Ohio 18th Congressional District
This group is dedicated to electing a Democrat from Ohio's 18th Congressional District to the U.S. House.
Can Congressman Zack Space, by staying in the middle of the road, avoid being run over in the highly-partisan national energy debate?
Or does he risk becoming road kill?
Space, D-Dover, has sought to defuse the issue of Alaskan and off-shore drilling by criticizing both parties in Congress for failure to act on skyrocketing oil prices. At the Licking County JFK Breakfast last Saturday, he said he favors a comprehensive study of all options, including drilling but also including conservation measures, development of alternative fuels and energy sources and tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Today, the Dispatch caught up with that story, quoting Space as saying,
"I am frustrated by the lack of debate, by the lack of candid discussion, by the inability of leadership in both parties to cut through all the political nonsense, roll up their sleeves and get down to work and come up with a solution that makes America stronger."
Meanwhile, of course, Republicans continue to howl in chorus to drill, drill, drill, despite the potential environmental cost, even though every expert in the field agrees that that wouldn't produce any increase in oil supplies for decades, and even then wouldn't have much impact of world oil prices.
Seeking to return Space's 18th District to Republican control, challenger Fred Dailey of Mt. Vernon is furiously waving the oily rag, accusing Space of "liberal lip-service...with his support of so-called energy legislation that does nothing to lower gas prices or help America become energy independent."
http://www.daileyforcongress.com/newsDetails.cfm?i=25
The Dispatch interprets the congressman's even-handedness as an attempt by Space and some other Democrats "to distance themselves from their leaders" on the drilling issue.
Isn't it just possible, however, that Space, as a first-termer, just brings a fresh perspective to Congress' partisanship-as-usual way of doing business? Shouldn't the guy get some credit for calling out party leaders on both sides of the aisle for grossly simplifying the very complicated set of energy problems facing America?
Our resident poet, Hummingbird, has faulted Zack in the past for supporting legislation that weakens protection for wild mustangs. But on this issue, she thinks the congressman is smart to stay clear of the herd:
GALLOPING TO THE FINISH
There is a young politician //
stumping his Buckeye Partition. //
His name is Zack Space -- //
He's top of the race. //
Despite GOP derision. //
-- A Political Pepper Spray (TM) by Hummingbird
Congress needs to stop playing politics with energy, U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, told Licking County Democrats this morning.
And in saying all energy options should be on the table, Space didn't spare members of his own party from criticism.
"I'm not proud that my party has engaged just as much as have Republicans in political rhetoric on these issues," he said. "The politicians need to be fair and square and honest with the energy problem, and far too many have not been."
Space has introduced legislation to help working families offset gasoline costs through tax credits, and has voted to support legislation requiring oil companies to start exploiting the 68 million acres of onshore and offshore oil leases they have already been granted by the federal government.
In a column on his congressional web site this month, he also endorses various oil conservation measures in the short term and the development of "advanced energy sources" in the long term.
http://space.house.gov/?sectionid=24&parentid=8§iontree=8,24&itemid=465
In his re-election bid, the 18th District congressman has come under heavy attack from Republicans and conservative groups for not supporting approval of new offshore drilling leases and for opposing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
But Space said today that he thinks Congress should put all energy options, including new drilling in Alaska and offshore, "on the table" for study. Drafters of any new national energy plan, however, must also consider the other options, such as stronger energy conservation programs, the development of alternative fuels or tapping into the Strategic Oil Reserve.
OBAMA
Space, who as a superdelegate remained uncommitted during the Democratic primaries, also said he now strongly supports Barack Obama for the nomination in August.
"Barack is the nominee," he said. "If you're a supporter of Hillary Clinton, you need to come over to Barack's side.
"This guy has the ability to change the perception the rest of the world has of this nation," he continued.
America's leadership role in the world has been badly eroded during President Bush's tenure in office, he said.
"Two years ago, I thought it would take decades to restore it. But now I think Barack will restore it the first day he takes office."
"Not only do I feel better about him after talking to him. I feel better about myself."
And in saying all energy options should be on the table, Space didn't spare members of his own party from criticism.
"I'm not proud that my party has engaged just as much as have Republicans in political rhetoric on these issues," he said. "The politicians need to be fair and square and honest with the energy problem, and far too many have not been."
Space has introduced legislation to help working families offset gasoline costs through tax credits, and has voted to support legislation requiring oil companies to start exploiting the 68 million acres of onshore and offshore oil leases they have already been granted by the federal government.
In a column on his congressional web site this month, he also endorses various oil conservation measures in the short term and the development of "advanced energy sources" in the long term.
http://space.house.gov/?sectionid=24&parentid=8§iontree=8,24&itemid=465
In his re-election bid, the 18th District congressman has come under heavy attack from Republicans and conservative groups for not supporting approval of new offshore drilling leases and for opposing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
But Space said today that he thinks Congress should put all energy options, including new drilling in Alaska and offshore, "on the table" for study. Drafters of any new national energy plan, however, must also consider the other options, such as stronger energy conservation programs, the development of alternative fuels or tapping into the Strategic Oil Reserve.
OBAMA
Space, who as a superdelegate remained uncommitted during the Democratic primaries, also said he now strongly supports Barack Obama for the nomination in August.
"Barack is the nominee," he said. "If you're a supporter of Hillary Clinton, you need to come over to Barack's side.
"This guy has the ability to change the perception the rest of the world has of this nation," he continued.
America's leadership role in the world has been badly eroded during President Bush's tenure in office, he said.
"Two years ago, I thought it would take decades to restore it. But now I think Barack will restore it the first day he takes office."
"Not only do I feel better about him after talking to him. I feel better about myself."
As Barack Obama was conferring with military commanders in Iraq yesterday, his local campaign team was asking equally earnest questions of some two-dozen supporters in Newark.
What are your views, asked campaign volunteer Mark Johns, on energy independence, health care, the economy, the Iraq war and need for government ethics reform? Responses were to be wedged into a two-hour session last night at the Newark Public Library.
"There are a thousand topics we can talk about," Johns said, "but unfortunately the library closes at 9."
This month, according to the event invitation, "Sen. Obama's campaign is asking that people from all across American hold Platform Meetings to talk about what issues are most important to them and what should be at the heart of the Democratic platform for change."
Because of time constraints, the agenda last night was limited, following a quick show of hands, to the energy crisis and the economy.
It must be said that nothing remarkably new came out of the discussion. The consensus of the group appeared to be that all these issues are heavily intertwined, that energy issues, for example, cannot be isolated from environmental ones or the state of the economy.
Participants agreed the nation's economic turmoil results from a lack of government regulation, from greedy corporations and overpaid CEOs, from Bush's ill-conceived tax cuts and the resulting abandonment of the balanced budget. We're experiencing a period of "neo-Hooverism," said one speaker.
While these viewpoints were hardly surprising, the fact that a Presidential candidate is asking everyday citizens to contribute more than campaign cash is a new wrinkle in American politics, at least at the national level. People seem to like this "national town meeting" idea, and hope that it will become a permanent feature of the Obama presidency, assuming he's elected.
Of course, the election is now the first priority. Those attending last night included many volunteers already active in local Democratic politics, as well as a number of independents and even a few disenchanted Republicans.
Of course, local organizers stressed that local volunteers will be critical to Obama's success in November.
"Ohio is the tip of the spear," said Johns, who organized the first grassroots Obama group in Newark back in February. "And in Ohio, it's central Ohio that's the key. And it's not Franklin County (that will decide it), it's the counties surrounding Franklin County."
Johns, as well as staff field organizer Brian Clark and volunteer Chris Keck, are team leaders here under the direction of regional staff director Lauren Durham. The Obama team can be reached through the Licking County Democratic Headquarters (349-8273).
What are your views, asked campaign volunteer Mark Johns, on energy independence, health care, the economy, the Iraq war and need for government ethics reform? Responses were to be wedged into a two-hour session last night at the Newark Public Library.
"There are a thousand topics we can talk about," Johns said, "but unfortunately the library closes at 9."
This month, according to the event invitation, "Sen. Obama's campaign is asking that people from all across American hold Platform Meetings to talk about what issues are most important to them and what should be at the heart of the Democratic platform for change."
Because of time constraints, the agenda last night was limited, following a quick show of hands, to the energy crisis and the economy.
It must be said that nothing remarkably new came out of the discussion. The consensus of the group appeared to be that all these issues are heavily intertwined, that energy issues, for example, cannot be isolated from environmental ones or the state of the economy.
Participants agreed the nation's economic turmoil results from a lack of government regulation, from greedy corporations and overpaid CEOs, from Bush's ill-conceived tax cuts and the resulting abandonment of the balanced budget. We're experiencing a period of "neo-Hooverism," said one speaker.
While these viewpoints were hardly surprising, the fact that a Presidential candidate is asking everyday citizens to contribute more than campaign cash is a new wrinkle in American politics, at least at the national level. People seem to like this "national town meeting" idea, and hope that it will become a permanent feature of the Obama presidency, assuming he's elected.
Of course, the election is now the first priority. Those attending last night included many volunteers already active in local Democratic politics, as well as a number of independents and even a few disenchanted Republicans.
Of course, local organizers stressed that local volunteers will be critical to Obama's success in November.
"Ohio is the tip of the spear," said Johns, who organized the first grassroots Obama group in Newark back in February. "And in Ohio, it's central Ohio that's the key. And it's not Franklin County (that will decide it), it's the counties surrounding Franklin County."
Johns, as well as staff field organizer Brian Clark and volunteer Chris Keck, are team leaders here under the direction of regional staff director Lauren Durham. The Obama team can be reached through the Licking County Democratic Headquarters (349-8273).
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.
July 3, 2008
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
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
Marc Dann was out of sight at last night's Licking County JJ Dinner, but certainly not out of mind.
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 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 »
What a difference incumbency makes!
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.
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.
(from WWW.LICOPAC.ORG)
"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
"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
Republicans may have a hard time painting 18th District congressman Zack Space as a liberal zealot, given a new ranking of members by the conservative National Journal.
In a Friday news release, Space boasts of his placement smack dab in the middle of the ideological pack.
"WASHINGTON, DC - Reaffirming his position as one of the most moderate and independent Members of Congress, National Journal today published rankings that place Congressman Zack Space's (OH-18) voting record almost dead-center. Of the 435 Members of Congress, there are 212 more "liberal" and 218 more "conservative," placing him squarely in the middle of the ideological spectrum.
"My constituents do not need statistics to prove what they already know - I am their independent voice in Congress," Space said. "I pride myself in working for the best interests of my district - not a political party - and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish this Congress."
"In the 18th Congressional District, people are not looking for a Democrat or a Republican, and they are not looking for an ideologue. They want a moderate, independent, Ohioan who will fight for them every day. I am proud to do that, and I am proud of this ranking," Space continued.
See the release at:
http://space.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=20&parentid=8§iontree=8,20&itemid=398
As a Zack supporter, this leaves me with mixed emotions. While I'm always happy to deny the GOP a talking point, it's kind of difficult to keep cheering on the guy sticking to the safe middle.
With all due respect, Zack, I'm not looking for a moderate independent in the 18th -- I want a Democrat!
In a Friday news release, Space boasts of his placement smack dab in the middle of the ideological pack.
"WASHINGTON, DC - Reaffirming his position as one of the most moderate and independent Members of Congress, National Journal today published rankings that place Congressman Zack Space's (OH-18) voting record almost dead-center. Of the 435 Members of Congress, there are 212 more "liberal" and 218 more "conservative," placing him squarely in the middle of the ideological spectrum.
"My constituents do not need statistics to prove what they already know - I am their independent voice in Congress," Space said. "I pride myself in working for the best interests of my district - not a political party - and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish this Congress."
"In the 18th Congressional District, people are not looking for a Democrat or a Republican, and they are not looking for an ideologue. They want a moderate, independent, Ohioan who will fight for them every day. I am proud to do that, and I am proud of this ranking," Space continued.
See the release at:
http://space.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=20&parentid=8§iontree=8,20&itemid=398
As a Zack supporter, this leaves me with mixed emotions. While I'm always happy to deny the GOP a talking point, it's kind of difficult to keep cheering on the guy sticking to the safe middle.
With all due respect, Zack, I'm not looking for a moderate independent in the 18th -- I want a Democrat!
Just as Ohioans get all puffed up today about their influence in the raging Democratic primary, along comes Congress.Org with their annual congressional power rankings -- rankings which explain why Licking County (and Ohio, for that matter) doesn't command much influence at the Capitol.
The rankings are at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt
Legislators' scores depend on things like their committee assignments and other official positions, their tenure and whether they're in the majority or minority party in the House or Senate.
The envelopes, please.
Four-term Republican Pat Tiberi in the 12th District gets points for his tenure and committee assignments but ranks only 281st out of 435 House members because he's now in the minority and has little to show for 2007 in terms of legislative accomplishments or earmarks (ie, pork).
In the 18th District, freshman Democrat Zack Space does slightly better, 241st out of 435, because of his committee assignments and because he's a Democrat. He also gets slightly more credit than Tiberi in terms of winning earmarks but likewise gets little boost in these power rankings in terms of legislation since he's still the new kid in town.
Likewise, Ohio's two U.S. senators are well back in the pack in the senatorial power game, according to this survey. Sen. George Voinovich, Republican, ranks 95th out of 99 senators and freshman Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat, ranks 73rd.
If sports statistics are your thing, and you consider politics a sport, check out this site.
The rankings are at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt
Legislators' scores depend on things like their committee assignments and other official positions, their tenure and whether they're in the majority or minority party in the House or Senate.
The envelopes, please.
Four-term Republican Pat Tiberi in the 12th District gets points for his tenure and committee assignments but ranks only 281st out of 435 House members because he's now in the minority and has little to show for 2007 in terms of legislative accomplishments or earmarks (ie, pork).
In the 18th District, freshman Democrat Zack Space does slightly better, 241st out of 435, because of his committee assignments and because he's a Democrat. He also gets slightly more credit than Tiberi in terms of winning earmarks but likewise gets little boost in these power rankings in terms of legislation since he's still the new kid in town.
Likewise, Ohio's two U.S. senators are well back in the pack in the senatorial power game, according to this survey. Sen. George Voinovich, Republican, ranks 95th out of 99 senators and freshman Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat, ranks 73rd.
If sports statistics are your thing, and you consider politics a sport, check out this site.
Hear about the big ethics scandal involving Zack Space?
If not,it shows you don't read the Newark Advocate.
(http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS03/802210342/1002/NEWS17
In an otherwise forgettable Thursday article about three Republican congressional hopefuls pitching the Licking County Republican Women's Club, candidate Jeanette Moll from Zanesville made this remarkable statement:
"Moll, a former magistrate judge for the Guernsey County Court of Common Pleas, said her concerns about ethical issues tied to current 18th District Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, are part of what prompted her to seek office to ensure transparency and strong conservative leadership." (emphasis added)
This remark, buried in a page 3 story, should be a bombshell since Space was elected on his promise to clean up the ethics stain left behind by his predecessor, Republican Bob Ney.
But nowhere in the Advocate article does Moll document her charge against Space, other than to say, "many members of Congress are more concerned about re-election than anything else."
A check of Moll's campaign website doesn't turn up anything scandalous about Zack either, unless you count her discomfort with the congressman accepting $170,000 in campaign contributions from the liberal MoveOn.Org during the 2006 campaign. (See http://jeanettemoll.wordpress.com/category/op-ed )
Given that the MoveOn contribution went towards replacing Ney, a Delay era poster boy for corruption, with a scandal-free Democrat, that would seem to be money ethically spent. Moll, who boasts her affiliations with Right to Life and the National Rifle Association, finds MoveOn unacceptable because of its opposition to the Iraq occupation.
One would expect more precision from Moll, an attorney and former magistrate.
Nothing in the article indicates that she -- or the other 18th District Republican hopefuls at the GOP club meeting -- had anything to say, ethically or otherwise, about the news that their fellow 18th District Republican Bob Ney is being sprung from a federal prison after serving a year of his 30-month sentence for corrupt acts in the Abramoff lobbying affair.
That, even though the article about Ney's release ran right next to the article about the club meeting and Space's alleged ethical lapses.
Kudos to the Advocate copy editor who laid out that page!
If not,it shows you don't read the Newark Advocate.
(http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS03/802210342/1002/NEWS17
In an otherwise forgettable Thursday article about three Republican congressional hopefuls pitching the Licking County Republican Women's Club, candidate Jeanette Moll from Zanesville made this remarkable statement:
"Moll, a former magistrate judge for the Guernsey County Court of Common Pleas, said her concerns about ethical issues tied to current 18th District Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, are part of what prompted her to seek office to ensure transparency and strong conservative leadership." (emphasis added)
This remark, buried in a page 3 story, should be a bombshell since Space was elected on his promise to clean up the ethics stain left behind by his predecessor, Republican Bob Ney.
But nowhere in the Advocate article does Moll document her charge against Space, other than to say, "many members of Congress are more concerned about re-election than anything else."
A check of Moll's campaign website doesn't turn up anything scandalous about Zack either, unless you count her discomfort with the congressman accepting $170,000 in campaign contributions from the liberal MoveOn.Org during the 2006 campaign. (See http://jeanettemoll.wordpress.com/category/op-ed )
Given that the MoveOn contribution went towards replacing Ney, a Delay era poster boy for corruption, with a scandal-free Democrat, that would seem to be money ethically spent. Moll, who boasts her affiliations with Right to Life and the National Rifle Association, finds MoveOn unacceptable because of its opposition to the Iraq occupation.
One would expect more precision from Moll, an attorney and former magistrate.
Nothing in the article indicates that she -- or the other 18th District Republican hopefuls at the GOP club meeting -- had anything to say, ethically or otherwise, about the news that their fellow 18th District Republican Bob Ney is being sprung from a federal prison after serving a year of his 30-month sentence for corrupt acts in the Abramoff lobbying affair.
That, even though the article about Ney's release ran right next to the article about the club meeting and Space's alleged ethical lapses.
Kudos to the Advocate copy editor who laid out that page!
Last July 31, LICOPAC (www.licopac.org) borrowed from that famous Wendy's ad and asked of our two Licking County congressfolk, "Where's the Beef?"
Or in the case of Congress, where's the pork?
Despite all the reform talk about ending pay-to-play politics, Congressional earmarks are still very much the reality. So, after the usual lip-service to ethics, let's move on to the real business of Washington and count up the "earmarks" (otherwise known as loot) that Reps. Zack Space and Pat Tiberi scored for their districts last year. Read More »
Or in the case of Congress, where's the pork?
Despite all the reform talk about ending pay-to-play politics, Congressional earmarks are still very much the reality. So, after the usual lip-service to ethics, let's move on to the real business of Washington and count up the "earmarks" (otherwise known as loot) that Reps. Zack Space and Pat Tiberi scored for their districts last year. Read More »
One good reason to be suspicious of the economic stimulus package now being thrown together in Washington is the unseemly haste in Congress to get something approved. The reason given, of course, is that those $300 to $1,800 checks need to get out to the taxpayers so they can rush out and spend them, thus heading off the freight train of the oncoming (or at least frequently forecasted) recession.
If only there was such a scramble at the White House and on Capitol Hill to do something about other oncoming freights, such as global warming, nuclear proliferation and African genocide, not to mention our own slide to becoming a beggar nation at the mercy of China, Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing states.
But is it also unreasonable to suspect that the crash program to get out the bonus checks might also have something to do with the upcoming election? Every incumbent Congressman and Senator on this year's ballot is salivating at the chance to vote for this $150 billion Easter egg.
Our own 12th District Congressman Pat Tiberi, for example, is quoted in today's Dispatch as brooking no delay, scolding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for wanting to take a second look at the House decision to drop extended unemployment compensation benefits and increases in food stamp allotments from the package.
"Everybody can't get everything they want," said Tiberi. "The important thing is doing this quickly."
Yet, as the independent watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense (www.taxpayer.net) reminds us:
"A 2002 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report compares the tradeoffs inherent in many of the more popular proposals for priming the economy. In the end it comes down to predicting individual behavior - a favorite pastime of economists. That said, a more recent CBO report proposes three fixes that at least do minimal harm: temporary tax cuts and rebates, temporarily extending or expanding unemployment benefits, and temporarily increasing foods stamps. Other economists suggest tax breaks and incentives for business investment, such as temporary provisions for accelerated depreciation on new equipment purchases."
In the grand bargain in the House, it looks like Nancy and the Democrats got snookered again. The rebates are there, along with accelerated depreciation on new business equipment, but the hungry and unemployed didn't make the cut.
Here's one taxpayer who would like to see the Senate take the time necessary to help out the neediest instead of just the greediest as usual. Maybe Congressman Pat should check out the depleted food pantries in his district. Maybe then he wouldn't tell those down on their luck that "everybody can't get everything they want."
We hope that our other Licking County ocngressman, Zack Space, D-Dover, who's about to launch a series of economic development workshops across his 18th District, also thinks of the poor and unemployed when he votes for this stimulus package.
In a news release earlier this week before the compromise plan was announced, Space had this to say:
"In an effort to tackle an economic crisis that is devastating Southeastern Ohio's families, Congressman Zack Space (OH-18) today said that his first order of business upon returning to Washington next week would be to tell Congressional leaders that an economic package must be enacted quickly.
Reports indicate that a stimulus package could include targeted tax cuts for individuals and businesses, rebates for individuals that may be several hundred dollars, and an extension of unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the declining economy."
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/stimuluspackage.html
http://space.house.gov/RENEWOH18.shtml
Bottom line: It's always nice to get a check in the mail, but $600 or $1,200 ain't going to change my life (or my spending habits).
If the government feels it's necessary to send out rebate checks now, why not direct at least some of them to those who really are in the most desperate need of recovery?
If only there was such a scramble at the White House and on Capitol Hill to do something about other oncoming freights, such as global warming, nuclear proliferation and African genocide, not to mention our own slide to becoming a beggar nation at the mercy of China, Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing states.
But is it also unreasonable to suspect that the crash program to get out the bonus checks might also have something to do with the upcoming election? Every incumbent Congressman and Senator on this year's ballot is salivating at the chance to vote for this $150 billion Easter egg.
Our own 12th District Congressman Pat Tiberi, for example, is quoted in today's Dispatch as brooking no delay, scolding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for wanting to take a second look at the House decision to drop extended unemployment compensation benefits and increases in food stamp allotments from the package.
"Everybody can't get everything they want," said Tiberi. "The important thing is doing this quickly."
Yet, as the independent watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense (www.taxpayer.net) reminds us:
"A 2002 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report compares the tradeoffs inherent in many of the more popular proposals for priming the economy. In the end it comes down to predicting individual behavior - a favorite pastime of economists. That said, a more recent CBO report proposes three fixes that at least do minimal harm: temporary tax cuts and rebates, temporarily extending or expanding unemployment benefits, and temporarily increasing foods stamps. Other economists suggest tax breaks and incentives for business investment, such as temporary provisions for accelerated depreciation on new equipment purchases."
In the grand bargain in the House, it looks like Nancy and the Democrats got snookered again. The rebates are there, along with accelerated depreciation on new business equipment, but the hungry and unemployed didn't make the cut.
Here's one taxpayer who would like to see the Senate take the time necessary to help out the neediest instead of just the greediest as usual. Maybe Congressman Pat should check out the depleted food pantries in his district. Maybe then he wouldn't tell those down on their luck that "everybody can't get everything they want."
We hope that our other Licking County ocngressman, Zack Space, D-Dover, who's about to launch a series of economic development workshops across his 18th District, also thinks of the poor and unemployed when he votes for this stimulus package.
In a news release earlier this week before the compromise plan was announced, Space had this to say:
"In an effort to tackle an economic crisis that is devastating Southeastern Ohio's families, Congressman Zack Space (OH-18) today said that his first order of business upon returning to Washington next week would be to tell Congressional leaders that an economic package must be enacted quickly.
Reports indicate that a stimulus package could include targeted tax cuts for individuals and businesses, rebates for individuals that may be several hundred dollars, and an extension of unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the declining economy."
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/stimuluspackage.html
http://space.house.gov/RENEWOH18.shtml
Bottom line: It's always nice to get a check in the mail, but $600 or $1,200 ain't going to change my life (or my spending habits).
If the government feels it's necessary to send out rebate checks now, why not direct at least some of them to those who really are in the most desperate need of recovery?
Comedian Stephen Colbert (is he still running for President?) had a hard time last March believing that 18th District Congressman Zack Space was a Democrat rather than a Republican.
In fact, during his Comedy Central segment (replayed earlier this week), Colbert successfully badgered the freshman legislator into repeating, "I'm a Republican," seemingly without waterboarding or any of the other "aggressive interrogation" techniques perfected by the CIA.
Colbert's comic "confusion" over the Ohioan's political allegiance was prompted by Space's support of Second Amendment gun rights, not a surprising position given his rural SE Ohio district.
Well, Colbert may have been kidding around but Space wasn't. This week he announced introduction of a comprehensive gun-rights bill, making it difficult for the GOP to target him at least on this issue.
See his press release at:
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/guntax.html
Of course, Space opposes dropping nukes on Iran which, to some on the rabid Republican Right, is sort of a Second Amendment Right on steroids. As the saying goes, "Nukes don't kill people, Lefties kill people."
In fact, during his Comedy Central segment (replayed earlier this week), Colbert successfully badgered the freshman legislator into repeating, "I'm a Republican," seemingly without waterboarding or any of the other "aggressive interrogation" techniques perfected by the CIA.
Colbert's comic "confusion" over the Ohioan's political allegiance was prompted by Space's support of Second Amendment gun rights, not a surprising position given his rural SE Ohio district.
Well, Colbert may have been kidding around but Space wasn't. This week he announced introduction of a comprehensive gun-rights bill, making it difficult for the GOP to target him at least on this issue.
See his press release at:
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/guntax.html
Of course, Space opposes dropping nukes on Iran which, to some on the rabid Republican Right, is sort of a Second Amendment Right on steroids. As the saying goes, "Nukes don't kill people, Lefties kill people."
Congressman Zack Space's Thanksgiving trip to Greece turned out to be a turkey, politically at least. The Democratic freshman was roasted for joining a Congressional delegation visiting Greece and Cyprus over the holiday, including a planned stay at a $400-a-night luxury hotel in Athens.
Space responded to the criticism by switching to a cheaper hotel and announcing he'd pay for the trip himself, rather than charging it off - as presumably the rest of the delegation, Republicans and Democrats, did - to the taxpayers.
Good recovery from what was a dumb move on Space's part.
As the Newark Advocate said yesterday, "Let's chalk it up to a rookie mistake that needs to be learned from - and not repeated."
But let's also recognize that the whole affair was a pretty cheap shot - and the kind of cheap shot likely to be resurrected repeatedly over the next year as Republicans desperately try to reclaim the 18th District seat lost last year in the wake of the Bob Ney-Jack Abramoff scandal. Read More »
Space responded to the criticism by switching to a cheaper hotel and announcing he'd pay for the trip himself, rather than charging it off - as presumably the rest of the delegation, Republicans and Democrats, did - to the taxpayers.
Good recovery from what was a dumb move on Space's part.
As the Newark Advocate said yesterday, "Let's chalk it up to a rookie mistake that needs to be learned from - and not repeated."
But let's also recognize that the whole affair was a pretty cheap shot - and the kind of cheap shot likely to be resurrected repeatedly over the next year as Republicans desperately try to reclaim the 18th District seat lost last year in the wake of the Bob Ney-Jack Abramoff scandal. Read More »
Everybody loves the kids, especially the politicians as another election cycle looms.
President Bush loves 'em so much he doesn't want to leave any of them behind...although when it comes to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Bush is willing to leave those behind who he considers insufficiently desperate. So he vetoed the bill, saying he'd support only a modest expansion of the program rather than risk a creep towards national health insurance.
Then there's Licking County's two Congressmen.
Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi, Delaware, has voted for SCHIP (and -- amazingly -- to override of the Bush veto) but hates finding himself on the same side as Congressional Democrats on the issue:
"Democratic leaders know this bill won't become law. Yet they continue to play politics with the issue rather than advancing an expanded program to help low-income children," he says at his web site.
See http://tiberi.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=77200
Also voting for the kids (and to override Bush's veto) is Democratic Congressman Zack Space, Dover, who supports extending health insurance coverage to more low-income tots but -- like Tiberi -- blames the other party for sabotaging the deal.
"No matter how hard we try, it appears as though nothing will make a majority of House Republicans change their minds on providing health insurance to our children," said Space.
"I find it unconscionable to believe that, for the third time, a handful of Republicans would place their own political goals over the health and well-being of our nation's children."
See: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/oct25schip.html
So, to summarize:
Bush likes kids but spiked SCHIP with a veto because he doesn't see it as a budget priority to keep them all healthy.
Tiberi (and at least a few other ballot-endangered Republicans) wants to provide more protection for low-income kids, but hates having to do it in concert with Democrats.
And while Space and the Democrats love kids (as well as the political high ground of fighting on their behalf), they haven't been able to convince Bush and the president's veto-proof Republican minority in the House to go along with their bill to expand the SCHIP program.
Given all this kicking and screaming over something which should be negotiable, where are the grown-ups in Washington?
Sounds like the White House and Congress need to go to time-out.
President Bush loves 'em so much he doesn't want to leave any of them behind...although when it comes to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Bush is willing to leave those behind who he considers insufficiently desperate. So he vetoed the bill, saying he'd support only a modest expansion of the program rather than risk a creep towards national health insurance.
Then there's Licking County's two Congressmen.
Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi, Delaware, has voted for SCHIP (and -- amazingly -- to override of the Bush veto) but hates finding himself on the same side as Congressional Democrats on the issue:
"Democratic leaders know this bill won't become law. Yet they continue to play politics with the issue rather than advancing an expanded program to help low-income children," he says at his web site.
See http://tiberi.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=77200
Also voting for the kids (and to override Bush's veto) is Democratic Congressman Zack Space, Dover, who supports extending health insurance coverage to more low-income tots but -- like Tiberi -- blames the other party for sabotaging the deal.
"No matter how hard we try, it appears as though nothing will make a majority of House Republicans change their minds on providing health insurance to our children," said Space.
"I find it unconscionable to believe that, for the third time, a handful of Republicans would place their own political goals over the health and well-being of our nation's children."
See: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh18_space/oct25schip.html
So, to summarize:
Bush likes kids but spiked SCHIP with a veto because he doesn't see it as a budget priority to keep them all healthy.
Tiberi (and at least a few other ballot-endangered Republicans) wants to provide more protection for low-income kids, but hates having to do it in concert with Democrats.
And while Space and the Democrats love kids (as well as the political high ground of fighting on their behalf), they haven't been able to convince Bush and the president's veto-proof Republican minority in the House to go along with their bill to expand the SCHIP program.
Given all this kicking and screaming over something which should be negotiable, where are the grown-ups in Washington?
Sounds like the White House and Congress need to go to time-out.
Coal industry exec Mike Carey dropped out of the 18th District Congressional race today, narrowing the Republican field running against Democrat Zack Space to three (at least for now).
In a letter to volunteers, Carey, 36, of Granville, said he couldn't take on a Congressional race at the same time his son, Prescott, was taking on kindergarten.
"Being one who promotes family values, I must live by those same values and it is on that principal I have based my decision," he said.
This leaves GOP candidates Fred Dailey, Mt. Vernon, and Jeanette Moll, New Concord, and Paul Phillips, Chillicothe, to duke it out with Space who won the district last year following the corruption conviction of former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Heath.
There's an article in today's Newark Advocate, but it doesn't offer any alternative theories as to why Carey might drop out at this early stage. As the former candidate says in his letter,
"During the past 3 months I have campaigned daily through out all 16 counties. Attending parades, county fairs and picnics now more than ever I know the values my campaign was built on are what matter most to the people of the 18th. When I started this voyage I thought I clearly understood the commitment needed to wage this campaign."
Now no doubt kindergarten is a major commitment for the Carey family. But one has to wonder whether national Republicans -- who have made defeat of Space a top priority for 2008 -- convinced Carey to step aside, now that Dailey, a former state agriculture director, has entered the race.
It will be interesting to see if Moll, 41, and Phillips, 44, also decide they need to spend more time with the kids.
Or it could be that Carey, president of the Columbus-based Ohio Coal Association, was hearing from coal industry owners who might not want their association president to be involved in a fight with an incumbent (or future) congressman who will be voting on coal legislation.
In a letter to volunteers, Carey, 36, of Granville, said he couldn't take on a Congressional race at the same time his son, Prescott, was taking on kindergarten.
"Being one who promotes family values, I must live by those same values and it is on that principal I have based my decision," he said.
This leaves GOP candidates Fred Dailey, Mt. Vernon, and Jeanette Moll, New Concord, and Paul Phillips, Chillicothe, to duke it out with Space who won the district last year following the corruption conviction of former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Heath.
There's an article in today's Newark Advocate, but it doesn't offer any alternative theories as to why Carey might drop out at this early stage. As the former candidate says in his letter,
"During the past 3 months I have campaigned daily through out all 16 counties. Attending parades, county fairs and picnics now more than ever I know the values my campaign was built on are what matter most to the people of the 18th. When I started this voyage I thought I clearly understood the commitment needed to wage this campaign."
Now no doubt kindergarten is a major commitment for the Carey family. But one has to wonder whether national Republicans -- who have made defeat of Space a top priority for 2008 -- convinced Carey to step aside, now that Dailey, a former state agriculture director, has entered the race.
It will be interesting to see if Moll, 41, and Phillips, 44, also decide they need to spend more time with the kids.
Or it could be that Carey, president of the Columbus-based Ohio Coal Association, was hearing from coal industry owners who might not want their association president to be involved in a fight with an incumbent (or future) congressman who will be voting on coal legislation.
A Republican posse has been recruited in the 18th District to try to bring down first-term Democratic congressman Zack Space.
And some strident anti-war Democrats seem ready to join in the hunt.
In today's partisan Congress, there's no honeymoon for a Democratic freshman elected from a normally GOP-voting district.
So far, however, Space appears to be weathering the storm. Some of this is just hard work on his part. The freshman from Dover has been stomping every corner of his 16-county district and focusing on the issues that matter to its residents.
But he's also being helped by the targets his opponents have selected.
Republicans, for example, are trying to make hay out of the fact that Space supports legislation extending health insurance coverage for children and proposing gasoline tax breaks for low-income rural commuters. Space is also accused of being inconsistent in his stated opposition to illegal immigration.
He has also run into criticism from some Democrats for supporting a gradual rather than immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. And he disappointed even loyal supporters by voting, at the request of his party's leadership, in favor of a temporary expansion of the government's controversial domestic surveillance program.
From both Left and Right, the criticism is that Space is paying more attention to the dictates of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi than he is to the interests of his constituents. Although this is unfair on the basis of only a handful of votes, Space, who has touted his independence, can't afford to let this charge stick. Read More »
And some strident anti-war Democrats seem ready to join in the hunt.
In today's partisan Congress, there's no honeymoon for a Democratic freshman elected from a normally GOP-voting district.
So far, however, Space appears to be weathering the storm. Some of this is just hard work on his part. The freshman from Dover has been stomping every corner of his 16-county district and focusing on the issues that matter to its residents.
But he's also being helped by the targets his opponents have selected.
Republicans, for example, are trying to make hay out of the fact that Space supports legislation extending health insurance coverage for children and proposing gasoline tax breaks for low-income rural commuters. Space is also accused of being inconsistent in his stated opposition to illegal immigration.
He has also run into criticism from some Democrats for supporting a gradual rather than immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. And he disappointed even loyal supporters by voting, at the request of his party's leadership, in favor of a temporary expansion of the government's controversial domestic surveillance program.
From both Left and Right, the criticism is that Space is paying more attention to the dictates of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi than he is to the interests of his constituents. Although this is unfair on the basis of only a handful of votes, Space, who has touted his independence, can't afford to let this charge stick. Read More »
"earmark n 1. An identifying mark on the ear of a domestic animal," The American Heritage Dictionary.
In the Congressional barnyard, "earmark" has taken on a whole new meaning. Instead of a notch on the bovine ear, the congressional earmark is a notch on the politician's belt, indicating he or she has sufficient standing in the legislative cattle call to bring home the steak for their district.
Earmarks have been much in the news in Washington because of the ethics push this year to make these $pecial Request$ more transparent. But don't look for repeal of these targeted appropriations, since both Republicans and Democrats love 'em.
So, in Licking County and Central Ohio, the issue is not so much ethics as division of the spoils. In other words, are Reps. Pat Tiberi, R-Delaware, and Zack Space, D-Dover, bringing home the beef?
Looking first at Tiberi, Congressman Pat should be thanked for listing his earmark requests at his web site. See www.tiberi.house.gov
But a look at his voting record raises questions about his consistency, since it appears he's voting against most of the very appropriation measures which would carry his earmarks. Read More »
In the Congressional barnyard, "earmark" has taken on a whole new meaning. Instead of a notch on the bovine ear, the congressional earmark is a notch on the politician's belt, indicating he or she has sufficient standing in the legislative cattle call to bring home the steak for their district.
Earmarks have been much in the news in Washington because of the ethics push this year to make these $pecial Request$ more transparent. But don't look for repeal of these targeted appropriations, since both Republicans and Democrats love 'em.
So, in Licking County and Central Ohio, the issue is not so much ethics as division of the spoils. In other words, are Reps. Pat Tiberi, R-Delaware, and Zack Space, D-Dover, bringing home the beef?
Looking first at Tiberi, Congressman Pat should be thanked for listing his earmark requests at his web site. See www.tiberi.house.gov
But a look at his voting record raises questions about his consistency, since it appears he's voting against most of the very appropriation measures which would carry his earmarks. Read More »
Skip the boring TV weather report Wednesday evening and go online with 18th District Congressman Zack Space who is featured in what is a series of online "town halls" sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
Go to: Congressman Zack Space's Online Town Hall
...and excuse the lousy funhouse-mirror picture of Zack that makes him look almost as squashed as his predecessor, Bob Ney!
Space replaced Ney, who was convicted and jailed on corruption charges last year, and is working hard to counter the furious Republican counterattack. "Since the 2008 election cycle began, Space has raked in more than $571,000 and had more than $439,000 on hand as of June 30," according to the Columbus Dispatch (7/17/07).
Go to: Congressman Zack Space's Online Town Hall
...and excuse the lousy funhouse-mirror picture of Zack that makes him look almost as squashed as his predecessor, Bob Ney!
Space replaced Ney, who was convicted and jailed on corruption charges last year, and is working hard to counter the furious Republican counterattack. "Since the 2008 election cycle began, Space has raked in more than $571,000 and had more than $439,000 on hand as of June 30," according to the Columbus Dispatch (7/17/07).
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COLUMBUS - Ohio's top three political leaders announced toda...
Finally, a Democrat that understands
Gov. Strickland is trying to keep the "paid sick day's bill"...
Gov. Strickland is trying to keep the "paid sick day's bill"...
Ethics Problems
In Ohio's Supreme Court
