CICCHINELLI/MAIER POLITICAL FEUD COMES BACK TO HAUNT MAIER?

In October, 2008 when Governor Strickland came to Canal Fulton to campaign for Johnnie A. Maier Jr's handpicked candidate Celeste DeHoff for the Ohio House (50th), he said for all to hear with Maier beaming from ear-to-ear that Maier had delivered for him in 2005 by being the very first county party chairman to endorse his candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for governor.



Of course, any friend of Ted Strickland is a friend of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.  On June 12, 2007 Boccieri announced at Bitzer Park located in North Canton (with the defunct Hoover plant as a backdrop prop) that he was running for Congress in the 16th Congressional District.

Strickland told the assembled crowd that he "loved John Boccieri" as a brother.

There couldn't be a closer political trio in all of Ohio than Strickland, Boccieri and Maier.

Boccieri, a major in the United States Air Force Reserve, who has piloted a C-130 in and out of Iraq many times, is known to have ferried Strickland across Ohio in his campaign stops.

As it turns out, both Strickland and Boccieri are in big political trouble in their quests to remain in office.  Strickland more so than Boccieri.  But both could easily lose.

Maier must be absolutely beside himself.  Would the sun come up for Maier on November 3, 2010 if either or both Boccieri and Strickland lose?

John Boccieri has apparently decided that his margin of victory in Stark County will determine whether or not he returns to the U.S. Congress.  It has been a full court press for him in Stark lately and the last week of the campaign may be exclusively Stark. 

Boccieri surprised all the political pundits when he rolled up an impressive victory in Stark over long time Stark political figure Kirk Schuring.

Boccieri will not win in Medina and Wayne Counties this time around.  Both are solidly Republican counties.  And, Jim Renacci is from Medina County where he served as mayor of Wadsworth.

Just look at the numbers from the presidential election of 2008 in which Obama only won Stark County among the counties that comprise the 16th Congressional District.

Boccieri's major hope in Ashland, Medina and Wayne is that Libertarian Jeffrey Blevins drains off enough Republican votes that Boccieri will be within hailing distance of Renacci.

Then he has to win by enough in Stark to just get by Renacci in the overall vote county.  The SCPR believes he must win Stark by 10% to eke out the narrowest of victory.

Of course, former Stark County chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. wants to help Boccieri in the worst way.  And if he can help Strickland in Stark too (a much harder sell), all the better.  After all he has been good to Strickland and the Strickland administration has rewarded him with appointments for some of Maier's nearests and dearests.

Accordingly, the SCPR believes the idea to do a McKinley/Massillon football game tailgate party featuring former president Bill Clinton had to be Maier's brainchild.  Could be the co-creation of Maier and his "joined at the hip friend" and chief deputy in the Massillon clerk of courts office, Shane Jackson.  His mother, former Stark County Commissioner Gayle Jackson got a Strickland appointment to the Ohio Lottery Commission.

As an aside, Maier is known to be ga-ga over Clinton, too.  Maier came back to Stark County "higher than a kite" after attending a Clinton inaugural.

What Maier et al had not counted on was that arch political enemy Massillon Mayor Frank Cicchinelli would decide to be non-political and to say "no" to the tailgate party and is blessed that Massillon Superintendent of Schools Lisa Carmichael sees it the same way (reference:  Massillon says no to Clinton, Boehner rallies before game, Matthew Rink, The Repostory and The Massillon Independent, October 25, 2010)

Renacci should be credited with a crafty political move of his own.  As soon has he heard about "the best laid plan" of the mousy Democrats, he went out and enlisted the support of central Ohio Congressman John Boehner who is likely to become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the new term of Congress.

The Republican counter tailgate party made it easy for Carmichael.  She was not about to allow the hallowed traditional regular season ending game to play second fiddle to the politicians.

While Maier is "a dyed in the wool" Tiger fan and most likely, under different circumstances might agree with the notion of keeping the politicians out of the mix.  But these are special circumstances and The Report has to believe that the stakes are so high for this consummate politician, that it was a political gambit worth trying.

Mayor Cicchinelli has been at political war with Maier and his followers (e.g. Kathy Catazaro-Perry (who likely will run against Cicchinelli in the May, 2011 Democratic primary), Judge Eddie Elum and others) for years.

Earlier this year Catazaro-Perry had a fundraiser for Strickland at her posh Massillon home, but guess who was not invited.  You've got it:  Massillon Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr.!

One of the possibilities that Rink writes about is that Clinton and Strickland may participate in the flip of the coin to determine who gets the ball first in the McKinley/Massillon football blood feud.

So let The Report get this straight.  Bill Clinton who is being sent to districts where President Obama is not all that popular to campaign for the likes of Strickland and Boccieri appears on the 50 yard line with Strickland before 18,000 Cantonians and Massillonians and it is not political?

VIDEOS (2): WHY WOULD STRICKLAND VIA HIS LOCAL COORDINATOR SNUB A MAYOR RUNNING FOR A SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TERM?

On Friday, July 30, 2010, Massillon Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. announced he is, indeed, running for a seventh term to continue as mayor of Tigerland.

Here is his announcement confirming that he will run for a seventh term along with his reasons for running.



Most Stark County and Massillon political junkies expected the "I will run again" statement.

It was a bit of a surprise to see and hear the mayor taking off on the "carpetbaggers" feasting off Massillon government and his being snubbed by Strickland and his local event coordinator Catazaro-Perry when Strickland came to Massillon for a "Main Street" campaign event on July 23d.

Here is a video of that part of the press conference.

Who exactly was Cicchinelli referring to in speaking of the "carpetbaggers?"

Cicchinelli did not say specifically, but the SCPR thinks his reference probably was to Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., (Massillon clerk of courts and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman who lives in Tuscarawas Township) and, perhaps, arch political enemy Massillon Councilwoman Kathy Catazaro-Perry, who is a relative newcomer to Massillon.

The other topic of interest to those interested in Stark County "inside politics," was his addressing being snubbed by Governor Ted Strickland and Catazaro-Perry on July 23rd.

Cicchinelli did not directly say so at his press conference he held this past Friday (the 30th) to announce his run-again decision,  but the SCPR believes that the snub by the  politically allied group of Strickland,  Catazaro-Perry and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was a large factor in Cicchinelli deciding to run again.

Cicchinelli only decided "for sure" to run within the last week.

Though Strickland's coming to Massillon was billed as a "Main Street" meet with the people event, the meeting was not held at a site on Lincolnway (Massillon's "Main Street").  Rather, it was held at 900 Ridge Mill Path, the home of Catazaro-Perry, which is located in one of Massllon's more affluent neighborhoods.
Reports are that the "Main Street" event was attended by some 40 persons.  Included on the Mill Ridge Path list were Catazaro-Perry (of course), Maier, his "shadow" at the clerk of courts, namely; Shane Jackson (who also serves as the political director for the Stark County Democratic Party),  Judge Eddie Elum (of the Massillon Municipal Court - a long time political enemy of the mayor), Stark County Commissioner Pete Ferguson, Stark County Commissioner Steve Meeks and  Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II's political pal and operative Demetrius St. John.

In commenting on the size of the Mill Ridge Path event, Cicchinelli sort of belittled it in saying that he understood that later in the day Strickland was in Youngstown and some 400 attended his Youngstown "Main Street" event which obviously was held at a much more public venue than the one selected for Massillon.

Mayor Cicchinelli said at the press conference that had he gotten more advanced notice, he too would have been at the Catazaro-Perry sponsored event.

But the SCPR thinks not.

Here is a copy of the Catazaro-Perry invite:  (Note the "in the wee hours of the morning e-mail and that the e-mail was not addressed direct to Cicchinell, but that he only merited being copied)

Moreover, the SCPR doubts that the politically aligned combo of Catazaro-Perry, Maier and Elum wanted Cicchinelli at the event as there is rampant speculation on "Political Street," Massillon that either Catazaro-Perry or Elum will be taking Cicchinelli on in the May, 2011 Democratic Party primary.

They mostly likely want the governor to themselves.

Governor Strickland's staff also did not follow proper political protocol in making sure that Cicchinelli was timely-invited.  The Mayor says that a voicemail was left on office telephones "after" work hours on Thursday.  for a Friday noontime event.

What an insult!

Like the mayor of a significantly-sized Ohio city could just drop everything and go to a political event on "at the last minute-esque" type of notice.

Mayor Cicchinelli won't say outright that he was snubbed, but is clear to the SCPR that is exactly was done to Cicchinelli.

How could a proud man like Frank Cicchinelli attend the Strickland event after it was obvious to him that he was an afterthought.  Of course, he had to be busy with other matters.  The perfect out for a man who had been embarrassed by a sitting governor.

The SCPR believes that there was no way on "God's green earth" that Cicchinelli was going to attend the event in the face of his being an afterthought.

Maier has said repeatedly how utterly enamored he is with Ted Strickland.

Well, does he want his "patron saint of politics" to lose in November because of what appear to be calculated, but stupid slights like this one?  All indications are that the Strickland/Kasich race is going to be a very close race.  Could this be one of those rare statewide contests that will be decided by a handful of votes?

Will offended Cicchinelli supporters be the difference?  They could number in the hundreds, if not more.

Cichinelli appears to be politically smarter than the Catazaro-Perry led group.

He dashed off this letter to Governor Strickland.

The Cicchinelli stub may be one the dumbest Stark County political goofs Ted Strickland, led down the Mill Ridge Path by his Massillon supporters, has ever made.

Obviously, Cicchinelli is looking for some apologies.

It would appear that the savvy thing to do is for someone on the Governor's staff to write a letter of apology and have Catazaro-Perry do the same.

Otherwise, it could cost him a second term as being governor of Ohio.

With friends like Catazaro-Perry, Maier, Jackson et al, who needs any enemies?

HOW WILL IT SET WITH STARK COUNTY'S VILLAGES, CITIES, TOWNSHIPS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES THAT GOP GOVENOR CANDIDATE JOHN KASICH'S "ELIMINATE THE INCOME TAX" PROPOSAL WILL CAUSE CUTS IN STATE AID?

 

One of the issues that the SCPR believes will certainly surface in Stark County Ohio General Assembly races is that of taxes.

Todd Snitchler reportedly told loyalist Republicans at the Stark GOP's annual McKinley fete on February 4th was that his November opponent (Democrat Todd Bosley) should carry the label of "Taxing Todd" or words to that effect.  Snitchler was referring to Bosley's lead role in getting fellow commissioners (Jane Vignos - R and Harmon - D) to impose a 0.50 of 1 percent increased sales/use tax on Stark Countians in order to support a fix of 9-1-1 and to beef up Stark County's general fund.

Undoubtedly, Snitchler will be adding:  "You know, the Democrats are a 'tax and spend' crowd, should we expect Democrat Todd Bosley to be any different?"

But Snitchler and Stark's other office-seeking Republicans have their own cross to bear on tax issues.

And the name of that cross is John Kasich who will be opposing Governor Ted Strickland in November.

Kasich has come out with a plan to eliminate Ohio's income tax which raises about one-third of the total revenue needed for Ohio government.

One effect of the Kasich plan will be to put more of the tax burden on the "less able to afford" crowd.  Look at the graph above.  The very rich in Ohio pay about 6.4%  (compared to 12% by the very poor) of the total tax burden; however, they (the very rich) pay more in income taxes than any other category of taxpayers.

So an elimination of the income tax means that the very well-off will be paying even less than 6.4% of Ohio's expense of government.

That's bad enough.  But there is more.

Kasich's plan will undermine local government big time.  

Remember Ken Blackwell (Strickland's opponent) in 2006?  He had a scheme, too.  Here is a general description of the Blackwell plan, (the Tax Expenditure Limitation - TEL) from the news archives of The Free Library (A Taft too far: the Ohio GOP is in shambles--can Blackwell save it?):

This issue is going to be the centerpiece of my gubernatorial campaign," says Blackwell. If approved, the Tax Expenditure Limitation would prevent Ohio's government from growing faster than 3.5 percent, or the combined rate of inflation and population growth, in any single year.

This issue, perhaps, more than any other sank the Blackwell campaign.  Government workers throughout Ohio united (whether Democrat or Republican) to condemn the Blackwell TEL plan. That's a whole lot of people to be "agin ya."

The problem for Republicans Snitchler, Secrest, Oelslager and Schuring as well as commissioner candidates Creighton, Walters and Windham is that the Kasich scheme is projected to cost local governments and libraries in Stark County dearly.

And this is not a bunch of Democrats saying so.  It is the highly respected Ohio General Assembly Legislative Service Commission.(LSC).

Todd Snitchler would, undoubtedly, vouch for the reliability of the LSC.  

In support of his House Bill 65 (calling for phased in performance audits for Ohio government operations) he cited to the SCPR data compiled by the LSC comparing Ohio's budget to the state of Washington which, according to the LSC, saved lots of Money for Washingtonians and therefore would likely to the same for Ohioans.

So what does the LSC (via a ABC News/Money) report have to say about the Kasich plan as it will affect Stark's political subdivisions?

Here is an excerpt on the LSC analysis from the ABC News article:

Legislative analysts have determined that the 10-year tax phase-out — the linchpin of Kasich's campaign to beat Gov. Ted Strickland in November — would cost state and local governments and libraries more than $12 billion by 2020.

An Ohio Legislative Service Commission report, dated Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, found the first year of the phase-out would cost $768 million to the state general revenue fund, $30 million in state aid to local governments, and $16 million to public libraries. Those losses would amount to $79 million to cuts to county, city and township governments and local libraries in fiscal year 2011, the second year of the current state budget.

 How are Stark Republican candidates going to deal with:

• $30 million in state aid cuts to local governments
• $16 million in cuts to public libraries
• $79 million in axing to county, city (presumably, also villages) and township governments.

To be sure, Governor Strickland has some hair-brained ideas that will hurt Stark Countians, if implemented.

The question is:  will local Democrat candidates just roll over for the governor?

The campaign has began and the overall concern of Stark Countians should be:

Will Stark's office-seekers be true to Stark Countians or will they parrot the party line coming out of Columbus?

QUESTION THE SCPR HAS FOR FORMER STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR: MAY "THE REPORT" CRITICIZE THE GOVERNOR?

While yours truly was an active Democrat (now a political independnt), the, then, Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (who is now clerk of courts for the Massillon Municipal Court), said something to the effect:  "You know, Martin, the letter to the editor you wrote to The Repository might be deemed to be critical of the governor."

Heavens forbid!

A letter critical of the governor!!!

Well, if Maier thought that letter "might be deemed to be critical," he hasn't seen anything yet.

The SCPR believes that Governor Strickland has been too quick to listen to the politicos like Johnnie A. Maier, Jr and has been so politically cautionary that he blew a major opportunity to fix the funding of public education.

Some of us wanted the governor to "come out-of-the-box" on being elected, capitalizing on his 60% to 40% massive victory over Republican Ken Blackwell and take bold initiatives to fix this long-festering problem as played out over many years in the contest of the DeRelfe cases decided by the Ohio Supreme Court (four in number).

But no, Strickland listened to the professional political advisers like Maier, and decided, as he told one Stark County elected education official at a Stark County located appearance, "to keep his powder dry."

Well, Governor Strickland,  the powder is drier than dry.

Stark Countians and all Ohioans should know that Ohio is now on the brink of having Strickland's "keeping my powder dry chickens, coming home to roost!"

Stark County's main Ohio senator (in terms of geography and population represented) Kirk Schuring is of 21 Republican senators playing a game of "political chicken" with the governor on gubernatorial politics being played out in the Ohio Senate.

This is the same Kirk Schuring, as a "grandstand" political move, who wanted to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2008 to supposedly fix the funding of public education problem.  The SCPR analysis at the time was that it would do no such thing, but that it was okay for as far as it went.

Schuring had to know that his initiative was going nowhere.  He was running against one of  Strickland's best friends for Congress (16th):  John Boccieri.  No way was the governor going to allow Schuring to pull off this political scheme.

Schuring appears innocent enough, but the SCPR believes he is as political as anyone else.

But Schuring's disingenousness is in no way excuses the governor for having blown it in the first place.

The SCPR is told by Stark County's other Ohio senator (Joe Schiavoni - who represents the Alliance area) that Republicans in the Ohio Senate are being besieged by educators from all over Ohio, including Stark County, to solve the budget impasse with the governor and save Ohio's schools from devastating funding cuts in next year's local school district budgets.

The SCPR asked Schuring what he was going to do on the impasse.

What does Schuring do?

Ignores the question.

Schuring, apparently, is adopting the ways of former 50th House District representative John Hagan (about to resume a more suited position as Marlboro Township trustee), ignore people and questions you do not want to entertain.

The SCPR has long held that Schuring is an illusion as a state representative (House or Senate side).  He and his running/exchange musical chairs mate Scott Oelslager (serving in a majority/supermajority context for most of their tenue) have achieved very little for Ohio and Stark County in their over 40 years in the Ohio General Assembly.

But again, the SCPR blames the governor more than Schuring and Oelslager and, indeed, the entire Ohio General Assembly.

Strickland has failed in his self-proclaimed role as being "the education governor."

Now Ohioans including Stark Countians, of course,  are left to decide next year whom among Strickland and Republican Kasich "is the lesser of two 'political' evils."

Oops, here yours truly is at the end of this blog and remembers something.

Disclaimer:  "The SCPR did not get the approval of former Stark County Democratic Political Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr prior to publshing this blog critical, in part, of Governor Ted Strickland."

WE DON'T HEAR MUCH FROM GOVERNOR STRICKLAND THESE DAYS ABOUT "TURN AROUND OHIO" - WHY NOT?

What a difference four years make.

A folksy guy from Duck Run, Ohio was running for governor this time of year in 2005 promising to Turn Around Ohio in terms of job creation and fixing the funding of public education.

In his inaugural address, he aaid that he failed on the education problem, he will have failed as governor.

Well?

You can bet that there be no talk of turning around Ohio in the 2010 election.

Stark Countians, indeed all Ohioans, have the prospect selected from the "failed" (by his own definition) Strickland and the "failed" by others definition John Kasich (of Fox News and Lehmann Brothers - dubious- fame).

Just has a refresher about Strickland, view an shortened version of a speech (see below) he gave at Brunswick in the 2006 campaign against Republican Ken Blackwell.

Ask yourself after viewing this refresher whether or not Strickland has done what he said he would do?

Another good question.  Will he be making the same kind of speech in Canton on October 25, 2009 as he made in Brunswick?

Here is the video: 

HOLDING THE GOVERNOR ACCOUNTABLE SERIES: "THE POLITICAL SEASON IS IN FULL BLOOM?" JACKSON HAS 36% COLLEGE REMEDIATION RATE - NO NEED FOR REFORM?

If there ever was a sure sign Ted Strickland is in for the fight of his political life, all doubt is removed with his "kickoff political barn - err school storming trip to various school districts in Ohio to make the case that he and his administration is making progress on his promise to "Turnaround Ohio" made to Ohio voters in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

Reforming Ohio's education infrastructure is the key to his "turnaround" promise.

Strickland, you will recall, said early on in his administration that he would be a "failed governor" if he failed to reform education in Ohio.

Undoubtedly, his political operatives say that he is making headway.

But is he?

Strickland came to Stark County on Friday to Jackson Township. What he had to say makes one wonder if Strickland has read his own Ohio Board of Regent's report on how ill-prepared Jackson graduates are for college?

Jackson, Lake and North Canton are the best we have in Stark and they all share similar numbers on the need for remediation.

A keystone to the Strickland Ohio economic development plan is having high school graduates ready for college (for those who choose to attend) or ready for the workforce.

The SCPR compared Jackson to Hudson High School (Summit County). And sorry to say the results were not even close.

Hudson is the creme-de-la-creme but it has always been no matter what the folks in Columbus do or don't do.

Recently, Jackson has passed a "survive these times" levy after failure of larger levies which might have enabled Jackson administrators and faculty to cut into the gulf between the Jackson and Hudson remediation rates.

But Stark Countians would not approve the higher levies.

So the only solution will have to be with the state of Ohio or more well off districts like Hudson will continue to outshine Stark County's 17 school districts.

And get this.

Stark Taxpayers get to pay twice for what were are not getting from Stark's high schools. If those students go to either Kent - Stark or Stark State and our grads are required to take remediation course; they get no credit and still have to pay tuition and buy books for these non-credit towards graduation course.

If they attend college outside of Stark, then the rest of Ohio's taxpayers help Stark Countians with the "double taxation" as we do them.

There are many more costs to Stark's, Ohio's and the nation's economies for the high remediation rate.

Employers who get "unprepared" recently graduated from high schools have to make up for the deficiencies in basic educational skills (reading, writing and math) by purchasing technology which does basic human skills and thereby masks the graduates lack of fundamental skills. Moreover, these employers may have to provide post high school training that is general and not job specific just to get the newly high school graduated employee to the point where they can cope with job specific add-on skills.

So employers all too often end up with a "surcharge tax" of sorts because of the failures of Stark's high schools.

And there are other costs that the SCRP will be holding up to Stark County educational officials and the governor as huge barriers to turning around Stark's and Ohio's economy.

When Strickland first appeared on the gubernatorial political scene, yours truly thought Strickland was different from the typical politician. However, skepticism has replaced the initial hope.

Strickland seems to buying to the politics of the likes of former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr and his ilk which include: "spin" the failures, finger point at political opponents, revise and qualify political history/statements and above all - don't be a stand up and be accountable public official.

For Ohio and Stark County to have any chance at all to become a place for the creative, the energetic, the industrious, the imaginative, the optimistic and the forward thinking to take up residence; the bench mark of the need for remediation at college and in the workplace with have to be at the Hudson level or below statewide.

Until it is, Stark County and Ohio will continue to be the backwater of economical growth and development.

Strickland may get re-elected in 2010, but he is well on his way to being a failed governor on his self selected substantive standard - education.

If he fails, he will survive the personal put-down, but Stark County and Ohio may not!

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?

TRACKING OUR LEGISLATORS SERIES: SCHURING (R-29TH) "NO" ON BUDGET BILL, OELSLAGER (R-51ST) "YES" /SIDES WITH STRICKLAND, INTERESTING, NO?

State Senator Kirk Schuring acts like a small letter "d" democrat in voting no on the next two year budget bill whereas Governor Ted Strickland was for denying the people a vote on the matter of whether or not Ohio is to have slots at racetracks.

Interesting indeed.

In an Op-ed (The Repository, July 17th, Kirk Schuring: Why I voted no on state budget), Schuring recognizes that Ohioans and Stark Countians have voted consistently by substantial margins not to allow expanded gambling in Ohio and believes that voting Ohioans should have the final say.

Not only do Ohioans/Stark Countians not get to vote on the "slots at racetracks," the Strickland administration insisted on cover from legal challenge (except in the "discretionary jurisdiction of the Ohio Supreme Court)

Stark County voters by the 2010 election should be getting a better take on Strickland. In 2006, he was the "aw-shucks" guy from Duck Run, Ohio who seemed "as innocent as a lamb"

But Strickland is proving he is not the open, accessible, democratic person his handlers have endeavored to project.

Schuring is more open, accessible and democratic that Ted Strickland.

It is hard to believe, but that clearly seems to be the case.

Strickland is in for a much tougher time in 2010. Why is that?

Because Ohioans are becoming more and more aware that he is not the man the public relations types successfully created in the 2006 election.

Oleslager?

Kind of spineless if you ask yours truly.

From The Rep's Robert Wang account of why Oelslager (Oelslager breakes with Republicans, July 14) says voted sort of with Strickland:

Oelslager said he opposed the governor’s plan to install slot machines at race tracks. He said the issue should have been placed on the ballot, but he noted that the bill was a package deal and that he could accept all of it or none of it.

Run for political cover Scott!