It's been awhile since I've posted but there's movement in Columbus on the chess game called the Ohio Attorney General's race...and the King's decision to move a bishop isn't much of a surprise.

The Columbus Dispatch struck first with news that all the speculation of Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray's selection to run for the A-G's slot left open by the departure of Marc Dann; the AP followed suit in this story posted on AkronNewsNow.com.

Cordray may be the best bet for the Democrats who want to retain their newly-found wealth in the executive offices across the street from the dome-less capitol building; he's very well-respected as an official who has the smarts, hard work ethic and political savvy to hold on to office through the time-honored combination of respect and work.

Who will carry the statewide standard for the GOP? The Dispatch article notes just about every Republican worth his or her statewide weight is giving the race a pass, including the "dream candidate" former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine. Republicans will meet next Tuesday to kick the tires for Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost, who can be expected to provide a tough campaign for central Ohio as a well-known figure in the Columbus area and suburbs -- but will it be enough to solidify conservatives outside Franklin and surrounding counties when running against an incumbent statewide office holder, even if he isn't THE incumbent?

Some local thoughts:

Congratulations to Mayor Plusquellic and company for Akron's third All-American City nod, a considerable feather in the City's marketing and quality of life message. One does have to wonder, however, about the need to have 66 people make the trip to Tampa to "sell" the judges...and who picked up the tab for the trip. I'm told some of the cost was paid for by public dollars and one doesn't have to be a Finley or Mendenhall to question that kind of spending at a time when the economy screams in pain. Who picked up the rest?

Akron's list of corporate good Samaritans is relatively light, at least those who can easily write off a quick surf to Florida in June -- someone of the nature of the Akron Community Foundation, or Goodyear, or FirstEnergy. I also wondered why there were some folks missing from the list, including County Executive Russ Pry and some notable names from Akron's massive medical community?

It isn't really a big deal in the long run who paid for what or who might have been left off the list but these are the questions that should be asked as a matter of course, but instead we (the media as a whole -- including those of us at AkronNewsNow, the ABJ, local TV) are content to pass along the news and verbatim release.

It doesn't diminish the recognition that Akron is a special place; it shouldn't be treason to ask simple questions on who foots the bill for these kind of trips when it comes to taxpayer-supported issues and initiatives.