energy

The congressional campaign for state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) is going after Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) for what they say is refusing to give a clear position on whether she supports more oil drilling.

Stivers campaign laid out a timeline of “vacillating” positions. On June 19, Kilroy said oil companies don’t mean more land to drill on but should drill on federal lands they’re already leasing. Stivers campaign calls this a sham because the leases have no oil on them. Later, Kilroy released her energy plan that doesn’t mention drilling. On Aug. 27, PolitickerOH.com reported that Kilroy’s campaign said Kilroy supports any drilling that is environmentally safe anywhere. At the debate, Kilroy reiterated her statement that she opposes drilling in environmentally-protected areas.

The campaigns of Franklin Co. Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) and state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) fought over Kilroy's position on oil drilling after her second TV ad today on energy.

In the ad, Kilroy said she supports domestic driling and alternative fuels. Kilroy has stated that her energy plan supports drilling on federal lands currently leased by oil companies.

Stivers campaign manager Mike Hartley said Kilroy's support of drilling on already-leased federal land doesn't constitute increased oil production because the land has little, if any, oil. Hartley points to a Washington Post editorial that lambasted the notion that oil companies are sitting on leased land that has oil.

"Kilroy needs to explain specifically where she plans to increase drilling. Would she vote to lift the moratorium on off-shore drilling? Would she allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Is she for drilling in the Rocky Mountains, or any other federal lands? Or is Kilroy deceiving voters by suggesting that the “use-it-or-lose-it” concept constitutes increased drilling?" Hartley said.

After tussling over the energy issue all summer in the campaign for Ohio's 16, state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Jackson Twp.) unveiled his full energy plan at Stark State College Tuesday morning.

New Jerseyans say gasoline prices is the economic issue that worries them the most, and by a 64%-34% margin, state voters support offshore oil drilling, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. New Jersey voters also support new nuclear power plants (61%-32%) and drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuse (53%-41%).

The candidates for the 3rd Congressional District have recently exchanged words over who is really to blame for high energy prices.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) told PolitickerKY.com: "I understand why the Republicans think they have that issue, but the vast majority of the American people blame George Bush and the oil companies for high gas prices."

Former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup's (R-Louisville) campaign manager countered: "Voters blame Congress for doing nothing to solve the energy crisis."

Recent polling suggests both are correct to some degree.

U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Westerville) sat down with PolitickerOH.com to discuss his re-election campaign to Ohio's 12th Congressional district. Tiberi has represented the district since 2000 and is currently serving his fourth term. Tiberi replaced former U.S. Rep. John Kasich in the seat.

Tiberi is being challenged by businessman David W. Robinson, who PolitickerOH.com interviewed last month.

Tiberi, a lifelong resident of the district, said that he has treated every race the same, running on his record and the concerns of the people of the district. He said he has adopted the "Kacich model" of people to people campaigning, with a grassroots operation, canvassing and even a two-day bus tour.

Tiberi said that he felt good about the person to person model because it included a diverse group of people from all three counties in the district. He said that he would put his grassroots volunteers and infrastructure up against anybody in the state.

Tiberi said that when he is out talking to constituents the big issue on everybody's mind is energy.

"I have never seen in all my years, going back to when I started becoming active in politics in college at Ohio State, I have never seen an issue drive as many people to make comments to me as the issue of high gasoline prices," he said.

State Sen. John Boccieri (D-Alliance) responded to the news that conservative advocacy group Freedom's Watch would be running radio ads against him over the next several weeks that hit him on the issue of inaction to lower gas prices, just as robocalls from the group did last month.

The Boccieri camp said that the group is blaming Boccieri for high gas prices that he opposed.

"I thank Freedom's Watch for giving me one more chance to tell people about my fight against Ohio gas tax increases and my plan to immediately lower fuel costs," Boccieri said in response to the ad. "I'm just wondering when they'll finally get around to having voters call Kirk Schuring and ask him why he raised their gas taxes."

The reference is to Schuring's vote to support the 2003 transportation bill that included a 2-cent raise in the state gas tax each year for three years, making a total 6-cent raise in Ohio's gas tax. The measure was supported by former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and a plurality of Republican members of the state legislature at the time. The gas tax was one part of an overall $5.9 billion transportation package.

Conservative political advocacy group Freedom's Watch will begin airing radio ads attacking two Democrats running for the U.S. House in Ohio.

Franklin Co. Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus), running in the 15th district, and state Sen. John Boccieri (D-Alliance) will be targeted in radio ads starting today and running for the next two weeks.

Freedom's Watch spokesperson Tim Pearson said the Boccieri ad will criticize him for not lower the gasoline tax, just as robocalls from the group attacked Boccieri last month.

The Kilroy ad says, in part, "Thanks to Mary Jo Kilroy, you the taxpayer will pay $215,000 more than necessary to build the Franklin County baseball stadium."

Both presidential campaigns have been tight-lipped about where their most recent telvision advertisements are airing, but Ohio is being targeted.

John McCain's presidential campaign today confirmed that it's newest ad is playing in Ohio. Earlier news reports only said that the ad was playing in "key states" but did not specify where. Meanwhile, Barack Obama's ad criticizing McCain for taking $2 million in oil contributions is on-air here as well. 

See McCain's ad below.

Jim TrakasDuring what he called a heightened political year, where people are focused on political activity abound, former state Rep. Jim Trakas (R-Independence) said his campaign against U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland) is going extremely well.

Independent candidate Paul Visokaj (I) is also vying for the seat.

In an interview with PolitickerOH.com, Trakas said he was a big believer in door-to-door, personal solicitation, as well as personal phone calls, and that the Trakas campaign has knocked on almost 40,000 doors and made about 30,000 telephone calls to independent and Democratic voters in the district.

Trakas said his goal was to knock on 100,000 doors total. He said that the race was winnable for him for several reasons.

"Congressman Kucinich has been a well-known political figure in greater Cleveland since 1967, when he first started running for office," he said. "And the scrutiny that was put on his presidential campaign by the local media probably wouldn't be construed as very positive, frankly, as well as the primary campaign by his primary opponents."

He said the feeling may have sunk into voter's minds that Kucinich wasn't working on their behalf anymore.

"And I'm talking about people who are not a bunch of Republicans - those folks haven't liked him for a long time - these are independent-minded people, as well as a surprising amount of Democrats."

Trakas pointed out that he was running against an incumbent Congressman during a struggling economy, which is a top concern of voters.

"He's had 12 years to show what he can do," he said. "And I think that people feel that, while he's a very well-intentioned person, he has not been able to do a whole lot to benefit the greater Cleveland economy."