Republican Boosters and Ohio State Football

[SeanOhio]

A wealthy man here in Springfield, Ohio, was discovered as the booster who got Ohio State football quarterback Troy Smith into trouble. Apparently he's been a controversial figure--due to dirty tricks--in Republican politics--and now a controversial figure in college sports. I just think it underscores the "above the law" mentality that some of these people have. Check this out, from today's Springfield News-Sun:

Political hopes were thwarted

The Springfield man involved in the suspension of Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith has a political and philanthropic history in Clark County.

Robert Q. Baker, 46, reportedly gave Smith cash, violating NCAA rules, the university confirmed Tuesday.

Baker is a Republican who made a short-lived run at the 84th District seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2002. Baker took his name off the ballot a day after filing, saying he was bullied off the ballot by Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and Clark County Republican Party Chairman Dan Harkins.

“He doesn’t like me, and our relationship has been one of controversy,” Harkins said Tuesday.

When asked if he believed Baker would give money to an OSU athlete, Harkins said, “The allegations that have been made against Mr. Baker are consistent with my experience in Mr. Baker’s involvement with local politics.”

Baker ran a failed campaign for the Clark County Republican Central Committee the same year.

Charles “Rocky” Saxbe, a Columbus attorney whose father, William, was the United States attorney general from 1974-75, recalls telling Baker that it would be a struggle to battle the Republican hierarchy.

“At the time, the speaker he would designate somebody who would be his candidate and would aggressively support that person,” said Saxbe, who didn’t know Baker before Baker called him for advice. “I think that’s what I told Baker, that if you take on the power structure, it’s going to be tough.”

“I’m an Ohio State man, and I hate to see kids taken advantage of by people who should know better,” Saxbe said.

There is also a philanthropic side to Baker.

Through his former company Q-Med Services, Baker donated $10,000 to the Clark County Literacy Coalition in 2002. Q-Med provided respiratory services to patients throughout Ohio.

Staff Writer Lucas Sullivan and Mike Wagner and Kyle Nagel of Cox News Service contributed to this story.

END OF EXCERPT

[bobbyboucher]

1. I need a link to send to my buddies.

Do you have one? This is soooooo typical of the RepubliCONS.