Judge Stautberg Arrangements

Visitation:

Friday, May 21^st

Gilligan Funeral Home

2926 Woodburn Ave.

4pm – 8pm

Mass and Christian Burial:

Saturday, May 22^nd

Summit Country Day School Chapel

11am

Judge Stautberg

Rare for us to ever post anything from Democratic Party Chairman Burke, but this demonstrates the kind of person Judge Stautberg was and why so many of us loved and respected her.

Judge Julia Stautberg

Statement of Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou on the passing of Judge Julia Stautberg

"We are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend Judge Julia Stautberg.

Julie Stautberg was a fine Judge and a great leader in our courts and in the legal community. Her work with Mental Health Court demonstrated her strong compassion for those suffering from mental disease that needed special attention from the criminal justice system. Her colleagues across the legal profession bestowed on her the great honor of electing her President of the Cincinnati Bar Association. These are only a few of Julie's many accomplishments.

Beyond her many professional accomplishments, Julie had many dear and wonderful friends.

She will be remembered by the many lives she touched with her warm smile and gracious demeanor.

On a personal note, Julie was a former colleague and a close friend. She will be missed a great deal.

Please join me in keeping Julie and her wonderful family in your prayers."

Yalamanchili, Triantafilou, and Public Service.

This should be obvious: I will be supporting the Republican candidate in the 2nd Congressional District.

But a few words about David Krikorian and Surya Yalamanchili.

The Democratic Party is now dealing with Mr. Krikorian. There is a story in today's Enquirer about his disparaging remarks about his Democratic rival in the primary, Surya Yalamanchili. It appears Mr. Krikorian is disparaging Mr. Yalamanchili's name. To Mr. Yalamanchili, I say this: I feel your pain. On two counts. I have a name with a few extra vowels and I've dealt with Mr. Krikorian, too.

I have previously blogged about Mr. Krikorian and his candidacy.

• I blogged in September 2008 that he was not a conservative and certainly not a Republican. Given his decision to run as a Democrat in 2010, I was right.
  
  
• Later in 2008, I blogged about his ridiculous assertion that Rep. Schmidt was faking injuries she sustained after being struck by a vehicle during a jog. Read that here.
  
  
• By the end of 2008, Mr. Krikorian had gone way over-the-line and decided to attack me by emailing my priest. I blogged about that, too.

I have no doubt that Mr. Krikorian will feel vindicated about being rejected by both parties. After all, most voters are independent. He shouldn't. If he seeks a home with my fellow conservatives in the Tea Party, they should ask him why he was supportive of ultra-liberal Victoria Wulsin and take a closer look at his quest for political office at all costs.

Serving in public office, especially in the Congress of the United States of America, is a high privilege and a distinct honor. It remains the greatest democratically elected legislative body in the world. Both parties and all citizens should strive to elect people of the highest character, intelligence, and integrity--even when we disagree. Those people should be grown-ups who have a vision for making our democracy work better and improving the lives of people.

Mr. Krikorian is unfit for public office and, in a very rare moment of bi-partisan agreement, I applaud Mr. Burke and the Democrats for rejecting him as well.

Media Release: Hamilton County GOP Staying Out of Primary

**IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

"HAMILTON COUNTY GOP TAKES NO POSITION ON PRIMARY ELECTION RACES"
April 20, 2010

The Hamilton County Republican Party, through its Executive Committee, makes the following announcements:

1. The Hamilton County Republican Party chooses to make no official endorsements in any of the contested primaries at the county or state level. This includes races for elected office as well as state and county central committee. The Party intends to fully support whichever candidates emerge from the primary election of 2010.

2. The Hamilton County Republican Party did endorse the following judicial candidates who are unopposed in the primary, but who face Democratic opposition in the fall.

a. Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

b. Pat Fischer for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

c. John M. Williams for Juvenile Court

d. Megan E. Shanahan for Court of Common Pleas

e. Jon H. Sieve for Domestic Relations Court

3. The Hamilton County Republican Party recommended Christopher McDowell to the City of Cincinnati Elections Commission to serve as the Republican member of that body.

Statement of Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou

"I am pleased with the decisions of our Executive Committee. There are several spirited contests for seats at the state and county level and the Party has decided to leave these decisions to the voters without any endorsement from the Hamilton County GOP. We believe this decision gives us our best opportunity to embrace the new energy of fellow conservatives coming into politics because of the disastrous policies of the Democratic Party in Washington, D.C. We welcome that new energy and we look forward to working with the candidates who emerge from the May 4 primary. As for our judicial slate, I am proud of the slate we have endorsed as we continue a tradition of fielding strong candidates for judicial office."

Media Statement: Driehaus Vulgarity Criticized

"Rep. Driehaus' Vulgarity is Beneath the Office of United States Representative"

In a recent campaign e-mail seeking to raise funds, Rep. Steve Driehaus repeated a common vulgarity used by he and fellow liberals to describe the Tea Party movement. The term, not to be repeated here, is a slang term used to describe a sex act and the term is regularly used by the left to disparage those patriotic Americans moved to political action through the Tea Party movement. A simple Google-search of this slang phrase unveils the filthy sexual nature of the term. Make no mistake, Mr. Driehaus and his liberal friends use that term to regularly disparage the Tea Party movement and they do it on purpose.

Statement of Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou
"The citizens of the First Congressional District entrusted Mr. Driehaus with a position in the greatest democratic legislative body in the world. Today, Mr. Driehaus has disparaged the office he holds by describing a political movement using a disgusting sexual moniker that describes a sex act. Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Driehaus was offended when his children were inappropriately shown in a campaign advertisement. Is Mr. Driehaus prepared to explain his use of that phrase to the children of the First Congressional District? His conduct and his use of that phrase is beneath the dignity of his office. He should be ashamed of himself and he owes the patriots of the Tea Party movement and his constituents an apology."

For more information or comment, Chairman Triantafilou can be reached at 513-381-5454.

*Mr. Driehaus' email went out on April 15, 2010 and was referring to Sean Hannity's visit to the Tea Party rally. In the second sentence of the email, Mr. Driehaus writes, "Hannity and the Tea B****** ..." A copy is available upon request.

This is the enemy...

NCAA Bracket Winners!

Congratulations to Lisa J. Caldemeyer, the winner of the Hamilton County GOP NCAA Bracket Challenge! Lisa is a Blue Devil herself having graduated from Duke University in 2003. She is doubly pleased today as her alma mater is the NCAA champ and she won our Bracket Challenge. Lisa is an attorney at Graydon Head and a friend to the Hamilton County GOP as she spent the summer of 2004 working as an intern.

Lisa will join the Chairman for lunch, soon.

We did have some confusion on the brackets and a few people made their selections using last year's link. That's ok. We have a winner, there, too. The winner is Humboldt R. Snooches III. Congratulations to Mr. Snooches. We're working to find that person right now.

Thanks to the over 160 people who participated. It was a great tournament and a great final game.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

President Reagan

Democrat(ic) Money Burn: Health Care

It looks like the Democrats will pass this horrible legislation today. We can't be surprised. The Democrats hold large majorities in both chambers of the Congress. The most liberal Senator of the United States Senate was elected President. The American people elected this government.

There is not much that I can add to the debate and discussion about this behemoth legislation. But I can't resist.

My observations here are fairly simple and straightforward:

• Americans of all political stripes need to understand that we have a government we can't afford. Yes, President Bush and Republicans contributed to that, but this President and this Congress have made them look like pikers.
  
  
• I am very proud that Republicans have steadfastly stood against this bill.
  
  
• The myth that Republicans do not want to reform our health care system is the most annoying part of this whole debate. The GOP members of Congress have a plan and have many ideas for improving the system. The mainstream media largely ignores it. Our candidates have not adequately touted it.
  
  
• The small number of moronic protesters who made racially inappropriate remarks today in Washington should be condemned. This bill is bad for America and the liberal agenda of this very liberal President are unpopular and all of that has nothing to do with race. Those few inappropriate protesters hurt our cause.
  
  
• Without even being there, I can guarantee that 99% of those protesting in Washington were civilized, respectful, and appropriate. I wish the war protesters and the Bush-haters had been this way. I have been around the Tea Party and 9/12'ers and they are patriots. The effort to paint that movement as fringe is wrong.
  
  
• This thing is getting in the way of hoops.
  

Deem and Pass, etc.

The Democrats and Speaker Pelosi have now reached a new low. This so-called "deem and pass" process being contemplated by the Congress to force this health care bill down-the-throats of the American people is irresponsible and undemocratic. It has been interesting to watch the mainstream media come to that same conclusion. Read the Washington Post article here. This tactic has been used by Republicans, too. But never for such a significant piece of legislation. America cannot afford a new, behemoth, social program that will not control health care costs and will explode the deficit.

And...

Will Vice President Biden's Cincinnati visit be enough to buy Steve Driehaus' vote for this debacle of a bill? We'll find out soon. Steve Driehaus is a liberal. He consistently votes with his leadership and he has forgotten his Cincinnati roots. It ought to be our greatest priority to bring him home from Washington before he and his liberal friends do more damage to the nation.

And...

On January 29, 2009, I blogged about what America would see from our then-new President. Check out the blog post here. This gigantic step to the political left has caused conservatives to rise-up. That is good for America and good for our Republican cause. Weeks before the first meeting of the Tea Party movement, I wrote this:

"This country is taking a gigantic step to the political left at this moment in history. This is not the "change" America wanted. In America, the private sector creates jobs and people should keep more of their own money to spend for themselves. We should incentivize job creation and small business growth by cutting taxes. We should curb spending and limit the size of government. None of that thinking prevails in Washington or Columbus or Cincinnati City Hall these days."

And...

Is anyone surprised Tiger Woods is playing in the Masters?

And...

We had a great meeting with one of our GOP candidates for State Representative in the 32nd district, Erik Nebergall. Erik is a business owner and first-time candidate. He is exactly the type of person we ought to get into public life. His experience in business and his experience in raising his family give him great perspective about the role of government. If he wins his primary, he will face Rep. Mallory.

And...

Baylor will not be in the Final Four. Kentucky will. So will Kansas. The little progr'm over there on Victory Parkway will make a quick exodus in Round 2 against a Big East team. The big program in Clifton has seen better days, but brighter days are ahead. And we have a football team.

And...

A jury will get to decide whether serial killer Anthony Kirkland lives or dies. Today, Kirkland goes to court with two highly competent lawyers to fight for his life. Kirkland's victims never had that chance. To the jurors in that case, I would only say this: "If not him, who? And if not now, when?" Capital punishment is the law in Ohio and this demented evil killer should face the ultimate penalty contemplated by law.

And...

When I hear citizens tell me, "both sides don't get it" in the political debate, I understand that more than I should. Sometimes, it feels that way to me, too. The future of the country and of our democracy is bigger than some of the squabbling and nonsense that we all engage in from time-to-time. What is the solution? Elect grown-ups to government. My daily goal is to find the next Rob Portman to put on our slate of candidates everywhere. People seeking elected office should be smart, honorable, principled, and mature. Anyone in public life and with a public role should aspire to that. I fall short sometimes and so do others. That doesn't mean we should give up.

And...

Our Judicial Salute Fundraiser is right around the corner. Save April 22 on your calendar.

And...

May 4th can't come fast enough.

And...

I often hear people say, "I wasn't invited to that fundraiser." If you're willing to PAY, you're probably invited to everyone's fundraiser. Right? The best way to see which events you are "invited to" (all of them...), check out our Calendar of Events. Our calendar of events is a good place to see most of what is happening in Hamilton County GOP politics. If the candidates ask us, we put the events on the website. Even in this primary fight.

And...

Here's a great article on President Obama's flip-flop on openness and democracy.

And...

Opening Day is right around the corner.

And...

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Hamilton County GOP: NCAA Tournament Challenge!

Again in 2010, the Hamilton County GOP is hosting an online NCAA bracket challenge.

Will Brian Redden, our 2009 winner, repeat as champ? Or, will Maggie Wuellner do the right thing, pick her beloved Muskies to lose early, and stand a chance to win? Could a Democrat win?

You will need to establish a CBS Sportsline account with your OWN User ID and Password. Once passed that, you will be prompted for a password to get into our bracket. That password is: elephant.

Join in the fun at: http://hamcountygop.mayhem.cbssports.com/e

The winner will be invited to lunch with Chairman Triantafilou!

This is being done for entertainment purposes only.

**MEDIA STATEMENT**

I reject the Democratic Party Chairman’s demand that Cincinnati City Councilman Monzel terminate the employment of one of his staffers based on a private e-mail. This e-mail, surreptitiously acquired by the city’s major liberal newspaper, was a private e-mail sent on personal time. The words and demeanor of the e-mail are not the type of political speech that I would have chosen, but this is a trivial matter not worthy of the taxpayer’s time. What is most disappointing is the focus on such a trivial matter during a period where our city and our region face significant challenges. Under the Democrats leadership nationally, statewide, and locally, we have seen the job market shrink as government expands. Citizens are demanding real leadership from government and playing political games based on one personal email is a waste of time.

Embracing Social Media

Ignoring the Blog, etc.

I've ignored the blog some, lately. We've had a crazy February. I've actually heard some minor complaints from my two loyal readers. I'll try to do better.

And...

Why the picture of the airplane? I'm blogging from 35,000 feet somewhere over middle-America. In-flight Internet service may be the best technological advance, yet. I always marvel at what mankind can do when we let businesses innovate and create. Corporations, CEOs, businesses are not the enemy. They move us forward.

And...

We had a tremendous Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. Our "paid in the park" number was over 600 attendees. A near record. Michele Bachmann was an outstanding speaker. More on her later. We are blessed to have a very committed and highly competent staff at GOP HQ. Debbie Flammer and Maggie Wuellner are top-notch. I don't get the credit--I inherited both. But they are outstanding servants to the party and their experience, demeanor, and dedication should be appreciated by all. We had one helluva party--and they get LOTs of credit.

And...

The Lincoln-Reagan Dinner is always hosted and supported by the Hamilton County Republican Club. The "Big Club" as we fondly call it. Special thanks to Cheryl Vest, Bill Brown, and the other dedicated volunteers who made it a success.

And...

Having been involved in local politics for well over a decade, I have had occasion to come up-close with many politicians. As an activist, volunteer and now as chairman, I get to see the candidates when they are not "on." I've seen some good, some bad, and some ugly. I've had a chance to spend some quality quiet time with some rather remarkable public figures. I have several favorites. President Bush, although I had only limited contact, was always "real." He would jab at you, maybe crab a little bit, but he was "real." And I always was impressed by his charisma. I admit--I liked him. My other two favorite people? The Bush twins. We spent quality time with them in 2004 and they were both so much fun. They were nice and very classy. Well, now I have two new favorite public people: Michele and Marcus Bachmann. I had a chance to really spend time with them over the last 24 hours and they were as nice and "real" and genuine as two people can be. I saw them up-close and I will be a fan for life. Sure, Rep. Bachmann is a tough conservative. She fights for what is right. But she is also a "lady" (yes, Sen. Specter). I enjoyed them both very much and it was a pleasure to have them here.

And...

Want to know which public figures in the GOP I did not like up-close? Sorry. My two loyal readers know that I won't bash Republicans here. Even some who might deserve it. That's for others to do. But, there was this one time when....

And...

Are there any primaries on our side this year?

And...

I caught only a small part of the President's health care round table. We can't deny the President's political skills. The problem with the President and his liberal friends (like Nancy Pelosi) are the fundamental way they see government. It is an entirely different vision and one that simply can not work.

And...

We continue to embrace those energized by the Tea Party. Our challenge is to field candidates who can earn their support. We'll keep trying locally.

And...

I wish I were going to Goodyear, AZ. I'm not. But I wish.

And...

If I hear one more person say, "I don't Twitter," I think I'm going to scream. My question is, "why not?" Twitter is the best source of regular news available. If setup properly, it will become the first website you visit every day. It is the best place for breaking news and provides a set of links to the latest and best stories available. Twitter is fantastic. I'm on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/chairmanalex.

And...

Still not sure if there are any primaries on the GOP side.

And...

An off-duty policeman was shot last night in North College Hill. Early reports indicate that the shots were not fatal and he is expected to recover. We should all be grateful. Police Officers are special people doing important work. Keep this officer in your thoughts.

And...

There is also breaking news of a devastating earthquake and the possibility of a tsunami. Another group of people to keep in our prayers.

And...

Our Judicial Salute fundraiser is set for April 22, 2010. Save the date.

And...

Turbulence.

And...

Have a great weekend.

Judicial Candidates

Here is our 2010 slate of judicial candidates:

First Appellate District

Sylvia Sieve Hendon
Pat Fischer

Court of Common Pleas - Juvenile Division
John Williams

Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Robert P. Ruehlman
John Andrew West
Ralph E. Winkler
Megan E. Shanahan

Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations
Susan Laker Tolbert
Jon H. Sieve

The Hamilton County Republican Party has a long history of endorsing well-qualified candidates for the courts. Our slate for 2010 is among the greatest we have assembled. Our slate is committed to the basic principle of judicial restraint and all possess the judicial philosophy that judges ought to follow the law--not make it. I look forward to a spirited campaign.

Want to Run for Office?

Running for public office is a serious commitment. Are you interested in stepping into the public arena? The filing deadline for public office is February 18, 2010 and we are actively screening candidates right now.

1. Judicial Races

Despite the steady rumor mill that seems to be such a part of judicial races, the judicial screening committee of the party has only selected ONE candidate--John Williams for Juvenile Court. Our screening committee is meeting in early February to recommend the GOP endorsement for other candidates. Are you interested in running for Judge? Forget the rumors, let us know immediately.

2. State House of Representatives Races

The job of a state representative is critically important to setting policy for state government. We have many great Republicans already serving in the State House, but we need more. We are actively screening for candidates against the Democrats. Here is a lineup of the local delegation by district:

28th -- Connie Pillich (D) is incumbent. (Three vying for GOP nomination in primary)
29th -- Lou Blessing (R) is incumbent.
30th -- Bob Mecklenborg (R) is incumbent.
31st -- Denise Driehaus (D) is incumbent. (One GOP candidate about to announce)
32nd -- Dale Mallory (D) is incumbent. (GOP actively screening for candidate)
33rd -- (No incumbent--Rep. Yates recently appointed as a Judge) (GOP actively screening)
34th -- Peter Stautberg (R) is incumbent.

For a map of the legislative districts, click here.

Are you interested in running in the 32nd or 33rd against the Democrat? Let us know immediately by contacting Maggie at maggien@hc-gop.org.

This year stands to be a strong year for conservatives, so step up and run. We stand a great chance to make gains!

Chabot Ahead In Most Recent Polling

A recent SurveyUSA poll has Steve Chabot ahead of Steve Driehaus 59% to 36%--a 17% point lead for Steve Chabot!

SurveyUSA is among the most credible polling organizations in the nation. A recent study of polling accuracy rated SurveyUSA as 2nd in the country in accuracy ahead of such polling companies as Rasmussen, Mason-Dixon, and the Quinnipiac Poll. To view pollster ratings, click here.

This poll also measured President Obama's approval rating in the district. President Obama has an abysmal 42% approval rating with a whopping 55% of those polled disapproving of his job performance. These numbers mark serious trouble for Steve Driehaus because he has been a rubber-stamp for the liberal agenda of Nancy Pelosi and President Obama.

To read more coverage about this poll and what it means, check out this site.

Told ya so...

About one year ago, I wrote the below blog entry. At the risk of sounding immodest, I was spot-on.

Here it is for my two readers to enjoy, again:

Republished from January 29, 2009
Sometime just before Election Day last year, a close friend and Republican privately asked me, "Will Obama be THAT bad?" "Really, aren't the parties just the same?" "He is just one man and he seems smart and has new ideas." Many Americans (about 60 million) felt that way and elected President Obama.

In that private moment, I agreed with my friend on a few key things: (1) Obama is smart, (2) He has some fresh and interesting ideas that sound good when he says them, and (3) We need to do something because the country is sliding downward.

But, I then explained to him that voting for one man for President means much more than just a new face at the White House. When you vote for President, you vote for a political party and for a set of ideals and principles that the President's party promotes. The principles of his party are ultimately bad for America and begin a slide to the left that will be bad for the American dream well into the future.

I went on to explain that the Obama administration will empower and embolden a very left-of-center Nancy Pelosi. I explained that Obama will likely appoint federal judges that are soft on crime, against logical tort reform, and pro-abortion. I explained that the Obama team will bring in 6,000 new appointees across the government and a large majority of those people will possess the same values as Nancy Pelosi and her very liberal friends. I further predicted that the Democrats will do what they always do: tax and spend.

In the end, it is a slippery slope of liberalism that will slide this nation to the left in a way that hurts the country. The Obama legacy throughout government will be to appoint activist judges and to spend our great-great grandchildren's money on liberal pet projects.

Yesterday, we saw the biggest lurch to the left that we could ever imagine with this ridiculous, pork-laden, non-job-creating, wasteful stimulus package passed by Speaker Pelosi. I am proud of John Boehner and our Republicans and of 11 sensible Democrats who opposed the insanity. Our future as a party will be defined for us by the Democrats if they continue with this drunken spending of our money. George Will called the bill "an exercise in wretched excess." He could not be more right.

This country is taking a gigantic step to the political left at this moment in history. This is not the "change" America wanted. In America, the private sector creates jobs and people should keep more of their own money to spend for themselves. We should incentivize job creation and small business growth by cutting taxes. We should curb spending and limit the size of government. None of that thinking prevails in Washington or Columbus or Cincinnati City Hall these days.

It is a slippery slope that slides left.