Posted on 08/08/2005 5:50:27 PM PDT by Dr. Free Market
Blackwell's TEL Amendment Pushed Back a Year! It won't be this year, but you'll see it in 2006.
It's actually quite simple.
Issue 1 won the state for Bush, and Blackwell assumes the TEL will keep the state in GOP control in 2006. Now let's look at this deeper, Blackwell consulted with Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett about this move (remember Bennett is the one who pushed Blackwell out of the governor's race in 1998 to clear the way for Taft, so there's no love loss between the two), the only reason this happened is that Bennett is now convinced that Ken Blackwell will be the Republican nominee. If Bennett thought Jim Petro or Betty Montgomery would get the nod he would not move it, since Petro and Montgomery are against this amendment. So, Bennett realizes that a popular ballot issue will help make Blackwell more appealing to the entire state, since he'll be the nominee. The story behind this story is huge, Blackwell said he talked to legislative leaders as well, this is important because Blackwell does not have the establishment behind him like Petro, so he is talking to them because they are worried that without this amendment on the ballot they will lose their jobs. So we now know that the "establishment" Republican legislative leaders as well as the Ohio Republican chairman implying (with this move) that they are ready to go to battle in 2006 with Ken Blackwell as their nominee for Governor. This is BIG, REALLY BIG.
ps - The "official" reason to push this back..."[it] gives Ohioans an opportunity to hear substantive debate on a major policy initiative before making a decision that impacts all of state government" (Ha Ha...that's pure BS)
Oops. Wrong link for press release. Try this http://www.kenblackwell.com/news/Read.aspx?ID=119
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