The Sins of the Father: Sen. Mike DeWine's Son Loses House Primary in Ohio
"The Republican's upset is attributed to Christian conservatives and his father's filibuster deal."
The Los Angeles Times has a story about how the mean old "Christian Right" in Ohio ganged up on poor little Pat DeWine and made him pay for the filibuster deal that his father helped forge in the Senate:
BATAVIA, Ohio — Pat DeWine, son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, was considered an easy favorite to succeed newly named U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman as the Republican congressman from Ohio's 2nd District — until the younger DeWine ran afoul of the Christian right.
***
In Tuesday's primary, 35-year-old DeWine finished a distant fourth behind Jean Schmidt, a former state representative who ran a traditional-values campaign that motivated conservative voters by staying above the vitriolic campaign fray and using techniques honed by supporters of President Bush in 2004.
Her victory and the defeat of DeWine are a sign that evangelical conservatives continue to hold powerful sway in this solidly Republican part of Ohio.
***
Although he raised more than $1 million for his campaign, DeWine saw a commanding lead vanish over the last three months, due to objections from Christian conservatives who have become increasingly active politically.
Observers cite two factors: First, DeWine divorced three years ago, and news of the split spread on the Internet and in radio ads. Second, he suffered the wrath of conservative Christian activists after his father helped forge the recent compromise agreement in the Senate to preserve the filibuster for judicial nominations while guaranteeing confirmation of some but not all of Bush's nominees.
"It does speak to the power of the filibuster issue among social conservatives," said Amy Walter, who studies House races for the Cook Political Report. "I think it really turned a pretty sleepy race into a very hard-fought one."
***
Tim Rudd, chairman of the Clermont County Republican Committee, said the feelings against the DeWines were palpable after the senator helped forge the filibuster compromise.
"The reaction was, 'We've got one DeWine; we sure don't want another,' " Rudd said. Schmidt won with about 31% of the vote. DeWine received 12%.
My Comments:
"... DeWine divorced three years ago ..." I think there was a little more to this divorce that the Times doesn't bother mentioning (and which I will not go into), which caused Pat DeWine to run afoul of social conservatives.
I also think the results of this primary are a warning to Senator Mike DeWine that plenty of Republicans will be RINO hunting in two years when he is up for re-election.
1 Comments:
As a Spanish Catholic priest I pray you to support this rally and to pay your attention to this event.
= = = =
Family does matter
Madrid, june 18th - March
MANIFEST
The Spanish government is implementing initiatives which attack the foundations of the family as a natural living environment and a most effective human bond.
In practice, it purports to identify same-sex unions with the institution of marriage, going as far as legalizing the adoption of children by homosexuals.
These initiatives are an attack aginst the institution of marriage and violate the right of children to have both a mother and a father.
Other governemental measures are equally worrying: unilateral and ground-free divorces are legalized (for marriages lasting more than three months), the right to life is gradually weakened, increasing limits are imposed upon parents regarding the education of their children, and religious expression and morality are banished from public life.
Faced with such initiatives which are contrary to human dignity, we demand that the government and all political movements:
a) withdraw the law proposal rendering same-sex unions equivalent to marriage, and enforce a legal framework which guarantees that children for adoption may have both a mother and a father, in accordance with the UN convention on children’s rights;
b) enforce a fully protective policy for families, based on mutual commitment and equality between man and woman, which creates a stable environment for generations to come and constitutes the most effective form of social solidarity;
c) esteem and support the freedom of parents to decide on their children’s education, in particular by letting parents take responsibility for their moral, civil and religious upbringing;
d) provide a legal framework which guarantees that all human life be respected;
e) acknowledge that religious movements help individuals commit themselves to a more caring, just and equal society
Because families do count, because there is a right to have a mother and a father and because freedom deserves to be defended, we ask policy-makers, social groups and each citizen to respect effectively this declaration. We call all citizens to a protest march from Cibeles Square in Madrid to Puerta del Sol on June 18th as of 6 p.m.
Madrid, May 27th, 2005.
Post a Comment
<< Home