The sale of Ohio's Republican House of Representatives

IF YOU'VE EVER wondered what it would take to buy the Ohio Republican House of Representatives, there's a pretty strong clue in Sunday's Beacon Journal. In a thorough outing of David Brennan, the GOP's landlord in the Buckeye State, the paper reported that over the past two decades he has given more than $4 million to Republican candidates and PACs hereabouts, a sizable share going to where it would do him the most good as contributor-in-chief . That could only meant Brennan's lucrative charter school company, White Hat Management .

A Columbus Dispatch report included in the BJ"s coverage noted that Brennan's agents (who were greeted with open arms by GOP lawmakers) slipped in to the proposed state budget a couple of amendments that would enormously accommodate Brennan's sweeping plans to further enrich his charter company despite the fact that he has already found a loyal and willing enabler in Gov. Kasich. Keep in mind, too, that Brennan's operation has already received more than $230 million in taxpayer money for his charter schools in Ohio.

The budget is now in the state senate, which will settle on its version this week. It will be interesting to see how Akron's freshman Republican senator Frank LaRose responds to the outrages of Brennan's maneuvers in the House. After the awkward way he went about supporting Senate Bill 5, the union- busting dagger, LaRose can't really afford much more hot water.