State Sen. Capri Cafaro and State Sen. Jason Wilson
Submitted by Ohio2006 on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:11pm.
Gongwer News Service is reporting that the Ohio Senate Democrats for the next legislative session have voted to appoint shopping mall heiress Capri Cafaro (D) and Jason Wilson (D) to replace Attorney General-elect Marc Dann and Congressman-elect Charlie Wilson, respectively.
Cafaro has run for Congress twice, spending millions of dollars from her family fortune. She lost to Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Concord Township) in the 14th Congressional District in 2004, after a campaign marred by her exaggeration of her experience as a legislative aide and her clumsy attacks on LaTourette over his extra-marital affair with a lobbyist, and she finished ssecond to Congresswoman-elect Betty Sutton (D-Copley Township) in the 2006 primary in the 13th Congressional District. Cafaro has enjoyed support from labor groups and had the endorsement of Dann for the Ohio Senate seat.
Wilson is the son of the incumbent and is perhaps best known for mishandling his father's election petitions in advance of the 2006 primary in the 6th Congressional District, with the result that the petitions were invalidated for not having 50 valid signatures from within the district. The younger Wilson was fired as campaign manager, but the senior Wilson won the primary handily as a write-in candidate and cruised to an easy victory over State Rep. Charles Blasdel (R-East Liverpool).
Both of these are questionable choices. There were candidates with prior General Assembly experience in both cases. The Senate Dems appear to be motivated by Cafaro's money and Wilson's name recognition, period. I sure hope that these two can grow into their new responsibilities, and fast.
Let me reiterate...
Submitted by Jerid on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:20pm.
HOW MINDLESSLY STUPID THIS APPOINTMENT IS.
Just wanted to make sure I got my anger across.
Hey, don't hold back.
Submitted by Ohio2006 on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:27pm.
I'm very concerned about both appointments. I think the appearance of mutual back-scratching between Dann and the Cafaro family is a real problem.
I don't know much about Wilson other than his big screw-up. We just have to hope that he has good qualities and can rise to the occasion.
Strike #1
Submitted by Jerid on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:33pm.
I wouldn't hire Wilson as a legislative aide. We've made him a legislator! Forget all the strategic concerns ("the write-in campaign was the best thing ever!")...James Wilson cost Dem donors hundreds of thousands of dollars because he couldn't get another 4 valid signatures!
Remember the Charlie Wilson write-in jingle? We wouldn't have needed it if this guy would have went over to four of his friends' homes and got their legal signatures.
Capri
Submitted by Crooked Stream on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:46pm.
I don't understand why everyone is down on Cafaro. Just because she has lost twice? Hell Cordray was within 1 point of losing his 4th or 5th in a row four years ago. Now look at him!
The Wilson appt is BS. What has he done but f up petitions? It is a mistake to have the outgoing elected choose the replacement. Ask the Franklin Cty R's. They have lost several seats in the last 6 years because of it. I hope Wilson has a primary.
This isn't about Cafaro's losing campaigns
Submitted by BJ on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 4:56pm.
It's about her ties to corruption ( did you forget that she received immunity when she testified in the Traficant/JJ Cafaro trial), Family business interests (do you not realize that the millions Cafaro throws around trying to get elected were generated by the thousands of low-pay, no-health-care, non-unionized workers in her family's employ) and paying to play (or is it not relevant that she and her family have been heavy donors to the Marc Dann campaign and others?) Check out the Cafaro campaign contributions listed at ohiomoneytree and then tell me what a good fine Democrat Ms Cafaro is.
Crooked...
Submitted by Jerid on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 1:54pm.
The issues some have with Capri are because of her connections to her family and Trafficant, and the appearance of impropriety between her and Dann (I think it's BS). Also, they're unhappy Capri has run in multiple CD's that it was alleged she didn't really live within. Once again, I'm fine with the Capri appt. Wilson's appointment is ridiculous.
What a mistake!
Submitted by BJ on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 2:53pm.
This is an embarrasment to all the voters who rallied against the scandals and side deals of the GOP these last 12 years.
If I were a member of the Republican Party (which most of the Cafaro Family are) I would celebrate this appointment as it coats the Ohio Democratic Party with the stench of greed and corrpution.
To those who support Cafaro's appointment, I must ask, what has she or her family paid you?
side deal?
Submitted by RMC2000 on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 2:56pm.
isn't the appointment of such officials spelled out in the state constitution? hardly a corrupt side deal.
Obtuse
Submitted by mvirenicus on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 11:28pm.
Nothing corrupt has ever happened in our constitutional democracy.
where's the corruption
Submitted by RMC2000 on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 11:45am.
the constitution called for an appointment, and an appointment was made. just because you call something corrupt doesn't make it so. obtuse, indeed.
right here
Submitted by mvirenicus on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 11:39am.
i'm not calling the appointment corrupt. i'm calling someone corrupt. and really flaky. that others have followed a misguided line of reasoning in appointing an corrupt and flaky individual makes them base. oh well. not my concern anymore. the ohio dems and gop could run jesus christ's left nut for office in the future and nothing could persuade me to vote for it. the epicenter of debate will soon change in our state government; however, nothing will change in practice. it never does.
I didn't say she was a good D
Submitted by Crooked Stream on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 5:03pm.
I didn't say she was a good Dem. I don't know her. I'm not from there. Is all that stuff true?
However, they should be commended for contributing to Dann, not chastised.
Yes...
Submitted by mvirenicus on Tue, 11/28/2006 - 11:22pm.
...all that stuff is true, and I now feel the fool for voting for Dann and having his yard sign in front of my house. I feel an even greater sense of betrayal in regard to Sue Morano, my new state senator who received $1500 from the Cafaros. I wonder how she voted.
Nothing like rewarding incompetence
You beat me on the write up Sammy.
I'll be honest, Cafaro's nomination doesn't bother me so much. Welcome home Capri.
Now Wilson....c'mon. Forget the argument that this is nepotism at it's best. This guy has proven his incompetence. During the primary I carried a clipboard with me to every event my campaign attended. I had a couple hundred signatures easy on my own. Anyone that can't manage valid petition signature collection doesn't deserve to be in politics. This guy should be at the kiddy table at Thanksgiving, not in the Ohio Senate.
The Ohio Senate Democrats failed us here.