Ohio Senate Battle Shaping Up

UPDATED: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 2:38 pm -- Yeah, I know. I goofed. Lee Fisher has only resigned from his Ohio Department of Development position, not as Lt. Governor. My mistake. I did not read all the way down through the story, but relied on two radio news reports I heard that both said he was stepping down from being Number Two in the guv's office. Wishful thinking on my part, perhaps . . .

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On one side, take a congressman with an A rating from the National Rifle Association from conservative southwest Ohio.

On the other side, a primary battle between a former national board member of Handgun Control Inc. (now benignly known as the Brady Campaign) and the state's sitting secretary of state, whose decisions in last year's elections raised some eyebrows.

The goal? 2010 and the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by George Voinovich.

Read it here.

One good thing has come out of this. Lee Fisher, the former HCI board member, this week resigned his post as Ohio's lieutentant governor. At least if something tragic happens to pro-gun democrat Gov. Ted Strickland, the virulently anti-gun Fisher won't be waiting in the wings to ascend to the big chari in our governor's office.

But Gov. Ted, please stay on that high fiber diet I recommended some time back. We want you around for a while.

And on that note, Strickland will likely be running for re-election that same year. One of his possible opponents is republican John Kasich. If it comes down to that matchup, Strickland will have my vote. He has been pro gun in Congress and in the governor's office. He has never wavered. Republican Kasich, when he was in Congress, was a deciding vote in 1994 that passed the widely ridiculed 10-year "Brady Ban."

Bottom line: Ohio gun owners are highly unlikely to support a gubernatorial bid by Mr. Kasich.