Cuyahoga Executive : "Independent" Lanci Was Huge Palin Donor
Submitted by Anthony Fossaceca on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 8:53am.
Self-proclaimed "independent" candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive, Ken Lanci, is certainly making noise out of the gate. Yesterday, we reported on Lunci's train wreck of a political mailer (which as WLST points out, didn't have a union bug) being the worst political direct mail of a year that hasn't even started yet.
Seems as though there's more to Lanci's story.
For years, Republicans in Cuyahoga County have always had a little problem they can't solve. It's called getting elected. It's not because there aren't Republicans here. There are. It's just in recent years, the County GOP has been so desperate for anyone even remotely credible to run for office, they've been forced to resort to gimmicks and tricks to try to sneak their candidates into office. They'll play the name game - running people against incumbents with the exact same last (or first and last) name. They'll hide references to the Republican Party on their materials. They'll resort to using silly websites or slogans like "Dump Dennis" while never even trying to run a credible campaign to win.
This year, the Cuyahoga GOP is so desperate, they've had to leave the county to find a candidate - anointing Geauga County State Rep. Matt Dolan for the slot. The biggest problem with Dolan (besides not living in the county)? He's not the biggest Republican in the race. That honor belongs to Lanci.
Today, Plunderbund has more on Lanci, including a look into his "independent" mind. And wallet. Seems as though the man who can save us all by rising above political parties, saw little or no problem dropping $5000 in Sarah Palin's hands the week before the November 2008 election, and another $5000 to the Ohio GOP right at GOTV time.
What did Dolan give to McCain/Palin last year? FEC searches show nothing. Dolan 0, Lanci $10,000.
All of this makes us wonder why a man who is so heavily invested in the Republican Party is so willing to try and hide his affiliation with it. C'mon Ken, Run Proud! Run Honest! Run as a Republican!
The Ohio Daily whose website
The Ohio Daily whose website features prominent democrats shows just how badly some people have missed the lessons of the Cuyahoga County scandal. The voters said in November they were tired of shrill political partisanship. If the Ohio Daily had done it’s homework it would notice that independent Ken Lanci also donated to Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and former congressman Richard Gephart.
Beyond donations Ken Lanci has worked with democrats and republicans on helping Cleveland Public Schools, on numerous charity causes and in creating and saving jobs in the region. Ken Lanci is truly an independent and this will become more and more evident as his campaign unfolds.
The voters said they were
The voters said they were tired of corruption, not tired of Democratic ideals. They wanted more safeguards and less of people buying influence. What are we to think when we see someone dropping $10K in the Ohio GOP's lap days before the election? That he's independent and wants good government? C'mon, now.
He gave $10K to aid the most hateful, racist presidential campaign in 40 years. He did it while the rest of the state was screaming for change. Talk about missing the lessons. McCain/Palin offered nothing more than more of the same failed Bush policies. The same partisan "us vs. them" politics that has destroyed Washington. And Ken Lanci gave $10,000 to help perpetuate that legacy.
To suggest that Ken Lanci is going to walk into neighborhoods in Hough, Glenville, Shaker, Euclid, Bedford, etc and say "Hey, I gave John McCain and Sarah Palin $10K, but all is forgiven, right?" is absurd. His campaign is DOA.
Furthermore, replying with "well, he gave $1000 to Fisher in 2009 and Gephart (in 2003)" is hilarious at best. He also gave Voinovich $2000 too. So what? He still gave McCain $10K. No real independent wanting change does that.
Lanci's charitable work is swell. Good for him. But it doesn't make him an independent. Lots of Republicans do charity work too. What matters is his philosophy. Based on that FEC report, it's pretty obvious what it is. Good luck Ken! Keep the presses turning!
Almost a century of Democrat rule and so ........
Where is the county now?
We have had democrat rule in Cuyahoga county now for almost a century and can you say that we are better off for it?
Not saying the republicans can do better.
Has Dennis Kucinich done anything to stop job loss? WHat has he done other than cow tow to his friends in Hollywood. Democrats...where are the jobs? Republicans...where are the jobs? I can tell you...you and your parties voted them away with NAFTA and GATT.
A union bug on a mailer? Oh my....that would disqualify anyone wouldn't it? Common. Unions have made doing business in this county almost impossible. Mr. Lanci's company is not union and I am sure they printed it. Why lie about that?
Lanci's contribution to the republican party is being played up as not being independent. I know for a fact that MR. Lanci donated money to the Bill Clinton campaign when he was running for president and yet no one is talking about that. (Mr. Lancie has a photo of himself and president Clinton in his office.)If you do more checking , you will find that Mr. Lanci has donated to democrats in the past as well as republicans.
AFter a year of Obama and his economic policies, which is to say there are none, maybe Mr. Lanci was right in not wanting to support Obama who has not done one thing he promised to do like get us out of the middle east wars, not hire lobyists, no tax increases on the middle class and on and on. Obama is not business friendly. Why would a businessman support a candidate that promised to tax business heavily?
Just a bit of advice. Do not vote for anyone who talks of GLOBALIZATION. Vote against them and get ready the tar and feathers.