The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Republican State Rep. Jim Raussen will depart the race to retain his seat in Ohio's 28th House District. We have known about this information for some time, but have declined making it public until Rep. Raussen was ready.
I want to wish my friend Jim the best in his new endeavor. Although we are disappointed to see him leave, we are sure Jim's decision is in the best interest of his family and his future. Jim served the citizens of his district well and we know he will bring his intelligence and strong work ethic to his new position in government.
The Party is on the path to finding a new candidate to fill this crucial spot. Because the rumors about this opening have existed for several weeks, I have been approached by several fine, qualified people who are interested in running. I can be sure of one thing: WE WILL HAVE A STRONG CANDIDATE to run and hold this seat.
Although there are several interested candidates already, this process will be open and the Party will consider any qualified candidate that might be interested. Any interested person should e-mail Patrick Maloney with a resume and bio and any other relevant information the Party should consider. That should be done without delay.
Again, I want to wish Jim Raussen the best!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
State Rep. Bob Mecklenborg
Today, I will introduce my friend Bob Mecklenborg at a Noon fundraiser at the Queen City Club. Rep. Mecklenborg represents the 30th House District in the Ohio State legislature. I have known Bob for several years. Bob is a man of great intellect, honor, and integrity. He is a great father to three fine children. His son Rob, a political force in his own right, has been Bob's campaign manager and #1 volunteer. Bob has practiced law on the west side of Cincinnati for many years. In addition to his public responsibilities, he is a fine lawyer.
As Party Chairman, I have regular contact with Bob. Bob understands the importance of a strong Republican Party and he has worked closely with me to further our cause all across Hamilton County. He is a trusted advisor to the Party and I enjoy working with him.
To learn more about Bob's campaign, check out his campaign website. Consider getting involved with Bob's campaign or making a contribution!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sir Obama
Charles Krauthammer recently wrote an article that has certainly caught the attention of many on our side of the political spectrum. I saw the article and read it with great interest. My good friend, Bill Myles, also e-mailed it to me.
The article talks about Obama's vanity. One other time on this blog, I called Obama a "self-proclaimed messiah." Well, that was hyperbole. But, Krauthammer rightly points out that Obama has done nothing to earn some of what he claims. The article is properly titled "The Audacity of Vanity." I will re-produce it here. I urge you to read it.
Here it is:
The Audacity of Vanity
By Charles Krauthammer Friday, July 18, 2008; Page A17
Barack Obama wants to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. He figures it would be a nice backdrop. The supporting cast -- a cheering audience and a few fainting frauleins -- would be a picturesque way to bolster his foreign policy credentials.
What Obama does not seem to understand is that the Brandenburg Gate is something you earn. President Ronald Reagan earned the right to speak there because his relentless pressure had brought the Soviet empire to its knees and he was demanding its final "tear down this wall" liquidation. When President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate on the day of his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, he was representing a country that was prepared to go to the brink of nuclear war to defend West Berlin.
Who is Obama representing? And what exactly has he done in his lifetime to merit appropriating the Brandenburg Gate as a campaign prop? What was his role in the fight against communism, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the creation of what George Bush the elder -- who presided over the fall of the Berlin Wall but modestly declined to go there for a victory lap -- called "a Europe whole and free"?
Does Obama not see the incongruity? It's as if a German pol took a campaign trip to America and demanded the Statue of Liberty as a venue for a campaign speech. (The Germans have now gently nudged Obama into looking at other venues.)
Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?
Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times. As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.
It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow." As Hudson Institute economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone.
Obama may think he's King Canute, but the good king ordered the tides to halt precisely to refute sycophantic aides who suggested that he had such power. Obama has no such modesty.
After all, in the words of his own slogan, "we are the ones we've been waiting for," which, translating the royal "we," means: " I am the one we've been waiting for." Amazingly, he had a quasi-presidential seal with its own Latin inscription affixed to his lectern, until general ridicule -- it was pointed out that he was not yet president -- induced him to take it down.
He lectures us that instead of worrying about immigrants learning English, "you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish" -- a language Obama does not speak. He further admonishes us on how "embarrassing" it is that Europeans are multilingual but "we go over to Europe, and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup.' " Obama speaks no French.
His fluent English does, however, feature many such admonitions, instructions and improvements. His wife assures us that President Obama will be a stern taskmaster: "Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism . . . that you come out of your isolation. . . . Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."
For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is?
We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more. As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall -- I'm no expert on this -- Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.
The article talks about Obama's vanity. One other time on this blog, I called Obama a "self-proclaimed messiah." Well, that was hyperbole. But, Krauthammer rightly points out that Obama has done nothing to earn some of what he claims. The article is properly titled "The Audacity of Vanity." I will re-produce it here. I urge you to read it.
Here it is:
The Audacity of Vanity
By Charles Krauthammer Friday, July 18, 2008; Page A17
Barack Obama wants to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. He figures it would be a nice backdrop. The supporting cast -- a cheering audience and a few fainting frauleins -- would be a picturesque way to bolster his foreign policy credentials.
What Obama does not seem to understand is that the Brandenburg Gate is something you earn. President Ronald Reagan earned the right to speak there because his relentless pressure had brought the Soviet empire to its knees and he was demanding its final "tear down this wall" liquidation. When President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate on the day of his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, he was representing a country that was prepared to go to the brink of nuclear war to defend West Berlin.
Who is Obama representing? And what exactly has he done in his lifetime to merit appropriating the Brandenburg Gate as a campaign prop? What was his role in the fight against communism, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the creation of what George Bush the elder -- who presided over the fall of the Berlin Wall but modestly declined to go there for a victory lap -- called "a Europe whole and free"?
Does Obama not see the incongruity? It's as if a German pol took a campaign trip to America and demanded the Statue of Liberty as a venue for a campaign speech. (The Germans have now gently nudged Obama into looking at other venues.)
Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?
Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times. As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.
It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow." As Hudson Institute economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone.
Obama may think he's King Canute, but the good king ordered the tides to halt precisely to refute sycophantic aides who suggested that he had such power. Obama has no such modesty.
After all, in the words of his own slogan, "we are the ones we've been waiting for," which, translating the royal "we," means: " I am the one we've been waiting for." Amazingly, he had a quasi-presidential seal with its own Latin inscription affixed to his lectern, until general ridicule -- it was pointed out that he was not yet president -- induced him to take it down.
He lectures us that instead of worrying about immigrants learning English, "you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish" -- a language Obama does not speak. He further admonishes us on how "embarrassing" it is that Europeans are multilingual but "we go over to Europe, and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup.' " Obama speaks no French.
His fluent English does, however, feature many such admonitions, instructions and improvements. His wife assures us that President Obama will be a stern taskmaster: "Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism . . . that you come out of your isolation. . . . Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."
For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is?
We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more. As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall -- I'm no expert on this -- Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Volunteer!
It's time to get involved! The crucial first steps in our Victory/GOTV efforts are under way. Voter identification is CRUCIAL to our effort to drive voter turnout in November.
The Victory Center is up and running with our Voice over IP phones. They are located in Congressman Steve Chabot's office, 3339 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211. Calls are being made Monday - Thursday from 5-9 p.m. Starting on 7/25, calls will be made on Friday and Saturday as well.
We also have door to door operations Saturday's at 10:00 a.m. from Congressman Chabot's.
This is only the first step. We will soon be opening a downtown Victory office and growing our efforts.
Let's begin our march to victory!
The Victory Center is up and running with our Voice over IP phones. They are located in Congressman Steve Chabot's office, 3339 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211. Calls are being made Monday - Thursday from 5-9 p.m. Starting on 7/25, calls will be made on Friday and Saturday as well.
We also have door to door operations Saturday's at 10:00 a.m. from Congressman Chabot's.
This is only the first step. We will soon be opening a downtown Victory office and growing our efforts.
Let's begin our march to victory!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The County Budget III
This is my third blog entry on the county budget mess. My first entry is here and my second one is here.
I am happy to report that I met with nearly every Republican office holder and leader on Tuesday evening. This group of judges and county-wide elected officials vowed to work together.
My message to all of them was consistent with what I've written in this blog. We must lead on cutting spending to help balance the county's budget. Every leader in the room agreed.
However, we have begun to take a look at how the county commissioners spend their money. I have asked one of our more savvy and knowledgeable Republicans to take a close look at where these Democrats on the commission are spending your tax dollars. If we are to make these draconian cuts in the budget and cuts in service, we should know where all the money is going. I will report back on this in a future blog posting.
We as Republicans are not the problem. To be fair, the problem is a slow economy and poor revenue. With our office-holders, I am convinced that we are running lean. We have to run "leaner." I understand this.
What does this mean? It means a cut in services to taxpayers. It means fewer jail spaces to house criminals. It may mean longer wait times to get into the courthouse. It may mean less salt for our county streets in the winter. It may mean fewer police officers patrolling our streets to make it safe. There are several other places that the public may notice this cut in service. These are all unavoidable because of the serious cuts that are required and the mess we have.
In light of the fact that taxpayers and citizens may feel this burden, it is our greatest responsibility to cut unnecessary spending in places where the taxpayer is not burdened wherever possible. I hope the Democrats do the same.
These are difficult times for families, businesses, and government. We all feel the pinch. We must work together to solve the people's problems.
I am happy to report that I met with nearly every Republican office holder and leader on Tuesday evening. This group of judges and county-wide elected officials vowed to work together.
My message to all of them was consistent with what I've written in this blog. We must lead on cutting spending to help balance the county's budget. Every leader in the room agreed.
However, we have begun to take a look at how the county commissioners spend their money. I have asked one of our more savvy and knowledgeable Republicans to take a close look at where these Democrats on the commission are spending your tax dollars. If we are to make these draconian cuts in the budget and cuts in service, we should know where all the money is going. I will report back on this in a future blog posting.
We as Republicans are not the problem. To be fair, the problem is a slow economy and poor revenue. With our office-holders, I am convinced that we are running lean. We have to run "leaner." I understand this.
What does this mean? It means a cut in services to taxpayers. It means fewer jail spaces to house criminals. It may mean longer wait times to get into the courthouse. It may mean less salt for our county streets in the winter. It may mean fewer police officers patrolling our streets to make it safe. There are several other places that the public may notice this cut in service. These are all unavoidable because of the serious cuts that are required and the mess we have.
In light of the fact that taxpayers and citizens may feel this burden, it is our greatest responsibility to cut unnecessary spending in places where the taxpayer is not burdened wherever possible. I hope the Democrats do the same.
These are difficult times for families, businesses, and government. We all feel the pinch. We must work together to solve the people's problems.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Terry's Turf Club
After a very long day of politics, I reserve the right to blog about something other than politics. I am going to do every reader of this blog a gigantic favor. I am going to share with you a place that has the single best cheeseburger in all of Hamilton County. Yes, the best. Better than Zips. Better than Quatman's. Better than....everywhere.I urge Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and even vegetarians to try Terry's Turf Club at 4618 Eastern Ave. on the east side of Cincinnati.
Terry's makes a fantastic burger and offers a wide variety of interesting toppings and sauces. My personal favorite? A cheeseburger with red pepper/goat cheese sauce on the side.
Give it a try!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Unimpressed
It has been some time since I watched Sen. Obama speak. I have watched the man give many speeches since his debut on the national scene at the Democrat convention in 2004. But, I haven't seen him speak since winter.Well, last night, I sat at Republican Headquarters and watched his speech to the NAACP. I watched because he was in Cincinnati and because I haven't seen him in some time.
I was unimpressed. The man inflects his voice well and he looks nice enough, but the words matter. The words he spoke are old-line, standard, liberal pablum. The Democrat view of the world is to blame government and to offer a socialist government solution to everything. His plans to change America are not a change at all. It is a return to the old-style liberalism that Americans have rejected for a generation. Government is best when it is limited and gets out of people's way so they can make it in America. Sen. Obama and his ultra-liberal friends like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Ted Kennedy would take America radically to the left.
Sen. Obama's campaign reminds me of the Howard Dean candidacy of 2004. Had Howard Dean not been a little whacko with his scream after his third-place finish in Iowa, he very likely could have been the Democrat nominee. His anti-war, big government rhetoric was quite popular in the Democrat Party. Sen. Obama is Howard Dean sans scream!
Despite my view that Sen. Obama is too liberal, I certainly can respect his candidacy and the excitement he generates on the left and in the African-American community. For that reason, I believe we should go after his ideas, not after the man. I hope the left can do the same to John McCain.
Don't forget to join us on the Square tomorrow at 11:15. For more info, click here.
Sen. Obama's campaign reminds me of the Howard Dean candidacy of 2004. Had Howard Dean not been a little whacko with his scream after his third-place finish in Iowa, he very likely could have been the Democrat nominee. His anti-war, big government rhetoric was quite popular in the Democrat Party. Sen. Obama is Howard Dean sans scream!
Despite my view that Sen. Obama is too liberal, I certainly can respect his candidacy and the excitement he generates on the left and in the African-American community. For that reason, I believe we should go after his ideas, not after the man. I hope the left can do the same to John McCain.
Don't forget to join us on the Square tomorrow at 11:15. For more info, click here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
