OH-01 Early Voting: Current Stats Show GOP's Chabot Likely Gains From Absentee Surge

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The rematch between Democrat Steve Driehaus and Republican Steve Chabot for the OH-01 House seat on Cincinnati's west side appears to be drawing massive voter interest. Hamilton County Board of Elections data [see computer printout] through last weekend shows Republican voters have requested 3, 973 absentee ballots. That is nearly 25% more than Democrats. In the entire county, 18,544 absentee ballots have been pulled, with 12,293 in OH-01 and 6,251 in OH-02, where Republican Jean Schmidt is seeking re-election. Clearly, the Driehaus v. Chabot showdown in this year's heavyweight contest. A total 5,230 ballots in OH-01 have gone to voters identified as independents.

Early voting starts Sept. 28 in Ohio, and Chabot may turn out to be the beneficiary. Things look especially good for him in traditional Republican suburbs. Nearly 1,000 ballots have been requested Colerain Township -- 114 Dem; 382 GOP; 467 Indy. In Green Township, 1,980 ballots have been pulled -- 226 Dem; 888 GOP; 869 Indy. In the City of Cincinnati proper, which votes Democratic, more Dems have requested ballots than Republicans. But the city is geographically divided between OH-01 and OH-02, and there is no data showing who is the likely beneficiary. Driehaus probably.

Top 10 Goofy Congressional Resolutions: Jean Schmidt's 'Watermelon Month' Is No. 2 In National Ranking

TOLEDO (TDB) -- For some reason, Dennis Kucinich's effort to impeach President Bush didn't make the cut. But Jean Schmidt's effort to honor the watermelon is on the list of the top 10 Congressional resolutions (sarcasm alert) of the 110th Congress. The list was compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense. Republicans and Democrats alike sponsored and signed on to some pretty silly measures, and you can click onto the list to see who put their names on the resolutions:

1. S.RES.440: A resolution recognizing soil as an essential natural resource, and soils professionals as playing a critical role in managing our Nation's soil resources.
2. S.RES.262: A resolution designating July 2007 as "National Watermelon Month".
3. H.RES.216: Congratulating the men's volleyball team of the University of California, Irvine, for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Volleyball National Championship.
4. S.RES.180: A resolution recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission and designating May 2007 as "Idaho Potato Month".
5. H.RES.630: Congratulating the Warner Robins Little League Baseball Team from Warner Robins, Georgia, on winning the 2007 Little League World Series Championship.
6. H.RES.970: Expressing support for designation of June 30 as "National Corvette Day".
7. H.RES.1050: Recognizing Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as being home to the earliest known reference to the word "baseball" in the United States as well as being the birthplace of college baseball.
8. H.RES.89: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the United States and the Netherlands.
9. H.RES.892: Expressing support for designation of a "National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day".
10. H.RES.483: Recognizing the 63rd Anniversary of Big Bend National Park, established on June 12, 1944.

H/T Michigan Liberal, which seems to think that Congress ought to have better things to do these days.

ABC News Revises Story About Wulsin Malariotherapy: Now Says OH-02 Dem Was Cleared

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- ABC News has revised and updated a story that focused on U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's attack on Democratic opponent Vic Wulsin as some kind of mad scientist. The changes were made after Wulsin's campaign filed written complaints that hinted at legal action against the network. Wulsin contended the "Investigative Unit" story was a hit piece, and noted the original version contained a quote from her although she had not been interviewed for the story. Wulsin's letter to ABC appeared to threaten future legal action, and said "the real story was that Schmidt sent out a letter including a charge she knew to be false." The latest version of the ABC story is here and now reflects Wulsin's concerns. The original version that appeared on ABC Correspondent Brian Ross's Website was written by Joseph Rhee -- and it has been scrubbed from the television network's portal. A written complaint July 3 from Wulsin's campaign to Ross shows the genesis of the dispute. The Daily Bellwether is reprinting that correspondence below:

"Mr. Ross, I just spoke with Joseph Rhee. He refused to update today's story with the fact that the Ohio State Medical Board concluded there was no merit to the charges Jean Schmidt made in her recent fundraising letter. The Medical Board is an independent panel of experts considered legal finders-of-fact. To not include their ruling would be like writing about the details of a criminal indictment months after a jury had found the defendant innocent and then failing to mention the verdict. I understand your unit's interest in Dr. Heimlich and his crazy ideas, but you should know that Dr. Wulsin is one of the medical experts who has publicly said his ideas are crazy. Moreover, Rhee's piece was ostensibly framed as a news story about Schmidt's use of this false charge in a fundraising letter last month. In a story about one campaign attacking another, I can not believe Rhee did not find is necessary to contact us for comment. Dr. Wulsin made her quotes to you in a different context, a different campaign and under different circumstances. It was simply misleading to include her quotes as if she was responding to Schmidt's recent fundraising letter. The real story is that Schmidt sent out a letter including a charge she knew to be false. Of course, that point isn't at all clear without mention of the Medical Board's findings. Attached, please find a pdf version of a letter issued to Dr. Wulsin from the Medical Board stating that, after a thorough review, any allegations that she acted improperly did not merit investigation. I hope that Rhee's story is removed or updated to fairly reflect the Medical Board's findings before further action is required by our campaign.

Kevin Franck
Communications Director
Wulsin for Congress"

Wulsin's campaign also shot out this letter to her political supporters that portrayed the Brian Ross piece as unfair journalism. It included the letter to the ABC correspondent:

"Friends,

"Some of you may have already seen the hit piece on Vic running on the ABC News 'Investigative Unit" website. Masquerading as journalism, the piece is basically a campaign ad for Jean Schmidt. It pretends to be a news story about Schmidt making false charges about Vic, but doesn't actually report any news. Rhee, the 'reporter,' did not include the fact that Schmidt knew the Ohio State Medical Board found no merit in the charges when she sent out that letter - in fact, the article doesn't even mention that the Medical Board made a ruling.

"Rhee did not contact our campaign for this story, instead he dredged up quotes Vic made to another ABC reporter a long time ago about something else. Remember this story is supposed to be about Schmidt's letter last month, how could quotes from Vic from before the letter was mailed be used as a response?

Rhee repeated Schmidt's charges that Vic participated in experiments without noting that a representative for Heimlich said she did not participate. When I asked Rhee to correct his story, he threatened to revise the piece to include MORE allegations against Vic

"[Attached] is a letter I wrote to Brian Ross, the head of the "Investigative Unit." We need help to act fast to counter this filth before it festers further. We've already heard that right-wing groups are about to start robo-calls against Vic for this same false charge.

"Please feel free to pass along Brian Ross' contact info (212) 456-7612, brian.e.ross@abc.com ) and ask people to demand that he take down this unfair, untrue hit piece against Vic Wulsin."

Iraq Plans To Double Oil Production By 2013: Price Per Barrel Stays At $140 On International Markets

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- So much for arguments that increased supply will lower prices at the gas pumps. Republican House members such as Jean Schmidt, Oh-02, contend that opening ANWR and the Florida coast to oil drillers will push down gasoline costs for U.S. motorists. But international petroleum markets largely shrugged off news today that Iraq plans to add nearly 2.4 million barrels a day to global production within five years:

"Exports of 2.11 million bpd currently form the bulk of the war-torn nation's revenues, and the oil ministry is keen to raise capacity over the next five years to 4.5 million bpd. Iraq has crude reserves estimated at 115 billion barrels but it is sorely lacking in high-tech infrastructure following years of crippling UN sanctions after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein."

There's more from AFP about Iraq's efforts to dramatically boost production from its oil fields, the world's third largest after Saudia Arabia and Iraq. While Schmidt and others argue that increased U.S. drilling will help consumers, the evidence from Iraq today seems to suggest that world oil markets are barely influenced by promises of future supply. The news from Iraq appears to have had no affect at all, and gasoline still costs about $4 a gallon.

Happy National Watermelon Month: July Is For The Big Fruit Thanks To OH-02's Jean Schmidt

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The House has officially declared July "National Watermelon Month," and U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-OH-02, cosponsored the fruity measure. She was the only lawmaker from Ohio who put her name on the resolution. There's more from The Daily Bellwether's archives about National Watermelon Month.

[UPDATE: 7:45 PM -- July is already National Baked Beans Month. And, as they say, "Good God, open the window."]

Hamilton County's Dem Chief Rips Jean Schmidt: 'Saturday Night Live Got It Right'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke says OH-02 U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's House speech asserting "the Chinese are drilling off the coast of Florida" is another Saturday Night Live moment. He was, of course, referring back to the now legendary 2005 comedy bit that lampooned Republican Schmidt for calling Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, a Marine Corps Vietnam War hero, a "coward."

Burke says Schmidt, who lives in Clermont County near Cincinnati, should retract her statement that the Chinese are involved in energy extraction off the coast of Florida because it is both ludicrous and false. She made the statement June 5 on the House floor, a speech that is available here on YouTUBE. Burke says Schmidt has not offered a scintilla of evidence to back up her claim. Instead, she has cited the political grapevine, and says she was repeating what others have said. In a letter to Schmidt obtained by The Daily Bellwether, Burke says:

"If you continue to believe that such drilling is going on, where is it located? How far off the coast? Latitude and longitude? How many platforms are involved. I don't think you will or can answer those questions because you know your original claim was false.

"While I have no reason to believe that you made a deliberate attempt to deceive, you made a statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives that was not true, a mistake that should be acknowledged and corrected. That is all I asked. So I was surprised to see your vitriolic, wild reply. I shouldn't have been give your history: plagiarizing as you own a newspaper column already published by another member of Congress; suggesting a nuclear waste dump might be a good thing in the Second District; and in another embarrassing speech on the floor of the House, accused a colleague in Congress, a Marine Corps hero, of being a coward. I guess Saturday Night Live got it right."

There's more on the ongoing "Chinese drilling off the coast of Florida" flap here. The issue is being driven by the Republican congresswoman's refusal to admit she made a mistake, and her insistence that others have made the same claim. In fact, no one has said the Chinese are drilling off the coast of Florida. There have been statements that China and Cuba may be starting to explore for oil in Cuban territory. Burke seems to have delivered a strong punch by demanding that she reveal the latitude and longitude of the Chinese drilling platforms that she claims exist somewhere off the coast of Florida.

Cincinnati Enquirer Censorship? Newspaper Rejects Dem Response To Republican Jean Schmidt's Column

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Caleb Faux, executive director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party and chair of the Cincinnati Planning Commission, asked the Cincinnati Enquirer for equal time to reply to U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt. Faux says the newspaper rejected his request for space to face off against Schmidt over her claim that the Chinese are drilling for oil off the coast of Florida. From Faux, the Democratic submission the Cincinnati Enquirer has refused to publish:

"My response below, which they decided they weren't interested in

_________

"In today's Guest Column, Congress Member Jean Schmidt blasts the Enquirer for calling her to task about a false statement on the floor of Congress. She laments that the Enquirer "has lost sight of the larger picture." Yet ironically, it is that larger picture that Jean Schmidt is being least forthright about.

"Schmidt falsely claimed on the floor of Congress that the Chinese are drilling for oil in waters 60 miles off the Florida Coast. When challenged she claims, again falsely, that other members of Congress including Democrats said the same thing. She then tries to change the subject to the high price of gas and her proposed solution, drilling in coastal waters.

"Schmidt, like her other GOP colleagues including John Boehner and Steve Chabot, are trying mightily to blame high gas prices on environmentalists and Democrats. This effort is little more than a shell game designed to divert attention from the real story, which is that more than anything it is Schmidt's beloved free market, supply and demand, that is driving gas prices higher.

"We may well end up drilling in coastal waters due to efforts like hers. But what she ignores is that any oil produced that way will not reach the market for at least 10 years and when it does, it will be in such small quantities that it will have little influence on price. It won't solve the problem.

"To those who've paid attention to energy policy, none of this is much of a surprise. We've known this was coming for at least 30 years, since the oil crises of the 70's. But during that same time it has been Schmidt and Republicans in Congress and elsewhere who've stood stubbornly in the way of preparing for it. They've blocked attempts to increase mileage standards for vehicles. They've blocked attempts to fund public transit. They've blocked efforts to develop alternative energy sources. They've blocked efforts to slow or reduce the urban sprawl that results in vastly increased oil consumption. Their solution has been consistent; more of the same, continued reliance on oil.

"Jean Schmidt's column is ample demonstration of why we need to replace her in Congress, why Vic Wulsin and Steve Driehaus should be elected and Jean Schmidt and Steve Chabot should come home. Energy policy and high gas prices are serious business, the cure is going to be slow and painful, more painful now because due to people like Jean Schmidt, John Boehner and Steve Chabot we've waited far too long to begin the change.

"Caleb Faux
Executive Director
Hamilton County Democratic Party
6109 Webbland Place
Cincinnati, OH 45213-1405
513.421.0495"

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Supporting Imported Ethanol Refined On The Backs Of Brazilian Slaves?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-OH-02, claims falsely that China is drilling for oil off the coast of Florida. She refuses to retract the claim, and fired off a letter to Cincinnati Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke this week that says, "I will do everything in my power to increase the supply of gasoline in this country . . ." She wants lower prices at the pumps, and is co-sponsoring a House bill that repeals federal taxes and tariffs on imported ethanol. The source of much of that foreign ethanol Schmidt wants: Brazil.

But there are reports of slavery in Brazil's ethanol industry. And does her pledge to do "everything in my power to increase the supply of gasoline in this country" mean that she has overlooked or downplayed the existence of forced labor? Does she think that Americans are so callous and thirsty for gasoline that they will condone slavery to fill their fuel tanks? The Wall Street Journal took note of the human bondage earlier this year. So did the U.S. State Department, which issued its annual country report on human rights four months ago. American ethanol used as motor fuels is distilled from corn; Brazil's is made from sugarcane. The complete text of the government's report on Brazil is available here. This description of ethanol and working conditions in Brazil seem pertinent:

"Violators for forced labor laws enjoyed virtual impunity from criminal prosecution, and no landowner has ever been convicted and imprisoned for using slave labor . . . In July MTE inspectors [government inspectors] freed 1,108 forced laborers from a sugar cane farm producing can for ethanol in Ulianopolis, Para. Several improper adjustments had been made to the workers' paychecks, often leaving workers owing money at the end of the pay period. The living quarters of the workers were overcrowded and unsanitary. The owners agreed to pay what was owed, and ethanol distributors said that they would not buy ethanol from the firm until the workers' rights were respected."

There are numerous other reports, including disclosures earlier this year that former Democratic President Bill Clinton invested in a Brazilian ethanol firm accused of mistreating workers. Clinton's connection is here, and spokesman Matt McKenna said the former president "finds these allegations deeply troubling" and expected an immediate end to the degrading conditions for the ethanol workers.

In fact, there have been a string of similar incidents in Brazil which are recounted here on McClatchy, here on FOX news, and here in the UK's Guardian. An English language Brazilian publication also raised the issue of slavery and harsh working conditions. And there's this from the Catholic News Service:

"Harvesting jobs are a magnet for unemployed laborers from other parts of Brazil, The Catholic Church office that ministers to migrants estimated that about 40,000 migrant workers help with the sugar cane harvest in Sao Paulo state. Many are bused to the farms by middlemen who charge them inflated fees for transportation, meals and supplies, creating debts that the workers cannot repay and forcing them into a form of slavery."

OH-02 Turns Blue In 2008: 126,739 Registered Dems Now Outnumber 121,660 Republicans

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- It doesn't look like Republican country anymore. And the sudden shift to the Democrats clearly has reshaped the political complexion of the eastern suburbs of Cincinnati, where 51,753 Democrats are now registered versus 42,527 Republicans. Those suburbs are densely populated and hold more than a third of the OH-02 electorate. They have been a pillar for Republican candidates and officeholders. Just two years ago, the GOP had a lock on the area with 17,513 more registered voters than the Dems. And across Ohio's entire 2nd Congressional District -- which touches seven southern counties near the Ohio River -- a blue wave has risen. Overall, there are 126,739 Dems compared to 121,660 Republicans, a 129 percent increase since 2006.

The dramatic change in declared party alignment could be considered bad news for Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, who is seeking reelection in a district that no longer looks to be a GOP stronghold. David Margolis, field director for Democrat Vic Wulsin, says the voter registration figures made public today show "the entire character of the district has changed. The number of committed Democrats in the 2nd District has more than doubled since March, turning what had been a Republican advantage into a Democratic majority." Wulsin lost by 2,517 votes in 2006 -- a year when the district had only 55,389 registered Dems.

Below are the latest numbers of Republicans and Democrats in the counties comprising Schmidt's district, with the counties color-coded by party. The data comes from the Ohio Secretary of State's office, which gets monthly reports on voter registrations from county election boards:
Adams County -- 4,354 D; 4,925 R, Dems up 89% since 2006.
Brown County -- 8,725 D; 6,108 R, Dems up 82% since 2006.
Clermont County (Schmidt's home county) -- 30,998 D; 38,579 R, Dems up 113% since 2006.
Hamilton County -- 51,753 D; 42,527 R, Dems up 167% since 2006.
Pike County -- 6,509 D; 2,741 R, Dems up 67% since 2006.
Scioto County -- 9,514 D; 4,242 R, Dems up 46% since 2006.
Warren County -- 14,859 D; 22,538 R, Dems up 188% since 2006.

To be fair, there are more registered Republicans in OH-02 now than in 2006, when Schmidt last faced Wulsin in a general election. GOP registrations are up by nearly 17%. But that didn't come anywhere close to keeping pace with the wave of Ohioans who registered as Democrats.

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Conservative Columnist George Will Says Chinese Drilling Claim Is False

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- She drilled deep about Chinese oil wells near Florida and produced a dry hole -- her fling into offshore oil speculation was a dud. Maybe the Ohio congresswoman has finally set course from the Florida Straits for the nearby Bermuda Triangle? U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt has not yet recanted or corrected her false claim made during a speech on the House floor that Chinese oil interests have already begun drilling into offshore oil pockets near the Florida coastline. But in a column distributed today, conservative pundit George Will penned a correction for making the same untrue statement. Here's Will:

"CORRECTION: In a previous column, I stated that China, in partnership with Cuba, is drilling for oil 60 miles from the Florida coast. While Cuba has partnered with Chinese companies to drill in the Florida Straits, no Chinese company has been involved in Cuba's oil exploration that close to the U.S."

Will's admission that he was wrong is at the end of this column in Real Clear Politics. Schmidt -- a Republican seeking reelection in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District in southern Ohio near Cincinnati -- has swallowed a sea story, a myth, an urban legend. She's seen offshore Chinese oil wells where others see nothing but the sea, the beautiful sea.

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: America Needs To Import Brazilian Ethanol

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Republican signed up as the 19th co-sponsor of a measure that would open U.S. energy markets to more foreign imports. The move would aid Brazil's farmers and that country's growing ethanol industry by allowing a foreign competitor to gain access to American consumers.

Here's the bill, H.R. 6137 Title: To remove the additional tariff on ethanol. Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] (introduced 5/22/2008) Cosponsors (19) Latest Major Action: 5/22/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
COSPONSORS(19), BY DATE [order is left to right]: (Sort: alphabetical order)
Rep Barton, Joe [TX-6] - 5/22/2008
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 5/22/2008
Rep Deal, Nathan [GA-9] - 5/22/2008
Rep Radanovich, George [CA-19] - 5/22/2008
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] - 5/22/2008
Rep Rogers, Mike J. [MI-8] - 5/22/2008
Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] - 5/22/2008
Rep Sullivan, John [OK-1] - 5/22/2008
Rep Burgess, Michael C. [TX-26] - 5/22/2008
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] - 5/22/2008
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] - 5/22/2008
Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] - 5/22/2008
Rep Pearce, Stevan [NM-2] - 5/22/2008
Rep McCrery, Jim [LA-4] - 5/22/2008
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 5/22/2008
Rep Kuhl, John R. "Randy", Jr. [NY-29] - 5/22/2008
Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] - 5/22/2008
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] - 6/3/2008
Rep Schmidt, Jean [OH-2] - 6/5/2008
THOMAS Home Contact Accessibility Legal FirstGov

Currently, the U.S. levies a 54-cent per gallon duty on imported ethanol, plus a 2.5 percent tariff. The levies were put in place to protect the domestic ethanol industry, which is supposed to deliver a home-grown source of fuel to help free the U.S. from foreign energy producers. But some Republicans contend opening the U.S. market could mean lower gas prices for Americans. GOP talking points for the measure cite Brazil as a source for the imported ethanol: "We can continue to encourage domestic cellolusic and advanced biofuels to take the place of food-based ethanol here at home. Until those fuels are commercially available, it makes sense to increase our supply of ethanol needed in consumers tanks, especially from our friends, like Brazil."

The Republican talking points are available here.

Schmidt has already put her foot in her mouth once this month by dabbling in U.S. energy policy. She says China is drilling offshore oil wells near the Florida coast. So far, nobody has been able to find them. You can read about that flap and watch a video of the House speech in which she says, "the Chinese are drilling off the coast of Florida with their new energy partner, Cuba."

Meanwhile, the Republican claims that China is drilling near Florida are being debunked, and seem to have been a mirage on the distant horizon.

OH-02 GOP Mean Jean Schmidt: Another Missive From The Mistress Of Prevarication

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, who is well known for spreading untruths (falsely claiming two college degrees and plagiarism) is again practicing her dark arts. This time, the Mistress of Prevarication is circulating a fundraising letter that claims her opponent's "contempt for the culture of life has even led her to participate in grotesque medical experiments." But that is not factual. It is a smear aimed at Democrat Vic Wulsin, the physician who opposes Schmidt in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District.

Wulsin has her critics. And Dr. Robert S. Baratz might be at the top of the list. His complaint of unethical practices was recently dismissed by the Ohio State Medical Board. In fact, Baratz was clear the experiments cited by Schmdit were conducted by Henry Heimlich. Repeat -- Henry Heimlich. Here's a portion of a press release Baratz issued earlier this year:

"The experiments were conducted in Africa by Henry Heimlich, MD (popularizer of the 'Heimlich Maneuver' for treating choking.) These experiments were either conceived, coordinated, devised, supervised, funded, or managed by Heimlich and/or The Heimlich Institute in Cincinnati."

Wulsin did do some consulting work for the Heimlich Institute. But Schmidt's fundraising letter falsely portrays Wulsin as a mad scientist: "Wulsin was paid for her work in medical 'studies' where victims of AIDS in Africa and China were, without their consent, injected with the malaria virus, all in the name of 'scientific inquiry'."

How can we prove Schmidt doesn't know what she is talking about? For starters, Schmidt's claim that victims in China and Africa were injected with the "malaria virus" is freighted with intent to deceive because a "malaria virus" does not exist. Malaria is caused by a parasite of the Plasmodium genus. And Baratz, who filed the medical board complaint, says Wulsin didn't inject anyone in China or Africa:

"In 2004, Heimlich engaged Dr. Wulsin to review his work on 'malariotherapy' and write a business plan for promoting it. Wulsin concluded "the preponderance of evidence indicates that neither malaria nor immunotherapy will cure HIV/AIDS and that the Heimlich Institute had been too secretive about its work. Despite claims by Heimlich that no active work on malariotherapy was being done, Wulsin's report shows that it was."

Baratz contends Wulsin should have condemned the Heimlich Institute's work and turned "in the individuals involved to regulatory and other authorities."

[UPDATE: Jeff Coryell has weighed in at Ohio Daily Blog and says Schmidt is engaged in a poltical smear. Meanwhile, Buckeye State Blog says Schmidt's tactics smack of desperation and notes that she made light of the horrendous conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital as overblow by the media. And Tim Russo wonders why Schmidt is obsessed over experiments "nobody has ever heard of."]

[UPDATE: Does Schmidt have a motive to stretch the truth? Schmidt's fundraising letter does state that Democrats "are energized and united." It acknowledges she faces a fight to hang onto the Republican House seat. Schmidt says: "With this election likely to be so tight, we can't take any chances Vic Wulsin's campaign will be successful in fooling the voters. We desperately need to finance the highly expensive media campaign and get-out-the-vote efforts that will bring us victory."]

What's Up With This? A Democrat Is Holding A Fundraiser For Mean Jean

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Not The Fishwrap has a satirical item up on YouTube about the Ohio Democrat who's holding a fundraiser for Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt at his home. Schmidt is running against Democrat Victoria Wulsin for the OH-02. Several prominent Cincinnati-area Republicans are on the the same host committee. More than a few Dems are wondering: What gives? After all, the Dem is close to Strickland and the Clintons, and stayed at the White House as a guest of Bill.

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: New Poll Numbers Seem To Show She's A Weak Incumbent

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- An internal poll taken for U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's reelection effort shows the OH-02 Republican is under 50% in her district's rural counties, at 51% in her suburban base, and at 52% in urban Hamilton County. The poll was taken a week after the March 4 nominating primary. Across OH-02, Schmidt's polling shows she leads Democrat Vic Wulsin by anywhere from 10 to 20 points. But nowhere does Schmidt get anywhere but a sliver beyond 50% support. The numbers indicate there's a huge amount of room for Wulsin between now and November; the numbers also show Schmidt isn't a popular incumbent.

But there is more than Schmidt's poll that gives the GOP pause. What should be most troubling for Republicans about OH-02 -- and most encouraging for Democrats -- is that Schmidt ran worse and turned out to be the weakest of the three GOP House incumbents who faced opposition for renomination in Ohio's March 4 primary. In OH-05, U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-NW Ohio) carried 74% of the ballots; 53,401 Republicans picked Latta in that contested primary. In OH-12, U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Central Ohio) carried 91% of the GOP voters with 60,924 ballots in his contested primary. Schmidt received only 57% of the vote and 40,891 ballots. Compared to the two other Ohio congressional GOP incumbents who defeated primary opponents, Schmidt's performance was lackluster. Bottomline: Republicans who took part in the OH-02 primary showed they aren't enthralled with their congresswoman.

Matt Hurley at Weapons of Mass Discussion writes from the Republican side and sees Schmidt's latest internal polling as not entirely encouraging news:

"I'd still like to see Schmidt do better. Where might she pick up some of that support?"

Jeff Coryell, at Ohio Daily Blog writes from the Democratic side and also sees Schmidt's poll as not entirely good news for the conservative congresswoman from Clermont County:

". . . Schmidt barely cracks the 50% line even without a serious primary challenge. Wulsin received 14,074 more votes than Schmidt in the March 4th primary, a troubling sign for the incumbent."

Former Ohio GOP U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen: Yes, My OH-02 Republican Friends Voted For Vic Wulsin And Hillary

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- OH-02 Democratic Congressional candidate Vic Wulsin remarked Wednesday in a blog comment that conservative Republican Bob McEwen told her his guests at a dinner party earlier this week had abandoned the GOP. The six picked up Dem ballots on primary day March 4 and joined the crossover crowd. McEwen, who spoke to The Daily Bellwether about the big switcheroo, confirms Wulsin's account is correct. He said he phoned her Wednesday morning with the news. Says McEwen:

"I guess she left out the other part -- that they voted for Hillary, too. I had six people over for dinner that night and we talked about the voting. They all picked up Democratic ballots. Everybody was Republican, and they voted for Hillary and for her [Wulsin]. The reason they took a Democratic ballot? They wanted to help Hillary. I think it really was the Rush stuff."

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh urged listeners to vote for Hillary rather than John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. McEwen told the Bellwether he stuck with the GOP on primary day. He also wonders if his friends -- the half dozen new Democratic converts -- would switch back to their original party by November's general election. "Only time will tell. I guess we're going to find out."

Wulsin's comment about McEwen's dinner party appears in this thread on FireDogLake. Here's what she said:

"The 2nd District has some very interesting dynamics. Congressman Bob McEwen [OH-R]called this morning to congratulate me. He said that at his dinner table last night, the other six guests-- all Republicans -- had chosen Democratic ballots and voted for, yep, Vic Wulsin! He says the Repubs want her OUT (he barely lost to her in the '06 primary so remember where he's coming from) and want a reasonable alternative. So, I'd like to think some of the crossing over comes from a desire to get Schmidt out. As an epidemiologist, I look forward to crunching some numbers to where the biggest 'crossing over' occurred and how that affected the Clinton:Obama ratio and the Wulsin:Black ratio."

Democratic Ballot Shortages In Clermont County: In Mean Jean's OH-02 Home Base, Of Course

BATAVIA, Ohio (TDB) -- Some precincts in Clermont County don't have enough Democratic ballots to meet expected demand and voters reportedly were being told to wait. But some news reports suggested citizens were being turned away. Sheriff's deputies were standing by to rush ballots to the polls. The shortage clearly is a major screw up and heads should roll. WKRC-TV, Channel 12 in Cincinnati is reporting that new ballots were hurriedly being printed to cover the primary day shortfall:

"Several precincts in Clermont County have run short on Democratic ballots. Election officials were printing more and the sheriff is delivering ballots to Milford, Miami Township and Union Township."

Those are some of the most heavily populated communities in Clermont County, a suburb of Cincinnati in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. It is the home county of Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, who is in a GOP primary today. Clermont -- on the Ohio River east of Cincinnati -- is one of the most Republican counties in Ohio and virtually every office is held by the GOP.

Howard Wilkinson at the Enquirer reports that some voters complain they had been turned away from the polls. There were complaints that some precincts in Clermont ran out of ballots at 2:45 p.m. Also, some voters were saying they had been asked to wait at the polls until new ballots arrived. An early official theory for the shortages: Crossover voting by Republicans who are picking up Democratic ballots.

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Turkish PAC Sends Her $1,000 Three Days Before Invasion

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's Federal Election Commission report shows she got a $1,000 contribution from the Turkish American Heritage PAC in Houston, Tex., earlier this week. The PAC has sponsored rallies and published material on its Web site that contends the Iraq-based Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is a terrorist organization. Schmidt, who faces a GOP primary March 4 in OH-02, accepted the PAC donation three days before Turkish troops crossed the border into Iraq and began ground operations against the Kurds.

Both the U.S. and European Union consider the PKK a terrorist organization. But Washington and Europe also worry that Turkey's incursion could escalate into a wider conflict in northern Iraq. The Kurds operate a stable semi-autonomous region in Iraq that is closely allied with the Americans.

The Associated Press reported today that "it is the first conformed ground operation by the Turkish military into Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. It also raised concerns that it would trigger a wider conflict with the U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds, despite assurances that its only target was the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK."

The Turkish PAC that made the donation to Scmidt says the PKK "has been engaging in terrorist activities for more than 25 years now, and the war between the Turkish Army and the Kurdish terrorists still goes on; thanks to the support the PKK receives from numerous European and Middle Eastern countries; Denmark, Greece and Belgium to name just a few."

OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Dayton Daily News Says Dump Her For Brinkman (R) Or Wulsin (D)

DAYTON (TDB) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's reelection bid was sneered at today by the Dayton Daily News, which endorsed her GOP primary opponent, State Rep. Tom Brinkman. In rejecting Schmidt, the newspaper said she has a history of "bush league mistakes" in Washington. The newspaper contends Schmidt's antics have turned the once solidly Republican 2nd Congressional District into a battleground that can be taken by a Democrat this November. The Dayton Daily News editorial said:

"Rep. Brinkman could represent the district better than the incumbent and probably be a better candidate in November."

On the Dem side, the newpaper picked Dr. Victoria Wulsin, a physician who was the party's 2006 nominee. Wulsin was barely beaten by Schmidt. It said Wulsin's opponent, Steve Black, is a lawyer and his candidacy "devolves" into a single issue; that Congress needs another lawyer. It prefers Wulsin because she is fresh and from another profession.

"Dr. Wulsin has a remarkable resume of medical work, both here and abroad. She had devoted years to humanitarian causes. She had not been a politician . . . Dr. Wulsin would bring unusual experiences, sensibilities and ability to Washington. In a primary race in which the Democrats do not differ profoundly on the issues, she is the right choice."

Brinkman, a hardcore conservative, seems to be finding traction in an uphill contest against Schmidt by citing her House vote last year against President Bush's push to increase access for college loans. Bush said the federal grants and loans would increase U.S. competiveness in the global economy and help better schooled workers land jobs. Brinkman agrees. The Dayton Daily News noted: "He says when he ran for the legislature eight years ago, the main thing he wanted to do was cut taxes. He says he has since learned that there's a more important consideration in building an economy: Improving the quality of education."

(From The Archives)OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Pooh-Poohs Poop As Pollutant

This originally was posted last July. It's been updated and reappears today because it seems timely with the House primaries nearing.
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has stepped into a long-running battle between health officials, environmentalists and farmers about poop. Specifically, the debate is over how animal manure should be regulated by the government -- either as a hazardous substance or not.

Schmidt, a Republican who represents Ohio's 2nd Congressional district that begins in Cincinnati and heads east up the Ohio River to Portsmouth, has decided poop isn't hazardous. She is one of 131 co-sponsors of H.R. 1398 a measure that declares "manure shall not be considered to be a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant."

The bill legally defines manure as "digestive emissions, feces, urine and other excrement from livestock." It is entitled the Agricultural Protection and Prosperity Act of 2007, which is a good way to hide its true purpose -- to legalize piles of crap from big factory farms.

[UPDATE: 2/18/08; 8:23 AM -- Schmidt's opponent in the OH-02 March 4 primary, State Rep. Tom Brinkman, has environmental cred. He's been endorsed by by the League of Conservation Voters for his solid record as a lawmaker who favors clean air and water in Ohio. The manure issue has a potential to raise a stink for Schmidt because Ohio has about 1.5 million pigs on 4,000 farms. They produce a lot of manure and urine that can contaminate drinking water sources and streams. Nationally, the swine farms use 1.4 billion bushels of corn and 283 million bushels of soybeans as feed. What goes in, must come out.]

Agribusiness interests have been seeking such a measure from Congress for years. They are worried about environmental lawsuits that accuse large factory farms raising hogs and cattle of contaminating surface and groundwater. These huge operations produce massive amounts to manure, which stink up the countryside and can pose health risks. In 2004, Waco, Tex., officials sued in federal court saying big farms were ruining the city's municipal water supply, and the case was a landmark leading to efforts to overturn any attempts to find that animal poop is an environmental contaminant.

Congress' interest in declaring manure not to be a pollutant hasn't gone far yet. Three other Ohioans have signed on as co-sponsors -- Republicans John Boehner and Jim Jordan; and Democrat Zack Space, who sees the issue as critical to helping farmers in his district.

Take a detailed look at the running dispute. Schmidt, whose 2nd district is populated by mostly by urban and suburban residents, probably should have stayed out of this fight. She will face opposition in the Republican primary next year, and she has opened herself to being portrayed as a politician who thinks poop isn't a pollutant. That's a stinky spot to be in. Just imagine the attack ads with people holding their noses.

OH-02 GOP Tom Brinkman: Ohio Christian Newspaper Declares Him 'Our Pick'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Christian Citizen calls the March 4 primary "a critical time for conservatives and the Value Voters," and has picked State Rep. Tom Brinkman in the OH-o2 contest against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt. The newspaper -- which appears irregularly and is distributed through evangelical churches in SW and southern Ohio -- quietly put out the word for Brinkman last week. It describes the suburban Cincinnati lawmaker as a "conservative's conservative" and seems to say that Schmidt is not a really a Republican.

The endorsement may gain the term-limited Brinkman some attention -- he is a serious underdog, seriously underfunded and widely considered headed for defeat barring a political comeback of epic proportions. Here's what the Christian publication said:

"The 2nd Congressional District race is another hotly contested race where Republicans are trying to take that district from incumbent Jean Schmitt (sic). . . However, our pick for that race is Tom Brinkman. Also a former Ohio State Representative, Brinkman stands for lower taxes and no abortions. He has taken a pledge to 'oppose any and all efforts to increase marginal tax rates for individuals and/or businesses and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." Brinkman is known as a conservative's conservative and he wants to win the primary in the 2nd Congressional District becauses he fears that district could be lost to the Democrats due to a weak showing of Congresswoman Schmidt."

It is not elegant prose. And there is an error -- Brinkman is not a former rep.