Third Base Politics has obtained emails that clearly and unmistakably prove that there are Ohio Republican Party committee members and staff working against Governor Kasich.
Sandy Calvert is currently an incumbent member of the ORP State Central Committee. She is an unabashed Kevin DeWine ally. We know she voted for DeWine’s illegal rule change in an effort to keep tea party minded citizens off of the committee.
Sandy’s husband Chuck Calvert was a long time member of the Ohio House, until he could no longer serve due to term limits in 2006. When Ohio Senator Bob Gibbs was elected to Congress in 2010, Chuck applied for the Ohio Senate seat that Gibbs vacated, with strong support from Kevin DeWine and Jon Husted, who wanted to build a power base in the Ohio Senate. This is where we start with the subject of the first email.
Jim Woods is a co-founder of the Tea Party group Medina County Friends and Neighbors (MCFAN). Woods and his group were involved with the selection committee for Gibbs’ replacement. When they recommended Larry Obhof for the appointment instead of Chuck Calvert, Sandy became furious and has had it out for Woods and his group ever since. Now it’s 2012, and Chuck Calvert is running for the open men’s seat in the same district. Ironically, his opponent is Jim Woods.
With that explanation finished, take a look at an email from Sandy Calvert to the entire ORP State Central Committee, complaining about Governor Kasich and blasting Woods. (I have redacted the email addresses.)
From: Sandy Calvert
To: Sandy Calvert
Sent: Mon Mar 05 14:22:30 2012
Subject: Governor Kasich’s RobocallsDear State Central Committee members and County Chairs,
Imagine picking up the phone and hearing Governor Kasich endorsing Jim Woods for State Central Committee paid for by Taylor-Kasich for Ohio.
In January at the SCC meeting I took the floor in the discussion about the caliber of person campaigning to replace Don Simmons. Don has served the SCC for more than fourteen years in an exemplary manner. I asked if the SCC members understood that Jim Woods the man campaigning to replace Don had in the fall of 2010 had told conservatives far and wide they needed to vote for Carla Moore Democrat for the 9th Court of Appeals Judgeship.
Jim didn’t stop there he went on to urge conservatives to vote for David Pepper, Democrat for State Auditor, casting aspersions on Dave Yost’s integrity.
Woods didn’t stop there when he told conservatives that he didn’t like politicians who are too “pretty” or too well funded referring to Jon Husted.
Again, Woods didn’t stop there he took aim at Mike DeWine; urging voters to elect Robert Owens and stating if Owens can’t muster enough votes to win the race the second best candidate Richard Cordray will probably be elected. Woods didn’t stop there with his comments about AG Mike DeWine; Woods told his conservative base that unlike Mike DeWine, Cordray was an honest man who cares about more than his own ego. Woods also urged conservatives to vote for two tax levy’s not one but two tax levy’s, neither revenue neutral.
I also just recently learned that Governor Kasich has endorsed another SCC candidate and is doing the same robo-calls against an Incumbent SCC member, Gary Burkholder. I have learned that Doug Preisse is reaching out to other SCC members asking them if they would like the Governor to do the same robocall for them. A message has been sent, win at all costs regardless of the harm to the Ohio Republican Party.
Have we lost our conservative moral compass? Is control of the Ohio Republican Party so important that the Governor would endorse Woods to represent the conservative constituents of the 22nd Senate District? The pink elephant is now firmly planted in the middle of ORP and a message has been sent. There is no more guessing as to the length the Governor would go to control ORP.
Sincerely,
Sandy Calvert
Ohio Republican Party
State Central Committee
22nd Senate District
The first reaction I have is that there is nothing wrong with the Governor supporting certain candidates for the committee if he feels that they would be good for the party. As we have made clear over the past few weeks, the Ohio Republican Party is under the direction of a rogue chairman who has broken the rules to protect his own chairmanship. He has spent over $100,000 of donor money intended for defeating Democrats in ONE district alone to support central committee candidates who will protect him.
If Governor Kasich wants to endorse a candidate who is running for the committee, he has every right to do so, and there is not one thing nefarious about it. Yet, Calvert seems to think it is reprehensible.
As a side note, I do not know about all of the accusations she makes against Woods. However, I can tell you that I joined him in voting for Robert Owens for Attorney General instead of gun-grabber Mike DeWine. I’m a proud Republican but the shenanigans that Kevin DeWine pulled to screw conservatives and put his cousin on the ballot left a bad taste in a LOT of people’s mouths. I know several other Republicans who voted for Democrat Richard Cordray because of Mike DeWine’s horrible history on gun rights.
Back to the emails. Fellow committee member and Franklin County GOP Chairman Doug Preisse responds to Calvert’s accusation about him. He sends his response to Sandy only.
From: Doug Preisse [mailto:redacted]
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 3:30 PM
To: redacted
Subject: Re: Governor Kasich’s RobocallsI only called one. She’s an incumbent.
Then Sandy slips up. She had apparently received an email from Bruce Tague, Political Director for the ORP. He apparently suggested to Sandy that she should encourage every committee member to “retaliate” by demanding that Governor Kasich do a robo-call for them. She then follows through on the suggestion from Tague by forwarding Doug Preisse’s email to the entire commitee, and accidentally attaches Tague’s email.
*From:* Sandy Calvert [mailto:redacted]
*Sent:* Monday, March 05, 2012 5:33 PM
*To:* Sandy Calvert
*Subject:* FW: Governor Kasich’s RobocallsDear Colleagues,
I received the email below from Doug Preisse in response to the email I sent out regarding the robocalls that Governor Kasich is endorsing SCC candidates and in many cases not the incumbents. I think that all the SCC members should ask Governor to endorse them in a robocall. Scratch that thought, I now have been honored with a Governor Kasich robocall in support of my opponent.
Sandy Calvert
Ohio Republican Party
State Central Committee
22nd Senate District[email redacted]
[phone number redacted]*From:* B Tag [mailto:redacted]
*Sent:* Monday, March 05, 2012 5:08 PM
*To:* redacted
*Subject:* RE: Governor Kasich’s RobocallsI would also send an email to everyone encouraging all incumbents to demand
that the Governor do a call for them as well.[forwarded copy of Preisse’s email]
So, here we have another Kevin DeWine ally who believes that she is so entitled to her seat, that anyone who dares to run against her or her husband must be part of some evil plot. Which is exactly how Kevin DeWine acts about his position as chairman. When rival candidates with slightly different ideas and priorities for the state party run against them in a fair election, they cry foul. That’s how our system works, folks! We have elections and let the people decide.
What’s even more hilarious is that Sandy Calvert voted to endorse herself and every incumbent member of the party. So, it’s perfectly acceptable to endorse yourself and use party money to campaign for yourself and the other incumbents, but Governor Kasich is not allowed to endorse a few candidates of his choice? What an unbelievable sense of hubris and entitlement Sandy Calvert displays here. (Again, exactly like her ally Kevin DeWine.)
But DeWine, his staff and certain members of the ORP are now coordinating attacks against the Governor, and that is clearly over the line. You don’t undermine and conspire against the sitting governor from your own party, just because he doesn’t support the same committee candidates that you do. This is yet one more example of why Kevin DeWine must be replaced as the ORP Chairman.
One final word: Governor Kasich does not want to “control the Ohio Republican Party”. However, he does recognize that it is badly in need of a change in leadership. If you look at the Facebook pages for DeWine and the ORP, you know he isn’t alone in that opinion. If he wanted to control the party, he would be promoting a replacement for DeWine. He isn’t. Once a new committee is elected, if there are enough members who agree that a leadership change is needed, they will determine who is best suited to replace DeWine. Not Kasich. He doesn’t have any say in who the Chairman is, which should be painfully obvious at this point.
Do you live in the 22nd district? Obviously, we strongly suggest that you vote for Jim Woods and Sharon Ray to defeat the Calverts. It’s time for Kevin DeWine to go.
