Up-to-the-Minute

We are officially in Minneapolis. So far, seems like a great city. I haven't been here before. Hospitality is abundant.

To follow my travails (not travels), go to my mobile blog at http://republicanchairman.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for reading.

This afternoon, we are scheduled to fly up to Minneapolis for the Republican National Convention. It seems like just yesterday that we were in NYC for the 2004 Convention.

The truth is, there is much work to be done in Ohio. We will be working plenty from our hotel room. However, Hamilton County's presence at this convention is very necessary and the relationships we maintain throughout Ohio and the country are quite valuable to the Party.

Switching gears...

Did Obama get a convention bump? If so, it is not yet discernible. Check out the Zogby Poll. The Zogby information tells us that this race is going to be painfully close. As Republicans, we should be happy about that.

And...

As much as we like to watch and listen to the national campaign, our work at HQ is focused on our local races. We are raising money and preparing a robust absentee program for all of our candidates. We have made available a nationally recognized political consultant to meet with our candidates. We have arranged for a TV shoot in mid-September. We have offered advice and consultation. We exist to help candidates win.

And...

The buzz about Gov. Sarah Palin has not waned one bit. I attended a party last night with a great mix of people that universally praised this choice. Gov. Palin is a reformer. She is more ready to be Commander-in-Chief than Barack Obama is. We are going to win!

And...

Have a great Sunday and an even better Labor Day!

More on Gov. Palin

I have been obsessed with reading about Gov. Palin this morning and wanted to share a couple of things with anyone who might read this blog.

First, the Washington Post lead article on this choice has the following quote:

"But what tipped the balance toward Palin was that she gives McCain a partner with a record of challenging the establishment in her own party and in Anchorage, reinforcing the case that he would be more fearless and effective than Obama in taking on special interests in Washington."

Barack Obama does not have a record of challenging anything. His biggest risk was deciding to run for President. She has executive experience.

To see lots of local coverage and local faces, check out: http://www.wcpo.com/mediacenter/local.aspx.

Weekend Blog Post...

I do NOT overuse the ellipses...

And...

I woke up this morning to read the expected criticism of Gov. Palin. The national media will not be fair to a conservative. We all know this. What I find most striking is that they will criticize her experience, but then never compare it to Barack. There is no comparison. She has executive experience running the governmental operations of a large state. She has taken on the establishment to effectuate change. She has run against an incumbent Governor and won the race. She has proven leadership skills. What has Barack run? A campaign. Nothing. Executive experience matters when you want to be the CEO of the greatest nation on earth. Let me answer this question: Will she be ready to be President if John McCain can not be? YES! For my Democrat friends who will scoff, I'll say this: She is more ready than Barack! Barack gives a nice speech. Fine oratory isn't the only qualification for President. Gov. Palin has real-life executive experience.

And...

Do you know that 2008 is lining up to be the "Year of the Woman" in Hamilton County? I'm pleased to report that, when elected, Patti Clancy will be the first woman to hold the important post of Clerk of Courts in Hamilton County. See a list of the former Clerks of Court including former President William Henry Harrison by clicking here. County recorder Rebecca Prem Groppe will hold on to her post as our County Recorder. Rebecca's re-election will make her one of the longest tenured female elected officials in this area.

And...

I am off to the Republican convention in Minneapolis tomorrow. Candidly, I do not have time for this trip at this moment. We are putting in long hours at HQ to assure a robust absentee program, to cover the polls, and to raise the significant resources we need to help our candidates win elections. But, having a strong Hamilton County presence in Minneapolis is important.

And...

We have taken possession of some new office space in the heart of Anderson Township. With special thanks to fellow Greek Andrew Pappas, we now have a storefront presence at 8001 Beechmont Ave. This office space will be managed by Attorney David Wood of the Prosecutor's Office. With this space, the Hamilton County Republican Party can point to 3 separate victory offices that our candidates can use in this election period. We have our downtown office next to First Watch, our Kenwood location near the Hauser Group, and now the Anderson Township office. We also have a combined Victory/Chabot office in Western Hills. To get access to the victory office, please contact HQ at 513.381.5454 and they will get you in touch with Mr. Wood.

And...

Each week, the McCain/Victory/72 Hour operation in Hamilton County is in full-swing. This massive volunteer effort is geared toward identifying our voters in Hamilton County and turning them out to the polls on Election Day (or before!). We need your help! Contact Patrick Maloney to get involved.

And...

Let me be blunt. This observation comes from experience. Quite often, people I may know will say, "I want to help" or "call me if you need something." I take this as an offer to help our Republican cause. To those friends and Republican colleagues: I ACCEPT YOUR OFFER TO HELP! But, please understand that the help we need is of the grassroots variety. We need help making the phone calls, delivering the signs, working the festivals, walking to houses, knocking on doors, and reaching voters in a personal way. We do NOT need help in writing/making speeches, crafting message, writing commercials, or campaign strategy. We do not do those things at the local level for a national election. Those decisions are made in places far from here and our local party simply has the very important task of executing a successful voter outreach plan. To do this, we need to make phone calls and to do other grassroots tasks. So, to my great Republican friends who say, "I want to help," this is your call! Get involved to help us win! Contact Patrick Maloney to get involved.

Gov. Sarah Palin

Wow. What an incredible day in Dayton, Ohio. Gov. Sarah Palin is the best choice for Vice President.

Join us in this fight!

Mobile Blogging from the Dayton Rally

For anyone who cares, I'll be blogging from the Dayton Rally on a different blog site. For technical reasons, the mobile blog posts will be at:

http://republicanchairman.blogspot.com

CHECK IT OUT ALL DAY TODAY FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE NEWS ON THE DAYTON RALLY!!

Unimpressed II

The speech was a yawner. It just was. Haven't we seen enough of the stagecraft? I have. This was all glitz and no substance. He looks nice and has a nice looking family. I respect that much. But, the guy is a rookie with no record of accomplishment and not ready to lead.

Here is the McCain campaign statement on this speech:

"Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama. When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President."

Barack Obama will not be elected President of the United States.

Miraculous

It struck me that Barack Obama has effectuated one major change already: some Republicans actually LIKE Hillary now! Amazing.

Add me to that list. Hillary certainly is more experienced than Barack Obama. It is hard not to be.

I did not watch the convention last night. I will watch Obama tonight...in front of those Greek columns...

Don't forget our "McCain Train to Dayton" tomorrow at Virgil Lovitt's Office. We leave promptly at 9:15 a.m. Greg Hartmann, Joe Deters, and many others will be on the bus.

Call HQ at 513.381.5454 or e-mail Patrick Maloney for more information.

Can't Watch!

I can not bear to watch this Democratic convention. I watched Michelle Obama on Monday, but I took a pass last night. I expect I will not be watching much--save for Sen. Obama on Thursday. I think it might be political malpractice to not watch their nominee's speech. I'll hate it--but I'll watch.

Things are very much picking up at HQ. With 68 days left, the atmosphere has quickly turned hectic and, yes, sometimes tense. The frayed nerves and short fuses of the final campaign days are upon us. The days grow longer, sleep becomes more scarce, and the weight of a campaign is beginning to take its toll. So far, I have been quite pleased with the commitment of our candidates, our volunteers, and of our great staff at HQ.

We are working on several things.

We are committed to helping the McCain team in every way possible. At the moment, we are doing our best to meet the demand for tickets to the big rally in Dayton for Sen. McCain. We are arranging a "McCain Train to Dayton." The "train" is actually a large passenger motorcoach which will take many of our people to Dayton to see Sen. McCain. We are meeting at Virgil Lovitt's insurance office, 11413 Chester Road, at 9:15 a.m. on Friday morning.

We are working to put together our absentee mailing piece featuring all of our candidates. The piece has taken on a heightened importance because of the very large number of potential absentee voters since "no-fault" absentee voting began.

We are working to put together our pink sample ballots which we hand out at the polls.

In addition to these various programs, we are continuing to raise the funds necessary to help all of our candidates. Fundraising is a critical priority of the Party and it has gone very well in 2008.

We need volunteers now more than ever before. We need your help at HQ. We need your help on McCain. We need YOU NOW! Please contact Patrick Maloney if you can offer up an hour, a day, or a weekend of your time.

Great McCain Ad

August 29 Dayton Rally

Be sure to join us for the McCain Road to Convention Rallies. We will be arranging for a bus caravan to Dayton, so please watch this space for more information.

Get involved to help us win!

The Cincinnati Brew HaHa

There is a great summer event tonight and Saturday night down at Sawyer Point Park on the riverfront. The Cincinnati Brew Haha is a unique downtown event that combines comedy with great beer. Here is the concept: there are 3 stages where comedians, many nationally known, perform and there are over 70 varieties of eclectic beer being offered. The only cost is the cost of the beer that you buy. It is all very affordable. The comedy is great and the venue couldn't be better. There are over 50 comedians on 3 stages, so the entertainment changes constantly. I attended last year and had a blast.

My suggestion? Wear the t-shirt of your favorite Republican candidate and join us.

Finally, and most importantly, your Party Chairman will be volunteering on Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. to help the cause at this event.

For more information, click on the poster above or click here to go to the event website.

Thank You

The Republican Party had a GREAT fundraiser last night at the home of
George & Kim Vincent on Varland Rd. THANK YOU to all who attended.

Last night proved to me that we have tremendous strength as a Party
organization and that our support is overwhelming. Although we face a
tough environment, our "machine" in this County is thriving.

Again, thank you to everyone who attended and to all of those who donated.

Tonight, etc.

Tonight, former Chairman George Vincent and his wife Kim will host a Party fundraiser in their home at 8150 Varner Road, Cincinnati, Ohio from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, call Margaret Nafziger at 513.381.5454 or email her at maggien@hc-gop.org. With any luck, we'll raise "one-hundred billion dollars..."

And...

In a related story, I sent out a blast-email to our mass e-mail list inviting people to attend this event. In my first e-mail, I erroneously listed the Vincent's address as on "Varland" Road. Realizing my mistake, I wrote an email correcting myself and taking a light-hearted swipe at our friends the Democrats by calling my mistake a "Democratic moment." The Enquirer's political blog posted by email like it were news. It was a joke...designed to rally supporters of the R Party to make a contribution. Geez.

And...

Consider the Cincinnati BrewHaHa for your weekend entertainment. The BrewHaha is a very fun, unique downtown event that brings together 50 different comedians with 70 different beers. The event happens on Sawyer Point on Friday and Saturday night. There are 3 stages with a different comedy routine on each stage all night long. The comedians change about every 20-30 minutes (or therabouts). They sell 70 different kinds of electic beers from around the world. The only cost is for the beer you buy. The concept is great. I attended last year and had a great time. Most importantly, I will be working the BrewHaHa from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Wear your favorite Republican campaign T-shirt, drink some beer, and watch some great comedy!

And...

I'll be attending the Republican Convention in Minneapolis during Labor Day week. I'll be blogging from there, so keep reading.

And...

Since opening up this blog for anonymous comments, I've gotten some great ones. Some I've had to "reject." I'll post the comment if it's critical of Republicans or even of me. I will not post the ones that take on my Greek heritage, bring my Mother into it, or take swipes at Patrick Maloney for his Irish heritage. Some things just cross the line.

And...

The reason I blog at 5:00 a.m. is because I could never justify writing this nonsense during the work-day.

And...

Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

BREAKING NEWS: We're winning!

A Reuters news article released today reports as follows: "In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy..."

Read the entire story here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUKN1948672420080820?sp=true

To continue this momentum and to win this election, Sen. McCain must win Ohio. To win Ohio, he must get a large number of votes from Hamilton County. To get a large number of votes in Hamilton County, we need to work the phones, go door-to-door, and do the proven things that drive voters to the polls. As an aside, those things will all help Steve Chabot, Jean Schmidt, Greg Hartmann, Patti Clancy, Rebecca Prem Groppe, Rob Goering, Pat DeWine, Judge Nelson, Judge Mock and every other candidate running as a Republican!

We can win this election! We need your help and we need it NOW! E-mail Pat Maloney right now and tell him that you'll help! If you agree to volunteer, Maloney will offer you a swig of the Irish booze he stashes in his desk...

Join the fight and let's win!

The Democrats

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article entitled, "As U.S. Economic Problems Loom, House, Senate Sweat the Small Stuff."

The article begins with this observation, "The 110th Congress, whose term officially ends in January, hasn't passed any spending bills or attacked high gasoline prices. But it has used its powers to celebrate watermelons and to decree the origins of the word "baseball."

It goes on to say,

"Barring a burst of legislative activity after Labor Day, this group of 535 men and women will have accomplished a rare feat. In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session -- 294 so far -- than this one. That's not to say they've been idle. On the flip side, no Congress in the same 20 years has been so prolific when it comes to proposing resolutions -- more than 1,900, according to a tally by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense."

This makes Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid's Congress a true "do nothing" Congress. Lazy--plain and simple.

The Democrats control Washington, D.C. Make no mistake about that. The "bully pulpit" of the Presidency and all the glitz and glamour associated with that job have most Americans blaming the President for every American problem. When our framers wrote the Constitution, they used Article I to define Congress and its powers. They used Article II to create the executive branch. This was no accident. Congress is the first branch of government.

Why this Constitutional lecture on a Wednesday from me? Because the Democrats have run the 110th Congress and have set the agenda for America for 2 years. Nancy Pelosi has done so. How are things the last 2 years? Gas prices have shot up on her watch. The economy has slowed under her watch.

What have she and the Democrats in Congress done? They designated May 5-9 as "National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week." They set July 28 as the "Day of the American Cowboy." What have they done about high oil prices or this economic slow down? Diddly.

There is a tendency to blame President Bush for everything, everywhere. President Bush and the Republican Congressional leadership provided great stewardship of the economy for 6 years. We survived major corporate scandals and the largest violent attack on America in history. Our economy came back after 9/11 and went strong until a recent, expected, cyclical slow down that is not yet an official recession.

It seems the Democrats have escaped blame everywhere. Our governor in Ohio remains popular despite pandering to one interest group in his party--organized labor. He will oversee the loss of thousands of jobs in Wilmington, yet the commercials somehow try and blame John McCain. Governor Strickland has done nothing to spur economic development in Ohio and his few legislative victories have come because of Republican leadership.

We see this phenomenon locally as well. The budget crunch we face in the County is happening under Democrat leadership. The Sheriff is dropping patrols, closing jail space, and making cuts that affect our safety. Has there been Democrat leadership to fix these problems? You be the judge.

The days of the Democrats blaming President Bush for everything including the weather are about to end.

Where they run government, they must be accountable. When held accountable, they will lose elections.

Saddleback Forum

This weekend's Saddleback Forum at Pastor Rick Warren's church was a turning point in this campaign. Any undecided American voter that watched this forum must come away knowing that John McCain is a man of deep intellect, compassion, and leadership. He has the required experience to seriously lead America in a time of struggle. Any objective observer of this Forum must conclude that McCain outshined Obama.

My favorite part? When Obama attempted to slam Justice Clarence Thomas as "not ready" for the Supreme Court when he was nominated. Really? That is incredible coming from a first term Senator that has run for President for 2 of the 3 years he has served in the Senate.

When one takes a deep breath and steps away from these ideological battles and the empty promises of political campaigns on both sides, there is no doubt which one of these men is ready to lead the greatest country on the planet. John McCain is a genuine American hero. When John McCain calls on us to put our national interest above our self-interest, he says it with a background of a life spent living that motto. It isn't a flashy talking point like the nonsense Sen. Obama pops off to the screaming hordes of those obsessed with his celebrity persona.

When I look at this presidential race, it strongly reaffirms why I am a Republican and a conservative. Our Party honors faith and service and tradition. As conservatives, we don't reject progress or change. We welcome that progress while paying homage to the traditions and the foundations of a successful culture of freedom that our forefathers believed in. I believe in those conservative principles so much that I have made a career out of it.

Sen. McCain has lived a life honoring his country and we have a unique opportunity to elect someone singularly qualified to lead us. I am confident America will see this.

Money Matters

Money matters in politics. Under our system of government, candidates must find the resources they need to get out their critical Republican message.

The process of raising funds can be time-consuming, arduous, and downright painful. But, those that do it well are generally the most successful in politics. Before I became a Judge, many candidates sought out my advice. Unfortunately, my first piece of advice always revolved around fundraising. The candidate that fundraises well wins elections. The candidate that does not typically fails. There are no great "secrets" to raising money. It is a sales approach just like any other. The product you are selling is yourself and our cause. Relationships matter.

The Hamilton County Republican Party has generally raised sufficient funds to run a downtown headquarters, employee full-time staff, and help candidates whenever possible. It has been a source of strength for our local party and the tradition of giving to the Party began long before I arrived as Chairman and will continue long after I am gone.

Nevertheless, this is a challenging year for Republicans. Raising the funds we need to get out our message is more important than ever. To that end, we are hosting a very important fundraising event this Thursday, August 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the home of George and Kim Vincent (8150 Varner Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45243). The funds raised at this event will go to support all of our programs including an increasingly expensive absentee mail piece and to assist our candidates in the many challenging races we face. Can we count on your support? Please call Maggie Nafziger at 513.381.5454 or email her for more information and to give us your help.

Thank you!

Phelps, McCain, Anonymous Posts, etc.

Michael Phelps. Wow. There aren't words so I won't try.

And...

I've decided to change the settings for this blog and allow anonymous comment posting. I know lots of people read this blog. On average, I get about 300 or more independent page views a day. But, few people comment. Let's see if we can increase comments by allowing them to come in anonymously.

And...

Hasn't Obama run a terrible campaign the last 30 days? I think so. How arrogant is he to vacation in Hawaii with 90 days left in this campaign? Very.

And...

We have our big Republican Party fundraiser on Thursday, August 21. Consider joining us to support our Party and to help us raise the money we need to win races from the White House to the Courthouse. For more information, to buy a ticket, or to RSVP, call HQ at 513.381.5454 or e-mail Margaret Nafziger. Don't forget to congratulate Margaret on her engagement.

Howard Dean is a Jerk

I hate to be personal. But, Howard Dean deserves it. He is a divisive figure who does a real disservice to the fine tradition of the Democrat party.

Why is he drawing my ire? He recently referred to the Republican Party as the "white" party. That is ridiculous, insulting, and wrong. It is racially divisive and wholly inappropriate.

Since becoming Chairman of this party, I have had many meaningful and rewarding opportunities to meet with African Americans who choose to be Republicans. Although many of my African American friends will be voting Democrat this year, it is an insult to say that the black community is one monolithic block that simply votes one way. That has not been my experience during my first few months as party chairman.

Because Sen. Obama is so popular in the African American community, there are some who worry about a racial undertone to this campaign for President. There are some that improperly see this presidential election as "black vs. white." That perception is bad for America and does our democracy a serious disservice. Howard Dean and his caustic, idiotic, and moronic remarks do not help one bit.

Finally, and I can't resist, there is a horrible double-standard in America on this topic. Can one imagine if the RNC chair referred to the Democrat party as the party of "blacks" or even a party of "minorities?" That would be totally inappropriate and any sensible Republican would call for that chairman's ouster. Where is the outrage with the liberals in the media and other Democrat leaders? Nonexistent.

Howard Dean is a jerk.

80 Days

We are 80 days away from the Election today. If you look down the right side of this blog, I have added an Election Day countdown.

Have you gotten involved to make a difference? Offer 1 day or even 1 hour of your time to assure Republican victory from the White House to the Courthouse.

E-mail Patrick Maloney for opportunities.

Virgil Lovitt for the 28th House District

Tonight, the Hamilton County Republican Party Executive Committee voted unanimously to place Mayor Virgil Lovitt on the ballot in the race to replace Jim Raussen as our candidate in the 28th House District race.

Mayor Lovitt has the experience, intellect and background that voters of the 28th District need to represent their interests.

To help Virgil Lovitt, contact Patrick Maloney about volunteer opportunities.

McCain/Victory Headquarters Ribbon Cutting

The Hamilton County McCain/Victory HQ located on 7th Street (next to First Watch between Walnut & Main) will officially open today at 5:30 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Local elected officials and other dignataries are expected to be in attendance.

I had an excellent meeting with the Ohio McCain leadership team yesterday. There is good news to report. First, Hamilton County and most of Ohio have been meeting and exceeding the goals set by the campaign in our crucial get-out-the-vote and voter-identification efforts. I was quite pleased to hear this news given what I know from the 2004 campaign. The GOTV effort we did in 2004 worked miraculously well to get our voters to the polls and I know that it can work again. We have been working hard to meet these goals and to keep our eyes focused on supporting Republicans.

Why the Ohio House Matters.

Of course, as Republicans we want to win every seat in government everywhere. We believe that our philosophy of government and our core principles are right for America and for government everywhere.

During our screening process for the 28th House District, the importance of winning that seat and maintaining a majority came sharply into focus. We must do all we can to win.

Too often, I wonder if the ordinary voter understands the importance of the state legislature. While Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich, and George Bush are household names, I can nearly assure you that Jon Husted and Chris Redfern and Jennifer Brunner are not. This is not the fault of our state elected officials. It is the nature of state politics and the focus that all media has on our federal government. The media cares much more about what is happening in Washington than about anything happening in Columbus. Personally, I think our Cincinnati media is particularly guilty of ignoring events in the state capitol. One need only read the Columbus Dispatch to see the stark difference in coverage.

Can you name your State Representative? Can you name your State Senator?

Our state legislators make highly important decisions that affect our daily lives--oftentimes to a much greater extent than anything that happens in Washington.

Let me give any reader who cares the starkest example.

If the landmark and tragic decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade were ever overturned, the Ohio state legislature and our Ohio government would then have the right to restrict abortion. Yes, the body of lawmakers we elect to the Ohio legislature will have the power to stop the killing of babies in the womb if the decision in Roe were overturned.

Roe v. Wade took away any state's ability to restrict abortion by finding a flimsy right to privacy in the Due Process clause of the Constitution. Overturning Roe would not make abortion illegal. It would simply return the power to decide if abortion were appropriate to the states.

What else does state government control? Most heinous crimes are prosecuted under state law. Laws designed to protect children from sex offenders like Jessica's Law and other such things are matters of state law. A liberal/Democrat majority in the state legislature working with our veiled liberal Governor would wreak havoc on our justice system.

These are only a few of the issues that are decided at the state level and that have tremendous impact on our lives. There are hundreds of others from law enforcement to taxes.

Maintaining our Republican majority to counterbalance the Democrats in the executive branch is important to every citizen of Ohio.

Winning and keeping a majority is crucial!

The Ohio 28th House District

This past week was dominated by the Republican Party's search for a candidate to replace Jim Raussen in the race for the Ohio 28th House District. The search process includes many facets--many public and some private. The private facet of the search process is quite important so as to not provide the opposition with private information.

I have received tremendous feedback from people interested in the Party. As in most public decisions, the Party has received much unsolicited advice and even some criticism. That is to be expected. I sincerely welcome all the input. Sometimes, the input, advice, or criticism is made without a full knowing of the facts. Perhaps I can clarify some of that here.

This is a major party decision for many reasons.

First, we are 86 days from Election Day today. The campaign for this seat will be non-traditional because the ultimate candidate will have a very short period of time to raise money and run a traditional campaign. There is little time to build name identification or to do many summer public appearances. A few more key days to screen all the candidates and to find the best one will not change the brief window we have.

Second, the Republican majority in the Ohio House of Representatives stands at 4 seats today. The Democrats need only to pick up a few seats to take over the Ohio House and begin to ratify the Democrat agenda of Ted Strickland. Make no mistake, Governor Strickland understood this when he lured away our Republican incumbent candidate with a lucrative job in an effort to make the task of picking up this seat easier. He will fail.

Third, this District is closely divided and has been increasingly competitive. A strong candidate and a strong campaign will make the difference. They have a weak candidate.

Fourth, the state Republican caucus--the leaders of our party in the statehouse--have a keen interest in who our party selects for this seat. We have been working very closely with them to find the best candidate. They have great political expertise and are quite valuable to our committee in this selection process.

Because of the absolute importance of winning this seat, the committee has taken to leaving the search process open for just a few more days to give all interested candidates a chance to interview and be heard by our non-judicial nominating committee. The decision to leave the process open was recommended to the committee before any single candidate interviewed and the decision to leave the process open was not because of any single candidate.

The non-judicial screening committee will meet on Tuesday, 8/12/08 @ 4:30 to screen any further candidates that wish to be considered and to consider all the candidates that have shown an interest. We will have a candidate in the coming days. I am confident that the strongest candidate will emerge from our process!

A Long Week...

That's how I feel this morning...as do most of us at HQ! I'm sure many of you feel the same way working through the dog days of August.

Sen. McCain was FANTASTIC last night at Four Bridges Country Club. Each time I see him, I can sense his energy building. He was candid, funny, and downright charismatic last night. His self-deprecating style and good nature was a big hit with the crowd gathered there. Bob Rhein, a very good friend to our Party and all Republicans, was a magnificent host. The Senator's campaign has had two good weeks and this race is a dead-heat. We're going to win!

And...

We've had a long week in preparing for and screening candidates for the 28th House District Race. That process will continue next week. Our non-judicial nominating committee met this past week and heard from 3 fantastic candidates for the seat. Any one of the three would be outstanding. The process of selecting a candidate continues so as to give a few other great candidates a chance to be heard. We WILL have a candidate soon.

And...

Do you know about the McCain House Party's that begin next week? On August 14, people will be meeting in homes across the nation to rally for Sen. McCain. Click here to learn more or contact Patrick Maloney.

Have a great weekend and JOIN US to help win elections in 2008!

Sen. McCain Returns to Southwest Ohio

We are pleased to welcome Sen. McCain back to southwest Ohio on Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Four Bridges Country Club, 8300 Four Bridges Dr., Liberty Township, Ohio.

We are further pleased to announce that the future First Lady, Cindy McCain, will be joining the Senator on this visit to Butler County. This is a special opportunity to see Sen. McCain and Mrs. McCain together--a rare occurence on the campaign trail when both are criss-crossing the country campaigning.

The event in Butler County is also a great chance to see the Senator up-close for an affordable fundraiser. The event pricing structure is as follows:

General Reception - $250 per person
General Reception - $1,000 per person (includes commemorative pin)
Photo Opportunity - $4,600 per couple (raise or contribute)
Co-Chair, Private Meeting and Photo Opportunity - $20,000 per couple
(raise or contribute)

This is a GREAT opportunity to see and hear Sen. McCain for $250. If you are interested in participating in this important fundraising event, please call Republican Headquarters at 513-381-5454 or e-mail Debbie Flammer at dflammer@hc-gop.org.

Thank you!

This & That...again

I'll probably get lots of disagreement on this point from some good Republicans, but I will sorely miss Ken Griffey, Jr. Trading him was probably the right call, but that doesn't mean he won't be missed. Junior was a special talent--one of the best of all time. That sweet swing and ability to change a ballgame with one swat was a thing to behold. His critics will never forgive him for a series of serious and debilitating injuries that were really not his fault. How many surgeries can a grown man go through only to return to playing a kid's sport every single day? I respect and admire Ken Griffey, Jr. for being "clean" and for caring about his family and for wowing us with his ability. Good luck to him.

And...

The Republican Party non-judicial screening committee will meet on Wednesday, August 6 to screen candidates for the 28th House District seat now officially vacated by Jim Raussen. We have several good candidates. We need to find a credible candidate that can WIN this race. The Governor's trickery in using the taxpayers' money to buy the house majority needs to be rebuffed and we will do all we can do to be sure that happens.

And...

Stay tuned to this space for information about the ribbon-cutting grand opening of our local McCain/Victory Headquarters on 7th St. The headquarters is open for business and has been for some time with McCain staff doing the heavy lifting of phone banks and voter identification on a daily basis. There has been some foot traffic, too. But, an official hullabaloo grand opening is planned.

And...

Have you loved the more hard-hitting and aggressive tone of the McCain campaign lately? I have. The Democrats have been on the attack against Bush and the Republicans for so long that it makes me sick. I love to see the push-back on these liberals.

And...

I have seen some very good behind-the-scenes leadership by our Republicans in helping the Democrats' budget mess at the County level. I urged that we cooperate and I'm pleased to see that so many are kicking-in to help solve this problem.

And...

Did you see where Commissioner Todd Portune is hosting a fundraiser with Jerry Springer as a special guest? Personally, I think Jerry Springer is a relatively funny and engaging guy (albeit a pretty big D). But, it is hard to separate the man and the show. I'll resist taking a serious swipe at Portune as I think it is more funny than bad.

And...

I miss Tim Russert this morning. Tom Brokaw is just not Tim Russert. The show is lame. Tim Russert was special. I'm becoming a fan of George Stephanapolous. He has done a great job of becoming a journalist and has clearly left behind his partisan leanings--or at least I think so. I may be biased because, well, you know....

And...

Have a good weekend. Get involved soon to make a difference!

The One

I had a little Friday fun yesterday with political director Pat Maloney of our office with my blog post. Some of the negative forces within our Party accused me of "fiddling" while the County turned blue. Unbelievable.

But, back to Barack. I have previously blogged about this guy and his arrogance. The McCain campaign has properly spoofed this empty suit in the video embedded below. Enjoy.

Patrick Maloney for President