State Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) is on air today with his second television spot in his effort to win the 15th Congressional District.

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) will return to the state where she was revealed as John McCain's running mate last week.

McCain and Palin will hold an rally on Tuesday in Lebanon outside of the vintage Golden Lamb hotel at 7 a.m., according to a Republican official. No tickets are necessary. 

The campaign of attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) is pointing to the latest U.S. Department of Labor report on unemployment levels as evidence that it's "time for a change."

The latest from the DOL shows that unemployment rate has risen to 6.1 percent, which is a five-year high. The DOL reported that 84,000 jobs were lost in the month of August, and the U.S. has lost 605,000 jobs since January, with the manufacturing industry losing 61,000 jobs last month.

"Working families in the 7th District are working longer and harder just to make ends meet," Neuhardt said. "I am committed to stepping up and improving the quality of life for our District's workforce. It's time we invest in the backbone of our economy."

U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Chagrin Falls) made a joke.

LaTourette was explaining to the Twinsburg and Hudson Chambers of Commerce how the construction of a pipeline had not harmed the local Caribou population in Alaska, but instead had grown it five-fold since the 1970s because "the warmth" of the pipeline had been making the caribou "frisky."

In a bit of "convention week fun," the campaign of LaTourette opponent, former state Appellate Judge William O'Neill (D-South Russell), decided to razz the Congressman about his answer regarding Alaska and energy somehow drifting to the mating habits of Caribou.

Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray received the endorsement of Ohio's Fraternal Order of Police Friday.

PolitickerOH.com had previously reported on Cordray's efforts to secure the endorsement.

An announcement from the Cordray campaign refers to the organization's support as "critical to the credibility of candidates for Attorney General, the state's chief law enforcement official."

The FOP is Ohio's largest law enforcement organization with 26,300 members. The FOP stayed neutral during Cordray's last run for AG in 1998 against Republican Betty Montgomery.

Preempting John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, opponent Barack Obama's Ohio for Change Campaign announced the launching of "Ohio Republicans for Obama."

The effort was referred to by the campaign as a "statewide grassroots effort to identify and organize other Republicans unhappy with the past eight years of failed policies under George Bush."

As part of the launch, some Republicans were to join Obama phone banking efforts at some Ohio for Change offices.

The campaign touted support from such people as Gregory Fess, a fourth generation Republican in Columbus, whose great grandfather was a Republican Congressman and Senator from Yellow Springs.

Franklin Co. Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) is up with a new ad about healthcare in her race against state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) in Ohio's 15th Congressional District.

The two are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce in the seat.

In the ad Kilroy speaks of changing Washington's priorities to "make healthcare affordable for every American."

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman (R-Cincinnati) flashed a thumbs-up when asked what he thought of John McCain speech here tonight.

“He did what he had to do,” said Portman, former director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, just moments after the speech ended and the balloons began to drop at the Xcel Energy Center.

Before turning away, Portman said that McCain’s decision to highlight his record as a maverick and reformer was effective. 

The mandatory sick day effort suffered a big setback this week, while two Democratic Congressional candidates got a boost from the DCCC. See all of this week's Winners & Losers. | CLICK HERE

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