I originally saw this video on the Third Base Politics blog, but I am posting it again so it can get even more notoriety (not saying that it couldn’t on TBP, but still).

According to a recent Gallup poll,  Republicans are ahead by 51-41 margin-the largest margin GOP has ever had in 68 years of generic polling. Compare that to September of 2006 when Gallup polled the Dems at a 52-41 margin, John Boehner and the House GOP have a lot to smile about.

These generic polls are a good way to gage the overall mood of the electorate, and right now folks are not happy with the Democrats. Their message of blaming former President George W. Bush is not resonating, and it shows.

But yesterday, council scrapped that bill after two members of council decided to change their minds on their ‘yes’ vote.  Was it because they felt guilty that they over stepped their bounds as legislators? Did they feel that the legislation was wrong?

No to both. According to Councilman Ben Roby:

… says he decided to drop his support for the ban because he found more “public interest” in the proposal than he ever expected.

This is hilarious. What he means by ‘public interest’ is that he didn’t expect people to pay attention to what they were doing, so he thought he could vote for it and not worry about any backlash!

Keep the politicians on their toes. Pay attention.

Portman has raised over $2.3 million dollars in the first quarter of 2010, giving him a very strong advantage over the Democratic challenger, whomever it may be.

Lee Fisher, of course, slams Portman’s fundraising number as coming from “the lobbyists and and PACs” so he can come across as the champion of the little guy. But when asked in the article what was the difference between Portman’s fundraising and the fact that Fisher also raised money from PACs and lobbyists, here’s what he says:

…..said he will not raise as much from such sources because they have already sided with Portman.

So it’s ok for Democrats to raise money from special interests only if they get to them first? If not, then it’s bad. I understand.

Can Democrats please get off of the high-horse when it comes to raising money? Many act like the Republicans are the only ones that get money this way. Last I checked, unions do qualify as a special interest group, and Dems got millions from them.

And please Democrats, give Fisher the nomination. Not like Brunner would be all that tough, but if Fisher was the nominee, Portman wouldn’t have to break a sweat.

Of course, the supporters of this bill say it’s for safety. However, there is no solid evidence that shows the effect of texting while driving, and Columbus Police Chief Walter Distelzweig doesn’t sound like someone that considers this a priority nor does he have any concrete ideas on how to enforce it; these are issues that should have been addressed BEFORE it passed.

It is ridiculous to text while driving, and even more so that we have to legislate it. But lets be honest here: like the seat beat requirement, it’s a money grab for cities with struggling economies.

Quinnipiac University released a poll yesterday that has incumbent Ted Strickland leading 43-38 over GOP challenger John Kasich in the gubernatorial race and has both Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner leading Rob Portman in the Senate race to succeed George Voinovichby 4 and 1 point(s), respectively.

Of course this news makes Democrats excited, but Republicans shouldn’t be too disappointed. In both races, there are a  very high number of undecideds, so there is a lot of room for Kasich and Portman to make up ground. In the race for governor, Strickland has been under 50% support for a long time and has not been moving, which is “typically worrisome signs for an incumbent” according to the pollster.

The race for the Senate is not much different. There is also a high number of undecideds in the race, but the plus for Portman is that by a 46-44 margin, Ohioans do not want a Senator that supports Obama’s policies.

So there is a long time from now to November,and that means a long time for mud to be thrown on the challengers. To get an idea of the hack-etry that Kasich and Portman will be up against, look here and here.

Remember, Plunderbund, “All your base are belong to you“.

Another story, however, has also gained notoriety, and it’s right here in Central Ohio. In a protest outside the district office of U.S. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH), a Columbus resident berated and threw money at a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease:

The man’s name: Chris Reichert, a Columbus resident. In an article printed in the Wednesday issue of the Dispatch, Reichert says that “I snapped. I absolutely snapped and I can’t explain it any other way”.

This guy has gone through enough. The embarrassment of having your jackass moment taped and forever in the internets is punishment enough.

But of course, to those on the left, the acts of one represent the acts of all. One blogger from the left, Plunderbund, shared his opinion this way:

Thanks Chris Reichert for proving us right afterall about the negative effects of right wing talk radio that creates caustic political environments that cause people like you to do things you’d never think of doing

As I said in response, I listen/watch conservative media. Hannity, Ingraham, Malkin, Rush. And I never would have done that, and many others would not either. In fact, I believe that Mr. Plunderbund missed this:

Reichert then stepped from the crowd, bent down, pointed a finger in Letcher’s face and as he tossed a pair of dollar bills yelled, “I’ll pay for this guy. Here you go. Let’s start a pot, I’ll pay for you. I’ll decide when to give you money. Here. Here’s another one.”

Organizers on both sides of the debate quickly condemned the actions of Reichert and the other man, who still has not been identified…..

The Tea Party movement fight against more government, more taxes, and more waste is a noble cause; anyone that does what has been alleged has no place in the movement and should be shunned, and have been. The Left is lumping the kooks with everyday folks to try and discredit it; so far, it is not working. Those that support the movement need to continue to be vocal and oppose the extremists because that is not the support this cause needs.

Looks like their voodoo math has come to haunt them, since the parts of the bill that deal with Pell Grants (in a healthcare bill?) are in violation of rules. It must go back to Congress to be removed.

Mr. Boehner, rarely does one get another chance like this. Hopefully you prove that you are up to the challenge and can bring victory!

Good luck to them, because they are going to need every bit of it.