Any Democrat donkey can kick down a barn

but it takes a Republican carpenter to build one

Wow, now that was almost funny (and remember I'm not a democrat). Who created such words of wit and wisdom? Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett decided to go on the attack because Ohio Senator Marc Dann has been relentless in demanding information about the Ohio Bureau of Workman's Compensation Bureau scandal.

Bob Bennett found one thing in Marc Dann's 15 year history as an attorney, a reprimand in 2004 for for handling a legal matter without adequate preparation. According to Bob, “I’m glad Sen. Dann admits his own hypocrisy on this issue. Here’s a guy who’s been running around for weeks lecturing Republicans about ethics in state government, and his own ethical misconduct is finally catching up with him.”

That one thing somehow means that Dann is not qualified to talk about ethics in Ohio. Did he pull a Bob Taft and try to play games or blame it on someone else? Did he try to pull a Karyn McConnell Hancock and ask for "professional courtesy"? No, he owned up to the error like an adult took steps to make sure it didn't happen again and moved on.

Senator Marc Dann's response to Bob Bennett?

“I call on Bob Bennett, Bob Taft, Jim Petro, Betty Montgomery, and Ken Blackwell to do the same thing. Admit that they made mistakes by creating a pay-to-play system with investments at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, take aggressive steps to restore the integrity of the funds, and make meaningful changes to prevent corruption in the future.”

“This is not about partisan politics or campaign-like attacks. It should be about getting to the truth so that we can develop an appropriate policy to end the pay-to-play system that Bob Bennett and his colleagues created, and restore the confidence of the people of Ohio in our government.”

Had it not been for Marc Dann most of the information we know now about the whole Noe coin deal and the resulting other financial irregularities might have stayed hidden. Granted he is not my favorite Ohio Democrat (Frank still holds that title) and Senator Dann never did respond to emails when this first started, but he is at this point one of the two Democrats I would actually endorse.

Marc Dann has joined the world of blogging, Coins for Change is linked above and on my blogroll. If you want indepth information on the Workman's Comp issue? That is the place to stay updated.

I still think you guys should use the slogan "Just say NOE to Republicans"

:-)

Oh, and Mr. Bennett? The next time you decide to accuse someone of being known for filing frivolous law suits and try to make it appear that's what the reprimand was about? Newsflash for you, Marc Dann's reprimand by the Bar is a public record and that wasn't very accurate of you.....