Dann's the Man

The drama in Columbus over Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is fascinating. I wrote my editorial this week about the scandal that's forced four of Dann's closest associates to quit or be fired and caused the state's top Democrats to call for Dann's resignation or face impeachment ... and the story keeps getting better.

A Republican state rep will be announcing today the steps needed to pursue Dann's impeachment, though Gov. Ted Strickland now seems to be backpeddling about the impeachment thing. The state AFL-CIO union has joined the call for Dann's resignation.

Dann's hometown newspaper, The Youngstown Vindicator, has an excellent micro site devoted to the scandal if you want to catch up on the shenanigans.

A few things I wasn't able to address in my editorial that also fascinate me about this situation:

* The Enquirer didn't run a news story about the Dann scandal for more than a week after it broke, which prompted Bill Sloat's Daily Bellwether site to wonder April 13 about the paper's "news blackout." Since Sloat blasted The Enquirer for its shoddy coverage, the daily has picked up the story, running front-page coverage three out of four days between May 3 and May 6. Sloat has continued to provide solid coverage himself, offering thoughts on possible replacements for Dann (including former Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken and UC law professor Sharon Zealey) and explaining how Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius forced out her state's Attorney General six months ago in a similar sex-oriented scandal.

* Dann just comes across as a total loser, hiring his Youngstown buddies to help him run a statewide office he now says he was unprepared to lead. But he wants a second chance.

— John Fox