Here are the latest polls from Ohio on issues 2, 3, 4 and 5 via the Columbus Dispatch:

Issue 2 (Early Voting)
59%Y
33%N
9% undecided

Issue 3 (Campaign Finance Reform)
61%Y
25%N
14% undecided

Issue 4 (Redistricting Reform)
31% Y
45% N
25% undecided

Issue 5 (Indep. Election Board)
41% Y
43% N
16% undecided

This is good news. Looks like 2 and 3 are up big. Issue 5 is a dead heat, and just note the number of undecided on Issue 4.  So it all looks good at this point of time. Let's hope the momentum of our ground and air campaign will get us over the hump. 

Speaking of momentum, it is definitely on the side of reformers in Ohio.  Lisa isn't blogging today ... but she just emailed me about how thousands of volunteers are going all around Ohio today, canvassing, going door to door, and calling thousands of Buckeye residents rallying them to come out and vote. We also have two radio ads. running right now through out. You can listen to them by clicking here and here (both mp3 files). So, we are doing everything we can on air and on the ground. Less than 24 hours to go till we reform Ohio.

No this post is not about how the USC football team football team would fair against the Ohio State Buckeyes. We are talking about how big money has corrupted Ohio's political scandal over the years. Lisa wrote on Tuesday how one of the key reform measures (Issue 3) we are campaigning for in Ohio, will go a long way in simmering down the pay-to-play political culture of Ohio. Well today to demonstrate the urgency for this reform, Common Cause Ohio came out with a report titled, The Trojan Horse: Early Campaign Finance Reports Show That Ohio's New Campaign Finance Law Has Opened the Floodgates to Big Money. As the title of the report indicates, it zeroes in on the effect (or total lack thereof) of a campaign finance legislation, the Ohio state lawmakers rammed through their state legislature in late 2004.

Basically the law sent the campaign fundraising in Ohio through the roof. Here is an excerpt from the report (PDF file):Yeap, big money is out of control in Ohio. And of course it's the influence of big money and out of control political fundraising, which has been source of some of unprecedented scandals in this key state, leading to indictments of figures like Tom Noe. This is one of main reasons we are fighting so hard to pass issue 3, along with issue 2 (early voting), 4 (independent redistricting), and 5 (independent election administration), which will go a long way in cleaning up the systematic political corruption in that state. So, again if you are reading this from Ohio, come out and join our campaign to reform Ohio. And if you can volunteer for us on the ground, then help us by making a contribution and ask your family and friends to support our efforts too. Just 6 more days to go till we clean up Ohio.

On a day of indictment mania want to end on a positive note, focusing on the incredible energy and work our members, supporters, and friends are doing in Ohio.  They are grinding away to bring about political change to clean up its society of political scandals. Mike wrote about indictment of Tom Noe, the infamous coingate dealer, political fundraiser, who was one of the pillars in Ohio's society of political scandal. Not a stretch to say Noe was in many ways the Jack Abramoff of Ohio. Also, Mike also wrote on Wednesday about how our opponents in Ohio have turned the campaign trail for the upcoming November 8 elections into an ugly mess. The ad was a perfect example of why we need to push for the positive reforms in Ohio, which will go a long way in cleaning up the political corruption in Ohio.

And our activists are right on it, as they are out campaigning all over the state. They are being relentless, and they have a whole list of campaign events and organizing activities planned all over the state. Below after the jump are many of the activities planned for the weekend - WE NEED MORE PEOPLE to sign up for these events across the state - call your regional organizer listed beneath each region. Just click on "read more" to see more details. You can also check out this ReformOhioNow website for a regional contact map for the entire state.  

And of course if you cannot come out and volunteer on the ground in Ohio, you can always boost this campaign by making a contribution to our efforts today.  And, if you know anyone else who would be interested in supporting our campaign in Ohio, please use our action center to email your friends and family, and let them know about our efforts to restore integrity in the democractic proess in Ohio.

While we are pushing for positive reforms to change the political culture of Ohio our members are not letting up in Connecticut. Yesterday, the Hartford Courant came through with another great editorial on the need for campaign finance reform in that corruption ridden state:We couldn't agree more.

Members, volunteers, and activists from Common Cause Connecticut and other coalition organizations are staying on these lawmakers trails, leafleting, phone banking and canvassing in support of clean elections. I took part in these organizing activities myself last week in Hartford, as did my colleague DJ, yes here, wearing a milk carton on Hartford streets in support of campaign finance reform (just click on the image to enlarge it):

He sure got everyone's attention. And if you are in Connecticut today make a phone call to your lawmakers in Hartford today. Get their attention and ask them to not drop the ball on clean elections reform in Connecticut.

Just checked into Connecticut last night with my colleagues at Common Cause Connecticut, who are working hard with other coaliton partners like Public Campaign and Connecticut Citzen Action Group, to bring about publicly financed campaigns in this state.  There is lot to do.  I will be heading over the CCAG headquarters in a bit to help them phonebanking, flyering, whatever organzing activities they have planned to push for Clean Elections.  As we have mentioned here before, this is a pivotal time in Hartford.  Lot of activities in the State Capitol, as lawmakers are figuring out how to come up with a clean elections bill.

If you need any indication on how the state residents feel about the corruption, that has plagued Connecticut during last few years, here is a taste:



And, also check out this letter from Bruce Burchsted from Meriden, which appeared in the Hartford Courant today

So, yeah ... Connecticans are sick and tired of the rampant corruption in that state.  It has become a sad joke.  And publicly financed campaign legislation is once positive solution that can go a long way in cleaning up this corruption and make a dent in this kind of cynicism in the state.  So, if you are in Connecticut, help us out today.  Please do not let your lawmakers hem and haw again with Clean Elections.  Don't let them finish this year without agreeing on Clean Elections.  Call them today so they can get this done.  Even if their office says the legislator is in favor of Clean Elections, or that they voted for it during the regular session, do not let them pass the buck.  It will take a compromise during the coming special session from all - Democrats and Republicans, the legislature and the governor - but it will only happen with your help.

So far we have written two letters to the Senate Ethics Committee requesting an investigation of Senator Bill Frist's sale of HCA, Inc. stock from his so-called "blind" trust. We haven't gotten any response from them yet. The Securities and Exchange Commission is already investigating whether Frist is guilty of insider trading because his family started HCA and his brother sits on the board of directors. So we need your help in convincing the leaders Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the sale of Senator Bill Frist's stock in his family's company.

Call their offices and demand that the Ethics Committee investigate Senator Frist's stock sales:

• Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)
  Chairman, Senate Ethics Committee
  202-224-3353 or 202-224-2981
  
• Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD)
  Ranking Member, Senate Ethics Committee
  202-224-5842

Again to recap, according to the Ethics Committee , a "blind" trust means that there shall be no "direct or indirect communication" between senators and trustees unless the senator is directing the trustee "to sell all of an asset . . . [which] creates a conflict of interest ... due to the subsequent assumption of duties " by the senator.

The concern about conflict of interest about Senator's Frist stock sales is pretty apparent. First, there appears to be "direct or indirect communication" between Senator Frist and his trustees concerning the contents of the blind trusts.  Senate records show that trustees for Senator Frist and members of his family wrote the senator nearly two dozen times between 2001 and July 2005, about transfers of assets to his blind trusts and sales of assets. This does not sound like a "blind" trust.

And, what are Senator Frist's "subsequent assumption of duties?" He has been the majority leader in the Senate for three years. A spokesperson for Senator Frist has said that the sale was approved to avoid a conflict of interest because the senator is preparing to promote health care legislation. The problem with this argument, of course, is that Senator Frist has been promoting health care legislation for years, such as the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill in 2003, which he sponsored in the Senate.

So, clearly there is a legitimate concern that Senator Frist may have violated conflict of interest rules, which the Senate Ethics Committee needs to investigate today. So, please call the Senate leaders at the number above, and urge them to start a prompt and thorough investigate by the Ethics Committee into Senator Frist's stock sales. And, as always ask your family, friends, anyone else who wants to join our efforts to restore honor and integrity in our democratic institutions.

It is critical that the Senate Ethics Committee exercise effective oversight and enforcement of rules relating to the use of blind trusts in order to maintain public credibility and avoid conflicts of interest.

Three seperate overlapping investigations in Washington on Katrina is creating yet another partisan mess.  Here is a report from the LA Times report, which includes comments from our Susannah Goodman:We are going to have to generate same kind of public pressure to establish an independent, nonpartisan commission to investigate government's response to this tragedy. Thousdands of activists have already signed our petition demanding an indepedent commission. If you haven't signed it yet, please sign it today, and pass it on to everyone you know.

Thought you might like to know that Andy Sauer, our Executive Director of Common Cause Connecticut is scheduled to appear on Air America's Al Franken Show, Monday, October 17th at 12:30 pm. That is tomorrow. Please make sure to check your local listing for the time and channel of the show in your area.

The topic of the interview will be our ongoing campaign to achieve Clean Elections in Connecticut. The interview will focus on the effect this would have on Connecticut politics and our strategy for making it happen.

If you are listening to the interview, tell us what you think. We want to hear your impressions, and you can share your feedbacks and comments on our blog in real time while listening to the program