Time to let the voting begin

October 2, 2020

Early voting for the election starts Tuesday in Ohio, and, based on my conversations with local election officials, it’s going to be the way at least half of the voters cast ballots. There’s still two more presidential debates and a vice presidential one, though you can vote before you see any of those. After watching the first presidential debate and how it quickly degenerated, how many of us want to view another one or two? Regarding the debate, the two most interesting perspectives I heard were from Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairwoman Joyce Kale-Pesta and Trumbull ...

Court opening widens divide

September 25, 2020

As if there weren’t enough issues dividing the country, Republican senators will have confirmation hearings to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. The decision isn’t surprising as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has done remarkable work keeping his caucus in line. Only two Republican senators said they oppose confirming a Supreme Court justice in a presidential election year at a time when early voting has started in some states and will begin soon in several others. The two senators don’t come as a surprise to those who follow politics. Susan ...

Signs, signs, everywhere signs

September 18, 2020

There’s a saying in politics that signs don’t vote. I don’t necessarily agree with that. Sure, signs in ditches or on vacant properties don’t mean anything. But if you’ve got a Donald Trump or a Joe Biden sign in your yard, there’s a very strong chance you’re voting for your candidate. Now imagine how hardcore you’ve got to be to have flags or even banners all over your house and / or yard. Your sign, flag and banners aren’t going to convince other people to vote for Trump or Biden. No one is going to drive past a house with a dozen signs and three flags in ...

Not rushing to repeal tainted HB6

September 4, 2020

It shouldn’t be that complicated to overturn House Bill 6. There are three bills in the Ohio House and one in the state Senate to repeal the legislation that bailed out two failing nuclear power plants. The $60 million that allegedly changed hands — to former House Speaker Larry Householder and four associates — to get this legislation passed through a supposed intricate conspiracy is at the center of a federal racketeering case. Even supporters of HB6 say the bill is tainted and several support its repeal. The Senate is moving at a slow but steady pace on a bipartisan ...

If voting by mail, don’t delay

August 28, 2020

A record number of mail-in votes are expected for this election. The most pressing questions in Ohio, which could be a key state in the presidential election, deal with the preparedness of county boards of elections to process ballot requests, and the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to get all those ballots to voters and then back to boards to be counted. These are huge tasks that pose challenges under normal circumstances. Now consider that this is happening during a pandemic while postal workers are saying they’re being asked to overcome obstacles put in place by Postmaster ...

Trump, media, COVID-19 mix at Valley GOP event

August 20, 2020

Support for President Donald Trump was strong, and speeches were often colorful at my first political fundraising event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump supporter, was the headliner at the Mahoning County Republican Party event at Waypoint 4180 in Canfield. The crowd seemed to love everything being said. The Mahoning County Republican Party has raised a lot of money during the past 18 months booking fundraisers with Trump loyalists including U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, and David A. ...