[UPDATED:] Calling the Ohio GOP's bluff

It's become clear that the GOP's strategy is to call for investigations that could result in anything other than actually removing Dann from office. Over at the Ohio GOP's "blog", they called State Rep. Kevin Bacon's (R-"Flatliners")'s call for a special prosecutor "a new development" in the Dann case.

If the House Judiciary Chairman and the Ohio GOP really believes that Dann committed perjury and obstruction of justice, then why not impeach him?  As far as I can find, there's been only one historical precedent in Ohio for impeachment.

According to The Ohio State Constitution: A Reference Guide (real sexy title, I know) (2004) Steven Steinglass & Gino Scarselli, Greenwood Publishing Group at pg. 145, the most well-known impeachment case in Ohio history (and only one I could find quickly) was early in Ohio's history.  In 1808, the Ohio House of Representatives impeached a sitting Supreme Court justice and a Common Pleas Judge for ruling (for the first time in Ohio history) an act of the General Assembly unconstitutional.  The judges were one vote shy in the State Senate from removal of office.

Steinglass & Scarselli's book agrees with my analysis that the term "misdemeanor" in Ohio's constitution refers to the broad definition as "misdeeds," instead of a strict category under Ohio's criminal statute.  So, given Ohio's historical precedent for impeachment, there is absolutely no reason that the Ohio House of Representatives could not begin impeachment proceeds as early as Monday.  Heck, if Judiciary Chairman Bacon genuinely believes that Dann himself committed perjury in his testimony, then he has a constitutional obligation to begin investigatory committee hearings to consider impeachment.  He'd be violating his oath of office to uphold the constitution and his responsibility as the House Judiciary Chairman not to do so.

But Bacon knows this.  But he knows that if the GOP tried to impeach Dann, they might succeed.  That's why they won't impeach him or support the other avenue to remove Dann, a judicual/recall process as articulated under R.C. 3.04 through 3.10.  And if Mark Weaver and the rest of the GOP really wants to use Marc Dann as a foil to save their thin majority in the Ohio House of Representatives, then what could be better than having every member of the General Assembly vote on impeachment?

Because Marc Dann is more valuable to the GOP so long as he is investigated, but stays in office.  That's why they'll make empty calls for him to resign or ask for more investigations.... so long as those investigations can't result in Dann's removal.  Why else would Chairman Bacon call for a special prosecutor, instead of impeachment?  Because Dann is worth more to the Ohio GOP on political life-support, than politically dead.

What's stopping the GOP from impeaching Dann, except the fear that they might succeed?  And why is it that this blogger can see what State Representative Bacon and the Ohio GOP is doing, but the media has not?

[UPDATE:] Tim and I haven't been getting along much due to our differences regarding the presidential primary, but he agrees.  If the GOP believes that Marc Dann has broken the public trust and should be out of office, then their members in the Ohio House of Representatives should do their constitutional duty and impeach Marc Dan..