Voinovich To Retire

Good.

The media will make this out to be some sort of disaster for the Republicans, but I don't care.  Guys like Voinovich, Kit Bon, and Mel Martinez are the kind of mushy-mouth Republicans that have helped to muddle our message, betray our values, and ultimately loose credibility 

The replacement?  What about ex-Rep. Rob Portman, who's name was bandied about for vice-president this year and offers a compelling background in politics and government.  Robert Novak wrote about Portman during the election:

Portman's background is legislative (House Republican leadership), executive (George W. Bush's Cabinet), diplomatic (U.S. trade representative) and economic (Office of Management and Budget director). He comes from a swing state (Ohio), is young enough (52) to contrast McCain and conservative enough (89 percent lifetime American Conservative Union rating).

He's a serious man with deep experience and can be trusted as a good leader for conservatives in the Senate.  I'm sure Ken Blackwell would take a look at this if he fails in his bid for RNC Chairman, but he might be too divisive and was easily dispatched by Ted Strickland in 2006. 

Another intriguuing choice might be House minority leader John Boehner, who brings real strength in name recognition and fundraising.  He has a 94% ACU rating and like Portman has steered clear of disgraced former Gov. Bob Taft and Abramoff friend Michael DeWine. 

So Ohio might be reborn if Portman runs for Governor and Boehner runs for the Senate with good conservatives Republicans running honestly.  

Comments

[Nick Howard]

Good, is right. That joker should have retired after his first term. I'm not sure I can see Boehner running for the Senate though. It doesn't seem like he'd want to give up being in the leadership (even though I wish he would). Portman would be a decent choice though. Hopefully Ohio Republicans can begin to restore the brand. Taft was a total disaster.

[Crystal Clear Conservative]

Good riddance to Voinovich, Bond and Martinez! RINO Leadership is NOT what our country (or our party) needs to get back on track!

[D.J. McGuire]

Forgive my ignorance, but what did Kit Bond do to earn RINO status besides vote for the bailout?

Not that a pro-bailout vote is insufficient for RINO status . . .

[Dan]

Wow! So, you are thrilled that Voinovich, Bond and Martinez are retiring and you think the presence of guys like that are the cause of the decline of the Republican Party. If you keep up the drive for orthodoxy and continue to attempt to purge all but the most extreme right wing ideologues, you can probably get the number of Republican Senators down to about 33 in 2010. Hell, if you really work at it you might be able to hold the 2012 convention in a phone booth.

You might not have noticed but quite a few of the new Democrats in Congress are moderates and conservatives (by the traditional definition of conservative not the bizarre stuff that is so often misidentified as conservative these days). The moderate folks who are being made to feel completely unwelcome in the Republican Party are not checking out of the political process. Feel free to keep driving them away in droves. We would love to have more of them. We'll take all the voters you care to send our way.