Ohio hell: coingate, Noe, Ney, and Blackwell

By Lee Russ

Sunday, October 08, 2006 at 05:13 PM

If you were an Ohio Republican, would you: (a) scream and run frantically from the state, (b) seriously consider switching to another state and/or party, or (c) deny that you had ever lived in Ohio or been a Republican?

It's beginning to look like it might be "all of the above."

First, there's the fact that Ohio is the home of Tom Noe, convicted of money laundering etc. in connection with illegally funneling money to Bush's campaign.

Second, there's the fact that Tom Noe is the center of the storm known as "Coingate" in which a boatload of state money disappeared after the state's Workers' Comp fund gave it to Noe, a coin dealer, to invest in rare coins.

Third, there's the fact that Tom Noe's trial on the Coingate charges is set to begin Tuesday and "is expected to last at least six weeks".....which takes it through Election Day, Nov. 7.  So voters in Ohio will cast ballots while the Coingate trial is in process.  And don't think the trial will escape the notice of voters elsewhere in the country, either.

Fourth, there's the fact that Ohio is the home of Ken Blackwell, the man who oversaw the fiasco known as Ohio's 2004 election, and is now running for governor.  This is the same Blackwell described in Woodward's new book as being called a nut by none other than our esteemed chief, George W. Bush.  This is the same Blackwell described as an opportunist by Marian Spencer, a longtime Ohio civil rights activist.  This is the same Blackwell who recently co-authored a right wing historical tract with none other than Jim Corsi, the fungus from Swiftboat Vets for Truth.

Fifth, there's the fact that Ohio is the home of Bob Ney, the recently resigned member of congress who sold his vote, support, and soul to Jack Abramoff.

And that, my friends, is a definite full house of filth that you couldn't make up if you tried.  You really couldn't.

Ohio: poster state for the evils of one-party Republican rule.