In speaker vote, gamesmanship trumped governing

Wednesday’s 11-round bout of futility in the Ohio House of Representatives put that body’s pathetic lack of leadership in its sharpest focus yet. Republicans and Democrats alike made clear that, for them, party and politics come before governance.

It is an extremely discouraging harbinger of the future for Ohio government.

From the first round of voting for a new House speaker, it was clear that Republican Rep. Ryan Smith of Bidwell eventually would win. He was just two votes shy of the 46 that would have been a majority of those present.

In any one of the first nine re-votes, just a couple of Republicans or even Democrats who initially preferred another candidate could have recognized that reality and cast a vote for Smith, effectively ending the farce and, more important, demonstrating concern for governing over political gamesmanship.

But not one such statesman or stateswoman emerged. While some members switched votes meaninglessly between Republicans Andy Thompson of Marietta and Jim Hughes of Upper Arlington — an inexplicable last-minute entrant to the race — not one Republican vote switched from either to Smith.

Nor did a single Democrat who voted initially for fellow Democrat Fred Strayhorn of Dayton switch to Smith.

As provided by state law, the 11th vote required only a plurality, making Smith the new speaker.

Smith, in his third term, is respected as an effective legislator and leader. For the past two terms, he has been chairman of the Finance Committee. Nothing in his record makes him, to anyone reasonable, unacceptable for the speakership.

But there’s little reason operating in the House these days. Since Republican former speaker Cliff Rosenberger resigned April 11 amid an FBI investigation of his expensive travel with lobbyists, the House has been unable to vote on any bills. More than 150 are stalled.

The unprecedented paralysis has gone on so long because of a nasty fight for the speaker’s post between Smith and fellow Republican Larry Householder of Glenford, who had the job from 2001 through 2004 and used it to bully opponents and build his own power base.

Householder doesn’t have the votes now to beat Smith, but he thinks he will when new members are seated in January. He backed Thompson, who will leave the House in December because of term limits, as an interim choice in order to deny Smith the advantage of incumbency come January.

Shame on members of both parties who let this nonsense drag on for so long.

Democrats might understandably enjoy watching Republicans look foolish in their internal squabbling, but they should care more about serving Ohioans than dinging Republicans. Declining to help put the House back to work puts them on the same low road traveled by the Thompson (Householder) holdouts.

Now that a speaker is in place and the House finally can return to business, members should curb any desire to recess for the campaigning they expected to be doing by now. They owe it to Ohioans to get back to work on an overflowing inbox that includes bills to address abuses in payday lending, fund new voting machines, rein in the abuses of pharmacy benefit managers and raise pay for nonunion state workers.

They’ll need something to show voters when they hit the campaign trail. A proven record of entrenchment is a lousy endorsement for governing.