Where in the world is Governor Stricktaft?! Day 25!

As my readers know, 26 days ago I e-mailed the Governor's media office asking, "in light of Mark Sanford's situation, what is the policy of the Governor in releasing his schedule? Where can it be accessed, when is it released, etc.?"

I received a response the next day from Strickland spokeswoman Amanda Wurst stating, "We generally release the governor’s schedule of public events on Fridays for the upcoming week."

I promptly responded, "would it be possible for me to be added to the list that receives this announcement? Also, if there are changes to the schedule, how is that updated?"

I had heard that the Governor has a bad habit of changing his schedule at the last minute, and I figured it was in the public's interest to know where the Governor is going.

After all, we can't have him unexpectedly heading down to South America. Ok, maybe we can, but I digress...

After yet another follow-up from me, today we are now at DAY 25 of no response from the Governor's office.

What kinda top secret stuff is Stricktaft getting into that the public isn't allowed to know where he goes? Even more annoying, does the Governor's media team not have a spare 30 seconds to respond to a blogger?

Or are they still ticked at me for calling them out on blocking me from following the Governor on twitter?

The 'Spatch is Pissed.

Late last week some, but not much, news was made in Ohio when GOP leaders made their push for waiting periods before voting on legislation.

State Representative Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green), Minority Leader William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and all House Republicans members will soon introduce legislation re-establishing a requirement that conference committee reports must undergo a two-day waiting period before consideration on the floor of the Ohio House of Representatives.

The proposed bill is in reaction to Monday’s House vote on the conference report for the $50.5 billion state budget only hours after the Conference Committee publicly released more than 2000 pages of changes. Almost no legislator on either side of the aisle was able to read the budget conference report before voting.

Not many paid attention. Maybe they just felt this was politics as usual. Maybe it was just more whining from the Minority Party.

Well, it turns out the Gov. Strickland/Speaker Budish strategy has angered a hungry lion.

The media.

How serious was it? Well, the Editor of the Columbus Dispatch felt it was serious enough to devote his column this past Sunday to the mess.

Our front page has been dominated by coverage of the state's budget crisis for the past few weeks.

This past week alone, we published one story after another exposing something else our reporters found tucked into the state's two-year spending plan.

We're not trying to torture you with a series of what some of you will call "bad news" stories. Rather, we want you to be informed.

We were forced to dribble out story after story because we didn't have access to the budget before it was approved.

The final 3,120-page, $50.5 billion budget wasn't available for public inspection online until Thursday. The 1,879-page amendment that finalized the changes in the budget surfaced Monday -- the same day lawmakers voted it out of committee and passed it in the Senate and House, sending it to the governor.

We all know how the MSM seems favorable to the left. But personal politics tends to be trumped when the media feels their craft has been insulted.

Expect continued vitriol from the Dispatch as we move on into campaign season. Reporters tend to have long memories.

And here he is again.

My 2012 candidate du jour, Haley Barbour, had his profile raised to serious contender this weekend thanks to a glowing profile from the Washington Post.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was Republican National Committee chairman the last time his party was at such a low, after the election of 1992. Two years later, Republicans captured control of Congress, and although Newt Gingrich, who became the new House speaker, got much of the credit, party insiders say Barbour played a major role.

Sixteen years later, Republicans are looking to Barbour to help lead them back once more. It is perhaps ironic that, at a time of generational change in politics, an elder statesman such as Barbour, 61, is once again poised to play a pivotal role for his party, this time in the elections of 2009 and 2010. And although he says a presidential candidacy in 2012 is not likely, Barbour has refused to shut the door on speculation that he is interested.

As we all know, refusing to shut the door on speculation might as well read, "I'm running for President."

Check out the rest of the article here.

Fundraising machine.

Ohio Secretary of State candidate Jon Husted announced this morning that he has raised 1.25 million since he announced his candidacy back on April 2nd.

That's $417,000 a month. That sets a solid standard for other candidates as they come out of the gate. Most expected Husted to be well financed, and this is a helluva start.

Cynicism: Obama's hidden enemy

Barack Obama was elected President on a wave of enthusiasm and optimism. We as Republicans often make jokes about the brand new unicorn that each Obama voter has been expecting since Barack was elected. Since then Obama has waded deep into the domestic and foreign policy pool. The results?

A failed stimulus plan that cost 1.5 times the amount of the entire Iraq war.

The US getting the middle finger from Iran and North Korea.

Well, it turns out the American people are starting to ever so slowly lose faith. A Washington Post poll, not exactly an enemy of the Obama Administration, released this weekend had the following results.

The Post notes that Obama's approval on health care is at 49 percent, a new low. It's also only 52-46 on the economy, 43-49 percent on the deficit, and only 52-42 percent on unemployment.

[...]

In the poll, 8 percent say they're better off since Obama became President, 27 percent say "not as well off," and 64 percent say "about the same."

Seriously, where are the frickin' unicorns?

Well, I'll tell you one thing, stories like this one from the AP aren't going to help Obama any.

The midsession review [of budget numbers] by the White House's Office of Management and Budget will likely reflect weaker numbers. But where is it?

White House officials say it is now expected in mid-August. They blame the delay on the fact that this is a transition year between presidencies and note that Obama didn't release his full budget until early May — instead of the first week in February, when he put out just an outline.

Still, the update mainly involves plugging in changes in economic indicators, not revising program-by-program details. And indicators such as unemployment and gross domestic product changes have been public knowledge for some time.

The headline of the article? "White House Putting Off Release of Budget Update"

Ouch.

Clearly, Obama isn't living up to expectations set by his campaign and embraced by his followers. And the changing numbers reflect the same.

How tough is it getting? In numbers just released by Rasmussen, Obama fails to hit 50% in theoretical matchups versus Mitt Romney (45-45) and Sarah Palin (48-42). All this despite no clear and central voice of opposition, just as you see in a Presidential campaign.

Momentum is ever so slightly building.

What's next? The Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections in November. These two states who solidly supported Barack Obama in 2008 currently maintain leads for their respective GOP candidates.

Virginia and New Jersey are Obama's first referendum. And wins in each have the potential to break the dam and cause a flood of support and money towards Republican candidates in 2010.

And cyncism will help us get there.

Pollsters. Who is the best?

When election time rolls around, there are always plenty of polls spewing out all kinds of data. Unfortunately, we're never really sure who to believe and whose methodology doesn't measure up.

The most talked about and most recent research I've seen was by Fordham University when they determined Rasmussen did the best of all the major polls in the 2008 election. Unfortunately, they only took into account national polling data and ignored the much larger and more important data sample of how everyone fared when it came to state polls in battleground states.

So, in order to figure out exactly who did perform the best, I decided to do a little research myself. The formula, while far from perfect, worked this way:

I determined the Margin of Victory (MOV) in eleven of the most polled/swing states of the 2008 Presidential election cycle. Obama states are listed in blue, McCain in red.

Depressing, I know.

From there, I used pollster.com and Realclearpolitics.com to find the most up to date polls closest to election day from eight of the top pollsters in the nation. Following this step I calculated their Margin of Error (MOE) versus the actual MOV. I never used data older than October 16th. Finally, I calculated the average MOE and placed them in order.

Ladies and gents, the results.

(click for larger view)
So what are the takeaways?

• Color me surprised that Rasmussen did as poorly as it did.
• Quinnipiac is #1 with an asterisk due to their low sample size. But, I kept them in there since they are big in Ohio.
• And the biggest shocker, Zogby didn't suck.

A major problem with this analysis? It only has one actual datapoint to use to gauge the pollsters - that being election day. Obviously, no polls were taken that day so we do the best with what we've got, that being polls taken in the days previous when some minds were still being made up. In reality, we all know polling is far from an exact science, so in this analysis we do what we can with the information we have available.

So there ya have it. Now you have a slightly better idea about which polls to keep an eye out for and whom to use as toilet paper.

Snarf.

I read this article in the Onion this afternoon walking back to the office after lunch.

My laughter made people look at me funny. Well, at least I hope it was the laughter.

Some highlights...

Gaze not upon my blighted countenance! Once, I was pure, constitutionally sound, and carefully calibrated to render positive change without the slightest trace of fiscal malfeasance. But what a monstrosity your senseless hands have wrought. Surely my own author would not recognize me now.

[...]

Please, I implore you. It is not too late to make me into something the world will not fear and revile. You must alter me. Simply take that pen—yes, that one right there—and ever so gently remove what you have grafted onto my repugnant figure. Go ahead, pick up the pen. Yes, yes, good! Now, nice and slow, get rid of—

No! Not another rider! My God, is there no end to your vile demonry? Stop writing, I beg of you. I don't think I can take another hastily tacked-on provision. Please, just let me—agh! Argghhh! Oh, the ink of wasteful spending! It burns! It burns!

Are you satisfied, you madmen?

Check out the rest here.

109%.

That's how much unemployment has increased since Ted Strickland became Governor of Ohio.

The only other thing that has increased by 109% since 2007 has been the hotness of that chick in Harry Potter.


You're welcome.

Oh Wilbur, you're an idiot.

I can't believe this crap.

Today, a Friday, one of the worst news days of the week, Democrats have scheduled a vote to spend $700 million on horses.

Seriously.

Here's a breakdown provided by the House GOP on what the bill does.


And here's a screencap from the House Dem Whip website that urges Democrat Members to vote yay.

Republicans, of course, are urged to vote NAAAAAAYYYY.

But seriously, the audacity of Democrats to consider something like this essential spending at any time, let alone in the middle of one of the country's worst economic disasters, is mindboggling.

What say you? Try sharing this with your lib friends. Ask them if this is the change they voted for, and wait for the sarcastic deflection in return.

Portman makes the grade.

Chris Cillizza maintains the premier political blog for the Washington Post called The Fix. It's an unbiased source updated daily with campaign and political analysis and easily one of the best political blogs out there.

Yesterday he published a post that graded the fundraising prowess of many of the high profile federal races based on their totals raised over the past three months.

And what did Ohio's own Rob Portman earn? An A.

Damn right.

And it's not just the Washington Post giving him high marks. It's everywhere.

While raising $1.7 million over the course of just three months he has given himself quite a lead over his potential Democrat opponents as we head into the 2nd half of 2009. That's slightly more than even Mitt Romney has been raising nationally over the same period to continue his push for the 2012 Presidential nomination.

The question now becomes, how much of his fundraising haul will Portman have to use to defeat Ohio rich guy, primary opponent, and political newcomer Tom Ganley.

While Ganley has all the cash he needs to mount a credible challenge, it's TBD whether Ohio voters will afford him any sense of legitimacy. I'd expect Ganley to start up with some advertising in the last quarter of 2009 in order to gauge any poll movement before deciding whether to spend even more of his own wealth to aggressively go after Portman.

Let's hope he fails.

Portman is a quality candidate. It would be ideal to take advantage of his fundraising prowess to attack Democrats rather than defend himself against a political novice.

The premier race of 2010. Really.

Quit bitching and do something.





Contribute to the premier race of 2010.

I hope more people talk.

Below is the first in what I hope to be a number of posts from a friend on Capitol Hill with connections in the lobbying world, LetsTalk.

You can learn so much from simple conversations. As I learn, I will share.

Yesterday I had a discussion with Jeanette Moll, candidate for Congress from Ohio District 18. I was glad to learn that OH-18, with its large coal production, voted 53% for McCain last year and is incensed at Ohio Congressman Zach Space (D) for voting for the Cap and Trade/Tax bill that passed the US House of Representatives three weeks ago.

This energy tax bill does nothing for the environment, but gives handouts to special interests and simply raises energy costs on every American. The Heritage Foundation lays out the numbers here.

Fortunately, Majority Leader Senator Reid (D-NV) is likely to not even bring it up in the Senate because of the outrage from both sides of the aisle in America.

This vote is not the first time Space has been linked to special interests. The Columbus Dispatch recently reported the Congressman to have over $800,000 in the bank. This cash did not come from OH-18. Democrats are taking money from whomever they can to stay in power, yet are rarely listening to large representative organizations. More on this later.

As an Ohioan, it's my hope OH-18 will have ample opportunity to learn from Jeannette Moll about Rep. Space's handouts to special interests and his vote to tax each family living in his district. Jobs are scarce enough in Ohio. Why do we need to get hit harder?

I hope more people talk.

And the hits keep on coming...

Ted Strickland's last chance to live up to his promise to fix Ohio's schools has come and gone.

And, at least according to Butler County School Treasurer Nancy Lane, he has failed.

As far as Gov. Ted Strickland’s promise to fix the school funding problems, she said the outcome is disappointing.

“I was trying to be optimistic in thinking that we might come out further ahead than what was projected through the whole budget process, but it doesn’t fix the problem,” Lane said. “Gov. Strickland, I don’t believe did what he said he was going to do.”

Can you imagine the advertisement next fall? A recording of Strickland's promise to fix schools or get voted out followed by three teachers giving their testimonials to the camera....

Oomph.

1 + 1 = 1

Sometimes one article doesn't tell the whole story. Multiple angles can provide the reader a better understanding of what is to come.

As is the case with two articles from in today's Canton Repository and Columbus Dispatch.

First, the Canton paper:

For better or for worse, Gov. Ted Strickland probably has sealed his political fate by allowing racetracks to install slot machines.

His future may depend not so much on whether Ohioans agree philosophically with the idea, but on whether slots bring in the kind of tax money over the next two years that he predicts.

[...]

It’s debatable whether more gambling can bail state government out of its long-term budget problems — never mind the social costs it creates. The governor is gambling that gambling can be a short-term fix, too.

It’s a bet we wouldn’t make on the state’s future, or Strickland’s.

And then we have a post on the Dispatch's political blog detailing the specific legal arguments certain organizations are bringing against the Governor's plan:

The Ohio Roundtable and the Ohio Council of Churches haven't hired a lawyer yet, but the groups are sharpening their arguments for overturning Strickland's executive order allowing 2,500 slot machines in each of the seven Ohio racetracks.

The arguments center around two points: that the 1973 constitutional amendment that created the Ohio Lottery does not provide for casino-style gambling, and that the governor's plan to spend gambling revenue on purposes other than education violates a 1987 constitutional amendment.

Now let's forget whether or not these are sound legal arguments. That point is moot to the point at hand: If the Governor's future relies on "whether slots bring in the kind of tax money over the next two years that he predicts," and two major and well-funded lawsuits are coming down the pipe, it seems evident that the chance Ohio sees any substantive slot revenue by next November is about as likely as Ohio's unemployment rate not hitting 11%.

Ultimately, if Ohio's major papers are giving full ownership to Gov. Stricktaft, his plan must come through before next November. If not, Ohio's MSM will continue to hound him and provide Kasich all the earned media he needs.

Well, that was fast.

Rasmussen is reporting a nine point swing in the Virginia Governor's race.

Bob McDonnell is now up on Creigh Deeds 44-41. Just one month ago, Deeds held a 47-41 lead.

More good news for McDonnell is his approve/disapprove margin of 23 points. Deeds' margin is a paltry 14. Put this news on top of the reports of a massive financial advantage and McDonnell is clearly in the drivers seat.

One number in particular stood out. McDonnell leads Deeds by a 2-1 margin when it comes to whom to trust on government spending. In a state that had been trending blue the past few cycles, this is great news for Republicans that want to embrace a comeback behind the issue of fiscal discipline.

Now run with it.

Remember, the November Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections have the potential to be vitally important to the 2010 races. Keep a close eye on what's to come...

Brand new and amazing ways to suck!

Leave it to Gov. Stricktaft to find yet another way for Ohioans to lose jobs.

This time, it's a tax on the state's hospitals.

Ohio hospitals stand to lose $145 million as a result of a fee state officials plan to levy on hospitals in an attempt to balance the budget.

It’s a move that could cost jobs, services and increase the cost of medical care, according to the Ohio Hospitals Association.

[...]

If Gov. Ted Strickland signs the budget, most hospitals beginning this October would be required to pay the state a fee valued at 1.52 percent of its 2007 operating expenses. For the 2011 fiscal year, that fee will be based on 2008 expenses and jump to 1.61 percent, according to the legislation.

[...]

Since hospitals have no real way to raise money for the fee, “they are going to have to (make) cuts to meet this new requirement,” Himmelreich said.

Seriously, Gov. We get it. You hate jobs. But please, stop with the tax increases. This is getting ridiculous.


h/t: Johnny Drama

Right where he wants to be.

Per this new Gallup poll, 98% of Republicans prefer someone other than Haley Barbour as their nominee. And that's a good thing.

While anyone with any sense recognizes the rest of the names are unacceptable nominees for one reason or another, Barbour even getting his name mentioned at this point is a good thing. Any guess where Bill Clinton, another southern Governor, was 3 and a half years before the 1992 election?

Exactly.

Being mentioned in polls such as this one draws notice by those that matter when you're two years from revving up your campaign - major party activists, leaders and fundraisers. The importance of high Gallup numbers this early rates about as high as whether I'll have the #6 or #1 from Wendy's this afternoon.

Make no mistake, 2012 will be about one thing - a referendum on Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. But that doesn't mean the GOP needs to nominate someone that simply satisfies the constitutional citizen and age requirements. They need to introduce America to a new candidate, not a retread, with a proven and successful record. They need someone who can articulate the failures of the President. They need someone who will be aggressive and connect with the American people.

Of all the people on Gallup's list, Haley Barbour is the only one who satisfies those requirements.

It's so simple.

ABC's John Stossel keeps it simple, and true.

I confess: I don’t write everything that I say on TV. I write almost everything, but when I anchor, another writer often does a first draft.

Tonight on 20/20, we report on GM. The writer suggested I begin: "it was once the most powerful company in the world…"

GM was indeed the most "profitable," or "biggest"—that I get. But powerful? Why do people think about business that way? GM has/had no armies with which it can invade other companies. It had no power for force anyone to work there. It couldn’t force anyone to buy GM cars.

Your average two-bit government bureaucrat has more "power." He can send people with guns to take your money (tax collection). He can lock you up, seize your property, tell you what you cannot do on your property, summon you to court, and so on. Government has the monopoly on power.

I asked the writer why he chose "powerful" and he said, "well, they were so big and almighty…"

But they weren’t "almighty." That’s proven by their bankruptcy.

Business, to survive, must be a supplicant: it must work hard to please its customers, constantly adapt to meet their changing tastes, beg them to even visit the showroom to consider a purchase. Business is good. There are a few cheaters—I made a career reporting on them—but they are exceptions. Overwhelmingly, business serves us very well.

But the MSM holds capitalism in contempt.

And with them, many liberals. Let's hope this economic mess at least teaches many a lesson...


h/t: AT QB

If they can do it, so can we.

Joe Hallett's column this past weekend in the Columbus Dispatch included a shot at Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich that has been echoed for quite some time across the liberal blogosphere.

Instead of answers, Kasich offers an unrealistic plan to gradually eliminate the state income tax, which accounts for 34 percent of the state's revenue. Without that funding, how will schools remain open and indigent children get help? A leader would have answers.

Stricktaft himself has gone after Kasich, too.

Strickland criticized Kasich's comments about phasing out the state income tax, noting it accounts for 34 percent of all state revenue. He challenged Kasich to say what state programs or services paid by the tax he would cut.

Goodness gracious. How could Ohio possibly survive without its income tax? It's such an extreme position to have, right? No state could possibly be so stupid as to consider not having an income tax!

Not so much.

Seven states currently don't have an income tax of any kind. Two others only tax dividend and interest income.

"Well fine", Democrats may say. "Surely, these states have a population greatly unhappy with how their government is run. After all, they would be forced to make drastic cuts in schools and the like, right?"

Ok, then. The best way to judge whether a population is satisfied with their government is to determine whether they vote them out or not. So let's take a look.

The below graphic highlights the four states with no income tax that are most similar in population to Ohio, along with their highest profile statewide elected officials and their election results.


What's one takeaway from looking at this breakdown? Ohio, with its massive income tax, has just as many elected officials getting voted out or offices switching Parties as the four other states....combined.

Of course one could say other variables played a part in this turnover, and they'd be right. But one thing is for sure, the voters in states where there is no income tax are historically happy with how their state government is being run.

That's something that can't be said about Ohio.

Eliminating the income tax is far from "unrealistic", Mr. Hallett. It's something that has been proven to work in all types of states and demographics across the country. It's about time Ohio had a leader who had the courage to do what's necessary to enable real opportunity and growth.

Going mainstream.

Kevin over at Ohio Politics Online has a good post up this morning examining this editorial from today's Columbus Dispatch.

But to me, the key paragraphs are the following:

Mountaineer Gaming, owner of Scioto Downs racetrack, was one of many parties eager to see slot machines legalized in Ohio. Its team of lobbyists included the wife of state Democratic Party chairman and former legislator Chris Redfern.

As party chair, Redfern controls party purse strings and campaign support and enjoys immense influence over Democratic officeholders. His wife’s job means he will benefit personally from Mountaineer’s success with the slots proposal. Democratic lawmakers know it would be unwise to say no to the chairman’s wife. Her involvement in the deal might not be illegal, but it’s not an ethical way to make policy.

A consortium of Ohio horse racetracks called the Ohio Legacy Fund wisely employs Alan Melamed as a lobbyist. Not only is Melamed a close friend to House Speaker Armond Budish, the nursing-home lobby he also represents has an unparalleled record of reaping disproportionate funding from the General Assembly.

Now, Ohio bloggers have been hounding these stories for a while now. But it's completely different when this story becomes a focus of one of Ohio's biggest newspapers. More questions are bound to be asked. Seeing this story go mainstream has the potential to be particularly damaging for Democrats.

It looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Back when I worked for the Bush Administration, I had a meeting over in Senator Specter's office. In his conference room he had hanging on the wall the famous giant chart he used during the universal health care debate of the 90s.

Well, it seems Republicans are using this same tactic again to highlight just how ridiculous an idea the Dem plan really is. Check it out.

I, for one, bow down to our new robot overlords.

Oh. My. God.

A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.

[...]

The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.

Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship.

Damn you, Skynet!

Waste not, want not.

It seems many on the conservative side are upset GOP Senators aren't grilling Sotomayor a little more harshly. They've got problems with the "wise Latina" comment and the white firefighters decision, among other things.

All are reasonable criticisms. And all of them don't matter.

Republicans can't afford to block Sonia Sotomayor. Not because of who she is, her qualifications or Obama's popularity raiting, but because of who she isn't replacing on the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor was chosen to replace Justice Souter. Souter has long been a consistent liberal vote on the Court. And so will Sotomayor. Nothing changes.

Now, if it was the infamous swing voting Justice Kennedy retiring, then it would be a different story. Judicial organizations would be popping out of the woodwork to stop the Wise Latina. Commercials would be on TV. Mail campaigns would be coordinated to engage with Senators.

Make no mistake, when Justice Kennedy retires, Republicans will fight tooth and nail to ensure a moderate Justice is appointed. And that's why they can't be perceived, once again, as the Party of No for this nomination. If Republicans pulled out all the stops they would lose enormous political capital for the hearings of Kennedy's replacement. Democrats could charge them once again with obstructing for the sake of obstructing, rather than doing their duty to ratify the President's choice. And Obama would get the liberal judge he wants to become the incredibly important swing justice.

But by capitulating on Sotomayor, they have lived to fight another day. They are seen as critical, but reasonable. And that provides them much better ammo when a real fight is on their hands.

The question now becomes, when does Kennedy retire? One has to think he would need to make his decision by May of next year in order to give Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress the time necessary for hearings before campaign season begins in August. This is a dangerous situation for Obama, because as his ratings continue to sink, so does the trust people have in his judgement. And having that political capital is incredibly important when selecting a nominee to the Supreme Court.

Now, if Kennedy waits, Obama may lose the 60 vote majority in the US Senate, thereby forcing his hand to select someone of a more moderate nature.

As per usual in politics, timing is everything.

Here it comes.

As first reported on 3BP last month, and for better or worse, former Senator Mike DeWine is running for Ohio AG.

Rumor is his official announcement is coming next week in Greene County. Keep an eye out.

I saw the lights on the goodyear blimp...

It said Ted Strickland hires pimps.

Sorry for the lack of posting today. Real life called. But I'm back with a story a friend reminded me about that I first caught wind of this weekend while on vacation.

From the 'Spatch:

His attorneys tried to suppress a search warrant of his home and tried to get his indictment dismissed on a technicality. But in the end, former state director Robert E. McFadden admitted yesterday to pimping a 17-year-old prostitute on the Internet.

McFadden, the former director of Gov. Ted Strickland's Faith-Based and Community Initiative, pleaded guilty to two felony counts after police said he put nude photographs of the girl on a Web site to promote prostitution.

Now, this story goes on to highlight(if that's the right word for this situation) McFadden's criminal situation, but very little about his time with the Governor.

Thanks to a google cache courtesy of Newsbusters, we see an aspect of the story that wasn't included in the above linked version.

Note that the "for years" was removed from the story as currently seen on the Dispatch website. Newsbusters can take it from here....

Including "for years" in the print and surviving web report might have given readers the absolutely correct impression that McFadden was conducting his illegal business while still a state employee at the Ohio Department of Corrections (from October 2007 - March 2008), and before that, during his time as Strickland's personally appointed faith-based Director (from February - August 2007). "For years," going back from the time of McFadden's January 2009 arrest, would put him in the business beginning in early 2007 at the very latest.

On top of this we have the Brunner family having trouble paying taxes.

Before that it was Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern's wife gaining financially from the video slots deal.

Last month it was a Strickland appointee resigning after yet another arrest for alcohol.

Before that was a Strickland appointee misusing her office to investigate Joe the Plumber.

Or what about Marc Dann and his buddies trying to cover just about every ethics violation out there?

Pimps, tax cheats, perverts, alcoholics, corruption.

And it was Republicans who Ohioans punished in 2006 for improperly buying a few coins?

If that's the case, then Democrats may want to watch their back in 2010.

h/t: Writer

What's the line of succession for teleprompters?

Oh, the humanity!

OMGZ!!! Coughlin quits!!!

State Sen. Kevin Coughlin has dropped out of the race for Governor of Ohio.

The following is 3BP's analysis of how it affects the race:

Made-up money.

Details have finally come out about the new budget compromise.

One aspect particularly frustrated me.

One major change is a plan to generate an additional $247.1 million from "cash management" and other moves. The bulk of that amount comes from restructuring more state debt, said David Ellis, assistant director of the state budget office.

The state already has restructured more than $400 million in Ohio debt this year to free up cash now in exchange for higher interest payments in the future.

Seriously? This is what now passes for responsible financial management?

It's exactly the kind of ridiculousness from the Governor's office that has gotten Ohio into the hole it's in right now. It's the pure definition of sacrificing the future in exchange for political convenience.

Someone let me know - where does one pickup a recall petition? Yeah, it's too late, but it sure would send a message.

"The governor had promised to keep things flat. So why is it changing?"

Because his promises come with an expiration date, that's why.

Governor Strickland vowed to keep tuition frozen this school year at schools like UT and BG, but now it appears college may cost a few hundred extra dollars a year.

Reports out of Columbus say the state made a little room in its budget by cutting school funding and raising tuition. So students and parents may need to find a little more room in their tightening budgets.

[...]

Ohio resident India Claycon says she shells out just under seven grand a year to go to college. The reported increase could bump that up a couple hundred dollars. Claycon says, "The governor had promised to keep things flat. So why is it changing?"

First gambling, now tuition hikes for Ohio students.

If I didn't know better, I'd think Stricktaft didn't want to be Governor anymore.

For video of the story, click here.

A lesson in false equivalence.

In yesterday's Columbus Dispatch, Columnist Joe Hallett wrote a piece that began with these paragraphs:

As President Andrew Shepherd, Michael Douglas makes a dramatic speech in the movie The American President, saying, "We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them."

Gov. Ted Strickland and his probable Republican opponent next year, former Congressman John Kasich, should memorize that line. If the present is a guide, neither seems serious enough about solving Ohio's problems to warrant the job.

Neither seems serious enough? Why the forced moral equivalence, Mr. Hallett? One is the current elected chief executive of Ohio, and the other is a candidate with 15 months to explain in detail where he stands. Assigning Kasich with the obligation to inject himself into this debate is downright irresponsible.

As the column continues, Hallett goes on to rip Stricktaft with the usual criticisms that we've come to expect, then once again criticizes Kasich for not suggesting how he would respond in the same situation. While Hallett acknowledges that this choice is safe politically speaking, he still doesn't hesitate to bash him.

But as Ohio's would-be chief executive in years that portend continued financial upheaval, Kasich has an obligation to tell voters how he would handle the state budget.

With this statement Hallett neglects the fact that Kasich injecting his opinion isn't fair to the process from a policy perspective. We all can agree that Kasich must eventually outline how he would manage the state, and with no doubt he will. But if he had meddled into the budget negotiations, as Hallett proposed, he would have done so as an unelected private citizen adding yet another voice to the absolute mess of a situation.

Our elected officials have a duty to represent the people. They are tasked with managing a state government that enables Ohioans an opportunity to create a better place to work and live. And they have a duty to develop a responsible budget every two years.

It's unfair to Ohioans to add an unelected voice to the chorus trying to do their jobs representing the people while in the midst of the budget process.

We have campaigns for a reason - to give voters ample opportunity to learn about the candidates before election day.

Simply because Kasich has announced his candidacy does not mean he has an obligation to have fully developed policy proposals with only a skeleton staff tasked with getting his campaign up and running.

Mr. Hallett, there are 477 days until November 2nd, 2010. Make no mistake, John Kasich will give Ohioans a vast understanding of how he will govern and where he stands. And he has plenty of time to do so.

But meddling into matters yet to be decided is not a responsible way to educate the voters.

EDITORIAL: Gov. Stricktaft is a Huge Schmuck

Honestly, that's the only headline that could have been more harsh than the below editorial that actually ran in yesterday's Dayton Daily News.

Check it out.

Some other highlights, pending your point of view, from the editorial...

"There is so much wrong with [Strickland's permitting of slot machines] that it’s hard to know where to begin."

and...

"Ohioans have voted against casino-style gambling four times in the last 19 years. That the governor thinks he can dismiss those powerful statements — unilaterally — is amazing for someone who fancies himself humble."

and...

"There is absolutely no reason to believe that the governor’s people have thought of everything they should have to protect the interests of Ohio or local communities."

and...

"With the governor’s effort to blanket the state with these places, what we have is a desperate leader proving his unwillingness to use his bully pulpit to speak truth to taxpayers.

And who knows whether the state will ever be able to undo all the ways in which we will surely get snookered.

This is not the Ted Strickland Ohio elected."

Ouch.

Straightforward.

3BP contributor Johnny Drama is out with yet another dropkick to the abdomen of Governor Stricktaft.

Simple. Effective. True.

See ya on Monday.

Even DJ Tablesauce has to rest.

Or take a few days off and head to Dewey Beach with 23 of his best friends.

Check back on Monday! We'll be full go!

Where's in the world is Governor Stricktaft? Day 12!

As you read on Monday, 3BP is desperately trying to find out where the Governor goes each day. After all, in light of the Sanford and Kaine scandals, voters have the right to know Stricktaft's schedule, right?

Well, building off the unanswered e-mail on Monday, 3BP sent Amanda Wurst, the Governor's press secretary, the following message today:

Amanda,

Once again, I'm following up to see if I can be added to the list of those that get access to the Governor's public schedule.

Thanks.

This is request #4 over the course of 12 days.

I wonder, what does it take for a private citizen to be notified of the Governor's public schedule?

What do I need to contribute, Gov? I've got a coupon for some Jello if you're interested.

So close, yet so far.

Below is an e-mail 3BP got a hold of from the Federal Representative for the State of Indiana:

Last week, Governor Mitch Daniels and the Indiana General Assembly were able to work together to pass a budget that includes NO tax increases, reforms education and keeps $1 billion in reserves. The Washington Post story attached below along with an Indiana state employee newsletter outlines the extreme responses many states are proposing while, thanks to Indiana leadership, positive changes are continuing in the Hoosier state.

The attached articles she mentions go on to explain the difficulties facing many states, and Ohio in particular. Gov. Stricktaft himself is quoted discussing the severe cuts his state is suffering.

Out of curiousity, I checked on that pesky breakdown by the non-partisan Tax Foundation to see where Indiana stands. If you'll recall, Ohio's business tax climate ranks 47th out of the 50 states.

As for Indiana, they're 14th.

Must be nice.

BWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Remember where you heard it first.



And some dare to say blogs are going out of style...well lookie at we did.

Nyah.

Welcome to Walmart!

This past weekend yet another article from an Ohio newspaper highlighted Gov. Stricktaft's deficiencies and emphasized his rising negatives. Since so many newspapers are repeating these missives I won't go on repeating them, sans one.

The Dayton Daily News included a quote from Chairman DeWine that had 3BP rolling.

“I don’t underestimate the governor’s ability to turn on the charm,” said DeWine of Fairborn, a former state representative. “But charm does not make a good leader. Charm is very helpful if you’re a Walmart greeter. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a good governor.”

Well, 3BP contributor Johnny Drama couldn't let a comment like that go to waste.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you....


(make sure you click on it so you can see the buttons....absolute genius)

You're welcome.

3 more percentage points and we have a story...

A lot of folks this morning are touting today's Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll that has President Obama with his worst marks yet. The number getting the most headlines is the 32% strongly approve vs. 37% strongly disapprove, for a Presidential Approval Index rating of –5.

These "strongly" approve/disapprove numbers have yet to really impress me. Yes, it's nice to see them ease into the negative, but they don't necessarily include those most important in elections - independents.

When you only include those that "strongly" approve or disapprove, you leave out those that moderately approve or disapprove. And who usually moderately approves or disapproves? That's right. Independents.

While everyone needs their base to turn out to win an election, it's the swing voters that are most important. And this Presidential Index likely doesn't capture where these voters stand.

Now, the good news is that Obama's approval raiting is down to 52-48 overall. Unfortunately, without a subscription I can't find out how that breaks down by Party. In other words, I can't find out where independents stand.

There is some hint that swing voters are starting to turn against the President. A Quinnipiac Poll in Ohio from a couple days ago Buckeye independents disapproving of Obama 48-38. If that holds, the tide truly is turning.

Of course, we're not seeing many stories about Obama's declining popularity, but once Rasmussen's numbers come down to under 50, those stories should start creeping out. The media likes a nice round number to talk about. And 50 is it.

This means you lost.

The final nail in the coffin has gone into Gov. Stricktaft's press conference from a couple days ago. In the presser, billed as the Governor's most aggressive yet, Ted attacked the Senate GOP for playing politics(oh, sweet irony) and mocked them for not having an alternative plan. Well, it turns out Sen. Bill Harris has a plan. And one of the biggest newspapers in the state likes it A LOT better.

Resorting to casino-style slot machines is a bad way for the state to deal with its profound budget problem. But of the two competing proposals, that of Senate President Bill M. Harris correctly defers to the wisdom of voters, while Gov. Ted Strickland's plan is a hasty effort that Ohioans might come to regret.

[...]

Unfortunately, the governor rejected Harris' proposal out of hand, claiming that Ohio is required to balance its budget on revenue sources it can count on now, not ones that might become available months from now. But Strickland's rationale simply underlines that his is a plan driven by haste above all. He seeks to rush Ohio into a move that ought to be considered at length.

Stricktaft's tactic of encouraging his rivals to come up with something better has been his default message since the 2008 election. In other words, since Ohioans started paying attention to what his inaction was doing to the state of Ohio. First he attacked Mary Taylor, then Kasich, and now the Senate GOP.

What has it gotten him? Plunging numbers.

Ohioans can recognize when someone isn't getting the job done. And Stricktaft's refusal to consider other viable options and play politics is yet another example.

This editorial by the Columbus Dispatch means the Gov's efforts at his press conference were all for naught, and a political loss for him. If Stricktaft wants to turn things around, he needs to show he can lead, negotiate, and compromise in order to do what's best for Ohio. Until then he'll find Ohio's opinion makers won't let up.

What. The. Eff.

Guess who has been 'blocked' from following Governor Ted Stricktaft on Twitter!

This guy.

Check out the screen cap of what happens when I click "Follow"...


Give me a second to stop laughing.

Wooooo.....ok. That's better.

Is this really what it's come to, Governor? Can't take the heat, big guy?

Why do I feel like Ted is trying to take his ball and go home?

Oh, and Ted....stopping me from following you doesn't mean I can't see your tweets. Just sayin'.

Called out, nationally speaking.

Looks like yesterday's post on Governor Stricktaft shoveling jello into his face rather than working on the budget like he said he was is catching on...

Check out this story in today's Politico.

(they even used my screencap! ha!)

Sarah's question.

There is one constituency that Sarah Palin can't afford to lose: conservatives.

And there seems to be one issue surrounding her recent announcement that is chafing the buns of these same conservatives.

Quitting early.

Conservatives tend to be a principled bunch. They believe in duty. They believe in honor. The smart ones are happy to sacrifice a bit on each in lieu of playing the political game, but that line is fine.

And how Sarah Palin answers this question over the next few months will determine whether she has a future in the Party:

Why did you abandon your post before finishing even one term?

The problem is, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a satisfactory answer to that question. If she had quit during her 2nd term, no one would even care. But she didn't.

Even me, a Palin supporter from back in April of last year, has grown weary of her. While I understand the political difficulties she faces if she wants to win the nomination in 2012, I am hard pressed to accept abandonment of the post to which you were elected before even finishing one term.

If she wants any future at all, Palin needs to convince me, and others like me, that it was an acceptable move to make. I just don't know how she does that.

Who's it gonna be?

Yesterday in a forum I frequent, an interesting question was posed, would Republicans accept a pro-choice Presidential candidate in the 2012 election? Here was my response...

What's important to consider is that the 2012 election will be first and foremost a referendum on Barack Obama. With a friendly Congress and power to manage the country as he sees fit, he will own every issue and the debate will lie squarely on what he has done and accomplished.

So the question isn't necessarily, "do you like the alternative better", but instead, "do you want someone else or not"... The difference in questions is slight, but important.

I think it's safe to say conservatives will have had enough of Obama after four years. That doesn't mean they will support a pro-choice candidate in the primaries, but if one somehow wins the nomination, a constructionist, but pro-choice candidate likely would be acceptable to the vast majority.

I think what will be most important to voters is one thing: can the nominee effectively articulate Obama's negatives?

Also, GOPers may be a little envious of having an intellectual of sorts(at least in perception) as a candidate. Cliches won't work. We want someone that can explain why the stimulus was a bad idea. Why the public option is unacceptable for health care. Why surrendering on missile defense is dangerous.

So, who are the options? My top three in no particular order are MS Gov. Haley Barbour, IN Gov. Mitch Daniels and LA Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Each has their weaknesses, but each also has far greater strengths.

Stivers is in.

Steve Stivers made it official this morning.

He's challenging Mary Jo Kilroy for Ohio's 15th Congressional District.

Previously on 3BP we went over the multitude of reasons why voters can expect a different result in the midterms next year. Turnout and political environment will be a boon for Stivers and provide a sizeable opportunity to take down Kilroy.

We've also caught wind of some internal polling that is very favorable for Stivers.

In other words, nothing but good news.

And now, because we know comedy is all about repetition, we give you....

Working hard or hardly working?

Even more fun from today's absolute mess of a press conference was Ted Strickland's statement about how he, unlike the Senate GOP, worked hard over the holiday weekend on both Saturday and Sunday in an effort to solve Ohio's budget issues.

How hard?

From WMFD in Mansfield:

[On July 4th] More than 5,000 people attended the event which featured games, food, a car show, eating contests and a parade.

The highlight of event was the Jello eating contest. Gov. Ted Strickland rolled up his sleeves and joined the other competitors in eating a bowl of Jello in record time.

I wanted to have a witty caption for this photo, but honestly nothing could do it justice. I mean, look at him. If that isn't the look of defeat, I don't know what is.

And while Ontario, Ohio is a mere 81 miles up I-71, I wouldn't exactly call going head to head with a 5-year old in a jello eating competition "working hard all weekend".

You'll get him next time, Guv.

Is this a winning strategy?

The Governor recently continued the Ted Strickland Blame Game Tour 2009 with a stop at the Statehouse in Columbus this morning.

Today he criticized State Senators for "holding the state hostage" by not agreeing with his plan to help fund the state using video slots.

(that sounds sillier and sillier everytime I type that)

Nevermind that this is the same plan that 84% of Ohioans said needed to be decided by the voters, not the state legislature.

Does Strickland really think it's good politics or policy to criticize opponents that are supporting the will of 84% of Ohioans? I mean, seriously --- that's just beyond ridiculous.

Things you will not find on the desk of Governor Strickland...

I'm currently watching the Governor's press conference where he "doesn't play politics" by playing politics and blaming GOP Senators for Ohio's budget problems.

I'm pretty sure we'll never see this sign on his desk.

Where's the Guv? Day 10!

11 days ago, in light of the Mark Sanford and Tim Kaine concerns about their whereabouts and the public having access to the schedules of their elected officials, I decided to e-mail Ohio Gov. Strickland's press secretary...

Amanda,

I currently manage an Ohio-centric political blog. In light of Mark Sanford's situation, what is the policy of the Governor in releasing his schedule?

Where can it be accessed, when is it released, etc.?

Thanks!

The next day she responded...

We generally release the governor’s schedule of public events on Fridays for the upcoming week.

Thanks,

Amanda Wurst

Immediately I wrote back...

Great. Thanks for getting back to me, Amanda.

Would it be possible for me to be added to the list that receives this announcement?

Also, if there are changes to the schedule, how is that updated?

Then again 6 days ago...

Amanda,

Just following up on this request. Any update?

Thanks!

And again 17 minutes ago...

Amanda,

Any update on this request? Thanks.

Go figure how difficult it is for a private citizen to find out how the hell an elected official spends his time, eh?

So Governor Strickland, where exactly do you go each day? And why am I ignored when I want to find out?

What a Fourth.

Instead of Independence Day it became more of a 'There Goes My Independence" Day.

DJ Tablesauce got engaged.

As you can see, I'm definitely marrying up.


Sorry for the scarce posting over the weekend, but as you can imagine things were pretty hectic. I'll do what I can for the rest of the week to mourn Sarah Palin's political idiocy.

Sarah.

I love you, but while it's yet to be determined whether this is a good move politically (I seriously doubt it), on principle you can't quit before your first term is up.

And your announcement? Amateur.

What a shame. I had such high hopes.

30-20-19.....and 5.

Those have been the margins of Ted Strickland's lead leading up to today's release of rarely GOP-friendly Qunnipiac's poll numbers for next year's Governor's race.

43-38.

And we haven't even really started yet.

Let's breakdown the more interesting numbers...

• Kasich takes over the lead for the GOP nomination for the first time. The margin is small, only 35-32 over DeWine(who won't even be running for Governor), but is a turnaround of 16 points from the last poll and says a lot about how effective the Kasich team's rollout has been.

• Strickland's lead has shrunk from 19 in May to 5. R, D, male and female numbers are about what you'd expect, but Kasich is leading among Independents 36-34. That's a staggering 17 point turnaround from the last poll. It seems those that had a bad taste in their mouth after the Taft Administration are truly starting to identify Strickland as Taft 2.0. Of all the numbers in this poll, these Independents have to be the biggest worry for Ted's campaign.

• Only 42% approve of Ted Strickland. Down from 60 just five months ago. Independents disapprove 40-39. And here's my 'told you so' moment. Other bloggers and activists with whom I discussed the Kasich campaign's rollout strategy intensely disagreed with me, and Kasich's team, about the timing of Kasich's campaign announcement. They said he was waiting too long to raise money and waiting too long to take begin hitting the Governor. I stressed that it was vital to give Ohioans time to identify Strickland as the source of Ohio's troubles. Injecting Kasich too early into the campaign would encourage the media to focus on his candidacy and quite possibly pull focus away from Strickland. Now we've seen months of Ohio's editorial boards hammering away at the Governor and each release of Ohio's job numbers bring more and more negativity upon Strickland. There's plenty of time to raise money, but giving Ohioans a chance to attach the Governor to Ohio's economic difficulties has been priceless.

• Since February, GOP Senator and Guv candidate Kevin Coughlin's name ID has increased 0%. In fact, 91% of Ohioans still have no clue who in the hell he is. Eventually this gnat will get the hint.

• A particularly disheartening response for Strickland had to be the "has the Governor kept his campaign promises" question. In an 18 point turnaround, voters say no by a margin of 40-34. Not only do Indies answer say no by a 13% margin, even 23% of Dems said he hasn't.

• A plurality of 53-33 disapprove of Strickland's handling of the state's economy. In the last poll those numbers were even. As for his handling of the state budget, it's even worse with 53-31 disapproval. In the last poll these numbers were flipped with Strickland enjoying a 43-40 approval rating. Even Strickland's SE Ohio base is disapproving by 7 and 9 points, respectively. See my 'told you so' above. Ha.

• While 60% approve of gambling in Ohio(the same number that approved last August before the 2008 gambling initiative was soundly defeated), by a margin of 84-13 voters believe they should have a chance to vote on it rather than Strickland and the legislature imposing their will.

To sum up, nothing but great news for the Kasich campaign and Ohio as a whole. Clearly voters are paying attention to Strickland's failures and his numbers are plummeting --- and all without the help of a Kasich campaign making daily attacks. Ohioans are finding out on their own. And that's a good thing.

I look forward to the day....

...that this sign changes.


3BP is heading back to Ohio for a very special Fourth of July so posting will be a bit sparse.

Hope everyone has a safe and ridiculously awesome holiday weekend.

Silly, but effective.

Back on May 15th, I wrote a post discussing how the political environment was ripe for attacking the federal stimulus. Independents were turning more skeptical and an opportunity was provided to permanently attach the Democrats to an issue bound to fail.

Glad to see folks are listening. Or, much more likely, finally figured it out on their own.

Props to John Boehner and his staff:

$0.89

That's what's left of Ohio's legacy of fiscal discipline.

From today's Gongwer:

The metaphorical storm clouds officially burst in Ohio on the last day of fiscal year 2009, when Gov. Ted Strickland's administration tapped out the bulk of the $1 billion-plus "rainy day" Budget Stabilization Fund - while opting to keep the change.

Office of Budget and Management Director Pari Sabety notified state leaders Tuesday that $1,012,289,234.00 had been transferred from the BSF to the general revenue fund so the state could end the fiscal year in balance.

The move, authorized by the legislature with the recently enacted Ohio Industrial Commission budget (HB 16*), leaves a rainy day fund balance of 89 cents.

It sucks having a Governor this bad.

I have a question.

Will we run out of criticisms for Ted Strickland?

It's a serious question.

I mean, there are a finite number of things that a Governor can screw up, right? Eventually, Strickland will get them all covered.

The latest? Last night his office finally submitted to the State Auditor Ohio's financial records for the fiscal year ending June 30th 2008.

Yep. 365 days after the end of the fiscal year, Mary Taylor finally can start auditing the state's books.

Who wants to bet what the results will be? I'm guessing it's a paper bag of dog poop laid at the front door of the Governor's office with "Your Audit" written on the front.

Everyone hates Ted Strickland: Part #493

Today's Ted Strickland is an failure editorial comes from the Dayton Daily News' Ellen Belcher.

Some gems:

He had two years to figure out what to do on school funding. When he rolled out his big plans, he endorsed requiring children to go to school for longer periods, and he wants to raise the academic bar to get more kids to college.

But when it came to paying for his changes, he didn’t have any brilliant ideas, and when it came to spending money, he pretended that the lack of it doesn’t matter. Mostly, he wants credit for intentions.

[...]

When libraries close, when people in group homes lose their state funding, when parks fill up with trash, when seniors stop getting their in-home care, when exceptional charter schools close, when students lose their scholarships, do you think voters aren’t going to notice?

The governor alone isn’t accountable for Ohio’s well-being. But he is the man at the top. And he has an obligation to level with people about what will happen if Ohio just cuts its way out of its hole.

He has shamelessly not done that. And it’s because his foremost concern is being re-elected.

Oomph.

It's come to this.

Apparently, in a recent issue of Playboy, Alec Baldwin is quoted as saying he was approached by Democrat lawfirm in Ohio to consider moving to the state and running for Governor.

Needless to say, this is getting some coverage. All of it funny.

The good news for the Ohio? He couldn't be any worse than Ted Strickland.

Another one bites the dust.

According to their website, Princeton Delivery Systems, based out of Canal Winchester in Ohio, has been around since 1972.

Over the years they've employed hundreds. In fact, here is what they looked like in 2008.



And this is what they looked like yesterday, June 30th, 2009...


Their entire manufacturing division was forced to ship off to Kansas.

Governor Strickland, is this what Turnaround Ohio was supposed to look like?

Something to make Chris Redfern's Head Explode.

• Kasich leads incumbent Ted Strickland 44%-35%, with 21% undecided
• Portman leads Fisher 39%-33% in U.S. Senate race with 27% undecided
• Portman leads Jennifer Brunner 43%-31% with 26% undecided

Those are the latest numbers on the Ohio races according to new polling firm Wenzel strategies.

Wentzel uses automated phone calls, just like Rasmussen, and the sample of 824 voters is a good, so these numbers may just be legit.

Some of you that were fans of XM's POTUS channel during the Presidential campaign last year may remember Fritz Wentzel as one of the show's hosts.

Democrats will likely scoff, saying this is just a way for a new pollster to get noticed. Possible, but doubtful. If you want to develop legitimacy and respect in the field, you want your numbers to carry some legitimacy. You don't do that by releasing bogus numbers.

Or maybe he's nuts.

But either way, these numbers are better than the alternative. Enjoy it, Kasich fans.