Bringing A Knife To A Gunfight

Dropping the beer summit ploy Obama is going to play golf with Boehner to hopefully iron out their differences. Obama doesn't know Boehner if he thinks a bit of schmoozing is going to change Boehner's beliefs. So the foursome is set.

Boehner is bring John Kasich, governor of Ohio, as his golf/chat partner. Who is Obama bringing?

Biden.

What Obama thought he needed a caddy?

Furthermore, Obama should be trounced by Boehner in golf as well as politics, but to pit Biden against Kasich (in anything) is downright cruel. In a gunfight Biden would be the grinning fool standing there with a butter knife. In a debate putting Biden up on a stage with Kasich would be like forcing a pudgy pimply faced fool to do the chore. In madras shorts. A Three Stooges shirt. Picking his nose.

In fairness, for this gunfight Obama should be allowed a ringer for Biden. And himself. Both armed to the teeth. With full automatics. In an ambush. Just to make it fairer.

Ohio Used To Be A Great State

Battered by the likes of Celeste, Taft and Strickland the great state of Ohio has sunk to one of the most over taxed and less free states in the country. According to this site Ohio is #42 out of 50. Hopefully, Batchelder and Kasich can lead the way back to a great Ohio.

Analysis

Ohio performs poorly in nearly every conceptual area. Spending and taxation are higher than average, with administration, education, and social-service spending especially high as a percentage of personal income. On the plus side, government debt is below average. Ohio, like three other states, does not allow private workers’ compensation insurers. However, unlike North Dakota and Wyoming, it does allow employer self-insurance for workers’-compensation. The state’s occupational-licensing regime and level of health-insurance coverage mandates are decent. Ohio has improved its eminent-domain regime, but further reform is warranted. Its liability system is only average. On the other hand, Ohio’s asset forfeiture laws are quite good, with the state more than a standard deviation better than average. It could improve even further, though, by shifting the burden of proof to the government. Gun-control laws are relatively poor, though not extreme as in the case of states like Illinois or California. In fact, Ohio allows open carry without permit. The state authorizes sobriety checkpoints but does not mandate motorcycle helmets. Marijuana laws are liberal overall, but cultivation and sale sentencing could be reformed. Most gambling is illegal. Homeschooling regulations are unreasonable, including teacher licensure and mandatory state approval of homeschool curricula. However, private-school regulations are lighter. Draconian smoking bans are in place and cigarette taxes are above average. Beer and wine taxes are reasonably good but the spirits tax is fairly high.

Unions: Voters Join Walker, Kasich Christie In Rejection Of Union Greed

Don Surber points out some realities in West Virginia. The number one reality is that in what was once a hard core union state the voters have turned against them. That voters have become anti-union is even more important because it was in a Democrat primary.

Why labor lost the race in West Virginia

Democrats. Democrats in West Virginia. Democrats who supported the Exalted Cyclops, Robert C. Byrd, who supported every union and every piece of union legislation. Democrats.

The unions here in Ohio had huge protests at the state capital against Republican Governor John Kasich and S.B. 5, a bill to have union members pay more of a fair share of their benefits, and lost. Unions in Wisconsin vowed to take down Republican Governor Walker, to take over the state capital and to defeat Judge Prosser in his election as a referendum on Walker’s union policy and they lost, lost, lost. Unions in New Jersey took on Republican Christie and ran into the Sicilian Irish Express who offered to help them pack their bags if they wanted to flee. Three states with three new Republican governors dealing with Democrat budgets that were killing those states.

Unions were dying before Democrats shored up the movement by initiating public sector unions. Public sector union is a nice way to say government workers whose big bosses extort higher pay and benefits than enjoyed in the private sector for themselves at tax payer, i.e. non-government workers, expense. The movement to rein in union power and corruption is spreading across the country even rearing its head in places like New York and California which is a death knell for unions.

A second movement, immigration reform, is also spreading and if successful it means that illegal aliens will not become legal and not be able to vote Democrat in higher numbers than they already illegally do. If, and it is a big if, Democrats lose on both of these issues it will cost them not just votes at home and in congress, but also millions of dollars with which to further their progressive policies. If this happens there will be a shift in the body politic of seismic proportion and there won’t be enough federal emergency funds or stimulus packages to save them. The rejection would be final.

SB 5 Will Save Ohioans Over $1.19 Billion Annually

That's a lot of buckeyes.

Analysis Shows SB 5 Would Save Money

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) -- Ohio government analysts are estimating a new collective bargaining law could save the state about $191 million each year. And they say school districts, townships and other local governments could see more than $1 billion in savings annually.

The figures were released Monday by the state's Department of Administrative Services. The estimates were based on parts of the law dealing with health care costs and wages. The measure prohibits employers from paying more than 85 percent of workers' health insurance costs. It also gets rid of automatic pay increases and pay based on length of service.

I wish my employer paid 85% of my health insurance costs. You go Governor John! This is why we elected you.

SB 5 Protest In Columbus, Ohio

This was a well staged protest with union members bussed in from all over the state of Ohio and from out of state. There were many professional protesters who literally were calling out scripts for chants, cheers and actions and acted out for the numerous news outlets there.

Here is a slide show. Click on an image to see it enlarged.

Democrat Daddy Long Legs Standing With The People Of Wisconsin

So, the brave Democrats have run away and are hiding in another state? But they're standing with the people.

Budget Battle: GOP Senator Says Dems Have Left State

But according to the Twitter account of Democrat State Senator Chris Larson from Bay View, "For those looking for us, we are right here, standing with the people of Wisconsin."

I know the Democrats have long fingers for picking pockets and long noses from lying so it seems probable that they have long legs that allows them to bravely stand with the people while in a different state.

I wonder if Democrats will show the same bravery here in Ohio. Strickland's stricken could slink off to Pittsburgh, but I hear they've closed down the brothels there so anywhere is your guess.

Unions, Big Government Killing States Like Ohio

Americans are fleeing high tax, union-dominated states and settling in states with lower taxes, right-to-work laws and lower government spending. Nothing sends a message like voting with your feet.

People do vote with their feet and the vote here in Ohio is saying get out and go where there are jobs, less government and a right to work without coercion from "friendly" union officials.

Ohio’s state government spending increased by three times the inflation rate between 1994 and 2002. At this clip, the state government budget would double every 14 years. More importantly, this rate of growth outstrips income growth and exceeds our ability to pay for it. The result? Government spending as a share of Ohio’s economy has increased rapidly since 1980. Ohio left the ranks of low-tax states in 1994 and has been one of the highest tax states in the nation since 2000.

Ohio is a "closed shop state" which is a fancy way of saying that workers can be forced to join unions or have to pay unions dues no matter what. The fact that unions have invaded our public (government) sectors is only making the problem worse. Much worse.

Because of these things Ohio is no longer a state that is friendly to its citizens. I have very high hopes that Gov-elect Kasich and soon to be Speaker Batchelder will turn this around.

To The Shame Of Ohio - Its Bad Business

Business Insider

Ohio 2010 House Election Map

The only blue areas left are those surrounding Toledo, Cleveland, Akron and the area east of Akron around Youngstown.

The striped areas are districts that were in Democrat hands, but switched to Republican hands in the election.

Now that "Our Future Ohio" PAC has flushed over $3M down the drain it is time to find out who funded their last minute effort to alter our elections here in Ohio.

If they are to be believed, OFO PAC raised the money, obtained staff, offices, researched the issues, wrote scripts, filmed, did the voice overs, bought ad time (in the last two weeks of the campaign???) AND went through the same process for very expensive print material in just 14 days. I do not believe that they did all this in just two weeks. I believe it was a planned sneak attack at the last minute. I also don't believe the money they were given came from Ohio unless some local PO Box or address was used as a pass through to make the money appear to be local. I think Ohio deserves some answers from Ted and Lee's good friend Alan Melamed.

Of course the people who gave him the money want some answers too. Maybe he is explaining how he lost the entire thing and hasn't had time to answer questions from the voters of Ohio.

Election Wrap Up

It is very interesting to look at the congressional and state and local election results maps. It appears that those that are the bluest this morning all huddle around cities pleading for the most in government handouts.

This video is pretty telling.



I'd love to go back to bed and catch up on some sleep, but too much to do.

Ohio is once again a red state and once again our state legislature is Republican. We will have the finest Speaker of the House, Bill Batchelder, in the nation.

Below is a photograph of Gov. elect John Kasich and soon to be Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder. The photographer is Jack Kustron who very graciously posted it on my Facebook page. The photo says it all.

Tell 'Our Future Ohio' PAC We Need Transparency In Government. Not More Democrat Schemes...

I guess this flier that just came in the mail is over and above the $2.5M that Our Future Ohio PAC magically got to spend on TV for Tedious Ted Strickland. It is heavy gauge stock, 4 color and 8 1/2 X 11. I'm sure they had it designed, printed, delivered and bulk mailed in just one week.

Of course, OFO PAC wants voters to think that John Kasich caused the meltdown of our economy. If they can get voters to think about that then voters won't remember Fannie and Freddie being protected by Democrats as housing prices continue to plummet. Nor do Democrats like Strickland/Fisher/Pelosi/Reid and Obama want voters to think about Trillion$ spent by big government liberals using Chinese loans to print worthless money while Ohio jobs were lost or moved out of state to the tune of 400,000.

Our Future Ohio PAC wants "transparency." OFO PAC wants transparency? When in Hell will Our Future Ohio PAC be transparent and tell voters who gave them millions of dollars to try to influence our election here in Ohio?

They won't tell voters where they got the money because the money is probably dirty money, not Ohio money or, possibly foreign money.

Transparency? The deceivers at OFO PAC wouldn't know transparency unless someone paid them bags full of cash to look it up in a dictionary.

Our Future Ohio PAC Says Kasich Ashamed Of His Money, Won't Divulge Their Secret Money Source

Where did you get $2.5M in cash Melamed? Afraid to say? Ashamed?

You have a kitchy ad on TV saying John Kasich is hiding something. What are you hiding?

Huh? I can't hear you.

Who Is Trying To Buy Ohio's Gov Election With The $2.5 M Instant Special Interest Group "Our Future Ohio"?

The Democrats are flying a false flag about foreign money in American politics naming the COC. They know it's a lie. We know it's a lie. The press refuses to name it for what it is, a lie.

After having this lie hoisted up the political flagpole, the media rolls over and goes to sleep when a group, funded by secret money, starts putting up Huey Long demagogue ads about candidate John Kasich. The ads are shameless. Who cares? Not the media. If the once great Columbus Dispatch wanted a story to actually increase subscription rates they might want to find out who is funding the sleaze group "Our Future Ohio" being fronted by Strickland/Fisher/Union hack Alan Melamed. They won't. At least not in time for voters to make an informed decision.

Joe Hallett commentary: Election notebook has some interesting tidbits

• Hypocrisy is bipartisan. On Monday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown held a news conference decrying "the growing problem of anonymous money fueling American elections" and touting his co-sponsorship of a bill that would require independent groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to disclose the names of donors.

The same day, Democratic lobbyist Alan Melamed, a friend and political ally of Brown, acknowledged the creation of a new independent group, Our Future Ohio, to spend $2.5 million on TV ads supporting Strickland and other Democrats. He declined to identify the donors, and the nonprofit is not required to disclose them.

This is what the Columbus Dispatch has become. A day late and a dollar short publication written by bought and paid for writers like Joe Hallet. That is a sad end for what was once called "Ohio's Greatest Hometown Newspaper." The Wolf family must regret losing control.

So, since the voter won't get any assistance on this, let's all ask, "Who is trying to buy the Ohio governor's race by funding Our Future Ohio"? I'll bet it isn't Ohio voters. Not with Strickland and Fisher involved. Their involvement screams underhanded, possibly illegal, funding. It is how they do business. They lie.
 
Who is paying for Our Future Ohio and making Alan Melamed and his staff and cronies rich? Even with all those millions, I betcha they can't afford to tell the truth.
 
Ohio is tired of being lied to and Melamed and Our Future Ohio are not telling us the truth. For that alone our vaunted State Attorney General should shut them down. Yeah, like that is going to happen. Why bite the hand that feeds you, eh?

Who Is 'Our Future Ohio PAC' And Where Did They Get $2.5 M For Strickland In One Week?

A new group has formed and created a PAC out of thin air, "Our Future Ohio" and its PAC. According to the Columbus Dispatch the group was formed just last week and is already buying up $2.5 million in ads, $1.3 million just for central Ohio, against Republican John Kasich. The group declines to say who is funding them and their deceptive ads.

Ad war escalates in governor race

Our Future Ohio was incorporated last week and created a political-action committee to counter the "overwhelming" number of conservative Republican groups running ads, spokesman Alan Melamed said.

Our Future Ohio and its PAC have a combined $1.3 million for more than 750 spots reserved in central Ohio through the election, records show. The group plans to run ads statewide at a combined cost of more than $2.5 million, Melamed said.

He declined to identify who is funding the group and said final decisions still are being made about what campaigns will be targeted besides the governor's race.

One ad features two people speaking at a kitchen table - a format also used by the RGA - complaining that Kasich and Wall Street are more responsible for Ohio's job losses during the recession than Strickland.

Alan Melamed of Cleveland, spokesman for the elusive "Our Future Ohio", is a lawyer and president of a political communications group which seems to be at the heart of Democrat machine politics here in Ohio. Melamed's VPs and others employed by him have worked as lobbyists and for such groups as the leftist Common Cause as well as many different 'green' groups cashing in on tax payer's dollars for profit. They all have close political and financial ties to Gov Strickland and Lee Fisher.

So, where did 'Our Future Ohio' get $2.5 million dollars for ads? How much more money have they received to cover their salaries, offices and overhead? That this effort is but one example of the desperation of the Strickland campaign is apparent, but who is funding this desperation and why won't the group tell us?

UPDATE: It appears that Melamed has a troubled history with the truth.

"Convicted οf Lying?"

Aѕ іf tο underscore thе futility οf using government tο regulate truth іn politics, Thе Associated Press quoted Fisher’s campaign manager, Alan Melamed, аftеr thе commission’s ԁесіѕіοn wаѕ announced аѕ saying: "Bob Taft hаѕ found hіѕ рƖасе іn history. … Hе′s thе first candidate fοr governor tο bе convicted οf lying." Thаt itself wаѕ a fаƖѕе statement. Thе commission specifically rejected Fisher’s complaints against Taft personally, аnԁ іt hаѕ nο power tο "convict," a word thаt implies criminal violations.

When The Dam Breaks Will Biden Strangle Himself?

The next week or so will tell the political tale. At this point it appears that close races will start breaking for Republicans, but I am sure Rahm Emanuel left a "to do" list for Obama and the gang which no doubt includes many October surprises whether they are true or not.

West Virginia looks good for Raese, but one needs to remember that only winning by 4 or less points means he loses. If he can get above a 4 - 5 point margin he may win because at that point its hard to steal that many votes. Even for Democrats. Even in West Virginia.

Here in Ohio Strickland is pulling out the stops, but will lose. I hope the Kasich campaign sends a nice thank you note to Haley and the people at RGA. The Demos dropped slime in the state with sexual allegations against Ganley, but then who didn't know that wouldn't happen somewhere.The strange sexual peccadilloes of Democrats here in the state are well enough known to not even be news worthy.

Little Zack Space is trying to get people activated by lying about ideas for a national referendum on free trade, but that's Zack's style. I've sent a copy of the Constitution to Zack. Hopefully, he will have enough time after the election to read it.

Mary Jo Kilroy is in some incredibly deep doo-doo. She looks politically dour as she does in person. Down on the west side of Sin City Chabot is dealing Driehaus an old fashion butt kicking and the tin foil hat mayor of the universe, Kucinich, is reportedly actually having to campaign. Marcy Kaptur won't be defeated until the last barge that visits Toledo once a year offering false hopes stops.

As for Senate, is there still a Democrat candidate?

Husted is looking good. Dave Yost is in a salt and pepper race, but given that Demos are self demo-ing he should be able to pull it off. If one looks at the latest polling one would see a frustrated and depressed electorate. I guess that Hope and Change Progressive movement isn't what they wanted.

Even if Republicans win the House and the Senate (I think they will) the fools still in charge of print and film will declare it actually a loss for Republicans because they should have won so much more. But they will be right if the Republicans recreate the Congress they led the last time they were in charge, because they will have their butts voted out in huge numbers in 2012. If they don't know this then they are too stupid to be in politics. Well, at least too stupid to be in Republican politics. We eat our stupid.

Apparently, Democrats just strangle their dull voters.

Plunderbund's Modern Esquire Is Really Worried About Kasich

He doth protest too much at every turn of Kasich's campaign against Strickland. When ever a polling outfit such as Barney's Bait and Polling or Kos' new loser pollster or one of the main stream media's "the surge failed" pollmeisters crows about Strickland's "surge" Modern Esquire gets all giddy.
He must have penis Lehman Brothers envy. Success breeds success which leaves Strickland in a position almost as bad as he has put his supporters.

Come on Modern Esquire, love that people's moniker, Kasich has better blue collar credentials than you. He also has better success credentials than you.

Oh Hell, Kasich isn't just an opponent to you, he's a nemesis, eh? Got worry? Yeah, I think you do.

He's A Big Dumb Animal, Isn't He Folks

Rambling Ted has some trouble saying what he means and meaning what he says. It appears that what Ted is speaking of is his outstanding job running Ohio as in, yes, we lost jobs, but yes, we got some, but really, we did lose jobs. Maybe. I think.


Logic and reason scream for a Gov. Kasich. Me too.

Kasich For Governor

I am a supporter of John Kasich. I have been since he was my congressman. John came from a union/Democrat family in Pennsylvania, but as a college student here in Ohio wrote a letter to then President Nixon who was impressed enough that he invited John to the White House. John is smart, very conservative and will be a great governor of Ohio, unlike the, ahem, governor we currently have.

John Kasich must be doing a lot of things right in his campaign because to liberal/progressive wing of the Democrat Party here in Ohio is going nuts over his candidacy. The thing that bugs them the most is that he is good enough and smart enough to have earned a lot of money.

I think that which bugs them the most is what they most don't understand.

Kasich Catching Strickland

Kasich can be prickly and decisive and he can be thoughtful and logical which is what I want in a leader when the ship is going down.

Matt at Weapons of Mass Discussion has the numbers and the thoughts:

Good News for John Kasich
The race to define John Kasich is going to be an important one and here is where I fear that the Democrats online advantage may do us some damage. It is totally bogus, but the Ohio Democrats push to tie Kasich to the recession through his employment at Lehman Brothers is everywhere. I've seen ads on Facebook, Google, Yahoo and even National Review.

All in all, at this point in the campaign, John Kasich has to be feeling pretty good about his chances. I know I do. (read the rest)

Years ago there was a frick & frack duo in Columbus made of the unlikely pair of John Kasich and Mike Stinziano, political opposites made even more curious by the height of one and the shortness of the other. Though I disagreed politically with Mike I had the chance to get to know him well and found him to be a tremendous person. In 1984, as we were all preparing for Reagan's second inaugural. I was walking through the crowded lobby of the Four Seasons and heard my name being called to which I turned to look and all I could see was Kasich above the crowd. Then a break in the crowd and I could see Mike and his wife, both waving. It was a wonderful time. Kasich & Lashutka at Beck Tavern is another story.

I am a big supporter of John Kasich. Ohio needs a scruffy kid from a blue collar family that understands both sides of the aisle, but has core beliefs, the savvy and the street smarts to get it done.

BTW, John came from a Democrat Pennsylvania family, but became a Republican, in part, because he, as a freshman at OSU, wrote then President Nixon a letter who was so impressed he invited Kasich to the Oval Office for a meeting.

Who says Nixon didn't do some good?