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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > September > 03
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Palin gives a shout out to Moe
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave a shout out to retired Air Force Col. Tom Moe of Lancaster on national TV on Wednesday.
Moe, an Ohio delegate, served as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam with John McCain. Moe recalls how he used to look through a pinhole in his cell door and see a beaten McCain returning from torture sessions and giving him a thumbs up.
Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, was sitting next to Moe in the front row on Wednesday and said Moe had tears in his eyes and told him, “Jon, I don’t deserve this.”
“We had a convention watching party here and everyone went nuts (when they saw Moe on TV,)” said McCain Ohio spokesman Paul Lindsay.
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Who bikes more: Republicans or Democrats?
Who bikes more: Democrats or Republicans?
During the national political conventions in Denver and St. Paul, folks in both cities have had access to 1,000 free bicycles thanks to Humana Inc., a health insurance company, and Bikes Belong. Odometers on the handlebars keep track of the number of miles ridden.
As of Wednesday afternoon, pedal pushers in the Twin Cities had logged 6,492 miles compared with 26,511 miles logged in the Mile High City during the Democratic Convention.
So do Republicans not like bike riding as much as Democrats?
“Well, we hope that’s not the case,” said Doug Bennett, spokesman for Humana. “We’re bike partisan at Humana. So we don’t look at that one way or the other.”
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Down ballot candidates schmooze
MINNEAPOLIS - Political conventions aren’t just for presidential candidates. Statewide politicians are using exposure here at the Republican National Convention — and earlier in Denver when the Democrats convened - to advance their own careers.
By the end of this week, Ohio delegates will have heard from Republicans who want to be governor, attorney general and state Supreme Court justices, to name a few.
Some of these aspiring office holders are on the agenda to speak at the delegation’s breakfast meetings. Others are here pressing the flesh, networking, and keeping their contacts alive for future races. Among the later group are Rep. Mike Turner of the 3rd Congressional District and state Sen. Steve Austria, who hopes to fill Rep. Dave Hobson’s seat in the 7th Congressional District.
On Wednesday, John Kasich, a former U.S. representative from Columbus got a boost for his yet-to-be-declared 2010 run for the governorship by FOX colleague Sean Hannity, who, when he wasn’t lambasting “Barack ‘Apollo’ Obama,” was calling for Kasich to throw his hat in the ring. For his part, Kasich took dead aim at his likely opponent, Gov. Ted Strickland, calling him a “caretaker” and urging the elimination of the state’s income tax - to loud applause from delegates.
Rob Portman, another former U.S. representative and most recently head of the White House Office of Management and the Budget, is weighing his political options - including a run for the governorship - and making the rounds at delegation meetings on behalf of the McCain campaign.
U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, who enjoys a front-row seat on the convention floor, has been prowling the halls and rubbing elbows as he considers his own race for governor. DeWine lost his Senate seat in 2006 to Sherrod Brown, who was a featured speaker in Denver, pushing the Obama/Biden ticket.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor told Republicans earlier in the week that “I know you’re here to party, but when you get home that’s when the heavy lifting starts.” She’s hoping her fortunes will be lifted by delegates who go home and help get her re-elected.
Justice Evelyn Stratton echoed the plea for help, noting that her campaign “will be lucky” to raise $1 million and she “can’t win with that.” She urged delegates to use the power of SEND - to call, text and email supporters on her behalf.
Mike Crites, a former federal prosecutor, wants the AG’s job - that’s attorney general “not aspiring governor,” he noted, that field already too crowded. He said he wants to “clean up that mess” left by the disgraced Marc Dann, who resigned under a cloud of allegations of sexual harassment.
Dann, of course, promised to clean up the mess left by his Republican predecessor, Jim Petro, who he alleged failed to act on SEC warnings during the Coingate scandal. Petro, who lost to Ken Blackwell during the GOP primary for governor, is also here schmoozing.
The attorney general’s spot, currently held by an actual caretaker, Nancy Rogers, is also in the sights of the state’s Democratic Treasurer Richard Cordray, who used his time at the Dems’ convention in Denver to ask for delegate’s support for his campaign. He returned to the Buckeye State with an endorsement from Barack Obama.
Most of Ohio’s Democratic congressional delegation was on hand in Denver, as was Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, all looking for re-election support back home. Two aspiring congresspersons, Sharen Neuhardt, who is vying for Hobson’s seat, and Jane Mitakides, who would like to unseat Turner, stayed home to campaign.
Jeff Bruce is the Wright State University journalist in residence. He can be reached at jeff@jeffbruce.net.
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15 seconds of fame, sort of
ST. PAUL — When the gavel hammers down to close this evening’s session of the Republican National Convention, it will be in the sure hands of an Ohioan — Rep. John Boehner of West Chester.
However, it is unlikely that anyone in the television viewing audience will see this historic event as it will occur immediately following the speech by Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential running mate, and the TV cameras will doubtless be turned to the networks’ own commentators dissecting the Alaska governor’s remarks.
Such has often been the fate of Ohioans during this convention season. Gov. Ted Strickland had the misfortune of following the keynote address by former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner at the Democratic National Convention in Denver and his remarks went unviewed on most television sets.
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Obama promises to pass equal pay for equal work legislation
Democrat Barack Obama brought his campaign for president to rural, eastern Ohio with a promise to help women by passing “equal pay for equal work” legislation when he is president.
He said he has two “wonderful daughters” and wants to make sure they get a fair shake.
“I want to make sure they are treated equally,” he said on Wednesday, Sept. 3. He spoke in a sunny courtyard to about 250 invited guests” at Kent State University’s campus near New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County.
“I’m thrilled with that,” Kelly Dafler, who grew up in New Lebanon, said. Dafler, who owns a dog training company, came from the Massillon area to hear Obama.
It’s a part of the state where Obama needs to improve his performance. In Tuscarawas County, Hillary Clinton defeated him 63-33 percent in Ohio’s March 4 Democratic presidential primary.
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Kasich on Palin
Former U.S. representative and likely 2010 Ohio gubernatorial contender John Kasich of Columbus gave a fiery defense of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at a breakfast for Ohio Republican delegates.
Kasich, a Fox commentator who left Congress in 2000, said he believes the media is “in the tank” for Barack Obama.
“I thought that was bad,” he said. “But that pales in comparison to the media’s treatment of the governor of Alaska. I think that represents blatant sexism. How dare they accuse her of not managing her family and her job?”
He said Bristol Palin, who is 17 and five months pregnant, “has been vetted more than Barack Obama.”
He also gave a preview of what will likely be his gubernatorial stump speech, calling Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland a “caretaker” of the office who is doing little to help Ohio’s economy.
“Ohio’s in trouble, and it needs to be fixed,” he said.
Lest you are curious about Kasich’s ambitions, Fox news commentator Sean Hannity thanked Kasich, calling him “the next governor of the state of Ohio.”
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AG candidate Crites makes a great show and tell exhibit
Republican Attorney General candidate D. Michael Crites, talking to the Ohio Republican delegates in the Twin Cities this week, recalled Wednesday, Sept. 3, one of the prouder moments of his public service career.
It was 1986. Crites had just been nominated by President Ronald Reagan to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. His proud daughter asked if she could bring him into school for show and tell.
She introduced her father as D. Michael Crites. “And he works as a federal prostitutor,” she told her class.
“The kids were impressed,” Crites recalled. “The teacher was not.”
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Ohio delegation fundraising hits $27,000
That’s according to Fran DeWine, a Cedarville delegate and the wife of former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, who has spearheaded a fundraising drive to help those affected by Hurricane Gustav.
She said that delegates have pledged or given up to $17,000, including $1,000 pledges from the DeWine family, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park.
She’s already secured $10,000 in matching funds from sponsors of a Sunday night paddleboat cruise hosted by Voinovich. She said she’s hoping she can get those sponsors to match the $17,000 raised.
The money will go to the American Red Cross’ hurricane relief fund.
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Buckeye chant shuts up Swann
Former Republican Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate - and former Pittsburgh Steeler - Lynn Swann briefly veered off path Wednesday, Sept. 3 to talk football with the Ohio GOP delegates.
Bad idea. Swann, flirting with a little trash talk about the Ohio State Buckeyes, was quieted by chants of “O-H…IO” by the crowd. The chant went on four or five times before Swann got to command the attention of the delegates again.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s just make sure tonight when Gov. Palin is speaking that we hear that ‘Go Ohio,” he said.
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Surrogate City at Ohio GOP breakfast
U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., followed Pataki, firing up the crowd with strong words of support for Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Now it’s Lynn Swann’s turn. The former Pittsburgh Steeler and Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate is talking about covering the Iditarod sled race as a sports announcer.
“I’ve been to Wasilla,” he said. “I’ve seen that town. It’s small. But I tell you, you’ve gotta have some grit to be there, folks.”
He called Palin “a woman who stands for reform and change and who has gotten it done.”
Surrogates have been unanimous in having high praise for the embattled Palin, who has faced headlines about her desire for earmarks and her daughter’s personal life since she was nominated. All are touting her as a reformer who has taken on the Republican establishment. They’re preaching to the choir, however: The Ohio GOP delegates have been unanimously supportive of Palin and have said they’ve been energized by the pick, despite the headlines.
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Pataki kicks off Ohio GOP delegation breakfast
Ohio Republicans were treated to a slew of John McCain surrogates Wednesday, Sept. 3, with New York Gov. George Pataki leading off a pack of speakers tasked by McCain with firing up the GOP masses gathered in the Twin Cities.
Pataki, a Republican, said the kind of change Democratic nominee Barack Obama is pushing will ultimately hurt Ohio.
“Barack Obama is going to raise taxes on every one of us,” he said to applause, “and we cannot let that happen to the people of America.”
Pataki also pushed national security, saying that troops in Iraq needed to be allowed to finish the job.
And he criticized Democrats’ message of reform.
“Their big thing is reform. Oh, they’re going reform things,” he said. “Two years ago, they said the same thing when they took over the House and the Senate. Oh, yeah, they reformed things. They’re the least popular legislature in the history of the United States of America.”
He had high words for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying she “didn’t talk about reform. She took on the establishment. She took on the most important peole in the state. She took on the most important people in her party.”
