Garden Party Politics
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| Also listed in: Appalachian Populists | Licking County Pro-Active Citizens (www.licopac.org) | Perry County Democratic Forum |
Ted and Frances Strickland, with an assist from Hope Taft, are hosting 2,500 of their closest friends this weekend at a garden party at the Governor's Mansion in Bexley.
The two-day event is to thank those volunteers and party activists who worked to put Strickland in office last November.
I had been to the mansion on Parkview Drive several times before, but as a newspaperman never had time to really enjoy the gardens. They were spectacular today in their July splendor despite the dry weather lately. In addition to the flowers and herbs, there were tents scattered about the lawn offering early attenders morning rolls, coffee and water and there was a spirited band filling the glade with music.
"This is your house," said the governor in brief remarks, "although for many of you, it's been a while since you've been here."
That got a laugh, because since Dick Celeste left office, the mansion has been home for a succession of Republican governors, the most recent being Bob Taft. But Strickland, who grew up in Appalachian poverty in Duck Run in rural Scioto County, said he realizes he's just the tenant in this mansion, not the owner. "It's the people's house, and we want to make it so," he said.
And the governor credited the volunteers and party activists for making possible the turn-around in state government over the last six months.
Strickland credited a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation with the GOP-controlled legislature with making possible new programs for many average Ohioans, including property tax cuts for the elderly, health insurance for all Ohio kids and a two-year tuition freeze for Ohio college undergraduates.
"We've got a lot of other things we need to do," he added. "But I want to thank you all for what you did to make this possible."
After the disappointments of 2000 and 2004, the spoils of victory -- even if it's just coffee and donuts and the smell of roses -- are sweet indeed for Democratic campaign workers gearing up for another fight in 2008.
Oh, I mentioned Hope Taft.
It was Frances who paid tribute to the former first-lady-of-the-house for dropping by unexpectedly on Friday. Mrs. Taft, who surely loved her garden whatever she thinks of Democrats, showed up to do a thorough weeding, filling garbage bags with yard waste and then loading the bags into the trunk of her car so as not to leave a mess.
She said, "I just wanted the garden to look good for your people tomorrow," related Frances.
You know what? She succeeded. Now that was bipartisanship.
We needed to remember Republicans like Hope Taft the next time we're tempted to let our politics get too toxic. One has the sense the Stricklands understand that, which is why we're so fortunate to have them as tenants in "our" mansion for (at least) the next four years.
The two-day event is to thank those volunteers and party activists who worked to put Strickland in office last November.
I had been to the mansion on Parkview Drive several times before, but as a newspaperman never had time to really enjoy the gardens. They were spectacular today in their July splendor despite the dry weather lately. In addition to the flowers and herbs, there were tents scattered about the lawn offering early attenders morning rolls, coffee and water and there was a spirited band filling the glade with music.
"This is your house," said the governor in brief remarks, "although for many of you, it's been a while since you've been here."
That got a laugh, because since Dick Celeste left office, the mansion has been home for a succession of Republican governors, the most recent being Bob Taft. But Strickland, who grew up in Appalachian poverty in Duck Run in rural Scioto County, said he realizes he's just the tenant in this mansion, not the owner. "It's the people's house, and we want to make it so," he said.
And the governor credited the volunteers and party activists for making possible the turn-around in state government over the last six months.
Strickland credited a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation with the GOP-controlled legislature with making possible new programs for many average Ohioans, including property tax cuts for the elderly, health insurance for all Ohio kids and a two-year tuition freeze for Ohio college undergraduates.
"We've got a lot of other things we need to do," he added. "But I want to thank you all for what you did to make this possible."
After the disappointments of 2000 and 2004, the spoils of victory -- even if it's just coffee and donuts and the smell of roses -- are sweet indeed for Democratic campaign workers gearing up for another fight in 2008.
Oh, I mentioned Hope Taft.
It was Frances who paid tribute to the former first-lady-of-the-house for dropping by unexpectedly on Friday. Mrs. Taft, who surely loved her garden whatever she thinks of Democrats, showed up to do a thorough weeding, filling garbage bags with yard waste and then loading the bags into the trunk of her car so as not to leave a mess.
She said, "I just wanted the garden to look good for your people tomorrow," related Frances.
You know what? She succeeded. Now that was bipartisanship.
We needed to remember Republicans like Hope Taft the next time we're tempted to let our politics get too toxic. One has the sense the Stricklands understand that, which is why we're so fortunate to have them as tenants in "our" mansion for (at least) the next four years.
