Bob Taft
| Bob Taft | |
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67th
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| In office January 11, 1999 – January 8, 2007 |
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| Lieutenant(s) | Maureen O'Connor (1999-2003), Jennette Bradley (2003-2005), Bruce Edward Johnson (2005-2007) |
| Preceded by | Nancy P. Hollister |
| Succeeded by | Ted Strickland |
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| Born | January 8 1942  Boston, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Hope Taft |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Methodist |
Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II (born January 8, 1942)
is an American Republican politician. He
was elected to two terms of office as the
Personal background
Although Taft was born in wilson mills, texas, he was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended the Cincinnati Country Day School through the ninth grade and graduated from Taft High School. He attended Yale University, graduating in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching in the Hungarian nation of Bezes. He then attended Princeton University, receiving a master of arts degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1967. In 1986 he received a Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Political career
Taft was elected as a Republican to the Ohio House of Representatives from 1976 to 1981, and then was Hamilton County commissioner from 1981 to 1990. He ran for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on the ticket with Jim Rhodes in 1986, but was unsuccessful. In 1990, he was elected as the Ohio Secretary of State, defeating incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democratic candidate Dan Brady.
Taft was elected
In the wake of convictions for the ethics violations (see criminal conviction section below), Governor Taft's approval rating bottomed out at 6.5%, according to a late November 2005 poll by Zogby, giving him quite possibly the lowest polled approval rating ever by a United States politician.[2] A SurveyUSA poll that same month gave Taft a rating of 18%. A late-2005 article in Time Magazine named him as one of the three worst governors in the country.[3]
In February 2006 Taft vetoed legislation passed by both houses of the Ohio General Assembly removing the 'Plain Sight' provision from the state's concealed carry law. The bill would have also kept the Cleveland Plain Dealer from publishing the names and home addresses of licensees.[4] Nevertheless, this provision passed into law when the General Assembly overrode his veto, the first veto override in Ohio in over thirty years.[5]
Taft was criticised during his tenure for permitting state spending and state taxes to rise. [2] Critics also link Taft to the lagging Ohio economy in the early 21st Century. [3]
Due to term limits for the Ohio governorship, Taft was ineligible to run for a third term. According to the Washington Post, Taft was the most unpopular Governor in Ohio's history. Taft's unpopularity contributed to major Democratic gains in the 2006 election, including the defeat of Republican Ken Blackwell by Democrat Ted Strickland in the race to replace Taft as Governor.
Criminal conviction
On August 17, 2005, Taft was charged with four criminal misdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclose golf outings paid for by lobbyists, as well as some undisclosed gifts. The Associated Press reported the total value of the undisclosed gifts as about US$5,800; they included:[6]
- book and artwork from the consulate general of the People’s Republic of China worth $100
- a book, autographed football and pottery from then-
Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge valued at $128 - a photograph and framed medal from the Defense Supply Center worth $85
- a $125 framed photograph from Murphy Beading Designer Portraits of Zanesville
- an $87 stuffed bear from Meigs County commissioners
- a portfolio and clothing worth $119 from the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
This was the first time an Ohio governor has ever been charged with a crime while in office.[7]
At his arraignment in Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus on August 18, Taft pleaded no contest and was fined $4,000 plus court cost. Judge Mark Froehlich also ordered Taft to apologize to the people of Ohio as well as state employees.[8] At the time, Taft said he was "very disappointed" in himself.[9]
Taft's conviction was grounds under the Ohio Constitution for impeachment and removal from office by the Ohio General Assembly; however, impeachment proceedings did not occur and Taft remained in office until the end of his second term.
In addition to the criminal sanctions, Taft was issued a public reprimanded by the Ohio Supreme Court on December 27, 2006 [10]for accepting and failing to report gifts and golf outings worth more than $6000.00. This reprimand will be attached to Taft's license to practice law in Ohio.[11]
Post Gubernatorial Activities
After Taft left the governorship, he and his wife made a trip to Tanzania in February, 2007 where he had served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Taft said the trip was invigorating and that the buildings where he taught and lived 40 years ago were still there.[4]
Taft will join the University of Dayton in August, 2007 as a distinguished research associate for educational excellence. His job will be to help the university launch the Center for Educational Excellence, which will encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and math. "We've got to figure out how to get more students in college, and that's a challenge that I really look forward to."[5]
Family
The Taft family has been involved in Republican politics for over a century. His great-great-grandfather Alphonso Taft was Secretary of War, Attorney General, and an Ambassador; his great-grandfather William Howard Taft was President and Chief Justice of the United States; and his grandfather (Robert Alphonso Taft I) and his father (Robert Taft Jr.) were both U.S. Senators. His first cousin, William Howard Taft IV formerly served as chief legal advisor to the U.S. Department of State, before resigning after the reelection of President George W. Bush. His uncle, William Howard Taft III was an Ambassador. His great-grand-uncle Charles Phelps Taft was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and for a time, an owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. His great-great-great-grandfather, Peter Rawson Taft, was a member of the Vermont legislature. Other prominent relatives include Seth Chase Taft, Charles Phelps Taft II, Peter Rawson Taft II, Henry Waters Taft, Walbridge S. Taft, and Horace Dutton Taft. Kingsley A. Taft was a U.S. Senator from Ohio and Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
Bob Taft is also related to current President George W. Bush through at least three different marriages, ranging from eighth-cousin-once-removed to 11th-cousin-once-removed, as well as being a ninth cousin of Vice President Dick Cheney (see Cousin chart to understand these terms).
Note on name
Bob Taft's father was a Robert and so was his grandfather. However, he is not Robert Taft III, because the names of all three men are not identical. The grandfather was Robert Alphonso Taft and the father was Robert Taft, no middle name. Bob Taft's full name is identical to the grandfather's but not the father's, so he is Robert Alphonso Taft II.
Notes
- ^ The Cincinnati Post - Former Gov. Bob Taft taking position at UD Associated Press, May 31, 2007, accessed June 6, 2007.
- ^ Taft's approval ratings sink into single digits, Only 6.5% back governor, poll says By JIM TANKERSLEY, The Toledo Blade, Nov. 29, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ Time names the five best governors Time Magazine, Nov. 13, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Jim Siegel and Joe Hallett (December 13). Local gun laws fall as veto is rejected. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved on January 5, 2007.
- ^ "Governor Pleads To Charges" Marion Online Newspaper, Aug. 8, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007; "Taft calls for limits on gifts" by Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch, February 10, 2006, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ Taft is first Ohio governor to be charged with crimes in office, by CHRISTOPHER D. KIRKPATRICK and STEVE EDER, The Toledo Blade, Aug. 17, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ Taft: 'I have failed' Governor fined $4,000 for ethics violations, ordered to issue apology" by Mark Niquette, Alan Johnson and Randy Ludlow, The columbus Dispatch, August 19, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ Taft: 'I have failed' Governor fined $4,000 for ethics violations, ordered to issue apology" by Mark Niquette, Alan Johnson and Randy Ludlow, The Columbus Dispatch, August 19, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
- ^ Decision of Ohio Supreme Court Ohio Supreme Court, December 27, 2006; accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Ohio Gov. Taft Reprimanded Over Ethics By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS, The Associated Press, December 27, 2006; accessed Feb. 20, 2007.
See also
| Preceded by Sherrod Brown |
Ohio Secretary of
State 1991–1999 |
Succeeded by Ken Blackwell |
| Preceded by Nancy Hollister |
1999–2007 |
Succeeded by Ted Strickland |
|
|
|---|
| Tiffin • Kirker • Huntington • Meigs • Looker • Worthington • E. Brown • Trimble • Morrow • Trimble • McArthur • Lucas • Vance • Shannon • Corwin • Shannon • T. Bartley • M. Bartley • Bebb • Ford • Wood • Medill • Chase • Dennison • Tod • Brough • Anderson • J.D. Cox • Hayes • Noyes • Allen • Hayes • Young • Bishop • Foster • Hoadly • Foraker • Campbell • McKinley • Bushnell • Nash • Herrick • Pattison • Harris • Harmon • J.M. Cox • Willis • J.M. Cox • Davis • Donahey • Cooper • White • Davey • Bricker • Lausche • Herbert • Lausche • J. Brown • O'Neill • DiSalle • Rhodes • Gilligan • Rhodes • Celeste • Voinovich • Hollister • Taft • Strickland |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Taft, Bob |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Taft, Robert Alphonso, II |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Ohio politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 8, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston, Massachusetts |
| DATE OF DEATH | living |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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