The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes or COAST has been constantly pushing the line between reasonable an unreasonable, even calling a female U.S. Senator a “whore”.

But I think they’ve really crossed a new line today. As many of you know, Rep. John Murtha passed away earlier today.

COAST posted the following in response:

Seriously, someone’s ass needs called out on the carpet over this one.

Despite Kevin DeWine’s best efforts to keep Mike happy, it seems the AG field won’t be clear after all.

Hardin County attorney Steve Christopher, a certified Tea Bagger, is jumping into the race.

Why don’t you read this quote used on John Kasich’s blog:

At the heart of Ohio’s fiscal problems is a tax system and business climate that has been driving people out of the state for more than 15 years, resulting in a shrinking economy and a smaller tax base. At the same time, state government spending grew unchecked, resulting in a heavier tax burden on the state’s remaining citizens. Ohio taxpayers now have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

The post also goes on to say:

It’s clear Ohio cannot be competitive under its current tax structure.

Bill Sloat points out two very interesting things in light of Kasich’s stance on Ohio’s business climate. The first is this quote from the CEO of Ohio based Invacare.

"From our headquarters in Ohio, Invacare has become a world leader in home medical products. The state's new tax laws will help us continue to grow."

The second thing Sloat points out is that Kasich has over $1 million worth of stock in Invacare, despite his belief that business can’t survive in Ohio.

Bill O’Neill isn’t letting his ‘08 election defeat slow him down, yesterday he announced he’ll once again seek to show Rep. Steve LaTourette the exit.

In ‘08, O’Neill suffered a 20% loss to LaTourette, in large part due to a significant fundraising gap. Now in 2010, with less high profile Democratic pick-up opportunities for OH-14 to compete for attention with, perhaps the stars may finally align and let us finally get some vengeance for LaTourette’s little games.

You can find O’Neill’s announcement remarks reprinted below.

Good morning, and God Bless you all for showing up on this snowy day. My task today is simple. I want to tell you why in 2010 the voters of the 14th Congressional District are going to be given a CLEAR CHOICE between the politics of no and the policies of yes.

Today, at the end of the line, we standing here do proclaim this event marks the end of the line for Congressman Steve LaTourette. It is the end of the line, because I, along with the rest of the voters of the 14th Congressional District, have reached the end of our tolerance for having a Congressman who practices the POLITICS OF NO.

It is obvious that our economy is in a shambles, and that working families have experienced real suffering of historic proportions in the past ten years. But today, I want to talk about the role government has played, and the role it should play. As Teddy Kennedy said, it is the difference between seeing things the way they are, and asking “why”…and seeing the way things should be, and asking “why not”.

Let’s talk about the end of the line. This efficient, clean, ecologically friendly commuter train was built in the 1920’s and it’s dream simply needs to be completed…even 90 years later! I look to the East and the South, and I have a vision of a train network that ties the region together, breaks gridlock, creates jobs, and unites communities with each other, students with colleges, and workers with jobs. Think of Mentor, Stow, Ashtabula, Solon and Painesville…people who live in those cities have but one choice when it comes to their transportation needs. Spend $10 a day for gas; $10 a day for parking; and 10 hours a week in your car…OR STAY HOME. My opponent sat for 12 years on the transportation sub committee in Congress…and in that time, while BILLIONS were spent for concrete and traffic jams… not one inch of track was laid to finish our grandparents’ dream of a cheap and efficient way to get to work. When asked about commuter rail to Solon and Mentor, he says “NO” and I pledge , send me to Congress and the ANSWER IS YES. This is a jobs issue, plain and simple. We need to get back on track, and this is a good place to start.

Speaking of jobs, now that Chrysler is in bankruptcy and General Motors is under government control, now that our once proud steel industry has been shipped overseas, wouldn’t you think that a member of Congress would be willing to support reasonable attempts to bring health care costs under control? As a Registered Nurse I understand this is a complex question to be sure, but one that can and must be answered. Our government currently takes care of the health care needs of all poor people and all old people with no questions asked…but if you are a working person, or a small business owner in America, you are on your own, and that is a scary place to be. As I said, the voters of Northeast Ohio, once and for all, will have a clear choice this November. When it comes to universal health care access, I am an enthusiastic YES, and yes, you guessed it, my opponent is a NO.

And lastly, let’s talk about the government and the banks. It should be readily apparent that government does not, and should not, create jobs. The role of government is to create a climate where jobs can flourish. That’s why I feel so strongly about mass transit, as a jobs issue, and health care, as a jobs issue. But no issue demonstrates the difference between myself and my opponent more eloquently than banking. As a member of the Financial Services Sub-Committee, My opponent voted to de-regulate the banks and now we are all paying the price…to the tune of billions of dollars. Bankers collected billions in profits and bonuses…and now neighborhoods sit vacant as a testament to the folly of NO when it comes to regulating banks. Once again, the voters of Ohio will be given a clear opportunity. When it comes to FIRM BUT FAIR REGULATION OF Banks, I will be a YES, and once again, as history demonstrates, my opponent will be a NO.

And there you have it. Send Bill O’Neill to Congress and two things will happen instantly. The politics of No will end. And the policies of yes will put us back on track. Thank You.

It’s old news by now, but former ODP Online Communications Director Todd Hoffman has left most of his responsibilities at ODP to set up his own venture. Todd now offers his services designing websites, logos, and print layouts to Democratic candidates and organizations.

So why am I posting this admittedly old news? Well there’s two reasons really.

1. I haven’t seen it posted elsewhere yet.
2. And most importantly, I get to use this example of Todd’s work:

I mean how can you not love that? It's Norman Rockwell meets Andy Warhol.

The ODP Online Communications job has been filled by Dan Borntrager.

Words going around that we might soon see a shakeup in the OH-18 race. It’s being said and speculated that Fred Dailey, lacking money and support, might soon end is bid to get a second chance to embarrass himself.

Furthermore, it seems local Tea Party whack-job Jeanette Moll is threatening to run as an Independent.

While this obviously would leave State Senator Bob Gibbs as the favored Republican nominee, one has to wonder what factored into this? With the close timing of both these rumors, I think it’s a safe call that there’s some more intra-party arm twisting going down.

From the moment Cuyahoga County voters created it last Novemeber, the position of Cuyahoga County executive instantly became the 2nd most powerful political office in the State of Ohio, trailing only the Governor. The Cuyahoga County Executive will not only lead the state's most populous county, but will also become the de facto spokesperson for the state's largest metropolitan area. 

The Cuyahoga County GOP has been moribund for years, so its not surprising that their best candidate for the post is former State Rep. Matt Dolan, a carpetbagger from Geauga County. And now the Pee Dee is reporting that he'll join the race next week. 

Make some popcorn. This one is going to be interesting.

I take any poll put out by Rasmussen Reports with a grain of salt these days, but this one (H/T Political Wire) seems to provide evidence of what I've been saying for years: The GOP simply has no credibility on deficit reduction. 

A majority of self-described GOPers polled by Rasmussen say they would rather the U.S. government continue to run a budget deficit than to repeal the Bush tax cuts, and a majority of self-described Democrats would prefer higher taxes to balance the budget. 

The biggest headline from this poll, in my opinion, is that only 35% of respondents correctly answered that the majority of government spending goes to only three programs: Social Securty, Medicare, and National Defense. A 44% plurarlity said its false. 

Wow. 44% of Americans have absolutely no freaking clue how the Federal government spends its money. That can't be good for the country, can it?

Yesterday morning I flew to a southern state famous for its, uh, electile dysfunction in the year 2000 (Don’t hate, it's a business trip).

As we flew over southern Ohio and, crossing the river into Kentucky and West Virginia on a clear, cold morning, certain scars on the face of the earth became apparent. These were the remnants of mountaintop removal mines. On a morning like yesterday, these mines are easy as hell to spot from the air. The unmolested mountaintops carry rich stands of trees, and the view of them is only accented by the blanket of white on the ground below. The former mines however, have no trees, and so assault the eyes with a piercing of white snow reflecting the bright sunlight.

The next thing you notice are how the graceful curves of land that was thrust upwards by a collision between continents and then eroded for hundreds of millions of years into a flowing, curving shape with a natural peaks have been replaced by a precise geometric stairstep pattern with no peak at all, instead it is remarkably, unnaturally flat. The stairstep pattern gives the impression that perhaps someone was trying to build an amphitheater to seat 40,000 people or so, until you see the next one, and the next one, and the next one and realize that these constructs are simply the effort of men to extract the maximum amount of coal from the earth while employing the minimum number of workers to do it, and the consequences for God’s creation be damned.

During President Obama's Q-and-A with the House GOP conference in Baltimore last friday, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) referred to West Virginia as a "resource rich state" and criticized President Obama's plans to control our carbon dioxide emissions and provide incentives for inventing advanced energy alternatives because of its impact on the coal mining industry.

I would like to ask Congresswoman Capito, has coal mining brought prosperity to West Virginia? Or has it done the opposite: made the state poorer not only because of the slow bleed of jobs as huge machines replace laborers, but also because of the ghastly impact on your environment so obvious from 35,000 feet?

If coal mining has not brought prosperity to West Virginia (and southern Ohio) over the last 150 years, instead of continuing to do what you’re always done, perhaps maybe it is time to try something different? Like instead of destroying your mountaintops, perhaps putting wind turbines on them?

Such a proposal would require courage and leadership especially in areas of the country that have traditionally been dependent on coal mining for jobs. Hopefully, someone in this country possesses that leadership and courage, and steps up to the plate before more of our mountaintops become sad scars upon our land.

From the Washington Post political blog "The Fix," new data from Gallup indicates that Ohio lead the country in the drop in the number of self-identified Democrats. At the end of 2008, Democrats had an 18 point edge in partisan self-ID in Ohio. At the end of 2009, that edge is now down to 10 percent, an 8 point drop.

But wait! You're surely wondering. If Democrats do have a 10 point edge in partisan self-ID in Ohio, why are the polls so close in our Governor and Senator races? Well, Ohio has lots of what I like to call Kentucky Democrats. They are fiscally liberal -- they believe in a government provided safety net -- but tend to be socially conservative. The congressional districts of Zack Space, Charlie Wilson, and to a lesser extent, Tim Ryan are filled with these sorts of Democrats. They are probably not too thrilled about President Obama's SOTU promise to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. And, my gut is telling me that these voters, plus some true independents who identified as D last year when the party was riding high, are driving the lower Democratic self-ID. 

The good news is, many of these sorts of Democrats are socially conservative union members, or union household members, who we can keep on our side of the fence with an aggressive economic agenda of job creation, help for the unemployed, and, yes, HEALTH CARE REFORM. That's why this data from Gallup, to me anyway, is yet more evidence that we need to pass the freaking bill.

The Ohio Republican Party just awarded it’s endorsement in the Auditor race to Dave Yost, likely as payment for clearing the way for Mike Dewine to run unopposed for Attorney General.

If you need further evidence, just look at recent history. The ORP has refused to make an endorsement in the AG race while it was still contested among Yost and DeWine. The ORP, however, seems to have no qualms whatsoever about endorsing Yost, even though Republican Seth Morgan is also running for the Republican nomination.

And now ORP Chairman Kevin Dewine’s family business is complete. Or is it?

Well first off, the boys over at Red State are sounding the alarm that the George Soros army is out to manipulate the 2010 Ohio Census results. Why? Because Treasure of State Kevin Boyce has been appointed to a committee aimed at maximizing the census response rate that each state was advised to set up.

We take these reports quite seriously, and will be investigating them in great depth. Just after I get the alien tracking chip out of my arm and fashion the perfect tin-foil hat...

And just to recap:

• Having Ken Blackwell serve as state chairman of Bush-Cheney ‘04 = OK
• Kevin Boyce Doing Something With The Census = OMG!!! PEOPLE ARE DYING, THE LIBZ ARE TAKING OVER, COMMIES ARE KILLING KITTENS!!!!11

In slightly more serious news, Boyce hopped on the wave of announcements this morning and also formally announced his campaign to hold on to the Treasurer of State job.

Ohio Daily is reporting that Sharon Neuhardt, 2008 OH-07 Congressional candidate and rumored SoS candidate, has dropped out of the race to clear the field for Gov. Strickland's hand picked SoS candidate, longtime Columbus City Councilwoman and current Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O'Shaughnessy.

For those who don't know her, Maryellen O'Shaughnessy spent 11 years on Columbus City Council before seeking the Clerk of Courts post. The previous Clerk of Courts, John O'Grady (sense a pattern here?) successfully ran to fill the seat on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners being vacated by current Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy.

While I understand that Maryellen O'Shaughnessy was Gov. Strickland's hand picked candidate, in my opinion she has a somewhat checkered electoral history to overcome in this race. In 2000, after John Kasich retired from the Ohio 12th District seat, O'Shaughnessy was the Democratic nominee in the open seat race against Pat Tiberi - a race which Tiberi would go on to win 53-44 over O'Shaughnessy and a handful of minor party candidates. In 2002, O'Shaughnessy ran against incumbent GOPer Dewey Stokes for a seat on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, and while she came close, ultimately it was another loss for her. 

Then again, fellow Franklin County resident and current Ohio Attorney General had a number of losses under his belt before his 2006 breakthrough and 2008 election to AG. So it can be done. 

And, there's no doubt that O'Shaughnessy will make a much better SoS candidate than Garrison ever could have. She will not de-motivate the Democratic party's base the way a Garrison candidacy would have. Here's hoping she can make up for her late start in this race, and if the "Magic O" helps her, so be it :)

While Republicans still don’t have a clear candidate lined up, Zack Space is not kicking back. Today his campaign announced they have over $1.2 million dollars on hand.

While there’s little doubt his unexpectedly weak challenge from Republican Fred Dailey in ‘08 left a lot of the campaigns funds unspent, they did still raise $321,000 last quarter.

And, in probably an even stronger enforcement of his position, Space recently kicked off Phase 2 (our phase 1 coverage here) of his Renew Ohio 18 project.

To describe these as a series of town halls would be an understatement. The work groups, consisting of local experts and constituents, basically get a major say in Space’s legislative priorities. The way Space goes the extra mile to empower his constituents is a main reason I’m not too worried about this race.

Granted both of them were suspected, but this morning brought confirmation of Eric  Brown running for chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and Maryellen O'Shaughnessy running for Secretary of State.

Franklin County Probate Court Judge Eric Brown will make his run official in a press conference tomorrow morning. He’ll join Mary Jane Trapp as the second Democratic candidate seeking a Supreme Court seat.

Clerk of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, however, made her official announcement today. The previous Democratic candidate, Jennifer Garrison, dropped out over the weekend.