Politics is a numbers game, but which numbers really count these days?
In Ohio's 12th District, 4-term Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi is easily winning the money race, having raised nearly $1.4 million in campaign contributions so far this year, including $246,000 in the second quarter alone.
By comparison, in reports to the Federal Elections Commission, Democratic challenger David Robinson has raised $80,254 this election cycle, which includes $52,371 in the second quarter. (Disclosure: that includes $200 from LICOPAC).
No surprise there. As the Dispatch reports today,
"Quarterly congressional campaign finance reports due yesterday provide a reminder of why it is usually an uphill battle to beat an incumbent lawmaker: They raise tons of campaign cash."
Robinson himself has told volunteers he expects to be heavily outspent by Tiberi, who draws major support from utilities, insurance companies, banks and financial institutions and national Republican PACs. His hopes lie in outworking Tiberi at the grassroots -- and on cashing in the 12th District numbers in terms of 12th District voter demographics.
According to a Robinson fact sheet:
---George Bush beat John Kerry in the district by only 2.8 percent back in 2004.
---Democratic Governor Ted Strickland won the 12th with a 58.4 percent margin in 2006.
---Republicans registered only 18 percent of primary registered voters in the district in March, as compared to 30 percent Democratic and 52 percent independent.
---Robinson won his primary race in March, gaining 51 percent in a 3-way race, despite the fact that he was not the party-endorsed candidate.
Despite his modest bank account, Robinson spent early and heavily on the tools of the trade -- campaign buttons and stickers and signs and a high quality video and web site (www.robinson2008.com ) operation. And there are now signs he's putting more emphasis on fund raising, although it may be too late to impress the dollar-fixated Democratic sugar daddies in Washington and Columbus (ie, DCCC, DNC, ODP).
In part, Robinson is hoping that the Obama tide raises all Democratic boats, even the small ones.
"I'm not a career politician, so we're creating our campaign from scratch," Robinson said back in April. "We are confident that we will have the resources to put our ideas and plans before every voter for the general election."
Meanwhile, in the 18th District, Republican challenger Fred Dailey must be praying for a McCain tide because his small craft needs a boost as well in its bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Zack Space.
Space, despite swearing off all gifts from lobbyists, raised $322,147 during the second quarter, easily outdistancing Dailey, a former state agriculture director, who brought in $116,000 over the same period.
According to the Dispatch, this gives Space a 10-1 dollar advantage over Dailey for the entire 2007-2008 election cycle.
It wasn't too long ago that national Republicans announced they intended to make Space their number one target in 2008, on the belief that his victory two years ago in a normally Republican district was a fluke, resulting only from the lobbying scandal which engulfed former Republican incumbent Bob Ney.
Only in this case, the "target" decided to fire back, and now seems headed for an easy re-election win.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW AMERICANS TELL THEIR STORIES
The voices - and experiences - of Columbus' new ethnic residents will be heard on Wednesday, July 9, during the New Americans Forum to acquaint officeholders and candidates with the concerns of recent immigrants.
The event, at 6:30 p.m. at the IBEW Local 683 Union Hall, 23 W. 2nd Ave., will bring together members of Columbus' Hispanic and Somali communities with some two-dozen candidates for federal, state and local office.
Since the 1400's, immigrants have come to America to find their dreams or to escape treachery, war and starvation. They have not always been greeted warmly or well.
Columbus, for the most part, has been a welcoming community. Still, many newcomers experience lengthy bureaucratic delays in qualifying for citizenship. They also have to navigate their way through unfamiliar institutions, such as the schools, the courts and local permit and licensing agencies.
And in an election year, new Americans - like all citizens - can get confused by constantly changing voting requirements and procedures.
At the same time, politicians today face many opposing opinions as to how to address immigration and immigrants in the post 9/11 era.
The new Americans are courted by politicians "but there's not much awareness there," said one Somali community leader. "And after the election, they don't come back."
The New Americans Forum is being sponsored by the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations to encourage dialogue between officeholders, candidates and new ethnic residents. Following panel discussions, a representative of the Ohio Secretary of State's office will clarify voting procedures and information will be shared about the Ohio Democratic Party's Neighborhood Leader Program.
The Coalition is a coordinating group for more than 20 Democratic and independent clubs and PACs in Franklin, Licking, Delaware and Perry counties.
For more information, contact:
Judy Kress, 614-268-2823, or
David Lore, 740-967-5227
Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations
http://coalitiondemscentralohio.org
Unfortunately, when it comes to Iraq (or Iran), the senator didn't have much encouraging news to share.
Brown said he will vote against the $165 billion supplemental funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan which will soon be on the Senate floor. This is no surprise, since Brown cast a similar vote against a $70 billion supplemental war-funding bill last December.
Once again, however, the war funding bill is expected to pass without significant concessions by the White House.
Brown's position on war funding has hardened since last June when he vowed in e-mail to Ohio Quakers to "continue to fight to fully fund our troops.."
And, in fact, in May 2007 Brown voted in favor of an earlier $120 billion war supplemental bill brought to the Congress by the Bush administration.
Now, however, "I don't trust anything he (Bush) says when he's talking about Iraq," Brown said. In view of the administration's failure earlier in the war to provide adequate body and vehicle armor, Brown said legislators can't be sure the President would recall U.S. troops even if future funding was denied.
Brown said in voting against continued war funding, he is taking a risk that congressional opposition could weaken U.S. forces abroad.
"It's a real hard call," he said. "In an election year, a lot of Democrats flinch from it. (Note: Brown was elected to a 6-year term in 2006 and isn't up for re-election until 2012.)
"But politics aside, it's a hard legitimate question," he said. "Do you cut funding when you have soldiers in the field? It's more than politics."
In his response to Ohio Quakers last June, Brown said, "I voted against the Iraq war and I generally support the principles of the (withdrawal) legislation. I will continue to fight to fully fund our troops, to ensure accountability and oversight, for economic and political changes that benefit all Iraqi citizens and to redeploy our troops as soon as possible."
Brown said he opposes any attempt by the Bush administration to ink a long-term security agreement with Iraqi officials that ties the hands of the next administration. The U.S. reportedly wants to preserve more than 50 U.S. bases in Iraq under such an agreement, and give U.S. soldiers and contractors immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Administration officials say they don't need to get congressional approval for such an agreement. Brown said he's not sure Congress could block such a move, although the next President could overturn any Iraqi pact not approved by Congress.
Likewise, if the outgoing administration launched a pre-emptive attack against Iranian nuclear facilities before leaving office in January, its congressional critics might not be able to do much more than complain.
"If there's an attack on Iran, and they (Iran) haven't attacked us,....there will be all sorts of reaction," said Brown. "That would be met with skepticism and rage by a lot of us..."
The bottom line, he said, is that the debate on the war has now shifted from Congress to the Presidential campaigns.
"The party will take the lead from Barack, he said. "In the end, what he says is pretty much what we follow. And we'll just have to fight about it after the election."
It was announced by Cleveland Peace Action during the conference call that an Iran Coordinating Group will meet this Saturday in Cleveland as part of the National Assembly to end the Iraq War and Occupation. For more information, go to www.natassembly.org or call 216-736-4704.
During 2004, I was able to capture pitches from Bill Clinton, John Kerry and John Glenn. Earlier this year, during the Ohio primary season, my recorder bagged greetings from Hillary Clinton and Governor Strickland.
(Nothing yet from Obama, although an enthusiastic young volunteer called last week from Phoenix, hoping for cash. Didn't record that.)
Now, I really haven't figured out what to do with these sound bites from the stars, but it's nice having them as sort of an oral history of recent campaigns. Don't you wish they had robo-calls and recorders (oh, and telephones) when Lincoln was running for president? Nobody today even knows what the voice that gave us the Gettysburg Address even sounded like!
Of course, back in those days not everybody would have been as thrilled to get a jingle from Honest Abe.
This, for example, was Henry David Thoreau's journal entry for June 18, 1854. Thoreau, who probably wouldn't have had phone service out there at Walden Pond even if he could, had no use for .....:
"Politicians! I have looked into the eyes of two or three of them, but I saw nothing there to satisfy me. They will vote for my man to-morrow if I will vote for theirs to-day. They will whirl round and round, not only horizontally like weathercocks, but vertically also."
http://hdt.typepad.com/henrys_blog/
Robinson's Comments: "Now that the presidential nominating process has come to a close, I think it would be good if we paused and reflected for just a moment about the significance of what has just happened and how this sends a message not only to every American, young and old, but to the whole world, that the American Dream is alive and very well.
We have seen through this contest, which could easily have gone either way, that in America no matter your gender or your race, that with talent and hard-work there are no limits to what you may seek and achieve.
And this campaign, Robinson for Congress, is fortunate enough to be a part of this historical moment, to be a part of this hunger for change, or as Obama’s campaign says, Change We Can Believe In. And I do believe in it, because I believe in the ability of Americans—through ingenuity, hard-work, finding of common cause, and with good leadership—to do the most extraordinary things and to solve our problems in the most unexpected of ways.
But as you know, our current leadership in the White House, and all those in Congress who have supported them consistently through the years—as our opponent has—our leadership has failed us, has failed our nation. In less than eight years we have gone from Peace and Prosperity to an inconclusive war in Afghanistan, and an unprovoked, endless war in Iraq, and an economy marked by an embattled middle class and a poverty of opportunity for too many.
So what we face now is a contest for leadership, both at the presidential level and here in the 12th District. And as you know, John McCain is running for a third Bush term, but if that’s not bad enough, my opponent is running for a fifth Tiberi term! And we're not going to let that happen..."
-- David Robinson
For additional information about David and his campaign platform, please visit www.robinson2008.com
It's often said that all politics are local, but in a presidential election year, it just doesn't seem to work out that way.
Typically, national campaigns suck up all available resources like a black hole.
Several times each week, I have to explain over the phone to some earnest volunteer for the DCCC, DSCC, DNC, etc., that any loose change in my pocket that the oil companies missed has to go to local candidates for Congress, the state legislature, the county commission or local judiciary.
No doubt, sitting in Washington, they find this notion quaint but not particularly helpful in the coast-to-coast game of dialing-for-dollars.
Which brings me to David Robinson, Democratic candidate in the 12th Congressional District, who is hosting a modest fundraiser this Thursday night in Powell, Ohio.
Robinson is seeking to depose 4-term Republican Pat Tiberi who enters this year's re-election race with huge advantage in terms of funding and name recognition.
(As of March 31, Tiberi reported $757,719 cash-on-hand as compared to $7,611 cash-on-hand for Robinson who -- at that time -- was just getting organized.)
And it's unlikely that Robinson will get much help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) unless he can show significant local support by the end of this month.
Robinson is one of the most interesting new faces in local politics in years. A Columbus businessman, he brings degrees in fields as varied as accounting, psychology and theology to issues such as global warming which he engages as a volunteer speaker in Al Gore's campaign. Since his win in the March primary, Robinson has been working the grassroots 24-7 and has become a frequent visitor to Licking County, which shares the 12th with eastern Franklin County and parts of Delaware County.
You can learn the basics at www.robinson2008.com but you really have to meet Dave Robinson to experience the energy and enthusiasm of the man.
The only prospect as depressing as a Third Bush Term under John McCain would be a Fifth Tiberi Term dedicated to more slavish boosterism for the Bush-McCain-GOP platform of prolonging the war in Iraq, cutting taxes for the rich and jerking back the safety net for everybody else.
I encourage you to attend this week's Robinson event or take the opportunity to support his campaign in the weeks ahead. Remember, without more progressive Democrats in Congress, it may not really make that much difference who takes the presidential oath of office next January.
Wedgewood Fundraiser
David Robinson
Candidate for
Ohio's 12th U.S. Congressional District
Thursday, June 5th, 2008
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wedgewood Golf and Country Club
9600 Wedgewood Blvd.
Powell, Ohio
Cash bar, Light Hors D'Oeuvres
$25 Suggested Donation at the Door
R.S.V.P. to Rob Doersam at: rdoersam@robinson2008.com
- or - 614-294-2900
If unable to attend, donations can be made at www.robinson2008.com
or at Robinson for Congress, PO Box 8246, Columbus, OH 43201.
Launch a New Energy for Ohio and a New Voice in Congress with Us!
David Robinson for Congress Campaign Fundraiser
Wedgewood Golf and Country Club - Powell, Ohio
June 5, 2008
5:30-8:00 p.m.
Suggested donation - $25
Join David Robinson and other Robinson for Congress supporters to kickoff the summer season and rally into the the general election. The Robinson for Congress campaign is forging ahead and it is time for ALL supporters -- ALL those desiring change, ALL those fighting for our district, and ALL who believe it can happen -- to come together.
Join us. Join David Robinson for Congress. Join us in sending needed change to Congress!
RSVP to: kickoff@robinson2008.com
Donations accepted at the door, evening of the event
Wedgewood Golf & Country Club
9600 Wedgewood Blvd. Powell, OH 43065
(614) 793-9600
For more about David Robinson and his policy platforms, please visit www.robinson2008.com
This Memorial Day holiday will find many of us surrounded by loved ones at parades, picnics and long vacation weekends. As we travel to these celebrations and welcome the long-awaited start to summer, let us honor first and foremost those for whom this holiday was meant to cherish -- the brave men and women who have gone before us for the sake of freedom.
I join my fellow citizens in remembering the valiant bravery of the people who have given their lives so that we may live in freedom. Let us also honor the thousands of men and women who served alongside these patriots who survived the perils of war and those who still wait in support from home. And finally, lest we forget, we must do all we can to recognize their stewardship of freedom by keeping our commitments to them as veterans.
This Memorial Day, we stand united. It is not the day to express dismay about ill-begotten wars and conflicts with which we agree or disagree. Nor is this the time to make anti-war or pro-war speeches. There is nothing political about it at all. It is a day we draw upon the strength we have as Americans -- our unity. A day to recall the poignant words of writer Peter Collier, to remember "those who had given all their tomorrows, as was said of the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, for our todays."
--David Robinson, Candidate, Ohio's U.S. 12th Congressional District www.robinson2008.com
David Robinson's Congressional Campaign Website has been updated and relaunched with a whole new look!
The revamped website includes the new logo for the Robinson campaign and a new slogan... "A New Energy for Ohio, A New Voice in Congress".
Also new to the site are two videos and a photo gallery.
Check it out at www.robinson2008.com
Our 12th District congressman, R-Delaware Co., is either in a funk or has his House voting button stuck on "No."
So much for the "merry month of May." According to www.Congress.org, which tracks major congressional votes, Tiberi in recent weeks has turned thumbs down on:
---The Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008, which provides $15 billion to states and municipalities for the purchase and rehab of foreclosed homes.
---A series of related housing foreclosure rescue bills allowing the FHA to help refinance up to $300 billion in subprime loans and help communities deal with the so-called mortgage meltdown.
---Legislation requiring the Department of Labor to issue occupational safety and health standards regarding worker exposure to combustible dust.
Now it's understandable that Tiberi, the born-again budget hawk since Republcans lost their majority, would oppose the expensive mortgage rescue measures sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, even while some Republicans (including Deborah Pryce) went along.
Democratic sponsors say they want a bipartisan solution to the housing mess, but the package, now in the Senate, faces another Bush veto. And Tiberi, welded at the hip to the Bush White House, almost always goes along with The Decider.
But why in heaven's name would Tiberi oppose a measure (HR 5522) which appears to improve workplace safety?
The dust bill, now in the Senate, was adopted 247-165 in the House. Details can be found at:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/bills/?billnum=H.R.5522&congress=110
Tiberi (and other Ohio Republicans) may have had good reasons to oppose the dust measure, but it would be nice if he could explain these kind of decisions on his web site (http://tiberi.house.gov).
It's swell to know, as his web site reports, that the congressman has been honored by the Small Business Council of America.
But some of his constituents out here (which include me) are left wondering what justifies what appears to be a YES vote for allowing explosive dust-buildups in factories and mines.
So what did I do last week.
Drove 55 mph down I-70 for about 400 miles -- and lived.
We had a very sick little niece at a hospital in Indianapolis, so we decided to drive over and support her and the family. With gas hovering around $3.75 a gallon (and my Passat requires mid-grade), I decided to use that mpg gauge on my control panel and just see what difference it would make to slow down.
So I locked in on the slow lane and set the cruise control at 55 mpg and headed west, only slightly speedier than the wagon trains which once traveled this route. I was being the much-mocked "Sunday Driver," talking to my wife, watching the grass (and bugs) go by on the berm and ignoring the alien bumpers which zoomed up behind me like cats on a mouse.
(Now I could tell by their expressions that these drivers were not happy with me, especially if the passing lane was temporarily blocked. But in 10 hours on the road, nobody honked, raised a finger or otherwise took their criticism to a higher level.)
And at trip's end, I had documented that my Passat Wagon, which normally gets 26-27 mpg on the highway, is capable of 32-33 mpg at the slower speed. That's about a 20 percent saving, or 70-some cents a gallon.
The down side:
It took longer, maybe an hour longer each way, between Columbus and Indianapolis.
That meant my wife got grumpy about an hour earlier, although she didn't seem to worry about "the crazies" since all she saw was the clear lane ahead of us.
Being a guy, it wasn't pleasant being passed by everything on the road, including a few Amish buggies (just kiddin).
Probably lost Dave Robinson (12th District congressional candidate) a few votes, since I had his sticker on my back bumper.
But all in all, it seemed worth it and hopefully as gas prices continue to climb, some of these hot wheelers will decide to start economizing. My advice, however, is don't commit to 55 if you're running late, or driving on a two-lane road (now that would be suicide!).
And slap a (removable) McCain sticker on your rear bumper just for the fun of it.
Seventy-cents less a gallon, and a roadful of drivers pissed at the GOP. What's not to like?
The sexual harassment scandal threatening Dann's job as Ohio attorney general forced his withdrawal as keynote speaker at the annual Jefferson-Jackson bash sponsored by the Licking County Democratic Club. This not only left a gaping hole to be filled in the evening's agenda, but also threatened to roll back the Democratic tide which swept Ohio politics in 2006.
Marc Dann, said State Rep. Dan Dodd, D-Hebron, has managed to overshadow the gains achieved by Gov. Ted Strickland and other Democratic officeholders over the past 16 months.
"What he has been accused of is very serious, and he has cast a dark cloud over everything we've accomplished," said Dodd.
Dodd this week was one of three House Democratic attorneys appointed by Minority Leader Joyce Beatty to investigate possible use of the impeachment process to remove Dann. Dodd left no doubt where he stands in regard to the attorney general's future.
Democrats won in 2006, Dodd said, because they promised to clean up the corruption which piled up during years of Republican rule.
"They brought shame to our state and we ran with a promise to clean that up, and that's what we'll do whether it involves Republicans or Democrats," he said. "If we don't, our clocks will be cleaned in November" when control of the Ohio House is on the line. Read More »
The Orchestra, the Arts, Our Community -Submitted to The Other Paper by David Robinson on 5/5/08
The well-publicized and documented troubles facing the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) are part of an even bigger picture that I find troubling. The CSO is a key contributor to our quality of life in Columbus, well beyond the seasonal performance schedule. The education programs and outreach, and our accomplished Youth Orchestra, bring music and more to our children.
In terms of the business case for our Orchestra, many writers and economists emphasize the importance of the creative class as a central driver of the new economy. The CSO employs significant numbers of artists who live here, raise their families here, and spend their money here. Perhaps most importantly, for businesses small and large trying to attract and retain talent, the CSO represents an important part of our cultural fabric and our image as a great American city. Simply stated, no symphony, no great city.
The root of the symphony’s problems is our ailing economy. Working families in Central Ohio are being pinched at every turn for time and money. When one is forced to choose between food, fuel, and the finer arts, it is the latter which will suffer first. And without an audience, our performing arts organizations will need additional support from the same sources everyone else is tapping: individual donors and the business community.
So where are we investing in the creation of tomorrow’s jobs? Where is the support for innovation? Our region needs leadership and a long-term development strategy to help us take action and improve the things that matter. Yes, I need food to live, and fuel to travel, but I need the arts to make the journey worth taking.
_____________________________________________________
Robinson is the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 12th U.S. Congressional District running against incumbent Pat Tiberi this fall. For more information on David Robinson and his policies, go to www.robinson2008.com.
That would improve the GOP's chances of controlling the State Apportionment Board which begins redrawing the boundaries of state legislative districts after 2010.
The party that controls the apportionment board markedly improves its chances of controlling not only the state legislature but also the Ohio congressional delegation since it's the legislature that maps congressional districts.
To control the board, a party needs to hold two of three state offices: governor, auditor, secretary of state. Unless somebody loses in 2010, this gives Democrats a 2--1 edge.
The GOP is also hopeful of evicting Attorney General Marc Dann, a Democrat, if "PJgate" proves to have legs.
Although Columbus police have declined to pursue sexual harassment charges against Dann aide Anthony Gutierrez, blogs and TV pundits have been speculating for weeks about who might be tapped to replace Dann if the steamy office scandal snares the boss.
Happily, the attorney general isn't a member of the apportionment board.
But the governor is.
So, helpfully, the New York Times yesterday raised once again the prospect that Strickland might be "promoted" out of the Statehouse and into the vice presidency.
The rumor at the time of the Ohio primary was that Stickland would go to work for Hillary if she won. Now it's that the eventual team could be Obama-Strickland.
"Obama advisers have also argued that swing states like Ohio are winnable this fall because they have been increasingly leaning Democratic and have been struggling economically under President Bush. Indeed, some Obama allies hope he will pick Ohio's popular governor, Ted Strickland, as his running mate if he wins the nomination, both to help carry Ohio and to unify the party (Mr. Strickland is supporting Mrs. Clinton)."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/us/politics/24clinton.html?hp
Given the central role gerrymandering plays in politics, Strickland's removal could offset disappointment among Ohio Republicans of seeing Democrats take over the White House next January. Republican gubernatorial hopefuls are already lining up for 2010.
But hear us, Barack and Hillary:
In truth, Ohio Democrats actually can't stand Ted Strickland.
Despite what you hear, he's no Woody Hayes or John Glenn and thus won't get our votes this November. Everybody just punched for him in '06 because he's got a cool wife and all those great stories about growing up in a chicken shack down on Duck Run.
But be warned: If you put our Ted on your ticket, we vow -- with nose pinched and eyes closed -- to vote for John McBush. Even if Rush is his running mate.
So hands off!!
Join the Robinson for Congress Grassroots Team
With less than 200 days to go until Election Day, now is the time to start telling voters about David Robinson and why he is the best choice to represent the 12th District in the U.S. Congress.
Over the next several weeks, the Robinson Campaign will be pulling together a Grassroots Team – a group of committed and energetic Robinson supporters who are willing to spend a few hours on the weekend, or a few hours during the week, reaching out to voters at the door or on the phone.
No Experience Required! "If you can walk, you can canvass. If you can talk, you can phone bank." Training will be provided.
We are going to win in November with good, old-fashioned hard work; and the Grassroots Team will be a critical part of our success.
If you would like to be part of the Team, RSVP to Jed Thorp, Grassroots Coordinator at jedthorp@hotmail.com or 617-553-0541.
For more information on David Robinson and his campaign platform, please visit www.robinson2008.com
By the spring of 2006, Democratic congressional candidate Zach Space had raised $77,194 to win the 18th District primary en route to his successful election that November to the open seat vacated by Republican Bob Ney.
Now, two years later, Rep. Space, seeking to retain that seat, has reported first quarter contributions of nearly $1.5 million, with a net of nearly $1 million cash-on-hand.
That's about as much as Space raised and spent during all of 2006 to initially win the office. His 2006 race gained significant post-primary help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). (By the time he took office, in January 2007, Space's checking account had been drained to less than $28,000 with debts in excess of $56,000, according to the Dispatch.)
Given that Democrats are determined to hold the 18th, and Republicans have vowed to reclaim it (calling Space "an accidental congressman" given Ney's imprisonment on corruption charges), one can only assume the cost of victory in the 18th will rise significantly this year.
Space, knowing he was targeted for extinction in 2008 by the GOP the day he took office, never got the chance to sit back down in Washington and slack off his fund-raising efforts.
"I never thought I'd have a million in the bank," the Dover attorney said last week during a fund-raiser in Newark. "But I think it's necessary."
So-called independent (527) groups raised over $4 million two years ago in an attempt to defeat him, Space said, "and if they did it once, they can do it again."
Incumbents seek to discourage challengers (and their challenger's potential supporters) by flashing a significant bankroll in their early election-year reports to the FEC. Without a significant war chest going into the race, Space said, "it will be like sharks smelling blood in the water--if my fundraising is anemic, they'd be all over me."
This is not to criticize Space, who LICOPAC endorses in his race against Republican challenger Fred Dailey of Mt. Vernon. The freshman congressman is just following the rules of the game as he found them, even though he recognizes the money game seriously erodes public trust in the process as well as the time legislators can actually spend legislating.
In 2006, Space ran on an anti-corruption plank, vowing not to accept campaign contributions from lobbyists.
In his latest filing with the FEC, the congressman reported contributions of $644,428 from individuals and $817,760 from political action committees. All PACs are not lobbyists, but still it's obvious that Zach now needs organized support from unions and other heavy-hitters in the Democratic camp.
"Eventually, I'd like to help take the money out of the process," he said last week.
But with seemingly little support for public financing of elections, that's as likely in the near term as finding a substitute for oil.
When one looks at the FEC first-quarter reports, it's striking how incumbents of different parties have more in common with one another than they do with challengers from their own party.
In the neighboring 12th District, for example, four-term congressman Pat Tiberi, R-Delaware, reported $1.5 million in contributions - again, mostly from PACs - with $757,719 on hand going into the defense of his seat against Democratic challenger David Robinson of Columbus.
Robinson and Dailey both face tremendous odds in their bids to dislodge the incumbents.
Dailey, a former state agriculture director, reported first-quarter contributions of $113,000, but that includes $40,000 of his own money.
"... unless Dailey comes up with a lot more campaign cash pretty soon, it's difficult to see how he can compete against the well-funded Space in the 16-county, multiple-media market district," the Dispatch said on April 16.
Robinson, a newcomer to politics, reported first-quarter contributions of $27,382 (most of that from individuals) but only $7,611 cash-on-hand.
"Following our primary win, we've been strategically getting our campaign structure in place," said Robinson in a prepared statement.
"I'm not a career politician, so we're creating our campaign from scratch. But we're right on plan. We are confident that we will have the resources to put our ideas and plans before every voter for the general election," Robinson said.
"Columbus, Ohio: Did Hillary Clinton's come-from-behind win in the March 4 Ohio Democratic Primary signal a seismic shift in the presidential campaign or the erosion of Ohio's standing as the "heart of it all" in national politics?
Is it still true, in other words, that "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation?"
A panel of distinguished central Ohio journalists and political observers will take up this question during an April 9 forum sponsored by the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations. Speakers are:
Darrel Rowland, public affairs editor of the Columbus Dispatch.
Bill Cohen, veteran Statehouse reporter for WOSU-Radio.
Sandy Theis, media consultant and former Cleveland Plain Dealer bureau chief.
Brian Rothenberg, founder and executive director, ProgressOhio.org
Moderator Bob Ruth, retired investigative reporter for the Dispatch.
The program beings at 7 p.m. at the IBEW 683 Hall, 23 W. Second Ave. Attending will be representatives from Coalition grassroots clubs, PACs and organizations as well as a number of federal, state and local candidates.
For more information, see http://coalitiondemscentralohio.org
When some 50 first-wave volunteers showed up Sunday afternoon for the campaign kick-off in Westerville, for example, they were greeted by a large table overflowing with professional-looking literature, a huge swarm of campaign pins, stacks of candidate postcards, bumper stickers and yard signs, altogether an amazing array of get-out-the-vote tools ready to go less than a month after Robinson's surprise win in the March 4 Democratic primary.
(Two years ago, when first-timer Democrat Zack Space ran for Congress in the neighboring 18th District, we didn't see these kind of campaign-financed goodies until late summer!)
Also on board at the Westerville launch was Robinson's old friend and campaign manager, Chris Holgate, and at least a half-dozen volunteer staff coordinators already designated for things like finance, media, web site development, and grassroots recruitment.
Within 90 minutes, the new recruits got their pep talk, a slice of kick-off cake and assignments to one or another of the action teams being organized to carry forth the fight against Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi.
The challenger is hoping that a fast start will overcome Tiberi's advantages in terms of name recognition and money.
Robinson is unlikely to bring to this battle the kind of multi-million dollar, lobbyist-fueled, war chest that Tiberi has amassed over the last 8 years in Congress to conduct what will likely be a television and direct-mail blitzkrieg after Labor Day.
What the challenger does have going for him, however, is seemingly boundless energy and a drive to organize derived from his business and environmental background. Also going for him is the sour taste in the mouths of most 12th District voters about the war, the economy and all things Bush.
At a Saturday morning breakfast sponsored by LICOPAC in Newark, Robinson vowed before an audience of about 40 Licking County activists to run a "positive" campaign, one avoiding personal attacks while still going after Tiberi's record of supporting the Bush agenda.
"Pat Tiberi is not the moderate Republican he portrays himself as," said Robinson. "On Iraq, for example, he says the same things Bush has been saying for five years...and he advocates extension of all the Bush tax cuts which are completely immoral in terms of the debt we're heaping on our young people."
Anybody interested in learning more and/or getting engaged in the Robinson campaign should check out his web site, www.robinson2008.com , although it's currently under reconstruction.
But if you come, be prepared to work. This guy seems serious about winning.
He doesn't seem to have gotten the memo that says you can't beat an entrenched incumbent in a gerrymandered district.
"Licking County will be critical in the 12th District congressional race this year, but it seems we know little about either candidate -- even though one is an incumbent.
David Robinson of Columbus emerged from the March 4 primary as the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Patrick Tiberi, a Delaware County resident serving his fourth term.
It's understandable we don't know much about Robinson who, at age 46, is running for public office for the first time.
Robinson's resume is impressive: three degrees including a Ph.D, vice president of a small manufacturing firm, a public advocate for Alzheimer's research in his youth, and more recently for Al Gore's Climate Project initiative.
But in terms of the policies he'd pursue as a congressman, Robinson now needs to go beyond generalities.
What's strange is why don't we know more about Tiberi who, for many Licking County residents, remains after 8 years as just a name on a yard sign?
Tiberi, a former state legislator, went to Washington in 2000, succeeding Congressman John Kasich, his former boss.
In Washington, Tiberi nearly always was a Republican loyalist, unlike Kasich who at times took an independent line on budget matters.
In central Ohio, Tiberi was known for his cherub smile, his attentiveness to local business and his office's focus on constituent services, that is, helping local residents resolve their personal problems with the federal government.
Central Ohio residents are likely to know a lot more about the congressional representatives in neighboring districts. Rep. Bob Ney in the 18th got national attention, admittedly negative, for his entanglement in the Abramoff lobbying scandal. Meanwhile, retiring Republican Debra Pryce in the 15th District was widely seen in a positive light because of her House leadership position and her high-stakes re-election win in 2006.
So maybe this year it's time for 12th District voters to take a closer look at their incumbent congressman and his record as well as at the credentials of the newcomer who hopes to replace him.
Has Tiberi, for example, been consistent in opposing runaway federal spending, or did he just take up that crusade, as his critics charge, only after Democrats took over Congress?
Since coming to Washington in 2001 with President Bush, has Tiberi served the needs of his constituents or just those of his party leader?
And as for Robinson, what in his past has prepared him to speak for this community and help set policy for the nation?
And are his proposals those of a independent thinker or just those espoused by the Democratic Party?
Voters are encouraged to check out the candidates' web sites: Tiberi at http://tiberi.house.gov , and Robinson at www.robinson2008.com
The public also will have many opportunities to seek the candidates at the campaign events, fairs, and other events during the next seven months.
For example, Robinson will be answering questions at a meet-and-greet breakfast beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Bake-n-Brew restaurant, 1821 W. Main St., Newark.
Bottom Line: Let's not just watch them run. Let's make them run."
Let's make sure they leave Washington together next January.
Bush is term-limited, but Congressman Tiberi, who represents parts of Licking, Franklin and Delaware counties, can hold down his House seat for many more years, faithfully voting the Bush agenda of more war and more tax cuts for the rich long after his patron saint has gone back to Texas.
That is, unless 12th District voters get serious about change.
Change in this case means Democratic challenger David Robinson, one of the brightest new faces on the central Ohio political scene. Robinson wasn't endorsed in the primary but Zach Manifold, director of the Franklin County Democratic Party, said last week that he'll have the party's full support in his contest with Tiberi.
"Robinson is a quick learner," Manifold said during a March 12 meeting with members of central Ohio progressive grassroots organizations. "He ran a good race."
Learn more about Robinson, his positions and his plans, at www.robinson2008.com
And check out the candidate yourself next weekend:
1/ Breakfast with David Robinson, 9:30 a.m., Saturday, March 29, at Bake-n-Brew restaurant, 1821 W. Main St., Newark. Meet-and-Greet sponsored by LICOPAC, order off the menu.
2/ Robinson for Congress Campaign Kick-Off, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30, at Real Living Training Center, 773 Brooksedge Plaza Dr. in Westerville. Contact is CHolgate@Robinson2008.com or call 614-226-6948.
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