OHIO DEMOCRATS Logan denies report about letter

The commissioner said changing the party leadership must be done the "right way," but he declined to elaborate.
Columbiana County Commissioner Sean Logan is at the center of a growing political storm within the Ohio Democratic Party, but he insists it wasn't his doing. The former state representative from Lisbon said he found out Tuesday morning that he was credited with writing a letter that calls for the resignation of state Democratic Party Chairman Denny White.
"I did not write the letter," said Logan, who won re-election on Nov. 2. "I have not seen the letter yet."
Asked why Jimmy Dimora, chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, would tell the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he was the primary author, the commissioner said it may be because he had discussions with "an intermediary" about his joining an effort to change the direction of the state Democratic Party. He noted that he has not talked to Dimora. He declined to identify the go-between.
But White insisted that those calling for him to step down never supported him when he first sought the leadership post and did the least on behalf of party candidates in the last election cycle.
"In this business, you're not going to keep everybody happy," White said. "If everybody is happy you better be careful. I just got elected. My term runs to 2006. My focus is on the Apportionment Board seats."
On the board
The Apportionment Board consists of the governor, secretary of state, state auditor and two members, one appointed by the majority party and one appointed by the minority party of the Ohio General Assembly. The board meets once every 10 years after the results of the federal decennial census. It is responsible for redrawing boundaries for Ohio House and Senate districts to reflect population changes.
Asked whether he should shoulder the blame for President Bush's victory in Ohio, which secured his re-election, White said all Democrats share in the loss. He pointed out, however, that the Democratic Party had victories throughout the state that were overshadowed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's loss.
"My job is to turn around the Democratic Party," the chairman said. "We're making steps in the right direction."
But Logan contended that the decision to honor national television personality Jerry Springer, whose reputation as a sleazemeister is overshadowing his political ambitions, as the Democrat of the Year demonstrated that the state party had "lost its way."
The commissioner revealed that he had been approached about replacing White as state chairman, but ultimately concluded he could not devote the time needed to rebuild the party and ensure that it truly is a "big tent."
"I have always been endorsed by the NRA [National Rifle Association] and prolife [groups], and there are tens of thousands like us," he said. "The liberal bent of the party is out of touch with some people in Ohio. We're made to be felt that we're different. The party has a big tent and many different perspectives are welcome, but more importantly, because of the liberal bent other important issues get lost."
Statewide discussion
Logan believes that the campaign to change the party leadership must be done the "right way," but he declined to elaborate. He did allow that a statewide discussion about the future of the Democratic Party in Ohio by party faithful is timely and necessary.
Come January, Republicans will control every statewide office except a Supreme Court seat held by Justice Alice Resnick. The GOP is already gearing up for the 2006 election and has several strong contenders for governor, including Attorney General Jim Petro, state Auditor Betty Montgomery and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.
On the Democratic side, Congressman Ted Strickland of Lisbon, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Springer, a former mayor of Cincinnati, are most often mentioned.
Asked about the advisability of naming Springer Democrat of the Year in light of his possible candidacy for governor, White insisted that "Springer has nothing to do with 2006."
"I'm not supporting any particular candidate," he said. "I'm out recruiting candidates. If you look at the 2006 election cycle, large counties are delivering our base. Our goal is to go the small and medium counties. We will put together a strong ticket in 2006."