Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, the Vietnam war hero who Cincinnati-area Congresswoman Jean Schmidt tried to brand as a coward, has died according to ABC News. Murtha was 77.

UPDATE:
Statement from Congressman Dennis Kucinich:

“John Murtha was a great American who served his country in many different capacities. His deep love for America was reflected in all of his work. My wife and I send our deepest sympathies to the Murtha family. We truly loved John.

“I was privileged to nominate John Murtha for Majority Leader in 2006. I nominated him because of his dedication to America, his love of country, his love for the men and women who serve America and his understanding of the practical aspirations of those Americans who struggle everyday.

“John Murtha was a Congressional giant,” said Kucinich.

John Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, serves on Invacare Corporation's board of directors and owns 45,000 shares of stock in the Elyria-based medical products manufacturer. Kasich's company -- which has made him rich -- loves the state. And while Kasich is campaigning on a theme that Ohio's tax climate is miserable for business growth and entrepreneurs, Invacare is taking part in a national advertising campaign that says "Ohio's business climate is better than ever." While Kasich claims Gov. Ted Strickland's administration has been chasing jobs out of the state, Kasich's company sees Oho as "an ideal location."

Indeed Invacare's (IVC:NYSE) version of Ohio is poles apart from Kasich:

"From its early beginnings in 1885, Invacare has called Oho home. Here, they've found an ideal location, a skilled workforce, an excellent transportation infrastructure and government leaders will to work as partners with industry . . . And now Ohio business climate is better than ever. Major tax reforms have shifted policy from taxing capital investment , profits and wealth creation to taxing gross receipts. The result is greater incentives to invest in innovation and productivity and more support for entrepreneurial activity."

All that is from an advertisement that goes on to quote A. Malachai Mixon III, Invacare's Chairman and CEO, as saying Ohio has been a great location for his company:

"From our headquarters in Ohio, Invacare has become a world leader in home medical products. The state's new tax laws will help us continue to grow."

Judge Bill O'Neill held a press conference in Shaker Heights on Saturday to make a point. The location, miles outside of what would be his district, is the very end of the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's "Red Line." O'Neill kicked off his campaign at the "end of the line" to illustrate the failures of Steve LaTourette's time in congress. During his 15 years in Washington, not a single inch of track has been extended into bordering counties - something O'Neill says "borders on the criminal."

With 11th District Senator Teresa Fedor term-limited, Democrats in the Toledo area are now gearing up for a primary battle to fill her slot. Glass City Jungle reported last week that Edna Brown would likely be vying for the slot, and today, Toledo Councilman Joe McNamara entered with both feet.

From the release :

“I’m running because our community needs strong, independent leaders in Columbus to stand up to the special interests and fight for the priorities of the middle class,” asserts McNamara. “More must be done to bring down the cost of government while targeting investment in mission-critical areas like job creation, job training, and Ohio’s clean energy future.”

This should be one of the more interesting races in the Northwest part of the state this spring as Dems hope (and expect) to hold on to this senate seat. The only significant downside to a McNamara victory would be the loss of yet another woman on the already male-dominated Ohio Senate.

A new Rasmussen Poll taken over the end of last week doesn't tell us much about who is leading the Democratic Senate primary, but it does point out some possible weaknesses and strengths with Jennifer Brunner and Lee Fisher.

Fisher and Brunner both trail Portman by 4% points - Fisher down 43%-39% while Brunner is behind 42%-38%.

The favorability test gives the better clues as to who is best positioned to win this fall - including Rob Portman. Overall, voters find Rob Portman more favorable (45%) compared to Brunner (43%) and Fisher (38%). Brunner has the highest "very favorable" number with 18% to Portman's 13% and Fisher's 11%.

Voters view Fisher the least favorable (39%) to Brunner's 32% and Portman's 24%. Portman, who has never run statewide before, has the highest "not sure" response with 32%.

The good news? The unfamiliarity of Rob Portman with voters should only help Democrats as they begin to paint the picture (very easily) of Portman as the architect of the Bush economy and massive trade deficits. Brunner should also be encouraged that she's very competitive with Portman and maintains pretty strong favorables for someone who has been in the public eye for the last four years.

The bad news? Fisher's unfavorables are still a problem. With 39% already aligned against him, the rebound of the economy is critical if he is to appeal to the independents who elected Barack Obama in 2008. The fact that he's been the point person for jobs in Ohio is probably a negative right now. That could change with a quarter of steady or (gasp!) robust economic growth. Without it, it becomes much harder for Fisher to make the case against Portman as the former White House Budget Director will likely try to hammer the Lt. Governor for losing more jobs than creating.

If you haven't already seen it, here's a link to the Hamilton County U.S. Senate Forum held a couple of weeks ago. It's on community access in southeast Ohio right now, but for everyone unable to get it at home, here's the link to the event.

Remember, this is not a debate

U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner held a Grand Re-Opening event at Cleveland's legendary restaurant, The Lancer, last night. OhioDaily caught up with her for a few moments and asked questions on health care, corporate funding of campaigns, and her path to victory. Her responses were sharp and direct.

Crossposted by OhioDaily's Bill Sloat at The Daily Bellwether
John Kasich acquired 10 acres of land in one of Ohio's fastest growing counties in April 1996 for less than courthouse property tax records show the land was worth. Delaware County appraised the property at an average of $17,250 per acre, but after Kasich bought it the land value dropped to $10,500 per acre. In other words, the tax value of the 10 acres fell from $172,500 to $105,000. Kasich's tract is next to a private country club outside Westerville in Central Ohio, and he built a 4,387-square foot home on the site. At the time, Republican Kasich was one of the nation's most influential congresssmen as chairman of the House Finance Committee. The Delaware County purchase allowed him to build on a secluded homesite in an exclusive area. Kasich's compound -- including the land and home -- is currently valued at $759,500 on county tax records. Kasich quit Congress after a failed presidential campaign in 2000. He became a FOX News commentator and worked at Wall Street investment bank Lehman Bros., as a managing director until the firm's collapse.

Kasich's property tax records are available online at the Delware County Auditor's Office. The Daily Bellwether looked them up earlier this week. Other records in the courthouse seem to indicate that Kasich purchased the property out of an estate. The estate may have been controlled or administered by a campaign aide or partner. That suggests the land transaction may not have been an arm's length deal. Or it may be that Kasich heard about a good buy on the real estate market and pounced. Either way, there is a possibility of insider trading. At some point in the campaign against Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, Kasich may have to answer questions about his real estate dealing in Delaware County.

Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan is still on a mission to deny same-sex couples the right to marry in the District of Columbia. Jordan joins Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah as the only co-sponsor of a bill that would prohibit DC from allowing the marriages unless passed as a referendum or initiative. The move seeks to overturn a same-sex marriage bill passed by the D.C. City County last year. (OhioDaily first reported on this story in May)

Because of D.C.'s unique situation (as the only part of the county where citizens are denied the protections and representation of statehood), laws such as the one signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty last December, are subject to congressional review. Imagine the outrage by Jim Jordan if Washington ideologues like...well...Jim Jordan, were sticking their noses into the Ohio legislative process and reversing the will of the elected representatives of our state. (More on the DC effort at DC Agenda)

It should also come as no surprise that Jordan is opposed to letting gays and lesbians serve openly in the U.S. military. In today's Columbus Dispatch, Jordan again invokes his all-knowing, all-disapproving voice into the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" debate.

"Active-duty military service and civilian life are vastly different, and I would have great concerns about what introducing open homosexuality into the military might do to jeopardize the effectiveness, readiness and preparedness of our military," Jordan said.

The housing crisis is hurting one of our own. Northeast Ohioans impacted by deflated property values, foreclosures, and a collapsing real estate market can certainly share the anxiety and frustration that Congressman Steve LaTourette and his wife Jennifer share today. According to The Plain Dealer, their plain, old, former home in Alexandria, Virginia is just sitting there on the market for $1,195,000 - down from the original purchase price of $1,240,000.

Time to brown bag it for lunch and take the Metro to the office? Nah. The latest Mrs. LaTourette and her husband bought a six-bedroom house in a much more upscale neighborhood of D.C. for a cool $1.3 million.

Two mortgages totaling $2.5 million?
Nah, Washington doesn't change people.

Speaking of change, Judge Bill O'Neill is formally kicking off his campaign to finally send LaTourette back home (but with two pricey DC houses, I think Washington is home even after his defeat). O'Neill be announcing at a rally on Saturday afternoon at 1PM at the end of the RTA Blue Line - Warrensville Center and Chagrin in Shaker Hts.

OhioDaily is preparing the electoral road map for 2010 and is looking for candidates to add to our "Candidates" page.

Want your candidate included? Email anthony@ohiodailyblog.com and give us your:

* Candidate Name

* Race your running in (including area and date of primary/general election)

* Website

* Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc) links

* Campaign contact with email

We'll add you to the list and follow you during your campaign. This also means you need to keep us updated on your progress and your campaign with releases and other noteworthy items - video, photos, endorsements, etc.

Along with the departure of Campaign Manager Geri Prado, sources tell us there has been at least one addition to the finance staff, possibly coming along from Connecticut with new Campaign Manager, Jay Howser. There may be other changes over the next few days, but nothing significant at this point - and the campaign would not confirm if moves beyond Prado/Howser have occurred.

According to one source, the departure of Prado was the candidate's decision, but the separation was mutual and professional. This wasn't a desk-turning, security-escorted move. Furthermore, the move was less about the primary and more about the larger picture, specifically focusing more energy, focus, and resources to a battle with Rob Portman in the fall. There will be skeptics who claim Fisher is worried that Brunner is polling too close and the move of Prado to Howser is out of panic that the race is slipping away. I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation, only because I don't think Team Fisher is overly concerned about Brunner at this point. (I happen to think they should be, but inside the walls of the campaign perceptions and internal polling may argue a different story).

The campaign did issue a policy release today on the recent Supreme Court ruling on corporate political spending - and the focus of the release was a challenge to Portman to stand with him against corporate money and influence.

From the release:

Fisher is proposing a series of steps for Congress to take to protect American democracy, including prohibiting foreign companies from interfering in our democracy, and requiring that the owners of American companies – the shareholders – approve of any political speech on their behalf.

Fisher Plan to Protect American Elections from Corporate Interference
1.   Ban any foreign company or foreign-owned U.S. subsidiary from spending money advocating the election or defeat of a candidate.

The Fisher campaign now confirming what we reported last night - Geri Prado is no longer with the campaign is being replaced by veteran operative Jay Howser.

Columbus - Today the the Fisher for Ohio campaign is announcing a new campaign manager, Jay Howser. Jay is one of the most experienced Democratic campaign managers in the country, having worked most recently with Senators Chris Dodd and Mary Landrieu. Fisher campaign spokesman John Collins released the following statement:

“Geri Prado worked tirelessly over the past 10 months to help us put this operation together and Lee is enormously appreciative of her leadership. Jay Howser comes to us as one of the most experienced campaign managers in the country, and we are excited to grow our operation. As the campaign season draws near, we will continue to work aggressively to make sure voters understand the choice they face this Fall, between a Washington insider who created this economic mess or a candidate who has a proven record of protecting and creating jobs in Ohio.”

Just got a message from Franklin County Common Please Judge Eric Brown:

"I look forward to talking with you about my campaign for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court!"

You betcha!

He joins Mary Jane Trapp on our judicial ticket, leaving us with one more slot to fill. If the party can recruit another candidate as strong as these two, this will give us something to really get enthused about.

OhioDaily has confirmed from two sources this evening that Fisher for Ohio Campaign Manager Geri Prado is out. One of the sources confirms that Fisher made the decision to relieve Prado late this morning.

She leaves the campaign after 10 months and with only 3 months until a critical primary with a Brunner campaign that continues to poll to a virtual tie.

Prado's replacement is apparently Jay Howser, most recently with Chris Dodd in Connecticut and the re-election of Mary Landrieu. Howser is expected to take the reigns tomorrow (Wednesday).

Messages to Prado were not returned at time of this posting.

OhioDaily will updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as we learn more.

As Democrats dust themselves off from a brief playground scuffle and come back together with eyes on November, the Ohio GOP is finding themselves dealing with a whole new list of self inflicted wounds. As a way to inflate their stagnant membership, Ohio GOP candidates and officials have been all too quick to lure Tea Party protesters into their tent the way Orkin might use peanut butter cookies to draw out a mouse.

The problem for the GOP though, is the mouse is angry. And now the GOP can't get rid of them. And they're breeding. With signs.

Here's a video (unfortunately not ours), from last night's GOP Executive Committee Meeting in Columbus. The Tea Party protesters, new to the party, are outraged that Mike DeWine is the lone GOP candidate for Attorney General, and they're even more outraged that far-right State Rep Seth Morgan, CPA, now has to deal with David Yost. Throw in some "we're taxpayers" and some "second amendment" and you've got a delicious mix of chaos heading into the party's May primaries.

The GOP tent is collapsing as their new friends gnaw on the tent poles. Classic.

Best line in the video : "I'd vote for a Democrat before I'd vote for DeWine"

UPDATE : Plunderbund had this up before we did. Here's their take.

Sharen Neuhardt, who was the first and only candidate to pull petitions in a challenge to now-former candidate Jennifer Garrison, tells OhioDaily this afternoon that she is respecting the Governor's wishes and yielding the race to his chosen candidate, Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O'Shaughnessy.

From a statement prepared for OhioDaily:

After telling Party officials about ten days ago that I was giving serious consideration to entering the Secretary of State's race, I spent the next several days assessing whether this run would be feasible. I am heartened by the amount of support and encouragement I received. That support and encouragement reinforced my belief that our state has many bright and talented individuals who are committed to core Democratic values and willing to put their money, time, and talent where their mouths and values are.

The Governor has now asked Maryellen O'Shaughnessy to run and, while I am disappointed, I respect the Governor's decision and will not challenge Maryellen in the primary. I wish Maryellen the best of luck in her campaign for this critically important office and look forward to finding other opportunities to serve the citizens of Ohio in the future.

Neuhardt has no plans to seek office in the future, but when asked, wouldn't rule it out.

Those who tried desperately to keep Neuhardt from entering the race for Secretary of State (or will try to deprive her a gracious exit), would be wise to keep her on the list for future opportunities. She's smart, confident, a terrific campaigner, and an outstanding fundraiser. She is, in short, a dream candidate. Here's hoping someday she gets another shot to help advance the things we all care about.

We've got more coming soon. For now, here's the ODP release...

"Today, the Ohio Democratic Party announced that Clerk of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Maryellen O'Shaughnessy has launched her campaign for Secretary of State and will make a formal announcement within the next ten days. O'Shaughnessy's campaign for Secretary of State is strongly supported by Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and Governor Ted Strickland.
 
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said, "After consultations with Democratic officials, our friends in Labor and numerous additional Democratic stakeholders, Governor Strickland and I have concluded that Maryellen O'Shaughnessy is without a doubt the best candidate to be Ohio's next Secretary of State. I enthusiastically support her candidacy, I congratulate her on her decision, and I look forward to working with her in the weeks and months ahead."
 
Maryellen O'Shaughnessy added, "I am deeply honored by the overwhelming support and encouragement I have received from family, friends, and fellow Democrats, particularly Governor Strickland and Chairman Redfern, as I considered a campaign for Secretary of State. I am in the process of putting together a campaign leadership team and will officially announce my candidacy within the next ten days. I look forward to taking my case to the people of Ohio and advocating free, fair and open elections, with increased voter participation, competitive apportionment, and the protection of each Ohioan's right to vote."
 

We don't mean to tease, but this thing is getting more bizarre by the minute. We've been working to get the whole story (unlike some of the print dailies) and should have a bit more to share on Sunday before all hell potentially breaks loose on Monday.

And would all hell breaking loose be a bad thing? Depends who you ask. Right now, we're catching our breath - because something tells us we may need it later.

Before we go, one word of caution for our friends on the right. We Dems may seem like a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving, but we weren't a shining example of unity in the spring of 2006 either. And we still managed to come together to kick your asses from Toledo to Marietta in the fall. So, don't worry yourselves about our little dust-ups. Just sayin'.

It's official.

With the announcement expected Monday, Jennifer Garrison's campaign beat everyone to the punch and issued a press release moments ago declaring the end to her six-month campaign to be Secretary of State. The larger news is that Garrison will not be seeking re-election to the Ohio House.

From the release:

State Representative Jennifer Garrison, announced today she will not seek the Democratic nomination for Ohio Secretary of State.

“I have truly enjoyed meeting Ohioans from all walks of life during the 6 month campaign. Ohio is blessed to have a diverse landscape and people. I feel thankful and humbled by the support I have received from my colleagues, labor and Ohioans.” Garrison said.

“While I have determined this is not the right time for me and my family to seek this office, my utmost hope is that the voters will challenge all Secretary of State Candidates to explain how they will increase voter participation and facilitate business growth in Ohio.”

Garrison continued by saying, “I ask the next Secretary of State to be committed to the principles of transparent and fair elections and to concentrate on increasing voter participation. House Bill 260, otherwise known as the Elections Enhancement Bill is a good start. This legislation requires automatic voter registration every time an Ohioan touches state government, whether through renewing a driver’s license or applying for state benefits. This bill goes a long way toward increasing voter participation and reducing allegations of fraud within the voter registration process. I ask both Republican and Democratic candidates to commit their support for this bill.”

Garrison does not plan to seek re-election to the Ohio House of Representatives.

Brace yourselves. The race for Secretary of State is about to messy. Sources tell OhioDaily that State Representative Jennifer Garrison appears to be reluctantly inching toward the exit door as donors and party insiders line up behind her to push their original hand-picked choice out as fast as they rushed her in.

The whole ordeal is almost enough to make you feel bad for Garrison. Almost.

Next up for the "team" is apparently yet another Franklin County candidate - Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O'Shaughnessy. Our sources confirm that the party leadership is teleconferencing today to discuss the possibility of an endorsement in this race with the intent of keeping Sharen Neuhardt of Greene County out (even though she's near $100K in financial commitments) - or at least sweeping her legs out from under.

That move, all too familiar (i.e. Dann v. Chandra), could leave the "statewide" ticket with as many as seven Franklin County candidates - Strickland*, Yvette McGee Brown, O'Shaughnessy, Boyce, Cordray, possibly Brunner, possibly Eric Brown for Supreme Court. Not really a geographically diverse squad. David Pepper (Hamilton County) and Mary Jane Trapp (Geauga County) would be the only candidates outside the state capital. Lee Fisher could make it three. (*As Governor, we're counting Ted Strickland as Franklin County)

So, with announcements of all types likely to occur early next week, should we be excited or discouraged again? It depends on what you feel about the process.

Appellate court judge Mary Jane Trapp of Geauga County declared her candidacy last summer for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. (And an outstanding candidate she is!) But three of the seven seats are up for election this year: two associate justices and the chief justice. And there has been no word about who our other two candidates might be — until now.

Progress Ohio is reporting that Gov. Strickland is urging Franklin County (Columbus) common pleas judge Eric Brown to enter the race.

http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/daveharding/CXKX

Adding credence to this is a post that appeared on Jennifer Brunner’s Senate campaign website earlier this week, saying that Judge Brown had some big news.

Judge Brown is the husband of Marilyn Brown, who was running to replace Brunner as secretary of state, but withdrew from the race last summer. Brown is from Cuyahoga County where he graduated from Cleveland State and Cleveland Marshall law school. He and his family have lived in Columbus since 1992, when he went to work for the attorney general’s office where he was employed for over a decade.

Hopefully, we'll hear more about this soon.

Ugh. Chris Matthews never misses a chance to say something really stupid.

The President tonight set forth a crisp, clear, focused direction for our nation. Too often, we as Democrats receive these types of speeches with applause and euphoria.

Then we go back to normal.

But if Democrats - nationally and locally - want to regain the trust voters gave us in 2008, we've got to start taking action. No delays. Just action.

The President will no doubt see a bump in his poll numbers this weekend. We MUST be able and ready to jump in that bump and govern. We've wasted a good year letting teabaggers and angry conservatives steal the agenda and trample our mandate.

No more. Obama 2.0 starts tonight.
Not a reboot, just an upgrade.
Better. Faster. Stronger.

Don't let the President's agenda and leadership stand alone. Let's get it together and fight with him. For jobs. For reform. For America.

Great speech Mr. President. We're with you now more than ever.