The blogosphere has been abuzz about what's happening with leadership of the Ohio GOP. It should come as no surprise where I fall on this. It's pretty simple. Look at the state.

Now GOP leadership would have us read the laundry list of state officeholders, but is that really how we should measure GOP "success"? I think not. Look at taxes, the 'brain drain', government spending, schools, infrastructure, and more. Never mind the series of scandals that have paraded by us.

It's been pointed out that it's easy to call yourself and 'expert', get a blog and start hammering away. True. It's also apparently easy to call yourself a Republican, get support from the GOP leadership, get elected, and then start acting like a Democrat.

I am very critical of the leadership of the Party and specifically Bob Bennett. He's put the pieces in place. He's the architect of the Republican "majority" and look at what it's gotten us. I've heard it said that it's the voters that keep electing people, but if candidates are hand picked by GOP leadership, how much say do voters really have. All they really keep doing is voting for GOP candidates. Good or bad. I'm sure, like me, there have been plenty of times you've held your nose in the voting booth while voting Republican. I mean, really, we're going to vote Democrat??

Over a year ago, the Wall Street Journal printed an article that detailed the 'cabal' that's running the state Party.

The state's GOP establishment says it's focused on helping President Bush carry Ohio and win a second term. Yet Republican Party Chairman BobBennett has opposed Mr. Blackwell's efforts. He clearly doesn't appreciate that the best way for state Republicans to turn out their base and help the President is to put a tax repeal measure on the ballot. If Mr. Bush loses the linchpin state, the Taft-Bennett-Householder wing of the Ohio GOP will be one of the reasons.

I agree. Now, the big three will probably point to the fact that all the signs are pointing at the outcome of the election, and the gains made, but I still don't see the emperor's new wardrobe.

Whether or not Blackwell is the conservative candidate many of us hope he is, the power brokers in Ohio will be fighting to keep their hands on the rudder. Let's hope they slip.