At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to uphold the nation’s health care law is a huge win for President Barack Obama.

But what will the political implications be for the November election? Will Obama get a boost after the history court ruling?

The legal win may present a political mixed blessing for the president’s re-election campaign because it is likely to rally conservative voters and people who generally oppose the law.

Obama’s signature piece of legislation during his first term isn’t the most popular law ever passed in terms of political support from the general public.

It will be up to Obama, the White House and the re-election campaign and supporters to continue to tout what they feel are the new law’s benefits.

The president began that effort with a speech Thursday at the White House, where he acknowledged that people will dissect who the winners and losers are politically from the Supreme Court’s decision.

“But today, I’m as confident as ever that when we look back five years from now, or 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, we’ll be better off because we had the courage to pass this law and keep moving forward,” Obama said.

Often mentioned by supporters and the president is that insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and that children can now stay on their parents’ policies until they are 26.

But Affordable Health Care For America Act opponents, who dub the law Obamacare, now have new ammunition to say the president has raised taxes.

That’s because the court upheld the provision of the law that requires everyone to purchase insurance because they considered the mandate can be construed as a tax.

Chief Justice John Roberts said “The payment is collected solely by the IRS through the normal means of taxation.”

That likely will be in many of Mitt Romney’s advertisements and already after the ruling it was mentioned by many Republican and conservative leaders, who will also attack the law as big government.

Another helpful item for the GOP is they are relieved the immediate pressure to come up with a plan to replace the health care law that will remain on the books unless enough support can be drummed up in Congress to repeal it.

That would have been especially difficult during an election year trying to get something passed that has become so partisan in nature.

If Obama wins re-election, be assured the new law will stay in place, so that puts even more pressure on Republicans to win both chambers of Congress and the White House.

Fundies

n Judge Mary Jane Trapp, 11th District Court of Appeals Court, will host Night with the Captains at 6 p.m. July 11 at Classic Park in Eastlake. See Mike Apicella.

n David Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, golf outing July 13 at Black Brook golf course in Mentor 9:30 a.m., 5 p.m. dinner. See Dale Fellows or Cindy Quinn-Hopkins.

n Eastlake Mayor Ted Andrzejewski eighth annual golf outing 8:30 a.m. shotgun start July 13 at Pine Ridge Golf Course in Wickliffe. See Ted or Patricia Andrzejewski.

n Fundraiser for Jason Wuliger, candidate for Lake County Recorder, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 16th at the home of Judy and Roger Sustar, with special guest U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette. See Susan Culotta.

n Susan McGuinness, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 61, hosts a summer BBQ at 5:30 p.m. July 19 at Perry Township Park. See Lindsay D. Baruffa.

n Geauga County Sheriff Daniel McClelland hosts 2012 Rib Dinner, 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 at Troy Community House in Troy Township. See Craig Richter.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Not surprisingly, former Lake County Elections Board Director Janet F. Clair continues to be active in the political world.

The veteran elections official retired in November after 28 years of service with the county agency.

A Painesville Republican, Clair is the co-chairwoman of the Lake County Republican Party and will now serve as the campaign chairwoman for Painesville Republican Lori DiNallo, the GOP’s candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 60. DiNallo also serves as a Painesville councilwoman at large.

Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy of Willowick is the Democratic Party’s nominee to run for the district’s seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in Columbus. It’s a place Troy knows well as he served seven terms in the state House from 1983 through 1996.

The Ohio 60th House district starting in 2013 will consist of Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Lakeline, Mentor Ward 4, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Painesville, parts of Painesville Township, Timberlake, Wickliffe, Willoughby and Willowick.

Fundies

n Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, fundraiser with special guest state Sen. John Eklund, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Historic Perkins Estate in Mentor. See Sandy Patterson.

n Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik annual golf outing, shotgun start at 1 p.m. June 29 at Briardale Greens Golf Course, Euclid. See Beth Cervenik or Michael Gallagher.

n Judge Mary Jane Trapp, 11th District Court of Appeals Court, will host Night with the Captains at 6 p.m. July 11 at Classic Park in Eastlake. See Mike Apicella.

n David Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, golf outing July 13 at Black Brook golf course in Mentor 9:30 a.m., 5 p.m. dinner. See Dale Fellows or Cindy Quinn-Hopkins.

n Eastlake Mayor Ted Andrzejewski eighth annual golf outing 8:30 a.m. shotgun start July 13 at Pine Ridge Golf Course in Wickliffe. See Ted or Patricia Andrzejewski.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

It’s not all that often when the two major party presidential candidates speak at nearly the same time within the same state.

But that was the case Thursday in Ohio as President Barack Obama speak in Cleveland at Cuyahoga County Community College and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addressed a crowd at a small business in Cincinnati.

Ohio will continue to be critical to both campaigns are the two candidates battle for the state’s 18 electoral votes as part of the required 270 needed to win.

Most presidential polls show Ohio as one of fewer than 10 states that are currently a toss-up — meaning neither Romney or Obama have a significant lead within them.

Electoral college maps posted online by various media outlets also show that Ohio is the second largest state still in play only behind Florida with 29 electoral votes up for grabs. The majority of states are considered to be solidly behind either Obama or Romney.

Romney finished up his remarks Thursday just before Obama took the stage at about 1:45 p.m., the Associated Press reported.

A Romney campaign spokeswoman accused the president of asking voters for a “do-over” on his campaign message that the private sector is “doing fine”.

“But it’s going to take more than a major economic speech to make Americans forget that President Obama has failed to deliver a major economic recovery,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

Obama argued that the November election is a chance to break a stalemate in Washington that has put a damper on progress. He said that both candidates have different fundamental views on which direction to take the economy.

“What’s holding us back is a stalemate in Washington between two fundamentally different views of which direction America should take and this election is your chance to break that stalemate,” Obama said, according to a speech transcript.

It is worth noting that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is from the Cincinnati area and has been mentioned by many as a possible vice presidential choice for Romney.

Many political observers note that a vice presidential candidate’s most important job initially is to help the presidential candidate win that state.

Portman issued a statement shortly after Obama concluded his remarks in Cleveland.

“Washington needs leadership to get the country back on track by enacting pro-growth tax reform, regulatory relief and a new national energy plan that uses our own resources in Ohio and around the country,” Portman said.

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, co-chair of Obama for America, also issued a statement after Obama’s speech.

“Ohioans know what’s at stake in this election, and it’s clear that the path laid out by the President is the right course for America’s economic future,” Strickland said.

Deadlines

The weekly deadline to submit information for consideration into this column is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. The preferred method is by email or fax. Have a fundraiser? Send it in weeks ahead of time.

Fundies

n Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith hosts a picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Painesville Elks Club. See Ronald Taddeo or Jan Swetel.

n Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, fundraiser with special guest state Sen. John Eklund, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 28 at Historic Perkins Estate in Mentor. See Sandy Patterson.

n Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik annual golf outing, shotgun start at 1 p.m. June 29 at Briardale Greens Golf Course, Euclid. See Beth Cervenik or Michael Gallagher.

n Judge Mary Jane Trapp, 11th District Court of Appeals Court, will host Night with the Captains at 6 p.m. July 11 at Classic Park in Eastlake. See Mike Apicella.

n David Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, golf outing July 13 at Black Brook golf course in Mentor 9:30 a.m., 5 p.m. dinner. See Dale Fellows or Cindy Quinn-Hopkins.

n Eastlake Mayor Ted Andrzejewski eighth annual golf outing 8:30 a.m. shotgun start July 13 at Pine Ridge Golf Course in Wickliffe. See Ted or Patricia Andrzejewski.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Sharing a news release I received this afternoon on the Heroes Vote Initiative:
 

WASHINGTON - The Military Voter Protection Project (MVP) has launched a new initiative, the Heroes Vote Initiative, to ensure that America’s service members and their families have their voices heard on Election Day.

The Heroes Vote Initiative is the first and only nationwide campaign to encourage military voter participation and to provide those voters with the tools to register and request an absentee ballot.  As part of the initiative, MVP is creating strategic partnerships with local military and veterans groups, as well as state and local election officials, to make military voters a priority in this year’s election.

“It’s time for our men and women in uniform to have their voices heard on Election Day,” said Eric Eversole, the founder and executive director of MVP.  “For too long, our men and women in uniform have faced one road block after another when they attempt to vote.  The Heroes Vote Initiate not only addresses many of the systemic challenges faced by military voters, it creates a positive, community-based message to encourage military voter participation in our elections.”

The difficulties faced by military voters have been well documented in recent elections.  In 2008, thousands of absentee military ballots were sent to wrong addresses, lost in the mail or mailed too close to the election for the ballot to be returned.  To make matters worse, thousands of ballots were rejected by local election officials because the ballot—through no fault of the military voter—arrived after the election.

Unfortunately, these same problems continued to plague military voters in 2010.  MVP’s comprehensive analysis of that election showed that less than 5 percent of 2.5 million military voters had an absentee ballot that counted in the 2010 election.  Once again, thousands of military absentee ballots were lost in the mail, delivered too late or never delivered at all.

The Heroes Vote Initiative will tackle these challenges by assisting military voters through a variety of web-based programs and online solutions.  In addition, it is planning to host or participate in military voter registration activities throughout the United States.

For more information about the Heroes Vote Initiative, please visit www.heroesvote.org.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

President Barack Obama will travel to Cleveland for a campaign event Thursday afternoon at the Cuyahoga Community College Recreation Center.

The Obama for America campaign announced ticket distribution information for members of the public with additional event details for the public and for the media to be forthcoming.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for entrance. One ticket per person will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To pick up a ticket, visit one of the following locations beginning today at 5 p.m.:
 
* Cuyahoga Community College Recreation Center, East 30th Street and Community College Avenue, Cleveland.

* Organizing for America Shaker Square Office, 13100 Shaker Sq. Cleveland.

* Organizing for America Parma Office, 5734 Ridge Rd., Parma.

* Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Headquarters, 1466 St. Clair, Cleveland.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@NewsHerald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

It’s highly likely that Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee, will visit Lake County before the Nov. 6 election.

In fact, party officials say don’t be surprised if the former Massachusetts governor, visits the area twice more. Really, the only major questions are exactly when and where he will make an appearance.

Ohio is one of only a few states that are up for grabs between Romney and President Barack Obama.

Because of that, the president and Romney will continue to spend significant time in the Buckeye State hoping to win the 18 Electoral College votes that are available.

Before we set our sights on the General Election in November, there will be national conventions to officially nominate each party’s presidential candidate and vice president.

Two GOP members from Lake County will play a role to help move forward the national convention planned for Aug. 27-30 in Tampa.

Lake GOP Chairman Dale Fellows was selected to serve on the Permanent Organization Committee.

This committee sets rules for the committee should changes be needed and plans for the future.

Concord Township resident Amy Sabath was selected to serve on the credentials committee for delegates and alternates.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention will be held Sept. 4-6 in Charlotte, N.C. More on this convention later.

The Walker effect?

Now that Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived a recall effort, defeating Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, I’m wondering how and if this translates to how voters feel about the November election?

Will it simply be forgotten after this 24/7 news cycle or will it energize?

The effort to recall Walker was spurred by the governor moving to modify collective bargain laws in the state.

After the election, labor leaders downplayed the failed recall attempt, while many GOP leaders were pleased with the results.

Among them was Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who congratulated Walker and tweeted “Being Governor is about doing what’s right.”

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka referred to a warchest that he said amounted to $50 million to fund Walker’s victory.

“We knew a recall election would be tough, and we knew we would be outspent,” Trumka said.

Wisconsin has trended in the past decade to vote for Democratic presidential candidates. Obama received 56 percent of the vote in 2008, while Sen. John McCain received 42 percent.

Might a win here by Walker prompt national GOP leaders and the Romney campaign to target the state’s 10 electoral votes a little more? Maybe the president diverts resources from other battlegrounds to defend a state he easily won in 2008?

Fundies

n Jason Wuliger, candidate for Lake County recorder, hosts pasta dinner with special guest U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Cebars Madison Tavern in Madison Township. See Dick Shreve or Pete Wayman.

n Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith hosts a picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Painesville Elks Club. See Ronald Taddeo or Jan Swetel.

n Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, fundraiser with special guest state Sen. John Eklund, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 28 at Historic Perkins Estate in Mentor. See Sandy Patterson.

n Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik annual golf outing, shotgun start at 1 p.m. June 29 at Briardale Greens Golf Course, Euclid. See Beth Cervenik or Michael Gallagher.

n David Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, golf outing July 13 at Black Brook golf course in Mentor 9:30 a.m., 5 p.m. dinner. See Fellows or Cindy Quinn-Hopkins.

n Eastlake Mayor Ted Andrzejewski eighth annual golf outing 8:30 a.m. shotgun start July 13 at Pine Ridge Golf Course in Wickliffe. See Ted or Patricia Andrzejewski.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@NewsHerald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

I have to admit that I really have never thrown a disc that's used to play the sport disc golf.

But I gave it a shot as part of an outing Tuesday afternoon at Sims Park in Euclid that was a fourth annual fundraiser for the friends of Lake ADAMHS, a political action committee in Lake County that raises money to help promote awareness of behavioral health issues.

The PAC also helps raise money for countywide ballot issues that help provide local funding for behavioral health services.

The sport is pretty challenging if you’ve never played before as it can be tricky to learn how to throw the disc that is similar, but heavier and more aerodynamic than a Frisbee. Don't call it Frisbee golf, it's disc golf.

Another difference is the holes are much shorter as the holes are typically measured in feet rather than yards.
 

I was part of a three-man scramble team, meaning that whoever had the closest throw to the pin we would take our next shot from that point.

One of my partners was Painesville Police Chief Troy Hager, who is a member of the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board. My other partner was Jim Garrett, another member of the ADAMHS board.

We decided Jim would go first each time, followed by me, then Troy.

Jim experimented with several different styles of throwing including overhand and the traditional backhand throw. For the first few of the 18 holes, Jim carried us.

He was throwing straighter and more accurate than Troy and I were, even though no of us had ever thrown a disc before.

Eventually, Troy and I started to get the hang of it. I tried the overhand throw, but found it wasn’t right for me, so I went to the backhand style with mixed results.

Troy also tried a variety of throwing styles including the backhanded Berkley power grip, where someone holds the disc with four fingers and their thumb on the top. On the back nine, Troy was beginning to shine with his throws.

Larry Rizzo, a disc golf enthusiast who lives in Painesville, had shown us a little bit about how to throw the discs before we started and it started to pay off for Troy.

We seemed to take turns on each hole as one person would have the best drive, one the best mid-range shot and then someone would make the putt to finish the hole by throwing the disk into a basket.

Each of us commented about how nice the course was and how fun and unique this sport is. Disc golf really is similar to regular golf except there is different equipment, but you still employ the same strategies like you would in regular golf.

We finished with a score of 64 on the Par 54, 18-hole course. No birdies, but no double bogeys either. We scored eight pars and 10 bogies, not too bad, I thought. We weren't the best team, but not the worst either. All in all, we were pleased with our game.

So if you’d like to try a fun, challenging sport where you can get a little exercise without spending much money perhaps give disc golf a try. It certainly was the most unique political fundraiser I've attended.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

One look at the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio between incumbent Sherrod Brown and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel appears to show a narrowing gap between the two candidates.

A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of 500 likely voters in Ohio conducted May 29 shows Brown with 47 percent support to Mandel’s 42 percent.

Three percent prefer some other candidate, and 7 percent are undecided. The poll’s margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by NBC News/Marist College on May 17-20 shows Brown with a 51-37 advantage over Mandel. It also showed 18 percent remained undecided. That poll surveyed 1,103 registered voters.

Yes, it’s way too early to rely on polls to predict whether the Democratic senator Brown is re-elected to a second term or if the Republican challenger Mandel will unseat him. Some may even say that those who conduct these polls may lean toward one side of the political spectrum.

But it is interesting to note that the race is most likely going to come down to the wire, and both candidates are working to get their messages out to the public.

Each side also trades jabs, as Brown’s campaign continues to criticize Mandel’s performance as treasurer, and Mandel continues to attack Brown, calling him “part of a problem in Washington.”

Millions of dollars will be invested in the race, so it takes a little bit of fundraising to keep things going.

Brown’s campaign recently pointed out that more than $6.5 million has been spent by third parties against Brown. Thus, the senator’s campaign is doing what it can to raise its own money to counter and appealed to supporters for contributions while noting the Rasmussen poll results.

This past week, Brown hosted actor/activist Martin Sheen at a meet-and-greet event for campaign supporters and volunteers at the Tricounty Regional Labor Council in Akron.

Sheen, a native of the Dayton area, has played numerous roles on the big screen and television, including starring as President Josiah Bartlett for seven seasons on “The West Wing.”

Sheen’s appearance drew some attention, as the Mandel campaign responded with an email calling for supporters to donate to “Help us fight the Hollywood elites.”

In his message, Mandel said he stands with blue collar men and women and criticized Brown, whom Mandel said stands with “Hollywood elites.”

As the race toward Nov. 6 draws nearer, it’s safe to say the airways and media will be flooded even more with campaign ads from these two candidates.

Deadlines

The weekly deadline to submit information for consideration into this column is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. The preferred method is by email or fax. Have a fund-raiser? Send it in weeks ahead of time.

On the radio

I’ll be appearing on WELW-AM 1330 on Tuesday at 8:18 a.m. to discuss local and state politics. Tune in.

Fundies

n Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap, 21st annual golf outing and steak dinner Friday at Painesville Country Club. See Frank Leonbruno or Sheryl DePledge.

n Jason Wuliger, candidate for Lake County recorder, hosts pasta dinner with special guest U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Cebars Madison Tavern in Madison Township. See Dick Shreve or Pete Wayman.

n Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith hosts a picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Painesville Elks Club. See Ronald Taddeo or Jan Swetel.

n Bob Patterson, candidate for Lake County treasurer, fundraiser with special guest state Sen. John Eklund, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 28 at Historic Perkins Estate in Mentor. See Sandy Patterson.

n Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik annual golf outing, shotgun start at 1 p.m. June 29 at Briardale Greens Golf Course, Euclid. See Beth Cervenik or Michael Gallagher.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah