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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Talk-show host Jerry Springer will decide by summer whether to challenge Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich in 2004, he said last night.
Springer, 59, estimated it would cost $20 million to defeat Voinovich, who has said he will seek a second six-year term in the Senate next year.
If he decides to run for the Senate, Springer said he would welcome a Democratic primary challenge in March 2004, estimating it might cost $5 million to win the party's nomination.
"I have the resources,'' said Springer, a millionaire, adding that he would not fully self- finance a Senate campaign but would count on funds from the Democratic Party in a race against Voinovich.
So far, state Sen. Eric Fingerhut of Cleveland is the only Democrat to announce plans to run for the U.S. Senate in 2004.
Before speaking to 115 Democratic officials at a Downtown hotel for the winter meeting of the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association, Springer stressed that he had not decided whether, or where, to re-enter Ohio politics. A former Cincinnati mayor and city councilman, Springer said he could run for Cincinnati mayor in 2005 or governor in 2006.
"I want to be helpful in rebuilding the party,'' Springer said. "Whether I have to be a candidate is a totally separate issue. . . . I don't need a job.''
But he admitted that his interests are in national issues. At least one longtime confidant, Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Timothy M. Burke, said Springer has been discussing a possible Senate bid with party officials around the state.
"I'd certainly like to see him run,'' Burke said.
Springer conceded that the smut-filled weekday television show bearing his name is an obstacle to a political comeback.
"There are pluses and minuses. The plus is that I'm known by everybody. The minus is that I'm known by everybody.''
Springer brought the assembled Democrats to their feet with a fiery 15-minute speech that castigated President Bush for squandering America's goodwill around the world and for policies making the nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks and economic chaos.
Springer said he and other wealthy Americans would benefit most from Bush's tax-cut proposals, adding, "Don't give me the money. Take that money and make sure every citizen in the United States has health insurance.''
Afterward, Burke said, "I could see the skepticism in the eyes of some people when he began speaking, and by the end he had won them over.''
Wood County Chairman Al Baldwin said he could support Springer for the Senate: "I'm not prepared to dismiss him.''
But Jefferson County Chairman John M. Abdalla said, "The obstacles are too great for him. I'm afraid the Republicans would dirty him up on account of his show.''