No Wonder We Keep Getting Our Asses Handed To Us
UPDATE: Mr. TJ tells me that this post was a tad, er, hostile. That's definitely how I feel these days, hostile. And why I haven't been posting. But, if any of my three or four readers were offended, I am truly sorry. Bush makes me angry.

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Long time, no post. So sue me.

Can someone explain this to me? First, some background. Ohio Governor Bob Taft, a Republican and grandson of President and Supreme Court Justice William Howard Taft, pleaded no contest yesterday to four counts of state ethics violations (failing to report golf outings). He was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines and is now a convicted criminal. Taft is refusing to resign, but some Republicans are encouraging him to do so for the good of the party. Now here comes the crazy part. There are actually paid Democratic strategists publicly urging Dem candidates not to talk about Taft in the election:

ONN News:

"Gov. Bob Taft's decision to stay in office after his convictions on four misdemeanor ethics charges gives Democrats running statewide next year a chance to tie him to other Republicans, but it's a mistake to make him the focus of campaigns, a top Democratic consultant says.

[snip]

Instead of going after Taft next year in the statewide elections, Democrats should focus on the wider investment scandal that has scarred the Republicans, said [James] Ruvolo, a consultant who has advised Democrats since the 1970s. Ohio's insurance program for injured workers, administered through the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, has lost at least $300 million in investments, most of it during Taft's 6 1/2-year tenure.

Ruvolo said going after Taft personally could be portrayed as mean-spirited and Democrats should just leave the issue alone."

WTF?!?

As this right-wing blog puts it,

"Ruvolo is crazy, I would put the word Taft in every hit piece the Democrats put out from now until 2020. By not going after Taft you allow the Republicans to distance themselves. Wait...why are we giving advice to the Democrats. Yeah, Democrats don't go after Taft, the African Americans like him....(note the sarcasm)"

No shit. We have got to get rid of these stupid-ass consultants. No wonder we keep getting our asses handed to us. They simply DO NOT get that the rules have changed. It's all about personal, not about substance.

Either that, or this Ruvolo person is getting paid by the GOP. No other explanation.
- posted by TJ @ 4:23 PM