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Take a minute and let it sink in, what Mitt Romney said last night: “We need change all right, — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington!” Explanation point. You can read the transcript here. It seems full of explanation points. It included a list of accusations each ending with, “It’s liberal!” Sort of like Dennis Kucinish’s “Wake up America. Wake up America. Wake up America.”, only, “It’s Liberal! It’s Liberal! It’s Liberal.”

But let it sink in: To root out this evil Liberalism that has gripped Washington, whose heads must roll? The fact is, the George W. Bush Republicans controlled the entire government for six years and two out of the three branches of the federal government the last two years. Bush will leave Washington, but the Bush Republicans will remain.

Gail Collins in her column at the New York Times said this: “Normally, in a democracy, the way you reform a party is by tossing it out of power until it learns its lesson and gets its act together. But the McCain-Palin plan is to reform Republicanism by keeping Republicans in control of the White House and most of the powerful posts in the federal government. That’ll show them”

I’m wondering if in this speech Romney was positioning himself to take the mantle of the far right — after, in most probability, McCain’s defeat.

It looks like Montgomery County Republican candidates for state office are raising a lot more money than Democrats for the same offices. I’ve been looking at a web-site called “Follow the Money.” It is sponsored by The National Institute on Money in State Politics which calls itself, “the only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization revealing the influence of campaign money on state-level elections and public policy in all 50 states,” and advertises itself as, “The Nation’s Most Complete Resource for Information on Money in State Politics.”

Montgomery County this November will elect five State House Representatives and one State Senator. Here is what I found at “Follow the Money.”

The 36 Ohio House District:

MORTON, CHARLES (D) Total Raised to Date$19,899 Records: 64 Two largest donors:OHIO STATE BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL $1,500; DAYTON MIAMI VALLEY AFL-CIO $1,100

MORGAN, SETH (R) Total Raised to Date: $45,869 Records: 255; Largest Donors: MORGAN, SETH A $4,322
CHERNESKY, RICHARD $4,000; MATHILE, CLAY $3,000; DANIS, JOHN $2,000

The 37th Ohio House District:

EVESLAGE, ANDI (D) Total Raised to Date: $2,258 Records: 48; Largest Donors: IRELAND, WILLIAM $200; EVESLAGE, SYLVESTER $180

LEHNER, PEGGY (R) Total Raised to Date: $91,261 Records: 348; Largest Donors: WALSH, JAMES E (employer, Miller Valintine) $10,000; MATHILE, C L $7,500; MATHILE, MARY A $5,000; MATHILE, MARY A $5,000

The 38th Ohio House District

LIENESCH, SUSAN (D); Total Raised, $0

BLAIR, TERRY (R) Total Raised to Date: $25,826 Records: 108; Largest Donors: GUNLOCK, RANDALL $2,000; OAKES, SHERY $2,000; MASTN, LARA $1,500

The 39th Ohio House District

LUCKIE, CLAYTON (D) Total Raised to Date: $11,350 Records: 43; Largest Donors: OHIO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS $1,200; OHIO EDUCTION ASSOC $1,000; NATIONWIDE

SMITH, JOSHUA (R) Total Raised to Date: $350 Records 1; Largest Donors: MARSHALL, JOHN $350 (Grismer Tire)

40th Ohio House District

WINBURN, ROLAND (D) Total Raised to Date: $16,562 Records: 150 Largest Donors: OHIO DEMOCRATIC PARTY $3,702; WRIGHT, MICHAEL $1,000; STRAHORN, FRED $950

SIEFKER, ANN (R) Total Raised to Date: $200 Records: 3

6th Ohio Senate District

DOLL, JOHN (D) Total Raised to Date: $250 Records: 1; Largest Donors: AVAKIAN, STEPHEN $250

HUSTED, JON (R) Total Raised to Date: $1,101,777 Records: 974; Largest Donors: CARDINAL HEALTH $12,000; BRENNAN, DAVID L $10,000 (White Hat Management); EVANS, MATT $10,000 (STRATEGIC GLOBAL POLICY); COLLERAN, BRIAN $10,000 (RICHLAND SOCIAL SERVICES); OHIO AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOC/DEALERS INVESTMENT GROUP $10,000; SCHIFF JR, JOHN J $10,000 (CINCINNATI FINANCIAL); GLENNON SR, RICHARD F $10,000; BOICH, WAYNE M $10,000 (BOICH COMPANY); WEISBERG, GEORGE $10,000; DUKE ENERGY $10,000; ROSEDALE, STEPHEN L $10,000 (COMMUNICARE); LINDNER, EDITH $10,000; REPCHICK, GEORGE S $10,000 (SABER HEALTHCARE); LINDNER, CARL H $10,000; CASTELLINI, BOB $10,000 (CASTELLINI COMPANY); LAGER, WILLIAM L $10,000; FIRSTENERGY CORP $10,000; MILLER, VAIL $10,000 (MILLER DISTRIBUTING); GUNLOCK, RANDALL L $10,000; MATHILE, MARY A $10,000

Follow the Money only tracks state races. For information on the 3rd District Race for U.S. Congress I referenced the web-site Open Secrets:

3rd House District, U.S. Congress

Jane Mitakides (D)
Raised: $321,263
Spent: $190,747
Cash on Hand: $130,566
Last Report: June 30, 2008 (I couldn’t find the List of Largest Donors for Mitakides)

Michael R. Turner (R)
Raised: $965,898
Spent: $375,677
Cash on Hand: $596,171
Last Report: June 30, 2008

Largest Turner Donors: SelectTech Services $21,160; Miller-Valentine Group $17,450; Greentree Group $14,800; Ernie Green Industries $13,800; Oberer Development $13,80