Ken Blackwell is the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow at the Buckeye Institute.
Wow, plenty of words to cringe at in that sentence.
From the BI's press release (which, interestingly, is not posted at the BI's website):
"The Buckeye Institute is committed to asserting conservative ideals as loudly and aggressively as ever before, and we now have in Ken Blackwell a new colleague who is inarguably Ohio's most eloquent herald of those ideals," said Chairman Rick Segal.
I have no doubt about their commitment to volume and aggressivness, but I'm a bit more cynical about the "eloquent" part. Let's review how Blackwell arrived at this esteemed position, keeping in mind that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior:
Item no.1: As state treasurer, Blackwell hired a felon and kept him on the payroll after his office discovered the man had a long record of arrests. Under Blackwell, who was treasurer from March 1994 to January 1999, Michael A. Toomer received two pay increases, and left the treasurer's office in 2002, landing in prison for the next four years.
Item no.2: With Republican Ken Blackwell trailing by double digits in almost every poll, Blackwell's campaign Tuesday tried to link his Democratic opponent to child sex predators - and the state Republican spokesman even raised questions about Ted Strickland's sexuality.
Item no.3: "I think homosexuality is a lifestyle, it's a choice, and that lifestyle can be changed. I think it's a transgression against God's law, God's will. The reality is again ... that we make choices all the time. And, I think you make good choices and bad choices in terms of lifestyle. Our expectation is that one's genetic makeup might make one more inclined to be an arsonist, or may make one more inclined to be a kleptomaniac. Do I think that can be changed? Yes."
Item no.4: Asked what current regulations aren't cost-effective, Blackwell cited environmental regulations governing how much mercury can be in water as well as standards for protecting and replacing wetlands.
Item no.5: The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals today told Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to open his wallet and pay $64,613.14 for attorney fees to the Sandusky County Democratic Party.
The party sued Republican Blackwell prior to the 2004 presidential elections over his delay in telling county boards of election they could let voters cast "provisional" ballots. The Help America Vote Act, enacted in 2002, permitted provisional ballots but Blackwell didn't get around to sending out his first directive until mid-September 2004.
FYI: the $64, 613 from Item no.5 was paid by Ohio taxpayers, not Blackwell.
4 comments:
2 great posts in a row. Nice job.
Most conservatives I've talked to lump Blackwell with the "Dole/What Were We Thinking" category. He's a guy they'd wish faded away quietly.
The Buckeye Institute is committed to asserting conservative ideals as loudly and aggressively as ever before
I might've chosen "as confidently and passionately" or perhaps even "as logically and articulately." The way they've got it sounds like a street-corner lunatic with a megaphone.
Nice post.Blackwell and the whole crowd he runs with reminds me of a toilet that won't flush.They just sit there breeding disease and corruption.
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