Chairman Bob Bennett acknowledged Friday that there would be Republicans who will disagree with Portman’s decision. But Bennett said he respects the senator’s right to make up his own mind.

Portman told reporters Thursday in Washington that his views began changing in 2011 when his college-age son Will told his parents he was gay.

Bennett said the party got a flurry of phone calls Friday morning from people upset about Portman’s stance, but they’ve since died down.

Asked whether Portman’s announcement would change the level of financial support or help from the state Republican Party, Bennett said, “Absolutely not.”

State Rep. Clayton Luckie, a four-term Dayton Democrat, was indicted in October on 49 charges of theft, corruption and money laundering. He is out on bond awaiting trial Dec. 20.

Democrats have removed Luckie from all committees, and he has stopped attending House floor sessions.

GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said Wednesday that Luckie should step down and stop drawing a state paycheck.

House Democratic Leader Armond Budish has also called for Luckie to resign. His spokeswoman said Republicans have not shown similar concern when GOP lawmakers have faced criminal charges.

Luckie’s attorney said Bennett ignores the presumption of innocence and is being politically opportunistic. He said many charges against Luckie are being challenged.

A Wednesday panel discussion was the first time Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett were together since Redfern survived a coup among his membership and Bennett was brought back from retirement after GOP chair Kevin DeWine was forced out.

And it didn’t take long for Redfern to start jabbing, as he talked about what he’s been doing.

“…bringing about a two-party system here in Ohio that frankly was lacking during most of the time that Bob was chairman of the Republican Party. I’ve spent some time getting to know Mr. Bennett, Chairman Bennett.

Bennett then interrupted by saying “history tends to repeat itself in politics.”

The chairmen spent most of their time before the Columbus Metropolitan Club talking national politics. Bennett was asked if he’s pleased with Mitt Romney as the GOP presidential nominee.

“Absolutely,” Bennett said. “I think he’s…he will appeal to not only the social conservatives and the fiscal conservatives and the Tea Party people within the party, but he’ll be able to reach out and attract a number of independents.”

And Redfern said he’s also happy with Barack Obama as a president and a candidate.

“The president’s leadership and the leadership of those who joined him in the Congress have meant that more Ohioans are working today than there were in January 2009 when his hand came off the Bible.

“There are more Ohioans today covered by health care when there were when the president’s hand came off the Bible. And I think we should all celebrate that.”

Bennett countered by saying there are more people unemployed in Ohio than when Obama took office.

The unemployment rate released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services was 8.8 percent in January 2009 compared to 7.5 percent now. But that’s just one area where the chairmen have different views and use competing facts.

For example – the bailout of the automakers.

Redfern said without it, thousands would be without jobs, while Bennett said the free market needs to control the economy, not the government. Redfern said Obama is responsible for the economy and the steady decrease in unemployment, but Bennett said Obama should also take credit for huge financial problems in California and Illinois.

Bennett said he doesn’t think social issues will drive the election – he thinks the economy will.

“It’s not going to be anything else. It’s not going to be the social issues – they’re important.

“They’re important as part of your coalition. But I think when it comes right down to it, people are going to ask themselves, ‘am I better off today than I was four years ago?’ And you look at the promises that were made by the president, and almost every one of them have been broken.”

But Redfern said he doesn’t mind discussing social issues , including marriage equality and access to birth control.

“We guarantee through health care policies the right for men to seek and acquire Viagra, but we don’t allow women access to contraception. And we are having this debate in 2012, and Bob is asked rhetorically, I hope, Mike, whether he’s pleased with his nominee. I am.”

The chairmen were also asked to say something nice about a major figure in the other party. Bennett credited President Obama with the killing of Osama bin Laden. Redfern praised Gov. John Kasich for proposing what Redfern called a massive tax increase on oil and gas drillers.

Bob Bennett is returning to the position to replace state GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine, who said he wanted to avoid a “party-splitting dispute” and stepped down.

Allies of Republican Gov. John Kasich had recruited a slate of challengers to the committee that they believed would vote out DeWine. Their effort reflects Kasich’s interest in controlling the party as governor. He was elected in 2010 and is serving a four-year term.

Chairman since 2009, DeWine was unanimously elected by the state central committee to a second term in 2011. He oversaw the GOP’s resurgence in the state in the 2010 elections, when Republicans swept Democrats out of four statewide offices – including the governor’s – and grabbed control of the Legislature.

DeWine and other Republicans, including Bennett, had expressed concerns that the infighting could jeopardize the party’s efforts to deliver the swing state this fall to the Republican challenger to President Barack Obama.

No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio.

DeWine will remain on the state central committee and plans to continue raising money for the GOP as a member of the national party’s finance committee.

Bennett chaired the party from 1988 to 2009, and he says he’s not looking for another long chairmanship.

Bennett has said he intends to stay in the leadership post through the fall election and run for again for the position in January. He said he would plan to prepare for the 2014 midterm elections, while the party works to identify a permanent chairman.