McCain Camp Mocks Obama On Inflating Tires: GOP Hot Air Spares Ohio Sen. Voinovich

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Guess who sent an e-mail to Ohioans a few days ago urging proper tire inflation as a "commonsense" step to save energy? The answer -- Republican U.S. Sen. George Voinovich. He said it would conserve gasoline. But if you watch FOX News or read Republican-leaning "news" blogs, you'd think Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was some kind of environmental extremist for suggesting last week that Americans could trim gasoline costs by checking their tires. Turns out that Voinovich -- a former Ohio governor and Cleveland mayor -- is dispensing the same advice. So far, no mockery aimed at him from McCain. Nor NixGuy, the Ohio blogger who contends Democrats don't care about ordinary Americans other than "Oh but maybe they should check their tire inflation." Here's Voinovich on the topic of where the rubber hits the road:

"Conserve what we already have. If every American took commonsense steps to conserve gasoline such as properly aligning and inflating tires, the country as a whole could lower its fuel consumption by nearly a million barrels a day."

Maybe the Republicans ought to retire their attack on Obama. And they might think about checking their air presssure. Voinovich's paean to properly inflated tires is in this message he e-mailed about the energy crisis late in July.

Ohio State Sen. John Carey's Newspaper Guest Column Today: GOP Lawmaker Caught Plagiarizing From Colorado?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio State Sen. John Carey -- who hails from Coal Country in Southeast Ohio -- is in today's Cincinnati Enquirer with a "Guest Column" talking up John McCain's energy policy. But much of what Carey writes today also appears under the name of Colorado State Rep. Kevin Lundberg, whose "Guest Editorial" happens to be on the on the same topic for the Craig Daily Press in that state. Coincidence or political coordination? Both officials -- one in Appalachia the other in the Rocky Mountains -- somehow have claimed authorship of articles that use mirror-like phrasing.

Here's a sample of Carey today in the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"Obama and Washington extremists believe coal is a 'dirty energy' that ought to be taxed. Obama has said "what we need to tax is dirty energy, like coal, and to a lesser extent, natural gas," and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has echoed that sentiment in saying 'coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick.' This 'dirty energy' that 'makes us sick' also happens to put food on the tables and roofs over the heads of many hard-working Ohio families. Not to mention that coal provides 90 percent of our state's electricity."

And here's a chunk of Lundberg's guest editorial from the Colorado publication:

"Obama and his Congres­sional Democrat supporters believe coal is a 'dirty energy' that ought to be taxed. Obama has said 'what we need to tax is dirty energy, like coal, and to a lesser extent, natural gas,' and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has echoed that sentiment in saying 'coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick.' What Harry Reid calls 'dirty energy' that 'makes us sick' also happens to put food on the tables and roofs over the heads of many hardworking Colorado families. Not to mention that coal provides seven-tenths of our state’s electricity. In 2006, Colorado produced 36,000 short tons of coal and consumed 19,707 to generate electricity."

Here's Carey in Ohio:

"With half of our country's electricity produced from coal, our energy portfolio moving forward must include coal as a large component. The U.S. Department of Energy says our 267 billion short tons of coal reserves comprise 27 percent of the world total. We depend on this resource, especially here in Ohio, and we need a president who understands that."

Here's Lundberg in Colorado:

"Considering half our country’s electricity is coal-produced, moving forward with our energy portfolio must include a large component of coal. The U.S. Department of Energy says our 267 billion short tons of coal reserves comprise 27 percent of the world total. We depend on this resource, especially here in Colorado, and we need a president who will work for our best interests."

Obama: Yes, We Can Video. WOW!!!

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This music video just turned up in the e-mail. It packs a powerful emotional wallop. The friend who sent it said it gives her chills each time she watches. Yes, it can.

Barack's Book: Best Seller in Conservative Cincy

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This might not herald a political sea change in Republican-dominated Southwest Ohio, but it is nonetheless very interesting that Sen. Barack Obama's new book has landed on a local best-seller list in Cincinnati. That seems to suggest the city -- despite its history of racial unrest and animosity -- is more than slightly curious about the the black Democrat from Illinois who may be preparing a run for president in 2008.

Over the years, Cincinnati has been tiptoeing away from its once rock-solid Republicanism. Today, Democrats are ascendant at City Hall. They also hold a majority on the Hamilton County Commission for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, Sen. Obama's book appears to have found an audience in a town where race relations have often been stormy and his political party spent most of the last century locked out of power.

At the large Joseph-Beth Bookstore on the city's East Side, Barack is a strong No. 2. His sales are being topped only by Crosley, a biography about the brothers who were famed local entrepreneurs. Powel Crosley owned the Cincinnati Reds at one time, and the team played for years in a beloved old ballpark named ''Crosley Field." He was also a radio pioneer and built 700, WLW-AM as one of the nation's first radio stations. Its 500,000-watt signal was the most powerful of its era and eventually was cut back to 50,000 watts. Crosley manufactured radios, refrigerators and compact cars before anybody thought much about saving gasoline. He is a Cincinnati icon, and Barack probably would be No. 1 if Crosley had not been published.

There are signs up at Joseph Beth showing that Sen. Obama is a hit and holding No. 2. A clerk at the information desk said sales have been strong since November and that they haven't slowed down after Christmas. She said many buyers mention that they are buying the book to get a feel for him as a politician.

[UPDATE, 5:57 P.M: Recently reported that Ken Blackwell's recent work as an author isn't even in the Cincinnati-Hamilton County public library in his hometown. Neither is Obama. It looks like everything new by the senator is completely checked out.]

[UPDATE 2, 7:27 a.m. Jan. 4, 2007: Tom Blumer, at the excellent Bizzyblog.com took a look at all the Obama phenomena a few weeks back. The early handicapping from Bizzyblog's corner of SW Ohio: the Democratic wunderkind might wind up in the White House. Mr. Blumer is no enthusiast. But his views are well worth reading.]

Sen. Obama has an active Web site, but there is nothing on it about his presidential ambitions.