On the SidE. . .

ON THE SIDE. . .
THIS AND THAT FROM THE WORLD OF VALLEY POLITICS.
WAVE AFTER WAVE: IT SEEMS THAT EVERY DAY I CHECK MY E-MAIL I'VE GOT SOMETHING IN MY INBOX FROM THE OFFICE OF OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL JIM PETRO, AMONG THREE CURRENT REPUBLICAN OFFICEHOLDERS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR NEXT YEAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY IMAGINATION INITIALLY, BUT THEY KEPT COMING AND COMING, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE A DAY. SO I DID A LITTLE INVESTIGATING.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, PETRO'S OFFICE SENT ABOUT 275 E-MAILS TO NEWSPAPER REPORTERS. HIS ONE-DAY RECORD FOR 2005 IS FOUR PRESS RELEASES ON AUG. 24.
PETRO'S RELEASES THIS YEAR INCLUDE HIS SUPPORT OF REGULATING THE ABORTION PILL, HIS STATEMENT ON THE EXECUTION OF A DEATH-ROW INMATE, HIS SUIT AGAINST A GUY FOR FAILING TO PROVIDE TICKETS TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL GAMES SOLD ON EBAY, AND A SUIT AGAINST TWO MEN IN THE RETAIL HOT TUB BUSINESS FOR TAKING MONEY FROM CONSUMERS AND NOT DELIVERING THE TUBS.
IN SEPTEMBER ALONE, PETRO'S OFFICE SENT 31 PRESS RELEASES. YUP, MORE RELEASES THAN DAYS IN THE MONTH. IN SEPTEMBER 2003, PETRO'S OFFICE DISTRIBUTED SIX PRESS RELEASES.
WHAT ABOUT AUDITOR BETTY MONTGOMERY AND SECRETARY OF STATE J. KENNETH BLACKWELL, WHO ARE ALSO VYING FOR THE REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION? THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE SENT 65 RELEASES TO THE MEDIA AND THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE SENT 13 SO FAR THIS YEAR.
SKOLNICK@VINDY.COM