Ohio 2nd Blog

In an editorial published in the People’s Defender Congresswoman Jean Schmidt critiques Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid for not showing the proper deference to President Bush in approving John Roberts for the Supreme Court:

While I believe that each member of the Senate has a responsibility to vote his or her conscious on each Supreme Court nominee, I don’t believe that such a vote should ever be an opportunity for political gain.

That is why I was troubled by the Senate Minority Leader’s recent comments suggesting that President Bush is not entitled to much deference in staffing the judiciary branch. Such damaging language signals a major change in the history of the Congress. The Senator’s words will not only lead to a bitter and polar environment, but will also set a bad precedent for future appointments.

Let’s hope the Senate can work together to preserve the integrity of the nomination process, and keep politics out of it. The American people deserve no less.

I’ve always got to laugh when a politician complains about other politicians doing things for political gain. We’ll have to ask Hill watchers if Ms. Schmidt is still wearing the buttons she wore during her recent campaign.

Let’s get the logic: Candidates don’t have to answer Senator’s questions… Senators aren’t supposed to vote against the President even though they know little about the nominee… I’m not exactly sure what role Congresswoman Schmidt sees for the Senate except as a rubber stamp for the President.

All we can say is… give em’ hell, Harry.

Unlike during his bid for Congress earlier this year, the highly influential MoveOn.org is backing Paul Hackett’s in his potential Senate bid. The fundraising mailer sent out today included support for the Reform Ohio Now initiatives on the 2005 ballot. Could the two things be tied together?

Krempasky @ RedState.org has the story:

According to a source on Capitol Hill, Majority Whip Roy Blunt has warmed significantly to Operation Offset and huddled with a group of RSC members yesterday in support of pushing many of their proposals to reign in federal spending. While the Medicare Rx benefit and the highway earmarks appear to be off the table, much seems to be on.

Blunt ought to be encouraged and praised for being the first member of Leadership to admit tacitly that his team screwed up by attacking the RSC and to commit seriously to finding specific offsets.

As is speculated in the post’s comments, perhaps the fact that Washington is on a Tom Delay death watch may have something to do with the sudden moves to make nice.

Joshua Zeitz has a profile on one of the latest Iraq War vet Congressional candidate: Bryan Lentz, running for Pennsylvania’s 7th district.

Today’s Washington Post:

The leadership has, however, felt the political sting of the recent deficit spending, which began with huge new transportation and energy bills this summer and cascaded into debt-financed hurricane relief this month. Republican leaders plan appearances this week on the syndicated radio talk shows of conservatives Sean Hannity, Tony Snow, Mike Gallagher and Lars Larson, as well as local radio and television shows, leadership aides said. DeLay set the tone in a Washington Times opinion piece yesterday.

“It is clear that the recent political discussion focusing on the government’s spending priorities and overall economic platform in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita has introduced a valuable forum to promote the triumph of our ideas and solutions for government over the crumbling and outdated policies of the Democrat-controlled Congresses of past decades,” he wrote.

In private meetings last week, GOP leaders sharply criticized rank-and-file Republicans for taking issue with the surge in spending, pleading instead for unity. But neither the public relations offensive nor the private upbraiding has quieted conservatives.

“This leadership group is so out of touch, it’s unbelievable,” said one House lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid inflaming leaders further.

Porkopolis agrees.

(via The Note)

At least most of it.

(via Democracy Guy)

UPDATE: Tim Tagaris over @ Grow Ohio reminds us of their long history with now Congresswman Jean Schmidt.

Lambert @ Corrent asks:

Am I the only one who finds it creepy that Bush is turning to the Army as the only government institution that works in emergencies? And am I the only one who wonders how broad Bush’s defintion of “emergency” is going to end up being?

No, you’re not.

We have an organization that is designed to handle emergencies. It’s called FEMA. Fund it. Staff it with competant people. Let them do their jobs. If they don’t, fire them.

ADDED: Josh Marshall offers a good perspective on all this. I really like his conclusion:

…you don’t repair disorganized or incompetent government by granting it more power. You fix it by making it more organized and more competent. Just so here — the move to militarize government’s domestic responsibilities rather than improve them is a dangerous trend. And it suggests that, functionally, there’s little left of conservatism today other than a warped big-government authoritarianism.

Governmental incompetence solved — or rather papered over — by militarization has a long history. And authoritarianism’s hand is usually as clumsy as it is heavy.

Gannett News Service is reporting that Congresswoman Jean Schmidt received her committee assignments on Friday. She will be serving on the Transportation & Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Government Reform committees.

Chief of Staff Barry Bennett said being on the transportation committee will help Schmidt pursue rail issues connected to the recent tanker leak that forced 800 people to evacuate Cincinnati’s East End. The committee also will help her focus on issues related to the Ohio River, interstates that bisect the city and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Her assignment to the Agriculture Committee will allow her to look after the needs of rural counties in her district, Bennett said. On Government Reform, she will be able to help examine the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

With these assignments Congresswoman Schmidt will be well placed to deliver on issues she emphasized in her campaign, as well as take on the rampant abuse of no-bid contracts in the Federal government, an issue that was a key for her as a state Representative.

She expects her subcommittee assignments shortly.

The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that only days after celebrating the accomplishments of NASA Congresswoman Jean Schmidt is proposing cuts to the agency in order to pay for disaster aid.

It’d be nice to go to the moon again, but maybe we can’t afford to…

Another area she is suggesting for cuts according to the article is aid to foreign countries. (more…)

Is possible senatorial candidate Paul Hackett taking a move out of Ken Blackwell’s playbook in appearing at a forum tomorrow night devoted to Reform Ohio Now? The event at Cincinnati’s 20th Century Theater is entitled Reform School - Discussing the importance of Reform Ohio Now.

The alliance of progressive candidates and the Ohio reform movement could be a powerful counter to the one of conservative Republicans and the Ohio Restoration Project.

The event, hosted by the Hamilton County Democratic Forum and the Progressive Alliance of Southwest Ohio is at 7pm. [map]

Also appearing with be OSU Professor Richard Gunther, one of the founders of RON, and Jennifer Brunner, former judge for the Franklin County Municipal Court.