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.

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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.

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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.

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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....

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Are there any primaries on our side this year?

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King. It is fitting that we do so as his work changed America.

I blogged about Dr. King last year and about the debate regarding his political affiliation. Click here to read that.

Enjoy the holiday and remember Dr. King today.

Massachusetts as GOP territory? And...

Is the above state now a Republican stronghold? It might be. Massachusetts is on the brink of electing a Republican to fill the seat vacated by the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy. This is good news on many levels for the GOP. Even if Scott Brown falls short, his candidacy is a wake-up call for the Democrats and for all of America. It sends the important message that average Americans are fed-up with the spending and out-of-control government in Washington. It also pokes a hole in the theory that the GOP is now a southern, regional party. The pendulum is swinging back fast and it couldn't be a better time. I'll predict a Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts.

And...

The disaster in Haiti is biblical in its proportion. Consider helping the Haitian people in this tragedy by donating through the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org. You can also text the word "Haiti" to the number 90999 and this will donate $10 to the Red Cross. I did it. It was easy. And I'll do it again, today.

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Congratulations to John Kasich and Mary Taylor for coming together to form a super-ticket for the November election. Failed Governor Ted Strickland is in big trouble because he is a traditional Democrat who believes that economic growth and prosperity are the job of government not the private sector. Free markets drive economic growth--not big government. By next year, failed Governor Strickland will find himself in the same predicament as thousands in Ohio under his watch. He will be unemployed. That's one job-loss that will do us all some good.

And...

We continue to see a strong influx of great conservatives motivated by the Tea Party movement coming into our party. In Green Township on Wednesday night, one couple said to me, "we are off the couch and so are our neighbors." That is great news for our movement, our party, and our ideals. Changing America starts by electing leaders with the guts to make tough decisions and to have the support of the people to do so.

And...

There is a very real angst among people in America right now that cannot be denied. In so many ways, the country is headed in the wrong direction. The same old solutions from the same old politicians has many people angry--and rightfully so. I share that angst. We have a government we can't afford. We have leaders who seem out-of-touch. We spend far too much money on far too many things outside the scope of what government ought to do. We have empowered the federal government to do things far beyond its original purpose. The challenge for the Republican Party is going to be to act DIFFERENTLY when we are empowered by the people to make decisions in government. Let's hope we've learned our lesson.

And...

I had a nice discussion yesterday with Dr. Al Tuchfarber, a noted political scientist and pollster from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Tuchfarber is predicting a huge year for the GOP. Although we all seem to keep hearing and feeling it, it was nice to have someone as scientifically skilled as Dr. Tuchfarber confirm much of what we believe for 2010.

And...

Our ticket of judicial candidates is lining-up very nicely. Several new and exciting names have surfaced over the last few days and I couldn't be more excited. In a strong Republican year, I see us having another great year in the courthouse. And I anticipate picking-up a couple of seats, too. Look for some surprises there. The planning for our judicial salute fundraiser is well under way and our party is energized to win in 2010.

And...

John Kasich announced his running mate selection via Twitter yesterday. If you're not on Twitter, do it right now. www.twitter.com. By "following" the right tweets, Twitter has become my best and fastest source of news and information. One glance at my Twitter page on my phone typically gives me all the news I need with links to learn more. It is an incredible tool of this generation and people who shun it do so at their own loss. We are in the greatest information age of all time and, as Republicans, we must embrace this new technology or fall behind and fall victim to the stodgy stereotypes that are improperly assigned to conservatives.

And...

Justice Maureen O'Connor from the Ohio Supreme Court was in Cincinnati yesterday. It is always great to see the Justice. She delivered remarks to our Early Bird donors and to our Leadership Council. Justice O'Connor is running for Chief Justice--a position I expect her to win. Justice O'Connor won every single county (all 88!) in Ohio in 2008 and earned more votes than President Obama.

And...

When do pitchers and catchers report?

And...

Temperatures in the 40s this weekend. Is it too soon for a little D2D?

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Have a great weekend.

Kasich Announcement to Come Via Twitter

I have preached the importance of social media networking like Twitter and Facebook to our party faithful for over a year. Tomorrow, John Kasich's campaign is doing the same thing by making a major campaign announcement via Twitter. The Kasich Campaign will have a major press event at 3:o0 p.m, but the announcement from the campaign will come via Twitter a little sooner--at 1:30 p.m.

John Kasich is running a tremendous campaign. He is the right man for this job at this time in our history.

Here is the announcement from the Kasich campaign:

Tomorrow afternoon, I will be making a special announcement which will have a tremendous impact on Ohio’s future. While the rest of the world will hear this announcement at a 3:00pm EST press conference, I am excited to be able to share this information with you exclusively on Twitter at 1:30pm EST.

Please make sure you sign up for a Twitter account and follow me so you can learn about this historic announcement before anyone else. If you’re new to Twitter or just beginning to learn the ropes, please be sure to check out the Kasich for Ohio Twitter Guide. Then, look for my tweet at 1:30pm EST tomorrow afternoon.

Afterward, you will be able to watch the press conference live on KasichForOhio.com at 3:00pm EST.

Sincerely,

John R. Kasich
Candidate for Governor

KindleGate, Etc.

It might surprise you to know that I am not so sure that buying Kindle's for all of city council is such a mistake. The mistake was to not properly communicate the idea to members of council before springing the idea on them. Even more improper was the tin political ear that such a purchase demonstrates. Nevertheless, I'm not so sure it couldn't amount to a cost savings. I have a personal Kindle and I think it is tremendous. Should the taxpayers foot the bill (for the most expensive model)? Not without a better explanation and more buy-in from members. Poor communication and an inability to work cooperatively by the Chairwoman of the Finance Committee seems to have hurt an otherwise, possibly, good idea.

And...

I am pleased to report that we have an influx of new energy and excitement coming to our Republican party. Many of those energized by the Tea Party movement are coming into our party and seeking to become precinct executives and to become involved in other ways. My message to these great conservatives is very simple: WELCOME! The energy and enthusiasm demonstrated by this movement is important to what we are trying to accomplish in Hamilton County. While many Tea Party activists are unhappy with the direction of the GOP, I believe that our local effort to recruit, retain, and promote strong local candidates can only benefit from new energy and new ideas from strong conservatives.

And...

Our first ever Hamilton County Republican Party Scholarship Program is in full-swing. Our GOP Leadership Council is administering the scholarship program where the Party will award $3,000 worth of scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate a commitment to the GOP and conservative values. I am a proud of this program and especially thankful to our Leadership Council for overseeing this youth outreach program. We'll publish the winning essay once announced.

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The Bengals finished a good season on a disappointing note. At least readers will no longer be subjected to my predictions. Of course, we do have the Bearcats and that little progr'm on Victory Parkway.

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Another busy week is ahead for HQ. We're pleased to host John Kasich and Governor Jeb Bush on Tuesday. I will be the guest speaker at Green Township. And a week full of meetings with elected officials, activists and donors.

And...

Do you want to write a guest blog? Please let us know. We welcome a variety of points of view.

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Michele Bachmann's appearance in Hamilton County is creating a buzz and a stir that is not at all surprising. She is an exciting speaker and will help energize our party.

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Sen. Harry Reid should step down as Majority Leader of the United States Senate because of his insensitive and racially inappropriate remarks about the President of the United States. There has never been a more blatant double-standard about the issue of race that I can recall. Let's examine his remarks. He stated that then Sen. Obama, "as a black candidate...could be successful thanks in part to his “light-skinned” appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." (click here to read the CNN Report) The remark was offensive in that it pre-supposes that Americans would be more likely to elect a lighter skinned African American than a darker skinned one. That plays on a horrible stereotype. It also means that an African-American politician who speaks with what Sen. Reid considers a "negro-dialect" might not be successful because of a dialect specific to the African-American culture. The remarks are racially inappropriate and play on the stereotypes too common in his generation--but completely improper from our leaders in government. The Democratic support for his remarks only serve to undermine America's efforts to eradicate inequalities based on race. A Republican would be treated differently and that is unfortunate.

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Want to volunteer for Rob Portman's campaign? Email Maggie at maggien@hc-gop.org for more information about key opportunities.

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Have a great week.

Happy New Year!

Let us not forget...

Michele Bachmann to Address Lincoln-Reagan Dinner

The Hamilton County Republican Party is pleased to announce that United States Representative Michele Bachmann has agreed to be our keynote speaker at the 2010 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

The Lincoln-Reagan dinner is our annual fundraising gathering of Republicans from across Hamilton County. The annual dinner is a longstanding tradition for Republicans everywhere. The Lincoln-Reagan Dinner will take place on the evening of Friday, February 26, 2010 with a specific time and location to be announced soon.

Michele Bachmann is in her second term in the United States House of Representatives. She was elected to Congress in 2006 after serving in the Minnesota state legislature for many years. During her public career, she has been a strong advocate for taxpayers and she is a principled conservative Republican. She is a strong advocate for earmark reform and a serious opponent to wasteful government spending. She is the first Republican woman elected to the Congress from Minnesota.

Most recently, Rep. Bachmann has been leading the fight against the big-government, oppressive agenda of the Obama Administration. She has been a vocal opponent to the out-of-control government takeover of health care by appearing on national news broadcasts speaking about the proposed legislation. She has also come to national prominence as a leader for the conservative movement against the explosive growth of government and our burdening debt.

Statement of Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou

"We are very pleased that Congresswoman Bachmann has agreed to visit Hamilton County for our annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. She is an outstanding conservative member of the United States House of Representatives and I look forward to hearing her remarks in February.

My vision for the GOP is grounded in the basic conservative tenet of fiscal responsibility and Michele Bachmann is a national leader for fiscal sanity in government. She is leading our party back to its roots and back to success at the polls with her principled conservatism.

Rep. Bachmann represents the future of the Republican Party. I know that her presence here will inspire us to look to a brighter and better future for our party and for our nation.

I urge everyone to come and support the local GOP and hear the inspiring remarks of a great conservative leader."

For more information about Rep. Bachmann, visit her website at www.michelebachmann.com.

To stay current on the events of the Hamilton County Republican Party, visit our blog at: http://hcrp.blogspot.com.

*More information about the specific time and location of our Lincoln-Reagan Dinner will be announced soon.

Merry Christmas

Democrat(ic) Money Burn: Strickland Budget Style

The Democrats passed a budget fix in Columbus yesterday that raises your taxes. Most disappointing is that they did this with the help of a few Republicans. Only a few, though. EVERY single Democrat in both chambers of the legislature voted for this "fix" which is hardly a "fix" of anything other than continuing the tax and spend policies of the Democratic Party. I am proud of the strong majority of Republicans who voted to protect taxpayers.

Want to know the best (or worst) part? The Columbus Dispatch reports, " Income-tax withholdings in 2009 were set assuming the income tax cut would remain, so most taxpayers have withheld too little, meaning they will owe money to the state or get smaller-than-expected refunds when they file returns in the first quarter of 2010." This means Ted Strickland and his Democratic colleagues have made it so that most Ohioans will have to send a check to their state government this year so that Turnaround Ted can continue to kill jobs and make Ohio the least business-friendly state in America.

While I and others are disappointed in the few Republicans who signed-up for this misguided legislation, I am very proud of the strong majority of Republicans who stood for taxpayers. Our candidate for Governor, John Kasich, made the following statement:

"As I have traveled the state over the past three years, it has been clear to me that the people of Ohio understand that raising taxes is counter-productive to job creation and economic growth. The most prosperous states are the ones that are constantly reforming and restructuring, and not raising taxes.

"Today’s agreement is strictly stopgap, and turns a blind eye to the massive shortfalls we will face during the next budget cycle. We better have new leadership and new ideas in place by then. Our state’s future depends on it."

"For far too long Ohio has been stuck in a cycle of tax and spend. Hard choices continue to be pushed off to another day. And today, with this agreement between the Governor and the legislature, we are continuing the cycle and culture of tax and spend. It is a cycle I intend to break."

Governing during a period of economic downturn is difficult. Elected officials everywhere face the challenge of funding the basic operations of government while not asking the beleaguered taxpayers for more money. It is a significant challenge.

John Kasich's message about "breaking the cycle" is almost revolutionary. John Kasich will re-invent state government making Ohio more business-friendly and put faith back in the free market and in the people--not in government. Having gotten to hear John's message and getting to know him some, I have no doubt that he will be a transformational figure for our great state.

Sunday, etc.

We've been ignoring the blog some lately. Sorry to my two loyal readers. I was out of action last week, but ready to get back to things this week.

And...

The above picture is from Corfu, Greece. On a typical, gray, gloomy Cincinnati December day, I thought it made the most sense. And I couldn't find a Democrat to bash this morning. Correction: I could, but chose not to. There's plenty of time for that.

And...

Do you want to be a candidate for Judge in Hamilton County? Let us know by contacting Maggie Wuellner at 513-381-5454. Our screening committee is seeking candidates for every judicial opening. This will be a great year to run for Judge under the GOP banner.

And...

Interested in running for State Representative? We are screening candidates for House Districts 31 (Denise Driehaus), 32 (Dale Mallory) and 33 (Tyrone Yates). Let us know if you have an interest in any of these races!

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It is always great to be invited to so many Christmas gatherings this time of year and the GOP groups certainly know how to have great parties. I just wish I could make them all.

And...

I have blogged about this before, but I'm going to repeat myself. The fundamental difference between the two parties (on economics) in the United States is how they view the role of government. Democrats believe that government ought to be part of the marketplace and have greater control over our lives. Republicans believe that government ought to stay out of the way of citizens and let them have greater control over their own affairs without government help or interference. The failure of President Obama's economic plan to create jobs is the best evidence of the failure of their plan. Government should create an environment for business to grow and create jobs. The Democrats just have it all wrong. And America pays the price.

And...

Speaker Gingrich spoke to several hundred people downtown a couple of weeks ago. I had the privilege of speaking with him and introducing him at his Town Hall forum. He is a brilliant man. I took away one great message that night. The Speaker started his remarks by illustrating how America has fallen away from promoting personal responsibility. He did it in an interesting way. He said to the listeners, please finish my sentence , "If you can't AFFORD A HOUSE..." Then, the audience, over 500 strong, finished his sentence, "Don't BUY a house." We've lost sight of this in America. President Clinton and his liberal allies socially engineered it so that "every American could enjoy the dream of home ownership" and pushed lending institutions into making bad loans. Lending institutions are partly to blame for making these loans, but they needed to stay competitive because government was pushing these low-interest loans. The resulting credit bubble burst killing the economy and creating a massive recession. A disaster.

And...

Bengals beat the Vikes today, 17-14.

And...

That little Xavier progr'm gets beat by the angry Bearcats tonight, too.

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Have a great week.

Hamilton County Welcomes Speaker Gingrich

Hamilton County is pleased to welcome Speaker Newt Gingrich for his "Real Jobs Summit" in Cincinnati tonight at the Hilton Netherland Hotel at 6:30 p.m. The doors open at 5:45 p.m.

I am honored to be serving as emcee for this event and I hope to see many of our great GOP friends there tonight. Click on the above image for more information about American Solutions, Speaker Gingrich's group.

The Surge II

President Obama sounded like President Bush last night. The President is advocating a "surge" of troops in Afghanistan much like President Bush did in Iraq. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has decided to seriously escalate the conflict in Afghanistan and grow our troop presence to over 100,000.

It is nice to see the President finally acknowledge the success of President Bush's war policy. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Here is a comparison of President Bush's remarks and President Obama's:

Obama: "We Did Not Ask for This Fight"
Bush: "We Did Not Seek This Conflict"
Obama: "New Attacks are Being Plotted as I Speak"
Bush: "At This Moment ... Terrorists are Planning New Attacks"
Obama: "Our Cause is Just, Our Resolve Unwavering"
Bush: "Our Cause is Just, Our Coalition [is] Determined"
Obama: "This Is No Idle Danger, No Hypothetical Threat"
Bush: "The Enemies of Freedom Are Not Idle"
Obama: "We Have No Interest in Occupying Your Country"
Bush: "I Wouldn't Be Happy if I Were Occupied Either"

I certainly didn't do the work of finding these quotes. Guess who did? Michael Moore! Check out his website to see how livid the left is with the President.

In the end, the President is trying to have it both ways because he's trying to fudge how this plays on the left. That will not work. We'll see.

Conservative Democrat? Hardly.

Commissioner Pepper, a Democrat running for a statewide position, has tried to sell himself to the voters as a conservative Democrat who is fiscally responsible. He needs to try harder.

Let me explain. Here are Commissioner Pepper's own words written on his blog one year ago. (Check out the full blog posting here)

A decade ago, as part of the vote on whether to raise the sales tax 1/2 cent to pay for the new stadiums, the citizens were made a clear promise: that 30% of the receipts from the new sales tax would be returned to them through a property tax rebate (the "PTR").

This was a clear commitment made prior to the citizens' vote.

And with that commitment publicly made, and about 60% voting yes, the citizens indeed authorized taxing themselves an additional 1/2 cent to pay for the stadiums/riverfront, and to pay for the PTR that would be returned to them. Just like the promise was clear, the citizens' mandate was equally clear.

And it goes on...

In that light, I consider any move to divert dollars from the PTR to be a deeply illegitimate act. It lacks fundamental integrity....When that has occurred, as their elected representatives, we have no discretion or authority whatsoever but to implement and adhere to their decision faithfully. This is particularly true when citizens have consented to put more of their dollars into government for a specific purpose....To violate those orders now would fundamentally breach our mandate at a time when citizens already have lost so much faith in government.

Mr. Pepper flip-flopped and, in his own words, "fundamentally breached a mandate from the citizens."

The facts on this issue are very clear. The voters were promised a property tax rebate if they consented to a 1/2 cent sales tax increase. Mr. Peppers is prepared to break that promise. A vote to deny the rollback is worse than an un-voted tax increase. It is a vote for a tax increase when a tax rebate was the specific mandate of the people! Only Democrats have the audacity to raise your taxes when you have specifically told them not to do so!

Flip-flopping in politics seems to always work against the taxpayers. Politicians change their minds only when it seems to benefit government and not the taxpayers.

Mr. Pepper voted to raise taxes and violate a commitment to the voters that he recognized a year ago as an "illegitimate act."

The citizens of Hamilton County and Ohio deserve better.

$100,000.00, etc.

Democratic Commissioners Portune and Pepper have authorized the creation of a new position of an "Energy Czar" in Hamilton County. They authorized a salary of $100,000.00 for this new position. Democrats growing the size of government and wasting your money is not new. Will they raise your taxes to pay for this kind of ridiculous waste of money? Stay tuned.

And...

We are pleased to welcome Gov. Palin to Cincinnati today.

And...

One local media outlet described Gov. Palin as a "political celebrity." Is that fair? She is former Governor of our biggest state and the vice presidential nominee of a major political party. Is Jesse Jackson a "political celebrity?" Is Geraldine Ferraro a "political celebrity?" How about Newt Gingrich? It demeans her to call her a "political celebrity" instead of giving her credit for her accomplishments as a governor and national leader for the GOP. I'm just sayin'...

And...

Joe Lieberman is an American hero.

And...

Amy Murray finished 12th in her run for Cincinnati City Council surpassing Kevin Flynn in the final official tally of votes. This comes as no surprise to those of us who watched this impressive, upstart GOP candidate for council. Her future is bright. Her Friday is even brighter. She gets to have lunch with me today!

And...

Do you read the local Business Courier? You should. The Courier is a great local media outlet and has become a "must read" for me on the web. They have terrific stories about Cincinnati without some of the fluff required in regular news outlets. I urge you to visit by clicking here.

And...

I could write an entire blog post on my next subject: the Obama Administration's decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a civilian court in New York City. Maybe I will. Let's just say that the decision is outrageous and bordering on dangerous. Liberals are bad at lots of things. They are particularly bad at waging war against Islamic fanatics who have a mission to destroy our society and culture by slaughtering innocent people.

And...

I took some shots at the Mayor on this blog during the election. I'll say something nice today. I thought he did the right thing by showing up at the police shooting earlier in the week. It sends the right message to see him out there with the police. Let's hope he succeeds over the next four years so that our city can continue to grow into the world class place it can be.

And...

Our judicial screening committee is meeting for informal talks about the judicial elections of 2010. Are you interested in running for judge with the GOP endorsement? Let us know ASAP!

And...

The Enquirer blog reports that Commissioner Portune may have spoken to failed Gov. Strickland about running as his Lieutenant Governor. Commissioner Portune would be joining the failed governor on his failing campaign. Is that a good idea?

And...

The John Kasich team had a meeting of regional leaders earlier this week. Everyone left the meeting impressed with the organization and energy behind the campaign. John Kasich is an unconventional candidate for unconventional times. He is a visionary government leader who understands the real challenges faced by Ohioans. He will be the next governor.

And...

I'm looking forward to visiting with friends at the Western Economic Council this morning. I will be appearing with Chairman Tim Burke to discuss Election 2009 and to look forward to ED2010. The WEC is a strong group of west side business leaders and I always enjoy the banter with Chairman Burke.

And...

A Fox News Opinion Dynamics Poll shows Gov. Palin's approval rating at 47%. Speaker Pelosi's is 28%. Would you know this from the mainstream media? Speaker Pelosi has similar approval ratings to President Bush. Has the coverage of Speaker Pelosi's abysmal approval rating been as widespread as the hatred spewed at President Bush? Would one know that Palin is nearly twice as popular as Pelosi?

And...

Judge Bernie Bouchard had UC QB Zach Collaros in his courtroom this week. As expected, Judge Bouchard handled the case with professionalism and dignity. Good job, Judge.

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I'll be car shopping this weekend. And watching football.

And...

Have a great weekend!

Democratic Money Burn: Hamilton County Cap & Tax

The two Democrats who run the County Commission are at it again. They are wasting your money.

In a move firmly opposed by Greg Hartmann, these two Commissioners have decided to grow the county bureaucracy and proactively support “Cap and Trade” with federal stimulus dollars locally. Hamilton County received $4.7 million in "energy efficiency" stimulus dollars.

The two Democrats voted to spend this money to create more bureaucracy and to grow the size of government by creating a new countywide position in the form of an “Energy Czar.” This newly created position is expected to make around $100,000.00 per year. At a time where county government is being slashed and countless county employees have been laid off, the Democrats have found it within their means to make this new hire into county government. It is irresponsible. But not surprising. 



It seems the Commissioners both got a little riled up at Commissioner Hartmann for calling it a “mini-Cap and Trade” proposal. Why are these two politicians so afraid of the assertion that these funds are associated with Cap and Trade? Because Cap and Trade could not be more unpopular in Ohio and across the nation and they both know it. These two Democrats are avoiding the truth.



The money the two Democrats authorized to be spent creates a vehicle for Hamilton County government to legitimize, participate in and allow profit to be realized from federal Cap and Trade policies. Commissioners Pepper and Portune are utilizing public funds to tell Hamilton County businesses to both manage emissions AND agree to participate in carbon trading. Sounds like a "mini" version of Cap and Trade to me!

Carbon credit trading is the foundation that Cap and Trade is built upon and the carbon credit trading that Commissioner Pepper and Commissioner Portune supported on Monday would be utilized by businesses being burdened by Cap and Trade. These carbon credit dollars would become part of a proliferating regulatory burden on business in America. Commissioner Hartmann rejected that. Democrat Commissioners Pepper and Portune supported it. 



In the context of the debate on Cap and Trade, it is important to note that economists don’t believe that carbon trading helps to reduce pollution in the long run, since businesses that don't pollute simply sell their energy conservation to the HIGHEST BIDDER. Cap and Trade, or what Republican leaders in Congress call “Cap & Tax”:

1. is expansive government regulation
2. doesn’t effectively reduce carbon emissions
3. costs businesses more money to comply with more regulation
4. kills jobs.

It's as simple as that.



We should be pleased that Commissioner Hartmann stood up against expanded government and bureaucratic regulation that will hurt businesses in Hamilton County. The two Democrats are playing political games by denying the fact that these funds legitimize the federal Cap and Trade proposal. They know how politically charged (and unpopular) that program is. Of course, its no surprise that Mr. Pepper was particularly sensitive about Greg Hartmann’s assertion on Cap and Trade. He’s running for statewide office and is scared of being painted as a big government liberal. It is tough to hide from the truth.