Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Welcome to the New World Order

My apologies for a lack of bloggage over the holidays. I'd just like to welcome all my readers to the New World Order. One week ago, our newly elected Democratic leaders were sworn into office. Congratulations to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Treasurer of State Richard Cordray, and Attorney General Marc Dann. Also sworn into office were the members of the 127th Ohio General Assembly, which includes 7 Democrats in previously Republican held state house seats. This narrows the Republican advantage to 53-46 (previously, it has been 60-39) in that body. The State Senate, meanwhile, still has an overwhelming (21-12) Republican advantage.

Gov. Strickland served notice that a new sheriff was in town when he vetoed Senate Bill 117, which was, in the words of Plain Dealer columnist Thomas Suddes, a "sloppy GOP kiss bestowed on clients of Ohio's big-business law firms." Outgoing Gov. Taft could have prevented this by signing or vetoing the bill, instead he did neither, leaving the door open for Gov. Strickland to veto the bill on his first day in office. A new sheriff is in town, and its going to be fun to watch him clean house.