Columbus Dispatch: Ohio’s inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the state child-support computer system for information on “Joe the Plumber.” Helen Jones-Kelly, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed today that she OK’d the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher following the Oct. 15 presidential debate. She said there were no political reasons for the check on the sudden presidential campaign fixture though the Support Enforcement Tracking System. Amid questions from the media and others about “Joe the Plumber,” Jones-Kelley said she approved a check to determine if he was current on any ordered child-support payments.

Democrats won't care about this at all – which was also at least the 4th time state computers were used to access his information. To them, the fact that Joe was just asking a question and might hurt their Lord in his run to the White House means that he is to be torn down and smeared right away. The means are justified. They are just doing us a public service. That is really how they think. By the way, as we know by now, Joe's kid lives with him. So who would he owe money to? Himself?

Oh, and Helen Jones-Kelley has maxed out to Obama. Governor Strickland, according to his spokesman, is "satisfied that there are no political overtures to the check on Wurzelbacher (Joe)." Yep. Sure. Move along, nothing to see here.

Joe the Plumber may turn into Joe the Litigant. Jones-Kelley will probably get a promotion to another department when the election is over. Or maybe a position with HHS in an Obama Administration.

Did this happen in Cuyahoga County too?

Unrelated: What is Bill O'Neill talking about? Last time I checked, Steve LaTourette voted against the bailout. Twice. Bill O'Neill was for it. The bailout money in part was used to buy National City Bank and kill Cleveland jobs. I don't get how his own press release in any way helps O'Neill.

While I was gone, this story was front and center, so I know I missed the boat. Anyhow…

AP: Ohio Republicans are trying to scare newly registered voters by filing lawsuits that question their eligibility, the state's Democratic governor said today.

Gov. Ted Strickland also accused the GOP of trying to distract voters from real issues.

"In the last few days the Republicans have tried to instill fear in Ohio voters about whether their registrations to vote will be challenged and whether they will be able to cast a ballot," Strickland said at a news conference with other Democratic leaders, including U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman.

I can't speak for anyone but myself, it would be great if everyone voted. It is actually kind of sickening that so many people don't. Truly. I also don't see what the big deal is about making sure registered voters who live in Ohio (and everywhere) and vote are actually eligible to legally vote. Is it really "scare tactics?" About 200,000 of the 666,000 who have registered this year have some sort of discrepancy. It is not unreasonable to look into that.

If you are a legal voter, you shouldn't be scared to show up and vote. Democrats could not make me "fearful" of showing up no matter what they did. You should be fearful of showing up if you are participating in some sort of scam. Like these people. What is wrong with verification of the votes? I would guess most legitimate voters wouldn't want their vote canceled led out by a false one. I don't so much worry about people who shouldn't showing up on Nov. 4 to vote, but I do worry about them requesting absentee ballots and voting that way.

ORP statement here.

Speaking of Ted, he will be (according to BSB) in Florida tomorrow at some sort of fake economic conference tomorrow with Obama. Also there will be Michigan's Jennifer Granholm. Those are two people who have shown how to create jobs right there.

Congressman Louis Stokes had appointed Tubbs Jones to fill his Congressional seat and before he gave his remarks he took a moment to say that he thought he would never see the day when the nominee of his party for president would be an African-American. The room stood to applaud. It was such a powerful moment and complimented the tribute that Congressman Stokes went on to give about how Tubbs Jones had broken down so many barriers in her own career.

The whole event was like a highlight reel for a class in public speaking. The tributes were short and very sincere. I was thankful to get to listen through C-span and learn about a historic career and the legacy left behind.

A couple more VP notes, then I am done talking about this whole subject until Friday (or Thursday if leaked) when we know McCain's running mate. Can McCain still pick Romney? I argue the Biden pick makes it less likely it will be Romney but who knows – he still has a decent shot. I also thought Obama would pick Clinton. Bill Kristol still making the push for Lieberman, something I am fine with, which isn't the case of most right wing bloggers. After thinking about it last night, if not Clinton, Obama's best pick would have been Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

Okay. I am nervous. Despite our recent comeback in the polls, these two convention weeks have scared me for the last few months. Now they are here. Who knows what kind of bounce Obama is going to get, but we all assume it will be bigger than Kerry's, which was none. I'll let you in on a not so secret secret: We are bracing for a huge Obama bump this week, one that hopefully does not come to fruition. Hillary's speech is a key, though I am skeptical that anything she says will move some of her die hard supporters towards Obama. Tough spot for her; clearly wants Obama to lose but can't be seen as being against him. The ones that are going to "come home" will start showing up in the polls with their reluctant support for Obama in the next couple of weeks. After that, I have long argued the true undecideds will break for McCain in surprising numbers. If you haven't decided to vote for Obama by the middle of September, chances are you won't. McCain just has to stay within striking distance headed into the debates.

Possible silver lining: Obama playing right into the celebrity charge by giving his acceptance speech at the stadium between performances by Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. The coverage will be embarrassing. The public reaction will be interesting, and there will be some backlash to the fawning coronation coverage. The question is how much.

The GOP Convention is the one that really scares me. That is next week. But now it is show time in Denver. On paper, things look good for the Democrats. They usually do.

Free advice to Democratic Convention attendees: Because of the high altitude in Denver, be sure to exercise caution when consuming alcoholic beverages. It will hit you quicker than you think.

Update. Washington Post: Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is the latest supporter of Hillary Clinton to accuse the media of bias in its coverage of the Democratic nomination battle.

At a dinner with Washington Post reporters and editors, Strickland called the coverage "almost shocking at times" and unfair it the treatment of both candidate Clinton and her husband, the former president.

Hmmm. Well, certainly it is true.

Governor Strickland announces he is opposed to Issue 4, aka "The Healthy Families Act." First saw this tonight at Glass City Jungle. PD has it as well.

Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said they will not back the sick days mandate that has been pushed to the November ballot by one of their major union supporters, the SEIU.

“We cannot support the paid sick-day ballot initiative,” they said in a joint statement. “While we would hope that all Ohio businesses would make paid sick days available to their employees whenever possible, we believe that this initiative is unworkable, unwieldy and would be detrimental to Ohio's economy, and we will be opposing it and asking Ohioans to oppose it as a result.”

If Strickland and Fisher (Lt. Gov. / Director of Development / Future Statewide candidate, office unknown) cannot reach a compromise with their allies on this one, then that tells you a lot. Voters will be asked this November to approve Issue 4. Basically, the ballot issue will force companies with 25+ employees to give all their employees seven days of paid sick leave each year.

This is a big vote. By many accounts it would not be helpful to the already struggling Ohio economy. Common sense would tell you the same thing. Issue 4 is a ballot initiative also in part to drive up Democratic turnout. That is how the game is played, so I can't complain. We did the same thing in 2004 with the gay marriage stuff on the ballot.

The Governor's decision was a surprise, at least to me. Strickland seems to be putting the best interest of the state above politics, upsetting unions and many other of his supporters who want this passed – with his backing. Of course, he also agrees (based on his statement) with those who feel it would be a job killer and he wants to be able to say "I opposed Issue 4" if it passes and Ohioans turn against it. 2010 is not too far off. A required seven paid sick day policy for all of Ohio businesses with more than 25 employees is probably not helpful at this time and Governor Ted wants to be on what he feels will be the right side of the record.

Dale Butland, Communications Director for Ohioans for Healthy Families, issued the following statement: "But the Governor need not fear that our campaign will portray Ohio as unfriendly to business. Our goal is to make Ohio friendlier to working families." Dale. Ohio is currently on pace to have almost no working families, and your group's plan won't reverse the trend. No one will need sick days because no one will be working. I remember that Ohio ranked 47th in a ranking of states on how friendly the tax system is to business. This certainly would not help make up for that.

This is an issue I have neglected and kept putting off writing about, getting caught up in the presidential race the last couple of weeks. Thurber's Thoughts had a good summary (against Issue 4) that I read with some interest. (Update: RedState hits on this as well).

Either way, it is only one of the many issues and races that will be on a crowded fall ballot. Would have had this up way earlier tonight, but got caught up watching USA-Russia mens volleyball. USA wins the 5th set tiebreaker in a thriller and will play for the gold; first time since '88. Take that, Putin. Probably would have been the best live blog ever. So many funny things to point out that I know I am going to forget when I try to do a recap for my other site.

After we finished our interview, Governor Strickland gave us a brief tour of his office and staff offices outside. I'd guess his office is at least 20×30 with a large vaulted ceiling. There are historical portraits around the top of the wall and he said that one is valued at $500,000. The color scheme was a lot of red and dark wood.

Aparently Governor Taft had worked on the top floor of the Riffe Center, which is a 30+ floor government office building next to the capital. Strickland moved his office into the capital so he could be more hands on. In addition, the office space for his staff looks more like a cramped campaign office than a the posh office space I expected. His Chief of Staff, Communications Director, Legal Counsel and so on work in a space with desks as close as Dwight Schrute's and Jim Halpert's on The Office. The Secretaries have their desks in the hallway. All that said, it is absolutely beautiful space and I'm at a loss to describe how cool it must be to work there.

The interview is broken up into four segments. Below are the first two. In the first video, Governor Strickland talks about bringing both parties together in his office at a round table, which happens to be where our interview takes place. Strickland talked about some of the accomplishments that have come of the bipartisan talks right there.

During the second clip Governor Strickland talks about the recently signed Great Lakes Compact and the advantage that Ohio has with our access to fresh water.

On a personal note, I have to say that I was very impressed with Governor Strickland. He knew that I did not vote for him in 2006 and am a Republican blogger but still took time to meet with me. He took the time to show us around the office (while pointing out many fascinating things) and talk to the two of us off camera afterwards for a good length of time when he could have just skipped out when the filming stopped. It was one of those days you will always remember.

Turn your speakers up and enjoy. Please check back tomorrow for the second half of the interview.

To give you an idea of what this benefit will mean for soldiers, I wanted to compare the current tuition rates for a few institutions in Ohio.
Ohio State – Instate: $8,676 . Out of State $21,285
Ohio University – Instate $8,907 . Out of State $17,871
Cleveland State – Instate $7,920 . Out of State $14,778

“This is a great benefit for veterans, as well as for Ohio,” Strickland said. “It delivers real support to veterans while helping strengthen Ohio’s strategic plan for higher education, which calls for attracting and keeping talent in the state. Who better to have as part of Ohio’s colleges and universities, workforce and communities than the veterans who have served, led, and protected our country?”

Ohio's colleges and universities will benefit from the life experience these students will bring to the classroom. It is great to see Governor Strickland and his leadership team using their elected office to help turnaround Ohio with common sense decisions like this.

My personal favorite is the time he swore at reporters in Youngstown when he was questioned about his daughter working for the Secretary of State's office. There are no wrong answers here and there are many options to choose from. It appears the Sunshine Express is about to make it's final, somber voyage. The famous SUV should go on Ebay or something, all proceeds going to the State of Ohio of course. It can be earmarked for Jennifer Brunner to travel to collect awards for making Ohio's voting system "more secure."

You can also use this thread to speculate on who Ted Strickland will appoint as the replacement. I also will use this space to say that I felt the Democrats were scheming to keep Dann around for awhile to avoid a special election. I was wrong. They did the right thing. That Ted Strickland is VP material!

Updates: On the left, Pho and Writes Like She Talks liveblogged the press conference. On the right, Nix Guy and WMD hear that Mike DeWine is gearing up to run for the AG slot. Last week, Right Runner speculated it would be Cordray against Portman.

>$400 million for infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
>$250 million to create more internships and co-ops with Ohio businesses for students
>$200 million to clean up brownfields
>$200 million to preserve farmland and greenspace
>$150 million for advanced energy such as solar and wind
>$100 million for biomedical industry
>$100 million for business that distribute products from Ohio

When I look at this economic stimulus package, I see the top needs of our state being addressed. The largest piece of the pie goes to infrastructure, which is a huge economic investment because it creates jobs. Also, Ohio's roads are critical to commerce. Who would have thought that the second largest piece would be going to create co-ops and internship? That is great news? It is long been a frustration of mine to see long time friends earn impressive degrees from quality schools in Ohio and then immediately leave upon graduation. This kind of program will help keep them here. Horray! The environmental investment in brownfield clean up will benefit Ohio's cities where industry has left vast tracks of land that cannot be used. Akron in particular will benefit from a piece of these extra funds. Just drive a couple blocks south or east of the City of Akron and you will see plenty of brownfield lots that if cleaned up could be used for new business. The City of Akron has done a great job with brownfields, but they need some more money.

Preserving farmland, protecting green space, and investing in alternative energy will all help to improve the economy and quality of life in our state. Finally, the $100 million investment in the biomedical industry is GREAT news for Akron. With the biomedical corridor coming to our downtown, we are poised to benefit from this substantial investment by the state. Overall, I am very excited about this stimulus package and the potential it has to get our state back on track. What a difference an election makes.

Unrelated: great article today by David Giffles – We're aware Bill Clinton isn't a lady

In the article, Kasich is quoted as saying: "Frankly, I believe the (state) income tax has to be phased out." Obviously if he wants to do that, he better have another good way of bringing in money, since the income tax currently accounts for 34% of Ohio's operating budget. Florida and Tennessee also have no income tax and are doing just fine. It is this kind of thinking that Ohio needs. Otherwise we are going to end up just raising taxes and we might as well just merge with Michigan.

The only problem with this is that it leaves Rob Portman out, unless there is a primary, which we don't need. I think Portman wants to be governor, and not a senator, so we shall see how this shakes out. We will still need a strong candidate to take on Sherrod Brown in 2012. Things can change, but as of right now Kasich and Portman would be the best two Republican candidates statewide. Brown gaining senority scares me – he could end up like Howard Metzenbaum.

Mike DeWine is also going to take a hard look at this race. Keep looking, Mike. Everyone else will be looking to the Republican nominee to get us out of the bigger hole Ted Strickland put us in. John Kasich would be a very formidable candidate – and Ted Strickland, Roger Strickland, and Ohio Democrats know it.

Ohio righty blog Nix Guy also weighs in.

Kyle: John Kasich's name comes up every time there is a major statewide race where the Republicans need to field a candidate and every time he sits on the sidelines while another race is lost. He will be a formidable opponent if he decides to run and will be able to use his Fox News star power to raise the profile of his candidacy. It was probably smart for him to sit out in 2006 because it would have been near impossible to overcome the damage done to the Republican Party by the Taft Administration. I do think Strickland is going to pay a political price in 2010 for his excessive support of Senator Clinton in 2008. It would be a political consultants dream to go through the hours of footage of Governor Strickland and Senator Clinton to cut 30 second spots. However, as a one term incumbent, Strickland will be able to go to the people with his list of accomplishments and ask for a second term. I know he will have a compelling case to make. I also hope that President Obama will come to Ohio and campaign vigorously for Governor Strickland's re-election.

Jill at Writes Like She Talks discusses a possible Cordray / Fisher Democrat Primary in 2010 if Ted Strickland becomes our country's next Vice-President.

Strickland donated the money to the Tri-County Food Pantry in southeast Ohio.

This is a savvy move by Governor Strickland and his political team to preempt criticism from Ohio Republicans. I suspect that contributions from Spitzer that have been given across the country are donated given to charity.

UPDATE: Sorry, Kyle, I have to interject here. This is Ben… I don't mean to intrude on your posts, but…

Governor Strickland only donated the money after the Ohio GOP called on him to do it. I think the record needs to be corrected there. Also, I’m not sure that hanging onto the contribution and hoping no one would notice is particularly savvy.

Meanwhile, as I mentioned on my own site this week, Attorney General Marc Dann did not report and cannot find the contribution he once bragged about framing. He now claims that there never actually was a contribution from Spitzer. So he either lied to the New York Times or didn’t report a contribution.

I covered this Keno plan in February here. No one has credibly explained to me why Keno would be any different than slot machines? You simply pick numbers off the screen and see if they are also chosen by the computer "randomly" to find out if you are a winner. Just like slots, they are totally random and there is zero skill involved, even though some people swear there is. Ohio is / was slated to buy the machines from a company in Rhode Island through a no-bid contract. I thought Democrats were against no-bid contracts. Nor do I have any idea how the decision would be made on where to put the machines. I am not sure some places would even want them, because it would cut into their alcohol revenue.

The State Controlling Board (currently 4-3 GOP) is not ready to approve the whole thing, and rather than risk defeat, Strickland has decided to pull the plug on the idea for now, but I have a feeling it isn't going to happen at all. Three times since 1990, including in 2006, Ohio voters have said they don't want this type of lottery games here. The vote has never even been close. The current projections say Ohio would stand to gain $73 million a year from the games. According to the document submitted to the state board, Ohio and its keno contractor (GTECH) would be skimming about 30% of the money before it ever gets back to prizes for those doing the gambling (I think I can call it that). Everyone knows Ohio is having money problems, but there has to be a better way to come up with the money (cough, privatize the Ohio Turnpike).

And fresh off a disaster of a trip in Las Vegas, I really don't want to even see any kind of gambling machine in Ohio for a long time, because I know I will probably sit in front of them and lose all my money I have left. Studies have shown the people who can least afford to lose money playing these machines are the ones who end up losing the most. And since I always hear that only Republicans are rich, I don't know why Governor Ted would want to hurt his own voters. Maybe so they can become more dependent on his programs and they will remember him come 2010. That is if he decides to run again. The GOP is digging in to fight on this one, and it is a political winner along with being a sensible stand. There are places and issues on which to pick your fights, and if I may give some unsolicited advice to our leader, this is not the right one. But what do I know, I am just a stupid Blackwell voter who is still wondering exactly how things got so bad for Ohio Republicans for voters to elect a do nothing congressman to the state's top post.

Four papers, including the Coshocton Tribune, ran an editorial on Sunday asking Strickland to come to Zanesville to present his solution for fixing Ohio school funding. The column points out that in Muskingum County, one district spends $2,400 more per student than another also in the county. It is a problem. Some parents willingly make sacrifices, move their children, and pay higher property taxes in higher rated districts, but not everyone has that luxury.

If I was a cynic, I would say that Strickland is waiting until 2009 so whatever plan he comes up with is fresh in the minds of voters headed into his reelection campaign of 2010.

Let me be clear: I don't blame Strickland for the school funding problems. It was an issue long before he was elected in 2006. Republicans were never able or willing to get anything done on this. It has been a failure all around. However, education reform was Strickland's main platform and he himself has said that he will be a failure if he is not able to get something done about the problem. This is not something he will be able to blame on the Bush Administration – he is going to have to actually do something. This is a tough issue to tackle, and if he comes up with a great solution that works, I would be pleased to give him all the credit possible.

Related: In yesterday's ABJ, Bob Dyer ran a great column on an Akron area school district that is experiencing a rash of students who are coming up with creative ways to live in the district. This is not an isolated incident, and it needs to be addressed. I knew a few people that went to my high school who pulled the same scam. I think if a school district finds out about this, they have every right to tell the kids they have to leave.

As we all know, during the 2006 campaign for Governor, Ken Blackwell laid out plans to privatize the Ohio Turnpike. Strickland said he didn't want to do that, but then after getting elected he said he was open to it. Endorsing the plan would have meant a deviation from his stand for nothing campaign. Of course, he should do it now. But he can do more than that…….he can sell the rights to different things on the Turnpike – Jacobs Field / Progressive Field style.

Here are some ideas:

*The family of James W. Shocknessy might be upset, but just like Jacobs Field, the whole Turnpike could be renamed. The KeyBank Ohio Turnpike? The Ohio Turnpike presented by Time Warner Cable? That would be worth some good money. The official highway of NASCAR?

*Instead of the normal rectangular tickets you get at the toll booth, the new tickets could be red and blue and in the shape of a Pepsi bottle.

*Exits could be sponsored. "Exit 173. I-77 / SR 21 sponsored by Wendy's." This works good in this case because there is a 24 hour Wendy's there.

*The Ohio Highway Patrol can have their traffic tickets sponsored by a legal firm with a phone number to call to get representation to fight your citation.

*Every mile or so the yellow lane markers could be changed to McDonald's Arches. The concrete barriers in construction zones can be plastered with corporate logos – like the boards at an NHL game.

*ODOT workers can sport logos on their orange work attire. And instead of the bland orange construction cones, why not ice cream cones – they can even get Strickland's Ice Cream to sponsor this. A win-win for the Governor.

*Starbucks can go in at every service plaza. Oh wait, that is already the case.

*Alcohol and tobacco companies can pay Ohio to allow them to "selectively litter" their products in the median and berms so they are prominent to both drivers and passengers.

I am sure others have creative ideas as well as to how Governor Ted can exploit the Ohio Turnpike to help out with the budget. We would like to hear your suggestions. This is a good start. Seriously though, they should privatize the Ohio Turnpike. I had mixed emotions about this idea at first, but now I think it is a good plan, even if Ted steals it from Blackwell. His former district knows he has no ideas on how to do this kind of thing (bring jobs and money somewhere), so it is imperative we all do our part and help out.

Dear Governor Strickland,

You blame the national economy for Ohio's problems; you complain that D.C. isn't listening to you. Ted, if I may call you that, weren't you part of the Washington establishment? Well that isn't entirely fair sir, you were ranked as one of the most ineffective congressman in all of the House, so that charge may be unfair. This wonderful leadership is exactly what Ohio needs right now. A matter of fact, if everyone just sits around and complains about Washington like you (and plays Keno), everything might just get better!! Maybe you are on to something. We don't need solutions, we just need to blame your former colleagues.

Way to lead, Governor. You are an inspiration to us all. Nice attempt to cover for yourself…..but some states seem to be doing just fine despite Washington. You are well on your way to helping all of Ohio do what you did for your old congressional district. I guess Lee Fisher isn't getting the job does as head of the state development department. Maybe soon you can spread the blame to him as well and sink his ambitions for higher office. If your choice for 2008, Hillary Clinton, doesn't win the Ohio Primary on March 4, you can blame Bush / the DC establishment too.

Soon not only will you be known as an ineffective congressman, but also as an ineffective governor. Quite a feat you will have accomplished by the time you are booted out of office on November 2, 2010. I guess then the question will be this: where will you move to? Will it be your fake residence in Lisbon, your Columbus condo, or your wife's home in Kentucky?

Regards,
Ben Keeler

Matt Hurley at Weapons of Mass Discussion has some thoughts on Strickland's comments as well.

Story: Five months after outlawing cash-paying video games in bars and taverns, Gov. Ted Strickland has plans to boost the state's ailing budget with a new Ohio Lottery game offered only in bars. Strickland, who opposes casino gambling, and Ohio Lottery Chairman Michael Dolan maintain Club Keno is a lottery game, not a casino game. They say it could raise $73 million a year.

Keno is not a casino game? Really? That is funny, because in every casino I have ever been in from one on the Las Vegas Strip to a small one on a reservation in South Dakota had Keno. Last time I was at a casino I played Keno (I lost). I feel bad for Governor Strickland's spokesman Keith Dailey who had to go out and defend this John Kerry like flip flop. If Keno is a game of skill, then I need to develop a new strategy.

It truly is the ultimate hypocrisy from Ted Strickland and his team. He and Marc Dann said they were going to sue places that were operating "skill games" last summer, now they go in and decide to install similar machines under the guise of being part of the Ohio Lottery. I think we all understand that tough decisions have to be made when it comes to the budget shortfall. But when all the places popped up where you could play "games of skill" they were shut down. Now the TurnAround Ohio team is publicly trumpeting something that looks awfully similar.

No matter what your opinion is on whether gambling should be legal in Ohio, there should be no question that Ohio is getting closer to joining surrounding states who do permit it, despite Ohioans overwhelmingly voting against Issue 3 in November 2006 (aka "Learn and Earn"). We have repeatedly rejected proposals to introduce slot machines here, not just in 2006. That said, if you are going to put in these Keno machines, you might as well allow the gaming centers to re-open. Oh, but wait, then our state government wouldn't get exlcusive profits. It almost makes you wonder if this was Strickland's plan all along: To eliminate the private competetion and then do it himself. How could you assume otherwise?

Related: This summer Kyle and I did two investigative reports at a local establishment where you could play "games of skill."
July 12, 2007
August 22, 2007

Story: Ohio's unemployment rate was up slightly compared to the same month in 2006, from 5.6 to 6 percent for the month. The largest employment increases were recorded in Texas (+18,600), California (+15,500), Washington (+10,700), and Virginia (+10,200). The largest employment decreases were in Kansas (-6,200), South Carolina (-5,800), Ohio (-3,900) and Indiana (-3,100).

Boy, that Ted Strickland sure is on top of things. While he is busy bragging to reporters about how he moved the governor's office and being more receptive to the other party, Ohio lost more jobs than every state but two others. His sidekick Lee Fisher doesn't seem to be doing a very good job running the state Department of Development. Maybe he should confine his activities to cutting ribbons at new grocery stores or whatever it is the Lt. Governor in Ohio used to do.

When does the shine start to wear off this teflon adminstration? They have been in office for a year now. The economy is the #1 job of a governor. On that account, along with many others, Ted Strickland and his team have had a dismal first year.