The Week in Ohio Blogs

Natually, Hurricane Katrina, its aftermath and the molasses pace of the recovery effort have been lead topics in a number of blogs.

A few relief notes to pass along. Callahan notes that Technology for All -- an agency that provides tech hookups to lower income folks -- has a post-Katrina project going. Liberal Bloggers for Hurricane Relief is up and running. MoveOn has set up Hurricane Housing where folks can sign up to house refugees. Don't forget the local Red Cross -- donating there will support their effort in the region, but also keep their coffers flush for local work -- a win-win for Akronites.

Susan at An Age Like This, who tends to hit a lot of national news, has a number of good posts on the disaster. I especially like this one that questions rebuilding New Orleans. Before Hastert publicly questioned the wisdom of rebuilding and became Symbol of All That Is Evil and Republican, I wondered the same thing. One tenet of liberalism is sustainable development. Building a metropolis twenty feet below the surface of an adjacent lake is less than sustainable.

I've been wanting to blow kisses in Susan's direction for some time. She reliably posts well thought out arguments that often deviate from stock liberal talking points.

Hypothetically Speaking has been all over Jim Petro this week. If Petro is done, HypoSpeak wielded the fork.

Joe at RubberBuzz swung at the Rebecca Ryan report and took it out of the park.* As Joe says, the issue is jobs. All the hipster amenities in Greenwich Village won't bring twentysomethings if they have no place to earn money for bubble tea and triple lattes. Read his posts here, here and here.

Jeff at havecoffeewillwrite has proposed a Wal-Mart toothpaste boycott. The idea is that even people whose economic circumstances compel them to shop at the W can buy toothpaste elsewhere. It's a compelling idea; I hope ACORN and others who work with low-income people take it up.

Pre-landfall the 'sphere saw a spirited debate about who the Democrats should run against DeWine now that Brown is out. I already covered the hateburgers hurled at Tim Ryan. The other prospect getting attention is Paul Hackett. MyDD endorsed him and Democracy Guy -- in his Democracy Guy way -- tore the idea apart. This week, the aftermath. Seven Cent Nickel and Callahan both weigh in.

My feeling: if only there were some sort of election to pick the nominee. An election before the general election. You could call it the First Election. No that doesn't sound right. The Initial
Election. No, that's not right either. OK the First or Primary Election, it doesn't matter.

Seriously, the questions about nominees are what the primaries are for. If Hackett can win the primary, he has a shot at DeWine. Personally, I like Hackett's politics a little more; I like Ryan for experience and electability.

Callahan also wrote some dead-on posts about the Cleveland No Longer Most Impoverished story.

I will try to do this at least every Friday night or Saturday morning (depending on urchin compliance.)

*I have in the past snarked at and argued with Joe. Then yesterday I emailed the site about something and got a link for my troubles. Rest assured that this post was in the works before all that happened.