Duke Energy Claims Cincinnati Taxes Too High: Meanwhile, CEO's Benefits Included $363,573 For 'Personal Use' Of Company Aircraft



Time To Park Duke Energy's Aircraft?

 CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Duke Energy -- whose Cincinnati-area customers pay some of the state's highest electric rates -- is fighting to lower its property tax bills by $40 million across SW Ohio.  Meanwhile, its CEO's compensation package rose to $6.93 million, including what the most recent proxy statement calls $363,573 for "personal use of airplane."  Two other execs got $28,305 for personal use of the plane.  While the utility contends local taxes are too high, the high life seems to go on.  Or maybe the high-flying travel habits of the corporate brass are landing hard on the taxpayers.  Duke's corporate policy requires CEO James E. Rogers to fly on company aircraft for business purposes.  It's all about security, the company says.  But Rogers also gets to use the plane as a perk on private trips.  He can also hop aboard for flights to boards of directors meetings at companies like Fifth Third Bank, where he sat as a director until recently.  Duke's policy looks to fly in the face of the example being set by House Speaker-designate John Boehner, one of the utility's 1.6 million Ohio residential customers.  Boehner said last week he's going to fly on commercial airlines between DC and his SW Ohio home in Cincinnati's northern suburbs.  He won't be using the government aircraft that Nancy Pelosi -- and before her, Dennis Hastert -- used to shuttle House Speaker's around the country.  Republican Boehner will be third in line for the presidency, but he said commercial airliners are safe enough to outweigh any and all security concerns.  Said Boehner:

"I've talked to our security folks about the security involved in my new role.  Over the last 20 years I've flown back and forth to my district on commercial aircraft and will continue to do that."

Duke Energy sees things differently.  The 8-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission discloses that the Charlotte, N.C.-based gas and electricity utility is worried about security for its CEO James E. Rogers.  Here's what it says:

"For security reasons, Mr. Rogers is required by the Company to use the Company's aircraft, whenever feasible, for his business travel.  Mr. Rogers is also permitted to use the Company's aircraft for personal travel within North America; however, Mr. Rogers will be required to pay for the cost of personal travel on the Company's aircraft in accordance with the Company's policies, except he is not required to pay for the cost of travel to his annual examination or to meetings of the board of directors to other companies on whose board Mr. Rogers serves.  Mr. Rogers is responsible for any income taxes  resulting from such aircraft usage.  However, to the extent Mr. Rogers incurs expenses associated with his spouse accompanying him on business travel, Mr. Rogers is entitled to reimbursement for those expenses, including payment of a tax gross-up."

The proxy statement includes details that show Rogers got $363,573 in 2009 in "other compensation" for personal use of Duke Energy's aircraft.  [The 2010 data isn't out yet.]  That other compensation comes from the IRS determining that the trips are imputed income.  Imputed income isn't cash, it's often a benefit that isn't paid in cash.  A footnote on page 71 of Duke's proxy statement says:  "Officers are permitted to invite their spouse or other guests to accompany them on business trips when space is available; however, in such events the officer is impute income in accordance with IRS guidelines.  The additional cost . . . is the amount of the IRS-specified tax deduction disallowance, if any, plus any additional carbon credits purchases with respect to the executive officers personal travel."

Meanwhile, Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio's consumers counsel, has noted that Duke's residential electric rates are about the highest in the state.  She said the company should refund some of the proceeds from the $40 million tax battle -- but only if Duke succeeds.  Rogers use of the plane, so far, has not been a public issue.   Here's Midgen-Ostrander on Duke's rates for consumers:

"If Duke Energy presses forward to reduce its property taxes paid to schools and local governments, the utility should be required to refund to customers any portion of the taxes that are currently included in its rates. My office - as the residential utility consumer advocate - will take appropriate measures to argue that these refunds occur. At this time, Duke's residential electric rates are among the highest in the state, surpassing those high rates paid in northern Ohio. With residential consumers continuing to struggle and stretch their budgets, a break for customers is only fair if Duke should persist with its plan to reduce its property taxes."

Boehner Family May Give Heartburn To More Than Dems: His Little Brother Dishing Cincinnati-Style Chili In Rural Georgia



Greg Boehner In Macon Telegraph Photo

 CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The GOP House leader's younger sibling, Greg, runs a couple of mom-and-pop eateries -- one is a cinder block joint -- outside Macon, Georgia.  They are not fancy places.  He's trying to introduce Cincinnati-style chili into a region where grits, pulled pork barbecue and banana cream pie are favorites and skyline means big buildings towering over Atlanta.  Three way?  That is something entirely different in the South than a Cincinnati chili restaurant.   If you ask a waitress for a three way in Georgia, you might get slapped and tossed in the street.  Or you might get a wink and have the time of your life.  Greg Boehner, 53, has been in Georgia longer than John has been in the House of Representatives.  His cafes are called the Front Porch.  He is one of 12 Boehners, and the only one who didn't stay in the Cincinnati area.  Jim Gaines, a writer at the Macon Telegraph, stopped by the Front Porch and found Greg Boehner working on drumming up interest in Cincinnati chili:

"The original Front Porch sports a few picnic tables and rough wooden steps on a street corner by the railroad tracks next door to Farmer Browns Odds & Ends & Stuff.  'Hi Joe,' Boehner called out Thursday afternoon from his perch at a Front Porch table.  Joe, a white-haired man walking a dog, stopped to make a salty comment about current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi."

You can read the story here. Greg Boehner has an Ohio State sign on the kitchen door, and it is pasted over a John Boehner political sticker.   Some Georgians have never forgiven Ohio's Gen. Sherman for marching through their state during the Civil War.  If Greg Boehner isn't just whistling Dixie, Cincinnati chili should go down easier.

Tea Party Sues Butler County Board of Elections: Says Supporter Banned From Access To Voters Outside Precinct In Union Hall

CINCINNATI (TDB) --  The Tea Party wants a federal restraining order that would prohibit officials in Butler County -- John Boehner's backyard -- from interfering with supporters who gather petitions opposing President Obama's health care law.  The Tea Party plans to set up outside an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union hall in Liberty Township that serves as a voting precinct.  It says a federal judge should intervene to: "Stop the unconstitutional restrictions imposed by the IBEW in cooperation with the Butler County Board of Elections."  The lawsuit claims a Liberty
Township Tea Party activist, Kathy Dirr, was previously ordered off the property and threatened with arrest last May during Primary Day voting.  U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett has set a 3 p.m. hearing on Oct. 18 at the federal courthouse in Cincinnati on the request for a temporary restraining order.  Lawyers Chris Finney and Curt C. Hartman represent the Liberty Township Tea Party.  The Case is No. 1:10-CV-707 in the Southern District of Ohio.

The Tea Party says Dirr was seeking signatures on a petition in support of the Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment, which seeks a statewide referendum aimed a limiting the reach of the new federal health care law:

"On the day of the primary election, Ms. Dirr set up a table outside of the electioneering-free zone at the IBEW Local 648 Union Hall from which she could engage in discussing and advocacy with her fellow citizens and solicit signatures on the petition.  Her table contained a sign which announced "Stop Obama Care' and was located outside of the electioneering free zone as was marked by the precinct election officials.  Neither the table nor Ms. Dirr obstructed anyone's access or posed any safety hazard.

"After Ms. Dirr had been at the IBEW Local 648 Local Union Hall and collecting signatures on the petitions for approximately 10 minutes, four precinct election officials (who work under direction and supervision of the Board of Elections) came outside and approached Ms. Dirr, inquiring if she was 100 feet away from the entrance to the hall.  The election officials insisted that Ms. Dirr move her table approximately 10 feet from its initial location, which Ms. Dir did and from this new location continued to solicit signatures for the petition she was circulating.

"Then approximately 10 minutes later, Defendant Jeffrey McGuffey, who is the membership development director for the IBEW, approached Ms. Dirr and demanded that she immediately cease her activities and leave the polling place all together.  But in light of Ms. Dirr's knowledge that the same or similar activities having been allowed to take place outside of the electioneering-free zone during the course of prior elections for at least 10 years, Ms. Dirr indicated that she would not leave until the Butler County Board of Elections indicated that her continued presence at the polling place location was not permissible."

Eventually, the lawsuit contends, the county elections director, Betty McGary, sent an e-mail saying that the union could decide who it would allow on its property.  Dirr said she stopped seeking signatures.  The lawsuit says she wants to show up again on Election Day Nov. 2 and resume collecting signatures outside the voting precinct.  The lawsuit says the Tea Party and its members should be allowed to "freely disseminaate information of critical importance to the elections, government and politics on election days outside of the electioneering-free zone at polling place . . . "

John Boehner Backs GOP House Candidate Who Wants To Sell Yellowstone Park: OH-15 Hopeful Stivers Seems To Target Great Lakes Too

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Steve Stivers, who is running for a Columbus-area U.S. House seat now held by the Democrats, apparently aims to sell the entire national park system -- Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Tetons, Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon. All the nation's crown jewels would be slapped with for-sale signs. President William Howard Taft's Cincinnati home, which is a federal park, would be on the market, along with historical battlefields like Gettysburg, Bull Run and Valley Forge. Even Lincoln's birthplace. Other public lands would not be safe. Any federal land that has commercial value (the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico), "should be sold to the private business concerns that currently lease them . . ."

A candidate questionnaire for Stivers [the document posted above this item] indicates he would make a huge break from traditional Republican policies. Plunderbund broke the story about the Stiver's questionnaire earlier today. It focused on calls to repeal the 17th Amendment and eliminate statewide popular voting for U.S. senators, a backward-looking movement that would let state legislators and party bosses once again pick senators behnd closed doors. In other words, Stivers doesn't like people using the ballot box to make decisions. But the call for dumping the national parks really is staggering. Teddy Roosevelt, a great GOP president whose face adorns Mt. Rushmore, was the prime force behind the National Park Protective Act of 1894. Yet Mt. Rushmore would go the highest bidder. Teddy Roosevelt christened Yosemite "a place of worship" in May, 1903. At the Grand Canyon that year, he implored Americans: "Keep it as it is. You cannot improve upon it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it -- keep if for your children, your children's children, and for those who come after you." Stivers, who has received financial support from House Minority Leader John Boehner's campaign committee, clearly favors limited government.

A conservative think tank, The Cato Institute, made similar proposals in the 1990s. The questionnaire answer attributed to Stivers is virtually identical to Cato's wording. A case could be made that it was plagiarized from Cato, which said:

"The Department of the Interior is responsible for managing the hundreds of millions of acres of land owned by the federal government--one-third of the land in the United States. Mismanagement of those lands has caused significant environmental damage--for example, to the Florida Everglades and the old-growth timber of the Pacific Northwest. Given his poor track record, Uncle Sam is uniquely unqualified to serve as a landlord. The Interior Department should be abolished, and those lands that have recreational or historical value should be sold or given to private conservation groups such as the Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society. Such groups would surely do a better job of preserving those lands than has the federal government. Lands that have commercial value--such as timber and grazing lands--should be sold to the private business concerns that currently lease them from the federal government or to environmentalists who wish to buy them for conservation purposes."

UPDATE: 9/19/2010 10:02AM -- In today's Columbus Dispatch, letter writer Ted Klupinski of Grandview Heights calls Stivers's plan to sell off the National Park Service a ludicrously radical idea. Klupinski wrote: "States such as Alaska, Montana and Wyoming, which count tourism among their chief industries despite lacking major cities or warm sunny beaches, would certainly be devastated by losing the national parks within their borders. Moreover, eliminating the national parks would be an affront to all Americans who value these treasures as part of our national heritage." And he wondered what it would be like if BP bought the Grand Canyon, or Disney put a Frontierland amusement park in the Great Smoky Mountains after buying the mountain range from the government.

Boehner Resurrects Chinese Oil Well Issue: Now Claims Cuba And China 'Actively Exploring' Near Florida

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- House Republican leader John Boehner has a new angle on U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's false claim that the Chinese are drilling for oil off the coast of Florida. Boehner contends in a column published today in a Cincinnati magazine "China and Cuba, for example, are actively exploring deep ocean fields just 50 miles off the coast of the Floirda Keys." But hard data to support Boehner's assertion appears to be non-existent -- he offers neither pictures nor maps to go along with his article. He presents no new evidence to counter experts who have said for the past month that China's oil leases in Cuba are land-based.

This new twist in the Chinese oil well saga comes nearly a month after some of Boehner's House allies began claiming in early June that China has been tapping offshore oil deposits in the Florida Straits. The GOP's assertions are being described as akin to an urban legend. Others see it as a myth being spread to capitalize on American frustrations over $4-plus prices at gasoline pumps. While Schmidt, R-OH-02, has refused to back off her statement that the Chinese are drilling off the coast of Florida, Vice President Dick Cheney has admitted he was incorrect for saying the same thing. And conservative columnist George Will issued a retraction when he reported the existence of Chinese oil wells near Florida.

Boehner could be trying a new tack to keep some shred of the myth afloat. His column appeared in today's Cincinnati Gentleman, a bimonthly magazine that is not available online. Boehner's column ran on the last page and is called "Freedom From High Gas Prices." About the Cubans and Chinese near Florida, he writes:

"Thirteen years later, emerging market economies in China and India are gobbling up excess oil supply. Foreign countries have embarked on a worldwide hunt for new resources. China and Cuba, for example, are actively exploring deep ocean fields just 50 miles off the coast of Florida. Meanwhile, Democrats keep America's own untapped resources off-limits to Americans. This madness has to stop."

Ohio's John Boehner: GOP House Leader May Be Facing Major Revolt From Republican Donors

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The news is coming from both Red County and conservative columnist Robert Novak, who are reporting that a deep-pocketed California fountain of cash for House Republicans are weary and leery of the current leadership. Novak writes:

"But House Minority Leader John Boehner, who sponsors no earmarks himself but has not backed reform, faces an all-too-serious challenge."

The Lincoln Club of Orange County has been described as a veritable ATM for the GOP, raising millions over the years. But discontent with the party's congressional leadership may choke off the funds, and the Lincoln Club's top officials said in a letter Boehner & Co. "are still oblivious to the source of our discontent." Boehner is from Butler County near Cincinnati, and represents Ohio's 8th Congressional District.

[UPDATE: July 9, 2008 at 7:30 AM -- Here's video of the Lincoln Club's leader on CNN being interviewed about the concerns. As the interview proceeds, he says Boehner should be standing on the "mountaintop" screaming about out-of-control spending by Congress, especially earmarks. Again, courtesy of Red County.]

OH-02 Republican Jean Schmidt: She Hasn't Even Co-Sponsored House GOP Bill Opening U.S. Coast To Drillers

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Mean Jean is missing in action even though the Republican leadership calls H.R. 3089 the No More Excuses Energy Act. And inquiring minds are wondering: Why hasn't Jean Schmidt signed up to support her own party's energy bill? The measure opens closed federal lands in Alaska, and also the Outer Continental Shelf in the Lower 48, to oil exploration and drilling. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-8 Butler County, is a co-sponsor along with Roy Blunt, the Republican Whip. So is U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, a Republican who represents Cincinnati's suburbs on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. But OH-02's Schmidt, who made a speech on the House floor claiming Americans are desperate for cheaper gasoline (YouTUBE) while the Chinese are drilling off the coast of Florida, seems to have cut and run from her own party's "No More Excuses Energy Act."

In a press release issued earlier this month, Boehner -- who represents SW Ohio in a congressional district that abuts Schmidt's -- slammed House Democrats for refusing to back the bill:

“The Democratic Majority’s callous indifference as American families and small businesses struggle with $4 per gallon gasoline is both inexcusable and irresponsible. By flatly refusing to schedule votes on the House GOP plan to help reduce fuel costs and achieve energy independence, the Democrats in control of Congress are proving themselves complicit in our nation’s energy crisis, which is growing worse by the day on their watch.

“Where Democrats refuse to lead, Republicans will. Beginning today, House Republicans will offer a series of discharge petitions aimed at forcing the Democratic leadership to schedule several GOP-sponsored bills to increase production of American-made energy, reduce America’s costly dependence on foreign sources of energy, harness new alternative energy technologies, and lower gas prices. I thank Rep. Tim Walberg for offering the first discharge petition in this effort – one that seeks to force Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer to schedule Rep. Mac Thornberry’s No More Excuses Energy Act. The Thornberry bill will open new American oil refineries, invest in alternative energy sources, and increase environmentally-safe exploration of untapped oil resources in the United States.

“Rep. Walberg’s discharge petition provides rank-and-file Democrats an important opportunity to back up their rhetoric on gas prices with real action. By joining House Republicans in supporting it, they can send a long-overdue message to the Democratic leadership: American consumers are hurting, and this Congress has a responsibility to act on meaningful legislation aimed to bring down soaring prices at the pump.”
"NOTE: The No More Excuses Energy Act would help reduce the price of gasoline by opening new American oil refineries; investing in diverse energy sources such as wind, nuclear, and captured carbon dioxide; and making available more homegrown energy through environmentally-sensitive exploration of the Arctic coastal plain and in deep ocean energy resources. A recent Gallup survey indicated that 57 percent of Americans support increased production of American-made energy. For more information on the House GOP’s comprehensive plan for lower gas prices, please visit the House GOP’s “Real Energy Solutions” website at http://GOPLeader.gov/energy"

Meanwhile, the official CRS summary of the bill says:

"The following summary is provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress. The summary is taken from the official website THOMAS.
7/18/2007--Introduced.
No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations for the taxpayer election to expense the cost of certain refinery property not later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow the issuance of tax exempt facility bonds for the financing of domestic use oil refinery facilities; (2) extend through 2018 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities; and (3) allow tax credits for the production of electricity from nuclear energy, natural gas production, and carbon dioxide tertiary injectant processes.
Requires the President to designate at least 10 sites for oil or natural gas refineries on federal lands and make such sites available to the private sector for construction of refineries.
Prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from denying an application for nuclear waste disposal on the grounds of present or future insufficient capacity.
Terminates all existing federal laws prohibiting expenditures to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing activities in the Outer Continental Shelf.
American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish and implement a competitive oil and gas leasing program in the Coastal Plain of Alaska.
Repeals the prohibition against producing oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Sets forth requirements for the sale of oil and natural gas leases in the Coastal Plain, environmental protection, transportation easements, and royalty payments to Alaska.
Establishes in the Treasury the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to assist Alaska jurisdictions that are directly impacted by oil and gas exploration and production in the Coastal Plain."

And, the airline industry says the measure has merit. The industry's trade group has written House leaders urging action on the measure. As of this afternoon, Schmidt still hadn't signed on as a co-sponsor. The bill was filed last year, so she's had plenty of time to get aboard.

GOP Gas Pains In Ohio: VP Cheney Calls Boehner's Tax Suspension 'False Notion'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Whatever one thinks about about Vice President Dick Cheney, this fact cannot be ignored. He's an oilman at heart. And Cheney says U.S. Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader from SW Ohio, isn't really doing much for consumers by pushing legislation to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax. Cheney says it is sort of an empty fraud. You didn't know Boehner, R-8 Butler County, was behind that plan? You thought it was John McCain and Hillary Clinton's idea? Well, you would be wrong.

On May 30, Boehner said he was "supporting legislation . . . to suspend the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax for the summer. No one should mistake this for a comprehensive solution, and I'm under no illusion that this is going to end the pain motorists are feeling."

To be fair, Boehner also said he wanted to end earmarks to reduce the federal budget deficit (a pet project), although it was not clear how that would ease the nearly $4 per gallon cost of gasoline.

Cheney says suspending the gas tax won't really help consumers at all. The vice president basically dumped on the idea. Ohio's newspapers pretty much ignored the slap at the state's top GOP official in Congress. Cheney's words were widely reported:

"I think it's a false notion, in the sense that you're not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas. You might buy a little bit of relief there, but it's minimal."

OH-08 GOP John Boehner: He's Been Hanging Out In Libya With Col. Kaddafi

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (TDB) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been giving the Chinese hell. House Minority Leader John Boehner has been making nice with Col. Moammar Kaddafi, the Libyan strongman. News of the Butler County Republican's soiree is here on JANA, the Libyan news service where Kaddafi is identifed as the "leader of the revolution." Boehner reportedly was interested in tapping the Libyan oilfields. Here's another story about the meeting from AFP, the French wire service. And here's Boehner's press release (h/t Weapons of Mass Discussion), which talks about enlisting Kaddafi in the War on Terror.

3 Ohio Dems Accept No Tobacco Money: GOP's John Boehner Took $56,500

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio's congressional Republicans have been packing in the cash from tobacco interests over the past decade. And the latest quarterly report from Tobacco Free Kids shows House Minority Leader John Boehner is the tobacco lobby's matchless friend. The Butler County rep took the most, $56,500, followed by OH-01 Republican Steve Chabot of Cincinnati, $24,500. Four Democrats haven't taken a cent -- Marcy Kaptur, OH-09; Dennis Kucinich, OH-10; Tim Ryan, OH-16. Sadly, first term Dem Zack Space, OH-18, turned up on the quarterly report for accepting $1,000.

Republican U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, a former governor and Cleveland mayor, is down for $7,000, the new report shows.

OH-08 GOP John Boehner: He Doesn't Know Israel Is A Middle East Democracy

Map Courtesy of FOX News
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (TDB) -- The highest-ranking Republican in the U.S. House apparently doesn't understand that Israel -- the closest ally of the United States in the Middle East -- is a democracy. Either that, or the House GOP leader is so remarkably blind in his support for President Bush that he would stretch the truth and go out of his way to snub a friendly nation. Matt Hurley at the conservative Ohio blog Weapons of Mass Discussion has John Boehner's statement on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, which he reprints. Hurley doesn't note Boehner's slip into ignorance that praises the war as paving the way "for the first democracy in a part of the world that needs it most."

Ooops. Israel has been around since 1948, electing governments and prime ministers and parliamentarians who serve in the Knesset. It is a multi-party state. There is a segment of the world that does not consider Israel the first democracy in the Middle East, but they tend to be islamists, militants, or supporters of the Palestinian movement that someday hopes to drive the Jews in Israel into the sea. Boehner surely must not have meant to side with the islamists by slighting Israel's nearly 60 years as a democracy. Or did he distort the truth hoping to confuse Americans, who may not know the region's geography? Israel shares borders with Jordan, which is becoming a constitutional monarchy; Lebanon, which is struggling to regain some footing as a democracy; Egypt, which is a republic but has an authoritarian government, and Syria, which is considered a Baathist dictatorship. Turkey is in the region, too, and is considered a Middle Eastern a democracy. Tukey border Iraq, Boehner's "first democracy." And some of the Persian Gulf states are moving toward democracy.

The complete text of Boehner's statement on the war's 5th anniversary is here. His error about Israel appears in the first paragraph:

"In the five years that have passed since the start of this conflict, our men and women in uniform have heroically ousted a terrorist dictator, freed a nation, and planted the seeds for political reconciliation that will pave the way for the first democracy in a part of the world that needs it most. Today, after countless obstacles to our success over the past five years, Iraq's fledgling democracy is at long last taking important steps toward the ultimate goal of self-rule."

Ohio's Boehner Blames Democrats For Pork: Another Republican Sees Bush Inaction

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint released a Congressional Research Service legal memo that contends the White House can easily eliminate billions in pork barrel spending projects. The memo says the money was not appropriated correctly, and thus President Bush is under no obligation to spend a dime. In fact, the memo portrays the President as part of the problem.

Congress sent the White House a $500 billion plus spending bill last week. Ohio's John Boehner, R-8, the House Minority Leader, said the budget bill was "bloated" with wasteful projects. Boehner is pushing for earmark reforms that would expose pork barrel projects. On Dec. 21 he said:

"To shine the brightest spotlight on wasteful pork spending in Washington, I have introduced a petition in Congress to bring about transparency and accountability to the earmarking process by requiring every single earmark to be publicly disclosed and subject to challenge on the House floor. We need 218 signatures on the petition to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and to date, 197 lawmakers have signed. I hope that my colleagues who have not signed this petition will join us in the fight to clearly tell the American taxpayers how we're spending their money."

Boehner wants Congress, which is now controlled by Democrats, to change its wasteful ways. He says nothing about the White House. DeMint wants more action from Bush and makes it clear the President already "has the tools he needs to stop wasteful earmarks." The conservative South Carolina senator released a Dec. 18, 2007 CRS memorandum that contends many earmarks are not binding and can be ignored if Bush would issue an executive order. The CRS said:

"Based on our review of the relevant constitutional provision, statutes and applicable case law it appears that the President possesses the necessary legal and constitutional authority to issue such an executive order. That said, the issuance of an executive order appears to be a discretionary act whose issuance is solely vested with the President of the United States. With respect to your second question, it appears that because the language of committee reports [earmarks] do not meet the procedural requirements of Article I of the Constitution -- specifically, bicameralism and presentment -- they are not laws, therefore, and are not binding on executive agencies."

Ohio's Boehner On Pakistan: Our Aid Has Been 'Well Spent'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- House Republican leader John Boehner has declared himself a leading advocate for sending more military aid to Pakistan's Musharraf. Boehner, an Ohio congressman from Butler County, says the $10 billion already sent to support the war on terror has been "well spent." Others see Musharraf as a questionable ally -- vice President Dick Cheney met with the Pakistani strongman last winter and urged him to take more action against terrorist havens inside Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's tribal areas still remain a haven for al-Qaeda, and the Taliban are destabilizing Afghanistan from bases in Pakistan. The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate issued in July (full text available at the link) warned al-Qaeda has reconstituted itself in Pakistan. The report calls Osama bin Laden's movement once again a serious threat to the U.S. homeland. That report came out prior to the NIE saying that Iran had no active program to develop a nuclear weapon.

Ohio's John Boehner: Recently Met Musharraf In Pakistan

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- House Minority Leader John Boehner led a congressional delegation to Islamabad six weeks ago. The visitors from Washington huddled with Pakistan's strongman, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and publicly praised him as a rock solid ally in the war on terror. There is no mention, though, that Boehner, R-8, or anyone else in the House delegation urged Musharraf to refrain from despotic conduct, or warned him against dictatorship. Boehner is now telling conservative bloggers that he's absolutely "shocked" Musharraf declared martial law this week. The general seized absolute power by dissolving democratic institutions that tried to put the brakes on Pakistan's slide into military dictatorship.

There was an active pro-democracy movement in Pakistan at the time of Boehner's visit. It seems to have been ignored by the Americans. Here's what Justin Higgins reported in Right on the Right about what Boehner told the bloggers in a conference call after the general imposed martial law:

"I've got real concerns about what Musharraf is doing. He's been an important ally to us, and Pakistan has been an important ally in the War on Terrorism . . . I am shocked by the actions he's taken. I am hopeful he will restore the Constitution and put Pakistan back into democratic rule as soon as possible."

Others in the delegation were U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, a Columbus area Republican, and Charles Wilson, a Democrat who represents eastern portions of the state near the Ohio River.

How could Boehner -- or anyone for that matter -- be shocked that the general seized power? Musharraf became Pakistan's president in October 1999 by leading a military coup. The general, who headed the Army at the time, overthrew a democratically elected government. Boehner surely had to know that Musharraf had autocratic tendencies.

The Pakistani general has this account of his Sept. 15 meeting with Boehner and the Congressional delegation on his official presidential web site. There is nothing there that indicates Boehner or the others pushed him away from dictatorship. Instead, Musharraf's account said everyone emphasized his partnership with the U.S.

"The members of the Congressional delegation underscored the importance the US attached to its partnership with Pakistan and the desire to expand cooperation in diverse fields. The delegation expressed appreciation for the President's commitment to fight extremism and terrorism and recognized Pakistan's contribution to counter-terrorism efforts. The delegation also noted the sacrifices of Pakistani security personnel in this endeavour. They said there was a need for better mutual understanding and avoiding elements that could cause difficulties in the relationship."

Boehner issued this statement when he landed in Pakistan, which was about fighting terror and not about democracy for the people of that nation.

"It is important that we continue consistent, coordinated efforts with others in the international community to defeat Al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists who have declared war on us. Without question, our relationship with Pakistan is at the forefront of this strategy, and I will reaffirm to President Musharraf the importance of his country's cooperation in the face of a determined enemy."

Ohio's John Boehner: A Strange Blog Appears Under His Name

CINCINNATI, Ohio (TDB) -- Somebody seems to have created a blog this month that trades off Republican John Boehner's name as a vehicle to sell advertising on the Internet. At most, the House Minority Leader who represents Ohio's 8th Congressional District appears to be nothing more than a high-profile prop whose sole purpose is to attract hits to the site. It works by coupling Boehner's name to a mere snippet taken from a legitimate news article. Sometimes the paired combination is so pared down it makes little sense.

This entry appeared earlier in the month and is fairly typical:

"Tuesday, October 16, 2007 6:21 AM GMT
Nine-term lawmaker says this is his last
Marjorie told me about this - "House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, said Hobson will be missed, noting that he and Hobson both came to Congress in 1991. ..."
Read More
Posted by Barbara Osborne from Mesquite, TX
0 Comments"

That's everything except the ads on the page. Of course, Boehner holds a high position and snags the search engines, so the blog gets traffic. Is this a form of reverse spam? Is there even a name for the practice?

In John Boehner's Ohio Backyard: Hillary Clinton Wins Dem Straw Poll

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (TDB) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton cruised to an easy victory in a presidential straw poll sponsored by the Butler County Democratic Party. John Edwards came in second. While official numbers are not yet up on the SW Ohio party's Web site, county chairman Ron Wardrup confirmed the New York senator's win. He told The Daily Bellwether:

"It was a pretty big win for her, she sort of ran away from everybody. Edwards was second, Obama was third. Hillary was big. I don't know if I would say I was surprised. But it was a pretty good win."

Wardrup said the official numbers should be available by tomorrow. He is an official with the United Steelworkers Union, which is officially supporting Edwards. Butler County and Middletown are the home of AK Steel, and while the county votes Republican, labor is still a force in local Democratic politics. The county is also the home of House Minority Leader John Boehner, and it gave President Bush a huge margin over John Kerry in 2004. Wardrup didn't come right out and say it during the interview, but others who spoke with The Bellwether said Butler County did not seem to be the kind of place that would be warm toward a Hillary Clinton candidacy, even among Dems. Wardrup said the straw poll seems to show Hillary has support in unexpected places.

"She certainly has an organization at the lower levels (grassroots) right now. They're more active. I don't think Edwards and Obama are out of the race, but she's strong. Labor supported Bill Clinton. We're not happy with the position he took on NAFTA, or trade in general. But labor can live with her, too. "

Wardrup doesn't buy into the theory that Hillary Clinton is unelectable in a general.

"I have heard that buzz some. I guess you could pose the same thing with any candidate, regardless of sex or race. Personally, I'd be satisfied with any of the top candidates. I couldn't say I dislike Hillary or Obama. They are certainly good candidates."

Ohio's Boehner v. McDermott: Eavesdropping Battle Hits Supreme Court

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This NPR story from earlier in the year suggests the protracted court battle had reached its final chapter. But Washington State Democrat Jim McDermott says he hasn't surrendered. He is now asking the Supreme Court to overturn the decision that gave a legal victory to House Minority Leader John Boehner. Boehner's phone call was illegally taped in 1996 and involved discussions about then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich's ethics problems.

McDermott has this to say about his filing in the Supreme Court. There is no guarantee the justices will take the case. Lower courts have awarded Boehner, a Republican who represents Ohio's 8th Congressional District, $60,000 in damages and legal fees, which are said to be in the range of $500,000, perhaps more.

Ohio's 18 House Congressional Websites: Four Flunk As Info Sources

CINCINNATI (TBB) -- At Left of Ohio, U.S. Rep. John Boehner gets a passing grade for an "incredible" portal that is up-to-date with fresh material. David Potts admits he is no fan of the House Minority Leader, a Republican who hails from Ohio's 8th Congressional District. He says he had to bite his nails, but nonetheless was honest about the grade.

Boehner does have the best site by far. Left of Ohio has links to all 18 sites, and it is worth the time to check them all out.

Four flunked David's exam -- David Hobson, Ralph Regula, Mike Turner and Jean Schmidt. No arguments about those results here. Regula might not be planning to run for reelection, and his Website may reflect that possibility. The Stark County Republican has also been a minimalist on the bill-introduction front -- The Bellwether recalls checking recently and seeing one measure, the resolution to keep Mt. McKinley in Alaska named for the Ohio's former President McKinley. David Hobson, Mike Turner and Jean Schmidt, the other flunkees, are GOPers like Regula. .

On Schmidt, Left of Ohio reported:

"Jean Schmidt, on the other hand, wasn't even worth wasting my time with."

A pretty accurate description of a site that, at last check, hasn't been freshened with any news for a month. Schmidt's most recent item at the time of Dave's early August exam was an Independence Day salute, a bit stale since a lot has happened in Washington during the past month.

Dave's pass/fail ratings get to a larger point in this web-linked world: Those who make deft use the Internet as a communications tool are taking advantage of technology to speak directly with their constituents, the folks who sent them to Washington. An active Internet presence gets the job done. Sadly, the House members who have stale or dull sites aren't using tax dollars wisely. After all, the public is financing the portals, paying for each member's Website. And if they don't care about that little detail, inquiring minds might wonder: What else are they ignoring or blowing off?

Ohio's John Boehner: DCCC Says GOP House Leader Is Quiet Now Over Republican Boodling Report

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- House Democrats have accused Rep. John Boehner -- the GOP Minority Leader from Butler County -- of a double standard when it comes to Republican members of Congress who are under a corruption cloud. Boehner wanted Louisiana Democrat U.S. Rep. William Jefferson booted off a committee, then expelled when he was targeted by the FBI. But Boehner hasn't said a word about Alaska's Don Young, a member of his party who may have taken gifts and bribes for political favors.

Jennifer Crider, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took the shot at the Ohioan's purported hypocrisy:

"Apparently, Minority Leader John Boehner didn't mean it when he said that the 'clear likelihood of of serious transgressions will lead to suspension from important committees.' Don Young is being investigated for bribery -- one of the most 'serious transgressions' a Member of Congress faces -- but he still sits on the Committees overseeing the issues important to the company that allegedly bribed him. Clearly, Republicans haven't leared their lesson about holding their Members accountable for their wrong doing."

The DCCC's blast is HERE and followed news reports last week about Young's problems with an on-going corruptions investigation that has brushed up against several political figures in Alaska.

When Jefferson was in the headlines, Boehner was outspoken about ethics and cleaning the crooks out of Congress. Cynics and skeptics might suspect he only wants to clean out Democrats. Others say there is another double standard at work -- Jefferson is a black man, and the Republicans targeted him especially because of race.

GOP Guru Richard Viguerie: Republican Hot Tubbers And Crooks Hold Office

CINCINNATI (TBB) -- Fundraising mastermind Richard A. Viguerie told CPAC that the Republican Party he loved has become immoral, corrupt and hooked on power. "When most of the Congressional Republicans first ran for office, they ran against the sewer that Washington had become. But after a few years in Washington most of them act like they've discovered that Washington isn't a sewer after all -- it's a hot tub."

He didn't name names, but it seems obvious he tossed House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Butler County, in with the Washington hot-tub GOPers. He said the congressonal leadership took the party "over a cliff" in last year's elections. Viguerie became an important figure in the Reagan era when he helped the party regain and consolidate power. He was a genius at raising money by direct mail, which has been somewhat overtaken by the Internet as a source of political funding.

He says the White House and GOP Congress spent like Democrats, and shelled out trillions to stay in office and buy votes. Those were the kind of words that Republicans used to hurl at Dems. Now they are flinging them at each other, and Viguerie was unstinting.

"The voters spoke in November, and what was the first thing the Republicans did? They kept in power all the leaders who had taken them over the cliff! Obviously, the initials GOP now stands for Go On Partying. Or Give up On Principles." He called on conservatives to break away from the party and form their own movement. And he said CPAC had moved in the right direction. "I congratulate CPAC for not having the chairman of the Republican National Committee at CPAC for the first time in memory."