Ohio AG Candidates to Speak to Akron Press Club

Well, we couldn't get the DeWine camp to agree to a debate so we arranged the next best thing: both Ohio Attorney General candidates will be speaking to the Akron Press Club in the next couple weeks in separate appearances. I hope as many people from the general public and media can attend.

From the press release:

The Akron Press Club Presents

Candidates for Attorney General

The Akron Press Club is pleased to provide a forum for the two candidates seeking the Ohio Attorney General office. They will speak at separate lunches, with time for questions following each presentation

Both events are cosponsored by The University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Sept. 28 -- MIKE DeWINE

Republican Mike DeWine will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at The University of Akron's Martin Center.

DeWine represented Ohio in the U.S. House and Senate and served as lieutenant governor. He began his political career as a county prosecutor and later was elected to the Ohio Senate. He represented Ohio's Seventh Congressional District for four terms before being elected as lieutenant governor for a four-year term that began in 1991. DeWine was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, where he served two terms

Oct. 7 -- RICHARD CORDRAY

Democrat Richard Cordray, the current attorney general, will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 7, at The University of Akron's Martin Center.

Cordray was elected attorney general in 2008. He won the Ohio treasurer position in 2002 and also has served as Franklin County treasurer. He served in the Ohio House from 1991-1993. From 1993-1994 Cordray was state solicitor. He also was a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Byron White.

Details for both lunches:
--Time: Buffet luncheons begin at 11:45 a.m. Program follows.
--Place: Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill, University of Akron campus.
--Cost: $15 for Press Club Members, $20 for Non-Members.
--Reservations requested: Call 330-564-4211 or e-mail RSVP@CMOResearch.com

Staffing a McCain Administration

Although speculative reports of a future McCain administration are relatively rare compared to the flurry of Obama White House articles we've seen of late, it is worth taking a peek at the names that are emerging given the fact that John McCain is much more than a long shot to win this Tuesday. The Obama White House staff watch has more momentum because Barack Obama's chances to win are seen as greater. The fact that Obama's transition is much more advanced than McCain's has also led to more speculation.

It is interesting to note that Politco reports that McCain transition planners are focused on national security positions as a priority; domestic agencies are taking a back-seat. On the one hand, this is not surprising given Senator McCain's focus on national security issues throughout his public career. On the other hand, given the state of the economy and the Wall Street crisis, it is quite surprising that staffing positions relevant to economic issues is not priority one.

Here is the list compiled by Politico's Alexander Burns:

• White House chief of staff: Lehman or longtime McCain aide and speechwriter Mark Salter


• Senior counselor to the president: Top campaign official and personal friend Rick Davis


• Secretary of state: World Bank President and former deputy secretary of state Robert Zoellick; Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.); former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage


• Treasury secretary: FedEx founder Fred Smith; former eBay CEO Meg Whitman; Bain Capital co-founder and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; John Thain, former Merrill Lynch CEO and now president of Global Banking, Securities and Wealth Management at Bank of America


• Secretary of defense: Lehman; Lieberman; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); current Defense Secretary Robert Gates


• Attorney general: Graham; former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.); former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani


• Secretary of education: Former Arizona superintendent of education Lisa Graham Keegan


• National security adviser: Policy adviser Randy Scheunemann


• Office of Management and Budget: Former Congressional Budget Office director and campaign adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Two Ohio names are conspicuously absent: Rob Portman and Mike DeWine. Portman has a phenomenal amount of experience in Washington for someone in his early 50s. Portman previously served in the George Bush 41 White House as associate counsel and in the Bush 43 White House as U.S. Trade Representative and OMB Director. The White House experience bookends his 12 years in the House of Representatives. Perhaps Portman has revealed to the McCain folks that he is more interested in staying in Ohio and running for Governor or Senator should George Voinovich retire. If not, his name should be on the short list for just about any high level staff position or Cabinet slot.

Mike DeWine is a name that should also be on the list. DeWine was an early supporter of McCain's presidential bid and is a household name in Ohio. As a former county prosecutor, member of the state legislature, and two-term U.S. Senator, I would think DeWine would be on the short list for Attorney General.

Of course, half of this speculation about McCain and Obama administration personnel will be moot on Wednesday. It is fun to play the name game though.