Judge O'Neill is going after LaTourette's seat

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A Democratic appeals court judge who got 1.3 million votes last year after an Ohio Supreme Court campaign in which he raised no money has announced that he's seeking the congressional seat held by Concord Township GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette.

This time, 11th District Court of Appeals Judge William O'Neill of South Russell plans to raise lots of money for his 2008 campaign. But he'll have to wait until leaving the bench in June to start fundraising.

O'Neill says he'll seek campaign contributions because "people should be encouraged to put their money where their heart is" in a legislative race and predicts he'll have no trouble raising between $1 million and $2 million.

He called LaTourette "dead wrong about the war, and on China and on health care."

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/04/judge_to_take_on_latourette_fo.html

[rpannier]

1. Go get 'em

The only way we can win seats is if we have someone running for them.

This 'strategic planning' by the Party during the 80's, 90's, up to 2005, of only funding races we knew we could win seem to be, and should be, a thing of the past.

We took congressional seats in places the 'DLC-bootlicking' pundits told us were a waste of time to fund.

Winning is a matter of having people in place.

I will donate to the Hon. William O'Neill's campaign.

[Kolesar]

2. predicts he'll have no trouble raising between $1 million and $2 million

Bluster is good!

[Ninga]

3. O'neil has a interesting and deep resume. Has a son that served in Iraq and

has enough "character and charisma" that he may very well be able to unseat LaTourette.

I wonder now that LaTourette has stopped mainlining pork, if the dems who supported him in '05, will defect cause the cash cow has dried up.

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4. He is one of the most interesting men that I have met

After the death of his wife he became the primary caregiver of his children and proudly boasts that he knows how to do just about anything including buying a prom gown.
For those of you who don't know him; he's a judge, a pediatric nurse, Vietnam vet and more. Check out his bio. http://www.oneillforjustice.org/biography.php

The judge thanked me at our fall banquet for being one of his top contributors. It set me back for a moment, until I remembered that his campaign theme was No Money From No Body. I guess we all were his top contributors.

If character and charisma can beat LaTourette, we have a winner in Judge O'Neill. I will be donating some real cash to his campaign this time.