Posted on 03/29/2005 8:48:32 AM PST by Columbus Dawg
CINCINNATI -- Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine and State Representative Tom Brinkman are the first to officially announce their candidacy for the 2nd congressional seat, News 5 reported.
DeWine was elected Hamilton County Commissioner last November. He previously served on Cincinnati City Council.
Brinkman is a state representative.
Both are Republicans.
Several others are expected to join the race to fill Rob Portman's seat, assuming the Senate confirms Portman's nomination as U.S. trade representative.
Primaries could be held as early as May with a special election possible in August. Gov. Bob Taft will set the date once after Portman vacates his seat.
The 2nd District covers the east side of Hamilton County, southern Warren County, all of Clermont, Brown, Adams and Pike counties and eastern Scioto County.
Any relation to Sen. Mike DeWine?
Pat DeWine is one of the three commissioners in Hamilton County (Cincinnati).
He is the son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine.
Then I am rooting for the other guy.
Has the election date been set yet? How does the district run? It doesn't get into Cincy any, does it?
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/news/guide/congressDist.pdf
The second district is all of Clermont, Brown, Adams and Pike Counties along with the eastern quarter of Hamilton, the southern half of Warren and the western half of Scioto Counties.
One RINO DeWine in Washington is more than enough for me. Why is it that here in Ohio we have the lamest Republicans outside of New England?
You betcha... There is no way a moderate leftist like the Dewines should be allowed to win this district.
Great map! So where is the population based? Does one of these guys have an advantage over the other based on that?
Because Ohio is the quentessential battleground state. In evenly divided states like Ohio there is little chance to state wide elect either a leftist or a right winger. In battleground states the choices for senator are always the same.. We can elect a DINO or a RINO. As for me, I much prefer a RINO to a DINO. In the south and much of the west true Conservatives can be elected but not statewide in Ohio.
If the Democrats had run a moderate like Lieberman instead of a liberal like Kerry, Bush would have lost Ohio and Lieberman would be our president.
Many Conservatives laugh with glee when the Democrats take a sharp turn to the left as they have by making Dean party chairman. But fail to see that it is just as stupid for Republicans to take a sharp turn to the right by nominating unelectable right wing candidates.
But in this district there is no need to elect a RINO. A conservative can be elected. That is what we need to run.
Democrats advance their cause when they nominate the most liberal candidate that can be elected. Republicans do themselves much damage when they nominate the most conservative candidate they can find.
But in this district a quite conservative candidate can be elected. We need to nominate the most conservative candidate that can be elected. That would be someone more conservative than a DeWine.
prepare to get flamed :)
didnt you know we must elect all conservatives all the time and that if we cant then we must go into the minority, it would be better /sarc :)
However, your analysis of Ohio’s 2nd congressional district is spot on. And the guy for FReepers* to elect is Tom Brinkman. I’m in southern Warren County and will have the opportunity to vote in this primary. He is recommended by a PAC, Family First, that FReepers* would love. His website is here. He's been favorably discussed on FR in previous posts. No, I'm not on his campaign commitee ... yet.
*As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-gun, pro-limited government, pro-private property rights, pro-limited taxes, pro-capitalism, pro-national defense, pro-freedom, and-pro America.
"How does the district run? It doesn't get into Cincy any, does it?"
I want another choice. Dewine is a weasel and Brinkman spends his time talking about whacky issues.
Ping
You are correct in the weasel categorization. DeWine would have had no achievements in life except for the fact that daddy was a Lt. Governor and is now a Senator.
Those are the two choices now. I would expect more. I could see someone from the Cincinnati business community potentially being a choice.
Some of the possible candidates were mentioned in local Cincinnati media. They include:
--Former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen
--Former State Rep. Jean Schmidt
--WLW Radio Host Bill Cunningham
--Lawyer Bill Keating
--State Rep. Tom Raga
Out of that group, Cunningham is well known. He would certainly be a very entertaining candidate.
McEwen lost in 1992 to Ted Strickland.
Is Keating related to the former U.S. Rep. Keating?
As far as the current and former State Represenatives, I would say no way. Schmidt voted for the sales tax increase and I believe Raga may have as well. Schmidt lost a state senate primary last year and her links to ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and his assistants were revealed. The way Schmidt, Householder, and other people handled that campaign was wrong. Householder and his assistants are now under federal investigation for activities, some of which may be related to that primary campaign.
thanks for the ping !!
This district is primarily West of Cincinnati. The one I would like to see run for this seat and I know he would do well is Ohio State Senator Doug White. He is currently the Ohio Senate president but this would be the next logical step for him.
I don't see the rest of these folks doing very well, I think Brinkman and DeWine are way too Cincinnati for this district so there would be alot of resistance.
Amen!
Whacky issues? You mean, like reducing government spending? Stopping abortion? Right-to-carry?
And you think one of the other candidates has this? If so, which one? And what is his/her vision?
I'd rather have more downtown development, too, but the dozens of councilmembers we have had over the past 15-20 years have not been able to get it done. I am not aware of how a ballot proposal could force someone to build something somewhere. The closest thing I can think of is Broadway Commons. Tom didn't seem to have a dog in that fight, and it is not something on which I am going to base my support for a Congressional campaign six years later.
Also, downtown development (and re-development) cannot be a priority for every person interested in politics. If it were, there would be even more paralysis and less consensus than there has been. Tom has taken the lead over the years on holding the line on spending and taxes, a side benefit of which helps make downtown a more attractive place to do business.
My quote above was "I want another choice". I don't think Tom Brinkman will cast many votes that I won't like. I expect he will have a fine conservative voting record. COAST just reminds me too much of the Democratic party in that they wanted to make a career out of being against stuff. I'm sure I could live with Mr. Brinkman as a rep, I just hope that whoever my new rep is can stand for something rather than just opposing things.
I live in this district and will be working hard for the true conservative in this race, Tom Brinkman.
Brinkman founded the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes. He doesn't just say he's anti-tax around other Republicans, he actually gets out and opposes tax increases. As a State Rep, he's one of the only ones, Republican or Democrat, to vote against all tax increases.
He's introduced legislation to give us Vermont-style concealed carry, which is the least restrictive in the country. And he's 100% pro-life.
There is no better conservative than Tom. I'll be working to elect him as my next Congressman.
I think most of the population would be in Hamilton County, Clermont County, and Warren County. Both Brinkman and DeWine are from Hamilton County. Check-bouncing former Congressman Bob McEwen, who may also run, lives in Northern Virginia. Those would be the main contenders.
"......and Brinkman spends his time talking about whacky issues."
You mean like cutting spending, reducing taxes, protecting the 2nd Amendment, and promoting the sanctity of human life? Tom Brinkman has done everything that we freepers want in an elected official. Isn't that enough or would you rather elect another RINO?
He can pack it in.
You are correct.
This is, afterall, the last stand of Robert Mapplethorpe and Larry Flynt, right?
I support the death penalty. I wish it was carried out more. I disgree with him on this issue, but it is rooted in princpled oppoistion. It's one thing to be morally opposed to the death penalty, like Brinkman is. It's quite another to claim that the soon-to-be-executed is innocent the night of each and every execution, as many other death-penalty opponents do.
My mother and my minister are both opponents of the death penalty for the same reasons as he. Neither of them are whacky.
I have a great deal of admiration for Ken Blackwell and have been inspired by his oratory many times. At the risk of venturing off-topic, I am not sure I can support him for Governor. After following his career for 15 years, I have to ask if he can govern the state or just give a great speech.
I believe former Rep. Tom Niehaus, who is now a state senator, voted against the tax increase as well. If I remember, his vote was criticized by his primary opponent and the Ohio Taxpayers Association (how ironic is that!) in the 2004 primary.
Some people have mentioned that Tom Brinkman is whacky and stuff like that. He sure can cause people to shake their heads. You can tell he is very principled. He voted against H.B. 12, the conceal carry law, because the bill was too weak. He was not the only lawmaker to vote that way with those same feelings. He has been one of the few Republicans in this state to blast RINO Gov. Bob Taft and former House Speaker Larry Householder, who deserve to be criticized for one end to the other. He was one of the first Republicans to call for former Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen to resign after his problems came out into the media. He is not afraid to speak up.
If he were elected to Congress, it is a guarantee that he would make a name for himself. He would probably be seen as more "strange" than Ron Paul or Jim Traficant by the folks in Washington. It is possible that he could be just as controversial as a B-1 Bob Dornan.
"Maybe my working on campaigns for Ken Blackwell and seeing a conservative with real leadership qualities has raised my standards too high."
How's this for leadership - he founded the Coalition to Oppose Additional Taxes and Spending (COAST). He has taken a leadership role in opposing most levies that raise taxes.
That's leadership for you. He doesn't just vote against tax hikes, or complain about it. He takes leadership roles in opposing higher taxes. He even founded a successful organization to oppose tax hikes. That's leadership.
"Maybe Mr. Brinkman's knee could quit jerking long enough for him to explain what taxes he could possibly support."
I can make it real simple for you: He opposes all tax increases. PERIOD.
Yeah, how dare a Republican actually oppose higher taxes.
This kind of vote is exactly why I'm supporting Tom Brinkman for Congress. I know that I'll get out of him, as opposed to people like Mike DeWine who claim they're conservative, then go to DC and become RINOs. Anyone who knows Brinkman knows he'll continue to be a conservative we Freepers can be proud of when he goes to Congress.
Leadership and Cincinnati are not included in the same sentence. The people in charge here are friggin' morons.
Is Dewine a RINO like his damn dad?
I do not know all of his views, but the one issue Pat DeWine has attacked during the last few years is high spending and high taxation.
Given the alternatives, I'm willing to take a chance on Blackwell (don't really think it's much of a gamble). The rest of the Ohio GOP has gone so RINO we almost need a third party.
And it would be too cool to watch the MSM try to comprehend a black governor who is a true conservative.
Neihaus actually voted for 4 or 5 tax increases in a row, including the sales tax increase. He finally voted no on it after it had passed both houses in the conference committee report.
We criticized him for voting for tax increases, not voting against them.
Scott Pullins
Ohio Taxpayers Association
www.ohiotaxpayers.com
Why didn't you criticize Jean Schmidt for voting for those tax increases? Instead of doing so, you endorsed her in both her state Senate and US House race.
Your endorsement of her in the House race was particularly hypocritical. McEwen, DeWine, and especially Brinkman had much better records on taxes than Schmidt, who never met a tax she didn't hike. How does an organization that purports to represent taxpayers endorse a candidate with such a poor record on raising taxes?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.