Governor Taft To Be Criminally Charged

[Connie_Corleone]

Gov. Bob Taft, a stickler for the rules who pushed for high ethical standards in his office, will face four criminal misdemeanors for not reporting golf outings he didn't pay for, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Taft, a Republican and member of a distinguished U.S. political family, would be the first Ohio governor to be charged with a crime.

If convicted, he could be fined $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail on each count, though time behind bars was considered unlikely.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/08/17/taftcharged.html

[Kukesa]

1. The key words are "if convicted"

and we Buckeyes can only hope.

[mosin]

2. We can only hope.

We can indeed.

By coincidence, I saw the story first on the Buckeye Firearms Association website. As usual, they have a story trashing Taft. My favorite line is at the end:

It is time Ohio get into a 12 step program to get over their Taft problem, and step one has been taken with the filing of the criminal charges.

Is there anyone in Ohio that likes Taft--other than golf course owners?

[existentialist]

5. Any indications that his lack of popularity

is beginning to rub off onto the rest of the Republican Party in Ohio?

[Kukesa]

6. Yes, but that's been going on for a while.

During last year's election campaign, * was hosted by various Ohio congress reps, but hardly ever with Taft. Kinda shunned him.

[mosin]

11. Taft

During the Republican convention last summer you could see Taft's unpopularity reflected in his speaking slot. He was still chairman of the Republican Governors Association, so they couldn't blow him off entirely, but they gave him something like a 15-minute morning time slot in the middle of the week when almost no one would see him.

[zbdent]

3. Hmm, high crimes and MISDEMEANORS

Not a blowjob.

He'll be canonized by the Right - but they hate him anyway. It will be strange . . .

[mosin]

12. Misdemeanors

Not that it will happen, but under the Ohio Constitution, he could have been impeached merely for being charged with a misdemeanor. But that would take 50 of 99 Ohio House members. Then it would take 22 of 33 Ohio Senators to remove him from office.

Ain't gonna happen.

Not that I wouldn't enjoy it if it did. :)

[zbdent]

14. Not likely to happen - but think about it - Taft is an albatross around

the neck of Ohio Repukes.

They might just be able to get Taft out, and the Lt. Governor in - and have a leg up on the Dems because the incumbent Governor would have the soapbox.

Taft is very disliked in Ohio nowadays. And if they could get someone to replace him to give them the advantage, they might be able to get the state House & Senate to do the job for them . . .

[ck4829]

4. My Celebration Post

:party: :party: :party:
:applause: :applause: :applause:
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Could the age of IOKIYAR be coming to an end?

One can only hope.

[Deep13]

7. Taft GUILTY

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050818/ap_on_re_us/governor_charged;_ylt=ApaJ3rhK1W6r4iYvuPeEooWyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Taft announced that he would enter a plea this morning to settle the case. That means either a plea of guilty or no contest, the latter being an admission of the facts in the indictment without admitting guilt. In either case, it means a conviction.

[cmd]

8. I really don't want him to resign.

He is so helpful to us right where he is. He isn't a Lame Duck; he's a Dead Duck.

[Deep13]

9. me neither

Don't want to run against an R incumbent next year.

[mosin]

13. Next year

Unless they did something to get newly appointed Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson out of the way, he would become governor. And no way is he going to be an R candidate for governor next year. He's a political nobody.

[Kukesa]

10. Looks like he pleaded NO CONTEST

and was fined $4,000. The judge probably is a golfing buddy.