Looking For Voter Direction

Halfway through the September 8 city primary day there's one bit of wisdom voters seem only too happy to part with: having an election day right after a holiday may not have been the brightest idea.

Of course, you made it to the polls already through that absentee/early vote, right? About five-thousand Akron voters reportedly asked for the E-Z Vote (wish I'd trademarked that one...) form to do their patriotic duty, but only three-thousand turned in their ballots so far.

Unlike past years where a big absentee vote was an indicator of interest, however, this may just be a sign that voters have finally figured out voting early means no longer being tied to a Tuesday.

When we checked in around mid-morning the best planning for the long day by elections officials seemed to be packing books or cards -- the non-partisan kind with kings, queens, jacks and aces along with the numbers. I'd note you could shoot a cannon off in the place, but that would assume there were enough people around to light the fuse.

This election bears closer watching than your normal Akron turnout because it's the first real test of political clout by both sides following the June Recall. Mayor Plusquellic's team won handily then, and the Citizens for Akron Committee boldly moved ahead in attempting to solidify the Mayor's already tight grasp on Council by trying to sweep out those few dissenting voices to be heard with a discouraging word.

But a negative campaign mailer slapping a scarlet "R" on Council's Mike Williams, John Conti and even Bruce Kilby may have backfired. These incumbents tell me it really served to fire up their supporters based on the reaction they get in face-to-face campaigning as opposed to political discourse through the mailbox.

Does Don Plusquellic get his way with the Citizens for Akron-endorsed slate? Is the push from official Akron enough to propel the experienced ticket of Terry Albanese, Jim Shealey and Jeff Fusco past Williams, Conti and another player such as Linda Omobien, Joe Finley or Kelly Mendenhall among others? Just what impact did the shenanigans of David Reymann and Ernie Tarle in Wards 6 and 7 have on those local races?

Punditry aside, nobody's plunking down money on this. Too many variables, including the weather (rain today) and turnout (very light) which benefit either side depending on who you may be talking with. It is a test, however -- a challenge to see if the alliances forged during the recall election both for and against the mayor remain strong enough to focus on what is the next step in Akron's political infighting: either consolidation of power or a new way to do business.

Joe Finley's performance head-to-head against the mayor two years ago was enough to provide a scare, and what anti-Plusquellic forces felt was a chink in the political armor. Now Finley is on the ballot again, but on his own and not running against someone. There is a Mendenhall on the ballot but it isn't Warner, it's wife Kelly. The two most powerful anti-Don brands Akron may not even be the most potent at-large vote-getters.

Whatever the results tonight, this election provides a useful glimpse into whether there truly is a political machine operating at the behest of the Mayor -- or the strength of the political muscle flexed by Plusquellic's most vocal opponents.

LIVE VIDEO The 2009 Recall

Unfortunately, not live video streaming from locations where the candidates are. Our efforts to pin down locations so we could assure more reliable wired access to the web fell short and, in fairness, we opted not to just webcast from one location and not another.

That said, our partnership with Dan Mosher of Mosher Media here in Akron allowed us to stream live video and audio from our newsroom. Early on it'll be pretty boring, but once we start getting reports and results in you'll be able to see how our newsroom functions during coverage of an election.



This tends to be a full-steam ahead exercise punctuated by long stretches of "is this what they do?" It's news sausage being made...

Brunner To BOE: Both Sides Are Idiots

OK, maybe I'm reading a tad too much of my own personal view in this latest ruling as Ohio's Secretary of State is dragged into yet another no-win cat fight between the Democratic and Republican bosses on the Board of Elections. Surprise -- she's managed to vote against BOTH sides this time.

Under the heading "only in Summit County" do we find stories along these lines -- and so many of 'em, too.

The key background in a nutshell: Summit's elections costs are double those of most urban counties, and they are way overstaffed compared to not only counties of similar size but even the big boys such as Franklin, home of Columbus.

The situation: with the economy in the dumper, how does anyone NOT take a hard look at reducing costs, saving taxpayer money, and doing at least just as much with less?

The conflict: Republicans want to slash jobs, including interns; Democrats want to keep those jobs but cut pay and trim here and there.

READ the full .pdf report from SOS Jennifer Brunner HERE

As usual, neither side agrees on the big issues. Because of the structure of the Board -- two D and two R members -- it winds up going to the Secretary of State's office for a tie-breaker. Given the history of how many ties wind up in the lap of the SOS we should consider adding a residential wing to 500 Grant Street so they can just live here.

Brunner's decision today, with my emphasis in bold: get to the heart of the matter, which is Summit's outdated practice of running the Board of Elections under the same model the early Soviet Union used. It's time to eliminate the one-for-one partisan hiring practice below top manager level.

"I further instruct the Summit County Board of Elections to examine its levels of staffing in light of the guidance provided in this tie vote decision, especially to review and adjust staffing levels according to the number of persons needed for the tasks to be performed for particular positions. Even if just one person would be required for the assigned duties of a position, partisan balance in the overall staffing level of the board rather than per position will allow the board to meet economic needs and progress toward greater bipartisan cooperation in the operation and administration of this board."

Summit County, like our friends under Lenin, Stalin and Kruschchev in the old days, insists on not only having a ministerial-level (a.k.a civil servant) employee in each job but also a political officer-level (a.k.a. same job, different party) equivalent. Anyone who's spent time watching Dr. Zhivago or The Hunt for Red October has seen how much this ties up the system, but because we've done it for over 30 years there isn't the political or good government will to change things for the sake of efficiency.

Truth is, neither side wants to give up the patronage power that comes with a policy assuring for every job there is a shadow at the same pay. How many companies have you worked for can say the same thing?

Brunner's decision today gets to the heart of the matter: both sides should stop acting like petulant children fighting over equal halves of the same cookie. Reform the system. Soon.

Can You Smell It? It's SOO Close...

Yes, Ohio matters. Canton gets Palin, Cleveland gets both Obamas Sunday with time running out to convince those undecideds to swing their way.

Governor Sarah Palin visits the Field House at McKinley High around noon Sunday, November 2, 2008 with a final Victory Road Rally (campaign's words) and big vote that's filed under GOTV (Get Out The Vote) label. Doors open at nine in the morning. Here's where Republicans and McCain-Palin supporters can get tickets:

Stark County - behind Gabrail Bldg. 4875 Higbee Ave NW, Canton. 9a-9p hours;
Portage County - 1180 West Main Street, Kent. 9a-9p hours;
Summit County: Canal Place Building, 520 South Main, Akron. 9a-9p hours;
Medina County: 124 North Court Street, Medina. 9a-9p hours.

- - -

The Obama Campaign has Senator Barack and Michelle checking in with Bruce Springsteen supplying an acoustic GOTV set around 3:45p.

Keep in mind the Browns are home against the Ravens, so parking will be at an extreme premium but what great timing to draw a crowd. Depending on how tough the Ravens defense is even hard-core GOP Browns fans may be walking up the bluff to get a taste of something different.

Those of you with memory going back four years remember it was the site of a Springsteen show on behalf of Kerry-Edwards in 2004 to close out the campaign. This is also free and no tickets required but supporters are being asked to RSVP (don't know why if there's no tickets...unless they just want the web traffic) to http://www.barackobama.com/ ahead of the event.

Massive Turnout

Want an idea of just how things have changed since 2004? Think over a million people already in both Florida and Georgia alone, standing in line for hours in some cases to get in their vote early.

Here in Summit County, the same: Wayne Jones of the Board of Elections notes the following numbers as of yesterday:

2004 Absentee cast: 33,000
2008 Absentee requested: 53,671
2008 Absentee returned so far: 36,055
2008 In-person voting: 28,133

Forecast by Tuesday PM: 100,000 early votes (a third of the expected total)

Now there are two items to consider over the weekend: how long can you stand in line Saturday, Sunday or Monday to do your civic duty or how long will you stand in line Tuesday when it's E-Day across the nation? The early in-person voting at The Job Center on East Tallmadge (make sure you aim for the east doors; that's where the voting machines are) is likely to be pretty busy with 12-4 hours over the weekend and morning through 8:00 p.m. Monday. Summit County elections workers are putting in extra effort to try and make sure voter lists are as up-to-date as possible but don't be surprised to see this topic play out after the vote counting Tuesday night and then as a repeated theme through 2010 when Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner goes before voters for re-election.

ACORN-issues aside, we probably ought to note it is a miracle much of the registration and vote counting happens at all in a system for a national election that depends on what every local outlet does. We vote as a nation, but governed by the home rules of every state and, in the case of Ohio, every county level charged with administering and carrying out the vote process. In Ohio's case we can't even make computer databases talk with each other to figure out the bad from the good -- who thinks it'll work that way across a nation?

Some might make the case the easy answer here is to register nationally; how such a list might eliminate the talk of multi-state registration, answer questions over where college students vote (and how often) but it flies in the face of our time-honored tradition of the individual and not the group. We consider ourselves Americans but it is as Ohioans and then Summit County voters we make our decisions.

Basic message: vote early, but not often is what we'll take out of 2008. The irony of much of the political fighting over the process in 2010 is that Brunner's name will probably be the key target race for all to watch in just two years and her actions in this election will be sliced and diced hundreds of different ways just waiting for the spin.

The Web Weasels

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse...take a look at your tax dollars at work supporting partisan political candidates. I can't imagine why the web designer and webmaster at Summit County Council would let this go through -- actually using the County's website to promote links to candidate websites not only soliciting votes but also contributions. Is there no shame?

Every member of County Council has a profile page on the County's site; certainly not unusual except for the two members who include a web site reference in addition to calling or emailing.

Summit County Council District 1's Nick Kostandaras official Summit County Council page (seen at left)includes a link at the bottom of his contact information. Follow the link and go to Nick's election page (seen at right) which asks not only for your support but also includes links to contribute.

So taxpayers shell out to build the government-run page...which then directs users to the campaign-run page? Anyone else out there struck by how how inappropriate it is to use a publicly-funded resource to direct voters and citizens doing business with the county to a campaign website?

But wait, there's more...Nick's not the only one.

Louise Heydorn, who represents Summit County Council's District 3, has the exact same deal on her official County site (seen at right) using a link below her profile to drive voters and citizens to her campaign web site (seen at left) which not only encourages us to "Meet Louise" but also to write-in her name. Again, thanks to your tax dollars an official government web site has a direct link to a partisan campaign site.

Isn't technology wonderful? Just think of what this opens up:

• Mayor Plusquellic, County Executive Pry join forces to list Obama links on County, City
• Mayor Robart, Sen. Coughlin agree to list McCain links on City, State sites
• Board of Elections lists ACORN links for ease of voter registration
• Summit GOP agrees to link to Secretary of State Brunner's home page, party photos

OK, that last paragraph is political sarcasm in case you couldn't tell; what isn't a joke is the use of government resources to further partisan election efforts. Kostandaras is a Democrat; Heydorn is a Republican; both should work fast this weekend to remove those links and put the people's websites back in the realm of the people where it belongs and not some political perk add-on that abuses their power of office.

Afraid To Watch?

Today's vote by the Summit County Board of Elections -- deadlocking yet again, this time over whether political parties and candidates should be able to watch democracy in action. Funny how the very officials who should stand for open and transparent government won't put their votes behind the rhetoric.

This really isn't a partisan issue, it's pretty basic: allowing people to watch the voting process. Other counties in Ohio are doing it but because it isn't specifically spelled out in Ohio's complex election laws, so the Secretary of State left it up to local election boards on whether to allow party and candidate observers to watch voting.

Important note: watch as in observe, not challenge.

This includes the early absentee voting taking place now at The Jobs Center on East Tallmadge, in a cavernous building big enough to easily handle two hockey rinks and an arena football game. I got a good sense of just how big, when I joined a friend in doing our patriotic duty earlier this afternoon. Dozens of voting machines, helpful elections workers making sure the t's are crossed and i's are dotted for those of us who know who and what we'll be voting for and against.

Why, for example, can observers watch the political process in Baghdad and Kabul but not Akron? To avoid "confusion," says Board of Election member Wayne Jones. I guess walking in, signing a paper, going to a booth and filing in the circles away from public view from people watch you is too much for the average voter to bear. Remembering the joy of people enjoying and employing the right to vote (left: it hasn't been that long ago in Iraq, has it?) stands as a reminder of what really makes democracy strong: the will of the people, symbolized by ink-stained fingers.


In years past Democrats such as Jones had a powerful argument when the state law actually allowed observers to personally and physically challenge votes; it was a major bone of contention in 2000 and 2004 that some voters felt uncomfortable with the prospect of some blue (or red) nose peeking at them doing their business, then trying to get their vote thrown out. The General Assembly wisely updated the law to remove the challenge but left open the basic American concept of transparency in government by not removing the ability to observe.

This actually has a parallel in case law; in 2006, then-Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell tried to argue having the media observe people casting ballots was disruptive, and precinct leaders were justified in tossing reporters and photographers out. The Akron Beacon Journal led the charge at the time in bringing the matter to U.S. District Court -- I know, because RTNDA joined in that case arguing it was contrary to the public interest and a slap in the face to democracy in suggesting that open and honest elections would be held without the open. It didn't take long for a judicial two-by-four to the head, ordering the State to cut it out.

Now in Summit County a free press can do what a free people cannot -- observe our fellow citizens voting.

It isn't surprising Democrat Jones opposes observers: the political Yin to his Yang, Republican Alex Arshinkoff, is the one pushing to get observers in The Job Center. What Wayne wants, Alex doesn't want, and vice-versa. You might make the same observation about GOP member Jack Morrison; he's been around the same partisan block a time or two. But for newbies Republican Brian Daley and Democrat Tim Gorbach to agree to treat the election process as something to be done out-of-sight is just plain sad.

Jones and Morrison can be excused in forgetting some of the basic lessons learned in local government since they've played bigwig insiders for so long, but Daley and Gorbach aren't that far removed from their service on city governments in Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls. Can you imagine the outcry if the same standard were applied to council meetings in those cities, denying interested parties the right to even sit in the same room while government marched on it's merry way?

Here we sit with another deadlocked Board of Elections, another vote that must be decided by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. At this point Akron should ask for a piece of her salary to satisfy city income taxes, with all her work as a defacto fifth member of the Summit County board. It will be even sadder if she, predictably as in the past, sides with her own party leaders who mistakenly believe the business of the people is too "confusing" to be observed by the people.

Of the people. By the people. It would be refreshing to remember "for the people."

Keeping the voting process open -- even to critics -- is exactly the kind of transparency that makes the American body politic a work of wonder in the rest of the world. It may not be pretty; at times it very well may be "confusing," but at the very least it is something for the entire world to see.


And observe.

Why Barack Again?

The short answer: because we didn't the first time. We arrived at an interesting program decision today on the radio station side, likely to provoke some discussion but there is a strong belief it's the right thing to do.

The issue surrounds broadcasting last Thursday's acceptance speech by Democrat presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama, followed by coverage of Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain's speech before his convention.

As much as we'd like to say it comes at the thought of presenting both in an "equal time" setting, it has more to do with poor timing on our part, in particular planning during vacation time and not paying enough attention to a calendar.

Many stations such as WAKR with complicated programming of sports find themselves trying to squeeze must-listen to coverage between must-carry sports obligations. The culture here at the stations has been one to encourage community debate and discussion, and carriage of the acceptance speeches by the candidates certainly fits that mission (even IF most people may be watching on television or ignoring altogether) of service.

Unfortunately our top news manager (me) was out of town last Thursday, and we didn't catch the fact that Thursday was in fact an open night: we should have been presenting the Obama speech live. Add to that oversight the discomfort of carrying one candidate (in this case McCain) while not carrying the other (Obama)...that simply is not an option, but we couldn't turn back the clock -- or can we?

Our decision: re-broadcast Senator Obama's Denver speech in its entirety, without the normal commentary from a broadcast team, then join ABC's coverage tonight minutes before Senator McCain does the same thing in St. Paul.

It isn't perfect but in some aspect is gives our listeners the opportunity to listen again and compare both in a shorter, more compact time frame. We're leaning toward posting both speeches, unedited and in full, on the website as a reference point for listeners and voters who may be on the electoral see-saw over the next two months.

Wanna Really Make Elections Nonpartisan?

The dust should have settled on the decision by the Ohio Supreme Court decision in Summit County GOP v Jennifer Brunner now that the Secretary of State was forced to put Brian Daley in the post he was supposed to take before local democrat boss Wayne Jones got involved, but already the revisionist history is being written.


The reaction from the Alex Arshinkoff haters has been amazing, to say the least, almost pathological, especially if you apply a simple test to their argument: take the name of the person you want out, insert the name of the person you support, and see if your argument still holds.

Apparently the editorial writers at Exchange and Main don't like playing Switch the Names. Normally I figure what they write is their business, but this morning actually had my head spinning trying to dodge all the rationalizing whizzing past my head.


This morning's diatribe over not getting their way shouldn't be surprising, especially since the writer apparently sees no conflict of interest with the local Democrat boss handing over "anonymous" material (primarily ABJ newspaper articles) to an official representative of the Democrat Secretary of State, who then delivered the material as "anonymous" even though he personally picked it up and hand-delivered it to the Statehouse. I guess FedEx didn't have service to Columbus that day.


The political gambit worked: Republican Arshinkoff was deposed, then Republican Daley was denied despite a vote by the Republicans charged with selecting him to represent their interests. THEN the Democrat party boss got the Democrat Brunner to appoint a hand-picked candidate of choice. In a nutshell that's what led to the Elephant Wars when the State stepped in.


If you play Switch the Names here's what we would have: Wayne Jones shouldn't be on the board because he's too partisan, often votes to tie decisions, and is manipulative (according to the accounts of the paper editorializing Wayne should go.) Alex calls Ken Blackwell, who not only kicks off Wayne but denies local Democrats their second choice and then installs an Arshinkoff buddy who's got a (D) at the end of their name. The target is argumentative and overbearing, so any method to make the change works, right?


Can you imagine the wailing if that were to happen with names reversed? The problem with the politics in this case is there should have been a word of caution to begin this sordid tale given the political shenanigans going on behind the scenes. Even some of AA's most vocal critics admit this who process stank from the beginning, but so long as it met their political goals did it really matter?


What is ironic in this whole case is the heavy-handed approach actually worked against the Republicans who were working the system by the rules to challenge Arshinkoff's leadership and try to force a debate on the running of the GOP party. Any cogent and well-argued points made by Carol Klinger were drowned out in the minds of Republican Central Committee members who didn't need the newspaper to tell them they were being stiffed by the enemy. One member summed it up when I spoke with him while waiting for the show to begin: he was here to vote against Wayne Jones. Talk about overplaying your hand...

Instead we're treated to high-minded arguments that it's shocking, SHOCKING, that the Board of Elections is partisan. I've included Inspector Louie's photo from Casablanca (left) to make the point a bit more graphic. The Board of Elections is designed to be partisan; it's why there are two D and two R members no matter who's in power; it's why every job at the Board has two employees, each to watch what the other is doing. For that matter, the Secretary of State is a partisan because she's elected on a partisan ballot, just like the people she's now charged with riding herd on to protect the election process.


The system itself is designed to be partisan, from Columbus down to the smallest precinct. Acting as if it shouldn't be that way because you didn't get the person you want in office isn't just silly, it is intellectually dishonest. Using the elections system to get rid of a party boss, whether it be Alex or Wayne, ignores the fact both of them are where they are because the people who vote for them make it so. Democracy at the finest: if you can win, you win. Want to get rid of Alex/Wayne: put up superior challengers. Question what they do instead of looking the other way, making excuses, and rationalizing away the basics.


Now if reformers really wanted non-partisan election operations they could fashion a professional civil service structure similar to many state boards and commissions, where the executive nominates a choice subject to advise and consent of the legislative body; that choice would exercise similar judgment in appointing workers regardless of party affiliation, those workers would be given professional civil service protection and the parties (both of 'em) would stop using elections as patronage plums. No more failed candidates for Mayor or relatives of sitting office holders serving as Executive Director; no more annual stories where elections workers pony up with either time or money in support of local parties; no more phony talk of "non-partisan" management of elections. Say goodbye to thousands of jobs controlled by the politicians, including the job of the top elections officer statewide.


Think that'll happen?

Klinger v Arshinoff: Mano et Mano

The die may be cast with plenty of debate ahead in the hallways of Cuyahoga Falls City Hall as Carol Klinger, at-large GOP member of City Council will face-off as the standard bearer for the New Summit Republicans in their bid to depose Alex Arshinkoff as chairman of the county party.

The primary election March 4th only set the table for more moves by both sides; Arshinkoff says he picked up the majority of contested seats among the 470-or so Central Committee members but the group backed by State Senator Kevin Coughlin claims a secret ballot will show their support runs much deeper so long as voter choices won't be public knowledge.

In the middle of all this: Cuyahoga Falls, ground zero for Summit County's GOP. It's not Hudson, Bath Township, Twinsburg or Green that play big (although new Board of Elections member Don Varian is from Bath). The Falls is where the heavy lifting comes to play, complete with Arshinkoff loyalist Mayor Don Robart now in the position of working against one of his own City Council allies in Klinger. Add Coughlin as a Falls resident to the mix and you really get a sense of how this battle is more like a siblings war then a simple neighborhood brawl.

Still waiting to hear on when the local party moves beyond the certifications from the Board of Elections and sets a date for the full Central Committee to meet and vote.

Well, I Swear!

We're posting some of the segments available from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's videotaped deposition in the Summit County GOP lawsuit challenging her decision to boot Alex Arshinkoff from the Board of Elections -- and, as reported, local Democrat boss Wayne Jones figures prominently.

This is old news to folks following at home on this blog, our reporting on AkronNewsNow.com, the Akron Beacon Journal and Eric Mansfield's reporting on WKYC (as well as his own blog) in what is becoming the best thing since Lost for local political junkies but now the actual video chunks are available.

As detailed earlier, Summit County Democrat Finance Chairman Jones figures prominently not only in the decision making process Brunner used to depose Arshinkoff and deny the Republican Party their hand-picked replacement (Brian Daley of Hudson) but also her choice to pick Bath Township attorney Don Varian to represent the local GOP on the Board of Elections. Jones, for his part, is unapologetic about his efforts to get Arshinkoff and Daley blacklisted -- even telling reporter Tina Kaufmann he'd like to see Arshinkoff and rival Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their ongoing struggle for control of the local party apparatus.

What will be interesting to watch is the feedback Brunner gets from all of this; after all, her Republican predecessor Ken Blackwell only suspended Jones from serving on the Board of Elections a few years ago after a ham-handed attempt by Jones and friends to use a trumped-up political committee operating out of a Cuyahoga Falls post office box to buy media time. Now one would think that kind of thing would be enough to trigger more questions from a Secretary of State looking into the conduct of the contentious Summit County Board of Elections -- one might even opine that the political infighting on Grant Street would be enough to trigger a sweep 'em all out mentality similar to Brunner's call to replace the entire Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, but this time apparently only the GOP gets that level of scrutiny.

A GOP source who claims to have discussed the suspension at the time tells me Blackwell didn't want to impose the ultimate sanction on Jones because he felt that would be overstepping his bounds over the wishes of local political organizations charged with electing their own representatives to serve on the board. Despite the frequent criticism Blackwell earned while in the state's top Elections Office, it bears noting he did understand more about due process than what Brunner's office apparently felt was necessary before giving long-time Jones rival Arshinkoff the boot and blowing off Daley's selection as irrelevant without as much as an open hearing for both to address and rebut the charges contained in the package of clippings hand-carried to her office by a subordinate.

This may very well have unintended consequences: Arshinkoff is getting exactly the kind of support he needs because he's now under the gun of what appears to be unfair and partisan administration of executive power from Columbus. Brunner is now forced to openly testify she doesn't need to define what "competent" is after applying the tar and feathers to two duly-elected representatives of the opposite party. Jones comes off looking like a brute, something even the most rough-and-tumble political leader should try to avoid when running roughshod over his rivals.

These things have a way of stacking the deck and refocusing the debate on the process, not necessarily the substance of any discussion on whether Arshinkoff and Daley are fit to serve. The central questions Jones wanted answered seem to be lost in the swirl of Roman Empire-esque intrigue worthy of Nero without the wine and fiddling.

More From The Mud Pits...

A clarification and update this evening on the route the "anonymous" material targeting Alex Arshinkoff took from the law offices of Wayne Jones in Akron to the Columbus offices of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Brunner's videotaped deposition was released today on DVD; at over a gig of data it is unlikely we will post the entire piece but we are working on pulling excerpts.

An update on our report last Friday: the Secretary's man in Summit County is James Hardy. He was deposed last week and noted he dropped off the envelope after picking it up from the Jones office at Roetzel and Andress. In an email today, Hardy (also an Akron School Board member) offers additional insight and a correction to our report:

"One correction: I knew the package was about Arshinkoff, I just didn't read it. And I didn't read it on purpose. Craig probably heard me wrong and I don't blame him, when he called me I was still a little flustered from my deposition. I don't normally get deposed everyday.

But I knew as soon as I got in the car to go to Wayne's office that this probably had to do with Alex. But, it's my job to send information up and send information down the food chain, and that's what I did in this situation. But I didn't want you to read my deposition and say, "Hey, James said he didn't know the package was about Alex?"

In fact, I did the same thing for Alex a couple months before. Alex was having a hard time getting Senator Coughlin's campaign finance reports from our office and so I received a phone call from Angela McMillen, the Ex. Director of the Summit GOP, and asked if I could meet her for lunch. I did, and was more than happy to get the bureaucracy working for them so they could get the info they wanted. They were very happy with my services then (I still have the emails praising me), but I doubt they feel the same way now:)"

James added his own emoticon at the end; he's always been a straight shooter since we first met just ahead of his race for the school board. It's good to see he still has a sense of humour, even after going through the deposition mill.

I've gotten other interesting responses to this story, not all in the form to share (I'm always amazed by how some have such a dominating command of at least four letters of the English language) but would like to add at no time have I ever claimed there was any law broken. In fact, my previous post on playing hardball deals with the political strategies, not any legal liability. I don't believe there's anything illegal about using the shadows of "anonymous" to plant a pitchfork in the back of one's political rivals. I do think the folks doing the pitching, however, should face the consequences when people find out what they've done.

Does this mean Alex is a lock to retain his post as Chairman of the Summit County GOP? The conventional wisdom must be that any interference from the opposition such as Wayne's actions ought to help, especially in an environment where it pays to be paranoid. Critics of Arshinkoff's rule offer a grudging admiration of how this plays to his advantage, telling me they marvel at his ability to re-focus the debate away from their questions and attacks on his performance.

What is interesting is the political junkies here in Summit County are getting a rare, more open look at the kind of back-stabbing that goes on as the players in the game pitch hardball; it's the world we pretend is the poison of Washington politics right here at home.

Pigs In Mud

The phrase "play hardball" isn't just about America's unique game; it denotes the winner-take-all mentality and whatever it takes to win mindset we voters love in our sports teams but say we don't want from our elected leaders -- but the results speak differently.

Supporters of Presidential candidates employ a constant mantra of apologies and resignation for ill-tempered, foolish outbursts designed to grab 20 seconds of air time; the candidates themselves play political pinball evading denunciation of the nonsense that erupts from the lips of friends and family, trying not to give aid to their enemies while spanking the exuberance of their allies.

A powerful state's Governor fades into exile after investigators of money-laundering hit the mother lode of sex, money and power -- even to the point of wiretapping the bedroom and phone calls of lovers. We've learned nothing from the kill 'em all impeachment pain of ten years ago. Everyone loses, but the powers-that-be continue to think as long as they lose less they win.

The latest chapter in the Summit County "Elephant Wars" battle between Alex Arshinkoff and Kevin Coughlin has now officially turned into a three-ring circus; a menage a trois of local political heavyweights that now includes Democrat Party boss Wayne Jones, thanks to his behind-the-scenes no-longer "anonymous" sniping at Arshinkoff. Both AkronNewsNow.com and the Akron Beacon Journal have provided quite a chronicle of the spectacle, a not normally seen view of what happens behind closed doors on an unfortunately fairly routine basis.

I was reminded of all this when going over some of our recent coverage, of all things, from Winter Haven and the Indians getting ready for the 2008 campaign. Manager Eric Wedge -- now with two children, a Manager of the Year award tucked in his belt and that oh-so-close season last year says he tells his players the game "Isn't your life; it's not your wife."

This is not to say Wedge doesn't want to win; it's pretty apparent he wants to bring that World Series gold to fans and a community spending far too much time as the butt of jokes from outsiders. It is a reflection of a man who's come to terms with the things that really matter in life and the journey it takes to get there. Former Indians third baseman and now Mahoning Valley Scrappers Manager Travis Fryman tells a similar tale of how the game almost destroyed his marriage, his family, and the life he worked so hard to build. Only when he realized the destructive power of such single-minded pursuit was he able to turn things around and save the people closest to him.

I admire Wedge, Fryman, and the entire Indians organization for their pursuit of a championship while keeping an eye on the core values they believe will get them to the promised land. The mindset clearly filters from the top office to the players, even down to the folks who keep the machinery of baseball's business rolling in the background, away from our view.

What does it say about Summit County's level of discourse when the whispering campaigns of political abuse, campaign shenanigans and even sexual preference (and that brush doesn't just paint one side, I must add) leak out as "evidence" placed in "anonymous" Manila folders hand-delivered by a state employee from a party boss's law office to the state official? When Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, ultimately charged with determining what "competent" means, can hold such "evidence" in higher regard without the due process of holding hearings in the open before tossing aside the wishes of the citizens who elected their duly-appointed representatives?

This entire case speaks of Gulag-type kangaroo courts employed by Soviet-style tyrants; should Ohio's business of managing elections and political parties really come down to which side does a better job of Khmer Rouge-style slash and burn attacks or is our expectation that, once elected, our public officials do the people's business with dignity and responsibility without the stench of the partisanship that got them to the dance? At what point do the bricks really start flying toward the glass houses these holders of our public trust live behind, and do we as an electorate really want to see that kind of game? When it's our game being played don't we hold the way it is conducted as high as the results?

"It's not your life; it's not your wife," says a leader of men we cheer for to bring honor and a championship back to Northeast Ohio in a game designed for boys. There have been enough attempts, especially in the past nine months, to use sleazy, shadowy attacks behind the curtain of "anonymous" as if that somehow make the attackers clean in Summit County's game designed by old men.

It doesn't.

Wayne's World, Party On!

In my last blog I asked if Jennifer Brunner was hiding anything with repeated attempts to block making her deposition in the Summit County GOP's lawsuit against her public -- the answer is, maybe she should have.

This is not exactly a pretty sight; the Democrat Ohio Secretary of State explaining the advice she was getting from the Summit County Democratic Party finance boss on how to blow out the Republican Party Chairman from the local board of elections. This could turn into a real mess and a real headache for Brunner, who to date as managed to avoid the uber partisan label that helped tag Ken Blackwell into a think-tank gig rather than the Governor's Mansion. The transcript reads less than favorable; when the video gets out it'll be worse, especially as fodder for the next statewide election when Brunner will have to better explain why four Republicans were bad enough elections officials in Ohio's 88 counties but no Democrats?

Our story details just some of the issues arising from the transcript of Brunner's deposition, as well as a key part of the story which had been missing: who dropped off the "mystery package" from Mr. Anonymous that led so quickly to Arshinkoff's unseating? It now appears it was Brunner's man in Akron, local school board member James Hardy, who told us he did indeed deliver a package (he says he didn't know what was inside) from Wayne Jones to the Secretary of State's office in Columbus. From law office to Elections Officer, hand-delivery; great service if you can get it, and in this case local Democrats targeting local Republicans got the gold standard.

The most honest individuals in this case of a political knife-fight are the two who all of this really centers around: Arshinkoff says they're trying to ruin him (they are) and Jones proudly says yes he did want his bitter rival out and even hopes Arshinkoff and GOP challenger Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their fight for control of the Summit Republican Party.

This latest round of blasting away may have some unintended consequences; for Brunner, it casts a shadow on her ability to remain impartial and above the fray. For Arshinkoff, it may be just the ticket to alert Republican Central Committee members that the barbarians at the gate should be turned away and in turn his leadership retained at the top of the local party. This strengthens his charges that putting him in the cross hairs has been nothing but a Jones-inspired scheme to hold real control over both parties.

There's an old adage: if it waddles like a duck, smells like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's a duck.

Quack.

Is She Hiding Something?

The ruling yesterday by the Ohio Supreme Court denying the third bid by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to slip out of having her decision yanking Alex Arshinkoff off the Summit County Board of Elections speaks volumes -- even though the state's top elections officer wants to remain remarkably quiet.

The latest is the videotaped deposition by the Secretary where she has to answer questions from her detractors, namely Arshinkoff and the Summit County GOP on just what led her to take the unique position of removing him from the Board. Just what in particular did he do to warrant this action? Arshinkoff has many detractors, most objecting to what they say is his heavy-handed use of power (or abuse of power depending on your perspective) but any decision to tell any local party their choice can't serve must be followed up by a clear, public disclosure of what the issues were.

Arshinkoff, no stranger to the machinations of hardball politics given his history of trying to build patronage jobs loyal to GOP office holders, says his woes lie at the feet of nemesis Wayne Jones (also no stranger, one must add, to hardball politics) and the alleged conspiracy of state Democrat and local Democrat banding together to control Summit County's Republican Party.

Now I'm not saying Arshinkoff is right; but I am a firm believer in the observation that"...just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Does it strike anyone, honestly, as a stretch to think that Jones and other Democrat power-brokers would take advantage of more friendly ears in Columbus to rid themselves of a more-often-than-not over-the-top pain in the neck like Alex? From a political power building perspective, it absolutely makes sense they would work hard to minimize their opponent's impact and power base and clear the way for their slate of candidates (and issues and cronies) to do better at the ballot box and in the halls of government. That's not corruption; it's politics, played by adults who fully understand the stakes involved and what it may take to win.

Hopefully, now that the Ohio Supreme Court has decided yet again that sunshine pokes it's rays even into the Secretary of State's decisions, we'll get an honest and clear review of just what's in that file that caused Brunner to pull the trigger on Arshinkoff and the party's properly-elected representative to replace him.

Questions we'd like to see answered:

• Just what did she say in her deposition? We'd like to hear and see ourselves, not only the tape but a transcript as well;
• What role did local Democrats and State Senator Kevin Coughlin's camp play in desposing Alex from his empire, if any? They are clearly stakeholders in this fight -- Democrats in ridding themselves of a bitter rival, the New Republicans to benefit from Arshinkoff's diminished stature;
• Does that anti-Alex file include letters from Arshinkoff critics speaking for themselves or does it resemble more a Google search of newspaper articles? Example: should an opposite-party Secretary of State really base such a decision on the controversial Free Times article alleging trolling in Highland Square, or was her investigation more substantive than a collection of clippings?

The honeymoon on Brunner should be long past on forcing the process out in the open, much as it was when she explained her reasoning for replacing the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. In that case, she was able to make a clear and compelling case that their mismanagment put the state's largest block of voters at a disadvantage and hurt the system we need the most confidence in; but in the Arshinkoff case using as an excuse an abrasive and sometimes abusive personality should require more than just saying he's a jerk and other elected officials don't like him.

Can anyone imagine Republican Ken Blackwell getting away with removing duly-elected Democrat local party representatives from local political boards because they weren't liked? Just how long would those howls of indignation have lasted?

Political Suck-Up

Tick Tick Tick...only hours, really, as the campaigns try to convince us they are our only hope. I'd normally says this is what separates the men from the boys but that's a tad bit outdated...

Chelsea brings a busload of Hillaristas to the University of Akron campus to showcase the "Women for Change Tour", all the big guns they can muster for that one last push in what is geographically the center of the Northeast Ohio war for the Democratic Presidential Nomination (DPN). It'll be interesting to see the contrast from Obama's six-thousand strong standing-in-the-cold crowd a week ago at the convention center named after Akron's most illustrious First Amendment journalist. Will it showcase his best appearance to win the hearts and minds on a campaign built on our jobs and wallets?

Bill Clinton came through the area today as part of the DPN push for Hillary; the campaign won't admit it but it is clear to the naked eye his contribution has been better relegated to smaller, more intimate events -- or they just wanted to avoid any repeat of South Carolina or that quickie quote ABC's Charlie Gibson pointed out a week ago, telling Hillary supporters Obama hasn't really been part of anything good in the recent past. Today the FFH (future or former First Husband based on how the vote turns out Tuesday) visited Wayne County and New Philadelphia as part of his tour along Routes 224 and 30 through the Heart of it All; four days to go and the best the ex-President gets is south of the voter-heavy snowbelt? What a difference three months make since those snows of Iowa...

Obama is holding another Town Hall meeting, of all places in Parma, a city with a rick history of not seeing there really isn't a difference between black and white on so many levels. It is a hotbed of Democrat politics (to be a Republican in Parma is living in Seven Hills) and Hillary's best support has some from older Democrats, according to some of the demographic analysis of Ohio voters we've seen. Will he outdraw the First Daughter and FFH?

Best voting bribe so far: Eat'n Park is offering free coffee to anyone sporting an "I voted" sticker Tuesday. A voting stub will work, too if you remember to ask for one.

Back Home -- And Voting

Yes, it's been an extended hiatus away from the blog keypad for yours truly, as my friend Diana Keough in Atlanta (formerly The Plain Dealer) so kindly reminded me over pasta and salad during lunch last week. Those newspaper people -- deadlines, always deadlines! I must note, however, that Southern living agrees with her; she looks younger!

Random thoughts:

- I took advantage of the early voting in Summit County today (it would be cheating to say who) but one thing struck me as potentially confusing for some: when you cast your votes for your favorite Presidential candidate, note you are choosing delegates to the national convention. It isn't exactly rocket science to figure it out but I wouldn't be surprised if some were distracted because they're just looking for a "vote for this candidate for President" line instead of choosing delegates to the convention.

- that said, what a Godsend early voting is! At last report over the weekend 15,000 were expected with 10 days to go and folks at the Board of Elections (all smiles and helpful, by the way-- good job!) told me they figure the crush will really be on when the weather gets better and more people figure out they can do their duty today without worrying about a week from now.

- flying into Atlanta last week I was struck by all the empty truck shipping depots on the arrival into the airport runway zone, but of course the rest of Atlanta seems like an orgasm of construction cranes, highway expansion and economic development. How unlike Northeast Ohio.

- three days away from the phone where every surrogate, public interest group or soul with an opinion has been calling to pitch their piece of wisdom on WAKR. It is a wonderful reminder of how incredibly narcissistic one must be to run for office, or at least their campaigns. That old practice of making sure there was a slave in Caesar's carriage whispering how fame and fortune are fleeting should be required personnel for any candidate.

- speaking of why you aren't hearing the former Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Development of Underwater Resources on the air waxing poetic about Hillary/Barack/John/Mike, it's been our practice to require candidates to actually speak for themselves first before we open the floodgates to all those well-meaning folks who want to speak on their behalf. This has worked well in limiting the "spin" on our station to real voters with an opinion rather than the professional campaign apparatus. In 2004 John Kerry was the only candidate to speak with us; maybe that's why the others just send invitations to these canned photo ops posing as a campaign voters can use.

- watching all the fervor of this week's TV ads (and hearing them on the radio as well) reminds me how wimpy we've become as a nation when it comes to truly hardball politics; Hillary goes off on Barack because he says she loved NAFTA once but now scorns it because she's running for President this time (instead of her husband, who followed up Bush 41's lead and got NAFTA passed way back before it became organized labor's rallying cry.) This is hardball? This stuff draws tears, sharp breaths, and angry fist-shaking? Too bad Andrew Jackson's not around to recount suffering bigamy charges, Grover Cleveland's to recount smears over his alleged illegitimate child, or even Ohio's Warren Harding to discuss the Shadow of Blooming Grove whispered racial lineage to show 'em some real dirty politics.

What's really counting for me on this eve of what we hope will be the final Democratic Presidential Debate: the YouTube vote. Obama Girl's got it running away, more than six million views to Hot4Hill's less than 1.3 million.



Here's what you've been missing from the pro-Hillary video:



And with that I figure Diana will be glad the next time I go two weeks without a post.

Does Ohio Matter?

Sitting here watching the New Hampshire results:

- listening to the McCain supporters chant "Michigan, Michigan" will anyone be chanting for Ohio in March? We're two months away and in just a month "Super Duper Tuesday" may very well signal this whole thing is over with California and New York's rich plums still to be plundered;

- I'm struck by just how much everybody loves New Hampshire and I'm wondering just how many return as President (or otherwise) for a vacation? Do any of these professional-class politicians spend a day or two on a color tour in the fall without asking someone for a vote?

- With all the discussion on experience v change this popped in my mind: if you buy the argument the Clinton camp is making then shouldn't you be supportive of the son of a two-term Vice President and one-term President, the guy who was elected Governor of one of the nation's most populous and growing states, the fellow with degrees not only from Harvard but also Yale? If being the spouse with a ringside seat means you're more experienced than the candidate with more time spent actually serving in elected office then what's the weight of the second generation who actually served as a state's executive?

- with just about half of the precincts reporting from the Granite State it's a close race between Hillary and Obama...so did the softer, choking-back-tears work? Polls showed she was ten points down before "the moment" and voters may well decide she's human, too and the exit polling has women coming out for Clinton as they were supposed to in Iowa but the voting is still being tallied without big counts coming in from college-age voters;

- on CNN the pundits are really couching their conventional wisdom by saying even if she wins she loses because she had a big lead...but also she should be seen as a winner because she was ten points down 36 hours ago.

On to Michigan! On to South Carolina! Will there be a reason to vote in a presidential primary here in March?

Open Letter to Kevin & Alex

The confusion of the past couple days as both sides worked furiously to get their slates -- and alliances -- in order ahead of the filing deadline for the March primary election should be resolved by midweek when most of the head-counting is officially over. In the meantime can both of you agree on one thing: keeping the partisan yapping to a minimum should be a goal of some of the publicly paid-for political appointees?

My gripe in particular is the way Summit County Board of Elections Director Bryan Williams comes off in Stephanie Warsmith's coverage of the ongoing Coughlin-v-Arshinkoff saga. Stephanie's usually dead on with her quotes, so I think it's unlikely Williams was misrepresented in her Akron Beacon Journal story this morning.

I'm not so naive to think that political appointees don't have strong opinions about their masters (good and bad); I'm actually a fan of the spoils system since having to answer to a political boss may sometimes be a better deal in the long run for citizens since it's easier to bring pressure on an errant bureaucrat who can't hide behind Civil Service protections when unwarranted.

The particular quote that really got my goat this morning was this one: ''The guy can't produce what he says he's going to produce,'' Williams told the ABJ in reference to Coughlin. Funny how those observations weren't made in public while both were serving down in Columbus in elected positions a few years ago. Maybe it's payback for thinking Coughlin didn't help Williams enough in that 2003 mess of a Akron Mayor's race...

Now I don't have a problem with Alex letting fly with the dig to Coughlin; both of the Dons (Plusquellic and Robart) do it with ease, as well as my blue pals on NewsNight and that's OK; they're either elected as political animals or express their opinion thanks to the journalist hats they wear. But Williams is a different animal: he's supposed to be the administrator in charge of the Board of Elections and while he has his post because of politics he should be wise enough to avoid sounding like a candidate while holding down that job. His predecessors knew the difference, as do most officials (appointed or elected) to oversee the people's business of making good on democracy's promise of a fairly-run and rightly-counted election process.

It's when they step over the line and become obvious toadies for their political masters that they get in trouble. Any doubts ought to be erased with the memory of Ken Blackwell's wearing of the handling of the 2004* election around his neck when he ran for Governor in 2006*. The tag of a too-partisan election official helped mobilize opposition to people and groups around the country who probably couldn't even point to Columbus on a map, but the tag stuck and was a great opportunity for partisans to step in and helped sink Blackwell's aspirations.

It wasn't just because of that one reason, but it didn't help.

Alex could fight this fight for himself or even let surrogates such as popularly-elected supporters such as Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart play the front man in this battle. What should be clear is the role of workers, including management, at the Elections should at least provide the appearance everyone will get a fair shake, even if the bosses can't wait to sink in the knife.

*dates corrected 1/6; thanks to John Dziurlaj at the University of Akron for catching my error.

Political Junkie Update

I've posted the Summit County filings from today's deadline for the March 2008 primary on AkronNewsNow but among the things to watch for:

• Sheriff Drew Alexander gets another free pass; so does Council's Cazzell Smith. Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh isn't so lucky;
• as noted elsewhere Russ Pry has primary opposition from Joe Finley, with Jim Laria waiting in November;
• John Widowfield lost his bid for Municipal Court Clerk last fall; now he's looking to boot Louise Heydorn from her County District 3 post;
• the big fight will be among judges again, with the GOP contested nomination for a Common Pleas seat between David Drew and Tom Parker; also Democrat Elinore Marsh Stormer will face Probate veteran Judge Bill Spicer in November;
• still to be tallied: the onrush of candidates for the highly-coveted Republican Central Committee positions (sarcasm here for my friends in northern Summit County...) and the likelihood Senator Kevin Coughlin's New Summit Republicans rounded up enough horses to make it a hot race to unseat longtime GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff.