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November 2008
“Joe the Plumber” becomes “Joe the Pitchman”
“Joe the Plumber” has become “Joe the Pitchman.”
Samuel Joseph - “Joe the Plumber” - Wurzelbacher of suburban Toledo became a major figure in the Ohio presidential campaign when he questioned Democrat Barack Obama’s tax plan and endorsed Republican John McCain.
Now he’s appearing in a Toledo company’s online video alerting people to the need to convert analog TVs to digital. To see Joe in action, click here.
Here’s an Associated Press story on Joe’s new gig with VelocityStore.com:
TOLEDO, OH- Northwest Ohio’s “Joe the Plumber” is appearing in a Toledo company’s online video reminding people to convert analog TVs to digital.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher also tells viewers of the VelocityStore.com ad that they can apply for a federal government coupon for $40 off the cost of a converter box.
The plumber who became a supporting player in the presidential campaign says in the video that it isn’t about politics but about “doing the right thing.”
Elsewhere on its site, VelocityStore.com has five converter box models for sale, ranging in price from $40 up to $81.88.
Company president Stephen Holland says Wurzelbacher is being compensated for his celebrity sponsorship, though he doesn’t say how much the Web retailer is paying.
TweetHow to pay for vets’ bonuses - cash or credit?
Ohio has provided cash bonuses to veterans of previous wars but this year Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and the Republican-controlled state legislature can’t agree on how to provide bonuses to veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War and the continuing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Strickland wants to do it the way it’s been done in previous wars - give voters a chance to approve bonds that would allow the state to borrow money for the bonuses.
House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, says the state shouldn’t borrow more money but should pay for bonuses out of existing state funds. Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, at first favored bonds but now says he’ll go along with Husted in an effort to get the bonuses to veterans by Christmas.
The plan most talked about would provide bonuses up to $1,000 for veterans who served in the conflicts and bonuses up to $500 for veterans who served elsewhere during the conficts. Also, family members of those killed in action would receive $5,000.
Here’s your chance to join the debate.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetBob Taft joins Great Lakes organization
Republican Bob Taft is back in the public eye, although not in the spotlight like he was as Ohio governor.
Taft, governor from 1999-2007, this month was elected to the board of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which calls itself the “oldest citizens, Great Lakes organization.”
The group works to conserve and restore the Great Lakes through public policy, education and hands-on efforts.
While Taft was governor and serving as chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, he was responsible for launching the Great Lakes Compact, recently signed into law by all eight Great Lakes states and at the White House, a press release said.
Currently, Taft is distinguished research associate at the University of Dayton.
TweetDebate over bailout for auto industry coming to Statehouse
The debate over bailing out the domestic auto industry may be coming to the Ohio Statehouse.
State Sen. Dale Miller, D-Cleveland, said on Wednesday, Nov. 26, that next week he will introduce a resolution “concerning support for the U.S. automotive industry.” The resolution is expected to encourage Congress to support a financial bailout for the troubled industry.
“America cannot lose its domestic automotive industry,” Miller said in a press release. “Too many jobs are at stake and we cannot be a great nation without a strong manufacturing base. We must take decisive action to help and require our domestic manufacturers to do their part to get their house in order.”
Miller said he would introduce the resolution on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Such resolutions aren’t legally binding but are used to show Congress what voters back home are thinking.
Representatives from the auto industry and labor unions will join him at a Wednesday press conference at 11:45 a.m. at the Statehouse, Miller said.
TweetIs Blackwell back?
The Hotline and the Atlantic are reporting this morning that former Ohio secretary of state Ken Blackwell is now considering a bid for Republican National Committee chair.
Blackwell lost his bid for Ohio governor in 2006, and has been writing at Town Hall and heading up the Coalition for a Conservative Majority.
They report that if he were to be a candidate for the RNC gig, two African Americans would vie to be one of the party’s leading voices during an Obama administration.
Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor, is also in the mix.
TweetPoll: Whither Bush tax cuts?
President-elect Barack Obama this morning tapped a team aimed at helping the nation recover from its current economic crisis, but wouldn’t say whether or not he plans on repealing President Bush’s tax cuts.
Obama said he planned to stick with a campaign pledge to reduce taxes for 95 percent of the population, raising them for people who earn more than $250,000 a year. But he didn’t directly answer whether he plans to let President Bush’s tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 or use legislation to repeal them before that. So how those tax cuts play into what he proposes remains unclear.
“The basic principal is that we’re going to provide tax cuts to the vast majority of the American middle class who have been struggling over the last eight years, and those who benefited disproportionately will pay a little bit more,” he said.
So we’ll kick the question over to you:
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetTerm limits hammer Dayton area: Should they be changed?
The Dayton area will lost most of its clout in the state legislature next year because of term limits. I did a column on Sunday, Nov. 23 in the Dayton Daily News on what’s going to happen next year but here’s the short version.
House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Speaker Pro Tem Kevin DeWine, R-Fairborn, both will leave the House because of term limits.
Jeff Jacobson already has resigned from the Senate where he was president pro tem, the number two job. He also was termed out.
Next year, the only Dayton area lawmaker with a major power position will be Sen. Keith Faber, R-Celina, who will be Senate majority leader, the number three spot. Faber’s district includes Darke County and parts of Auglaize and Preble counties.
Term limits restrict House members to four consecutive two-year terms and senators to two consecutive four-year terms.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetFour more workers disciplined in “Joe the Plumber” snooping case
Four more senior staffers in the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services got taken to the state woodshed on Friday, Nov. 21 in the “Joe the Plumber” snooping case. Two were suspended without pay - one for four weeks, a second for two weeks.
The action comes a day after Gov. Ted Strickland suspended department director Helen Jones-Kelley of Clayton for a month without pay. Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles found that Jones-Kelley improperly authorized searches of state databases to get information on Samuel Jospeh - “Joe the Plumber” - Wurzelbacher and improperly used her state e-mail account to raise money for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The staffers and their punishment, handed out by Jan Allen, acting department director:
*Fred Williams, assistant director
Two weeks unpaid suspension
Specific professional development counseling
Agency-wide ethics training
*Doug Thompson, deputy director of child support
Four weeks unpaid suspension
Specific professional development counseling
Agency-wide ethics training
Paul Fraunholtz, deputy director of family stability
Written reprimand
Specific professional development counseling
Agency-wide ethics training
Judi Cicatiello, deputy director of unemployment compensation
Written reprimand
Specific professional development counseling
Agency-wide ethics training
In his report, Inspector General Charles said that Williams and Thompson, who like Jones-Kelley formerly worked in Montgomery County, met with Kelley before she decided to authorize searches on child support, unemployment compensation and public assistance.
Thompson also “orchestrated” and e-mail to the department chief privacy officer in an attempt “to deceive as there was no agency function or purpose for accessing Wurzelbacher’s records,” the report said.
Fraunholtz and Cicatiello oversaw two of the confidential databases accessed to collect information on Wurzelbacher, the report said, and were responsible for “ensuring that access to these databases is limited to the furtherance of the agency’s functions or purposes.”
State Rep. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, who is preparing legislation to clamp down on government snooping, said Williams and Thompson should be fired.
TweetAuditor Mary Taylor calls for dismissal of Jones-Kelley
State Auditor Mary Taylor, the top-ranking nonjudicial Republican in Ohio, has called for Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to fire or ask for the resignation of Helen Jones-Kelley, the embattled director of the Department of Job and Family Services.
Taylor on Thursday, Nov. 20, joined two other top Republicans - House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Senate President Bill Harris - in calling for Strickland to dismiss Jones-Kelley, 57, of Clayton.
Strickland suspended Jones-Kelley for a month without pay on Thursday after a State Inspector General’s report found that she improperly authorized searches on state databases on Samuel Joseph - “Joe the Plumber” - Wurzelbacher - and also improperly used her state e-mail account for political purposes.
“We need to restore accountability and transparency in government and send a message to Ohioans that the misuse and abuse of personal information will not be tolerated,” Taylor said in a press release. “Government leaders need to be responsible for the actions of their employees…”
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetAustria elected president of GOP freshman class in Congress
Congressman-elect Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, was elected president of the Republican Freshmen Class in the 111th Congress. Austria was elected on Nov. 4 and will replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dave Hobson, R-Springfield, in January.
“I’m excited to be part of a very talented and focused freshman class, which has many good ideas to address the problems we face. The elections are over and our work in Congress has already begun. As the class president, I will work with my colleagues to find commonality and move those important issues forward,” Austria said.
Republican Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, issued the following statement today, Nov. 20, congratulating Austria.
“Representative-elect Steve Austria will be a strong leader for freshman Republicans, and I look forward to working with him. Steve’s work in the Ohio legislature on tax and tort reform will be valuable as House Republicans craft solutions to the serious challenges facing our nation. Steve’s constituents in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District will be well served through this leadership role.”
TweetSmoking ban may be weakened
A new bill up for debate in the Ohio Senate would gut the indoor smoking ban that Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved two years ago.
If Senate Bill 346 were to become law, family-owned businesses, factories, retail stores, bowling alleys and offices as well as private clubs would be allowed to decide whether to permit smoking in their establishments, according to SmokeFreeOhio, a coalition of public health groups.
“I would vote for it if it were to come up for a vote,” said state Sen. Tom Roberts, D-Dayton.
Roberts, who is one of 13 co-sponsors of the bill, said he has heard from members of private clubs who thought smoking would still be allowed in their VFW halls and the like. And family-owned bars and restaurants have complained that the smoking ban is too burdensome, he said.
American Cancer Society chief lobbyist John Hoctor said a recent survey by Midwest Communications shows that 97 percent of voters who favored the new law knew what they were voting for.
Ohio voters passed Issue 5, an indoor smoking ban for all workplaces, by 59 percent. They defeated a proposed constitutional amendment, supported by Big Tobacco and private clubs, that would have allowed for exemptions for clubs, bars, bowling alleys and bingo halls by 64 percent.
Tracy Sabetta, who worked on the 2006 campaign, said the results clearly showed voters wanted a comprehensive smoking ban and did not want one with exemptions.
Sabetta said she doubts most Ohio voters even know that the lawmakers are considering the bill.
It’s unlikely that the bill will pass this year. But it is expected to be re-introduced next year.
“If this passes, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to remain a smoke free state,” Hoctor said.
Ohio is among two dozen states that have smoking bans. Two more states are on the verge of implementing bans.
Sponsors of the bill include: Robert Schuler, R-Cincinnati, Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, Steve Buehrer, R-Delta, Capri Cafaro, D-Warren, Gary Cates, R-West Chester, Tim Grendell, R-Chesterland, Larry Mumper, R-Marion, Joy Padgett, R-Cochocton, Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, Shirley Smith, D-Cleveland, Robert Spada, R-North Royalton, and Roberts.
TweetStrickland, other governors urge U.S. aid for auto industry
Gov. Ted Strickland joined seven other governors today, Nov. 19, in urging congressional leaders to approve legislation directing $25 billion in loans to automakers and component suppliers.
“Because a bankruptcy in the auto industry during these troubling economic times would be crippling to efforts to immediately grow the economy, and because U.S. auto makers will be a critical component in developing an alternative energy industry in America, we urge Congress to pass this legislation immediately,” said a letter from the governors.
Their states would suffer from the industry’s collapse, the letter said:
“Governors have already struggled to manage state economies that have seen the loss of more than 1.2 million jobs in the first ten months of 2008. Further losses wold continue to depress an already fragile national economy, and would create an emergency situation in already struggling state economies.”
In an e-mail to reporters that accompanied the letter, Strickland’s office emphasized the loan’s importance to Ohio:
Ohio auto industry facts:
There are 44 Ohio counties reporting 500 or more employees directly related to motor vehicle assembly or parts production. (SOURCE: County Business Patterns - U.S. Bureau of the Census 2006)
Total Automotive employment in Ohio: 127,000 (2006)
Of those 127,000, 28,000 are auto assembly and the remainder, 99,000, are in various parts supply.
The letter went to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Other governors signing the letter were: Jennifer Granholm, Michigan; Rod Blagojevich, Illinois; David Paterson, New York; M. Michael Rounds, South Dakota; Ruth Ann Miner, Delaware; Steven L. Beshar, Kentucky and Jim Doyle, Wisconsin.
TweetBoehner keeps House Minority Leader post
By Josh Sweigart Staff Writer
U.S. Rep. John Boehner will remain House Minority Leader.
In a closed door vote among House republicans today, Nov. 19, the West Chester Twp. Republican retained the post he won in two years ago.
The 59-year-old Boehner’s sole challenger was California Rep. Dan Lungren.
Lungren pushed for the closed door session so the lawmakers could have a frank discussion about leadership and the future of the party after recent losses to Democrats in the legislative and executive branches.
“The months ahead will present Republicans with an unprecedented opportunity to renew our drive for smaller, more accountable government and present positive solutions to the challenges facing the American people,” Boehner said in a prepared statement. “We have to seize this opportunity, and seize it together. I’m deeply honored my colleagues have placed their faith in me and the newly-elected members of our team to lead this effort.
“To rebuild the party, the energy has to come from us. And I will challenge all of you.”
The Republican caucus under Boehner will look a little different this year, with 20 fewer members after the November election and some new leadership.
TweetNew Ohio House Speaker-elect says he’ll pay attention to Dayton
New Ohio House Speaker-elect Armond Budish may be from the Cleveland area but he says he knows about Dayton and how important Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is to the region.
After a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 19, Budish told the Dayton Daily
News that WPAFB is a “wonderful resource” and a major “job creator” for the area. Although there are no Dayton-area members in the new House Democratic leadership, Budish said the region wouldn’t be neglected.
He said state Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, would play a “major role” in the House next year.
House Democrats on Wednesday, Nov. 18, chose Budish, 55, a lawyer from the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, as their leader. That puts him in line to become the first Democratic Ohio House Speaker in 14 years when a new legislature takes office in January.
At the news conference, Budish said “my top priority is economic development and jobs.”
He also said he wants to improve workforce development efforts. Now some jobs are available but employers have to go out of state to get qualified applicants, he said.
Budish also called for doing more to help cities.
He will replace Rep. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, as speaker. Husted is term-limited and has been elected to the Senate.
TweetArmond Budish to be next Ohio House Speaker
Armond Budish, 55, a lawyer from the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, is in line to become the first Democratic Ohio House speaker since 1994.
House Democrats on Tuesday, Nov. 18, chose Budish as their leader, paving the way for his elevation to speaker when the new legislature convenes in January.
“I am proud and humbled to lead our caucus into the next General Assembly as we continue the work to turn around Ohio,” Budish (pictured) said in a press release.
“We partnered with Governor Strickland over the past two years to lay the groundwork for positive change.” He pledged to work with Republicans and Democrats to help Ohio.
“I think he will be an excellent speaker,” said veteran state Rep. Bob Hagan, D-Youngstown, one of the few Democrats who previously served in the majority.
“He reaches out to all the members, both older and new.”
Budish will replace Rep. Jon Husted, R-Kettering as speaker. Husted was term limited in the House and has been elected to the state Senate. There are no Dayton area members in the new House majority leadership.
Democrats won control of the House on Nov. 4 and will have a majority of at least 51-48, pending final vote tallies that could expand the majority to 53-46.
Other members of the Democratic leadership team: speaker pro tem, Matt Szollosi, Oregon; majority floor leader, Jennifer Garrison, Marietta; assistant majority floor leader, Tracy Maxwell Heard, Columbus; majority whip, Jay Goyal, Mansfield and assistant majority whip, Allan Sayre, Dover.
TweetLocal legislators still taking calls for inauguration tickets despite high demand
Millions of people are expected to attend the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama on Jan. 20 in Washington and most lawmakers have already received more requests for tickets than they can handle.
An article in the Tuesday’s Washington Post said officials are bracing for up to 4 million to attend the event.
“We’ve been swamped with calls, said Garrette Silverman, press secretary for U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio.
Megan Dubyak, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said Brown’s office has received requests for 20,000 tickets.
“We’re still taking requests and the fastest way to request tickets is going through our Web site at www.brown.senate.gov,” Dubyak said.
Jessica Towhey, press secretary to U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, said Boehner’s office has received about 1,500 ticket requests. There have been more than 2,000 requests submitted to the office of U.S. Rep. Michael Turner, R-Centerville.
House offices are being limited to 198 tickets apiece and most had stopped taking requests. Senate offices were expecting up to 400 tickets each. Legitimate tickets are only available from members of Congress.
Sarah Perkins, press secretary for retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson, R-Springfield, said people can still get on their list for tickets. Hobson’s office will give the list to incoming representative Steve Austria’s office in early January.
The tickets are for the spaces closest to the Capitol. Tickets will not be required for access to the rest of the National Mall and the parade route. Since the Mall is 300 acres, large screens will show the ceremony for those too far from the stage.
Jen Diener of AAA Miami Valley says there is a package deal available for those wishing to attend the inauguration. The package includes transportation from Dayton and two-night hotel accommodations. The buses will leave Dayton on Jan. 19. and prices range from $550-$850 per person. The AAA package does not include tickets to the swearing in. People still must get those through legislative offices.
For information and reservations for the AAA package, call 937-224-2888.
Offices to call for ticket info:
U.S. Sen. Brown: (888) 896-6446
U.S. Sen. Voinovich:(202) 224-3353
U.S. Rep. Turner: (937) 225-2843
U.S. Rep. Boehner: (800) 582-1001
U.S. Rep. Hobson: (937) 325-0474
TweetFaber wins Ohio Senate leadership post
Celina’s Keith Faber may help fill some of the power shortage the Dayton area will face next year in the Ohio legislature.
Senate Republicans on Tuesday, Nov. 18, chose Faber for the number three leadership post, majority floor leader. Faber (pictured) will join Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, and Speaker Pro Tem Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond who will hold the top two spots.
Sen. Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills, will fill the number four leadership spot, majority whip.
Celina isn’t right next door to Dayton but Faber’s Senate district includes Allen, Champaign, Darke, Mercer, Shelby and portions of Auglaize and Preble counties.
Next year the Dayton area will have fewer members in top leadership spots in the House and Senate.
House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and House Speaker Pro Tem Kevin DeWine, R-Fairborn, will be gone from the House due to term limits.
Jeff Jacobson already has resigned from the Senate where he held the number two spot, president pro tem. Husted will take Jacobson’s Senate seat but won’t have a leadership spot.
Faber is an attorney who continues to maintain a private practice. He and his wife, Andrea, live in Celina with their two young children.
Republicans will continue to control the Senate, 21-12.
TweetPeggy Lehner takes Ohio Senate seat
Republican Peggy Lehner proved she has a sense of humor after being sworn into the Ohio Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
“I promise not to make my speech too long because my term might run out,” Lehner (pictured) said.
Lehner, a former Kettering city councilwoman, will serve through the end of the year to finish the term of Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., who resigned to become a public policy consultant.
In January Lehner will move to the Ohio House and current Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, will take the 6th District Senate seat.
Husted was elected to the Senate in November when Lehner won an election to the House in the district Husted now represents, the 37th.
TweetGOP Chief Bennett comes to Kevin DeWine’s defense
Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett is speaking up for Deputy GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine, who’s expected to take over as party chairman next January.
In a message to members of the state GOP Central and Executive Committee and county Republican chairmen on Monday, Nov. 17, Bennett defended DeWine’s post-election analysis of why Republicans took so many losses.
GOP social conservatives were upset by news accounts of DeWine’s Nov. 6 analysis that reported DeWine said the GOP must focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.
“Kevin said nothing more than that our party needs to restore its conservative credibility on fiscal issues,” Bennett wrote. “We lost this election because voters did not trust us to fix the economy.”
He also said DeWine’s comments were taken out of context.
Bennett also said that most polls showed that in this election “social issues ranked at the bottom of the list in most cases, sometimes not ranking at all.
“That’s not to say they aren’t important. They just weren’t the driving issues in this election, and we lost because we failed to connect on the issues that were.”
He also warned them to avoid “the kind of infighting that sent the Ohio Democratic Party wandering in the political wilderness for nearly two decades.” The GOP “will meet a similar fate if we allow these small-minded tactics to continue,” he said.
Here’s Bennett’s message:
“Like you, I received numerous emails over the past week regarding Kevin DeWine’s post-election comments about the future of the Republican Party.
“I waited to weigh in on the situation because I felt that Kevin deserved the opportunity to address the matter before I said anything.
“I attended the news conference at which Kevin gave his analysis of the election, and I can tell you his comments are being greatly twisted out of context by people looking to generate a phony controversy.
“Kevin said nothing more than that our party needs to restore its conservative credibility on fiscal issues. We lost this election because voters did not trust us to fix the economy. On poll after poll, including our own, voters overwhelmingly cited job loss and the economy as their primary concerns.
“Social issues ranked at the bottom of the list in most cases, sometimes not even ranking at all. That’s not to say they aren’t important. They just weren’t the driving issues in this election, and we lost because we failed to connect on the issues that were.
“That’s the point Kevin made at the news conference, and I agree with him completely. Unfortunately, these comments were presented in news reports without context, and the ringleader of one particular group saw an opportunity to drive a wedge. I should add that this person never bothered to contact Kevin, myself, or any member of the staff before firing off her email campaign.
“We should have no tolerance for this kind of divisive and destructive behavior. It is exactly the kind of infighting that sent the Ohio Democratic Party wandering in the political wilderness for nearly two decades, and we will meet a similar fate if we allow these small-minded tactics to continue.
“Kevin has done an outstanding job preparing to take over the helm of this party. He has spent countless hours and driven thousands of miles getting to know our grassroots leaders, contributors, and volunteers. I am very proud of the work he’s done to prepare for his new role as chairman.
“I can say first-hand that leading a major battleground state political party is never easy, but Kevin has the skills and the temperament to be an outstanding chair. More importantly, he has the overwhelming confidence and support of our party leadership - especially after these misguided attacks.
“Please let your contacts know the truth and remind them to get all the facts before rushing to conclusions in the future. Let’s get back to work. ”
TweetKevin DeWine mends fences with “values voters” in GOP
Kevin DeWine, deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, has been mending fences with “values voters” in the GOP who took issue with reports of DeWine’s post-election analysis of why Republicans got their clocks cleaned on Nov. 4.
At a Nov. 6 news conference DeWine (pictured), also a state representative from Fairborn, said the GOP needed to focus more on economic issues that were key in the election.
In a letter addressed to Republican leaders on Friday, Nov. 14, DeWine stressed his commitment to values issues but also said the party must pay attention to economic issues to succeed. He urged Republicans to stay united, using a passage from the Gospel of Matthew:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” - Matthew 12:25
Here’s DeWine’s letter:
November 14, 2008
Dear Republican Leader,
“I hope you’ll accept my sincere apology for the emails or phone calls you might have received about my post-election comments regarding the future of our party.
“Unfortunately, some people would rather shoot first and ask questions later. The people criticizing me publicly and spreading this misinformation never bothered to call for any verification or context of my remarks, so allow me to clarify before this debate gets out of hand.
“Two days after the election, I met with members of the media to discuss the results and some of the lessons learned. When asked why I thought we lost, I cited a number of factors, including the political environment, the fundraising disparity, the media bias and, of course, the economy.
“In reference to the economy, I told the press we simply lost our credibility on the fiscal conservatism that attracted millions of Americans to the Republican Party under the leadership of Ronald Reagan. When the overwhelming majority of voters in exit polls said the economy was the deciding issue in this presidential race and a clear majority of voters gave Democrats total control of Washington to fix the problem, it’s hard to argue that our message is working.
“We lost almost every demographic group in this election. According to exit polls, Barack Obama won women voters by 13 points; young voters by 34 points; African-American voters by 91 points; Latino voters by 34 points; first-time voters by 37 points; and voters making less than $100,000 a year by 12 points. Those are astounding numbers, and every group cited the economy as their central concern.
“We have serious work to do as a party if we plan to win back a majority of voters on the pocketbook issues impacting Ohio families. I told the reporters last week that we need a balanced agenda focused on restoring our conservative principles to every aspect of government - from the economy and health care to energy and immigration. Perhaps I could have stated my argument more effectively, but I did not say, as some have ridiculously claimed, that we should yield the fight on values or purge our platform of life and family issues.
“I spent eight years in the General Assembly advancing pro-family legislation such as the Defense of Marriage Act and at least six major pro-life reform bills. The executive director of Ohio Right to Life recently credited my “perfect voting record on abortion issues.” Since I became deputy chairman of this party, I’ve met with dozens of pro-family leaders to discuss candidate recruitment, outreach and volunteer support.
“”Every candidate I’ve talked with about a possible statewide bid in 2010 has a solid record on pro-life and pro-family issues. And several respected social conservative leaders contacted me this week to convey appreciation and support of my view that we cannot build a lasting majority on single issues alone.
“Our recently adopted national party platform contains nine chapters, one of which is titled “Values.” My concern is that our party has failed to lead on the other eight. Unfortunately, my inbox is full of angry, hateful emails from people who did not hear this argument in context, and I’ve been called everything from a coward to a Democrat as a result. It’s not hard sometimes to see why many people don’t feel welcome in the Republican Party.
“I appreciate those of you who expressed your support for learning the lessons of this election and returning our party to its core values. Ten days ago, Democrats took total control of our federal government. That will not change if we are content to only fight ourselves.”
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” - Matthew 12:25
Sincerely,
Kevin DeWine
Deputy Chairman
TweetAP: California rep challenges Boehner for GOP leader job
According to the Associated Press, U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif. (right), is challenging U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, to lead the House Republicans.
The GOP lost 20 House seats in the Nov. 4 election.
“The selection of our leadership will reflect the initial reaction of House Republicans to the recent verdict of the American people,” Lungren said. “It is neither in the interest of our party or the advancement of our conservative principles to simply affirm the status quo by acclamation in light of what happened on Nov. 4th.”
Boehner is still heavily favored to hold onto the post.
In reaction, Boehner said that “Dan Lungren is a respected member of our conference and a man deeply committed to the principles that have defined our party since the beginning.”
TweetOhio ACLU calls on Strickland to act in “Joe the Plumber” case
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Friday, Nov. 14, called on Gov. Ted Strickland and other state officials to enact regulations protecting private information kept on state data bases in the wake of the “Joe the Plumber” controversy.
(See earlier blog post on State Rep. Shannon Jones’ proposed legislation).
“Gov. Strickland must not delay in taking immediate action to guarantee there will be no further violation of Ohioans’ privacy,” ACLU of Ohio executive director Cheryl Link said in a press release. “He must mandate that every department head in the state have a privacy protection plan that they implement and are accountable for.”
State Rep. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, is preparing legislation to address the issue and it should be ready for introduction week after next, Jones said Friday.
The ACLU first pressed for action after it was revealed that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services conducted a search on Samuel Joseph - “Joe the Plumber” - Wurzelbacher, the ACLU press release said.
Tweet“Joe the Plumber” legislation in the works - updated
State Rep. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, is working on legislation aimed at making sure other Ohioans don’t face the kind of state government snooping that Samuel Joseph - “Joe the Plumber” - Wurzelbacher (pictured with Barack Obama) was subjected to during the presidential campaign.
Gov. Ted Strickland would be willing to look at such a proposal but believes it is important to consider what Inspector General Tom Charles comes up with in his probe of the “Joe the Plumber” situation, Keith Dailey, Strickland’s spokesman, said on Friday, Nov. 14.
(More on Charles’ investigation below).
Jones said on Friday that the legislation should be ready for consideration week after next and hopes it can be approved before the legislature leaves for the year. House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, gave her the OK to proceed, she said.
“This is a foundational issue,” Jones said. “Government ought not be used for mud-raking expeditions. This looks like it was done for political purposes.”
The legislation will seek to make sure that citizens’ private information is kept only for legitimate government purposes, that there are sound procedures in place to protect the information and real accountability if policies and procedures aren’t followed, Jones said.
Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles is investigating the use of a state computer in the Job and Family Services Department to gather personal information on Wurzelbacher, including whether he owed child support. Wurzelbacher said he didn’t.
Department director Helen Jones-Kelley said there was nothing wrong with the check and suggested it was common practice for her department to do research on Ohioans in the news.
The search occurred after Wurzelbacher emerged as a key figure in the presidential race by questioning Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s tax policies.
Charles also is investigating Jones-Kelley’s alleged use of her state e-mail account to raise money for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Gov. Ted Strickland has placed Jones-Kelley on paid administrative leave pending Charles’ investigation.
Charles earlier had said the investigation might be finished this week but on Friday said it still was in the works.
TweetGM asks employees to lobby lawmakers
This from Cox Washington bureau colleague Chris Megerian:
General Motors is marshaling its dwindling number of employees to lobby their congressional representatives for government support to keep the company running.
“Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis,” General Motors North America President Troy Clarke wrote in an email dated Nov. 12.
Congress is expected to return for a lame duck session next week, and top Democratic lawmakers have already expressed their support for more aid. Additional support could include more additional government loans or access to funding through the Treasury’s $700 billion financial industry bailout.
The e-mail includes a script for phone conversations and a series of talking points on the importance of the auto industry. In the documents, the company portrays itself as attempting to transform its business in the midst of a financial crisis outside its control.
“We cannot sustain our industry because of the worst financial crisis to hit our country in over half a century,” reads the phone script. “We run the risk of losing all of the gains we’ve made over the years to make our company more competitive and to build new technologies and cars that will benefit consumers and improve our nation’s energy security.”
Clarke also emphasized the importance of the auto industry to the economy as a whole.
“Because of our economic contribution, the cost of allowing this industry to fail would be catastrophic,” he wrote.
General Motors’ latest financial report underscored the urgency of its plea for help. At its current rate, the company could burn through its $16.2 billion in cash reserves in less than a year.
TweetVoinovich: Give U.S. automakers some of the financial bailout package
Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, co-chairman of the Senate Auto Caucus, Thursday, Nov. 13, said he believes some of the $700 billion financial bailout package should be set aside to help U.S. automakers.
“The senator believes helping the automakers remain viable is truly putting Main Street over Wall Street,” said Chris Paulitz, a Voinovich spokesman, who said Voinovich is working with Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on a letter urging colleagues to support such support.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has also signaled his support for helping U.S. automakers.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetVoters “can’t get no satisfaction”
American voters are ready to join Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.
Like the timeless rockers, the voters “can’t get no satisfaction.”
A Quinnipiac University poll released today, Nov. 13, found that 82 percent of voters were “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the nation today.
Just 16 percent were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied.”
The dissatisfaction looks like it will translate into stingy holiday shopping. The poll found that 62 percent of voters said that because of the economy they will cut back on buying holiday gifts.
“Happy days aren’t here again, at least not yet. Americans plan to zip up their wallets in an economy they rate as terrible,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.
Nobody said the economy was “excellent” while just 4 percent ranked it as “good.” Another 37 percent said it was “not so good” and 58 percent said it was “poor.” The 95 percent negative rating was an all-time low for the poll.
The poll found that 30 percent of voters worried most about being able to afford retirement, including 38 percent of voters 35-54 years old.
Other areas of spending in which voters are likely to cut back:
*48 percent, reduce charitable giving.
*62 percent, cut back on vacations.
*39 percent, cut back on home heating and cooling.
*62 percent, reduce spending on entertainment and leisure.
*64 percent, dine out less.
The poll was taken from Thursday, Nov. 6, to Monday, Nov. 10, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
For full poll results, click here.
TweetSenate Democrats name new leadership team
Ohio Senate Democrats on Wednesday, Nov. 12, picked state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Warren as their new leader, passing over state Sen. Tom Roberts, D-Dayton.
“I would have loved to have done it but we wanted to be united in our caucus,” Roberts said.
Joining Cafaro on the leadership team will be Shirley Smith of Cleveland as assistant leader, Ray Miller of Columbus as minority whip and Jason Wilson of Bridgeport as assistant minority whip.
The Democrats hold 12 of 33 seat in the Ohio Senate.
Next week, the Senate Republicans will fill two holes created by the resignations of state Sens. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., and Bob Spada, R-North Royalton.
State Rep. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville, who won Spada’s seat, will be sworn in and begin serving in the Senate during the upcoming lame duck session. Kettering City Councilwoman Peggy Lehner, who will succeed Jon Husted in the Ohio House beginning in January, will fill Jacobson’s seat for the last few weeks of the current legislative session before moving over to the House.
TweetGOP leaders clash over Ohio House election results
Kevin DeWine, deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, and state Rep. William Batchelder, R-Medina, who wants to be House minority leader, sharply disagree about one reason why Republicans lost control of the Ohio House in the Nov. 4 election.
Last week DeWine, also a state representative from Fairborn, cited a House Republic “caucus civil war” involving Batchelder and Rep. Matt Dolan, R-Novelty, as one reason the GOP lost control. Batchelder and Dolan both aspired to be Speaker but after the election Dolan said he would not seek the minority leader post.
Batchelder still is seeking the minority leader post and said on Tuesday, Nov. 11, that the decision by the caucus is expected to be made on Thursday, Nov. 13.
DeWine told reporters last week that the “civil war” “served to distract the staff, the candidates and the members from doing the task at hand.”
“They were more interested in many instances in trying to figure out their position on the totem poll and who they were best friends with than they were trying to put the resources and time and effort into electing as many Republican candidates as possible,” DeWine said.
Batchelder countered:
“I thought that was really out to lunch
“…Quite the contrary, I think we had people out there working who otherwise wouldn’t have been involved. We need to spread the responsibility for the campaign throughout the caucus.”
TweetWill economy improve under Obama?
Democrat Barack Obama made “Yes, we can” his campaign slogan but nobody knows for sure whether Obama or anybody else can turn around the bad economy, called by some the worst since the Great Depression.
A Quinnipiac University Poll released today, Nov. 12, however, found that voters by a 70-11 margin expect the economy to be better by the end of Obama’s first term as president in 2012.
The problems, however, are staggering - banks still are in trouble, the domestic auto industry is on the verge of bankruptcy and unemployment, particularly in states like Ohio, is climbing.
Still, Americans are optimistic people who often have voted for presidential candidates who promise brighter days ahead, including Republican Ronald Reagan and now Obama.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetNew poll: Voters believe economy will improve under Obama
Democrat Barack Obama’s campaign slogan was “Yes, we can” and a new national poll finds that voters seem to believe him when it comes to improving the economy.
The Quinnipiac University poll, released today, Nov. 12, found that by a 70-11 percent margin voters expect the economy to get better in Obama’s first term, which won’t start until he and vice president-elect Joe Biden are inaugurated on Jan. 20.
The poll also found, however, that voters - by a 54-34 percent margin - don’t expect Obama to cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans as he promised during the campaign.
Also, 28 percent said Obama would be a great president, while 34 percent said he would be a good president, 14 percent said he would be so-so and 8 percent said he would be a bad president.
“Americans have exceptionally high hopes for President-elect Obama,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.
For full poll results, click here.
The stumbling economy clearly was on voters’ minds in the poll. When asked an open-ended question on what was the single most important problem facing the nation, 68 percent identified the economy or related issues such as unemployment. No other issue got in the double digits.
Obama will become the nation’s first black president and 69 percent said they think his election will lead to improved race relations, while 22 percent said it won’t.
In other expressions of the “Yes, we can” - or “Yes, he can” - tone of the poll, voters said:
*65-27 percent that Obama will make the U.S. more energy independent.
*55-34 percent that he will be able to significantly improve education.
*50-40 percent that he will be able to provide health care coverage for Americans who don’t have it.
*70-23 percent that he will be able to reach across party lines to get things done.
There were some not-so-rosy poll results. There were partisan splits on two big issues. Democrats said get out of Iraq promptly; Republicans wanted to stay until Iraq is stabilized.
Also, Democrats said the government should provide health care for everyone while Republicans disagreed.
The poll surveyed 2,210 registered voters nationwide from Thursday, Nov. 6, to Monday, Nov. 10, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
TweetPolls speculate about Voinovich’s future: UPDATED
For those of you who don’t need a break from politics in the aftermath of the interminable 2008 presidential election, Public Policy Polling released a poll looking at senators up for re-election in 2010.
They find that Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, has an approval rate hovering around 30 percent - it was 31 percent both in June and July and 30 percent in August - and will be up there with Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida as one of the most vulnerable incumbents if he doesn’t retire.
Their poll matched him up with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and found Voinovich would tie him 33-33. Voinovich would lead U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Twp. 37-32; and trail Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner 42-38 and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher 40-38.
The poll said he leads in hypothetical 2010 matchups with Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.
UPDATED: A reminder that these polls were taken over the course of the year, not this fall. Here’s one from this fall from SurveyUSA: It gives him a 51 percent approval.
Hmm. Maybe it is too soon to speculate?
TweetBrunner gets police protection
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is receiving security protection from the Ohio Highway Patrol after receiving death threats, harassing phone calls and a suspicious package at her office in the weeks leading up to the presidential election.
The highway patrol confirmed it assigned troopers to Brunner but declined to discuss specific security measures being taken or how long the protection is expected to continue.
Police arrested Dana McArtor, 51, of Columbus and charged him with threatening a public official, which is a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien.
McArtor allegedly threatened to kill Brunner during a cell phone call to her office on Oct. 17. Brunner’s office picked up McArtor’s number on caller ID, O’Brien said. McArtor is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in Franklin County Municipal Court on Dec. 3, O’Brien said.
State troopers are also investigating a suspicious envelop mailed to Brunner’s office that had white powder on it. The Ohio Department of Health is testing the powder, according to Highway Patrol Sgt. Tim Karwatske.
When asked last week whether she was still receiving threats, Brunner said it appears things have settled down.
The Highway Patrol is also providing a security detail to Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Helen Jones-Kelley, who is on paid administrative leave while officials investigate her alleged use of state e-mail for political purposes and her authorization of background checks on Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher.
By state law, the patrol provides 24-hour security to the governor and his family. The governor may authorize the patrol to provide security to other state officials.
TweetShould federal government bail out the auto industry?
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has become a key backer of a proposal for the federal government to bail out the domestic auto companies.
Strickland repeated his support on Monday, Nov. 10, but said federal aid should not be used to benefit shareholders and management “while costing communities and workers their jobs.”
General Motors has said it could run out of money at the end of the year without federal help.
The idea would be to use some of the $700 billion already approved for a federal bailout of the financial industry to help GM, Chrysler and Ford. Strickland (pictured) said “I have not seen any substantial benefit from the $700 billion at this point.”
The money has been used to pay dividends and help with mergers such as PNC buying National City, a deal that probably will cost Ohio “lost of jobs,” said Strickland.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetTom Roberts seeks to lead Ohio Senate Democrats
State Sen. Tom Roberts wants to take over as leader of the Ohio Senate’s 12 Democrats.
“I think I can do the job. There’s no question I’ve had the experience in terms of understanding the legislation, as far as leadership,” Roberts, D-Dayton, said on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Current Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller, D-Columbus, announced on Monday, Nov. 10, that he would not continue as leader. Democrats failed to pick up any Senate seats on Nov. 4 and Republicans will maintain control, 21-12.
State Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-Hubbard, also is seeking the minority leader’s job, said Roberts (pictured). Senate Democrats plan to meet Wednesday, Nov. 12, to discuss a successor to Miller, Roberts said.
Roberts, 56, has served in the Senate since 2001 and previously served 14 years in the Ohio House. He held leadership posts in both chambers.
Roberts previously had discussed leaving the Senate before his current terms ends at the end of 2010.
“If the members want a two-year commitment, I’ll give them that,” Roberts said.
By leaving early, he would have opened the door to the appointment of state Rep. Fred Strahorn, D-Dayton, to the seat. Strahorn is leaving the House at the end of this year because of term limits.
The goal of Senate Democrats is to put the best leadership team in the top two spots, he said.
TweetObama was not Ohio’s top vote-getter
According to the Associated Press, President-elect Barack Obama was not the candidate on Tuesday who received the most votes in Ohio.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O&’Connor (right), who drew 2.8 million votes in her successful re-election bid, received more votes than Obama in Ohio.
That’s the most number of votes a state supreme court justice has received, according to the AP.
Obama received 2,749,284 votes in Ohio, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
TweetBoehner will seek leader position again; shake-ups elsewhere
House Minority Leader John Boehner, who watched his party lose at least 19 congressional seats Nov. 4, is seeking two more years as Republican leader.
But other members of House leadership have already signaled they plan to step down, and it’s unknown yet whether Boehner himself will be challenged in January when the new Congress begins. No challenger has stepped up yet.
Already planning to step down from their leadership posts are Reps. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. and Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, the third and second-ranking members of GOP leadership.
Boehner, R-West Chester, signaled Thursday that he will support Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., to replace Putnam. Blunt’s decision to step down also clears the way for Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., who is currently chief deputy whip to replace Blunt as House Whip. Cantor was viewed as a possible challenger to Boehner for the top position.
Boehner signaled his intention to run for leader again in a Nov. 5 letter.
“We have not yet convinced the American people that Republicans have returned to our roots as the party of reform,” he wrote in a letter sent to his Republican colleagues. ” We haven’t yet earned their trust. But we will.”
He also published a similarly-worded editorial in The Washington Post.
TweetBrunner to hold Ohio Election Summit
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will hold an Ohio Election Summit in Columbus in early December.
Brunner will host the summit and Lawrence Norden, counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice, will chair the event, according to a press release on Friday, Nov. 7.
The event will build on what went right in the election and look at what can be done better, Brunner said in the press release.
“The Ohio Election Summit will help us use this election as a springboard to solidify best election practices that guarantee the strongest protections of democracy for the highest voter confidence,” Brunner said.
According to Brunner’s office, the summit will focus on:
*Elections best practices from Ohio’s 2008 election that can be solidified and documented for use in future elections and as part of national standards in election administration.
*A review of tested best practices from other states and research studies that could enhance the voting experience and elections administration in Ohio.
*Opportunities to streamline and simplify elections laws and administration in Ohio to provide for the greatest consistency and voter protection.
After the summit, Brunner plans to present Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature with a report summarizing the summit’s recommended best practices. The Ohio Election Summit will be open to the public with pre-registration.
TweetBrunner: Election “free, fair, open and honest”
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat under fire from Republicans for her handling of the presidential election, says things turned out just fine at the polls.
She made the comments on Thursday, Nov. 6, in an e-mail from her campaign committee - she’s expected to seek re-election in 2010 - not from the secretary of state’s office.
Without naming her predecessor, she also criticized outgoing Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.
“With a dedicated and talented team, hard working boards of elections and the help of many others who care deeply about democracy, Ohio has turned the corner with a free, fair and honest presidential election in Ohio held just two days ago,” the e-mail said.
As for the 2004 election under Blackwell:
“Because of the chaos and confusion that abounded in Ohio’s 2004 election, the state was held up to criticism and even ridicule, causing many to lose faith in what should be a solidly fair and democratic process.”
The e-mail, of course, asked her supporters to “contribute.”
Kevin DeWine, deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and a big-time Brunner critic, praised local boards of elections on Thursday, but had no praise for Brunner.
Here’s the full e-mail from Brunner.
“Four years ago, I was a state trial court judge who watched in dismay as my state was demonized around the world for the way we conducted our presidential election.
Ohio was in the unenviable position of being the state that put the reelection of the President over the top in electoral votes, and many questioned whether they could trust our process.
Because of the chaos and confusion that abounded in Ohio’s 2004 election, the state was held up to criticism and even ridicule, causing many to lose faith in what should be a solidly fair and democratic process.
It was then that I resolved I would leave the bench and run for the office of secretary of state to try to restore the confidence of Ohio voters and of the country in our election system.
The struggle has been great to change the infrastructure of voting in Ohio in less than 22 months.
With a dedicated and talented team, hard working boards of elections and the help of many others who care deeply about democracy, Ohio has turned the corner with a free, fair, open and honest presidential election in Ohio held just two days ago.
Tuesday night, we celebrated the election of a new president, and in Ohio, many celebrated the fact that they could vote easily and with confidence. The lines were short, backup paper ballots were available and poll workers were better trained with consistent rules and resources to ensure we worked to protect the rights of every voter.
As we proceed to process provisional and absentee ballots during the 10-day period following the election, we will be abiding by uniform procedures and conducting the first statewide post-election audit of our presidential results.
The support of many like you has helped make this possible for Ohio and for our country. We hope you’ll take a look at the reports on these many changes and celebrate with us a better tomorrow for our state and our country.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Brunner Ohio Secretary of State”
TweetWho should Ohio GOP run for governor
Kevin DeWine, the deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, isn’t wasting any time.
The presidential campaign is just over - the Republican lost, in case you missed it - and DeWine already is talking things up for 2010, which he hopes will be a better year for the GOP.
Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to run for re-election but the Republican field of potential candidates still is gathering.
DeWine made clear today, Nov. 6, that Strickland, after next January, won’t have President George Bush around to blame for all of Ohio’s problems.
DeWine and his allies want to start grooming potential candidates for guv who can blast Strickland for the same woes that Strickland has been blaming on Bush - job losses, health care problems and energy troubles.
Here’s a chance to let DeWine know who you’d like to see in the governor’s spot on GOP ticket in 2010.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetOhio GOP’s Kevin DeWine: “We’ll be back”
Kevin DeWine, deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, already is looking ahead to the 2010 elections, despite big GOP losses on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
“We’re not throwing in the towel. We’ll be back in 2010,” DeWine told reporters today, Nov. 6.
Tuesday was a bad day for Ohio Republicans. Democrat Barack Obama carried the state and was elected president, the Democrats took over the Ohio House for the first time in 14 years and Democrats also picked up at least two U.S. House seats in Ohio.
DeWine is expected to take over as Ohio Republican Chairman in January when Bob Bennett steps down. DeWine already is talking about statewide candidates for 2010, starting with U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, who’s expected to seek re-election to a third term.
In addition to Voinovich, DeWine mentioned former U.S. Reps. Rob Portman and John Kasich, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, current state Auditor Mary Taylor, state Rep. Shannon Jones of Springboro and state Sen. Mark Wagoner of suburban Toledo.
DeWine did not mention his cousin, former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, who is said to be interested in running for governor.
Kasich already has started planning for a possible governor’s race and Portman, also a former U.S. budget director, is said to be considering one. Husted, just elected to the state Senate, has been projected as an opponent against incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in 2010.
The secretary of state’s race could be key to controlling the Apportionment Board which will draw new state legislative districts after the 2010 census. The governor, auditor and secretary of state sit on the board and the party that controls at least two of those three offices has the upper hand in drawing new districts.
“Our candidates need to stand for something,” said Kevin DeWine. It no longer is enough just to be against an opponent, he said.
Republicans need to develop an economic message that appeals to middle class voters and focus less on social issues, said DeWine. He said the party needs a “new set of faces” and a “new set of ideas.”
DeWine said Republicans also must do better with the young voters, 18-29, who helped Obama win.
“We have lost a generation of young voters,” he said.
TweetMcCain’s concession speech
As promised, here is the text of Republican John McCain’s concession speech Tuesday in Phoenix, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions and courtesy of the Associated Press:
MCCAIN: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.
My friends, we have — we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.
A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him.
(BOOING)
Please. To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.
In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.
This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.
I’ve always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too.
But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.
America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.
Let there be no reason now … Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.
Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.
Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain.
These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.
I urge all Americans … I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.
Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.
It is natural. It’s natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours.
AUDIENCE: No!
MCCAIN: I am so…
AUDIENCE: (CHANTING)
MCCAIN: I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We do, too (OFF-MIKE)
MCCAIN: The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.
I’m especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother … my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign.
I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.
You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate’s family than on the candidate, and that’s been true in this campaign.
All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.
I am also — I am also, of course, very thankful to Governor Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I’ve ever seen … one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength … her husband Todd and their five beautiful children … for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign.
We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.
To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.
I don’t know — I don’t know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I’ll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I’m sure I made my share of them. But I won’t spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.
This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.
(BOOING)
Please. Please.
I would not — I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century.
Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.
AUDIENCE: USA. USA. USA. USA.
MCCAIN: Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama — whether they supported me or Senator Obama.
I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
Americans never quit. We never surrender.
We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.
TweetObama’s victory speech
Per the request of several readers, here’s Democrat Barack Obama’s speech in Chicago after winning the presidential election, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions and courtesy of the Associated Press. McCain’s speech will also be posted:
OBAMA: Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.
Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton … and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years … the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady … Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia … I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us …to the new White House.
And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe … the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best — the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod … who’s been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics … you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy … who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.
There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
OBAMA: There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those — to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Tweet2nd District: Wulsin concedes
Democrat Victoria Wulson of Indian Hill called U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt Wednesday morning to congratulate her on her victory.
Wulsin had held out hope until early this morning that she might be able to pull off her second general election fight against Schmidt, R-Loveland.
Wulsin released the following statement after the call:
“I have been humbled by the love and strength of those who have supported me in my journey. We have come together to build something that is greater than the sum of its parts, not as Democrats and Republicans fighting over our differences, but as Americans drawn together by a common vision. America’s future has never been brighter.”
TweetWhy did Obama win Ohio?
When Ohio fell into Democrat Barack Obama’s column on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Obama became unstoppable on his historic path to the White House.
Ohio was the first major battleground state that went for Republican President Bush in 2004 to switch to Obama and the Democrats this year.
Obama not only carried the state but became the first Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to win more than 50 percent of the vote.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] TweetBoehner on Obama’s election
Here’s House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, on the election of Sen. Barack Obama as the president:
“I congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his election as the 44th President of the United States, an achievement that is an important milestone for our democracy. President Lincoln, the first and greatest Republican President, envisioned an America in which the blessings and opportunities of liberty were truly and equally available to all citizens, regardless of race or creed. The Party of Lincoln stands together with all Americans tonight in heralding this historic achievement for freedom, and also in thanking Senator John McCain for his decades of patriotism and service to our nation.
“It is in the same spirit - that of promoting and defending American freedom - that Republicans will approach the policies of our new president. President-elect Obama has sketched a troubling policy roadmap that will be run through a Congress that was purchased by powerful liberal special interests.”
“The American people want and deserve accountability from Washington Democrats, and Republicans will stand on principle to ensure they get it. We will rebuild our party the way it was originally built by President Lincoln and renewed nearly three decades ago by President Reagan: by fighting for the principles of freedom, opportunity, security, and individual liberty.”
TweetAP: Turner re-elected
The Associated Press is calling the race for Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, giving him a fourth term in Congress.
With 259 of the 640 precincts reporting, Turner had 76,486 votes compared to 58,070 votes for Democrat Jane Mitakides of Washington Twp.
“I want to thank the voters of the Third Congressional District of Ohio for re-electing me to my fourth term in Congress,” Turner said in a statement. “I will continue my work to strengthen Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, create new jobs in our local economy, and protect our national security.”
TweetTurner congrats Obama
Here’s U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s reaction to Barack Obama’s election:
“This is a very American evening and has been an historic election. I would like to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama. In my lifetime, Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged this nation to judge a person by the content of his character. And tonight, America has elected our first African-American president. I look forward to working with him on the important issues of moving our economy forward, creating jobs, and keeping our nation safe.”
TweetAP: Boehner re-elected
House Minority Leader John Boehner was re-elected to Ohio’s 8th Congressional District Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Associated Press is reporting.
Boehner, R-West Chester, who has held the seat since 1991, beat Nick von Stein, a Hamilton Democrat who works as a substitute teacher.
The 8th Congressional District includes all or parts of Mercer, Darke, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Butler counties,
TweetOhio GOP Chairman Bennett congratulates Democratic “president-elect”
Shortly after major news networks called Ohio for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett said it appeared that Obama was headed for the White House.
“The American people voted for hope tonight,” Bennett said in a phone interview just before 10 p.m. “They didn’t vote on the basis of experience. They didn’t vote on the basis of any particular issue except the economy.
“They obviously voted on hope and, so, I think our duty now is to congratulate the president-elect and we will support him where we can and, I think, we’ll challenge him when we must.”
Bennett, Ohio GOP chairman since 1988, said Obama’s decision not to accept public financing enabled him to raise the money to mount an effective ground game in Ohio, a game in which Republicans in the past usually have excelled.
Bennett said that the Republican chances in Ohio were devastated by the terrible economic news in October.
“What happened in October just sent this thing down. We dropped 9 points in 10 days. Going into October, we had a …4-point lead. We lost a point a day when the crisis took hold in the housing” area. Problems with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the at first stalled efforts on the federal bailout hurt, said Bennett.
“We were fighting uphill ever since,” he said.
TweetCasino gambling goes down; Voinovich happy
The Associated Press is reporting that Ohio voters have rejected a proposal to bring casino gambling to southwest Ohio.
Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, an opponent of gambling in the state, is happy about this.
“I have fought for decades to keep casino gambling out of Ohio and I will continue that fight until there are no more attacks on Ohio’s families to defend against,” he said. “Ohioans saw through the sham once again and voted it down. They know that in hard economic times the last thing you need is a casino in your backyard to make things even worse.
“While I’d like to think this was the last time we’ll have to fight this battle, history tells me otherwise. But for anyone who is thinking about coming into Ohio in the near future, trying to rehash this old attack on our families, be assured we’ll be back to defend our values once again.”
TweetMSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN call Ohio for Obama
Both MSNBC and CBS called Ohio for Democrat Barack Obama about 9:25 p.m. today, Nov. 4. ABC called the state for the Democrat shortly after that and CNN made its call for Ohio soon after that.
That was bad news for Republican John McCain. No Republican has been elected president without carrying Ohio.
Exit polls showed Obama won because voters valued change and the economy, and they gave him the edge there.
Ohio was the first of the major battleground states that had voted Republican in 2004 to switch to Democratic this year, according to the projections.
A win in Ohio would move Obama close to the 270 electoral votes he needs to be elected president.
TweetAlert: Edison/Mitofsky calls Ohio for Obama
The National Election Pool exit poll just called the state of Ohio for Obama. Their exit poll indicates 53 percent of voters surveyed support him compared to 45 percent for McCain.
CBS is calling it, too.
TweetAP: Jim Jordan re-elected
The Associated Press is reporting U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, has been re-elected to the 4th Congressional District.
TweetBrunner calls it a smooth election
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said during a 9 p.m. press conference at the Statehouse that it looks like voter turn out in Ohio did not hit the predicted 80 percent but will end up hitting at least 60 percent.
“We were very pleased with how the voting unfolded,” said Brunner who reported no major problems. “The key was preparation.”
She reported that there have been some concerns about provisional ballots and voter identification. “We’ve had some difficulties with the poll workers being a bit over zealous on the identification requirements. The statute indicates if a person uses their driver’s license or state ID card they do not have to have the correct address on that. There have been poll workers who have not understood that distinction, thinking that the correct address has to be on any form of identification acceptable when it’s really on those documentary forms” such as utility bills or bank statements.
Brunner said she issued directions Tuesday afternoon to boards of elections about how to handle this.
TweetExit polls: 86 percent of Ohioans worried about economy
Exit polls indicate 86 percent of Ohioans are either somewhat or very worried about the direction of the nation’s economy, according to a National Election Pool exit poll conducted by Edison Mitofsky.
Only three percent of Ohioans said they were “not at all” worried about the direction of the nation’s economy.
Ninety three percent of those polled said the condition of the nation’s economy was either “not good” or “poor.”
TweetNBC News projects Obama winner in Pennsylvania
NBC News at about 8 p.m. today, Nov. 4, projected that Democrat Barack Obama would win Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes.
Republican John McCain had campaigned vigorously in Pennsylvania in an effort to win one of the major states that had gone for Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election and in an effort to compensate for possible Obama wins in states that went Republican in 2004.
TweetExit polls: Voters value change
Ohio voters value change over experience and values in 2008, according to the National Exit Pool exit poll, conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.
Thirty-three percent of Ohio voters polled say they value change above values, experience and whether the candidate cares about them. Twenty percent of voters said they value experience above other qualities, and 28 percent said they value values above other qualities.
Voters who said they value change above all else were more likely to back Obama. Ninety-two percent supported him compared to seven percent for McCain. McCain, meanwhile, trumped Obama on experience. Ninety-five percent of Ohio voters polled who said they value experience above all else backed him compared to five percent for Obama.
Results of this post may differ from an earlier post regarding qualities voters value because this post is based on the second wave of data from Edison/Mitofsky.
TweetExit polls: More on the issues
An overwhelming number of Ohioans identify the economy as their top issue in the 2008 presidential election, with health care, Iraq, terrorism and energy taking a back seat to the issue.
According to a National Election Pool exit pool by Edison/Mitofsky, 61 percent of Ohioans tapped the economy as their top issue, compared to 11 percent who identified Iraq as their top issue. Ten percent called health care their top issue, and eight percent of those polled identified energy and terrorism as their top issues, respectively.
These results - which may differ from an earlier post on issues - come from the second wave of data from the Edison/Mitofsky poll.
On the economy, Obama is attracting more voters, if exit polls are correct. The exit polls indicate 55 percent of those who identified the economy as their top issue backed Obama compared to 44 percent who backed McCain.
McCain received more support than Obama among voters who identified terrorism as their top priority; 87 percent supported him compared to 13 percent who backed Obama. Obama has an edge on the energy issue: 51 percent of those who said it was their top issue backed him compared to 46 percent for McCain.
And among voters who identify Iraq as their top issue, 62 percent back Obama and 38 percent back McCain.
TweetExit polls: The gender gap
Sen. Barack Obama is winning among both men and women, according to exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.
Fifty-two percent of male voters backed Obama compared to 46 percent for McCain. Fifty-four percent of female voters backed Obama compared to 44 percent for McCain.
Let’s compare that to 2004: In 2004, President George Bush also won among men while were evenly split between both candidates. Among Ohio men, 52 percent backed Bush and 47 backed Kerry, according to exit polls.
TweetExit polls: Who was unfair?
According to the National Exit Pool exit poll by Edison/Mitofsky, 71 percent of Ohio voters argued Sen. John McCain unfairly attacked Sen. Barack Obama. Fifty-three percent of Ohio voters believed Obama unfairly attacked McCain during the course of the campaign.
Seven percent of voters said only Obama unfairly attacked McCain. Twenty-five percent said only McCain unfairly attacked Obama. But 45 percent of Ohio voters polled were bipartisan: They said both candidates unfairly attacked the other.
TweetExit polls give Obama lead in Ohio
Exit polls in Ohio give Obama 53 percent of the vote to John McCain’s 45 percent, but Edison/Mitofsky, which is conducting the poll for national media outlets, has yet to call the race in the Buckeye State.
Obama is winning among women, men, and in voters all aged groups except those over the age of 65.
He’s also winning in Cuyahoga County, Northeast Ohio, Toledo and Northwest Ohio. McCain is winning in southwest Ohio and central Ohio.
The polls in Ohio closed at 7:30 p.m.
TweetExit polls: Most voters “strongly disapprove” of Bush
Early results of exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky indicate 52 percent of Ohioans who voted today “strongly disapprove” of President Bush’s performance in office.
Of voters polled 29 percent either “strongly approved” or “somewhat disapproved” of Bush’s performance.
TweetExit polls: More Ohioans say they want change than experience
Early exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky indicate 32 percent of Ohioans identify “change” as a priority in their vote than “experience.”
Twenty-nine percent of voters in early results say they are voting based on “change.” Those voters overwhelmingly support Obama. Voters who are voting on “values” or “experience” overwhelmingly prefer McCain.
TweetExit Polls: Most Ohioans describe themselves as moderates
Early results of exit polls indicate some 45 percent of Ohioans polled during exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky today identify themselves as moderate.
That’s compared to 20 percent who say they’re liberal and 35 percent who say they’re conservative.
More Ohio moderates are backing Barack Obama than John McCain, according to early exit poll results.
TweetEarly exit poll results: Ohioans most concerned about economy
Polls haven’t closed yet in Ohio, but early results from the National Election Pool exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky find that Ohioans are more concerned about the economy than they are about Iraq, energy, terrorism or health care.
Sixty percent of voters identified the economy as their top concern, according to the exit poll. Voters who considered it their top issue were more likely to support Sen. Barack Obama than Sen. John McCain.
Eleven percent of those polled identified Iraq as their top issue. They, too, were more likely to support Obama than McCain. But of the eight percent that identified terrorism as their top concern, more were likely to be McCain voters than Obama voters.
Obama also holds an edge among voters who consider health care their top issue. But McCain has slightly more support than Obama for Ohio voters who consider energy their top issue, according to the poll.
TweetOhio GOP asks federal judge to act on provisional ballots
The legal battles continue between Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and the Ohio Republican Party, even on Election Day.
The Associated Press reported today, Nov. 4, that the Ohio GOP filed a complaint asking a federal judge to require that provisional ballots be verified and counted the same statewide.
Republicans said they are concerned provisional ballots will be handled differently, the AP reported. Provisional ballots are those cast by voters whose registration has has been questioned.
The ballots are held for 10 days while elections workers check voter eligibility before they are counted.
Republicans said Brunner had issued “vague and confusing instructions” on handling provisional ballots and “actually seemed to encourage local officials to overlook non-matching signatures” of voters, according to the AP.
Brunner, who has already been in several legal battles with the GOP, responded in a prepared statement
“While Ohioans are voting with confidence in record numbers, partisan attempts to re-litigate issues that have been decided by the Ohio Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court are troubling.
“Rather than focus on these distractions, we applaud the great work of our bipartisan elections officials who are helping Ohio voters see the success of our preparation for this election.”
Dayton Daily News Columbus Bureau reporter Laura A. Bischoff reports that Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, both downplayed the lawsuit’s significance.
TweetVoting problems near Wright State University
Wright State University junior C.J. Weitz showed up to vote at the Highlands Apartment Complex near Wright State at 6:30 a.m. But it took him more than two hours - as well as one fight with a poll worker - before he got to cast his votes.
Weitz, who went to vote with a friend, waited in line for well over an hour, but ran into trouble when he got to the front of the line.
The poll worker asked to see his driver’s license, and, when she saw it didn’t have his current address, told him he had to vote a provisional ballot.”
“I told her I wasn’t going to vote provisional because when I even registered I made sure it wasn’t a problem,” he said. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, voters need to have a current and valid photo identification, but it does not need to show the current address for a driver’s license or state identification card.
Weitz, originally from Cincinnati, currently lives in Dayton.
He moved to the provisional line, and his friend said he was also asked to vote provisional for the same reason. Two other people behind him also said they were asked to cast provisional ballots for the same reason.
Weitz said he showed the poll worker the sign saying that he could vote even if his driver’s license address didn’t match his current address. “She still told me I had to vote provisional or couldn’t vote at all,” he said.
Frustrated, he went and got one of the watchdogs outside, who called lawyers.
Weitz, 19, said the woman ended up being pulled and replaced.
When he finally got to vote, he was asked to vote a paper ballot, which took an extra half hour. He said all told it took him two hours and 15 minutes or a half hour to vote.
He still said it was worth it. “I’d rather not deal with that again,” he said. “But I wanted to vote.”
TweetPolitico: 3 Ohio counties, including Butler, key to election
Politico.com listed Butler County, Ohio as one of the 25 key counties in America for today’s election. Franklin and Mahoning counties also ranked. Here’s what the site said about the Ohio counties…
Franklin County, Ohio: Ohio’s second-largest population hub after Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County, Columbus’ Franklin County is trending increasingly Democratic. Since Cincinnati’s Hamilton County is no longer a reliable Republican bulwark, a big Obama win here would go a long way toward sinking McCain’s chances in the state.
Butler County, Ohio: Cincinnati’s suburban Butler County was a key part of the exurban and micropolitan firewall that enabled Bush to carry Ohio in 2004. The 54,000-vote margin it delivered to Bush was his largest in any county in the state.
Mahoning County, Ohio: As a vote source, Youngstown’s Mahoning County pales next to Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, Dayton’s Montgomery County, Akron’s Summit County or Toledo’s Lucas County. But the results here will be revealing because if Obama is running below 60 percent in this industrial area, that’s a bad sign for him — and it probably signals he’s struggling in western Pennsylvania, too.
See the full story and the complete list here.
TweetBrunner: Ohio voting “brisk and orderly”
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner reported as of 10 a.m. today, Nov. 4, that voting in Ohio so far has been “brisk and orderly” according to reports to the Citizen’s Response Center.
“Our office has spent 22 months preparing for this day, in partnership with Ohio’s bipartisan boards of elections. Thanks to that hard work and cooperation, Ohioans are seeing the success of our preparation today, voting in record numbers in an orderly and efficient system,” Brunner said in a press release.
Highlights of Ohioans’ voting experience, according to Brunner:
The maximum wait time as reported to the office is no more than 1 hour in most large precincts.
The longest average wait time reported to the office is approximately 1 hour in Lucas County.
Sporadic machine issues have been reported - primarily Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail jams that are easily fixed and some instances of precinct-based optical scanners that are not working, but voters are still able to place their ballots in a secure box for scanning later.
Reports indicate poll workers are quickly fixing the hiccups and are offering voters backup paper ballots in touch-screen voting machine counties.
The two-line directive, one for touch-screen voting machines and one for back-up paper ballots, is keeping lines moving.
Some voters have been confused about Ohio’s ID requirements, so the Secretary of State is working with boards of elections to reinforce poll worker training on eligible ID.
There are widespread reports of voters choosing back-up paper ballots.
TweetPastor Rod Parsley speaks out on payday lending, gambling issues
Columbus Pastor Rod Parsley, a major force behind passage of the anti-gay marriage amendment in 2004, has spoken out on two ballot issues this year on payday lending and a proposed gambling casino near Wilmington in Clinton County.
On Monday, Nov. 3, Parsley (pictured) urged voters to vote “yes” State Issue 5, to keep a part of state law setting the annual maximum interest rate on short-term payday loans at 28 percent. A “no” vote would allow the annual interest rate to be 391 percent.
Parsley, president of the Center for Moral Clarity, an advocacy group, urged a “no” vote on State Issue 6 to permit development of the casino. Parsley also is pastor of World Harvest Church.
“The interests behind both of these important issues are deceiving voters about their true purposes by calling them economic issues, rather than the moral issues they are,” Parsley said in a press release. “Government already makes it so difficult for the poor among us to improve their economic lot.
“‘I’m convinced that approving short-term loans rates of nearly 400 percent and welcoming a casino to this state would work against the very people who most need a helping hand.”
Those urging a “no” vote on State Issue 5 said keeping the 28 percent interest rate would force payday loan businesses to close with the loss of 6,000 jobs. Backers of the casino say it would bring thousands of badly needed jobs to the state that could not be outsourced.
TweetPalin rouses Lakewood crowd with praise for McCain
LAKEWOOD- To chants of “we will win” from the crowd, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin promised to go to Washington and take care of overdue business.
“If you’re ready to shake up Washington and clean up Wall Street..if you want to win the wars, John and I want to work for you,” Palin said on Monday, Nov. 3, to more than a thousand flag-waving fans in Lakewood Park in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County.
A day after Democrat Barack Obama drew 80,000 to a downtown Cleveland rally, Palin told the crowd not to be impressed by big turnouts.
“They can fill a stadium but they cannot keep our country safe,” Palin said.
It was expected to be the McCain-Palin campaign’s final Ohio campaign stop before voting on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
She also seized on a recently disclosed audio tape of an interview Obama had with the San Francisco Chronicle in January in which Obama criticized the use of coal to produce electricity. She said the light finally was shining on Obama’s views.
“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can,” Obama said in the interview. “It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.”
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, an Obama supporter, lashed back
“After John McCain said he’d like to ’ away from coal entirely,’ his campaign is hardly in a position to criticize a coal state Senator like Barack Obama who has outlined a $150 billion investment in clean coal and other technologies to create jobs and build a new energy economy,” Strickland said in a prepared statement.
Palin also continued to bash Obama as ideologically committed to raising taxes.
“Only John McCain has the courage and the experience and the wisdom to get this economy back on track,” said Palin.
Strickland said that McCain and Palin can’t name a “single thing” they’d do differently on the economy than President Bush.
TweetCrowd gathers early for final Palin rally
LAKEWOOD - The crowd starting gathering about 7 a.m. today, Nov. 3, for what’s expected to be the final Ohio campaign appearance for the Republican McCain-Palin ticket before the Tuesday, Nov. 4 election.
GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was expected to speak about 9:15 a.m. in Lakewood Park here in this suburb west of Cleveland. GOP presidential candidate John McCain was not expected in Ohio today. Neither was Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama but his running mate Joe Biden was expected in Zanesville and the Akron area.
“Pro-life,” said Brianne Gibson, 23, of why she supports John McCain and Sarah Palin. She and her husband Ryan, 26, got up at 4 a.m. to get here from Ravenna in Portage County, about 40 miles to the east. They brought their twins, Ryan and Alli, who will turn 3 on Friday.
“I love Gov. Palin,” said Brianne. “She’s a good conservative woman. She’s just like me.”
Alice Myhal, 53, a small-business owner from Lakewood, also applauded the McCain-Palin ticket’s anti-abortion stance.
“You can’t stand for anything else if you don’t stand for life itself,” said Myhal.
TweetTwo polls give Obama the edge in Ohio; a third calls the race a toss-up
Two polls released Monday morning give Sen. Barack Obama an edge over Sen. John McCain in Ohio with 24 hours before the polls open.
A third, an automated telephone poll by Public Policy Polling, said the race in Ohio has tightened considerably over the last week and is now too close to call.
That poll found Obama leading 50 to 48 percent over McCain after leading 51 to 44 percent a week and a half ago. The poll found Obama lost ground particularly among white voters, going from trailing 49 to 46 percent a week ago to now trailing 55 to 43 percent.
That poll also gave a lead to Democrat Richard Cordray in the race for Ohio Attorney General, with a 50 to 38 percent lead.
Elsewhere, the Quinnipiac University Poll gives Obama a seven-point lead - narrower than a week ago. And the Ohio Poll, taken by the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research, goes even further, calling Obama the “likely victor” in the Buckeye state.
That poll found Ohioans support Obama 51.5 percent to McCain’s 45.7 percent.
The Quinnipiac poll, of swing states Florida and Pennsylvania, found Obama leads by 10 points in Pennsylvania, but is within two points in Florida.
In Ohio, Obama, a Democrat, leads Republican McCain 50 percent to 43 percent, down narrowly from a 51 to 43 percent lead last week.
The Quinnipiac poll found Obama leads among early voters in Ohio, 64 to 26 percent. Among all likely voters, women back Obama 57 percent to McCain’s 34 percent, and men back McCain 51 to 43 percent.
Quinnipiac also found McCain leads among white voters 48 to 45 percent and among evangelical Christians 59 to 34 percent.
Obama leads among black voters 96 to 1 percent, and among independent voters, which back the Democrat 48 to 44 percent.
Fifty-eight percent of Ohioans, meanwhile, consider the economy their top issue, and 53 percent of Ohio voters say Obama would be more effective than McCain in working with Congress on that issue.
The Quinnipiac poll, of 1,574 likely Ohio voters, was taken Oct. 27 through Nov. 2. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent. The Ohio Poll, meanwhile, included 1,308 probable voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent. And Public Policy Polling surveyed 1,208 likely voters from Oct. 31st to Nov. 2, and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
TweetObama speaks to 80,000 in Cleveland, despite the rain
CLEVELAND- The rain came but that didn’t stop Democrat Barack Obama from firing up a crowd estimated at 80,000 today, Nov. 2.
“A new day is coming, sunshine is on the way,” Obama said about half way through his 34-minute speech on a grassy downtown mall near Lake Erie. He spoke after Bruce Springsteen warmed up the crowd with a set of favorites.
As he had earlier in Columbus before a crowd of 60,000, Obama called Republican John McCain a “sidekick” to President Bush, not a “maverick.”
He urged the cheering crowd not to take victory for granted, but to pound on more doors and make more phone calls.
“If you will stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you this - we will not just win Ohio, we will win this election, and together, we will change this country and we will change the world,” Obama said before heading for Cincinnati and what is likely his final Ohio campaign appearance before voting on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
TweetCleveland crowd gathers early for Obama rally
CLEVELAND- Tyrone Robinson and his wife Deborah lined up about 11 a.m. today, Nov. 2, for an opportunity to see Democrat Barack Obama, the presidential candidate they believe will make history if elected on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The downtown rally on a grassy mall near Lake Erie and the football stadium where the Browns were playing started about 3:25 with warm-up speeches.Obama was expected later. Bruce Springsteen also was to perform an acoustic set.
“We’ve never had an African-American president,” said Robinson, a steelworker. He and his wife are black but race is not the only reason they’re backing Obama, he said.
“This man is not in office for black people,” said Robinson. “He’s in office for all people.”
The couple came from Maple Heights, southeast of Cleveland.
Karen Felix, who is white and from Rocky River, a western, Republican-leaning suburb, also got there early.
“I believe in this guy,” said Felix, an Obama neighborhood team leader.
The rally was the second of three Obama had in Ohio on Sunday. He was to come here from Columbus where a crowd of 60,000 gathered outside the Statehouse and then finish the day in Cincinnati.
A strong showing by Obama is needed in the Cleveland areas to offset Republican strength in other parts of the state.
“It is our time to make it better for the world by voting for Obama,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, warming up the crowd.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, lauded Obama as a steady hand and called Republican John McCain “a bit erratic.”
Brown said he knew many of the thousands in the crowd had been at rally near the same site on the day before the election four years ago for Democrat John Kerry, who lost.
“This year its going to be really, really different,” said Brown.
TweetD.C. mayor in Dayton today campaigning for Obama
Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty will campaign for Barack Obama and Joe Biden in Dayton on Sunday.
Fenty, the youngest mayor in Washington, D.C., history, endorsed Barack Obama in July 2007.
Details of his visit are below.
Sunday, November 2 (Dayton)
Staging Location Stop By
2:00 PM
Community Center
1306 Salem Avenue, Dayton
Staging Location Stop By 3:15 PM Community Center 33 Barnett Street, Dayton
Staging Location Stop By 5:00 PM Greater St. John Missionary Baptist Church 4200 Germantown Pike, Dayton
GOTV Rally with Montgomery County Chair Marc Owens 6:00 PM Corinthian Baptist 700 South James H. McGee Boulevard, Dayton
TweetMary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Diddy headlining Obama events in Columbus and Cincy
Mary J. Blige, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kevin Liles are headlining events to urge voters to turn out on Election Day for Barack Obama.
The artists will not perform at the Monday events, but will encourage young voters to be informed about their voting rights and to make their vote count. The events are open to the public. The Cincinnati event starts at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, and is at the Xavier University Soccer Field, 3720 Victory Pkwy. The Columbus event starts at 5:30 p.m. and is at Mayme Moore Park at Martin Luther King Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex, 867 Mount Vernon Ave.
TweetPalin, Biden to campaign in Ohio on Monday
Both presidential campaigns will send their vice presidential candidates back to Ohio on Monday, Nov. 3, to rally the troops in a final day of campaigning in the battle for Ohio’s 20 electoral votes.
Doors will open at 6:30 a.m. in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican candidate John McCain’s running mate, will appear. The rally is at 8:15 a.m. at Lakewood Park, 14532 Lake Ave. (at Belle Avenue).
To RSVP, click here.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Democrat Barack Obama’s running mate, and his wife Jill will hold rallies in Zanesville and the Akron area. In Zanesville, doors open at 1:45 p.m. for the 3:45 p.m. event. The rally is at Putnam Hill Park, Pine Street and Grandview Avenue.
The event is free and tickets are not required, but an online RSVP is encouraged. You can RSVP here.
Doors open for the Akron area event at 5:30 p.m. It starts at 7:30 p.m. The rally is at Copley High School, 3807 Ridgewood Rd., Copley, Oh.
The event is free and open to the public, tickets are NOT required. Members of the public are encouraged to RSVP. You can RSVP by clicking here.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, Obama will hold rallies in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati while Palin will hold rallies in Canton, Marietta, Columbus and Owensville in Clermont County near Cincinnati
TweetObama and Palin return
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will both be in the Cincinnati area for rallies on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Sunday’s Obama rally will be at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati, 2700 Bearcats Way. The event is open to the public and doors open at 6 p.m. The program begins at 9 p.m.
Tickets are not required, but you can RSVP at www.oh.barackobama.com. Parking is limited and normal rates will apply at University of Cincinnati parking facilities.
Palin will hold a rally Sunday night at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, 1000 Locust St., Owensville. The rally is about 60 miles southeast of Dayton and 30 miles south of Lebanon. Doors open for the event at 5 p.m. The rally will start around 8.
Tickets are not required for the Palin event, but they are encouraged. You can get tickets at 30 West Main St. in Lebanon.
Also Sunday, Obama will hold rallies at 1 p.m. in Columbus and 5 p.m. in Cleveland. Bruce Springsteen will perform at the Cleveland event. Palin will also have Sunday rallies at noon in Canton, 2:30 in Marietta, and 8:30 in Cleveland.
TweetSpeaker Husted to appear on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal”
Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, is scheduled to take part in C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” program on Sunday, Nov. 2, Husted’s office announced.
Husted will be on the show from 9:20 a.m.-9:40 a.m. It airs from 7 a.m .-10 a.m.
Husted, who backs fellow Republican John McCain for president, is to discuss the presidential campaign and its impact on Ohio.
“Washington Journal” is C-SPAN’s daily public affairs call-in show.
TweetBoehner demands prosecutors on election observer teams; blasts “Obama partisans”
U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, has charged that “Obama partisans” may have played a “pivotal role” in the Republican-led Justice Department decision not to assign federal prosecutors to federal election observer teams.
In a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Friday, Oct. 31, Boehner (pictured) urged Mukasey to reverse the decision “amid reports of voter fraud across the country.”
The letter is under review, said Jamie Hais, a Justice Department spokeswoman.
The Justice Department so far has declined to act on Boehner’s request that Mukasey intervene more forcefully in a dispute in Ohio over voter registrations with information that doesn’t match information on drivers’ licenses and Social Security data.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, said this week it is her understanding no legal action will be taken on the mismatch issue before the Tuesday, Nov. 4 election.
Hais, the Justice Department spokeswoman, said in an e-mail:
“The Department is pleased with Secretary Brunner’s directive issued Oct. 24, that ensures counties will check for deceased and duplicate names on voter rolls, but will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action if deemed appropriate.”
The request on the federal prosecutors from the top Republican in the U.S. House to the Republican attorney general might seem politically unusual. Boehner, however, blamed the dispute on “Obama partisans,” a reference to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
“[T]he real motive behind the Department’s decision is undeniably suspect given that Obama partisans in key positions at the Department of Justice may well have played a pivotal role in making it,” Boehner said in the letter.
He cited news reports that Justice Department employees have given about $250,000 to Sen. Obama’s campaign, including personal contributions from several senior officials in the Voting Rights Section of the DOJ.
Here’s the letter:
October 31, 2008
The Honorable Michael B. Mukasey Attorney General United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
I have just been advised of your department’s decision to reverse its longstanding policy of assigning criminal prosecutors to serve on all federal election observer teams. I am deeply concerned about this decision, particularly in the wake of a steady stream of reports highlighting voter registration fraud and potential fraudulent voting activities that have dominated the news in recent weeks.
I am particularly dismayed to learn that several DOJ officials with important responsibilities for overseeing enforcement of the nation’s voting rights laws - from access to the polls to protecting against voter fraud - are significant financial contributors to the Obama presidential campaign. According to published reports, approximately $250,000 has already been contributed by DOJ employees to the Obama campaign, including personal contributions from several senior officials in the Voting Rights Section of the DOJ. This news does nothing to inspire confidence by the American people in the DOJ’s ability to assure fair elections and the equal application of the nation’s voting laws.
Frankly, the real motive behind the Department’s decision is undeniably suspect given that Obama partisans in key positions at the Department of Justice may well have played a pivotal role in making it.
On behalf of my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives - who share my commitment to ensuring the fairness and integrity of the 2008 election - I strongly urge you to reverse the DOJ decision announced in September and immediately announce your intention to dispatch experienced criminal prosecutors as members of federal election observer teams nationwide.
The Department of Justice must use all means at its disposal to assure that every eligible citizen has access to the polls — and to thwart attempts by persons or organizations seeking to fraudulently obtain, cast or count ballots in the 2008 election.
With November 4th just days away, it is imperative to move quickly and publicly to safeguard the integrity of this election. Accordingly, I ask that you notify me by close of business today whether you will restore the Department’s longstanding policy of including federal prosecutors on each of its election observer teams.
Thank you for your attention to this critically important matter.
Sincerely,
John A. Boehner Republican Leader
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