Cross-posted at
http://www.progressohio.org/...
Prior to another recent Thanksgiving in OH-02, the big news in the district was that my neighbor Terry’s two full-grown African lions escaped and were found "molesting" cars on the highway. This year competes for drama. On Tuesday, November 17, the Ohio division of the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council voted to rescind its endorsement of Todd Book for U.S. Congress. Multiple and reliable sources report that Book is preparing to withdraw from the race.
Book’s withdrawal will leave David Krikorian without opposition in the Democratic primary for the nomination to challenge procrustean Jean Schmidt. (A third candidate, Jim Parker, has already announced his withdrawal.) Schmidt, on the other hand, faces a serious primary challenge from C. Michael Kilburn, a Warren County Commissioner.
More below the ever-lovin' fold.
This report breaks the story, which the unions chose not to publicly announce. The vote on Tuesday was final, but formal ratification by the full Tri-State Council of West Virgina, Kentucky and Ohio awaits action at the December meeting. I have communicated with over seven individuals associated with the unions and all confirm the vote. Sources for this story wish to remain anonymous in order to preserve Democratic unity, allowing time for Mr. Book to make a gracious exit from the race.
The Ohio Division of the Tri-State Council, based in Portsmouth, had voted to endorse native-son Book, the State Representative from Portsmouth, on September 11 (just a little inauspicious?). Soon after the endorsement, however, the unions obtained information that Book’s private law firm, Book and Associates, had registered as the legal agent for Fitzpatrick Engineering, a non-union shop in Georgia. According to one union source, "This proved Todd Book’s association with the Antichrist as far as unions are concerned. Book has lost all of his union and labor support."
The association with Fitzpatrick was stated as the cause in the motion to rescind. Other labor problems involving Mr. Book, currently under investigation, have been tabled pending word from Democratic Party officials that Book’s withdrawal is immanent. Book had also received $7400 in contributions from one union and one individual associated with the Tri-State Council, about 12% of his total 3rd quarter fundraising.
Book retains the endorsement of the IBEW Local 575, based in Portsmouth. Book’s father-in-law, Bill Tipton, is the former business manager of that local.
The Tri-State Council represents fifty locals from fifteen different unions in thirty-two counties of the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
The Portsmouth unions have already held a large meeting with David Krikorian with an eye toward switching endorsement, which will become pro forma after Book withdraws.
Krikorian ran as an Independent in 2008, garnering 18% of the vote, the highest percentage of any Independent in the nation in a congressional race that year. By uniting Democrats and Indpendents across the district, Krikorian will present Jean Schmidt with her toughest challenge yet. And, she faces a bruising primary battle with Kilburn who pulls her, if you can believe it, to the right. Kilburn also comes from Schmidt’s home county, her strongest base.
Following the election of insurgent Democrat Jane Murray to the Portsmouth mayoralty in 2009, the ascension of David Krikorian to presumptive nominee carries forth a general routing of the old Copperhead Democratic machine from Scioto County, Ted Strickland’s home county, where Portsmouth is the county seat. Murray defeated incumbent mayor Jim Kalb in both the primary and the general election, with Kalb placing third behind a write-in candidate in the general.
Todd Book and Jim Kalb had together championed a new City Center proposal in Portsmouth, which was soundly defeated at the polls in 2008. With Portsmouth unions now joining with Democratic insurgents, the old Scioto machine is done.
As of this posting, Book has not yet acknowledged the union vote or announced his intention to withdraw.
You can find out more and donate to the Krikorian campaign at: http://www.krikorian2010.com/
Note: Allow me to preempt any accusation that this development was somehow "arranged." The Krikorian campaign and I were likewise in the dark about these developments, until we were each independently notified by separate union sources, about two weeks ago. By the time we were notified, the decision to rescind had already been effectively made by the key Portsmouth unions.
Also, a hat tip to Brian Hester, who has given me the idea for a new book titled: REAL Democrats Don’t Dump on Popular Prospective Nominees of their Party. Thanks, Brian!