Lee Fisher sets up committee to explore Senate run

[rg302200]

WASHINGTON -- Barely a month after U.S. Sen. George Voinovich said he will not seek reelection, the race for his seat in 2010 is heating up. Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a Democrat, today filed paperwork for an exploratory committee for the Senate seat.

Republican Rob Portman, a former congressman and Bush administration official, already is exploring.

Fisher has set no timetable for deciding whether he will run for certain, said Lauren Goode, serving as spokeswoman. "But he expects to make his decision in the near future," she said.


http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/02/lee_fisher_sets_up_committee_t.html

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I don't know about most of my fellow Ohio Dem's here but I don't think Fisher can pull it off...I think he has to much baggage. IMO Jennifer Brunner would make a better candidate...But I don't really care who the Dem is so long as he/she can beat Portman!

[asthmaticeog]

1. No way. He's a good man, but he's electoral poison.

The man lost a race to BOB TAFT, fercryinoutloud. He made it to Lt. Gov as a second fiddle to the much stronger Strickland.

As for Brunner, we kinda need her where she is, don't we? I don't like all this cannibalizing of strong people who are doing good where they are!

What's going on with Eric Fingerhut? Last I heard he was making some inroads in upping his name rec downstate of Cuyahoga County.

[OhioBlue]

2. I agree about Brunner

I would of course be very supportive and volunteer for her if she ran but I would rather she stay where she is and then run for Gov in 2014. I do have to say tho that the idea of Brown and Brunner as our 2 Senators is kind of exciting.

I think Fisher is improving his image tho - he has been very active and popular as the head of ODOD.

[geiger]

3. There are some problems with this.

For example....

Lee Fisher may have turned out to of his own doing to have a reputation of being somewhat of a hack (always thinking he deserves the easy way).

He can raise money for others, but he doesn't know who his own friends are (has pissed off numerous people who have worked for him).

He has absolutely no credentials to be the economic development spokesman for Ohio, but it is a role he chose and is supposedly to be doing. He may not know what he is doing, but he needs to follow through and do the job. It is the most important job for Ohio right now.

[geiger]

4. City Club speech really good, Friday Feb 13

focus economic development

http://www.cityclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=256&id=15180

very, very good. best speech I have heard about Ohio in a long, long time. A little bit too much emphasis on NE Ohio, but that was his audience....

He seems not to be ego-centric anymore either. We all have to get our teeth kicked in a few times, I guess...

Impressive presentation about industry, business and education in Ohio.

Very good.

[geiger]

5. Lee Fisher's City Club speech, including questions was shown on a local tv station

this morning.

He just seemed so focused, articulate, and not focused on himself, I was impressed again.

I hope it's the right thing. All the right things are being said about higher education, too, but I don't see things actually progressing.

What's that adage again? If you are a cynic, you never have to be disappointed. I guess I still have some optimism in me.

[Pullo]

6. Ugh, I hope we can do better than Fisher...