Ohio Pol Phil Heimlich Becomes Radio Talker: Show Debuts Saturday In Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Phil Heimlich is returning to public life as a weekend talk show host on the Salem Radio Network, which is best known for carrying a mix of conservative talkers and Christian broadcasters. So he's not exactly following the footsteps of Jerry Springer, another former Cincinnati pol who forged into broadcasting after a political setback (Springer lost the 1982 Democratic primary for Ohio governor.) Earlier this year, Heimlich abandoned his campaign against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt for the Republican nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. His new weekly show, Hard Truths With Phil Heimlich, makes it debut Saturday (May 3) on five AM stations -- WTOD, 1560 Toledo; WHKW, 1220 Cleveland; WRFD, 880 Columbus; WGTK, 960 Louisville, Ky., and WLQV, 1500 Detroit.

Phil Heimlich is the son of Dr. Henry Heimlich, the physician credited with the maneuver that has saved choking victims around the world. Phil Heimlich has been a conservative Republican officeholder in Cincinnati, where he served on the City Council and Hamilton County Commission. He lost a race for reelection for the county office in 2006 and has largely faded from the public eye. His new show -- slated for the 2-3 p.m. timeslot on Saturday afternoons -- at present does not have an outlet in Cincinnati, his homebase. Although Salem's stable of talk show hosts includes conservatives such as Michael Medved, Bill Bennett and Hugh Hewitt, Heimlich says he does not intend to espouse either a Republican or Democratic party line:

"We will only find the answers to the difficult issues facing our country when we stop looking in the wrong places. We will not find answers in the often empty debate between Democrats and Republicans, nor with those labeled 'liberals' or 'conservatives.' Hard Trusts seeks the difficult answers where they best can be found. -- in the pages of history, through out own common sense, and most importantly in the Word of God."

OH-02 Republican Phil Heimlich: Suckers, I'm Not Refunding Donations

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Phil Heimlich's campaign for the Oh-02 Republican nomination is pffffft!!!! He raised nearly $350,000 and he's not giving the unspent cash back to donors now that he's cut and run from U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt. Heimlich plans to keep the left over for "future" opportunities. Some think that smells like a deal -- he bails and Schmidt and the GOP establishment give him an appointment to an office in Hamilton County somewhere down the road.

Howard Wilkinson gets Heimlich on the record about keeping the money:

"Heimlich has put together a formidable campaign organization, complete with a slick campaign Web site. Through last fall, he had raised more money than Schmidt. He said Wednesday that his campaign had raised about $350,000. Some of that money, Heimlich said, would be used to pay campaign staff and outstanding bills. The rest, he said, he would keep in his campaign account 'for opportunities that come up in future years.'"

Heimlich's slick campaign Web site was still up and running more than 24 hours after he quit the race. And at the moment he's still seeking campaign contributions. Inquiring minds are wondering: Wouldn't an ethical politician have shut down the donor page immediately upon ending his campaign?

Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports are due at the end of the month and will become public. Then, everyone can see how much Heimlich raised, how much he spent, and how much he kept.

OH-02 GOP Phil Heimlich: He Quits The House Race

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Less than a week after losing the Hamilton County GOP endorsement to U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, Phil Heimlich has folded his campaign for the OH-02 nomination. The former County Commissioner quit today and said the endorsement and State Rep. Tom Brinkman's "late entry" in the contest forced him out.

"Mr. Brinkman's candidacy serves no purpose other than to assure Representative Schmidt's renomination. There is no reason to put the Republican Party through a tough primary when victory isn't possible. To do so would only lead to the ultimate benefit of the Democratic Party and its liberal agenda."

Heimlich was defeated in November 2006 by David Pepper. He briefly partnered with former GOP attorney general Jim Petro as Petro's lieutenant governor running mate in 2006 , but left that spot to run for reelection to the commission. Petro was clobbered by Ken Blackwell. Heimlich is a lawyer and may return to the practice of law. His political career clearly is in shambles. So far, no reaction from Brinkman, a conservative like Heimlich. Brinkman, who is term-limited from the state House, benefits from the withdrawal.

OH-02 GOP: Jean Schmidt Gets Big Boost In Hamilton County

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Hamilton County Republican Party has voted overwhelmingly to endorse U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a decision that likely dims chances two GOP challengers can knock her off in the March primary. A source who was at the meeting Friday evening sent this e-mail to The Daily Bellwether:

"I want to remain anonymous.2nd District: Schmidt got 69 votes. Heimlich got 33 votes. Brinkman got either 4 or 6 votes. I think 4, but somebody else reported to me that it was 6. It was overwhelming. Brinkman and Heimlich each went negative on Schmidt. She never mentioned either Tom or Phil and conveyed a positive message. Overall, a huge victory for Schmidt."

The endorsement means money and campaign workers. It is probably crucial for a GOP candidate, though some have bucked the party and won. Her opponents are Tom Brinkman, a term-limited state representative, and Phil Heimlich, a former Hamilton County Commissioner who lost a reelection bid in 2006 to Democrat David Pepper. Brinkman is leading a rosary procession today from Cincinnati City Hall to Fountain Square, an event that peacefully and prayerfully uses the Catholic tradition of seeking intervention from Mary to halt the practice of abortion in the United States.

Schmidt, meanwhile, campaigned in Cincinnati. She showed up for the swearing in ceremony of Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Dwane Mallory, heir to a Democratic political dynasty and was introduced to the throng. She stood and waved and got a nice round of applause. All in all, the Cincy GOP endorsement seems to have ended a good day for the Clermont County congresswoman.

OH-02 Republican Phil Heimlich On Iran: Let's Get Ready To Rumble

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- President Bush spoke last month of the need for a global effort to block Iran from developing nuclear weapons and launching a conflaguration could quickly become World War III. Republican Phil Heimlich, who is seeking his party's nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, apparently thinks the U.S. should be getting ready for a future rumble with Iran that could include mushroom clouds. He contends everything, up to and including America's nuclear arsenal, should be on the table for a military showdown. Unlike the president, Heimlich doesn't mention World War III; he says the U.S. should "take whatever steps may be necessary" to end all threats from Iran if diplomacy fails.

In diplomatic-speak, the phrase "whatever steps may be necessary" is often translated as meaning armed conflict, or we'll go to war if you don't stop your aggressive behavior. Heimlich is running against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt in the March 2008 GOP primary.

At the moment, Iran does not have any nuclear weapons. But it appears to be developing them. Bush caused a worldwide stir in mid-October when he remarked during a White House news conference that a nuclear-armed Iran might attempt an attack on Israel. Said the president:

"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I've told people that if you are interested in avoiding World War III, it seems you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

Heimlich said he would be a staunch defender of Israel if elected to Congress, and made the comment about Iran near the end of an issues piece that is now posted on his campaign Web site. He said:

"The United States must join with Israel and the international community in achieving economic and diplomatic sanctions to stop Iran from further developing its nuclear weapons program. Most experts agree that Iran has the technology, and certainly the will, to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran exhibits an increasingly hostile attitude toward the U.S., Israel, and the West in general. In Congress, I will be a consistent and firm voice for the policy that the U.S. must continue to lead international pressure to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threat, and take whatever steps may be necessary to protect the region and the world from Iran’s aggressive and hostile actions.

Mean Jean And Her Schmidt-Kickers: Heimlich Will Spin The Sour Notes

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican congressional candidate Phil Heimlich has been busy in the studio putting together a campaign album that he calls Jean Schmidt's Greatest Hits. The platter will come out the same week that tables are loaded with Thanksgiving turkeys. No coincidence there. Check out the album cover, and a list of some of the tunes coming our way. It is the start of his long and winding road to the March 2008 primary.

Heimlich, a former Hamilton County Commissioner and Cincinnati City Council member, wants to get back into political office. He is challenging U.S. Rep. Schmidt in a contest for the GOP nomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. Some Republicans have spread rumors he plans to drop out of the contest. But the upcoming attack on Schmidt seems to belie those rumors as coming from a bunch of day trippers. Heimlich says he's got an "amazing Internet offer" that won't be available in any stores.

"Over the next several weeks we'll be unveiling Jean Schmidt's Greatest Hits. a compilation of outrageous statements, misleading rhetoric, backpedaling positions, and is some cases outright falsehoods. The accomplishments have earned Jean notoriety, not just locally but all across the nation. From labeling people cowards to eating crow, Jean Schmidt has squeezed so many embarrassing moments into such a short amount of time, it's hard to imagine what she could accomplish in yet another term in Congress."

Heimlich's spin, of course, is that Schmidt is an inept and boorish political figure, an impetuous diva, who is out of tune with her district, which covers seven counties in southern Ohio.

OH-02 Jean Schmidt: I Knew God Was 'Censored" But Said Nothing

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt surprisingly admits she kept quiet and did nothing upon learning from a Colorado congresswoman "that 'God' had been censored from the flag certificate of one of her constituents." This is a striking disclosure, because Schmidt says she quickly joined the protest when the Architect of the Capitol struck the word God from the inscription of a flag flown over the Capitol for an Ohio teenager. Andrew Larochelle, an Eagle Scout from Dayton wanted the certificate to say for God, Honor and Country. Yet Schmidt says she was "first aware of this interpretation" prior to the Scout's complaint.

Republican Schmidt denounced what happened to Larochelle as an act of censorship.

"This is an important issue. Some in the United States have sought to use the First Amendment prohibition on the establishment of religion to drive God from the public square. Many would argue that the separation of church and state means that 'God' should not be a part of our national motto, in the Pledge of Allegiance, or on our currency. But the Architect's office clearly went too far. The First Amendment goes beyond simply prohibiting the establishment of religion. It guarantees individuals the right to exercise their beliefs freely."

If it was such an important issue -- as Schmidt now says -- why did she fail to speak up when U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-4, Colorado, told her that God was being censored? Why did Schmidt remain silent and not protest until the Eagle Scout from Ohio began to draw national attention?

Schmidt's actions and admission make it appear didn't see the point until God became a political issue she could try to exploit. Matt Hurley at Weapons of Mass Discussion has Schmidt's latest newsletter. It expresses righteous indignation about religious affronts, but shows that she did nothing when first exposed to a religious affront. She waited until there was a bandwagon.

Remember, U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave told Schmidt-- by Schmidt's own admission -- that God was being censored from flag certificates. Could you imagine her GOP opponent in OH-02, Phil Heimlich, keeping his mouth closed? She just may have handed him an issue. Heimlich can say I would have spoken up for God immediately.

OH-02 GOP Primary: Phil Heimlich Wants Iraq Partitioned Into 3 States

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican Phil Heimlich has moved to separate himself from President Bush on Iraq and says the the creation of "a united, stable Iraq may simply be impossible." Heimlich says he favors a plan to partition Iraq into Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite states to end ethnic and sectarian violence. The Ohio 2nd District congressional candidate has posted his views on his campaign Website, which appear when scrolling down the page. Heimlich is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt in the March primary.

His statement says:

"The President should immediately begin working with our allies and the Iraqi leaders to develop an approach to partition that has the maximum chance of success. That is the only way we can fulfill both our moral and military obligations brought about by this war.

"This will not be an easy task. Difficult issues need to be resolved. What level of central government needs to be maintained and how will this be done? How do we protect the Kurds from potential attack from the Turks? And how do we avoid having Iran become the dominating influence in the oil-rich Shiite area? these are serious questions that will require our best minds and our most dedicated diplomatic efforts to resolve. These are challenging tasks, but the alternatives require that we dedicate ourselves to their achievement."

President Bush has opposed efforts to discuss partition. On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a public statement saying the administration opposes partition. It responded to a Sept. 27 non-binding resolution passed by the U.S. Senate and supported by Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate. The Embassy warned that partition would lead to more bloodshed.

OH-02: Anthony Munoz Backed Bob McEwen Last Year, McEwen Lost

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Anthony Munoz is supporting U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's challenger in the OH-02 GOP congressional primary. Will that put Phil Heimlich over the top? It doesn't hurt, of course to have a marquee endorsement but Munoz's backing didn't turn former Republican Congressman Bob McEwen into a winner. Schmidt whomped McEwen in the 2006 primary.

NFL Hall Of Famer Anthony Munoz: Signs Up To Play Offense For Phil Heimlich

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Bengal Anthony Munoz owns three NFL offensive lineman of the year awards, and now he's going to try to open holes in the OH-02 GOP primary that will give Phil Heimlich some running room. Heimlich landed the Latino sports star's support despite Heimlich's firm opposition to any easing of immigration laws for Hispanics who settled in the United States illegally. Munoz was born in Ontario, Cal., in 1958.

Heimlich is seeking to wrest the party's nomination from U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt next March. Munoz, who is an extremely popular figure in the Cincinnati area where he lives, has signed on to back Heimlich and will headline a fundraiser next month.

Munoz is in the NFL Hall of Fame and played for the Bengals from 1980 until his retirement in 1992. He made the Pro-Bowl 11 times during his 12-year career. After football, he started a charitable foundation that has become one of the most important organizations working with young people in Southwest Ohio. He has also dabbled in Republican politics, and served as a local leader in the 2004 Bush-Cheney reelection campaign. His alignment with Heimlich -- who is challenging a sitting member of Congress -- is a blow to Schmidt and a sign that she may have difficulty holding the allegiance of the area's top Republicans.

Munoz is Hispanic and played college ball at the University of Southern California in his native state. Heimlich got the NFL great's support even though he's no fan of legislation that would transition some of the Latino residents who immigrated illegally to U.S citizenship. Heimlich says:

"Illegal immigration is an issue of national security. Certainly, most immigrants moving illegally into the U.S. are not terrorists and are not consciously seeking to harm our nation. But our current policies allow those who seek to harm our nation to simply walk onto our soil, undetected and unaccounted for.

"I oppose granting amnesty, or creating an easy 'pathway to citizenship' for those who have come here illegally. To do so makes a mockery of our laws, and disrespects every immigrant who has come to America legally."

OH-02 Phil Heimlich: His 2nd Amendment Shot May Aid Jean Schmidt

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich, a Republican who hopes to topple U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt in the OH-02 GOP primary next March, is out with a statement saying he's a big supporter of gun rights. Heimlich pledged to support a House bill intended to make all 50 states recognize each other's concealed carry laws. But he drew attention to Schmidt: The Daily Bellwether found the Clermont County congresswoman has been working to get the same measure through Congress.

Here's Heimlich:

"Our nation is in need of a uniform policy regarding the recognition of state concealed carry laws. The Stearns/Boucher Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Bill would help solve the problem. Introduced n the U.S. House by Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Rich Boucher (D-Va.) . . . the bill would allow any person with a valid carrying permit issued by a state to carry a concealed firearm in any state."

But Schmidt was much faster on the draw. She is one of the two Ohioans among the 77 co-sponsors of the bill. The other Ohio co-sponsor is U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Oh-01. Schmidt signed up to back the NRA-supported measure on March 15.

Schmidt holds a concealed carry permit in Ohio, as does Heimlich. So he does not trump her as a Second Amendment supporter, and at most is playing catch up. In other words, Heimlich says he publicly holds the same position as Schmidt about reciprocity among the states. And she can respond: I have been trying to get that through the House for much of this year. Indeed, Heimlich almost seems to give Schmidt a kudo in his statement supporting Stearns/Boucher.

"Those of us who support the Second Amendment understand the need for the Stearns/Boucher bill to become law. In Congress, I will fight for the rights of gun owners, and work to make our Second Amendment rights stronger through common sense legislation like Stearns/Boucher."

The full-text of Heimlich's statement is here. At most, his remarks demonstrate to 2nd Congressional District Republicans that he's a gun rights supporter. That is important in a semi-rural district where NRA support is critical, even for Democrats such as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, whose native county, Scioto, is within OH-02.

OH-02's Republican Jean Schmidt: Tells Brown County GOP She'll Bake Cookies For War Protesters

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt was out campaigning two counties away while her district office in suburban Cincinnati was being picketed by Iraq War protesters. And Mean Jean seems to have morphed into Betty Crocker, who remains chips ahoy on the war.

Weapons of Mass Discussion got a really detailed report out of the Brown County Republican Party, and it noted both Schmidt and her 2008 primary opponent Phil Heimlich attended the meeting. Schmidt said she is convinced the war was going better and dissed the protesters back in Cincy:

"Finally, she discussed foreign policy, and how Iraq is getting better militarily. She discussed how Petraeus is on the right track. . .

"In a lighter note, she discussed how there are protesters at her office trying to make her join the surrender caucus. She said she might bake cookies for them. That despite their meanness, she would not bend."

Other news via Weapons of Mass Destruction: Brown County Republicans will make their endorsements in late December. Heimlich and Schmidt have made their pitches.

OH-02's Republican Phil Heimlich: His New Web Presence Is Anti-Gay, Anti-Tax, Pro-Life

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican Phil Heimlich's campaign has its Website up and running. And don't be fooled by the soft blue background colors. He's running from the right side of U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, with Heimlich saying his entire career has been devoted to "sound conservative economic principles." Heimlich says nothing about the War in Iraq, terrorism or supporting President George Bush, the GOP chief executive whose poll numbers have sagged.

It is early, of course, but the former Hamilton County Commissioner obviously has moved to position himself with the evangelicals and social conservatives. While he's blanked out the Bush-Cheney years, Heimlich mentions Dr. John C. Willke, the Cincinnati physician who founded National Right to Life. And Heimlich says he has worked hand-in-hand with Citizens for Community Values -- the group headed by Phil Burress -- to "enact one of the toughest laws in the country keeping strips clubs and porn shops away from schools, homes and churches." That reference harkens back to a Cincinnati zoning ordinance that went on the books during Heimlich's years on the City Council.

About gays, Heimlich describes how he once:

"Served as spokesperson for (the) campaign to oppose special rights based on sexual orientation. When others tried to repeal the City's ban on special rights based on sexual orientation, Phil opposed this repeal and appeared in ads sponsored by Focus on the Family Cincinnati Committee. In these ads, Phil countered the arguments of those fighting to allow special rights." He also notes he, "Received the Citizens for Community Values Community Defender Award. This award reads that it is for Phil's 'commitment to upholding and defending our City's high community values."

For now, Heimlich is stuck in the past. He's not speaking directly about national issues that face Congress. Eventually he'll have to describe his stands on matters such as ethics, global warming, energy prices -- and the war. Overall, Heimlich probably did a poor job of introducing his Congressional campaign to Web audiences. He mouthed old themes about old subjects, and offered nothing new at all. Indeed, he doesn't sound significantly different than Schmidt -- except for one important fact. She's been loyal to the President, and has stuck with him during an increasingly unpopular war. That stand may aid her in the Republican primary because the polls consistently show a majority of party members agree with Bush. Heimlich's Website could hurt because he didn't say what his position was from the very beginning -- Schmidt's supporters can accuse him of dodging, weaving or testing the wind. Indeed, if you read Heimlich's Web site, you wouldn't even know there is a war going on.

OH-02: Last Year Mean Jean Schmidt Predicted Troops Would Be Coming Home

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Republican congresswoman's crystal ball must have been malfunctioning in January 2006 -- because she said then things were so well on track in Iraq that American troops would soon begin returning to the U.S. "on a permanent fashion."

Schmidt -- incorrectly -- viewed events on the ground in such a positive manner that soldiers and Marines could be withdrawn starting last summer. Instead, we wound up with a surge this year adding, rather than subtracting, combat forces. The Ohio legislator had just spent 15 hours on a trip to Baghdad, and her analysis was flat-out wrong. Today, Schmidt looks like a simpleton.

Schmidt's comments appeared in a Jan. 15, 2006 Cincinnati Enquirer story, a story that is no longer available online. The Bellwether retrieved the article by looking up clippings. It was written by Malia Rulon, and a digital version is in a database at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County called NewsBank. Unfortunately, the database is not linkable.

Here are a few of the pertinent paragraphs:

"WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jean Schmidt said Saturday, after a 15-hour trip to Baghdad, that progress is being made in training Iraqi troops and the size of the U.S. force in the country probably could be reduced later this year.

"Schmidt, who spoke by phone from a U.S. base in Kuwait, said the bipartisan congressional delegation she was traveling with met Friday with Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and soldiers serving on the ground.

"I can assure you that progress is being made," said Schmidt, R-Miami Township. "If they keep on the track that they are on now, then by summer we should see some more of our troops coming home on a permanent fashion."

Schmidt, of course, was following the White House line at the time. President Bush planned to withdraw soldiers to levels below the 138,000 in country before the Iraqi elections.

Schmidt said she viewed Iraq as stabilizing. Rulon reported the OH-02 congresswoman "saw signs that Iraq is starting to become westernized: cell phones, satellite dishes, a Starbucks coffee shop and even a Century 21 real-estate sign."

Surprisingly, nobody who is running for her job in the 2008 primaries is pressing Schmidt much about how her analysis was so off -- the troops are not, and did not, come home "on a permanent fashion." Democrat Vic Wulsin is running for renomination in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District and -- in this blog post she has featured on her website since last week (scan down the page) -- didn't point out Schmidt's over-optimistic statement about bringing the troops home. Republican Phil Heimlich seems to have been silent on the war. Does he back the president or favor some other course? Heimlich hasn't tipped his hand.

OH-02: Nobody Knows Noses Like Neocon Phil Heimlich

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cincinnati area, which is down in the Ohio River Valley, is known for allergies, mold and clogged sinus passages. Republican Phil Heimlich, who is running against Ohio 2nd District Congresswoman Mean Jean Schmidt in the 2008 GOP primary, is caught demonstrating on TV what it is like to live in this nasally sensitive community.

At the time he was honking on public access like an out of tune oboe, Heimlich was a Hamilton County Commissioner. The guy talking is Democrat Todd Portune, who appears perturbed. If "Honker" Heimlich gets to Congress, perhaps he'll sponsor legislation declaring Cincinnati the handkerchief capital of America. (Major Hat Tip to the Cincinnati Beacon, which posted the clip in May 2006.)

OH-02's Jean Schmidt: Screw-Up Flagged By Federal Election Commish

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- If you go fishing, you have to have a fishing license. If you golf, you have to show the starter the greens' fees are squared away. And if you plan to run for Congress and are raising campaign cash, you have to tell the Federal Election Commission.

It appears U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a conservative Republican from Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, has neglected to file proper paperwork in Washington that legally declares herself a candidate for reelection. But Schmidt' campaign committee has been raising and spending money -- drawing this regulatory notice from the FEC that points out she's not playing by the rules Senators and House members must follow.

The FEC has given her until July 23 to formally declare whether she's running or sitting out the 2008 election. The commission believes her fundraising activities appear to be for 2008, a race expected to match her against former Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich, whose paperwork is now in place for the GOP primary.

Madelynn M. Lane signed the FEC notice to Schmidt, saying:

"A review of these reports indicates that your principal campaign committee has net debts from the previous election cycle, and has accepted contributions and/or made expenditures in support of your candidacy in excess of $5,000, thus meeting the definition of "candidate per Federal Election Campaign Laws.

"You must either disavow these activities by notifying the Commission in writing that you are not a candidate, or redesignate your principal campaign committee by filing a Statement of Candidacy (FEC FORM 2) within thirty days from the date of this letter," the FEC official said in the formal notice dated June 23.

Two weeks have passed. There's nothing to show Schmidt has declared herself a candidate. Any possibility she's quitting?