Tiberi calls on Kevin DeWine to stop the public attacks

Earlier this week, we weighed in on the recent attacks by ORP Chairman Kevin DeWine.

Kasich's request to DeWine was made in private. He didn't publicly call out DeWine or criticize him to the press. DeWine can't seem to portray the same professionalism, and it is DeWine who is damaging the Republican Party in the process. When he makes public, erroneous and negative criticisms about the governor in public like he did to the central committee earlier this month, he is doing ODP Chairman Chris Redfern's and Plunderbund's job for them.

Mr. DeWine, it is time for you to step down as chairman. If you refuse to do so, the very least you could do is to behave honorably and stop the public attacks on the governor.

The fact there has been a behind the scenes power struggle between DeWine and Kasich is what it is. But our problem with DeWine is that he has taken to attacking the governor and other Republicans in public and to the press.


Now, veteran Republican Congressman Pat Tiberi is voicing the same concerns to DeWine that we did. "Knock off the public attacks." Per the Plain Dealer:

"I have never seen a county or state GOP chairman level the kind of attacks you did this past weekend against one of our sitting officeholders," Tiberi wrote to DeWine in an email obtained by The Plain Dealer. "Attacking Republicans is not the job of the chairman of the ORP."

"In a year when it is essential that our party is unified so we can win back the White House, your repeated PUBLIC attacks on the leader of our party and other Republican leaders who support his call for a new chairman undermine that," Tiberi wrote. "They must cease immediately."

Per the article, other Republicans in Ohio feel the same way about DeWine's interview last week, but Tiberi, being a sitting congressman, is certainly the highest profile person to speak up. Tiberi is also very close to John Boehner, and most likely did so with the Speaker's blessing.

One wonders if DeWine is getting advice from Brett Buerck, who was investigated by the FBI in connection to the Larry Householder scandals from 6 years ago. The same type of aggressive tactics are what Buerck was known for, and DeWine has been criticized for bringing questionable figures like Buerck and Kyle Sisk back into a relationship with the ORP. In fact, its just one of many reasons that many Ohio Republicans have lost faith in DeWine's leadership.

In either case, let's hope that Chairman DeWine heeds our, and Congressman Tiberi's advice. Stop hurting our party in Ohio. Stop the public attacks on fellow Republicans.

Follow @Bytor3BP