This DeWine appointment to the U.S. Senate has become a bit of a soap opera.
Let's start at the beginning. "The Young and The Restless" JD Vance openly campaigned to be Donald Trump's running mate. And in August, Trump picked him! So the "what if" speculation began in Ohio: what if Trump and Vance win? Who will DeWine appoint?
In November, President-Elect Trump wins, meaning JD Vance will become Vice President. So now speculation turns into actual decision-making. The governor starts getting lots of calls from lots of Republicans who want to go to Washington.
Lots of names surface. Let's call them the "Bold and the Beautiful": former Senate candidates Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose, GOP chair Jane Timken, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Congressman Mike Carey of Columbus. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is mentioned, but not considered a real possibility because he wants to be governor. Same with Atty. Gen. Dave Yost, who says flatly he's not interested.
Then Ramaswamy says he doesn't want it, because he has his eyes on running for governor. As inauguration day approaches, the list narrows, and suddenly Jon Husted goes from not a real possibility to the favorite to get the seat, because the thinking is he cannot win a GOP primary for governor against the likely Trump-endorsed candidate Ramaswamy.
Perhaps seeking a "Guiding Light," DeWine and Husted go to Florida and meet with Trump. As of last week, all signs pointed to the governor appointing the lieutenant governor to the seat. DeWine promised an announcement this week.
But this week, DeWine's "World Turned" again. Reports come in first from The Washington Post that Trump has encouraged Ramaswamy to seek the Senate seat, and suddenly, everyone goes quiet. Now, no announcement is expected this week.
Joining us to try to help us understand this is long-time Republican strategist Terry Casey.
Snollygoster of the week
The outgoing Biden administration is doing all it can to cement its policies before leaving office. The SEC filed suit against Elon Musk, the FDA banned red dye in food, Joe Biden closed off oil drilling in hundreds of acres offshore, he required more reporting on income from cryptocurrencies and his Energy Department even increased regulations on gas water heaters.
The incoming Trump White House and Republican Congress are already making plans to reverse these actions. However, the Biden administration is certainly putting sand in the gears of the incoming administration.
This is not a new phenomenon. Remember when Clinton White House staffers removed all the W's from keyboards before George W. Bush moved in? Outgoing administrations often try to solidify their legacy and make it more difficult for the incoming administration to undo their policies.
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