Now just for old times' sake, let’s take one more look at that cowboy hat...
Feel free to hum “Those Were the Days” (preferably the Mary Hopkin version) as you gaze lovingly upon the photo.
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Monday, January 8
Hasta la vista, Bobby!
by
Mike
on Mon 08 Jan 2007 09:50 PM EST
This morning at 12:00 AM, Ted Strickland was sworn in as Ohio’s new Governor. Over the course of the past 8 years, Republican Bob Taft has been a shining example of fiscal incompetence, unethical chicanery and all-around gubernatorial boobery. Even the conservative CATO institute had to admit that Bob was, quite simply, a miserable excuse for a chief executive. And let’s not forget this: Bob Taft led the way in making Ohio’s government the most corrupt state administration in the entire U.S. Thanks, Bob! We’ll miss you!
Now just for old times' sake, let’s take one more look at that cowboy hat... Thursday, November 16
Tuesday, October 24
Nikki Giovanni was right
by
Mike
on Tue 24 Oct 2006 10:52 PM EDT
If
you live outside of Ohio, you might have a hard time appreciating just
how dirty the politics have gotten as we approach the mid-term
elections. This year's round of political fighting has
included what is probably some of the most lurid and salacious
mudslinging in the history of modern politics and with just a few weeks
left to go, there's no sign of things getting better. The
Cincinnati Enquirer — a newspaper from a very conservative city, mind you — recently published a rundown of some of the more scandalous allegations from the recent campaigns for Ohio offices. But even this list doesn't include highlights (or are they lowlights?)
Like Mike DeWine's accusations that Sherrod Brown didn't pay his
unemployment taxes over a decade ago (which was later debunked by the
media) and DeWine's use of footage from the 9/11 attacks in his
negative campaign ads.
 And
then, there's what might well be the biggest story of all in Ohio's
2006 elections: As an uncanny climax of months and months all
sorts of drama and political intrigue, Kenneth Blackwell — the current
Republican candidate for Ohio Governor and current Secretary of State —
might soon have the opportunity to officially disqualify his opponent on what is virtually the very eve of the mid-term election.from Dayton Daily News: Republican
J. Kenneth Blackwell and Democrat Ted Strickland tangled on a wide
range of subjects Wednesday before Dayton Daily News reporters and
editors, but one issue dominated: Blackwell's role in the legal
challenge to Strickland's voting status.
On Tuesday, Monty Lobb, assistant Ohio secretary of state, instructed the Columbiana County Board of Elections to hold a hearing on a challenge filed Oct. 4 by Jacquelyn Long of East Liverpool. The county board tied 2-2 last week on whether to hear Long's challenge, which asserts that Strickland's actual residence is in Columbus, not Lisbon where he is registered to vote. Depending on how the hearing goes, Blackwell in his status as secretary of state could determine the issue. Just what's at stake is hard to say. (full article) What's at stake is actually very easy to say: It is basically the death of the electoral process in Ohio...and it's hauntingly similar to the complete failure of the national electoral process that we experienced in the 2000 elections. Of course, Ken Blackwell is somewhat of an expert in dirty politics, having personally delivered Ohio to Bush & Cheney in 2004. I am certainly no Ted Strickland booster (especially given his support of HR4437), but sometimes there is a very clear choice between the lesser of two evils. And Strickland is definitely the lesser of two evils this time around. Renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni had some harsh words for Blackwell at a recent public appearance in Cincinnati. Cincinnati media was really up in arms over her comments for a while, but Giovanni has (rightfully) refused to apologize. And why should she apologize for telling the truth, anyway? The fact of the matter is, Ken Blackwell has proven her assessment to be correct time and time again. Thankfully, Nikki is not one to back down, though, and she will continue to tell people what they need to hear, whether they want to hear it or not. Further Reading Ohio politics: Corruptus in Extremis greeklish.org Republican Ohio Secretary of State boasts about "delivering Ohio" to Bush from Raw Print Thursday, February 16
Ohio politics: Corruptus in Extremis
by
Mike
on Thu 16 Feb 2006 11:23 PM EST
 Speaking of schadenfreude, Coingate kingpin Tom Noe
was formally indicted on February 14. He was indicted on 53
felony counts which carry a combined maximum sentence of 172½ years in
prison. Happy Valentine's Day, Tom! From toledoblade.com
Let's not forget that Noe is also facing separate charges for funneling thousands into Ohio's Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. And whatever you do, make sure you don't confuse Tom Noe with Ohio Representative Bob Ney, who is under investigation over allegations that he accepted bribes from D.C. supercrook Jack Abramoff. Late last month, Ney announced he will run for re-election despite the swirling allegations of corruption and impropriety. Tell me, folks...Do we call that "chutzpah" or "audacity"? Hell, I just can't decide.
Further Reading The Noe Indictment (pdf) at toldeoblade.com Congressman Bob Ney Announces Re-election Plans from wtrf.com (Stuebenville, OH) Abramoff Plea Impacts Ney from onnnews.com Sunday, October 30
Coingate: One hand launders the other
by
Mike
on Sun 30 Oct 2005 08:58 PM EST
Most
people go to Florida for vacation or for retirement. Apparently,
it’s also a nice place to go to turn yourself in if you’re wanted on an
indictment.
Tom Noe, renowned sugar daddy of Ohio Republicans, surrendered to Florida authorities this week following his indictment on criminal charges. Although Noe is widely regarded as the architect of Ohio’s ongoing “Coingate” scandal, the recent charges are not related to his involvement in that particular matter. Instead, the charges stem from his coordination of a scheme involving financial contributions that he arranged for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. From ONNnews.com: Noe Surrenders
(posted October 29, 2005) Coin dealer Tom Noe made a name for himself in Ohio politics with the lavish dinners he bought for Republican power brokers and the big checks he wrote to GOP candidates. He became one of the state's top fundraisers and a friend to many, turning those connections into several political appointments. Now questions about how he raised money for President Bush's re-election campaign are the basis for a federal indictment that accuses Noe of illegally funneling $45,400 to the campaign through his friends and associates. Noe has turned himself over to authorities at the federal courthouse in Orlando, FL. Prosecutors say Noe wrote checks to his friends in the eight days leading up to a Bush fundraiser at a downtown Columbus hotel on Oct. 30, 2003. Noe's friends then made the campaign donations in their own names, skirting the $2,000 limit on individual contributions, the indictment said. "It's one of the most blatant and excessive finance schemes we have encountered," said Noel Hillman, section chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's public integrity section. [...] Noe is accused of arranging the contribution scheme to fulfill his pledge to raise $50,000 for the Bush fundraiser that took place just over a year before Ohio gave Bush the White House. Federal investigators also allege Noe made his friends and associates fill out contribution cards and forms falsely certifying they were making the contributions themselves. (full story) A prosecutor in the case has called this scheme one of the most “blatant and excessive” ever seen. At least nobody’s billing Noe as some kind of brilliant criminal genius. The real craftiness comes into play when you follow the money back to Noe... From ONNnews.com: Bush Fundraisers Rewarded
(posted October 30, 2005) Records show that thirty Ohio contributors to President Bush's re-election campaign have received more than one-point-two billion dollars in state and federal tax dollars for their companies and lobbying clients. Records that the Toledo Blade analyzed show the federal government has given those companies more than 447 million dollars in subsidies, contracts and other payments since Bush took office. Ohio has awarded them about 800 million dollars in the last six years. Some of the business leaders and lobbyists who raised money also were given political appointments. One of the 30 fundraisers was Tom Noe. He was charged Thursday with illegally funneling more than 45-thousand dollars in contributions to Bush. (full story) Does that mean that Bush has to give up the presidency because he had an unfair edge in Ohio? Nah...The worst thing that could happen is that Mr. Noe might briefly visit a minimum-security federal prison while his assets remain at large, gathering interest by the minute. Somebody's got to take one for the team and it look like it's Noe’s turn in the barrel. It sure seems like the Republicans are running out of dupes these days. Some of the most influential Republicans in both Ohio and D.C. are either under investigation or under indictment. Where do you go once you’re fresh out of fall guys? Monday, September 26
Coingate: Forgive and forget..and forget...and forget...
by
Mike
on Mon 26 Sep 2005 08:53 PM EDT
The
Ohio Ethics Commission is once again considering charges against Bob
Taft for his failure to disclose gifts he has received while in office.
(source) Taft’s office is still disclosing newly discovered
unreported gifts weeks after his conviction on ethics violations.
It's rather unlikely that these new disclosures will result in further
criminal charges, though. It seems as though it was wisely
crafted into Taft's plea agreement that he can't be penalized for any
other unreported gifts. Talk about a sweet deal, huh?
No word on what the newly discovered gifts are, but I'm guessing we can
rule out the possibility that they are “brain support” supplements. I
mean, if "Focus Factor" works as well as the TV ads say, then a few of
those babies would surely help Governor Taft recall each and every one
of the free golf outings, sporting event tickets, fancy dinners and
teddy bears he has received since becoming Ohio's Chief
Executive....And he might even remember where all of our BWC money
is! We can dare to dream, can't we? Monday, August 29
Coingate: Whoo-hoo! We're #1!
by
Mike
on Mon 29 Aug 2005 09:20 PM EDT
One night last week, I caught a bit of "NewsNight with Aaron Brown"
which featured a story on the ongoing Coingate scandal in Ohio.
The spot featured an interview with a Political Science professor who
declared that Ohio now has the most corrupt state government in the entire U.S.
That interview was followed by an interview with another PolySci
professor who indicated that the "dubious distinction" of "most
corrupt" typically goes to New Jersey, but he also conceded that Ohio
is gaining fast on that particular title. A handful of Ohio officials
and agencies are now at the center of a host of federal and state
investigations.
Speaking of investigations...Tom Noe, the former big-time Republican contributor and organizer turned persona non grata amongst his GOP cronies, is now starting to fight back against the Taft Administration's efforts to leave him twisting in the wind. Late last week, Noe's attorney indicated that Noe spoke directly with Taft regarding his rare coin investments with BWC funds as far back as May 2001. from toledoblade.com On
May 13, 2001, as they changed into business suits after showering in
the locker room of Toledo's Inverness Club after a round of golf, Tom
Noe told Gov. Bob Taft about the $25 million rare-coin fund he operated
for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, according to an account
released by Mr. Noe's attorney yesterday.
And Mr. Noe used the discussion to tell the governor "about his pending application for the second $25 million coin fund," the statement said. The bureau approved the second $25 million installment two months later - in July, 2001. (full article) Avid followers of the "Coingate" scandal will recall that Governor Taft has consistently claimed that he had no knowledge of Noe's use of BWC funds for rare coin investments prior to April 2005. Add to this that Toledo Blade has published the speech made by Governor Taft at Noe's 50th birthday party "roast" in 2004. At
one point in the roast, the governor joked about Mr. Noe's work as
chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, saying that a toll booth
would be named after him.
"When
you think about it, there are a lot of similarities between Tom and the
turnpike: He's always taking our $, he's as dense as concrete, he's as
slick as asphalt, and he's adding a third lane around his middle,"
Governor Taft read from a prepared text that includes his
hand-scribbled changes in the margins. "...By the way, can't you just
imagine Tom Noe out there in that booth collecting tolls - scrutinizing
each coin to determine its actual value and cutting deals for drivers
who buy some of his rare coins." (full article)
So that "April 2005" story seems less and less plausible now, doesn't it? The American Policy Roundtable and Ohio Citizen Action are leading the charge for Governor Taft's impeachment through their new web site MoveOnTaft.org. Interest is also shifting to Noe's fundraising work from when he was chairman of the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign in Northwestern Ohio. from wikipedia.com Noe
is currently being investigated by the FBI and the northern Ohio
attorney general with respect to possible violations of campaign
contributions laws in the run-up to the 2004 American election. The
investigation focuses in particular on a 2003 Republican fundraising
event for the Bush-Cheney campaign in Columbus, Ohio. The fundraiser
was a big success, raising almost $1.4 million for the campaign. Noe
helped to raise at least $100,000 and sponsored a table at the event.
At issue is the possibility that Noe reimbursed attendees of the event,
who were required to contribute to the campaign. In this way, Noe may
have effectively contributed well over the $2,000 limit that
individuals are allowed to contribute by law. (full article)
So who says politics makes strange bedfellows? This group seems to fit together quite nicely, don't you think? Saturday, August 20
Coingate: "Nolo contendere"
by
Mike
on Sat 20 Aug 2005 11:59 AM EDT
On
Thursday, Governor Bob Taft appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court
and tried to win back the respect of Ohioans. Mr. Taft did this not by entering a plea of guily but by pleading “no contest.” Is it the same thing? Well, not exactly...
From Legal-Explanations.com No Contest
n. Defendant’s court plea that he/she will not dispute the charge of a particular crime, also called nolo contendere. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt for the crime’s commission, but the judge will treat the plea as such and proceed to find the defendant guilty as charged. In cases that involve a potential lawsuit for damages by someone who was injured by criminal conduct, a no contest plea will be issued because it cannot be used as an admission of fault in the civil lawsuit. (full definition) Well, at the end of the day Governor Taft is still a convicted criminal whether he plead guilty or otherwise. The Governor was fined $4,000 and ordered to apologize to the people of Ohio. Now surely his apology to the people of Ohio was straightforward and sincere, right? Let’s see... From WashingtonPost.com Apology Statement From Ohio Gov. Bob Taft "I am here today to publicly apologize to the people of the State of Ohio for my failure to provide complete financial disclosure statements to the Ohio Ethics Commission as mandated by law. I accept total responsibility for my mistake, and I'm sorry. "As a public official, I am required to submit financial disclosure statements on a yearly basis listing the sources of gifts in excess of $75.00. My office had a system in place to ascertain the value of tangible gifts in order to report them as required. Regrettably, I did not establish an adequate system to monitor the value of golf outings and other social events. "As recreation, I have played many rounds of golf with friends and acquaintances. I paid for some of these outings, while others I did not. I have now confirmed that forty-five golf outings over a period of seven years exceeded $75.00 in value and therefore should have been reported on my financial disclosure statements. In addition, over the same period of time, six other social events and one gift were not disclosed. [...] "As Governor, I have made it clear that I expect all public employees to follow both the letter and the spirit of the ethics laws, and have demanded no less of myself. I have personally failed to live up to those expectations, as well as the expectations of the public, and I am disappointed in myself. I have a renewed commitment to correct the problems that contributed to this situation and have already taken steps to do so. "Words are not adequate to express the remorse that I feel personally for the embarrassment that I have caused to my administration and to this great state. I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology to my family, friends, staff members, and all those who have supported me. Most importantly, I want to apologize to the citizens of Ohio. I hope you will understand that my mistake, though serious, was not a purposeful one and hope and pray that you will accept my heartfelt apology and allow me the opportunity to restore your trust." (full article) So Ohioans are left with no admission of guilt and the continued assertion that the whole affair was nothing more than a series of innocent, well-intentioned mistakes. Is this how plain folks “take full responsibility” or is this particular method reserved for fancy elected-types? We'd certainly like to say this is the end of the whole sordid tale, but there's still the matter of the missing $12 million of Ohio taxpayer money that has yet to be resolved. Afterall, it is "Coingate" we're talking about here, not "Golfgate." Wednesday, August 17
Coingate: The People vs. Bob Taft
by
Mike
on Wed 17 Aug 2005 10:52 PM EDT
Franklin
County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien is finally putting the screws to Governor
Bob Taft (a.k.a. the great-grandson of former President William Howard
Taft).
From CNN.com: Prosecutor: Ohio governor to be charged with 4 misdemeanors
Taft won't resign, spokesman says COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Gov. Bob Taft will face misdemeanor charges for not reporting golf outings paid for by others, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Taft, a second-term Republican and member of a distinguished U.S. political family, would be the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime. If convicted of the four misdemeanors, he could be fined $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail on each count, though time behind bars was considered unlikely. Taft will be charged later Wednesday, said City Prosecutor Stephen McIntosh, who declined to comment further pending an afternoon news conference. The governor will respond publicly on Thursday and is not planning to resign, spokesman Mark Rickel said. (full story) Now, who would have thought such a thing could happen? I mean, if the television show "Bonanza” taught us anything, it’s that the good guys are the handsome fellows in the white cowboy hats, right? Um...Come to think of it, Little Joe’s hat was black, wasn't it? Onward... From toledoblade.com The
charges are the result of a two-month investigation by the Ohio Ethics
Commission into the governor’s alleged infractions. Although time
behind bars in considered unlikely, the charges could lead to Mr.
Taft’s impeachment under the Ohio Constitution. (full story)
Here’s a quick look at some text from the Ohio State Constitution concerning impeachment: § 2.23 Impeachments; how instituted and conducted
The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment, but a majority of the members elected must concur therein. Impeachments shall be tried by the senate; and the senators, when sitting for that purpose, shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators. There’s more in there, but that’s really the gist of it. As my European friends might say..."Not bloody likely.” In Ohio's House of Representatives, the Republicans hold 60 seats to the Democrats' 39 seats. In the Ohio Senate, the Republicans hold 22 seats and the Democrats hold 11. Taft can (and probably will) keep his position as Governor regardless as to whether he is convicted or he pleads out. Tomorrow morning, Governor Taft will appear in Frankin County Municipal Court to answer the charges against him. Let’s try to remain optimistic about all this...This could be the start of a whole new era for Ohio. Once we have a convicted criminal as our Chief Executive, we can start to make all kinds of changes. How about changing our state song to a gangsta rap song? And maybe our new state flower could be the Opium Poppy. As for our state motto...instead of “With God all things are possible,” we could change it to “With BLING BLING all things are possible.” It could happen, you know. And then everyone in America would wish they had Bob Taft as their governor. Even Californians would be jealous.  Friday, July 29
Coingate: When the writ hits the fan
by
Mike
on Fri 29 Jul 2005 10:54 PM EDT
Y'know, you could really spend a lot of time sifting through all the Coingate coverage from ONN and Toledo Blade.
The really amazing thing is that each new development brings with it a
twist or turn that you might not have seen coming. Take, for
example, the case of Ohio's Attorney General Jim Petro, who is now
facing the possibility of a contempt hearing before the Ohio Supreme
Court...
From ONN.com: Attorney
General Jim Petro has been given until Monday to explain to the Ohio
Supreme Court why he should not be held in contempt for not complying
with its order to release coin investment records requested by a Toledo
newspaper.
The newspaper had asked the court to enforce its July 13 order that the state release transaction and business records from Tom Noe's now-closed coin funds. Petro has about 120 boxes of records seized from Noe, whose handling of a $50 million state investment in rare coins sparked the investment scandal. (full story) Just for the record, Petro will be appearing before the same justices who have declined to recuse themselves despite alleged conflicts of interest regarding campaign contributions which they received from Governor Taft. The ONN article goes on to note that Petro has already released 3 boxes of records, but that the AG's office is "reviewing" further documents before they are released, because Petro is "shielding documents necessary for the criminal investigation." Like Mr. Taft, Jim Petro is a Republican. He plans to run for governor in 2006, as Taft has now met his two-term limit. Governor Taft is doing some "shielding" of his own these days as well. He has released a handful of internal reports related to BWC (portions of some documents have been blacked out), although a substantial amount remain under wraps. According to Governor Taft, he claims he "needs to shield the records to govern effectively." Govern effectively? There's a joke in there somewhere, but it's just too easy, folks. And then there's this.... From ONN.com: The
Franklin County prosecutor says ethics charges have been filed against
Governor Taft's former top aide and an assistant to the aide.
Prosecutor Ron O'Brien says he and Columbus city prosecutors jointly filed one misdemeanor charge each against Brian Hicks and Cherie Carroll. The charges accuse them of accepting a condo stay and dinners from a Republican Party donor who also won a state investment contract. (full story) And just who was that "Republican Party donor who also won a state investment contract," you ask? Why it was none other than Tom Noe, of course! But maybe you saw that one coming after all.  |
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