- Bob Taft
"This article is about the man who was governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. For his father, who was a U.S. senator in the early 1970s, see Robert Taft Jr.. For his grandfather, who was a U.S. senator from 1939 to 1953, see
Robert Taft ."Infobox Governor
name= Bob Taft
caption=
order=67th
office= Governor of Ohio
term_start=January 11 ,1999
term_end=January 8 ,2007
lieutenant=Maureen O'Connor
(1999-2003),
Jennette Bradley
(2003-2005),
Bruce Edward Johnson
(2005-2007)
predecessor=Nancy P. Hollister
successor=Ted Strickland
birth_date= Birth date and age|1942|1|8|mf=y
birth_place=Boston, Massachusetts
residence=Columbus, Ohio
alma_mater=Princeton University ,University of Cincinnati
spouse=Hope Taft
profession=Lawyer
party= Republican
footnotes=
religion=MethodistRobert Alphonso "Bob" Taft II (born
January 8 ,1942 ) is an American Republican politician. He was elected to two terms of office as the Governor of theU.S. state ofOhio between 1999-2007. After leaving office, Taft started working for theUniversity of Dayton beginningAugust 15 2007 . [ [http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/NEWS01/705310371 The Cincinnati Post - Former Gov. Bob Taft taking position at UD] Associated Press, May 31, 2007, accessed June 6, 2007.]Personal background
Although Taft was born in
Boston, Massachusetts , he was raised inCincinnati, Ohio , where he attended theCincinnati Country Day School through the ninth grade and graduated fromThe Taft School . He attendedYale University , where he was a member of theYale Political Union , graduating in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he served as aPeace Corps volunteer, teaching in theAfrica n nation ofTanzania . He then attendedPrinceton University , receiving a master of arts degree from theWoodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1967. In 1976 he received aJuris Doctor from theUniversity 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 forLieutenant Governor of Ohio on the ticket withJim Rhodes in 1986, but was unsuccessful. In 1990, he was elected as theOhio Secretary of State , defeating incumbent DemocratSherrod Brown . He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democratic candidateDan Brady .Taft was elected
Governor of Ohio in 1998, defeating DemocratLee Fisher 50-45 percent, and was reelected in 2002, defeating DemocratTim Hagan 58-38 percent. In 1999, Taft issued a gubernatorial executive order mandating four hours of ethics training for members of hiscabinet , assistant cabinet directors, and senior staff every two years.In the wake of convictions for the ethics violations (see criminal conviction section below), Taft's approval rating bottomed out at 6.5 percent, according to a late November 2005 poll by
Zogby , giving him quite possibly the lowest polled approval rating ever by a United States politician. [ [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051129/NEWS09/511290414/-1/NEWS 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.] ASurveyUSA poll that same month gave Taft a rating of 18 percent. A late-2005 article in "Time" named him as one of the three worst governors in the country. [ [http://www.time.com/time/press_releases/article/0,8599,1129509,00.html Time names the five best governors] Time Magazine, Nov. 13, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.]In February 2006 Taft
veto ed legislation passed by both houses of theOhio 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. [ [http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/2520060225-C1-03.html The Columbus Dispatch - Local/State ] ] Nevertheless, this provision passed into law when the General Assembly overrode his veto, the first veto override in Ohio in over 30 years. [cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=232895|author=Jim Siegel and Joe Hallett|publisher=TheColumbus Dispatch |title=Local gun laws fall as veto is rejected|date=December 13 2006|accessdate=January 5|accessyear=2007]Taft was criticised during his tenure for permitting state spending and state taxes to rise. [ [http://www.thecourier.com/opinion/editoral/ED092402.htm Courier Electronic Edition: Editorial ] ] Critics also link Taft to the lagging Ohio economy in the early 21st century. [ [http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/659823/ohio_economy_sputters_as_innovation_declines_politicians_miss_mark_with/index.html?source=r_science Ohio Economy Sputters As Innovation Declines: Politicians Miss Mark With Development Policies - Science - redOrbit ] ]
Taft presided over reintroduction of use of the
Capital punishment in Ohio . During his term 24 people were put to death bylethal injection , which made Ohio a first state outside the South by number of performed executions. Taft, however, granted one commutation [ [http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=126&scid=13 Clemency ] ] .Due to term limits for the Ohio governorship, Taft was ineligible to run for a third consecutive term. According to the "
Washington Post ", Taft was the most unpopular Governor in Ohio history.Fact|date=August 2008 Taft's unpopularity contributed to major Democratic gains in the 2006 election, including the defeat of RepublicanKen Blackwell by DemocratTed Strickland in the race to replace Taft as Governor.Criminal conviction
On
August 17 ,2005 , Taft was charged with four criminalmisdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclosegolf outings paid for bylobbyists , as well as some undisclosed gifts. TheAssociated Press reported the total value of the undisclosed gifts as about US$5,800; they included: [ [http://www.mariononline.com/articles/news/articles/000009/000956-p.htm "Governor Pleads To Charges"] Marion Online Newspaper, Aug. 8, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007; [http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/10/20060210-E1-02.html "Taft calls for limits on gifts"] by Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch, February 10, 2006, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.]* 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. [ [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/BREAKINGNEWS/50817018 Taft is first Ohio governor to be charged with crimes in office] , by CHRISTOPHER D. KIRKPATRICKand STEVE EDER, The Toledo Blade, Aug. 17, 2005, accessed Feb. 20, 2007.]
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. [ [http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/19/20050819-A1-00.html 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.] At the time, Taft said he was "very disappointed" in himself. [ [http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/19/20050819-A1-00.html 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's conviction was grounds under the
Ohio Constitution forimpeachment and removal from office by theOhio 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 onDecember 27 ,2006 for accepting and failing to report gifts and golf outings worth more than $6000.00. [ [http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2006/2006-Ohio-6525.pdf Decision of Ohio Supreme Court] Ohio Supreme Court, December 27, 2006; accessed March 28, 2007.] This reprimand will be attached to Taft's license to practice law in Ohio. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122700721.html Ohio Gov. Taft Reprimanded Over Ethics] By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS, The Associated Press, December 27, 2006; accessed Feb. 20, 2007.]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 aPeace Corps volunteer. Taft said the trip was invigorating and that the buildings where he taught and lived 40 years ago were still there. [ [http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2093067.html Peace Corps Online | 2007.03.13: March 13, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Tanzania: Politics: State Government: Return to our Country of Service - Tanzania: The Post-Standard: Taft said he spoke some Swahili and the buildings where he taught and lived 40 years ago was still there ] ]Taft joined the
University of Dayton in August 2007 as a distinguished research associate for educational excellence. His job is to help the university launch the Center for Educational Excellence, which encourages 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." [http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/NEWS01/705310371]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-grandfatherWilliam Howard Taft was President andChief 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 PresidentGeorge W. Bush . His uncle,William Howard Taft III was an Ambassador. His great-grand-uncleCharles Phelps Taft was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and for a time, an owner of theChicago Cubs baseball team. His great-great-great-grandfather,Peter Rawson Taft , was a member of theVermont legislature. Other prominent relatives includeSeth Chase Taft ,Charles Phelps Taft II ,Peter Rawson Taft II ,Henry Waters Taft ,Walbridge S. Taft , andHorace Dutton Taft .Kingsley A. Taft was a U.S. Senator from Ohio and Chief Justice of theOhio Supreme Court .Bob Taft is also related to 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 (seeCousin chart to understand these terms).Notes
ee also
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Persondata
NAME=Taft, Bob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Taft, Robert Alphonso, II
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Ohio politician
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=living
PLACE OF DEATH=
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