Friday, February 29, 2008

Conservative Buckley dies!


AP National Writer

William F. Buckley Jr. died at work, in his study. The Cold War had ended long before. A Republican was in the White House. The word "liberal" had been shunned like an ill-mannered guest.

At the end of his 82 years, much of that time spent stoking and riding a right-wing wave as an erudite commentator and conservative herald, all of Buckley's dreams seemingly had come true.

Conservative Party candidate William F. Buckley Jr., waves to the crowd during his concession speech as his unsuccessful campaign to be New York City mayor ended, at his election headquarters in New York early Nov. 3, 1965, Buckley, the erudite Ivy Leaguer and conservative herald who showered huge and scornful words on liberalism as he observed, abetted and cheered on the right's post-World War II rise from the fringes to the White House, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. He was 82.(AP Photo/John J Lent)

"He founded a magazine, wrote over 50 books, influenced the course of political history, had a son, had two grandchildren and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean three times," said his son, novelist Christopher Buckley. "He really didn't leave any stone unturned."

Buckley was found dead in his study Wednesday morning in Stamford, Conn. His son noted Buckley had died "with his boots on, after a lifetime of riding pretty tall in the saddle."

His assistant said Buckley was found by his cook. The cause of death was unknown, but he had been ill with emphysema, she said.

As an editor, columnist, novelist, debater and host of the TV talk show "Firing Line," Buckley worked at a daunting pace, taking as little as 20 minutes to write a column for his magazine, National Review.

Yet on the platform, he was all handsome, reptilian languor, flexing his imposing vocabulary ever so slowly, accenting each point with an arched brow or rolling tongue and savoring an opponent's discomfort with wide-eyed glee.

"There's no `weltschmerz,' or any sadness that permeates my vision," he told The Associated Press during a 2004 interview at his Park Avenue duplex. "There isn't anything I reasonably hoped for that wasn't achieved."

President Bush called Buckley a great political thinker, wit, author and leader. "He influenced a lot of people, including me," the president said. "He captured the imagination of a lot of people."

But Buckley was also willing to criticize his own and made no secret of his distaste for at least some of Bush's policies. In a 2006 interview with CBS, he called the Iraq war a failure.

"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we've experienced, it would be expected that he would retire or resign," Buckley said at the time.

Luck was in the very bones of Buckley, blessed with a leading man's looks, an orator's voice, a satirist's wit and an Ivy League scholar's vocabulary. But before he emerged in the 1950s, few imagined conservatives would rise so high, or so enjoy the heights.

For at least a generation, conservatism had meant the pale austerity of Herbert Hoover, the grim isolationism of Sen. Robert Taft, the snarls and innuendoes of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Democrats were the party of big spenders and "Happy Days Are Here Again." Republicans settled for respectable cloth coats.

Unlike so many of his peers and predecessors on the right, Buckley wasn't a self-made man prescribing thrift, but a multimillionaire's son who enjoyed wine, sailing and banter and assumed his wishes would be granted. Even historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., who labeled Buckley "the scourge of American liberalism," came to appreciate his "wit, his passion for the harpsichord, his human decency, even ... his compulsion to epater the liberals."

Buckley once teased Schlesinger after the historian praised the rise of computers for helping him work more quickly. "Suddenly I was face to face with the flip side of Paradise," Buckley wrote. "That means, doesn't it, that Professor Schlesinger will write more than he would do otherwise?"

Buckley founded the biweekly magazine National Review in 1955, declaring that he proposed to stand "athwart history, yelling `stop' at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who urge it."

Conservatives had been outsiders in both mind and spirit, marginalized by a generation of discredited stands — from opposing Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal to the isolationism that preceded the U.S. entry into World War II. Before Buckley, liberals so dominated intellectual thought that critic Lionel Trilling claimed there were "no conservative or reactionary ideas in general circulation."

"Bill could go to the campus with that arch manner of his. And he was exciting and young and conservative," conservative author and columnist George Will told the AP in 2004. "And all of a sudden, conservatism was sexy."

In the 1950s, "conservatism was barely a presence at all," Will said. "To the extent that it was a political presence, it was a blocking faction in Congress."

The National Review was initially behind history, opposing civil rights legislation and once declaring that "the white community in the South is entitled to take such measures as are necessary to prevail."

Buckley also had little use for the music of the counterculture, once calling the Beatles "so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic."

The magazine could do little to prevent Barry Goldwater's landslide defeat in 1964, but as conservatives gained influence, so did Buckley and his magazine. The long rise would peak in 1980, when Buckley's good friend Ronald Reagan was elected president.

"Ronnie valued Bill's counsel throughout his political life, and after Ronnie died, Bill and Pat were there for me in so many ways," Reagan's widow, Nancy Reagan, said Wednesday in a statement.

Buckley's wife, the former Patricia Alden Austin Taylor, died in 2007 at age 80. Christopher is their only child. Buckley is also survived by two brothers and three sisters.

Christopher Buckley remembers his father's one losing adventure, albeit one happily lost. William F. Buckley was the Conservative Party's candidate for mayor of New York in 1965, waging a campaign that was in part a lark — he proposed an elevated bikeway on Second Avenue — but that also reflected a deep distaste for the liberal Republicanism of Mayor John V. Lindsay.

"By this time I realized he wasn't just any other dad," Christopher Buckley told the AP. "I was 13 at the time, and there were mock debates in my fifth grade home room class. And there were people playing him, so that was kind of strange.

"And that's when you get the sense that your dad is not just Ozzie and your parents are not Ozzie and Harriet. But he was a great dad, and he was a great man, and that's not a bad epitaph."

Letter to the Editor about Illegal Aliens!

This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points.

For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper...

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

From: "David LaBonte"

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:

So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty (OC Register Letter to the editor – April 1, 2007 – “Tear down lady liberty”) because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people, like Mr. Lujan, why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented . Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

If you agree with the sentiments of Mrs. LaBonte then please keep this letter going. This is an important message and is well argued. If you do not agree with Mrs. LaBonte’s position then you need to research and learn the true history of our nation. It is true that this nation was built by immigrants; however these were people who, for the majority, came through the legal process to become a citizen of this great land. And while you are at it take that research back to the writings of the fathers, and mothers, of this nation and you will find that they recognized from the very beginning that for this nation to stand we had to view ourselves as Americans. Not American-‘name you label’.

By the way, I did look up the ‘Letter to the editor” that Mrs. LaBonte refers to from the Orange County Register news paper. I inserted the note in parentheses so that if you want to go back and read the context of Mr. Lujan’s letter and how it was framed in the paper itself.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Press Release from the ORP

Ohio GOP Press Release
For Immediate Release Contact: John McClelland Tuesday, February 26, 2008
614.228.2481

Tax, Spend, Retreat
Nothing new in Democrats' liberal debate

COLUMBUS - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett today released the following statement in response to the Democrats' debate at Cleveland State between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama:

"There's very little debate on what either Democrat would actually do as president: raise taxes, increase spending, and retreat on national security. While they quibble over who can raise taxes higher and further depress Ohio's economy, Republicans are focused on fiscal responsibility and keeping America safe," said Bennett.

"Senators Clinton and Obama plan to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on new healthcare bureaucracy when government has enough trouble processing our tax returns. They lack any credible plans to pay for these ill-conceived ideas that limit personal choices between patients and doctors.

"Their foolishness on trade is particularly striking because they ignore the fact that repealing NAFTA would drive up prices and cost thousands of jobs right here in Ohio, the fourth largest exporter of goods in the nation.

"Time and again, Senator Obama's grand rhetoric has not matched his meager record. His unwise and ill-considered foreign policy and his contorted positions on trade clearly show he is unprepared to lead this nation."

###

Paid for by the Ohio Republican Party. www.ohiogop.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

McCain HQ opens!

Please join us as we open our Dayton Field Office this Wednesday, February 27 at 2:30pm. Senator Mike DeWine will be on hand for the festivities, and this will be a great time to meet fellow McCain supporters, pick up McCain yard signs, and get ready for the Ohio Primary. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

McCain Dayton Office Grand Opening

Special Guest: Senator Mike DeWine

2:30pm

120 W 1st St

Dayton, Ohio

To RSVP, please call 614-519-3553

or email rpierce@mccain08hq.com.

Ryan Pierce

John McCain 2008

Dayton,OH Field Staff

803-760-9849

rpierce@mccain08hq.com

www.johnmccain.com

County Recorder Caught!

This is an article that appeared in the Dayton Daily News on Feb. 26 2008

Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Greene County Recorder Mary Morris, in a primary battle to keep her job, and her daughter are being accused of tampering with her opponent's campaign sign.

According to a police report, Jodi Ferguson and her daughter Mallori told police they saw Morris' daughter, Melissa Caserta, using a Craig Saunders sign to cover up one of Eric Sears' signs along U.S. 68 near Spring Valley-Paintersville Road on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Ferguson, who's supporting Saunders in his primary bid for state representative of the 84th district, stopped to confront Caserta and was told by a woman in a white Cadillac parked nearby, "I'm Morris, and she's helping me," the report said.

Greene County Chief Deputy Mark Berry said prosecutors in Xenia Municipal Court are reviewing charges of criminal mischief against Caserta and complicity to criminal mischief against Morris. Saunders and Sears told deputies they wanted to pursue charges.

Saunders, who is the Xenia assistant prosecutor, said a special prosecutor would likely be requested.

Morris did not return phone calls Monday and Caserta could not be reached.

This is the second allegation against Morris this primary season. In early February, Sears said he had statements from workers in Morris' office who witnessed her order an employee to put up her election signs.

Morris denied the allegations, saying an unclassified employee volunteered to take a personal day to put up her signs.

Sears plans to take both complaints to the Ohio Elections Commission after the primary, he said.

Monday, February 25, 2008

What McCain can do to defeat Obama!

http://thepage.time.com/halperin%E2%80%99s-take-ways-mccain-can-beat-obama-that-clinton-cannot/

by Mark Halper

There are certain lines candidates from the same party cannot cross when trying to win. In general election battles, there are fewer rules and constraints.If Clinton is not able to come back and beat Obama, there will be a fair amount of (to borrow one of her phrases) coulda-shoulda-woulda on behalf of her campaign: things she could have done that she chose not to do -– or was not able to do.
The McCain campaign is staffed with savvy, experienced operatives who have closely watched the rise of Obama, and they have learned from Clinton’s failure to take down her Democratic rival.Things McCain can do when running against Obama that Clinton has been unable to do well or at all:

1. Play the national security card without hesitation.
2. Talk about the Iraq War without apologies or perceived contradiction.
3. Go at Obama unambiguously from the right.
4. Encourage interest groups, bloggers, and right-leaning media to explore Obama’s past.
5. Make an issue of Obama’s acknowledged drug use.
6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.
7. Exploit Michelle Obama’s mistakes and address her controversial remarks with unrestricted censure.
8. Play dirty without alienating his party.
9. Dismiss Obama’s brief national tenure from his own lofty platform of decades in the Senate – there will be no ambiguity about who has more experience as conventionally defined.
10. Use his sterling war record to reinforce his image of patriotism and valor – and contrast it with his opponent’s.
11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.
12. Employ third party groups like the NRA to hit Obama on issues that might turn off general election voters. Perhaps an ad such as this will run in Ohio: “So, what do you really know about Barack Obama? Did you know he supports meeting with the head of terrorist states? Do you know he wants to get rid of your right to own a handgun? Do you know he is calling for the repeal of the law preventing gay marriage? Do you know he is for a trillion-dollar tax increase? What do you really know about Barack Obama?”
13. Face an electorate less consumed with “change change change” (the main priority for Democratic voters) and keenly interested in “ready from day one” as an equally important ideal.
14. Link biography (experience/courage) and leadership (straight talk) to a vision animated by detail – accentuating Obama’s relative lack of specificity.
15. Give Obama his first real race against a credible Republican. (Clinton has always asserted that Obama would wilt before a fierce Republican assault.)
16. Confront Obama with a united, focused campaign absent of second-guessing, which hits the same themes and message every day.

Widener wins another Endorsement!

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION ENDORSES WIDENER
Candidate for State Senate supported by many including the NRA
SPRINGFIELD, OH (2/25/08) - The National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund has added its voice to the chorus of endorsers of Chris Widener, conservative Republican candidate for the Ohio State Senate.

"Chris Widener understands the importance of protecting our gun rights. He's stood up for them before and we're endorsing him because we know he'll do so again and again in the state senate," John Howenwarter, said.

"This isn't just about gun rights, it's about protecting the rights of the individual," Widener said. "Whether it's the right to protect our homes and families, or the right to run a business without the burden of bureaucratic red-tape, we can't let government overstep its bounds."

Widener has a long list of endorsers for his senate campaign including, the Ohio Republican Party, the Greene County Republican Party (his opponent's home county), the Madison County Republican Party, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, Ohio Right to Life, Buckeye Firearms Association, National Electric Contractors Association Ohio Chapter, and Moms For Ohio.

Widener is a licensed architect and has owned his own firm for 18 years. Prior to starting his own business he worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a civil service architect and as the installations first full-time Historic Preservation Officer.

Widener currently represents Madison County and portions of Clark and Greene Counties in his fourth term as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. In his service, he passed a 21% income tax cut, provided much needed prescription drug coverage for 1.4 million Ohio seniors without any additional costs to taxpayers, and helped pass a state budget with the lowest growth in spending in nearly half a century.

Mary Morris caught destroying signs!

There have been reports that Marry Morris, candidate for County Recorder running for re election, and an unknown accomplice were caught last night destroying her opponents signs. Reports have been filed with the Ethics Commission and the County Sherriff's office. Details are unclear now but as you may know, this is a serious accusation followed be heavy punishment! Once more info is available I will pass it along.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Reagan's last words

Reagan's Last Words

I don't know whether or not you watched the memorial service for Ronald Reagan, but if you did, you probably noticed that Bill and Hillary were both dozing off.

President Ronald Reagan, who never missed a chance for a good one-liner, raised his head out of his casket and said......

'I see the Clinton's are finally sleeping together.'

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Widener wins Springfield Sun Endorsements

The following is an endorsement by the Springfield Sun Times...


Three Republicans are vying to run for the 10th Ohio Senate seat, State Rep. Chris Widener, former Greene County Commissioner Reed Madden and Wittenberg student James Howard.
The district and Clark County would be best served if Widener wins the March 4 primary.
Widener's experience in the legislature has given him command of the complex issues that face the state.
He is aware that school funding is a festering problem that has been ignored too long in Ohio and says he likes what he's heard from Gov. Ted Strickland on how to fix it. Widener is a staunch conservative, sometimes too conservative, but his willingness to work with a Democratic governor is both a sign that he is willing to compromise and recognizes the political reality facing the legislature.
Widener, an architect who grew up on a farm, currently represents the largely rural 84th District and has a grasp of the issues facing farmers. He was a force in making the state's tax changes that have helped attract and retain business to the state.
Widener's opportunity to move to the Senate comes because Republican Steve Austria, who currently holds the seat, is term-limited and is running for the U.S. Congressional seat being vacated by the retiring David Hobson, R-Springfield.
Widener hasn't always made the best use of his seat. He chairs the House finance committee. He could have been more of a force on home foreclosure and predatory lending legislation. Much should have been done before now on those issues. Widener helped make bad law when he voted to override Gov. Bob Taft's veto of legislation that struck down local gun laws.
As a senator he will find his district has a more urban flavor and a march more toward the middle of the political spectrum would make him more representative of his constituents should he win in the fall.
His main opponent is Reed Madden, a fixture in Greene County government. Madden's approach to government is pragmatic and he would bring knowledge of county goverment needs to the job.
Howard is 18 years old. His ambition is to be admired, but being a state senator requires at least some experience.
The winner of the primary will face Clark County Commission President Roger Tackett, the lone Democrat vying for the seat.

Dayton Daily News endorses Reed Madden

This is an endorsement published by the Dayton Daily News

One election this year provides an intriguing test of the impact of term limits.

As Greene County gets a new congressional representative, because of the retirement of David Hobson, R-Springfield, so it gets a new state senator. Republican state Sen. Steve Austria is term-limited (and running for the congressional seat).

The 10th District, which extends to Clark and Madison counties, is generally considered Republican. That party's March 4 primary could be where the important action is.

One leading candidate is state Rep. Chris Widener, whose mainly rural 84th Ohio House District includes a small portion of Greene County in the southeast, around Bellbrook and Sugarcreek Twp. The other is Reed Madden, a 20-year Greene County commissioner until 2005 and a fixture on the local scene.

Both men have respectable advocates and reasonable qualifications for the office.

Also running is James Howard, 18, a student at Wittenberg University.

Rep. Widener, an architect, is campaigning as the "conservative" choice. But Mr. Madden is that rare Republican who declines to use the word conservative, settling instead for saying that "government should be run like a business."

Mr. Madden has been active in all manner of local causes. He has been big in promoting the region's aviation heritage and in pushing environmental concerns. (He has an endorsement from the League of Conservation Voters.) He is dedicated to regionalism, that is, cooperation among local communities in various projects, as opposed to competition.

He has a reputation for being easy to work with, for infectious enthusiasm and for reaching across barriers, geographical and political.

Rep. Widener has been a fairly conventional legislator. He cites his work on school funding and farm preservation issues. But he has been disappointingly accommodating to lenders on the issue of predatory lending. (He had a committee position that gave him influence.)

Mr. Madden is the better choice for the people of Greene County. He knows the county backward and forward. He knows the issues faced by local and county governments, as they relate to the state government. (As he notes, county government is pretty much an arm of the state.) He would be an authentic representative of the county.

Moreover, in a time of divided government in Columbus, with a Democratic governor who is trying to minimize partisan conflict, Mr. Madden is a better fit than Rep. Widener.

Mr. Madden would be unusual among lawmakers in Columbus. At 70, he is hardly an ambitious young climber. That can be a good thing. Voters could rest assured that his overriding motive is service.

Anyway, the legislature can use a little diversity in its makeup, so that it might more closely approximate the state.

Rep. Widener might be more the conventional choice for the Republicans. (He has major party endorsements.) But in these troubled times for that party, the conventional needs to be questioned. The party could use some broadening.

When the voters adopted term limits for the state legislature in the 1990s, they were not trying to create a career path for young state representatives. They were looking for a way to bring in new types of legislators. That dream has generally not worked out.

But this is one chance for it to live. Even at 70 — younger than Sen. John McCain — Reed Madden is the fresher, newer choice.

The DDN endorses Steve Austria....or do they?

This is an endorsement by the DDN. Judge for yourself how much of an 'endorsement' it is...


The process of replacing retiring Congressman David Hobson, R-Springfield, has an assembly-line quality to it.

Steve Austria has been seen as the anointed successor since roughly the beginning of time. His wife worked for Rep. Hobson.

But he had to be assembled.

First, he got the title "state representative." That happened when, with his Hobson connections, he ran against a Republican incumbent who got in ethics trouble. Nature took its course.

Then, moving on down the assembly line in only two years — helped when term limits eliminated a Republican senator — Mr. Austria was stamped "state senator."

Now, having now been in the Senate for two terms, he has, besides the name-recognition, the resume to claim the necessary experience to advance. As a result, in the March 4 primary, he has the necessary money and endorsements.

So far, the assembly process has been free of glitches. Sen. Austria has offended no important person or constituency.

Nor, unfortunately, has he impressed many observers as a future major force in Congress. He has no compelling record.

He's no Dave Hobson or Mike Turner. He doesn't have Rep. Hobson's tough independence of mind and political incisiveness. He doesn't have Rep. Turner's record of building a political career from scratch in a hotbed of the opposing political party.

A Congressman Austria is not likely to crash and burn in Washington, any more than he did in Columbus. In fact, what he's most likely to do is settle into a long, long career of keeping people back home happy, while remaining on the congressional back benches.

And yet, given the primary field, he is the best pick.

Dan Harkins, an attorney, has done 10 years as chairman of the Clark County Republican Party. His tenure was marked by bad relations with Rep. Hobson, state Rep. Merle Kearns and other officeholders. That's a strange situation.

Mr. Harkins would apparently be more conservative than the Hobson-Kearns faction. He is critical of Sen. Austria for, among other things, supporting a state sales tax hike. (It was necessary at the time.)

At any rate, he has not had the opportunity to build a public record on which voters might base a vote for him.

Even more conservative, judging from the record, is Ron Hood, who has served in the legislature from two different parts of the state. His claim to fame in Columbus was his bill to ban adoption by gay families, an idea squelched by Speaker Jon Husted.

Rep. Hood also pushed for gun-safety training in high schools. He was known as one of the legislature's most flaming conservatives.

Also running is John Mitchel, a retired Air Force officer. He's been on the political scene for a decade without being elected. He once ran for governor on the Ross Perot party ticket. His views are more Perot-like than Republican. He is critical of trade treaties, and he supports the "fair tax," a national sales tax designed to eliminate the income tax.

A search for credentials and reasonableness does lead back to Sen. Austria.

Unfortunately, he would jettison Rep. Hobson's relative moderation — support for abortion rights, for example, and for an occasional increase in the minimum wage — in favor of a more regular and rigid form of Republicanism. But at least he doesn't seem like one of those people who would be constantly trying to pull Republicans to the right.

It is too much to say that Rep. Hobson dictated the course of events. But the state Senate seat — once held by Rep. Hobson himself — is a great jumping off point for a congressional candidate. And with Rep. Hobson's ability to raise money, the politicians have generally accepted the inevitability of Steve Austria.

In his departing role, Rep. Hobson did not serve his district well.

The assembly of a Republican congressional nominee — in a good Republican district — has gone just as planned.

The assembly of a good record in Congress will not be so easy.

Dayton Daily News Endorsed Jay Tieber


This is an editorial published February 23rd 2007 in the Dayton Daily News.


The 70th Ohio House District, now represented in Columbus by term-limited Rep. Kevin DeWine, includes Beavercreek, Fairborn and Xenia. And, sure enough, a member of each of those city councils is running for the Republican nomination in that Republican district.

However, of the five total entrants, the best choice is not now on any council. Jay Tieber, who did serve on Beavercreek's council for eight years until 2006, has remarkable credentials for the job.

A graduate of West Point and the Air Force Institute of Technology, a pilot in Vietnam, he has also been assistant deputy director and aerospace adviser for the Ohio Department of Development, executive director of the Ohio Science and Technology Council and manger of the Thomas Edison Program for the Development Department. And he's been a manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

He's had some degree of connection — or at least familiarity — with a lot of the projects in the Dayton region that are about economic development, from aviation heritage projects to the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (a consortium of universities that fosters high-tech education and research).

But is he too old? Well, in 2006 he took a small-boat journey around the world with several other septuagenarians. The commute to Columbus is less daunting.

On the issues, he and the other candidates do not differ a great deal. So it comes down to the person.

None of the others can begin to offer Mr. Tieber's wide range of experience so relevant to serving in the Ohio legislature from western Greene County.

The 99-member Ohio House of Representatives is not highly esteemed for the quality of its membership. These days House seats are close to an entry-level elective position. Communities cannot expect somebody of Mr. Tieber's background to come along.

But if he's willing and able, give him the job.

As for the other candidates, the idea of making a run for state rep after serving on a small municipal council does have a certain logic. However, Jarrod Martin, 28, of the Beavercreek council, Bill Miller, 42, of Xenia's, Frank Cervone, 45, of Fairborn's, and Brian Lampton, of Beavercreek, who is active in the community, but not on the council, can be asked to wait for another day.

To the public, the situation is probably indecipherable, with so many candidates, none of whom is all that well-known. (Mr. Martin is a former star wrestler at Beavercreek High School, but that isn't exactly a celebrity.)

One complication is that three candidates are from Beavercreek. If voters break along geographical lines, Mr. Tieber has a problem.

But if, somehow, by Election Day, people know the lay of the land, Jay Tieber should emerge — and be off on another, if lesser, adventure.

Financial Reports of local Candidates....

Preprimary campaign finance reports filed with the Greene County board of elections and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner show heavy spending by Republicans in races for open seats.

State Rep. Chris Widener had the largest war chest with $137,155 available even after spending nearly $43,000 in his race for the 10th Senate seat against former Greene County commissioner Reed Madden and James Howard, a Beavercreek resident and Wittenberg University student.

Madden spent only $5,644 and had nearly $9,000 on hand. Howard raised and spent $400.

Madison County Commissioner Bob Hackett spent more than $12,000 in his race against Xenia Assistant Prosecutor Craig Saunders for the Republican nomination for the 84th State House seat covering the rural parts of Greene, Madison and Clark counties. Hackett had $7,341 available cash. Saunders' report was not available.

Beavercreek insurance agent Brian Lampton was leads the pack in spending of the Republicans vying for the 70th state representative seat being vacated by Kevin Dewine. Lampton spent more than $7,500 and had more than $13,000 available. Lampton's fundraising included a $9,500 loan from himself.

Lampton's opponents Jay Tieber, Jarrod Martin and Frank Cervone each spent less than $5,000. Martin had the most cash available with $6,140, but owes $10,354 in loans.

Another candidate for the seat, Xenia Councilman Bill Miller, said he filed reports electronically after the 4 p.m. deadline. He didn't recall how much he raised or spent. "I don't have the papers in front of me. I couldn't guess right now," Miller said.

In contested county primaries, Beavercreek Twp. Trustee Bob Glaser had the biggest war chest bringing $16,000 forward from last year in the race for Greene County Commissioner. He only spent $1,588 during the reporting period.

Former Fairborn Mayor Thomas Nagel spent the most with $10,147. Marylin Reid, a former commissioner, came in a close second spending $7,623.

School issues also saw significant financing. The political action committee supporting Beavercreek schools request for a $90.3 million bond issue to build and renovate schools spent $25,203 supporting the measure.

The Greeneview schools levy committee spent $6,676 supporting a proposed half percent income tax increase for a new primary school and renovations. Donations to the Jamestown district committee included $5,000 from Premier Health Partners.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Bill Clinton looses temper!!!

Last night, over 100 pro-life students from Franciscan University of Steubenville College Republicans welcomed Bill Clinton to Steubenville by protesting him. For some reason, whenever Democrats come to Steubenville and get protested, they just can't take the heat, like when Kerry nearly had a breakdown in 2004 after being greeted by over 500 protesters. After being challenged by one of the protesters inside the event, Clinton just lost it.

I put up a YouTube of the incident and its now being linked off of Drudge Report and is being reported in many major news outlets.

I'd encourage you all to not let these Dems go anywhere near your campus without a protest. Give them hell. And especially, protest them on a hot-button issue that will get their emotions flowing, such as abortion. Get them to lose their cool, get it on video, and then define the media story.

And, on a final note, after battling other Republicans in a pretty nasty primary, it is awesome that the battle has now shifted to the Democrats.

Candidates Bash!

GOP Candidates Bash

Come this Wednesday, February 20, 2008, from 3:30 to 4:30, at Beavercreek High School and meet candidates running for local, state, and U.S. Congress, and get on their CAMPAIGNS!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Widener Wins Endorsement

NFIB Endorses Widener

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT

BUSINESS ENDORSES WIDENER

Candidate for State Senate supported by NFIB-the voice of small business



SPRINGFIELD, OH (2/15/08) - National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has announced its endorsement of Chris Widener, conservative Republican candidate for the Ohio State Senate.



The NFIB -- the voice of small business - recognized Widener's dedication to eliminating the government red tape that too often strangles small businesses.



"Chris is a small businessman, so he has first-hand experience with what exactly running a small business is all about. That's given him the insight to fight for a friendly environment for job creation in Ohio, something we know he'll continue to do in the State Senate," Ty Pine NFIB Legislative Director said.



"I'm overwhelmed by the support I've received from the business community," Widener said. "I'm proud of my track record of cutting income taxes by 21 percent and helping to pass a historic tax reform package -- both of which will stimulate the economy and keep jobs right here in Ohio."



Widener is a licensed architect and has owned his own firm for 18 years. Prior to starting his own business he worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a civil service architect and as the installations first full-time Historic Preservation Officer.



Widener currently represents Madison County and portions of Clark and Greene Counties in his fourth term as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. In his service, he provided much needed prescription drug coverage for 1.4 million Ohio seniors without any additional costs to taxpayers, and helped pass a state budget with the lowest growth in spending in nearly half a century.



Widener adds this endorsement to an increasingly long list of supporters including, the Ohio Republican Party, the Greene County Republican Party (his opponent's home county), the Madison County Republican Party, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Right to Life, Buckeye Firearms Association, National Electric Contractors Association Ohio Chapter, and Moms For Ohio.

Friday, February 15, 2008

McCain in Columbus details...

This is an e-mail from Mike DeWine

February 15, 2008

Dear Friends,

Please join me as we welcome Senator John McCain to Ohio!

John will be spending election night for the Wisconsin primary in Columbus. Save the date – Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at 7:30 pm. The event will be open to the public and will take place at the Renaissance Hotel at 50 N. 3rd Street in downtown Columbus.

If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact Ann O’Donnell of my staff at 703-907-9305 (ann.odonnell@gmail.com) or Daniel Alfaro with the McCain campaign at 202-306-2503 (dalfaro@mccain08hq.com).

Please bring your family and friends and feel free to pass this along to others who share our support for Senator McCain. We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night!

Many Thanks,

Mike

McCain in OHIO!!

Next week Senator John McCain will be making two stops in Ohio. On Tuesday evening he will be speaking in Columbus at 7 pm!
On Wednesday McCain WILL BE IN GREENE COUNTY! at Youngs Jersey Dairy speaking at 12 Noon.

For more information check back often.
We need as many people as possible to attend both events and especially the Youngs Dairy event as that is in our own back yard!!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Meet Ron Hood!

This Sat., Feb. 16, 4:00 pm. Meet the candidate Ron
Hood coffee event. He will be at his in-laws home,
Bill and Pam Dean, 649 N. Monroe St. in Xenia. Their
home is at the intersection of Edison and N. Monroe
Sts. The phone number is 372-0238. It's a wonderful
opportunity to get to know the pro-life, pro-family
fiscal conservative candidate for District 7 U.S.
Congree. Marlene Johnson 767-1543

Pictures from GCYR Election night event!




Sunday, February 3, 2008

Signs


Who does this guy support???

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Chelsea "Mama"

Chelsea Clinton recently discussed current events with a U.S. soldier.


[]


She asked if, as an American fighting man, anything scared him.

He told her there were only three things he feared:
1) Osama
[]
2) Obama
[]
and,
3) Yo Mama
[]

Ann Coulter "I'll vote for Clinton"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2JoSo17Azk

Did she really say what I think she did?