Blackwell Visits Lima and other related News

Blackwell first came for a press conference, a fund raiser and then a gathering in Shawnee. His message was on target. Conservative, optimistic and presented a future of opportunity for Ohio. One leaves with the impression that Blackwell is the heir apparent in Ohio for the leadership of the Reagan Conservatives. It is an opportunity that needs to be made more available for folks to hear.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand just how badly Taft has hurt the Republican party in Ohio. There are those out there ready to ditch the Republicans just for the sake of change. Yet if they can hear what Blackwell stands for they will begin to see that Blackwell is for change. A positive change of leadership and direction in Ohio.

So it was disappointing to hear that the debate between Blackwell and Strickland was cancelled. Yet Northwest Ohio has seen the campaign more just in the last few weeks than the entire campaign showing just how much the race is heating up.

One of the conferences was to announce the support of reopening the Lima Correctional Institute which was closed by Taft in what was seen as political payback than financial.

Earlier during a stop in Lima, Mr. Blackwell called for a reopening of the Lima Correctional Institution, which held 2,200 inmates before it closed in 2004.

Meanwhile there seems to be some confusion over Stricklands label. One news source wasn’t sure how to label Strickland.

He is a generally reliable supporter of abortion rights, but he backed a ban on so-called partial-birth abortions and was among a minority of Democrats last year to vote for House legislation barring transportation of underage girls across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental notification.

He picked a fervent gun-control advocate as his gubernatorial running mate, but he consistently votes in Congress against gun-control measures and is regularly endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

He voted against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but for an amendment barring desecration of the American flag. He typically votes with a majority of Democrats against President Bush-backed tax cuts, but he broke with most in his party to support a GOP-authored bill making it tougher to escape debt through bankruptcy.

After six terms in the U.S. House, five consecutively after a comeback from his 1994 loss after one term in office, Rep. Ted Strickland, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, leaves a long trail of votes for Ohioans to scrutinize.

But even the news source identifies Strickland, Kucinich and Brown.

Last year, for example, Strickland’s liberal rating was 71.8 percent, meaning his voting record was more liberal than nearly 72 percent of all House members, Democrats and Republicans. But Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Cleveland, and Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, who is running for Senate, got 93.7 percent and 84.2 percent liberal ratings, respectively.

So let me get this. Strickland might be conservative because of a few votes on some issues while over all he is just slightly less liberal than Kucinich. Sounds like there is no confusion that Strickland will be most likely to support 70-80 percent of legislation and policies that are liberal. This is a change?

Compare the ratings by the National Journal.

Michael ‘Mike’ DeWine Republican 29
George V. Voinovich Republican 30
Michael G. Oxley Republican 30
Ted Strickland Democrat 71
Sherrod C. Brown Democrat 89

People want change but they should keep in mind which direction they want change. People don’t like the policies of Taft. Do they want more of Taft like policies and even worse? Or would they prefer more conservative men and women in office who will vote like they talk instead of talk like they might vote in order to get elected?

If Ohio puts the liberals in charge then they will only get what they voted for. Liberal records with worse policies than we have had in the Taft administration. There are not enough Blackwell type candidates. Ohio needs to take the opportunity to let him have a real shot at changing the culture of Ohio’s government and economy.

Tags: Conservative, Marriage Expansion, Ohio