On Thursday, May 22, McCain, an Arizona senator, rejected Parsley’s endorsement in the wake of criticisms of statements Parsley has made about Islam. “Mother Jones” magazine has reported on the controversy and David Corn of the magazine produced a YouTube video on McCain and Parsley.

On Saturday, May 24, Parsley withdrew his endorsement.

“Certainly I am disappointed in Sen. McCain’s decision and I believe much of the fault lies with those who have misrepresented my views for political gain and who have lied in pursuit of political power. Therefore I withdraw my endorsement. It is a sad moment in American politics, one of many in this recent election cycle,” Parsley said in a prepared statement.

“My views on Islam, which have come under such scrutiny and misrepresentation, are very much in the mainstream. Anyone who has read the entire chapter on Islam in my book, Silent No More, understands that what I have said is echoed from the White House to the State Department, from leading universities to the pulpits of our nation.

“I believe that radical Islam is one of the greatest threats to Western civilization and, yes, this conflict has roots in our American history. I have always and will continue to make a clear distinction between Muslim terrorists and the vast majority of peaceful Muslims who are appalled at the bloody results of suicide bombers and mass murder. Once again, I unapologetically denounce those who spread death in the name of Allah.

“While I continue to believe peace loving Muslims need the full support of all Christians and Christians must provide understanding, cooperation and friendship to peace-loving Muslims throughout the world who share our desire for democracy and peace.”

It was the second time McCain had repudiated the endorsement of a religious leader. Earlier he rejected the endorsement of Texas televangelist John Hagee after criticism over an audio recording in which Hagee said that God sent Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. Here is a YouTube video.

Hagee withdrew his endorsement and said his positions had been misrepresented.

Democrat Barack Obama also has had spiritual adviser problems. He ended up breaking with his former pastor Jeremiah Wright after criticism erupted over anti-American comments Wright made in sermons.

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Four AG aides get their final paychecks

By Jessica Wehrman | Friday, May 23, 2008, 03:14 PM

The four aides who either resigned or were fired from their jobs at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office have been paid in full.

The AG’s office Friday, May 23, release the final paychecks of former communications director Leo Jennings, former policy director Edgar Simpson, former head of travel services Jessica Utovich and former head of general services Anthony Gutierrez.

Gutierrez and Jennings were fired after Gutierrez was accused of sexual harassing two aides. Simpson and Utovich both resigned, though Utovich tried to rescind her resignation. The four were swept up in a sexual harassment scandal that ultimately resulted in Attorney General Marc Dann’s resignation last week.

Gutierrez was paid $5,078.98 for his final two weeks on the job. Utovich received $1961.28. Simpson received $7,625.92 and Jennings received $5,746.83. Those checks included pay for leftover vacation and sick leave.

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Candidate causes consternation with appearance

By Jessica Wehrman | Friday, May 23, 2008, 01:18 PM

Democratic congressional candidate Jane Mitakides, who is opposing Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, in November, caused a mild hullaballoo when she showed up at a meeting between Ohio’s congressional delegation and Gov. Ted Strickland Thursday.

Mitakides, in Washington, D.C. for meetings with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, showed up at the meeting at the invitation of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, according to Kaptur spokesman Steve Fought. Fought said Mitakides was invited to the meeting to have her picture taken with Strickland and to say hello to him, but had not planned to attend the meeting herself. And Mitakides said she had planned to huddle quickly with Strickland, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Cleveland, Kaptur and Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, but it didn’t work out that way. She said she had no intention of going to the meeting itself. “That’s ridiculous,” she said.

But her appearance caused a bit of a stir among Republicans attending the meeting, who said it injected partisanship in what was supposed to be a nonpartisan affair.

“It was awkward,” said Rep. David Hobson, R-Springfield, who ran into Mitakides on her way to the meeting. “Because it was a bipartisan meeting and people were arriving..it was unusual, let me put it that way. I’ve never seen a candidate show up at a big meeting of the delegation before.”

Strickland, meanwhile, said he didn’t know Mitakides was coming, and his staff quickly let her know it was a meeting between the delegation and the governor. Was it awkward for him? “A little bit, I guess,” he said.

The move surprised Turner, who said he attended to discuss jobs and economic development. “It was not the time or place for campaigning,” he said.

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Strickland: No further housecleaning expected at AG’s office

By Jessica Wehrman | Friday, May 23, 2008, 10:19 AM

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland says he has no plans for any major restructuring of the Attorney General’s Office in the aftermath of a handful of resignations earlier this month.

“The failings in the attorney general’s office were individual failings in my judgment,” he said. “There are people who work in the attorney general’s office who are career professionals, they have served there through different administrations, both Republican and Democratic administrations, they are professional individuals who have served Ohio well and I don’t want what happened with the attorney general and what appears to be a limited number of his friends he hired to in any way reflect negatively upon the large number of very dedicated individuals who are working and have worked some for many years in the attorney general’s office.”

That said, Strickland, a Democrat, added that investigations - by the Ohio inspector general and the ethics commission - are ongoing. If they identify “inappropriate behavior,” then Strickland said he will act accordingly. But, he added, he has no reason to believe that the career professionals should fear for their positions.

As far as finding a new attorney general, Strickland said he’s neither setting a timetable nor talking about any individuals. “I’m taking the process very seriously and looking at different options,” he said. “This is an important decision and so it will take a sufficient amount of time to be sure that I have made the best decision that I can make.”

If he were to set a timetable or even a pool, he said, “then most of the attention would be directed toward that date or that time.”

“I can tell you I don’t know,” he said. “I can tell you that much.”

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McCain leads Obama in Ohio, Florida

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 22, 2008, 08:49 AM

Republican John McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama in Ohio and Florida as problems with Hillary Clinton supporters and white working-class voters dog Obama’s campaign for president.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released Thursday, May 22, showed McCain, an Arizona senator, leading Obama 44-40 percent in Ohio and 45-41 percent in Florida, two crucial swing states in the November presidential election.

In the third swing state in the poll, Obama, an Illinois senator, leads McCain 46-40 percent in Pennsylvania.

Clinton, a New York senator who’s trailing Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, leads Republican McCain in all three swing states - 48-41 percent in Ohio and Florida and 50-37 percent in Pennsylvania.

No one has been elected president since 1960 without taking two of these three states,

“The numbers for Florida and Ohio are good news for Sen. John McCain and should be worrisome for Sen. Barack Obama,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said in a press release.

“That is especially true about Ohio, which decided the 2004 election. Ohio’s economy is worse than the rest of the country and the Republican brand there is in disrepute.”

The poll was conducted from May 13 to Tuesday, May 20, with:

1,244 Ohio voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent

1,419 Florida voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percent and

1,667 Pennsylvania voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percent.

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Ohio GOP to screen for AG candidates

By William Hershey | Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 06:32 PM

The Ohio Republican Party has appointed a 26-member screening committee to review potential candidates to run for attorney general in November.

“Our goal is to find a Republican leader who can restore honor and integrity to the Ohio attorney general’s office and bring back the high legal standards that once made this office a model for the nation before Democrat Marc Dann got his hands on it,” state GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said Wednesday, May 21, in a press release.

Dann resigned May 14 in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal in his office.

First Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters is running the office temporarily until Gov. Ted Strickland appoints a replacement.

Strickland has said might appoint someone who also would run in November to serve out the rest of Dann’s term until 2010. It’s also possible he will appoint one person to serve until November with a second person running in November to serve out Dann’s term, Strickland has said.

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Clinton adds Ohio superdelegate

By William Hershey | Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 10:01 AM

Hillary Clinton has gained support from another Ohio superdelegate, Craig Bashein, a Cleveland attorney, Clinton’s campaign announced.

“Hillary brings a wealth of proven experience in both domestic and foreign policy that provides a great sense of confidence and security in our future,” Bashein said in a statement distributed by Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, May 21.

“She has the strength and determination to beat John McCain this fall.”

Nationally, Clinton, a New York senator, trails Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, in the race for delegates needed to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

However, Bashein’s support gives her the backing of eight Ohio superdelegates, compared to six for Obama while seven others remain uncommitted.

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Strickland wants Clinton to stay in the race

By William Hershey | Monday, May 19, 2008, 09:09 PM

Gov. Ted Strickland wants Hillary Clinton to keep on running and Strickland’s told her so.

Strickland campaigned for Clinton, a New York senator, in Kentucky on Sunday, May 18, and spoke personally with her for about 20 minutes, the governor said on Monday, May 19. Kentucky and Oregon hold Democratic presidential primaries on Tuesday, May 20.

“I told her that, in my judgment, she should continue the race and I believe she should. I want her to,” Strickland said.

Although Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois now generally is considered the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, Strickland said the race still is close and “I think she still could emerge as the winner.”

However things turn out, Strickland said he is “absolutely convinced” that Clinton will do “everything possible” to unite the party for a victory in November.

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McCain envisions victory in Iraq, end of bin Laden

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 15, 2008, 10:14 AM

Republican John McCain gazed into a political crystal ball and envisioned a victory in the Iraq war and the death or capture of Osama bin Laden and his chief al Qaeda lieutenants.

Those were among the accomplishments McCain hopes to achieve by the end of a first term as president, he told an audience on Thursday, May 15 in Columbus.

“There is no longer any place in the world al Qaeda can consider a safe haven,” McCain said. “Increased cooperation between the United States and its allies in the concerted use of military, diplomatic and economic power and reforms in the intelligence capabilities of the United States has disrupted terrorist networks around the world.

McCain also said that he would hold weekly press conferences and that he would ask Congress to let him appear both the House and Senate to take questions, as the prime minister of Great Britain does in appearances before the House of Commons.

Even before McCain spoke, Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean blasted him.

“The reality behind Sen. McCain’s new rhetoric is that his plans either ignore the problems he identifies or actually makes them worse,” Dean said in a prepared statement.

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Clinton backers organize to protest sexism

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 15, 2008, 09:21 AM

Democrat Hillary Clinton’s supporters in Ohio and three other crucial swing states in the presidential election - Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan - have organized to protest what they consider to be her unfair treatment, particularly from the Democratic Party.

The group, “Clinton Supporters Count Too”,held a press conference on Thursday, May 15, in downtown Columbus.

“We are a grassroots group of mostly women, all races, all demographics, that have reached the boiling point and have decided we cannot stand by and watch the huge amount of sexism and misogyny go unremarked,” Cynthia Ruccia of Bexley, a Columbus suburb, who’s part of the group in Ohio, said before the press conference.

The group has no connection to the Clinton campaign, said Ruccia.

At the press conference, the group will announce plans to campaign through the four swing states against the Democratic candidate for president if it’s not Clinton, a press release said.

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AP: Tons of Republicans switched sides in March

By Jessica Wehrman | Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 11:20 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (ASSOCIATED PRESS) - The number of Republicans who switched sides to vote for Democrats in Ohio’s March 4 presidential primary easily eclipsed President Bush’s 120,000-vote margin of victory in the state that decided the presidency four years ago, documents released Monday show.

Although a small portion of total voters, the 173,000 people who previously voted Republican but voted Democratic in the primary could be an important group in the November election, when Ohio is again expected to be crucial.

The party-switching in 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties with data available could be a sign of excitement about Democratic candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. But not all of these voters can be counted on to again vote Democratic against presumptive Republican nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain.

Some of the crossover voters felt their choice counted more on the Democratic side because McCain had all but won the Republican nomination. Some said they disliked Clinton so much that they wanted to vote against her. And some of the wild-card voters sought by both sides are still torn, but they voted in the Democratic contest to try to make sure each party had a nominee they could potentially support. The reasons were varied and complex.

“I could not stomach to have another Clinton in the White House,” said Karen Purdy, one of the Republicans who switched. “I thought the country needed a fresh start and I thought Obama could do that.”

Purdy, of Elida in traditionally Republican Allen County in northwest Ohio, doesn’t know which candidate will get her vote in the fall. Her husband, Dennis, switched to help out Obama as well but is voting for McCain in November.

Republicans switching sides represented roughly 8 percent of the 2.2 million Democratic ballots that were cast in Ohio in a contest in which Clinton beat Obama by about 10 points. About four of every five voters who switched parties for the primary went from Republican to Democrat.

The election shattered Ohio primary turnout records, with about 3.5 million people voting - or about 45 percent of registered voters.

Democrats have pointed to high turnout across the nation as a sign that voters are discouraged with the Republican majority in Washington and eager to vote for Democratic candidates who would both make history. Clinton, whose campaign is now on the ropes after a large defeat in North Carolina and a slim win in Indiana, would be the first female president. Obama would be the nation’s first black president.

Interviews with crossover voters in Allen County showed a wide range of reasons for the switch.

The county, which has twice voted for President Bush by a two-to-one margin, was one of several previously Republican-dominated counties that had more Democrats than Republicans after the primary, due largely to the number of newly registered Democratic voters.

Voters in Ohio may choose a ballot from either party but generally must sign a statement saying they uphold the principles of that party. Once voters choose a particular ballot, they are considered members of that party.

Allen County went from having 5,527 registered Democrats before the primary to 14,503 after. Republicans went from 14,115 to 13,379. The county had 1,500 voters switch parties - 1,399 of them went from Republican to Democrat.

Democrats are banking on voters such as Janet and Tom Stalter of the Lima area, who have voted Republican for 50 years but switched in March to vote for Obama.

“We just decided we like Obama the best of the three and we think he can help our country,” said Janet Stalter, who quipped that her die-hard Republican grandfather was probably rolling over in his grave as she spoke. Clinton wouldn’t have gotten them to switch: “We’ve had enough of ‘slick Willy’ so to say.”

But Carla Zerbe is the kind of crossover voter the Democrats may lose unless the unlikely happens and Clinton wins the nomination. If Obama wins, she will vote Democratic if he chooses Clinton as a his running mate. If not, she will probably vote for McCain.

“I think his minister did it for me,” Zerbe said about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the man who served as Obama’s pastor and made several controversial statements, including that the U.S. government may have developed the AIDS virus to infect blacks. Obama has since denounced Wright - Zerbe believes for political purposes.

“It’s a matter of loyalty and a matter of trust for me right now,” she said.

Lynn Gibson is still another version of the Ohio crossover voter. The “Harry Truman” Democrat switched to Republican for the first time in his life for local races, but he doesn’t plan to vote for any of the presidential candidates.

Obama and Clinton? “They’re socialists not Democrats,” Gibson said. McCain? “He’s a Democrat-light.”

“I’m tired of voting for someone who’s the lesser of two evils,” he said.

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McCain coming to Ohio; AFL-CIO ready to “greet” him

By William Hershey | Monday, May 12, 2008, 03:30 PM

John McCain, the all-but-certain Republican candidate for president, is expected in Columbus on Wednesday, May 14, for a fundraiser and on Thursday, May 15 for a speech.

The speech is expected to lay out policy proposals “across the spectrum of issues to put forth a vision of what a future McCain administration will look like,” his campaign said.

The AFL-CIO is getting ready to give McCain, an Arizona senator, an unfriendly welcome.

Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rugola plans a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, May 13, to denounce McCain trade policies.

Also, on Saturday, May 17, an estimated 1,000 union volunteers plan to visit 25,000 Ohio home to “make sure that union families know that Sen. McCain’s record on issues like trade is not in line with working people’s priorities,” a statement from the AFL-CIO said.

Jeff Sadosky, McCain campaign spokesman, said that Ohioans know the AFL-CIO’s attacks on McCain are about partisan politics, not protecting the middle class.

“Ohio’s families are hurting and they need a candidate with the toughness and credibility to bring about the changes our economy needs to get back on the right track, not empty promises and partisan politics from third party special interest groups and their candidates,” Sadosky said in an email.

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Obama takes superdelegate lead

By Jessica Wehrman | Saturday, May 10, 2008, 08:29 PM

Barack Obama Saturday scored endorsements from superdelegates in Ohio, Utah and Arizona, putting him in the lead among superdelegates for the first time, according to the Associated Press.

Among the superdelegates he gained was Dave Regan, a labor leader from Ohio who was selected as a superdelegate Saturday.

Here’s the story.

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Boehner: Dem fight good for McCain

By Anthony Shoemaker | Saturday, May 10, 2008, 03:23 PM

U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, said the continuing fight for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination is good for Republican John McCain.

“The longer they fight … that’s fine with me,” the House minority leader told a crowd at the Butler County Lincoln Day dinner on Friday night. Boehner (right) said the damage that U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama are doing to each other is “serious.” “McCain is in a solid position to win this year’s election,” Boehner said.

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Ohio Democrats Dump Dann

By William Hershey | Saturday, May 10, 2008, 11:36 AM

The Ohio Democratic Party doesn’t want anything to do with Marc Dann (pictured), the embattled Ohio attorney general who was elected in 2006 with the party’s endorsement.

The party made that official on Saturday, May 10, as the executive committee, by a voice vote, adopted a resolution that says “the Ohio Democratic Party no longer recognizes Marc Dann as an endorsed Democratic Statewide officeholder.”

The resolution also kicked Dann off the executive committee and called on him to resign as attorney general.

Dann got some support from the Youngstown area, where he lives. Dorothy McLaughlin, an 85-year-old retired sheriff’s deputy from Struthers, a Youngstown suburb, shouted out the only “no” when a voice vote on the resolution was taken.

The vote came a day after Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, announced that next week the legislature will authorize Inspector General Tom Charles to launch an independent investigation of the scandals that have rocked the attorney general’s office.

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Its official: primary turnout a record

By William Hershey | Friday, May 9, 2008, 05:22 PM

It’s official: turnout in Ohio’s March 4 presidential primary was a record, according to the official canvas released by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Friday, May 9.

The canvas showed that 3,603,523 of Ohio’s 7.826 million registered voters cast ballots for a record 46.06 percent turnout for a primary, Brunner (pictured) said in a press release.

“While primary elections are for nominating political party candidates, we can view the March 4 record turnout as a good predictor for a November turnout that may clear the 80 percent mark,” said Brunner. “We will be ready for that level of participation in the Nov. 4 election and look forward to it with great anticipation.”

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Obama campaign plans Ohio voter registration drive

By William Hershey | Friday, May 9, 2008, 02:15 PM

Barack Obama may have lost Ohio’s Democratic presidential primary to Hillary Clinton, but Obama isn’t forgetting Buckeye voters. He’ll need their help in the general election if, as now seems likely, he’s the Democratic candidate.

On Saturday, May 11, Obama campaign volunteerswill hold “Vote for Change” kickoff events in Ohio. For more information, go to http://mybarackobama.com/voteforchange.

Here’s the information for two events, both from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Cincinnati, Seasongood Pavilion at Eden Park, 950 Eden Park

Columbus, Columbus volunteer headquarters, 193 E. Rich St.

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von Stein fires back

By Jessica Wehrman | Friday, May 9, 2008, 10:51 AM

Nick von Stein, the Miami University master’s student and teacher’s assistant who is challenging Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, didn’t take kindly to Boehner’s remarks about him Thursday, May 8.

First off, von Stein now lives in Hamilton, not Mason, as he did when he filed for his candidacy. “I live here,” he said. “John Boehner should start paying attention because I’m here, and maybe his lack of attention says a lot about what’s going on in this country, especially in this district.”

von Stein called Boehner “an absentee landlord” focused more on making cracks to D.C. reporters than representing his constituents.

Ouch.

In other news, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote a column Friday, May 9 about Boehner’s bum luck - as well as a surprisingly contentious vote over Mother’s Day. Read it here

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Ohio GOP launches “Dump Dann” site

By William Hershey | Friday, May 9, 2008, 09:09 AM

The Ohio Republican Party has launched a new Web site to help keep up with embattled Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann’s troubles - www.DumpDann.com.

“We created this site as a way for Ohioans to hold Marc Dann accountable and we hope they will join us by signing our online petition,” John McClelland, Ohio GOP spokesman, said in a press release.

The online petition calls on Dann to resign, which he has refused to do.

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Dann hires Texan to do his talking

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 8, 2008, 05:33 PM

Embattled Attorney General Marc Dann has hired a Texas-based consultant to do his political talking.

“I’m handling all the press calls related to the ongoing investigation and possible impeachment process,” Jason Stanford said Thursday, May 8. Stanford said he is working for Dann for Ohio, the Democratic attorney general’s campaign fund.

Stanford’s company Web site suggests an aggressive style. “We serve Republicans. Would you like them skewered, roasted or deep-fried?” says one entry. Another says “It’s a dirty job. We’d love to do it.”

Stanford said the reference to serving Republicans was not a company motto but just a “little tag on the Web site.”

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In other Boehner news…

By Jessica Wehrman | Thursday, May 8, 2008, 02:50 PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, has set up a committee aimed at stemming big GOP House losses in November. Politico has the story…

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Boehner less-than-intimidated by political foe

By Jessica Wehrman | Thursday, May 8, 2008, 01:39 PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner, quizzed about his Democrat opponent, Nick von Stein, didn’t appear intimidated by his young opponent Thursday, May 8.

“I don’t know what his name is, but when he moves into the district, I’ll pay some attention to him,” he said of von Stein, who is studying for a master’s degree Miami University and works as a teacher’s assistant in Oxford, Ohio von Stein lives in Mason, according to an address given to the Butler County Board of Elections. Mason is in Warren County, in the 3rd Congressional seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville. Ohio does not require congressional candidates to live in the district where they are running.

Here’s a link to audio of his remarks.

We’ve put in an email request for comment from von Stein, and will update accordingly…

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“Don’t blame us for Dann”: Montgomery County

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 8, 2008, 01:30 PM

As controversy and calls for his resignation continue to swirl around embattled Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann, Montgomery County voters may be saying “I told you so.”

In 2006, Montgomery County voters rejected Dann twice - in the Democratic primary and then in the general election.

In the Democratic primary, only two counties - Montgomery and Clark - went for Subodh Chandra, Dann’s opponent, for the attorney general nomination while the others went for Dann.

In the general election, Republican Betty Montgomery, the loser, carried 51 counties, including Montgomery, while Dann won in 37 counties. The only other major urban county to go for Montgomery was Hamilton, including Cincinnati.

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Ohio AFL-CIO President wants Dann out

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 8, 2008, 12:11 PM

Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, says he supports Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s call for fellow Democrat Marc Dann (pictured) to resign as attorney general.

“The attorney general’s conduct in this entire matter and the pattern of conduct in his office over the past months mandate that he leave office immediately,” Rugola said in a statement released Thursday, May 8.

“It is a sad day for Ohio, for Marc’s family and friends and for the entire Mahoning Valley community,” Rugola added. “But there is no excuse for the reprehensible conduct which led to this crisis and which has brought disgrace upon Marc Dann’s office.

The Ohio AFL-CIO, with 700,000 members, is the state’ s major federation of unions.

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McCain coming to Ohio

By Jessica Wehrman | Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 03:08 PM

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain plans on coming to Ohio next week, his campaign confirmed Wednesday, May 7.

McCain will attend a fundraiser Wednesday night in Columbus and attend an event in the morning. We’ll release details as we get ‘em.

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Stewart to Ohio: You’re adorable.

By Jessica Wehrman | Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 01:33 PM

Here’s Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart taking on Marc Dann’s scandals on “The Daily Show”

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Who names these roads?

By Lynn Hulsey | Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 07:51 PM

Chicken Bristle Road is losing its hump.

On Tuesday, May 6, Montgomery County Commissioners agreed to a $18,910 engineering services contract for Kramer and Associates for the resurfacing and hump removal project.

The question is, once the Jackson Twp. road’s hump is removed, what will distinguish Chicken Bristle Road from all the other roads out there?

Oh yeah, there’s that name.

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Dann gets virtual boot from Ohio Democratic Party

By Jessica Wehrman | Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 09:51 AM

As reported in the Buckeye State Blog, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is no longer gracing the Ohio Democratic Party web-site.

The site used to have pictures of prominent state Democrats, including Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. Now, it’s got a link to elected officials. Notably absent from that list? Dann.

The party’s already considering giving Dann the boot. As reported by Laura Bischoff in today’s Dayton Daily News, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said if Dann doesn’t resign by Saturday, the party’s executive committee will also consider expulsion — essentially kicking him out of the party. “He’ll be holding office as an independent, elected as a Democrat,” Redfern said.

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Senate President Harris joins call for Dann to resign

By William Hershey | Monday, May 5, 2008, 05:23 PM

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, has joined the chorus of those calling on Attorney General Marc Dann to resign.

Harris on Monday, May 5, also said in a prepared statement that state Inspector General Tom Charles should be called in to do an independent investigation of the sexual harassment scandal that has rocked Dann’s office. First Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters has been “tasked” with identifying an independent counsel and the inspector general should be the choice, Harris said.

“In my view, the only way to get to the bottom of this scandal and ensure that there can be no charge of bias is to enlist the state Inspector General,” Harris (pictured) said. “The Inspector General is the only office of which I am aware that is well equipped to lead a thorough, unbiased inquiry into this matter.”

Harris joined House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and other Democratic statewide officeholders in asking Dann to step down. Dann, a Democrat, has resisted the requests.

“I do not see any scenario in which Marc Dann could be able to do an effective job as Attorney General,” said Harris. “He should do the honorable thing and resign.”

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Wulsin, too, wants Dann out

By Jessica Wehrman | Monday, May 5, 2008, 03:39 PM

Democrat Victoria Wulsin, who hopes to unseat Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, in Congress, has joined Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, fellow Democratic congressional candidate Mary Jo Kilroy and other Democrats in calling for Attorney General Marc Dann to resign.

“Marc Dann’s behavior has tarnished the reputation of the Ohio Attorney General’s office,” she said. “I join Governor Strickland and other Democrats, asking for his resignation.”

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Former Ohio Dem chairman calls for Dann to resign

By William Hershey | Monday, May 5, 2008, 09:26 AM

Former Ohio Democratic Chairman James Ruvolo has called for fellow Democrat Marc Dann to resign as attorney general.

“We (Democrats) came into office because of the excesses of the Republicans and now we’ve got someone who’s unfit for that office,” Ruvolo told the Dayton Daily News on Monday, May 5.

“We can’t stand by and hem and haw about it.”

Ruvolo, state chairman from 1983-1991, said that the sexual harassment scandal in Dann’s office is a “personal failing” of Dann’s but that it has the potential to hurt other Democrats.

“It allows the Republicans to call us hypocrites. It allows Republicans to say they lied to you,” said Ruvolo.

The longer Dann stays in office, the more fuel Republicans have, said Ruvolo.

“Once Dann’s gone, it’s over. That’s why he has to go,” said Ruvolo, a Toledo-based political and public policy consultant.

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Democrat Kilroy calls for Dann to resign

By William Hershey | Sunday, May 4, 2008, 09:14 PM

Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate in one of the state’s most closely watched U.S. House races, has called for Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann to resign.

While Republicans have called for Dann to resign, Kilroy is believed to be among the first high-profile Democratic officeholders to call for her fellow Democrat to leave office in the wake of the sexual harassment scandal that has rocked Dann’s office.

“Sexual harassment can’t be tolerated. As a mother of two daughters of about the same age as those in the press accounts, I am appalled that those in power would abuse their authority in such a shameful way. Marc Dann (pictured) should resign and he should do so quickly,” Kilroy said in a statement released Sunday, May 4.

“The actions of the Attorney General and several of his top officials have damaged the trust that people should have in their elected officials.

In service to the people of Ohio, Marc Dann should resign and allow a new Attorney General to take on the important duties of attorney general without the distraction of lawsuits, scandals, and further investigations.”

Kilroy is running for the U.S. House in the 15th District against Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers.

The Congressional District encompasses western Franklin County and the city of Columbus and all of Madison and Union counties.

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Strickland wants to woo Hoosiers for Hillary

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 1, 2008, 06:13 PM

Gov. Ted Strickland will be wooing Hoosiers for Hillary when he heads to Indiana to campaign for Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

Clinton’s locked in a tight race with Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in Indiana’s Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, May 6.

Strickland is expected to stop in three Indiana cities - Columbus, Anderson and Richmond - Clinton’s campaign announced.

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Clinton leads McCain in Ohio, Florida and Pa.

By William Hershey | Thursday, May 1, 2008, 10:24 AM

With key support from white working class voters, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads Republican John McCain in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania in a possible matchup for the November presidential election. In Ohio, she leads McCain by 10 points.

In a separate matchup in a Quinnipiac University Poll released Thursday, May 1 McCain, an Arizona senator,was in a close race with Democrat Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, in Florida and Ohio but Obama led in Pennsylvania.

Release of the poll came on the same day McCain was scheduled to campaign in Cleveland while Obama and Clinton, a New York senator, continue to battle it out in Indiana and North Carolina in preparation for primaries in the two states next Tuesday, May 6.

Poll results:

Ohio

Clinton - 48 McCain - 38

McCain - 43 Obama - 42

Florida

Clinton - 49 McCain - 41

McCain - 44 Obama - 43

Pennsylvania

Clinton- 51 McCain - 37

Obama - 47 McCain - 38

Obama is trying to regroup after his loss to Clinton in Pennsylvania and more controversial comments from his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Clinton, lagging in delegates, continues to promote herself as more electable against McCain.

“If the superdelegates are looking at electability, these results could be a shot in the arm for Sen. Clinton,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, said in a prepared statement.

“No one has won the White House since 1960 without carrying two of these three swing states….And she clearly is running much better against Sen. McCain than is Sen. Obama.”

The poll was conducted Wednesday, April 23, through Tuesday, April 29. In Ohio 1,127 voters were interviewed with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent. In Pennsylvania, 1,494 voters were interviewed, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent.

In Florida, there were 1,411 interviews with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percent.

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