OHIO REPUBLICAN PARTY CIRCLES THE DRAIN-- WILL IT TAKE THE WHOLE GOP ALONG FOR THE RIDE?

I've been writing about the banana republic of Ohio since I started DWT last year. My first two "beats" were Randy "Duke" Cunningham and the colossal scam and rip-off known as Coingate. The latter featured virtually the entire state GOP-- governor, couple of U.S. senators, half a dozen congressmen, Secretary of State, judges, Attorney General, State Auditor, the entire Republican Party hierarchy, state legislators... hmmm... did I leave anyone out?-- conspiring to steal millions of dollars from the state workmen's compensation fund to line their own and their supporters' pockets, fund Republican dirty tricks (like rigging the 2004 presidential election) and perpetuate a virtual one-party government devoid of democracy in the middle of our nation.

I'm not one to bother with reading the proto-fascist propaganda on the editorial page of the WALL STREET JOURNAL but today former Republican congressman John Kasich has a story called "Buckeye GOP Circles The Drain-- A Complacent Party Descends Into Corruption" that I think ever American should read.

Kasich, with extensive experience both in Ohio politics and in the federal government has made a powerful case for why anyone who cares about America should vote for Democrats in November, even for Rahm Emanuel shill candidates. "The biggest scam in town-- but by no means the only-- is the 'pay for play' practices of office-holders at every level. Of course, not all public servants are guilty-- most are not. However, Ohio Republicans have held every statewide office since 1994, and the governorship and secretary of state since 1990. They currently have long-standing, lopsided majorities in both houses of the general assembly. The endemic culture of money-for-influence is a testament to the corrupting consequences that inevitably follow when one party holds power for too long."

Kasich goes on to lay out a convincing case against the Republican Party. "Exhibit A in this mire is Toledo coin dealer and Republican fundraiser Tom Noe. His 'coingate' scandal, as it has been inelegantly termed, demonstrated a total breakdown in ethics and was a direct result of one-party domination of the political process. Mr. Noe obtained several contracts totaling some $50 million to pursue investment opportunities for the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, in this case rare coin speculation. With limited oversight of his operation, Mr. Noe allegedly began laundering campaign contributions to state and federal candidates (including President Bush). In February Mr. Noe was indicted on 53 felony counts and faces a mandatory 10-year prison term if convicted of corruption. At this point $10 million to $12 million remains unaccounted for. Unfortunately, coingate isn't the only prominent Republican scandal."

And unfortunately Ohio, though perhaps the most egregious, is certainly not the only example of a Republican Party out of control and undermining the very democratic nature of our country. And, of course, the most dangerous example is in Washington, DC itself, where Republican pols seem to have made a deal with the Bush Regime-- they rubber-stamp all of his decisions and he more or less allows them to run wild lining their own pockets and feathering their own nests. Here in California we need look no further than our own GOP congressional delegation to find even more corrupt politicians than anything back in Ohio-- well, not counting Bob Ney and Ken Blackwell. Still unindicted master criminals like Jerry Lewis, John Doolittle, Duncan Hunter and Richard Pombo need take no lessons from anyone in the Buckeye State when it comes to scamming the taxpayers and cheating Uncle Sam. Only one is currently in prison, a poor, dumb slob named Randy "Duke" Cunningham, but with on-going investigations chugging forward and with Republican lobbyists/bribers like Jack Abramoff, Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade all cooperating with federal investigators against these outrageous salons, voters all across America are going to wake up very soon to exactly what their complacency has wrought.