Over in Ohio
By Mike Hersh, Nov 4, 2005

Citizens Work to Take Back Their Elections
from the Corrupt Ohio Republican Machine

In 2000 Florida was ground zero in the bitter battle for the White House. In 2004, with far less attention, the right wing engaged in similar dirty tricks and vote-rigging in Ohio. Expanding scandals relating to the right wing Ohio machine - "Coingate" money laundering, other criminal allegations, and the criminal conviction of Governor Robert Taft - underscore the need to prevent future election and government abuses. Ohio Republicans - like their counterparts in the White House and the Congressional leadership - earned a reputation for corruption.

The Toledo Blade reported: "A close associate of former president George H.W. Bush, President George Bush, Ohio Senator George Voinovich, and Ohio Governor Robert Taft, Tom Noe is facing three federal indictments related to the 2004 election. While Noe may be better known for his role in the 'Coingate' scandal, he served many years as the Chair of Board of Elections in Lucas County, Ohio. Noe was also responsible for bringing Diebold's opti-scan voting machines to inner Toledo, Ohio, many of which reportedly malfunctioned on Election Day." [1]

Dismissing if not covering up the culture of corruption, Ohio Republicans like Party Chair Bob Bennett brush off "thievery of public funds and ethical lapses [as] misdeeds committed by a few 'bad apples.'" Despite promises that "his party would 'weed them out' [Ohio] Democrats believe hasn't been done yet." According to Ohio Democratic Spokesperson Gabrielle Williamson, "We have yet to see the Republicans get rid of their bad apples," and the facts bear out her observation.[2] On the local, state and federal levels, Republicans will tell any lie, break any law, and rig any election to consolidate and abuse their authority over regular citizens.

Ohio's climate of corruption affects all Americans. We'll probably never know the real outcome of the decisive Presidential vote in Ohio. Consider Republican partisans actions which include the bizarre: "Warren County locked out public observers from vote counting citing an FBI warning about a potential terrorist threat, yet the FBI states that it issued no such warning,[3]" the mundane: too few working and too many faulty voting machines in Democratic precincts,[4] and the astonishing: the letter from Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell " committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to [Bush]."[5]

Activists Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman explain: "Bush's official margin of victory in Ohio was just 118,775 votes out of more than 5.6 million cast." They note, "The United States is the only major democracy that allows private partisan corporations like Diebold to secretly count and tabulate the votes with proprietary non-transparent software." O'Dell's promise raises concerns that Diebold engaged in "an effort, apparently successful, to steal the White House." A non-partisan Government Accounting Office (GAO) report found that " concerns about electronic voting machines have been realized and have caused problems with recent elections, resulting in the loss and miscount of votes [because operatives could] alter the files that define how a ballot looks and works so that the votes for one candidate could be recorded for a different candidate." The GAO Report concluded that corporations like Diebold "installed uncertified versions of voting system software at the local level."[6]

The GAO confirmed that corporations entrusted with administering the election - including one whose CEO promised to "deliver" for Bush - intentionally introduced vulnerable, unapproved voting systems in a near dead-heat race. Decisions made by Republican operatives, including Ohio Secretary of State and Bush Campaign Co-Chair Ken Blackman, held down Democratic votes - unethically if not illegally. Only the most credulous or complicit could dismiss this as "conspiracy theory." We're talking about conspiracy reality. Votes cast for Kerry probably ended up counting for Bush or 3rd Party candidates. Possibly enough to shift the result and decide the final outcome in the Electoral College. In other words, Bush cheated - and probably lost - again.

You can help clean up Ohio politics and prevent future stolen presidential elections. Measures on the Ohio ballot for Election Day November 8 would protect voting rights by "Creating an independent commission to approve state and federal legislative districts (no more self-interested and partisan gerrymandering!) Allowing voters to cast ballots by mail without stating a reason for voting early (no more 7 hour lines to keep Ohioans from voting!) Creating a bipartisan State Board of Elections to oversee the conduct and administration of elections (no more partisan shenanigans by the likes of Ken Blackwell!) Reforming campaign finance laws to lessen the role of large campaign contributions and to provide fuller disclosure about the source of contributions (no more big money drowning out the voices of the people!)" according to People for the American Way.

The specific ballot measures include: Issue 2 which would let Ohioans vote early or by mail, ensuring easy access to elections, Issue 3 which would place limits on campaign contributions, reducing the influence of money in politics, Issue 4 which would establish an independent redistricting commission to draw legislative districts - currently partisan lawmakers hold this authority, and Issue 5 which would prevent politicians from administering state elections.[7]

Making a mockery of right wingers' claims that liberals "try to win in the courts when they lose at the polls" the Ohio Republican Machine sought to crush the citizens' efforts to reform their political system, preventing them from even getting to the polls at all. The Columbus Dispatch reported: "A group backed by GOP legislative leaders filed a lawsuit yesterday to stop three proposed election-system changes that threaten the political power structure on Capitol Square. Former Senate President Richard H. Finan is heading Ohio First, a newly incorporated organization created to defeat constitutional amendments proposed by Reform Ohio Now, a coalition of public policy groups. Though the deadline to turn in petitions is five days away, Finan asked the Ohio Supreme Court to prevent" placement of the reform Issues on the ballot. [8] That effort failed, but the Republican Machine won't give up its control over Ohio easily.

Not all Ohio Republicans agree with this strategy. The Dispatch reports "U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce said she has advised Ohio GOP leaders that it would be fruitless to spend millions trying to defeat the Reform Ohio Now measures. Ohioans likely won't listen to incumbent GOP officeholders detailing the evils of the proposals - especially with the scandals currently plaguing state government - the Upper Arlington Republican said. 'I'm not sure Republicans right now have the clout to carry this off,' she said." But "Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, said he disagreed with that assessment and plans to be involved in opposing the amendments. Rep. Kevin DeWine, a top adviser to Speaker Jon A. Husted ... vowed that yesterday's lawsuit is just the beginning. 'You will ultimately see we will try to fight this every step of the way,' the Fairborn Republican said." [9] And so they have.

Conspiracy theorist and Assistant Majority Whip Bill Seitz (R) of District 30 complains: "They're frustrated as heck that Ohio voted for George Bush. They think the election was stolen from John Kerry and they figure rather than try to win an election they're just going to rewrite the rules," but he won't tell us who he thinks "they" are. David Little, the Southwest Ohio campaign director for the independent grassroots group Reform Ohio Now explains: "These reforms are something that we've needed in Ohio for over a decade and they are basic reforms that will restore accountability, transparency, honesty to the political process in Ohio." Little adds, "If you're satisfied with the current state of affairs in the State of Ohio you should be encouraged to vote no on all of them. Otherwise, if you believe that we can do better. If you've had enough I strongly encourage you to vote for all for reform issues November 8th," Little explained, referencing rampant Republican corruption and mismanagement in Ohio.[10]

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Reform Ohio Now hopes its campaign "can raise $3 million to $5 million [but] expects to be outspent." "Ohio First" - ironically incorporated in Delaware and relying on out-of-state funding - obstructs reform by making misleading and hypocritical accusations. One "Ohio First" operative State Representative Kevin DeWine "questioned who was backing the Reform Ohio Now campaign, calling some of its early supporters 'liberal elite' from New York, California and Washington, D.C." But DeWine had to concede he "took a fund-raising trip to Washington, D.C." himself. Perhaps he collected war profiteering booty for his front group from Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Irving "Scooter" Libby - the "Corrupt Conservative Elite?" We don't know, because DeWine "would not say whom he met with."[11]

Unlike "Ohio First's" secretive out-of-state-supported operation, Reform Ohio Now "is a diverse group of people and organizations concerned about Ohio's future and direction [who have] seen the corruption, lack of accountability, and misaligned priorities in our state government. [They're] working to hold politicians accountable in Ohio, through a series of constitutional amendments: Issues 2-5 on the November ballot." [12] In a proverbial David vs. Goliath contest, this under-funded coalition of dozens of membership-based Ohio groups and organizations is facing off against entrenched Republican partisans.

How do we know "Ohio First" is a front for the corrupt Republican insiders? Because it published its overheated anti-reform rhetoric on the Franklin County Republican website and even admits the posting was "Paid for by Ohio First Voter Education Fund." Besides raising questions about the legality of this blatant coordination and apparent commingling of funds between a political party and a purportedly independent non-partisan non-profit corporation, this exposes "Ohio First" as an effort to protect the increasingly disreputable and corrupt entrenched Ohio Republican elite. "Ohio First" doesn't even try to conceal its aims in outlandish claims such as, "If passed, [the reforms would] take the right to vote away from Ohio voters and increase the likelihood of election fraud" [and] give special interests an unfair advantage in funding political campaigns" when the opposite is true. [13]

Arguing to maintain partisan Republican control over voting and ability to manipulate the rules and results, the "Ohio First" Republicans dishonestly claim the reforms would "create new bureaucracies that have a blank check to spend taxpayer dollars and are not accountable to Ohio voters [and] give power to unelected political appointees who are not required to meet any minimum level of qualifications and who could never be removed by the voters." These Republican insiders contend that if the people of Ohio support these reforms it would "lock in to the Ohio Constitution election rules and regulations that can never be changed by Ohio voters." [14]

These claims make no sense, according to impartial observers. Voters can reverse anything they enact - if Republicans Machine lets them vote, that is. Many states have "unelected" non-partisan boards administering their election laws with much better results than the corrupt, suspect Republican-rigged system currently afflicting Ohio. Corrupt Republican insiders haven't been accountable to Ohio voters for decades, and the money-laundering, election-fixing, influence pedaling is only getting worse. Hoping to prevent citizens from regaining control of their state government, "Ohio First" would keep voters last by blocking badly needed reforms and any and all efforts to impose accountability on the out-of-control culture of lawlessness and abuse in Columbus. It's hardly surprising its stated address is ground-zero for the Ohio Republican Machine. Even this is deceptive because "Ohio First" is based in a Delaware and seeks out-of-state funding from the DeLay-Frist-Rove Axis of Corruption. Contrast the "Delaware First" blatantly Republican dishonest and hypocritical hyperventilation against the calm, reasoned, non-partisan appeal of Reform Ohio Now:

"Ohio has always been a great state, but times are tough. Ohio leads the country in job losses, and young people are leaving in droves. Our capitol is racked by numerous scandals, and elected officials still pander to big donors and ignore working people. But now there's something we can do about it. Vote YES on Issues 2, 3, 4, & 5 on November 8 - real, common-sense reforms to take our state back from the politicians who have failed us: Issue 2: Makes it easier to vote by allowing all Ohioans to vote by mail, Issue 3: Helps stop the influence of big money in elections by greatly reducing campaign contributions, Issue 4: Stops the politicians from drawing their own legislative districts and puts an Independent Commission in charge of this process, Issue 5: Places a bi-partisan Board of Supervisors in charge of Ohio's elections, instead of a partisan official who backs candidates and takes sides in elections. Reform Ohio Now, a non-partisan group, is working with thousands of volunteers across the state to pass these reforms. The Canton Repository called us 'fresh air in the stale room that has become state government.' But we can't do it without your help, so get involved today."[15] You can do that here: http://www.reformohionow.org/signUp.jsp?key=622&t=action

While it's up to Ohioans to resist the right wing propaganda to sort out their state's election system, the corruption there affects all Americans. As People for the American Way explains, "The debacle of the 2004 election has made Ohio's broken election system a national concern, so we need your help to reform Ohio's elections! There are over 25 thousand PFAW members in Ohio [and] we are working to mobilize [them]. We need to find out what they know about these initiatives, educate them on the importance of these reforms, and turn them out to the polls on Tuesday, November 8th." People for the American Way has been working with Reform Ohio Now encouraging Ohio Voters to turn out in support of the four ballot issues to take back their state from the corrupt Republican insiders. Time is running out, but you can still support the campaign and get involved at this website: http://pfaw.kintera.org/RON. [16]

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