CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS: NOT ONE YEAR IN OFFICE AND TALK IS THAT BOCCIERI WILL STEP DOWN AS CONGRESSMAN AND BECOME STRICKLAND'S RUNNING MATE IN 2010

One thing that the SCPR is sure of is that 16th District Congressman John Boccieri is a VERY ambitious politician.

So, last evening, when yours truly was told that Boccieri was already growing weary of being the "Congressman on Your Corner," and that he was looking at becoming Ted Strickland's running mate in 2010; it was not a total surprise.

The SCPR believes that current lieutenant governor Lee Fisher will best Ohio secretary of state Jennifer Brunner in their fight to be the Democratic nominee to replace the retiring George Voinovich in the United States Senate.

Of course, that will leave Strickland without a running mate for his re-election bid in 2010.

Who will replace Fisher?

A suggestion that was totally laughable (and, tragic for Ohio - if true) to the SCPR was the idea that former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr was positioning himself to be that person.

A much more believable suggestion is that Boccieri is the one who will be stepping in to run with Strickland should Fisher best Brunner to be the Democratic senate nominee. But the SCPR is highly skeptical of this report.

Why?

Well, it would make Boccieri look really, really bad to have run for an office and have gotten elected and not really have achieved anything to let his overriding ambition to be "the man-in-charge" some day (i.e. governor of Ohio).

But then again, Boccieri is consummately ambitious.

A drive to the "top" makes a person do strange things. No?