Columnist laments that GOP didn’t pick Kasich
The column was titled “John Kasich: The really good president who might have been.”
Yes, editorial writer Doug Clark really was pining in his Greensboro (North Carolina) News & Record blog last week for Ohio’s governor to occupy the Oval Office.
He says the GOP blew it in picking Donald Trump.
“If Republicans had given Kasich their nomination last year, I believe he would have won a majority of votes in the election and would be working now to build on a popular mandate to get positive things done. He would not be taking a wrecking ball to the federal government, appointing unqualified ideologues to key positions, offending allies, creating conflicts, firing off Twitter rants or telling blatant falsehoods.”
Clark lamented: “It’s just too bad the Republicans didn’t see through the baloney.” turned away from a Kasich gathering Wednesday to mark exactly a year since his victory in the Ohio primary — the only one he won.
The “please join us” invitation to a Columbus watering hole was billed on Eventbrite as an “appreciation party,” and tickets were free with no restrictions listed.
However, Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf said reporters would be turned away at the door even if they had legitimate tickets to the event that happened to occur during Sunshine Week, one designated to promoted openness in government.
“The event is a gathering for supporters to stay in touch with one another and for the governor to thank them for all they have done for him,” Schrimpf emailed. “I know as much as we like The Dispatch, we never marked you down as supporters.”
DeWine hams it up for camera in report
He likes Mike — a lot. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine released his office’s 2016 annual report last week, a glossy, all-color publication (2,000 copies printed at a cost of $1.79 each) listing all the ways he fights to protect Ohioans.
While some of the images are postage-stamp size, an impressive 54 photos of DeWine appear across the report’s 42 pages, according to reporter Randy Ludlow’s count.
Mike with consumers. Mike with kids. Mike with cops. Mike with crime victims. Mike with seniors. You get the idea.
By the way, DeWine also aspires to be Ohio’s next governor, so a little self-promotion never hurts.
By comparison, DeWine’s 2015 annual report contained but a mere 40 photos of the longest-tenured Republican in Ohio politics.
Attorney general tracks charities
New stats from DeWine’s aides show that his office tracked 42,170 active charitable organizations in the state in 2016, according to the charitable registration system, reporter Alan Johnson says. Individual organizations can be found online at https://tinyurl. com/mh6gd3n.
DeWine’s office also issued 1,697 bingo licenses for charitable groups to conduct bingo games at 2,954 different locations statewide last year. The state also licensed 18 bingo manufacturers and 39 distributors. Bingo information is online at https:// tinyurl.com/n7ducce.
The attorney general’s office provides training for charities, donors and other groups. Information is available by calling the Charitable Law Section at 1-800-282-0515.