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Ohio
News Network...
Rift In State
Republican Party Could Prove Costly Next Fall
Saturday December 3, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio - One day after Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder
called on state GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine to resign, ONN has obtained
the email response sent from DeWine to Batchelder.
In it, DeWine said that he was “shocked and dismayed” that Batchelder
has called for his resignation.
DeWine also suggests Batchelder is being “manipulated” by those close
to Gov. John Kasich.
In a speech Friday, DeWine publicly stated that Kasich is attempting to
run candidates for the GOP central committee in an attempt to oust
DeWine as chairman next spring.
“Dissension can only undermine the governor’s chances for re-election,”
DeWine said in the email.
DeWine also said that Kasich’s political team is “motivated by ego,
power, or profit.”
The Columbus Dispatch obtained the memo Batchelder sent to GOP
lawmakers Friday. In the memo, Batchelder claims DeWine
undermined incumbent Republican House members during the 2010 elections.
“After having served eight years in the wonderful institution that is
the Ohio House of Representatives, I would never do anything to
undermine the Republican caucus that I love,” said DeWine.
Batchelder offered a tough assessment of DeWine’s performance as state
chairman, even though DeWine was at the helm last year when Republicans
swept every statewide office in the November election.
“It is especially distressing me to know that while we are working
every day to improve our state, the leader of our political party is
undermining the accomplishments we have made,” wrote Batchelder.
“Last November, we retook the majority despite the numerous examples of
Chairman DeWine’s attempts to thwart our efforts.”
DeWine responded to Batchelder that he had tried to reach the governor,
but Kasich was not returning his calls or emails.
Kasich had requested DeWine resign shortly after the November, 2010
election.
DeWine refused to step down and was unanimously re-elected chairman by
a 66-member GOP central committee in January. DeWine does not
face reelection until January 2013, although every member of the GOP
central committee will be up for reelection on March 6, 2012.
A Republican source familiar with the infighting contacted by ONN said
this is an attempt by Kasich’s political team to “knock down” Secretary
of State Jon Husted. Husted and DeWine are close, and there are rumors
at the statehouse that Husted would consider a primary challenge in
2014 if Kasich’s poll numbers remain low.
The source also says that a few people close to the governor “could
make a ton of money” if they controlled the state GOP apparatus.
Democrats have weighed in questioning who Kasich wants to see as state
chairman, Heath reported.
The Dispatch reports that one link between Kasich and Batchelder is
lobbyist and adviser Robert Klaffky. A coordinated effort to find
candidates to run for the GOP central committee and undermine DeWine is
reportedly underway.
The consequences of division within the Ohio Republican Party are
particularly dangerous for the national GOP with the presidency at
stake.
Polls in Ohio show the race between president Obama and GOP candidate
Mitt Romney extremely close.
The state GOP held their annual holiday party Thursday night in
Columbus. Kasich did not attend.
At that dinner, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus
praised DeWine for the work being done by the state organization.
He singled out DeWine’s work as an example of what other states need to
do in order to defeat Obama next November.
Attempts by GOP governors to pick their own party chairman are not
uncommon in Ohio. In 1994, then governor George Voinovich wanted
to replace chairman Bob Bennett with Summit County GOP chairman Alex
Arshinkoff. That effort went nowhere and Bennett remained at the
helm.
Watch ONN and refresh ONNtv.com for the latest information. Read this
story online here.
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