Mike DeWine

Ohio Republicans are deploying their own “Bull Connor” to scare people from voting, the Ohio Democratic Party accused today.

ODP chair Chris Redfern and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman (D) held a conference call with reporters to characterize the Greene Co. Sheriff Gene Fischer’s request for all registration cards and address-change forms for all who registered and voted last week in the county.

The ODP said Republicans and John McCain’s campaign are behind the request because the sheriff is a Republican and county prosecutor Stephen Heller is the former law partner of Mike DeWine, who now chairs McCain’s Ohio campaign.

Various Ohio politicos have made the point this election cycle that the presidential election in Ohio will hinge on person-to-person campaigning – community members getting out, pounding the pavement and making their case to friends and neighbors in support of one candidate or the other.

Both presidential campaigns are barnstorming the Dayton area today and it appears to be a swing area in this swing state according to recent voting history, which shows general Republican strength but new Democratic trends in the region's core counties.

The Dayton-Springfield metro area is the fourth largest in Ohio, behind Columbus and is the population center of what can be defined as “west Ohio,” according to the "Ohio Politics Almanac." This region is identified as five central counties running along the Indiana border up to Union and Madison counties. These 15 counties delivered 13 percent of the presidential vote in 2004, 58 percent of which went for George W. Bush.

Portman, DeWine and Lieberman: Politicker PhotoMINNEAPOLIS -- Rob Portman, Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) bow their heads in prayer during the opening invocation at the Ohio Republican Party's breakfast Thursday.

In case you missed it: when John McCain came down off the stage following is big speech last night, he shook the hands of many of the Ohio delegates who had prime front row seats. Among those who made sure they had some face time with the GOP presidential nominee: former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine. Surely DeWine, who could wind up running statewide in 2010, will have plenty of chances to spend time with McCain over the next two months.

MINNEAPOLIS - Rob Portman looked beyond this year's election and on to the next two years of Republican politics, nominating rising stars, sizing up the party's recruitment efforts and touching on the gubernatorial race in 2010.

Portman, 52, represented Cincinnati in the U.S. House for 12 years, followed with stints as U.S. trade ambassador and director of the federal Office of Management and Budget. Portman's youth and extensive resume led to rampant speculation that he would be the GOP's next attorney general nominee this year, and more recently was named as a dark-horse vice presidential pick for John McCain.

What's more likely is that he'll run for governor or U.S. Senate, which Portman told PolitickerOH.com in June he's considering, though will not make a decision before Election Day.

Portman wouldn't say whether Gov. Ted Strickland is vulnerable to a Republican challenge two years from now, but indicated that he will be if the status quo continues.

MINNEAPOLIS - Republicans said U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Springfield) is considering running for governor in two years, though DeWine himself didn't telegraph any possible intentions during an interview.

Former attorney general Jim Petro said DeWine, former U.S. Reps. John Kasich (R-Columbus) and Rob Portman (R-Cincinnati) are among those exploring a gubernatorial run.

Ohio Republican Party chair Kevin DeWine, who is related to the former senator said DeWine, 61, has a future ahead of him and is thinking about a run.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine - one of John McCain's earliest supporters for president - said the soon-to-be Republican nominee is largely the same man he was 25 years ago when they met in the U.S. House.

DeWine told PolitickerOH.com aboard Ohio Republican delegation's boat cruise Sunday that when McCain opposed President Reagan in 1983, a year after running as a Reagan Republican, when the president deployed Marines to Lebanon.

"He felt that that was the wrong thing to do," DeWine said. "He goes to the House floor and says it's a mistake, don't do it, we can't protect these guys, we're putting them in harm's way. So that independent thinking was back in '83."

That year a terrorist attack on the barracks killed 241 Americans, and was the dealiest single terrorist attack on Americans until September 11.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Sunday night the Ohio Republican Party raised $20,000 in individual donations and corporate matches for the American Red Cross for relief efforts for those who'll be effected by Hurricane Gustav.

Aboard a river cruise sponsored by U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland), Republicans solicited donationas for those in the Gulf States and asked them to pray. 

"Let's have some fun this week although we know the shadow of Gustav is on this convention, and we should pray to the Holy Spirit that things don't work out as they predict," Voinovich said.

Former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Springfield) said he thinks Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) is a great choice for John McCain’s vice president.

DeWine spoke to PolitickerOH.com while standing outside the Straight Talk Express waiting to get aboard the bus with McCain.

“I think it is a very good choice. I think conservatives will be happy. I know she is pro-life. The mother of five and certainly represents family values," said DeWine. "She also is a someone who is a reformist, as Senator McCain is. I think she is going to have broad appeal to a lot of different people. I have felt, as I have traveled across this state and I have been in 82 counties so far, that John is going to do well among Democrats.”

DeWine said he has not met Palin.