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!

And...

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.

And...

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.

And...

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.

Sunday Spotlight: John Kasich, Etc.

John Kasich is the Republican endorsed candidate for Governor of Ohio. We are lucky to have a candidate of his caliber on our ticket. John has a history of proven leadership on balancing budgets and getting government out of our lives to spur economic growth. To read more about John Kasich, click here. Since John entered this race, I have been impressed with his intellect and his ability to talk about government in ways that most politicians do not. John understands that economic development and job growth come from the private sector and that government ought to create the environment for businesses to thrive and create wealth for everyone. His plan is one that will create jobs and keep people and businesses in Ohio. John Kasich has an excellent chance at defeating failed Governor Ted Strickland in 2010 and Hamilton County will be a big part of that.

And...

Our attention has turned to the 2010 elections. Here are a few of the local races coming up next year:

Congress

County Commissioner

County Auditor

Judges in Court of Common Pleas and First District Court of Appeals

State Representative

With a filing deadline in mid-February, the jockeying has begun.

And...

We are actively pursuing a great speaker for our Lincoln/Reagan Dinner. We have been doing that for a couple of months. It is a difficult process because it is hard to lock-in any person too early because they do not schedule out so far. As the date approaches, nationally renowned Republicans are in high demand. So far, we have put out feelers with every major national GOP personality and I remain optimistic about our chances of getting a top-notch speaker.

And...

Gov. Palin's book comes out this week. She will be in Cincinnati on Friday to sign her book. Here is the news story.

And...

The two Democrats on the county commission in Hamilton County are engaged in an act of "insanity" according to GOP commissioner Hartmann. The commissioners are acting as the county's attorney and are suing the Judges of Hamilton County in the Supreme Court of Ohio. Commissioner Hartmann could not be more correct. More on this later.

And...

This week promises to be quite busy. We will participate in an organizational meeting for John Kasich's campaign, attend fundraisers for Sen. DeWine and for Rep. Peter Stautberg, and have many meetings regarding our efforts for 2010.

And...

The Board of Elections is still counting ballots. There are still some close races where the results could change.

And...

The Bengals are 7 point underdogs today at Pittsburgh. I'll pick the Bengals in an upset. Bengals 27, Pittsburgh 24.

And...

Congratulations to Judge Nadine Allen, the Democratic appointee to the Court of Common Pleas.

And...

Have a great Sunday.

Veteran's Day

Take a moment to appreciate the work of our veterans today. I will do so by attending the dedication of a new memorial in Green Township. It is an important day to celebrate those who serve to protect us.

Soldiers in our Prayers, Etc.

Our prayers are with the families of those soldiers massacred at Ft. Hood yesterday by an obviously deranged and sick man. It is hard not to jump to conclusions about this based on the limited facts, but we should try not to until there is more complete information. Nevertheless, Michelle Malkin wrote an interesting blog post worth reading. Read it here.

And...

Much has been said about the New York 23rd House District Race. The GOP in that area made a glaringly obvious mistake by nominating a complete RINO. Scozzafava had no business being in the Republican camp and the events of the 23rd have now resulted in a Democrat taking that seat for the first time in over a century. As a Republican leader locally, I watched that with interest. I do not see it as a "warning shot" as some will say. I see it as a horrible mistake that should not be repeated. The GOP can survive one mistake in one Congressional district and using that one mistake to bash the GOP in general is a mistake in my mind.

And...

Our GOP comeback will be lead locally by Steve Chabot. Steve Chabot will win his seat back next year. You heard it here first. Steve has the full and complete support of the Hamilton County GOP and we are counting on him to lead us.

And...

The GOP can elect real conservatives if we do it absent the anger. The image of the angry conservative is not appealing to voters and I am constantly concerned with that image. It is hard not to be angry at what we are watching in Washington and what we sometimes see with our own. It doesn't do any good. Was Ronald Reagan's persona that of the angry warrior? Is Rob Portman running an angry campaign? Did George W. Bush? Does Steve Chabot? The answer to every one of these questions is "no." Each one of these people has a "nice guy" image. It is an important lesson for candidates. We can be angry, but our message ought to be a positive message about what we will do when elected.

And...

It is hard to believe that President Obama was elected a year ago. Time flies. He has not been a good President. He has not lead. Leadership means asserting what you want and bringing people along. He refuses. On health care, Afghanistan, and on the economy he has regularly failed to lead. If you want the public option, say so and make it happen. We know you are an ideological liberal and that you do not want to add 40,000 troops to Afghanistan despite the desperate need to do so. Then have the guts and the leadership to not do it and explain why. If you think we need a disastrous second stimulus, you're the President, go and do it. The President's reluctance to lead--even on these three critical things where we Republicans are repulsed--will eventually do him in. People crave leadership and if I were a liberal, I would not be happy with the President for not burning the necessary political capital to pass my liberal agenda.

And...

I am happy to say that I am a Tea Party person. And so should every Republican. The tea party message is very simple and direct: fiscal responsibility, limited government, free markets. For those who wish to paint the Tea Party as a fringe movement, they haven't been to a rally or gathering. The simple message is grounded in the Constitution and in the principles that made our country the greatest superpower in history. The movement is focused on economic issues with a limited focus on the social issues. Social issues are an indispensable part the moral fabric of the GOP, but voting trends tend to prove that the straightforward economic principles espoused by the Tea Party movement will help us win elections. I go to the Tea Party events whenever I can. These folks are sometimes critical of the GOP. So what. I can take it. Sometimes they are right! More often than not, the Tea Party principles will be carried forth by Republicans.

And...

I follow Chad Ochocinco's tweets. The man is hilarious. He is an entertainer and I will admit to enjoying his nonsense.

And...

Responsible Republicans need to understand what is happening with the state budget. Our state is going broke. The shortfalls in the current budget can no longer be made up with the smoke-and-mirrors used by Gov. Strickland. The state needs to be turned upside down. Raising taxes and further driving commerce out of this state is the wrong answer. We need a bold and sweeping agenda focused on economic growth in Ohio. John Kasich has that agenda. Strickland is an abject failure.

And...

Have a nice weekend.

A New Day for the GOP

Congratulations to all the candidates who won races last night. Regardless of political party, public service is noble and people who subject themselves to the rigors of a campaign should be commended for putting themselves into the arena and working hard to serve the public.

We had a good night last night. Of course, there were some disappointments and that is to be expected with the number of races on the ballot. But overall there is reason for Republicans to celebrate and for us to be optimistic about the future.

I am pleased to say that for the first time in nearly a decade, the Republican Party elected three endorsed Republicans to the Cincinnati City Council. We did so during a period where the city is certainly trending against the GOP. This accomplishment can be credited to having two strong incumbents, Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel, and three great non-incumbent candidates including our newest member, Charlie Winburn. Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel have governed responsibly and have been taxpayer watchdogs on the council. The voters rewarded both of them by comfortably returning them to the city council.

Charlie Winburn returns to the council after a period out of politics. I am proud of Charlie Winburn. He is a dogged campaigner and fundraiser. His targeted campaign was exactly the right strategy and I am pleased that he will return to City Hall.

Our party was lucky to have George Zamary and Amy Murray on the ticket. Both Amy and George are tremendous people--and tremendous candidates. It is important to remember that Ghiz and Monzel both lost in their first campaigns for city council. I will work hard to be sure that we have not heard the last of George and Amy. They deserve the party’s special “thank you” for their campaigns and for their commitment to the city.

Our efforts also defeated appointed incumbent Democrat Greg Harris. Democratic member Laketa Cole also slid to 9th in the unofficial tally of votes. The defeat of the Democrats' hand-picked successor to Mr. Cranley and the severe slide by Ms. Cole is a real sign that the Democrats have failed the voters in the city and the voters noticed.

I am overwhelmingly proud of what we did in the Mayor's race. President Obama won election in Cincinnati with 76% of the vote. Dr. Brad Wenstrup, a person who has never before held elected office, nearly shocked the world last night. As I write today, Brad Wenstrup came to within 5500 votes of beating an incumbent city chief executive with a golden political name in a city full of Democrats. Brad Wenstrup garnered 46% of the vote by bringing together unions, disaffected African-American voters, moderates, and conservatives. His close finish demonstrates that the GOP is hardly "in the wildnerness" in the city of Cincinnati. We all now know who Brad Wenstrup is and what he is capable of doing. We have not heard the last of Brad.

In general, our strategy to field a short slate of five candidates and to run a strong candidate at the top of the ticket resulted in growing our numbers on the city council and having our two incumbents finish high in the order. By running a qualified and highly capable candidate for the high profile race of Mayor, we have a potential candidate for public office who now has the notoriety and political base to win into the future. We also have two experienced and energized new faces to the GOP in Zamary and Murray.

We also had two fine men running for the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. The GOP has not fielded candidates in those races for a long time and it was my strong belief that we should challenge in those races. Although not successful, Chris McDowell and John Banner changed the tone and the debate in those races and this should have a positive impact on how the CPS conducts business.

All things considered, we had a very good night in the city of Cincinnati.

I am most pleased to report that we did very well in the suburban communities that are such an important piece of the Hamilton County GOP. Our successes there were overwhelming.

In Colerain Township, first-time GOP candidate Dennis Deters finished first in the balloting and joins incumbent Jeff Ritter to round out our Republican majority. The Colerain Township election was highly competitive with a well financed and highly organized Democrat challenging for the open seat being vacated by Trustee Fiedeldey. We were able to maintain our majority by adding a new face to our elected ranks in Dennis Deters.

In Green Township, Tracy Winkler and David Linnenberg won reelection easily. The newest Trustee, David Linnenberg joins Tracy Winkler as an up-and-coming candidate with unlimited potential for the GOP into the future.

In Springfield Township, a place not as friendly to Republicans as it once was, Joe Honerlaw and Tom Bryan continue our Republican majority there. Tom and Joe denied a strong Democrat challenge in a difficult place for us.

In Symmes Township, we continue to keep a Republican majority with Jodie Leis George returning to the Board of Trustees.

In Norwood, the GOP now has a majority of city council having won critical races to return Norwood to Republican governance for the first time in many years. Our strong slate of candidates in Norwood included Jane Grote, Jim Stith, Michael Gabbard, Victor Schneider, Steve Thornbury, and Donna Laake.

In Cheviot, the GOP did not lose a race.

In Blue Ash, we did not lose a race.

We did very well in Deer Park, Reading, Mt. Healthy, North College Hill, Sharonville, Greenhills, Montgomery, Madeira, Evendale, Sycamore Township and other places that I may have failed to mention here.

In the end, we had a very strong election night locally and nationally. We held on to most of our seats and made a few gains along the way.

The future of the GOP will be defined by our ability to find, recruit, retain, and promote great candidates for public office. I want to lead a Republican Party that fields the best candidates in every race. I believe we lived up to that in 2009.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, candidates, donors and supporters who made Election Night 2009 go well. Now is the time to continue the momentum and continue the GOP comeback for 2010.

SPECIAL REPORT
Republican Voter Information

Polling Locations Have Changed! Check your polling location today The Hamilton County Board of Elections has consolidated many polling locations. Your polling location may have changed. To find out where you vote on Election Day, go to www.votehamiltoncounty.org and click on "Where Do I Vote?" Questions about polling locations should be directed to the Hamilton County Board of Elections at 513-632-7000.

Vote for Republican Candidates! Who are they? To find out who your Republican candidates are in this election, click here.

Suburban Elections Crucial to GOP Success Many great Republicans running across Hamilton County To find candidates running in great places like Norwood, Colerain Township, Anderson Township, Springfield Township, Blue Ash, and other great suburban communities, click here. There are many critical races, but let us highlight just a few: Colerain Township Jeff Ritter Dennis Deters Green Township Tracyl Winkler David Linnenberg Anderson Township Peggy Reis Albert Peter Symmes Township Kathy Wagner Jodie Leis Delhi Township Mary Brigham Mike Davis Springfield Township Tom Bryan Joe Honerlaw Miami Township Dan Blanton City of Norwood Click here for the Republicans. City of Blue Ash Click here for the Republicans. City of Cheviot Click here for the Republicans. To learn more specific information about who is the endorsed Republican, click here or call Republican HQ at 513-381-5454 with specific questions.

Vote 5 + Wenstrup to Change City Hall! Do NOT dilute your vote When voting for Cincinnati City Council, we urge you to vote for "Five and Stop." We have Five tremendous candidates running for city council. By restricting your votes to these 5, you give them "super-votes" by not helping other non-GOP candidates on the ballot. So, after you vote for Brad Wenstrup for Mayor, go to the city council part of the ballot and VOTE FIVE AND STOP! The Five and Stop Ballot is: Leslie Ghiz Chris Monzel Amy Murray Charlie Winburn George Zamary

Vote Chris McDowell for CPS Board of Ed!
The Hamilton County GOP has endorsed one candidate for the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. After all seven Board members supported the election of Barack Obama in 2008, we need some diversity on that Board. Chris McDowell is a tremendous candidate who will instantly become the most intelligent and qualified member of that Board when elected. Learn more about Chris at: www.mcdowellforschoolboard.com.

CPS Board of Education

In last Sunday's Forum section of the Enquire, the paper called for substantial change in the contract with the teachers' union. Despite this call for needed change, the Enquire ignored conservative pro-business candidates who will facilitated the change we need and instead endorsed a slate of three incumbents, whom the Enquirer is currently suing for holding improper closed door meetings, plus a pro-union candidate, Vanessa White. White, who pretends to be pro-business when talking with business leaders, had to be asked several times by Enquirer reporter Ben Fischer what her stance was on prevailing wage before she reluctantly confessed that she favors the current CPS pro-union policy of paying prevailing wage on building contracts.http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2009/10/30/vanessa-white-on-prevailing-wage/ The Enquirer's endorsement of 16 year incumbent Catherine Ingram is also troubling as she is endorsed by the same teacher's union that the Enquirer wants the Board to take a tough stance with. When will the Enquirer learn that if we are to have true change, we must vote for change. The Republican Party has endorsed a pro-kids, pro-business, candidate in Christopher McDowell. When elected to the Board next Tuesday, McDowell will put the interests of children and taxpayers ahead of special interest groups. This is why the Republican Party strongly endorses Christopher McDowell.

Guest Blog Posting by Mark Miller

Mayor Mallory has been obsessed with population numbers. Midway through his term the Census Bureau estimated that Cincinnati was losing population faster than any other US city. The Enquirer profiled thousands of people leaving for the suburbs, and all the reasons Cincinnati wasn't cutting it for them. Mallory's answer? Challenge the estimates.

He hired a consultant to do a "drilldown study" which substitutes convoluted statistical analyses for actual counting. The study miraculously "found" another 69,000 people, erasing the decline to put Cincinnati back on the list of growing cities.

Problem is that monkeying with estimates eventually catches up with you. Every 10 years the Census Bureau does an actual count of each and every person which is both exhaustive and final. So what will the 2010 census show? Was Mallory's paper exercise real or illusory?

Population counters start with addresses and determine how many people live at each address. So has the number of addresses gone up or down in four years? The number of dwelling units built has lagged those demolished for Mallory's entire term. And the city continues to wreck residences with reckless abandon.

How about dwellers within dwelling units, is it up or down? In Over-the-Rhine alone, 3CDC has systematically vacated and barricaded over 100 multi-family residential buildings. Building vacancies have seen a dramatic rise in every other neighborhood as well.

Even the number of restaurants and other food-service places licensed by the city declined from 2,525 in 2005 to 2,509 in 2008. As of September, that number is down to 2,429. Cincinnati Public Schools has seen a decline in enrollment which resulted in permanent closure and consolidation of several school buildings.

When you get right down to it, the only thing suggesting any growth in Cincinnati is Mallory's questionable "study". Everything else indicates he shrunk the city.

But Mallory hasn't completed his con job. With a record budget deficit, and the entire city under a hiring freeze, he insisted on hiring a "Census Coordinator" to put his spin on the upcoming federal count.

Do we really want another four years of this? Let's end this fiasco now, and elect a real mayor.

*This guest blog posting was submitted by COAST member Mark Miller.

Inevitable Democratic Tax Increase, Etc.

Democratic city councilwoman Laketa Cole has returned to Cincinnati after a her world travels and now is leading the charge to raise your taxes. That's rich. Ms. Cole took two weeks away during the election season to travel to Hawaii and then to Asia. We've blogged about that before. The process of raising your taxes is a little complicated to understand making it easier on Ms. Cole and the "Furlough Five" to do it without being caught. Let me explain. Every year since 2000, the Cincinnati City Council sets the millage rate to collect taxes at a level that will result in $28.9 million of taxpayer money coming into the city's coffers. Because of changing property values and other such variables, that millage rate is adjusted every year so that taxpayers are not taxed for more than the $28.9 million. This year, Ms. Cole is proposing to set the millage rate at a place where it will cost taxpayers more than the $28.9 million. That, folks, is a tax increase no matter how you explain it! Of course, they want to delay the vote until after the election so as not to have to explain to the voters why they are raising your taxes. Just Democrats being Democrats.

And...

Brad Wenstrup said this to me last week: "We're going to steal home." I believe him. His campaign has been a thing of beauty and his gentlemanly approach to leadership will carry the day. The GOP is not "in the wilderness" in this city and Brad's strong campaign is proof that we will fight everywhere to bring our ideas to government.

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Our west side fundraiser is set for tomorrow at the Western Hills Country Club at 5:30 p.m. It is not too late to participate and we hope to have you there. For more information, call Maggie at 513-381-5454 or e-mail her at maggien@hc-gop.org.

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I've been around the court system and in trial work long enough to spot a lie. The two pilots who overshot their destination city by 150 miles and who went silent on the radios for over an hour are lying about what was happening in that cockpit. The cover-up is always worse than the crime. Admit the wrongdoing and mitigate the damage. When will people learn?

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I went lit-dropping with Charlie Winburn over the weekend. Charlie's campaign is very organized, targeted, and scientific. Charlie has a political machine that is highly impressive. Charlie's team worked me--hard! It was great to be out on a crisp fall day going door-to-door. We were in a targeted precinct in Madisonville. Charlie is a super-high-energy campaigner and he left me in the dust. It was great to be out with our candidates and I intend to do it again.

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My response to the Enquirer editorial endorsement of the current Mayor was met with great support. Thanks to the many people who called, e-mailed, or otherwise got word to me with your positive thoughts.

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I voted yesterday. Betting my votes are not hard to guess. You can vote, too, at the Board of Elections right now.

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As much as I would like to think that next Tuesday, November 3, is the end of the campaign season--I know better. Most politicos know that Tuesday really marks the beginning of the 2010 campaign. We feel it every day. By the end of 2009, every major candidate for 2010 will have been to Cincinnati for a fundraiser and other events. Of course, Josh Mandel practically lives here!

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Cincinnati has two good football teams.

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Have a great Wednesday.

Wenstrup for Mayor

Vote 5 + Wenstrup

Election Day is only 8 days away. For those Republicans in the city of Cincinnati who wish to bring some sanity back to city government, we want to urge you to NOT dilute your vote by voting for non-Republicans.

How does this work? Every vote you cast for a non-Republican HURTS our Republican candidates in a field race by helping the non-Republicans finish as one of the top nine candidates. That's right, your vote for some of the non-Republicans (who sometimes sound like Republicans--but not often enough to receive our endorsement) dilutes your vote for Republicans and actually hurts our candidates. Every vote for a non-Republican is one more vote they get to finish in the top 9 and these candidates are all competing with our candidates for those top 9 spots. Don't dilute our limited Republican vote in the city.

Mayor -- Brad Wenstrup

Five Council Candidates:

Leslie Ghiz

Chris Monzel

Amy Murray

Charlie Winburn

George Zamary

So, we are urging every Republican in the city to:

Vote Wenstrup, then VOTE 5 AND STOP!

Enquirer Endorsements

The Cincinnati Enquirer published its endorsements yesterday. Congratulations to Amy Murray, Leslie Ghiz, and Charlie Winburn for receiving that recognition.

The Enquirer chose to endorse our current Mayor for a second term. That decision has drawn a response from the Hamilton County Republican Party. The letter I submitted via e-mail this morning is printed below.

Enquirer Made Wrong Choice in Mayoral Endorsement

The Cincinnati Enquirer did our community a disservice on Sunday with its endorsement in the Mayor’s race. As the GOP leader in this city, I am disappointed in the decision for obvious reasons. But the editorial board's basing its decision on criticism of the Republican candidate for his “gentlemanly” attitude does a disservice to the public and to our community for three reasons. First, it apparently advocates for a negative campaign from Dr. Wenstrup aimed at the Mayor. Second, it will certainly have a chilling effect on any person who wants to enter public service without what the Enquirer deems the requisite amount of “political” experience. Third, it demeans the public service of a Major in the United States Army who received commendations for his courageous and meritorious service.

Time and again, pundits and critics of politics take issue with the negative tone of political campaigns. When Dr. Wenstrup, a man of core decency, intellect, and integrity, decides to manage his campaign in a manner consistent with his professionalism--the Enquirer criticizes him for an “inability or unwillingness to sharply attack.” If politics is to ever change from “sharp attacks” and focus on the key issues, the Enquirer’s criticism of Dr. Wenstrup is nothing short of irresponsible.

Second, many fine people in the private sector look at politics and cringe at what they see. These successful, bright, and committed citizens see a political culture where “sharp attacks” and a failure to truly lead is rewarded. The criticism of Dr. Wenstrup for being “gentlemanly” will discourage any talented person who wishes to enter public life and do it professionally and respectfully.

Third, and bordering on being offensive, is the Enquirer’s assertion that Major Wenstrup may not be prepared for the “bare knuckles politics of City Hall.” On this point, one is left laughing. Dr. Brad Wenstrup won the Bronze Star Medal given to members of the armed services for bravery, acts of merit, and meritorious service in a war zone. He also was awarded the Combat Action Badge for his service in an area where there is hostile fire. Dr. Wenstrup served in an area where mortar fire would occasionally cause him to hit-the-deck and he routinely wore full body armor for protection. Yet, the Enquirer asks, “What could happen to him in the bare knuckles environment of city hall politics?” Is the Enquirer serious? Perhaps Brad will receive a paper cut from a sharply worded memo from a political foe. I think he’s up to the challenge.

What will Brad Wenstrup do when the “bare knuckles” of the childish backbiting begins at City Hall? He will draw on his real-life experience of persevering through much greater challenges to lead and to get the job done.

The current Mayor’s “get out of the way” style of leadership is recognized by many, but praised by none. Nevertheless, the Enquirer sees fit to offer him a second term at a time where our city faces enormous deficits and real challenges, and a vacuum of true leadership. The fact that it chose to do so while criticizing a man of valor, integrity and character for being a “neophyte” and a gentleman is regrettable.

The Enquirer missed a chance to encourage people to enter politics based on skills they bring from the private sector. I am concerned about the long term impact of getting good people into government as a result.

Alex M. Triantafilou
Chairman
Hamilton County Republican Party

Hawaii, etc.

Cincinnati City Council member Laketa Cole will spend the next couple of weeks in Hawaii and then South Korea and Vietnam. The Enquirer reports that here. Some people just make my job fun. Ms. Cole just did. First, let's be fair. This junket is not paid for by taxpayers. Surprisingly. Nevertheless, it is irresponsible and a little arrogant. It is irresponsible to be making a two-week journey halfway around the world when our city faces a growing deficit and looming job layoffs. Especially when you have been appointed to the most powerful chairmanship on the city council--the Finance Committee chairmanship. The trip is a little arrogant because this is the election season. Is Ms. Cole so comfortable in her position on the council that she doesn't feel the need to connect with the voters for two weeks during the final stretch of the campaign season? I'll concede that Ms. Cole is well positioned to win re-election. But, campaigns are important to the function of our democracy because they make our elected leaders go into the community and hear from the voters. My friends in this campaign tell me that the voters are deeply concerned about public safety and the financial state of the city. Ms. Cole should have stayed in the United States and listened to the voters. She's not consulting me on her travel schedule these days. Had she done that, I would've told her to go to Greece!

And...

Rob Portman had a great event at the Western Hills Country Club. The west side showed up big for Rob and that was great to see.

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Several GOP candidates received the ever-important Fraternal Order of Police imprimatur yesterday. Brad Wenstrup, Leslie Ghiz, Chris Monzel, Charlie Winburn, and Amy Murray all were recommended by the FOP for election to the council. Good work!

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The Hamilton County GOP is hosting two critical fundraisers in the coming weeks. Save these dates:

October 20, 2009 -- 5:00p - 7:00p -- Embers Restaurant

October 29, 2009 -- 5:00p - 7:00p -- Western Hills Country Club

We are having an Eastside-Westside challenge to see which part of Hamilton County can support the GOP the best. More information will follow on this blog. For more information on how to get in on the fun, contact Maggie Wuellner at maggien@hc-gop.org or 513-381-5454.

And...

President Obama is a rookie. Politically, we've seen it time and again. He's too smart to be this bad for long. The GOP needs to offer great ideas and great candidates. Counting on his continued stumbles is not an agenda for the future. We have these candidates and these ideas and I'm excited to see them emerge.

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Chris McDowell is running a great campaign for the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. He's a great man and a great candidate. The kids who attend city schools would be well-served by Chris McDowell on that board.

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We are actively seeking a speaker for our Lincoln-Reagan dinner for February. Finding a great speaker is always a challenge. We try to reach every major contender for President. We also try and get other GOP "celebrities." That process is ongoing.

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The Bengals are 3-1. A team can play well and lose. A team can play poorly and win. I'll take the latter.

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I'm proud of our candidates and our campaigns all across the county. We have great people running in places like Delhi, Springfield Township, Green, Colerain, Anderson, Symmes, Sycamore, Blue Ash, Sharonville and all over. People who care about their communities subject themselves to the rigors of a campaign and there is something noble about that. Many of these jobs are not glamorous, but they make up the fabric of our democracy and I'm always happy to see people willing to serve.

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Have a great Tuesday.

Sunday Funny

The "Furlough Five," etc.

The dysfunction created by the Democrats who control city government was the topic of a scathing Enquirer editorial over the weekend. The left-wingers who run city government have made a mess of things. Check out the editorial here.

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John Kasich is well on his way to unseating the highly unpopular Democratic governor of Ohio. The most recent Rasmussen Poll shows Kasich winning by 1 point (a "dead heat" race). Strickland's failure to lead on the critical issues facing Ohio has caused him to drop out of favor with voters. For those of us working with John Kasich, we know he is just the man to be governor during these difficult times. John has the personality, intellect, and independence to be a transformative force for the state. He has a tremendous campaign team and the momentum to win. I can't wait. Read the latest poll data here.

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Early voting started yesterday. Go vote today! For information about voting, click here. To see Republicans running in the city, click here. To see Republican officials in suburban offices, click here.

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Roman Polanski allegedly used drugs to seduce and then have sex with a 13 year old girl. Read his original grand jury indictment here. After a plea bargain, he was found guilty of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Before being sentenced, Roman Polanski fled the country and has remained a fugitive from justice. Every American who respects the law and our legal system should applaud the arrest of this CONVICTED criminal. Nobody is above the law in America. Mr. Polanski should have faced the Judge after his criminal conviction and his decision to flee the country should not be rewarded by our judicial system. Justice should be blind and I hope Mr. Polanski gets treated as any other convicted criminal would be treated. The penalty is up to the courts in California. A respect for the law is not a partisan issue and it concerns me that some are publicly criticizing this arrest. Mr. Polanski's decision to flee is reason enough to arrest him. The merits of the case against him and the events of the late 1970s are not the issue at this moment. His failure to appear in a courtroom is the issue. His abject failure to respect the legal process is the issue. For that failure, he deserves what he gets.

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Local restaurateur Jeff Ruby is a hero. Remember this when you spend your entertainment dollars. His recent criticism of the "furlough five" city council members who fail to make public safety our first priority is one reason to support him. His constant activism including fundraising for victims of crime is another reason.

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A very nice Bengals win on Sunday. Do you follow me on Facebook? I predicted the score within 1 point. I've made enough boneheaded sports predictions on this blog to justify my bragging a little today on me getting it right over the weekend on this call.

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I'm currently reading the George Stephanapoulos memoir, "All Too Human." The book is about Mr. Stephanapoulos' years working with President Clinton both on his campaign and in the White House. It is a great read for any political junkie. Although a little dated, the observations about politics and human frailty are timeless. I continue to believe that Stephanapoulos has made the transition from liberal political operative to fair-minded journalist. I may not be joined in that view by many in the GOP. I still believe it. Did I mention that he's Greek?

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Michael Moore is threatening Democrats who don't push for a complete government takeover of health care. Go Michael go!

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Things are quite busy at Republican HQ with the election approaching. We need your help! Get involved.

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Have a great Wednesday.