Sandy Calvert is currently an incumbent member of the ORP State Central Committee. She is an unabashed Kevin DeWine ally. We know she voted for DeWine's illegal rule change in an effort to keep tea party minded citizens off of the committee.
Sandy's husband Chuck Calvert was a long time member of the Ohio House, until he could no longer serve due to term limits in 2006. When Ohio Senator Bob Gibbs was elected to Congress in 2010, Chuck applied for the Ohio Senate seat that Gibbs vacated, with strong support from Kevin DeWine and Jon Husted, who wanted to build a power base in the Ohio Senate. This is where we start with the subject of the first email.
Jim Woods is a co-founder of the Tea Party group Medina County Friends and Neighbors (MCFAN). Woods and his group were involved with the selection committee for Gibbs' replacement. When they recommended Larry Obhof for the appointment instead of Chuck Calvert, Sandy became furious and has had it out for Woods and his group ever since. Now it's 2012, and Chuck Calvert is running for the open men's seat in the same district. Ironically, his opponent is Jim Woods.
With that explanation finished, take a look at an email from Sandy Calvert to the entire ORP State Central Committee, complaining about Governor Kasich and blasting Woods. (I have redacted the email addresses.)
From: Sandy CalvertThe first reaction I have is that there is nothing wrong with the Governor supporting certain candidates for the committee if he feels that they would be good for the party. As we have made clear over the past few weeks, the Ohio Republican Party is under the direction of a rogue chairman who has broken the rules to protect his own chairmanship. He has spent over $100,000 of donor money intended for defeating Democrats in ONE district alone to support central committee candidates who will protect him.
To: Sandy Calvert
Sent: Mon Mar 05 14:22:30 2012
Subject: Governor Kasich's Robocalls
Dear State Central Committee members and County Chairs,
Imagine picking up the phone and hearing Governor Kasich endorsing Jim Woods for State Central Committee paid for by Taylor-Kasich for Ohio.
In January at the SCC meeting I took the floor in the discussion about the caliber of person campaigning to replace Don Simmons. Don has served the SCC for more than fourteen years in an exemplary manner. I asked if the SCC members understood that Jim Woods the man campaigning to replace Don had in the fall of 2010 had told conservatives far and wide they needed to vote for Carla Moore Democrat for the 9th Court of Appeals Judgeship.
Jim didn’t stop there he went on to urge conservatives to vote for David Pepper, Democrat for State Auditor, casting aspersions on Dave Yost’s integrity.
Woods didn’t stop there when he told conservatives that he didn’t like politicians who are too "pretty" or too well funded referring to Jon Husted.
Again, Woods didn’t stop there he took aim at Mike DeWine; urging voters to elect Robert Owens and stating if Owens can’t muster enough votes to win the race the second best candidate Richard Cordray will probably be elected. Woods didn’t stop there with his comments about AG Mike DeWine; Woods told his conservative base that unlike Mike DeWine, Cordray was an honest man who cares about more than his own ego. Woods also urged conservatives to vote for two tax levy’s not one but two tax levy’s, neither revenue neutral.
I also just recently learned that Governor Kasich has endorsed another SCC candidate and is doing the same robo-calls against an Incumbent SCC member, Gary Burkholder. I have learned that Doug Preisse is reaching out to other SCC members asking them if they would like the Governor to do the same robocall for them. A message has been sent, win at all costs regardless of the harm to the Ohio Republican Party.
Have we lost our conservative moral compass? Is control of the Ohio Republican Party so important that the Governor would endorse Woods to represent the conservative constituents of the 22nd Senate District? The pink elephant is now firmly planted in the middle of ORP and a message has been sent. There is no more guessing as to the length the Governor would go to control ORP.
Sincerely,
Sandy Calvert
Ohio Republican Party
State Central Committee
22nd Senate District
If Governor Kasich wants to endorse a candidate who is running for the committee, he has every right to do so, and there is not one thing nefarious about it. Yet, Calvert seems to think it is reprehensible.
As a side note, I do not know about all of the accusations she makes against Woods. However, I can tell you that I joined him in voting for Robert Owens for Attorney General instead of gun-grabber Mike DeWine. I'm a proud Republican but the shenanigans that Kevin DeWine pulled to screw conservatives and put his cousin on the ballot left a bad taste in a LOT of people's mouths. I know several other Republicans who voted for Democrat Richard Cordray because of Mike DeWine's horrible history on gun rights.
Back to the emails. Fellow committee member and Franklin County GOP Chairman Doug Preisse responds to Calvert's accusation about him. He sends his response to Sandy only.
From: Doug Preisse [mailto:redacted]Then Sandy slips up. She had apparently received an email from Bruce Tague, Political Director for the ORP. He apparently suggested to Sandy that she should encourage every committee member to "retaliate" by demanding that Governor Kasich do a robo-call for them. She then follows through on the suggestion from Tague by forwarding Doug Preisse's email to the entire commitee, and accidentally attaches Tague's email.
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 3:30 PM
To: redacted
Subject: Re: Governor Kasich's Robocalls
I only called one. She's an incumbent.
*From:* Sandy Calvert [mailto:redacted]
*Sent:* Monday, March 05, 2012 5:33 PM
*To:* Sandy Calvert
*Subject:* FW: Governor Kasich's Robocalls
Dear Colleagues,
I received the email below from Doug Preisse in response to the email I sent out regarding the robocalls that Governor Kasich is endorsing SCC candidates and in many cases not the incumbents. I think that all the SCC members should ask Governor to endorse them in a robocall. Scratch that thought, I now have been honored with a Governor Kasich robocall in support of my opponent.
Sandy Calvert
Ohio Republican Party
State Central Committee
22nd Senate District
[email redacted]
[phone number redacted]
*From:* B Tag [mailto:redacted]
*Sent:* Monday, March 05, 2012 5:08 PM
*To:* redacted
*Subject:* RE: Governor Kasich's Robocalls
I would also send an email to everyone encouraging all incumbents to demand
that the Governor do a call for them as well.
[forwarded copy of Preisse's email]
So, here we have another Kevin DeWine ally who believes that she is so entitled to her seat, that anyone who dares to run against her or her husband must be part of some evil plot. Which is exactly how Kevin DeWine acts about his position as chairman. When rival candidates with slightly different ideas and priorities for the state party run against them in a fair election, they cry foul. That's how our system works, folks! We have elections and let the people decide.
What's even more hilarious is that Sandy Calvert voted to endorse herself and every incumbent member of the party. So, it's perfectly acceptable to endorse yourself and use party money to campaign for yourself and the other incumbents, but Governor Kasich is not allowed to endorse a few candidates of his choice? What an unbelievable sense of hubris and entitlement Sandy Calvert displays here. (Again, exactly like her ally Kevin DeWine.)
But DeWine, his staff and certain members of the ORP are now coordinating attacks against the Governor, and that is clearly over the line. You don't undermine and conspire against the sitting governor from your own party, just because he doesn't support the same committee candidates that you do. This is yet one more example of why Kevin DeWine must be replaced as the ORP Chairman.
One final word: Governor Kasich does not want to "control the Ohio Republican Party". However, he does recognize that it is badly in need of a change in leadership. If you look at the Facebook pages for DeWine and the ORP, you know he isn't alone in that opinion. If he wanted to control the party, he would be promoting a replacement for DeWine. He isn't. Once a new committee is elected, if there are enough members who agree that a leadership change is needed, they will determine who is best suited to replace DeWine. Not Kasich. He doesn't have any say in who the Chairman is, which should be painfully obvious at this point.
Do you live in the 22nd district? Obviously, we strongly suggest that you vote for Jim Woods and Sharon Ray to defeat the Calverts. It's time for Kevin DeWine to go.
Follow @Bytor3BP
Is this the same Chuck Calvert who was placed on the Ohio Elections Committee by Kevin & John?
ReplyDeleteInteresting how Sandy's complaints about control reveal her own desire for it.
Even Ohioans who don't pay regular attention recognize the decades-long absense of leadership from the ORP. It is insidiously corrupt from years of neglect & cronyism.
That is why these races are so important. Reform is only possible from the ground up, and those rooted in the cronyism will fight against us harder than they will liberals b/c they view us as the greatest threat to their gravy train.
...if nothing else, they are right about that.
...Woods didn't stop there, he then took my husband out back and whooped him 70/30 all over the district, how dare the voters treat us like that...
DeleteDecades-long absence of leadership? That must be how we won every conceivable office at the state level in 2010.
DeleteThanks for clarification.
In Cuyahoga County, we have 1400 precincts. In the Central Committee, we have less than 50% of them filled. If our Chairman were led from Columbus to fill the precincts, to give them the tools they needed to build a message and a strong base, to set high standards for our candidates, to have a good incubator for great candidates for Judgeships, for local races, for community service; if we had the money and interest every day for people getting paid extremely well, then Ohio would set the tone for the rest of the USA. And we'd be electing great Republicans to the White House.
ReplyDeleteBut we have a corrupt Columbus. They spend money on keeping themselves in the power and money and not on the health of the party, or doing the right things for the governed.
Vote for real change and people who will stand for the people, not the priviledged.
This makes me sick. I am so tired of campaigning for good people that want to do the right thing and they get shafted due to NO MONEY. When we talk to people we warn them NOT to expect help from the party unless they are tied in with the Good Old Boys in Columbus...Ex. was Pete Corrigan and Dave Morris. Cuyahoga is dying and those in Columbus are willing to let us.
ReplyDeleteCan we please put to rest the notion that Dave Morris was a good candidate and that money should've been spent on his race? The guy lost by more than 20% and his personnel record while he was working for the city of Brook Park (when he was conveniently a Democrat and Tom Coyne's bootlick) shows what kind of man he really is.
DeleteReally, the only thing his multiple failed candidacies prove is that Frosty can't recruit good candidates.
Never ever trust a DeWine they are all about themselves and POWER,Mike has sold us down the river more times than the very evil commie Howard Metzenbaum(Sic?)
ReplyDeleteHe is one of those politicians(certainly not a STATESMAN)that should be pulled up by the roots and hung out in the light of the sun until his roots die and are thrown in a compost pile.
SO EXPOSE HIS EVILWAYS TO THE SUN AND THE VOTERS WILL DO THE REST.
HE is probably good buddies with COMMIE dennis!!!!!!!!!
Somebody get Sandy Calvert a microphone, somehow I think the more she talks the better we will do. That group views the true conservative base as their biggest threat, spending our contributions to camapign against us, but their own arrogance and sense of entitlement is threatening to take them down just as swiftly.
ReplyDeleteDeSlime and his cronies will try anything to keep their jobs, even at the expense of the democratic process.
ReplyDeleteI have a total of 11 double sided Calvert mailers from the state party, what a waste of money. Chuck Calvert couldn't even win an appointment vote last year for state senate and Sandy Calvert couldn't even win a township trustee seat where she has lived for decades. Why would the state party flush our contributions down the toilet? At least if they burned the money it would give off heat, but spending it on those RINOs?
ReplyDeleteI am not very familiar with all the inner party workings, but I know as a resident of Wooster I've also received a ton of Calvert mailings. How annoying, and as the person about me commented, a huge waste of money! I'm heading off to vote today and definitely not for them.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? Wayne County is in the 27th district isn't it? Did DeSlime not get the new maps? How funny is that? You're right, you definitely won't be voting for the Calverts, they aren't on your ballot.
DeleteYes, thanks--that was my note above, and when I voted today I saw the same thing--no Calverts on the ballot. What genius spent all that money on households not even in their district? And how many others were affected by these massive, repetitious mailings?
DeleteRoy Ray was the only one on my ballot who had sent a mailer to my house--twice I think.
The ORP committee members are very important, and deserve to be served by the little people. We know what is better for you than you do. Just do what you are told and everything will work out.
ReplyDeleteDeSlime's back is against the wall and he is doing anything he possibly can to preserve his $250K annual salary. He has gone to the lengths of talking negatively about the Governor and spending hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars across the state on State Central Committee races, which has come from donors that probably thought that their donations were going to be spent on the Presidential and Senate races. - One of the most appalling things that I have seen with the countless mailers sent out by the party is the pictures of their candidates and Gov. Kasich as well as the "tea party values" decal....this is clearly the work of Brett Buerck (scumbag). Kasich is not endorsing DeSlime's candidates nor is the tea party. In fact, the tea party is running candidates again DeSlime's candidates. - Hey, DeSlime, take a hint and step down from chairman.
ReplyDeleteDeCrime's chairmanship is over. He should of stepped down months ago, but instead has brought negative national attention to the Ohio Republican Party. While Governor Kasich is getting Ohio back on track and helping the Republican Party thrive in Ohio, DeCrime is using important political contributions (meant to help Republicans run against Democrats)to run republicans vs republicans.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least DeCrime is using his buddies at Majority Strategies to print all of these mailers...
ReplyDeleteWhat is the role of the Chairman?
ReplyDeleteLet us just examine Kevin's actions over the past 3 months to answer this question.
- Publicly attack the Governor on the Ohio News Network
- Accuse the Governor's employees of criminal activity
- Spend ORP money against candidates of his own party
- Coordinate State Party employees' actions against incumbent members of the Republican Party.
After noticing DeWine's impressive resume I thought that perhaps an examination of the true role of the Chairman may be beneficial. The ORP's website outlines a ten point strategy that our beloved Chairman created when taking office last year. Below is a direct quote from the ORP website.
DeWine's strategy includes: "...enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct. DeWine restructured the party's internal operation to ensure that each staff position has a specific role in implementing these objectives."
This is the writing on the wall. Rather than having a zero-tolerance for misconduct, he continues to be the leading example of political misconduct in our state. As for ensuring that each staff position has a specific role for implementing his 10 point strategy, technically he did not lie, because they are implementing his strategy...the strategy of dividing the party to ensure his ambitions are met without incident.
Step down. You have gone against the very platform you created when taking over leadership. You are not leading our party, you are misleading our party.
Wow, call this the smoking gun. Ohio Republican Party staff actively working against the Governor! DeWine has lost it and it appears he will lose his chairmanship soon. Thank god we can get rid of him and his corrupt cronies that have been stealing from the party for years.
ReplyDeleteAre any of these people on the Ballot in Summit County, if so who should I vote for to support the Gov?
ReplyDeleteIf you are in the 28th, both candidates are unopposed. If you are in the 27th, the woman is unopposed. There are a couple men running but we don't have enough information on that race to make a suggestion. Sorry.
DeleteSo it is ok for Kasich's allies to coordinate but not DeWine's? Grow up kids.
ReplyDeleteNot that it matters any longer now that this one is in the history books, but there is a huge difference, DeWine was using our own contributions against us. Glad to see you could make it, was worried you might not be around much after last night.
Delete