West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin was in Ohio this week on a listening tour. He spoke at the Cleveland City Club Thursday morning and then traveled to Columbus to address the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Not surprisingly, he did more talking than listening, although maybe he's listening in private.
During his appearances, the Democrat used his platform to promote the new political group Americans Together, which claims to be a platform for moderate voters, something he claims he's always been.
Manchin is on a two-month tour to determine whether there is a national movement for a third-party ticket. He admits that running as a third-party candidate is extremely difficult in the American political system and he stressed that he's not a candidate. However, he was quick to answer a question about who would be his running mate, once again naming Rob Portman as the ideal choice.
The Cleveland City Club appearance was an interview, not a speech, and Manchin was not asked to comment on Donald Trump. He chose not to, but he did criticize his fellow Democrat, President Joe Biden.
Manchin criticized Biden's emphasis on green energy and renewables, something that's not popular in West Virginia. He also criticized Biden's fiscal policies and spending on social programs, a plan Manchin helped kill, and he poked at the president's efforts on immigration.
Manchin did not lay any blame on President Trump or Republicans in Congress who refused to enact the latest compromise border security bill.
So, we are left to speculate. Manchin is not running for re-election, but the tour seems like a campaign for something. Is he planning a third-party run? Perhaps, but he knows that would be nearly impossible. As questions about Biden's age and approval ratings grow, one wonders if Manchin is keeping his name in there as a moderate Democratic alternative should Biden not seek the nomination.
Or maybe he's polishing his skills for a cable news gig.
New charges
For three years, former executives at First Energy have been accused of bribing the former head of the Public Utilities Commission and helping fund former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in the nuclear bailout scandal. The company has acknowledged that two former executives, CEO Charles Jones and Senior Vice President Mike Dowling, participated in the scheme.
While two people convicted of taking bribes, Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges, sit in federal prison, the men accused of giving the bribes were not charged until this week.
The state has now charged Jones and Dowling with bribery and other charges. Additionally, the state has charged former Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo with accepting bribes. Randazzo now faces state and federal charges in the case.
Reacting to the latest indictment, Gov. Mike DeWine said he now regrets appointing Randazzo to the PUCO.
As evidence that perhaps he did not know all those facts at the time, prosecutors presented a handwritten note as part of the state indictment. Dowling wrote to Jones before a meeting with the governor saying, "Don’t give the governor anything in writing, and don’t mention that executives would soon meet with Randazzo."
Snollygoster of the week
Ohio Right to Life has had a difficult year as a group that opposes abortion rights. First, it and other allies tried to amend the constitution to make it harder to amend the constitution, but that effort failed last August. Then, it failed in its attempt to convince voters not to change the constitution guaranteeing abortion rights.
One of the leaders in that fight was Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Of all statewide elected leaders, he carried the flag for anti-abortion activists and took a lot of heat for it. So, it should come as no surprise that Ohio Right to Life endorsed him in the GOP race for the U.S. Senate.
However, one of LaRose's opponents in the primary, Bernie Moreno, leads in the polls and has Donald Trump's endorsement, so Ohio Right to Life endorsed him too. The group did not endorse the third candidate, Matt Dolan.
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