Ohio's No. 1 loudmouth, Cleveland afternoon talker Mike Trivisonno, knows gambling. Trivisonno - Triv, for short - spends much of his free time playing cards, online and with friends. When he's not playing cards, he's talking about playing cards during his daily drivetime show on AM powerhouse WTAM. And when he's not talking about gambling, he's polluting the airwaves with his caustic, uninformed brand of right-wing talk. Hiding behind the myth of independence, Triv is equal parts partisan hack and professional wrestler, a bullying, ignorant boor armed with both an agenda and an attitude. With that background in mind, it's important to take note of Triv's latest on-air ploy, an effort that seems to effortlessly combine his two interests. His plan, discussed Tuesday: A sucker bet disguised as anything but.

The first of four scheduled debates between Ohio gubernatorial candidates Ted Strickland and Ken Blackwell took place at noon today, airing on the Ohio News Network and streaming live on WFMJ. It will air again on ONN tonight at 11 p.m.. I have posted the full text of both candidates closing remarks here, but I think an interchange that took place after the official closing remarks was the most telling...

With the primary behind us, the choice for Ohio's next governor is now set. And the differences between Republican nominee Ken Blackwell and Democratic nominee Ted Strickland couldn't be more clear.

In Blackwell, voters are faced with an opportunistic hypocrite whose incompetence is as well-documented as are his ties to the Bob Taft-led culture of corruption. In Strickland, voters are faced with a candidate who recognizes that true leadership and a voice for all Ohioans is what this state needs to return to prominence.

But this race isn't just about Ohio. It's about driving a stake through the heart of the Republican Party. It's about showing everyone that the politics of division have no place in our society. It's about demonstrating that the people have the power to chart a course for a better tomorrow.

I saw these numbers over at Swing state Ohio blog so thought i would share them. If they have allready been put here i'm sorry i'll delete this post but if not check it out: http://swingstateohio.blogspot.com/

The poll was done by Rasmussen.

Ohio Governor:

Strickland (D) 52% (50)
Blackwell (R)  35% (40)

Ohio Senate:

Dewine (R) 43% (45)
Brown (D) 41% (42)

Last week, I pointed out the latest example of Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's unethical behavior. His Republican primary opponent in the 2006 gubernatorial race, Attorney General Jim Petro, has complained about Blackwell. Yet, as Petro attempts to provide GOP voters an alternative to Blackwell, he better watch what he says. People in glass houses, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Sunday, shouldn't throw stones:

Two prominent Republican lawyers said their law firms lost virtually all of their state legal business after they refused to donate to Attorney General Jim Petro's campaign.

If there's one thing I hate more than lazy journalism, it's when the reporters in question rely on one point of view and allow that to speak for both sides of the story. That's how, for instance, someone from a seemingly nonpartisan-sounding think tank spouts overtly partisan views, while audiences think it's coming from a neutral point of view.

The results, as we know, aren't pretty. Unsuspecting individuals get the wrong sense of a story, coloring opinions. And without this objectivity, stories may as well be Republican Party-issued talking-points sheets.

The latest example occurred this week in Ohio, a state already plagued by the petty partisanship of ruling Republicans. This time, an Associated Press reporter who should have known better unnecessarily gave readers the sense that churches' overt, one-sided political campaigning doesn't represent illegal, unethical behavior.