann said in a recent e-mail to the Dayton Daily News that he is spending time with his family and working to rebuild his law office.
He said he has not been notified of any disciplinary investigation of him by the Ohio Supreme Court or the local bar association. Such investigations - conducted when there are complaints of ethics or professional standards violations - are confidential until probable cause is found.
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Forbes faces discipline
Former Cleveland City Councilman George Forbes will defend his law license before a disciplinary panel of the Ohio Supreme Court later this month.
The disciplinary panel rejected a proposed public reprimand for Forbes and opted instead to hold a public hearing on Aug. 14.
Forbes was convicted in Franklin County Municipal Court on six misdemeanor charges in July 2007 that he violated state ethics laws. Forbes, a Democrat who served 26 years on the Cleveland City Council and 10 years on the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Oversight Commission, took fancy meals, charter flights, limo rides and other gifts from businesses seeking a slice of the BWC’s enormous investment portfolio.
Forbes was one of 20 people criminally charged in an investment and ethics scandal that broke in April 2005. Eventually, the scandal tainted Republicans running for statewide offices, setting up a Democratic comeback in 2006.
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DHL hearings receive key support
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member John Mica, R-Fla., today sent a letter expressing support for hearings on the proposed deal between UPS and DHL, said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville.
Mica’s letter was addressed to Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., and was a response to a letter from Turner and the rest of the Ohio delegation requesting hearings.
Turner said the letter will bolster the likelihood of hearings.
“Ranking Member Mica’s support for hearings is a critical step,” Turner said. “This deal, if it is allowed to be completed, would have consequences beyond it’s devastating impact on our local, state, and national economy. It would also remove a major element of the North American shipping market. This is why congressional hearings into this issue are so important.”
Mica’s home state of Florida is the home of ASTAR, an air cargo company that has nearly 1,000 employees in the Wilmington hub.
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Ohio Roundtable says No, No, No!
The Ohio Roundtable, a conservative policy group based in suburban Cleveland, is coming out against three issues likely to make the November ballot. They don’t like mandatory paid sick leave, casino gambling or predatory lending.
Roundtable President David Zanotti said Tuesday, July 29, that the mandatory paid sick leave issue backed by labor unions is a “job killer for Ohio.” If it passes, Ohio would be the only state to have a law requiring employers with 25 or more workers to give seven paid sick days a year.
The Roundtable, which led the successful opposition to three previous casino gambling proposals, will also oppose the latest constitutional amendment to bring casinos to Ohio, Zanotti said. Voters may be asked to approve a single casino in Clinton County — near where 8,000 DHL workers are facing job losses. “It’s always a bad idea to cut a deal with a casino when you’re desperate,” Zanotti said.
And, Zanotti said the Roundtable will oppose a measure backed by the payday lending industry to repeal part of a comprehensive law designed to curb short term loans offered at annual interest rates of 391 percent.
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McCain, Obama send out dueling statements on DHL
If the proposed deal permitting DHL to hire UPS to handle its U.S. air cargo lift - a decision that could cost the Wilmington region some 8,000 jobs - weren’t yet a campaign issue, it officially became one Tuesday, July 29.
That’s when Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, sent out dueling press releases on the proposal within hours.
McCain will go to Wilmington in early August for a campaign trip to DHL. As for Obama, he recently met with the mayor of Wilmington and DHL employees to discuss the issue.
Tuesday, McCain’s camp sent out a statement backing the congressional delegation’s efforts to save the jobs in Wilmington. He also said he supports their efforts to have the transaction reviewed “by several federal and state agencies” for any violations of law.
Obama, meanwhile, sent out a letter to the Director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council asking for a careful examination of the proposal.
Both the statement and the letter are after the jump….
First, this from McCain 2008 Senior Policy Adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin issued the following statement:
“John McCain supports the efforts of the Ohio congressional delegation to resolve and render assistance to the workers and families affected by the potential cessation of operation at the Wilmington Air Park. For years, the workers and families of Wilmington have relied upon the jobs and services at the Park, and its prospective closure could pose a devastating blow to lives of thousands of hard-working Americans, and to the economy of Ohio.
“John McCain recognizes that this challenge must have a dual-track approach. First, the Ohio delegation has requested this transaction be reviewed by several federal and state agencies for any potential violations of applicable law. John McCain supports this request and believes these inquiries should proceed with the highest appropriate standards of review.
“Second, as the transaction is reviewed, John McCain believes that state and federal worker and community assistance efforts should be mustered in preparation for the potential job loss of thousands of working Americans. As the state prepares its request for national emergency grant funding for immediate assistance, he also believes that planning must proceed to ensure effective coordination so that all state and federal worker assistance — including income, health, child care, food, housing, transportation, and training assistance — is easily accessible for all affected workers.”
Here’s Obama’s letter, in full:
Dear Mr. Zinsmeister:
During my recent travels, I visited with the mayor of Wilmington, Ohio and workers who would be affected by a proposed DHL-UPS agreement for services that would lead to the closing of the DHL facility in Wilmington.
I write to you in my capacity as a U.S. Senator because I believe that the Administration must act now on two fronts: first, the Department of Justice should examine the transaction to ensure that it is not in violation of antitrust laws and second, if it is not, then the government must work to ensure that these workers and this community are not left without assistance in finding new work for its people and new use for the existing infrastructure.? I am pleased that you and Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy Baruah have been tasked with coordinating the government response to the situation and wish to offer any assistance I or my staff can provide.
As a matter of antitrust law, the proposed consolidation of DHL’s domestic airlift operations under a competitor, UPS, raises concern.? At the very least, the DOJ should examine whether having two competitors in a fairly concentrated market act as partners would have anti-competitive effects.
If the deal proceeds, Governor Strickland and Senator Brown have both told me that the DHL facility in Wilmington would likely cease operating.? That would eliminate at least 8,000 jobs in Ohio and impact an estimated 41 counties.? That level of concentrated job loss strongly weighs in favor of the government assisting them through the difficult time that will follow.
I understand that you are working with the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce to coordinate a rapid response to what could be a crisis for the communities involved. As a Senator on the committee of jurisdiction over the Department of Labor, I would appreciate additional detail on your efforts and how responding to this situation could serve as a model for other communities where concentrated job loss is occurring due to plants moving overseas or increasingly consolidating markets.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
Cc: Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
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President Bush headed for Cleveland
President Bush may not be on the ballot this year but he’s still coming to Ohio, which was almost his second home during the 2004 campaign.
On Tuesday, July 29, Bush is scheduled to tour Lincoln Electric Holdings, a welding company, in Cleveland and talk about energy and the economy.
After that, he’s to participate in a Congressional Trust 2008 fundraiser in Gates Mills, a Cleveland suburb.
Meanwhile, Democrats plan to use the visit to try to link Bush and his low approval ratings with Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Supporters of Barack Obama, McCain’s Democratic opponent for president, plan more than 30 phone banks and canvasses over the next two days aimed at showing that Ohio working families can’t afford any more “failed policies of George Bush and John McCain,” a Democratic press release said
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Ohio bus trip “urgent matter” for Obama?
Is a bus trip through Ohio “the urgent matter at hand” for Democrat Barack Obama’s campaign?
That’s what the New York Times reported on Sunday, July 27, as Obama returned from his overseas trip and began to campaign again among the people whose votes really count in the presidential race.
Isaac Baker, Obama’s Ohio spokesman, said that there will be Ohio bus trips but Baker wouldn’t say specifically when they would be.
“I can tell you on the record we plan to make several bus trips through Ohio and continue to campaign here (in Ohio) in the very near future,” said Baker
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McCain expected to campaign in Wilmington
Republican John McCain is expected to campaign in Wilmington and possibly in the Dayton area at the beginning of August.
At the Wilmington visit, McCain is expected to discuss the potential loss of 8,200 jobs because of DHL’s plans to turn its air-freight operation in Wilmington over to UPS’ hub in Louisville, a Republican official close to the McCain campaign said on Saturday, July 26.
McCain campaign officials have been in touch with those in Wilmington who would be affected by the potential job loss, the official, who declined to be named, said.
McCain was in Ohio on Thursday, July 24, to speak in Columbus at a presidential town hall meeting on cancer at the LIVESTRONG Summit, sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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Brunner orders backup paper ballots for November election
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants voters in counties that use electronic touch screen voting machines to have the option of using paper ballots in November.
In a directive to county boards of elections on Friday, July 25, Brunner said all counties with the touch screen machines should provide backup paper ballots equal to 25 percent of the precinct turnout in the 2004 general election. Costs will be reimbursed by the federal government, Brunner (pictured) wrote.
Dayton-area counties affected include: Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Darke and Butler.
Poll workers won’t be required to ask voters if they want paper ballots but Brunner’s office will provide four posters to be displayed at each polling location, telling them paper ballots are available.
Backup paper ballots were vital in the March presidential primary, said Brunner.
“Perhaps most importantly, backup paper ballots will provide poll workers with a ‘safety valve’ in an election where we anticipate historic voter turnout of 80 percent,” she said.
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Brown, Voinovich, White House in agreement on DHL
Sens. George Voinovich and Sherrod Brown met Thursday, July 24, with the man assigned by the Bush administration to be the point person on DHL’s proposal to consolidate air operations with UPS, a proposal that could cost the Wilmington area more than 8,000 jobs.
The senators met in Brown’s office with Sandy K. Baruah, assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, after asking White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten to put someone in charge of the issue.
Brown, D-Ohio, said Baruah said the goal will be to coordinate actions to fight back to preserve the more than 8,000 jobs at risk and “if that doesn’t work, to make sure (the administration) has a full-time person on the ground to help the region move forward in case jobs are lost in that facility.”
“This is 8,000 jobs,” Brown said. “(Baruah) made it analogous to a base closing in terms of economic impact.”
Baruah is familiar with the region - Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, brought him to Wilmington over the July 4 recess, not long after the DHL proposal was announced to alert him of its seriousness.
Brown said should the jobs leave, the administration has promised it will send someone to the region to help find new jobs to replace those lost - the first time the Bush administration has done so. Still, with six months left in the Bush administration, it’s unclear if the proposal would come to fruition while the administration is still in office.
Still, Brown said he’s optimistic that the state and federal governments can keep the consolidation from happening. Both the state congressional delegation and state leaders have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the DHL proposal violates U.S. antritrust laws by reducing competition in the express package delivery market.
“We do need to prepare on the ‘what if,’” Brown said. “But the emphasis is on keeping jobs and I’m still optimistic that we can.”
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McCain goes German - in Columbus
While Democrat Barack Obama was traveling and speaking in Germany, Republican John McCain decided to go German himself - but in Columbus.
McCain had lunch in German Village on Thursday, July 24, at Schmidt’s Sausage House with five small business owners including two from the Dayton area - Rick James of Rick James Chevrolet in Piqua and Dan Young of Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, according to a pool report.
In remarks to pool reporters, McCain continued his criticism of Obama’s position on Iraq and the surge.
“It is very clear that Sen. Obama took the very far left position,”McCain said. “It is very clear that Sen. Obama does not understand what’s at stake here, what was at stake in Iraq, and his refusal to acknowledge that the surge has succeeded is again a graphic demonstration of his lack of understanding of national security issues.”
Later on Thursday, McCain was to attend a fundraiser and then a town hall meeting on cancer at Ohio State University at the LIVESTRONGSUMMIT, sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Meanwhile, Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, in a conference call, said the “vast majority of Ohioans” that he talks to believe the American “entry into Iraq was misguided….from the very start.”
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Cordray strikes back
Just a day after it started, the race for Ohio attorney general is heating up.
On Thursday, July 24, Democrat Richard Cordray sent a letter to his supporters that didn’t exactly have nice things to say about Cordray’s Republican opponent, Mike Crites, a former U.S. attorney for southern Ohio.
In declaring his candidacy on Wednesday, July 23, Crites referred to himself as a “prosecutor” and to Cordray as a “career politician.”
In his letter Cordray said that since leaving his job as U.S. attorney in 1993, Crites “has been sitting on the sidelines of public service.”
“His contributions to the quality of life, personal safety and economic well-being of Ohioans has been marginal at best, through sporadic part-time service, mostly as a village solicitor,” Cordray, now state treasurer, wrote.
Crites, in a prepared statement, said Cordray “has sadly sunk to the level of most career politicians” and that his rhetoric “sounds a lot like Cordray’s close ally, Marc Dann.” Democrat Dann, of course, resigned in May as attorney general in a sexual harassment scandal, setting up the battle between Cordray and Crites.
Here’s Cordray’s letter:
July 24, 2008
Dear Friend,
The race for Ohio Attorney General is now off and running with my opponent’s declaration for office yesterday. And since it’s up and running, I’d like to ask you for your endorsement.
As we are all used to seeing in political campaigns, my opponent made a number of claims about his record — and mine — that I would like to clarify for you.
A common political tactic is to compare and contrast experience. My opponent used that technique, with the curious twist of employing time travel. He spoke at length about his years of service as a political appointee, which ended more than fifteen years ago.
The most recent installment of my opponent’s history will show that, since entering private practice in 1993, he has been sitting on the sidelines of public service. His contribution to the quality of life, personal safety, and economic well-being of Ohioans has been marginal at best, through sporadic part-time service, mostly as a village solicitor.
Let me acquaint you with a more modern comparison of the relative preparation and qualifications of my opponent and myself:
Today I am writing you from Canton, Ohio, where I joined local leaders in my grassroots drive to get widespread public support for ending unfair credit card practices. On talk radio, the phone lines lit up with callers eager to share their stories.
My opponent has been nowhere in that fight.
Since being elected Ohio Treasurer in 2006, I testified and fought for credit freeze legislation, payday lending reform, foreclosure prevention, and to save taxpayer dollars by the millions.
My opponent has been nowhere on any of those issues.
In 2001, I was hired by the Justice Department under a Republican administration to argue successfully in the United States Supreme Courton behalf of America’s top foreign policy officials, including former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and former NSC head Tony Lake.
In that same year, my opponent was defending an embezzler who stole $10,000 from the Treasury and downplaying the theft from Ohio taxpayers as a “one-time thing.”
In 1997, I was representing Ohio bar associations and legal aid groups to defend the constitutionality of funding for legal services for the poor in the United States Supreme Court. This was a six year fight, and we were successful.
In that same year, my opponent was responding to an audit of the school district where he was President of the school board, which cited school officials for misuse of a credit card to run up improper charges.
In 1993, I persuaded the Attorney General to create a new job of State Solicitor, representing Ohioans in the toughest cases in the U.S. and Ohio Supreme Courts and working to keep convicted criminals behind bars.
In that same year, my opponent was leaving government service to go out and make money.
I regard public service as an opportunity for leadership and the rare chance to stand up for Ohioans and their families. What we need from our public officials is someone to be strongly and effectively on our side. I have done that throughout my time in public life, and I am glad to be running on my record this year.
So off we go. And I deeply appreciate your friendship, your voice, and your support on the road ahead.
Richard Cordray Candidate for Attorney General
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Brown versus corroding bridges
Yet another U.S. senator from Ohio is getting riled up about the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Wednesday, July 23, introduced two bills aimed at preventing and addressing bridge corrosion. The bills aren’t expected to go too far this year - it being an election year and all - but Brown said he has high hopes they’ll be a priority in a new presidential administration.
The first bill would require any proposal to the Department of Transportation for bridge construction, modification, or renovation to include a corrosion mitigation and prevention plan.
The second would provide tax credits for corrosion prevention measures including engineering design, materials and application and installation of corrosion prevention and mitigation technology.
Browns’ been interested in the issue since he was in the U.S. House. A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration in 2001 found that corrosion costs $276 billion per year, including $8.3 billion in costs due to bridge corrosion.
In 2007 dollars, this translates into $442 billion in total corrosion costs and $13.3 billion in bridge corrosion costs. This means annual costs for Ohio of about $15 billion in corrosion costs and $500 million in bridge corrosion costs for 2007.
Private industry has estimated that one-third of corrosion costs could be saved by applying existing corrosion control technology. The utilization of this technology is estimated to cost less than 10 percent of the costs to replace critical infrastructure.
“The money the government will save is much greater than the money it will spend on this,” Brown said.
Last year, the U.S. Senate passed a bill by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, to establish a commission to examine deteriorating roads, bridges, drinking water systems, dams and other public works. That bill passed in the aftermath of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota, but ultimately stalled in the House.
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Blackwell joins Obama bashers
Ken Blackwell’s joined the efforts to take some steam out of Democrat Barack Obama’s presidential campaign sails.
Republican Blackwell’s is one of the conservative voices featured on a new TV ad from Citizens United, an independent conservative group. The ad started running on Fox News on Monday, July 21, and continues through the end of this week at a cost of $250,000. The ad is a preview of a film that Citizens United is producing on Obama - “Hype The Obama Effect.”
“It is only when you begin to peel back the layers that you begin to see the disturbing pattern,” Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state and unsuccessful candidate for governor, says in the ad.
The Obama campaign had no comment on the ad. Take a look-
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Rasmussen: McCain leads in Ohio
A telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports released Tuesday, July 22, shows presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCainholding a 6 point lead over presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in Ohio.
The poll, taken July 21, shows McCain with 46 percent of the vote, compared to 40 percent for Obama. Rasmussen gave McCain a statistically insignificant one-point lead in previous months.
When “leaners” are included in the totals, McCain leads Obama 52 percent to 42 percent.
The poll also found that McCain receives support from 88 percent of Republicans, while Obama receives support from 74 percent of Democrats in the state.
The economy remains the top issue for 49 percent of voters polled, while national security is the top priority for 24 percent. Obama gets an edge for Ohioans ost concerned with the economy, while McCain leads among those who most prioritize national security.
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McCain’s people fire back at Strickland
And, as promised, here’s a reaction from the McCain camp to Strickland’s bashing of their last campaign ad:
“It’s disappointing that Ohio’s governor is more intent on embracing Barack Obama’s do-nothing, out-of-touch energy policy than he is in helping hardworking families struggling at the pump. John McCain is offering solutions to this crisis that include short-term and long-term relief, including an investment in energy resources that will help create jobs here in Ohio.” - Paul Lindsay, McCain spokesman
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Strickland peeved about McCain ad
Here’s Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on Sen. John McCain’s newest campaign ad, “Pump,” which you can see by scrolling down on this blog:
“John McCain’s latest ad is disingenuous and disappointing. The truth is that in his 26 years in Washington, Sen. McCain has consistently opposed investments in ethanol and a range of alternative energy technologies that have the potential to create thousands of jobs across Ohio.
“But despite his own longtime opposition to renewable energy projects that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, Sen. McCain is trying to blame Senator Obama for high gas prices.
“Sen. Obama has a plan to invest $150 billion in clean and renewable energy that would create 5 million new jobs. It’s a serious plan that will secure our energy independence and move our economy forward. Meanwhile, Senator McCain seems only to be offering discredited attacks. Ohioans deserve better.”
We’ve asked McCain’s campaign for their response to this criticism, and will post it accordingly….
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Ohio GOP picks former Pete Rose prosecutor for AG race
Ohio Republicans have picked D. Michael Crites, a former U.S. attorney for southern Ohio who prosecuted Pete Rose on tax evasion charges, to run for Ohio attorney general in November, a key Republican close to the GOP candidate search said on Tuesday, July 22.
A formal announcement is expected on Wednesday, July 23, said the Republican, who declined to be named.
Crites, now an attorney in private practice in Columbus, will face Democratic state Treasurer Richard Cordray in the AG’s race in November. The winner will serve out the unexpired term of Democrat Marc Dann who resigned in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.
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Eye on Ohio: John McCain ‘Pump’ ad
By Jessica Wehrman
Dayton Daily News
The ad: “Pump,” 30 seconds.
Producer: The McCain campaign.
Where to see it: Airing in key states, such as Ohio, and on national cable. View it at DaytonDailyNews.com/eyeonohio.
Script: Female announcer: Gas prices — $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America. No to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?
Chant: Obama, Obama!
Announcer: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets. Don’t hope for more energy. Vote for it. McCain.
John McCain: I’m John McCain, and I approve this message.
Video: The ad starts with images of a lone gas pump, then flashes between the image of the pump and the pump’s price skyrocketing. It then superimposes a picture of a grinning Barack Obama at the pump as its price soars. Then the ad cuts to shots of McCain talking to crowds.
Analysis: The political battle on how to solve the energy crisis has intensifed the debate about whether to increase domestic oil production. Obama opposes lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling; McCain supports lifting it.
McCain supported the moratorium during his 2000 presidential campaign, but changed course in mid-June. He still opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
According to Bob Ebel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the high price of oil is spurred by a number of factors, among them booming economies in India and China and geopolitical problems in oil-producing countries such as Nigeria and Venezuela. He said that while there’s no one “silver bullet” to bring prices down, an increase in supply could help. But ending the moratorium would not produce new oil for at least five to seven years. And other factors — speculators, OPEC, geopolitical forces — might still impact prices.
Similarly, a report by the Energy Information Administration released last year projected that drilling in the Pacific, Atlantic or eastern Gulf regions “would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.”
That report indicated that because oil prices are determined on the international market, impact on prices “is expected to be insignificant.” That agency falls under the jurisdiction of President George W. Bush, who himself called for lifting the moratorium last week.
Obama and McCain have decried America’s dependence on foreign oil; the two differ on where to go from there. Besides more drilling, McCain supports expanded use of nuclear energy and investing in alternative energy. Obama would invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, as well as double fuel-efficiency standards within 18 years.
One particular line in the ad is laughable: When the announcer asks, “Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?” the crowd chants Obama’s name. McCain on July 7 delivered a speech in which he said the nation’s dependence on foreign oil was “30 years in the making.”
Jessica Wehrman is the Washington correspondent for the Dayton Daily News.
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Obama leads McCain in new Ohio poll
Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain 48-40 percent in Ohio in a new Public Policy Polling poll.
The poll also shows incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. George Voinovich could be vulnerable to challenge in a 2010 re-election bid.
The poll was released Monday, July 21. Obama led 50-39 percent in PPP’s June poll. The poll is based in Raleigh, N.C.
McCain leads Obama 46-42 percent among white voters but Obama’s 91-6 lead among black voters puts him ahead overall.
“Right now Obama is in a pretty good position in Ohio,” Dean Debnam, PPP president, said in a press release. “His standing with black voters is not surprising, but he is also doing unusually well with white voters in the state.
“Whether he can sustain that level of support or not will probably determine if he can take this state.”
In hypothetical 2010 U.S. Senate matchups, Democratic Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner led Voinovich, 42-38 percent. Voinovich led Democratic Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman, 39-37 percent.
The poll was taken from Thursday, July 17, to Sunday, July 20, with 1,058 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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McCain to speak at Lance Armstrong event
Republican John McCain, a cancer survivor, will be back in Ohio to talk about his plans for dealing with the disease.
McCain is set to appear at a Presidential Town Hall on Cancer at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, at the Ohio State University as part of the LIVESTRONG Summit, sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Cycling champion Armstrong (pictured), seven-time winner of the Tour de France and a cancer survivor, will moderate the event.
The Web site for the summit said Democrat Barack Obama, now on an overseas trip, declined an invitation to attend the summit.
McCain also is expected to attend a fundraiser for his presidential campaign, hosted by Les Wexner, founder of The Limited.
For more information on the LIVESTRONG Summit click here.
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Vets hit the campaign trail for McCain, Obama
While Democrat Barack Obama continues his overseas trip in an effort to boost his foreign policy credentials, veterans backing him and his Republican opponent John McCain are holding dueling press conferences.
Veterans and veterans’ family members backing Obama will hold a press conference in Dayton at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 21, at Memorial Hall, 125 E. First St. At noon in Columbus on Monday, veterans supporting Obama also will hold a press conference
Ohio Veterans for McCain will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. on Monday on Veterans’ Plaza outside the Statehouse in Columbus. The press conference is part of a national effort by veterans supporting McCain.
The press conferences for Obama will counter a McCain campaign ad that attacks Obama’s position on Iraq, said Isaac Baker, Obama campaign spokesman.
Among those participating in the Columbus McCain press conference will be Ohio Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, a retired major in the Marines who served in Vietnam, and Retired Air Force Col. Tom Moe, who was a prisoner-of-war with McCain in North Vietnam.
Also scheduled to participate is state Rep. Josh Mandel, R-Lyndhurst, who served in Iraq with the Marines.
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Voters, arm yourselves!
Project Vote Smart is offering Ohio voters a free 2008 Voter’s Self-Defense Manual, paid for with funding from the Ford and Carnegie foundations.
“The 100-page Voter’s Self-Defense Manual is the first, best step to smart voting,