Cincinnati GOP Councilman Charlie Winburn's Top Aide Plagiarizes Boss: Seems To Have Stolen Words To Plug His Springfield Twp. Candidacy

Bart Simpson Lives In Springfield, Too.

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- David Miller, a GOP state central committee member, is Councilman Charlie Winburn's chief of staff at Cincinnati City Hall.  And he's also the Hamilton County Republican Party's endorsed candidate for fiscal officer in Springfield Township.  It's possible he might have to add another line to his resume: Plagiarist.

An answer on Miller's League of Women Voters candidate questionnaire form contains nearly identical language to Winburn's answer.  Only Winburn delivered his three days earlier.  The questions were, "What services to you think should be considered basic and essential in the city?" and "What services do you believe should be basic and essential in the township?"   Even though Cincinnati is a major metropolitan city and Springfield Township is a small suburb, Miller appears not to have recognized differences between the two.   On Sept. 23 at 7:46 a.m. he filed this answer:  "Government officials are public servants to the voters and stewards of their public assets.  Springfield Township must properly use public policy in order to manage necessary public services such as roads and sanitation, insure public safety through police and fire, and create an atmosphere where the free market economy can flourish through private industry with a minimum of government regulation."  The link to Miller's answer is here.

As for Winburn, this is what he had to say on Sept. 20 at 4:09 p.m.:  "Government officials are public servants to the voters and stewards of their public assets.  The Cincinnati City Council must properly use public policy in order to manage necessary public services such as roads and sanitation, insure public saafety through police and fire, and create an atmosphere where the free market economy can flourish through private industry."  The link to Winburn's answer is here.  Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Winburn didn't say anything about minimizing government regulation.

Inquiring minds might be wondering if Winburn and his City Hall sidekick David Miller somehow collaborated, and they might also be curious to discover if they hatched their campaign manifestos while at work on government time.  The city solicitor's office might want to did into the e-mails and computer traffic.

Wow!! Hamilton County's Republican Chairman Can't Spell Procter and Gamble Correctly

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- P&G is a Fortune 100 company. It is Cincinnati's most important corporate citizen, the city's signature multinational that's been around for more than 170 years. The twin towers of the downtown headquarters are a landmark. Yet Hamilton County GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou doesn't seem to know how to correctly spell Procter & Gamble. He gets it wrong three times in three straight sentences on his blog:

"Proctor and Gamble knows that Tide has a strong brand presence and that consumers recognize Tide as a high quality product. (We might say Tide has high name ID!)What if Proctor and Gamble puts out a new product without the "name ID" of Tide? What helps Proctor and Gamble establish its new brand worldwide? Advertising, of course. Advertising is a key element to capitalism and we see it everywhere. Think of Times Square or even the streets of Tokyo with paid advertising on every free inch of every facade."

It's Procter, from William Procter, who co-founded the company in 1837. Triantafilou may want to go back and scrub the erroneous spelling. (He can use Tide, or Mr. Clean.) But that's how it appeared -- "Proctor" -- when The Daily Bellwether checked tonight. By the way, Procter, who is buried in Cincinnati's Spring Grove Cemetery, was a Republican, according to some biographical sources.

Hamilton County GOP Chair Alex Triantafilou Gets Mean: Calls Obama 'An Empty Suit'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The GOP chairman in Cincinnati slipped out of Ohio for a vacation in an undisclosed location where there are palm trees and beaches. He says it's a Republican-controlled paradise. But he's uncharacteristically sour, calling Sen. Barack Obama a "self-proclaimed messiah" and "an empty suit." Maybe it's the heat. Or maybe margaritas fueled such brilliantly intellectual political commentary. He's definitely on par (sarcasm alert) with William F. Buckley's erudition. If Alex Triantafilou can find a single instance of Obama proclaiming himself the messiah, The Daily Bellwether will gladly send him a case of Corona to drown his political sorrows at the beach. If not, he should apologize and run across Fountain Square in a Speedo at high noon on a work day in August. Then people could decide who really is the "empty suit." Here's Triantafilou from the beach:

"I've really built a dislike for this Obama message and the man himself. A few months ago, I thought he was an attractive candidate and, as a political observer, I was impressed by his political skills. No more. He's an empty suit and a true believing ideological liberal who will kill the American entrepreneurial spirit by promoting class warfare, raising taxes on prosperity, and imposing a radical social agenda on America."

Coming Soon To Cincinnati: GOP-Sponsored Gun Permit Training Classes

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A first for the nation? The Hamilton County Republican Party says it is going to offer sessions that will allow graduates to apply for concealed-carry handgun permits in Ohio. GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou made the announcement on his blog:

" . . . you will see us unveil a few other new things soon. Among those will be a party sponsored class for those wishing to receive their concealed carry permit . . ."

The announcement is here, and it seems to represent a quick draw on the Democrats that is bound to gain attention. Cincinnati is often depicted as an urban area with a high crime rate, so the GOP may be hoping to make inroads with citizens who fear for their own safety. But there could be a risk the Republicans might shoot themselves in the foot. Gun training classes brought to you by a political organization may bring some negative publicity to the community -- the kind of headlines and commentary that says things are so Fort Apache-like that Republicans are showing citizens how to arm themselves for self-preservation. That kind of image is not especially alluring to economic growth and development interests, the tourism sector, or civic boosters. Or, the GOP may be seen as having little faith in the police. Another possibility: The party is signaling that it stands with the NRA and supports the 2nd Amendment. The chairman didn't explain the reasons why the political party wants to teach citizens how to pack heat.

Ohioans who want to carry a concealed weapon have to take up to 10 hours training, including two hours of live-firing on a gun range. The requirements for a license are here, and county sheriffs issue the handgun permits. Students must pass a test showing they can handle and shoot handguns in a safe manner.

Hamilton County's GOP Chief Goes On The Attack: Slams Democrat Todd Portune

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- GOP Chair Alex Triantafilou is defending a Republican judge who authorized a $1 million bond for a $27 theft offense, and says Democratic County Commissioner Todd Portune ought to keep his mouth shut. Portune suggested that bail bonds set by Cincinnati judges -- including the Dems on the bench -- should be monitored for abuses. Triantafilou says it is none of Portune's business. He's accused Portune, a lawyer by trade, of trying to make "pure political gain" from the incident. Imagine that. He also took a swipe at MSNBC's Keith Olbermann -- low viewership ratings or something.

The GOP chair contends the seven-figure bond was meant to keep a potentially suicidal suspect in jail. In other words, Triantafilou's spin is that it was all about well-intentioned judicial activism and a mission of mercy. Nothing mean spirited to it. Deputies and jail personnel could monitor the man, whose $1 million bond would keep him locked up and safe. Triantafilou, for some reason, doesn't mention that a healthcare or mental health facility might be a more appropriate setting than a jail. Reasonable people could probably debate the point: Are jails proper places for folks whose sensibilities are not seeming to function properly, who may be suffering a bout of illness?

The $1 million bond made news last month. Triantafilou, a former Hamilton County Common Pleas judge who quit to take over as party chair, accused Democrat Portune of mishandling campaigns seeking tax increases for a new jail in Cincinnati. He doesn't mention that his own GOP supported the tax increases and endorsed the jail expansion efforts:

"The Commissioners should focus on their own responsibilities, Twice in his tenure, Commissioner Portune has failed to convince the taxpayers to support a much needed new jails because his proposals have been bloated with large government programs that had little to do with more jail space. For pure political gain, Commissioner Portune reacted to the ridiculous reporting of guys like Keith Olberman (sic) to get his name in the paper."

Two points to take issue with: It is Olbermann with a double n. And the jail tax "bloated with large government programs" was backed by Triantafilou's own party, something that is made clear here. Portune and the Dems are not likely to lay down and take the attack.

Quotations From Chairman Alex: Hamilton County GOP Chair Begins Blogging

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Alex Triantafilou is already up and running with a blog. He just stepped down as a Hamilton County Common Pleas judge to take the top post in the county GOP. Many consider him one of Ohio's sharpest political minds. And if he actually takes the time and makes the effort to post his thoughts and insights, the Ohiosphere could be be far richer for it. I wonder how he sizes up the lay of the land in Ohio for the fall presidential campaign. And I wonder who would be on Triantafilou's list of potential vice presidential candidates if Sen. John McCain asked for his advice. Would a Midwesterner shore up the GOP ticket? And, of course, we can look forward to some Democratic bashing from the chairman, and some return fire.

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.

Hamilton County Dems' Deal With GOP: Appears To Clash With Stated 'Principles'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The deal between Hamilton County's Democrats and Republicans not to oppose each other's county commission candidate seems in conflict with the principles of the Ohio Democratic Party. The principles call for "strong public participation in a government chosen by election," a phrase that doesn't look to square with the private negotiations between party leaders whose goal was to tamp down opposition and foreclose competition at the ballot box this year.

There are 11 stated core values that were adopted in August 1998, a time when Democrats were in Ohio's political wilderness and Republicans held nearly all power at the state level -- from the governorship on down. Some of the principles that appear to have been discarded during the dealmaking:

1. "We believe that the best government is one that is efficient yet understanding -- a government that is based not on systems of bureaucracies, but on people, ideas and values."

2. "We believe there is no substitute for fair and equal representation and strong public participation in a government chosen by election."

11. "And we believe in pursuing these ideals with honesty and integrity, with respect for the freedoms that we in Ohio are proud to call our own."

It may be good politics for the Republican chief and the Democratic chief to sit down and divvy up county offices. But can that be done with "respect for the freedoms that we in Ohio are proud to call our own?" Inquiring minds are wondering: Does the art of the deal outweigh the value of a competitive, democratic election?

Cincinnati City Council Candidate Charlie Winburn: In 2005 No Need For Jail Tax Hike

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Too bad for Republican Charlie Winburn that things hang around the Internet forever. In 2005 -- when he was running for mayor of Cincinnati -- Winburn offered a Violent Crime Prevention Strategy that called for hiring 200 new cops and building a brand new jail. At the same time, Winburn was calling for tax cuts.

Now it is 2007. Winburn has the Hamilton County Republican Party's endorsement. And his own Republican Party is backing a 15-year sales tax increase that would be used to build a new $198 million, 1800-bed jail. It would open in a Cincinnati neighborhood called Camp Washington if voters approve. The county's Democratic Party is backing the plan too. It will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. There is opposition from the NAACP and an assortment of groups including COAST, a conservative anti-tax organization founded by State Rep. Tom Brinkman, who once helped run Winburn's city council campaigns.

Winburn in 2005 filled out a Smartvoter.org questionnaire about his top three priorities if he were elected mayor of Cincinnati. This is what he told the League of Women Voters:

"1) I will fight for safer neighborhoods by implementing my comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy. Under the plan, 200 additional police officers will be hired in four years and a new jail will be constructed to prevent the early release of violence criminals.

"2) I will work to reduce taxes and create a fairer system that would reward loyal Cincinnati residents with lower property taxes rates."

"3) As Mayor, I will implement the Fast Track Development Model that will make it easier for builders and contractors to build in Cincinnati. Developers have found the City of Cincinnati's process of development a bureaucratic nightmare that is cumbersome at best. As Mayor, I will develop a process that is efficient, effective and user friendly for all residential and commercial developers."

It is parts 1 and 2 that have attracted attention from political insiders, who see Winburn's statements at the time as bordering on being ridiculously out of touch with financial reality. They point to the current campaign for a new jail tax as suggesting he is a hype-meister with little grasp of the actual ability of local government entities to generate revenue for big ticket construction projects finance at the local level. Political officials in both parties agree there is no way today to "reduce taxes" and build a new jail, plus pay for the staff to run it and other programs that go along with operating a correctional facility. And political officials in both parties say there was no way to do it in 2005, when Winburn promised he could while running for mayor.

Charlie Winburn has a new crime reduction plan that he says he'll push to implement if he's elected to City Council. If you read it, you'll see one of his proposals is to erect a tent to hold prisoners. He also wants a new jail, but says the Hamilton County Commissioners should handle the financial arrangements. And what is their plan? Raise the sales tax to generate $736 million over the next 15 years.

Bizzyblog's Tom Blumer: Swings At MoveOn But Missed Ohio GOP Censorship Bid

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Bizzyblogger Tom Blumer says today that he couldn't help but notice MoveOn had sent trademark cease-and-desist notices to a satirist who tried to market t-shirts mocking MoveOn. Blumer saw the action as evidence of the Democratic left organization's "radical" nature.

"I am told from time to time that MoveOn is not really a radical organization. Wrong. MoveOn is run by people whose first, second, and third instincts, if given any opening, are to silence opponents. They are petty tyrants in training."

Strong language.

He didn't mention -- or maybe he doesn't know -- that the Republican Party went even farther to silence a critic in Ohio. The GOP took legal action against Michael Dalton, a Democrat who lives in a Cincinnati suburb. Dalton's offense was to set up a Web site in 2005 called "hamiltoncountyrepublicanparty.com." that mocked Republicans. He was sued by the Hamilton County Republican Party for trademark infringement. The GOP sought a temporary restraining order and injunction to shut Dalton down.

A key legal filing in the case is still available online. Ralph Nader's organization filed the brief contending the Republicans were out to suppress free speech. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Ted Winker -- a Republican, by the way -- declined to grant the order sought by his own political party.

At most, the incident smacked of hardball politics. Radical? Or tyranny? Hardly.

Bizzyblog wanted to take a swat at MoveOn -- and many people would agree that the Dem-leaning organization needs a spanking over the Petraeus/Betray Us ad it sponsored last week. But a flap over t-shirts can't be elevated to burning the Reichstag, or an October revolution in Moscow, or Mugabe's assault on democracy in Africa, or Myanmar's junta. Or even an Ohio Republican party's trademark lawsuit against an Internet critic.

Bizzyblog is one of the very best of Ohio's bloggers, talented and a lifetime .300 hitter. This time, he went with his heart instead of his intellect. By the way, the Web site that stirred up the GOP is still around. Wonder if Bizzyblog's Mr. Blumer thinks those radical (just kidding) Republicans were really right to try to shut it down?

GOP Candidate Sam Brownback: Congo Is 'Forgotten Tsunami'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Cincinnati Republican leaders tried to denigrate Sen. Barack Obama's legislative record -- and perhaps mock his race -- by linking him to a bill aimed at helping the Congo. But a conservative Republican who co-sponsored the measure, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, went to the troubled African nation and reported that only heartless Americans could turn their backs on the suffering.

"We listened to one young girl's story as she held a baby on her hip. At the young age of 10 or 11 these girls are abducted into the militias and serve as wives or sex-slaves to the commanders until they become pregnant and are then turned to the streets. Others are given or sold by their own families in hopes that the village would be spared from violence," Brownback wrote in a journal he kept on a fact-finding mission to the Congo in December 2005.

The journal is online HERE where Brownback has it posted on his official U.S. Senate Web site.

The compassionate Republican, who is a GOP presidential candidate, did not ridicule the Congo. He said it needed attention from American leaders.

"It is a place that has seen death and destruction of great proportions. In one of the deadliest conflicts since the end of World War II, an estimated 4 million people lost their lives and many more fled as refugees, or were internally displaced," Brownback wrote. He added, "With as many as 1,000 people dying per day, a tsunami-sized tragedy is happening every few months, without much attention being paid."

Doesn't that make those folks at the Hamilton County Republican Party in Cincinnati look like political geniuses? They issued a press release that dissed Obama, saying his sole legislative achievement was to pass a bill that helped the Congo. Brownback was his co-sponsor.

Inquiring minds want to know: Does the whole sorry episode make one wonder what those GOP wiseacres actually think of Mother Teresa?

Cincinnati GOP Press Release On Obama Brings Up The Congo

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Hamilton County GOP fired off a press release after Illinois Sen. Barack Obama stumped successfully through Ohio. It said the presidential candidate had a slim resume in Congress and his only bill to become law involved "the Democratic Republic of Congo." Was that intended as a veiled reference to Obama's ethnic heritage? Some smelled the odor of a political cheap shot that should have been way beneath the party of Lincoln. There were no details offered about what Obama's bill -- which President Bush signed into law -- actually said.

One purpose of the measure was to increase American pressure on the Congo's government to stop mass rapes of women by soldiers -- an effort that conservatives in the Republican-controlled Capitol of 2006 found worthwhile. Another was to try to stop the use of children as combatants.

Obama, who is running second to Sen. Hillary Clinton in early polls of the Democratic presidential primary field, was in Cincinnati and drew an SRO crowd to a downtown hotel Monday. He reportedly raised nearly $500,000, and the local Republican organization issued a media advisory because "it is important that voters know the truth about Senator Barack Obama." The advisory is still available under the news link on the party's Web site. But who knows for how long?

"He has a thin voting record and he failed to champion anything significant in his two years of experience in the United States Senate. In the 109th Congress, only one of Obama's bills passed the Senate to become law which dealt with security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (S. 2125)."

Once the Congo shot was fired, the party's executive director Maggie Nafziger went on to say the country ''will need a President who is prepared to take a stand on controversial matters. Senator Obama's lack of leadership and liberal voting records is concerning. I am not sure he is prepared to function as head of the world's most powerful nation at such a critical time in our nation's history."

Oh yes, about the Congo.

Republican Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas, an '08 presidential candidate, and Ohioan Mike DeWine were co-sponsors. DeWine was beaten last November. President Bush affixed his signature on Dec. 22, 2006, and the details are HERE.

Tony Snow In Ohio: Bush Didn't Want To Start War

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- White House Press Secretary Tony Snow says President George W. Bush "had to" attack Iraq, an action that Snow claims his boss never wanted to take. The former Ohioan and conservative FOX-TV news analyst spoke at the Hamilton County Republican Party Saturday night. He keynoted its annual fundraising dinner.

"The Iraq War is something the President did not want to engage in, but he had to," Snow said, according to a report by Howard Wilkinson, the Cincinnati Enquirer's respected long-time political writer. Wilkinson said about 450 GOPers attended the dinner. His report about the dinner is brief. If Snow mentioned what it was that Iraq had done to the United States to merit war, the comment went unreported.

Of course, the administration claimed before the invasion that there were weapons of mass destruction hidden and hoarded by Saddam Hussein's regime. Administration figures also claimed Iraq was in contact with al-Qaida and might be harboring terrorists affiliated with Osama bin Laden's organization. So far, none of that has been proven. And, there was the suggestion that the U.S. would be greeted warmly as liberators.

Snow said Bush, who once stood under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" now believes the war has not gone well. "And he is not any more happy about the progress than you are," Snow said.

He spoke on a night when the temperatures in Ohio were about as cold as they have been this year. Some might say that makes it the perfect climate for SNOW jobs. Shovels anyone?