Blade Slices

Did Wurzelbacher err in saying Obama dad and mom were reds?

Of all the assertions made in Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher's recent epistle to the Christian Broadcasting Network about Barack Obama's religion, one that didn't sound true to a lot of readers was that Obama's parents were "communists."

PolitiFact Ohio searched the literature on the subject, including reviewing the Web sites flagged by Wurzelbacher's campaign manager, Reece Collins, and concluded it was "false."

A scholar was interviewed by PolitiFact:

Harvard University historian James T. Kloppenberg, who wrote a 2010 book on Obama’s intellectual roots called "Reading Obama: Dreams, Hope, and the American Political Tradition," says he’s confident that Obama’s parents were not communists.

"Obama’s mother was left of center, as was his father," Kloppenberg wrote in an email. "But I found no evidence to indicate that either of them ever affiliated with any Communist movements."

Here's the link to PolitiFact's report.

Wurzelbacher is running in the Ohio 9th Congressional District against incumbent U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo).

Are job-training claims on the level?

A reader expressed skepticism to me about whether the job-training program at Lorain County Community College that drew President Obama's interest recently was really as effective as claimed.

The 18-week program, helping displaced workers learn some high-tech machining skills, was said to have a 90-percent placement rate for its graduates within three months.

"It just sounds too good to be true," emailed my correspondent.

I emailed the president of the college, Roy Church, and asked for more information.

His reply offered additional context, but didn't answer all my questions, so I have replied to President Church seeking more documentation, if there is any. When I get it, I'll pass it along.

Dear Mr. Troy,
 
In bulleted format, here is information that I believe will answer your question regarding the placement rate and our Transformations program.
 
·         Our program was originally designed and developed through a grant from the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education in 1989, the model has been utilized for dislocated worker programs as well as customized incumbent worker programs. The 18 week Transformations Program combines broad-based education with specialized technical skills, generating a program that can be implemented as credit, non-credit credit, or a combination of both.  The program takes a holistic approach to education and training incorporating assessment, education, counseling, job search skills, and job placement.

 
·         The Transformations Program generates an educated workforce for industry based on actual job requirements.  Many models have been generated based on industry requirements in areas of Computerized Numerically Controlled Machining (CNC), A+ Certification (IT), Robotics and Automation, A.W.S. Certified Welding Programs, and company specific training programs.

 
·         The placement rate applies to graduates of the Transformation Program, and in particular the Transformation CNC Machining program

 
·         Since the program’s inception, thirty-four (34) groups of dislocated workers have graduated from the Transformations Program for a total of 400+ students.

 
·         The Workforce Investment Act sets outcome measures for those serving job seekers who receive training dollars for short-term training to be able to secure employment.  The target is 90 days, or 3 months. This is why we cited that benchmark.

 
I am glad you enjoyed your trip to our campus.
 
 
Roy A. Church|President
Lorain County Community College
1005 North Abbe Road|Elyria, OH 44035
t:  440.366.4050| f: 440.366.4150|e: rchurch@lorainccc.edu

State rep asks for ethics probe against ex-Treasurer employee

More trouble for the state Treasurer as he forges ahead with his quest to unseat incument Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown:

State Rep. Matt Lundy (D., Elyria) has asked for an ethics investigation into whether a former employee of Republican Treasurer of State Josh Mandel has violated rules against lobbying one's former employer.

Attached is Lundy's three-page letter that he says he submitted to the Ohio Ethics Commission.

Download Lundy_Letter_to_Ohio_Ethics_Commission

The letter centers on Joel Riter, who was hired by Mr. Mandel in January, 2011, left the office as Constituent and Executive Agency Liaison in June, 2011, and began lobbying the treasurer's office on behalf of an investment firm. State law prohibits a former government employee from lobbying one's former employer on matters that involved the former employee for a year.

Mr. Riter told The Columbus Dispatch that he had clearance for his lobbying activities. He said that he got an opinion from the Ohio Ethics Commission that said he could represent financial institutions before the treasurer’s office as long as it did not involve matters he personally participated in while employed by the office.

Here's the opinion letter to Mr. Riter:

Download Ethics Commission letter to Joel Riter

Lundy says in his complaint that he thinks Riter's lobbying may have overlapped the subjects he worked in as a treasury employee:

 

Romney's big empty space

Mitt Romney used a factory shuttered during the term of the last Republican President to make his argument that President Obama has mishandled the economy for his campaign stop in Ohio on Thursday.

 

The scene, in Lorain, was the National Gypsum Co. factory, a mammoth structure where gypsum wall board - also known as Sheetrock and drywall -  was once made.

My story in Thursday's Blade is here.

Obama campaigned the previous day in Elyria, also in Lorain County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's something politically attractive about Lorain, because both Obama and Romney campaigned there this week.

And, the county sits in the middle of the Ohio's 9th District, which is going to be hotly contested between incumbent Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) and Republican Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher of Springfield Township.

(For fairness' sake will we have to give Kaptur a nickname, maybe "The Saint"?)

 

Obama contrasts wealth in veiled dig

President Obama slipped a little dig against his Republican opponent into his speech at Lorain County Community College on Wednesday.

Hard to read it any other way.

Obama was speaking about a worker-retraining program helping adult students in Elyria re-tool to find jobs after being laid off or not being able to find a job in economically hard-hit Lorain County.

In describing his vision of a country in which everyone is responsible for themselves, but also gets help from those who went before them, Mr. Obama said this:

"Somebody gave me an education.  I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.  Michelle wasn’t.  But somebody gave us a chance -- just like these folks up here are looking for a chance." 

The apparent veiled reference to the wealthy Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann Romney, prompted this response, when requested, from Romney spokesman Ryan Williams:

“After three failed years in office President Obama cannot run on his abysmal economic policies and he will do and say anything to distract from his record of higher taxes, record deficits and skyrocketing gas prices. Ohio voters are smart enough to see through the President’s dishonest attacks and they are ready to replace him with a successful businessman like Mitt Romney who can turn around our economy.”

The President was introduced at Lorain County Community College by 34-year-old student Bronson Harwood of Vermilion who said he was getting a chance at a career in high-tech machining thanks to a Workforce Investment Act grant that was paying for an 18-week course at Lorain.

Obama campaign opens Defiance office

The Barack Obama campaign has opened a new field office in northwest Ohio - this one in Defiance.

The office is at 608 Clinton St., and the opening was held Tuesday night, bringing to 17 the number of Obama field offices that are up and running in "battleground" Ohio.

Those other locations are Mentor, Lima, Northern Hamilton County, Bowling Green, Toledo, Beavercreek, Youngstown, New Philadelphia, Athens, Cincinnati, Parma, Columbus, Middletown, Dayton, Chillicothe and Shaker Heights.

The Obama campaigns claims the "the strongest grassroots organization of any candidate going forward in Ohio."

Obama's strategy in 2008 of opening county offices even in traditionally Republican areas helped him win the state on Election Day. (That and the fact that he campaigned in Ohio a lot). In 2004, Democrat  John Kerry got 38 percent of the vote in Defiance County against President George Bush. In 2008, Obama got 45 percent i Defiance County, a net gain of 2,414 votes over four years earlier. Obama carried Ohio by 262,224 votes.

Bennett replaces DeWine at head of GOP

Like the Ohio Democratic Party two days earlier, the Ohio Republican Party has overcome an internal leadership dispute.

The party's central committee met Friday at the Airport Embassy Suites in Columbus to unanimously reinstate Bob Bennett as chairman. Bennett, to whose name is permanently attached the label "longtime chairman," was tapped to replace Kevin DeWine, who stepped down under pressure from Gov. John Kasich.

Bennett said he plans to seek a full term in January, 2013, to run the party during Kasich's re-election bid. He said one of his jobs will be to groom a successor.

Critics of DeWine - who presided over one of the most successful Republican elections on record in 2010 - said he was not on Kasich's side in 2010 and focused too much on re-electing loyal central committee members and not enough on promoting Republican candidates and values.

DeWine was elected to be the party's male national Republican committee member.

 

Here Bennett takes questions from the news media as communications director Christopher Maloney looks on.

 

 

Chris Redfern re-electeed state Dem. chairman

COLUMBUS - Chris Redfern was re-elected to a fourth full term as chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party Wednesday, overcoming challenge by Tony Giardini of Lorain County. http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2012/04/11/Redfern-re-elected-as-Ohio-Democratic-Party-chairman.html (will be updated Thursday)

Here are Toledo-area Ohio Democratic Party Central Committee members Tom Galloway and Mike Friedman, who joined the majority pro-Redfern vote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redfern said some might think his choice of a pink tie is arrogant. "I can't apologize for who I am," Redfern said. (Some private sector labor leaders said Redfern didn't respect them.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Democratic Party met in its regular meeting hall in Columbus, which proved cramped space for the 66 central committee members as well as the spectators and news media who attended as well.

Bennett getting back in the saddle, in letter to GOP committee

In a letter mailed to all 66 newly elected (or re-elected) members of the Ohio Republican Party Central Committee, Bob Bennett indicated that he is ready to return to leadership.

Bennett, who chaired the party from 1988 to 2009, has been tapped to replace Kevin DeWine, who gave in to pressure from Gov. John Kasich and announced Wednesday that he will resign effective April 13. That's the date of the next state GOP central committee meeting.

"During the past few weeks I have been approached by many of you to ask if circumstances required a new chairman would I be willing to step forward and again lead the committee between now and the election as well as preparing for and implementing the process of choosing and electing a permanent chairman.

"Although I am certainly not seeking another career as chairman, I do understand the urgent need to bring all of us together for the huge task ahead," Bennett wrote.

He said the party needs to regroup to build a grass-roots campaign to elect the party's presidential nominee, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel to the U.S. Senate, and the slate of Congressional and Statehouse candidates.
 
"That same attention to our grass roots also needs to sustain support for Governor John Kasich and his innovative programs and successful efforts to restore Ohio jobs and strengthen our economy," Bennett wrote.
 
He served nearly 21 years as chairman -said to be the longest-serving state Republican Party chairman in the U.S. - and was succeeded in 2009 by DeWine.

"I look forward to working with you and hope I can count on your support as we move forward.  Once again, congratulations on your election to the Ohio State Central and Executive Committee; and please do enjoy my best wishes for a very happy and healthy Easter and Passover holiday," Bennett said.

Toledo-area members of the central committee are Jon Stainbrook and Meghan Gallagher of the 11th Senate District and Dee Talmage and Mark Wagoner (Sr.) of the 2nd district.

DeWine said he stepped down to avoid a "party-splitting dispute."

Bennett is being asked to stay on through the Nov. 6 election.

Bennett, of Cuyahoga County, left party leadership after the party was rocked by the Tom Noe scandal in Lucas County. Noe was convicted of stealing state funds that were invested with him in rare coins and for making illegal campaign contributions to the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. In 2006, the party lost the U.S. Senate seat and every Republican statewide seat except for auditor.

The party roared back in 2010, sweeping all the statewide offices, as well as the U.S. Senate seat. But some were not satisfied with DeWine's performance and backed Kasich's effort, starting shortly after his election in 2010, to oust him.

 

Giardini sticking with Redfern challenge

(UPDATING WITH LETTER BARRING SECRET BALLOT VOTE)

Tony Giardini, the new chairman of the Lorain County Democratic Party, said he's pushing ahead with his challenge of Chris Redfern, of Ottawa County, for state chairman.

He told The Blade Monday he doesn't believe Redfern's letter of support signed by 48 members of the 66-member state central committee is all it's made out to be.

Giardini, 60, said he's talked to - or knows of - nine or 10 signatories to that letter who didn't know they were taking sides against him.

"They didn't even know I was running, and they didn't know Chris Redfern was running for state representative," Giardini said.

The state central committee is expected to meet week for the biennial reorganization. The committee members were elected on March 6 - two from each of the state's state Senate districts.

The Toledo-area committee members are Thomas Galloway and Margaret Mary Murray of Senate District 2 (which includes most of Fulton County, Wood County, and western Lucas County), and Michael Friedman of Senate District 11, which includes Springfield Township, Maumee, Toledo and all of eastern Lucas County.

The seat for a woman in Senate District 11 is vacant because the incumbent, Sarah Weglian, withdrew from the ballot too late for someone to replace her. Alex Huguelet, chief deputy for Toledo Municipal Clerk of Courts Vallie Bowman English, is expected to get the appointment, in time to vote for chairman.

Friedman is a vocal supporter of Redfern and plans to be the one to put  Redfern's name in nomination. Friedman has also let it be known by way of email to Giardini that the Democratic Party's constitution and bylaws require a voice vote, not a secret ballot.

Giardini said Friedman's email went on to say that a voice vote is "Democratic way" while a secret ballot is the "Republican way."

Giardini said he thinks a secret ballot should be employed when there is a contest and when some people might fear retaliation if they cast a vote against the incumbent in public.

(However, the party's rules expressly prohibit secret ballots in this kind of situation, for the reason that the committee members are representatives, and their constituents should be able to know how to vote. Here's the Democratic rule Download OH Secret Ballot Letter 4.2.12.)

(Would have been interesting if the Republicans had this same rule when the state central committee held a secret ballot vote on Feb. 3 to adopt a policy tightening up the rule about who can serve on the state central committee. The rule passed 29-28, but the state central committee members, all of whom are elected by Republican voters, were allowed to cast secret ballots.)

Friedman said that, "if you can't support the person you believe in then you shouldn't be on the committee."

Giardini was elected Lorain County chairman last week in a unanimous voice vote. He said he didn't request a secret ballot because there was no opposition. And he said the committee passed a resolution endorsing his bid for state chairman.

Giardini said he's running against Redfern with the backing of some private sector unions.

He said opposition to Redfern's re-election stems from the defeat of all the party's statewide nominees in 2010, including then-Gov. Ted Strickland, and the fact that he's running to return to the state House of Representatives, a job he left in 2009 because of term limits.

He acknowledged there's some grumbling because Redfern seems to be backing Strickland for a re-election effort in 2014 against Richard Cordray, who lost election in 2010 election for attorney general and is now head of the new federal consumer protection agency.

"There's definitely an undercurrent that exists," Giardini said. "The only thing I have told people who’ve rased that issue, if it were me that process would be as open as I want this process to be, and nobody shud be penalized for seeking our party’s nomination for any state office."

"I have concerns about a rematch between Governor Strickland and Governor Kasich, and I was his coordinator in Lorain county," Giardini said.