When the media uses the word “trounces” in the headline in reference to your fundraising lead over your opponents that is a good thing:

Republican Rob Portman raised $1.7 million for his U.S. Senate campaign during the second quarter of 2009 — more money than both his Democratic rivals combined.

“I’m very pleased with it,” Portman said at Washington, D.C. press conference. “We had a great response from all corners of the state.”

Portman, a former Cincinnati-area congressman who held two Cabinet posts under President George W. Bush, ended the quarter with $4.3 million in the bank. About $1.4 million of that was left over from the war chest he accumulated in the House of Representatives. He’s raised $3.4 million during the election cycle.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, one of two Democrats seeking the Senate seat to be vacated by George Voinovich’s retirement, raised more than $900,000 in the quarter, bringing his fund-raising total to $1.9 million. Fisher has about $1.48 million left in the bank.

His competition in the Democratic primary, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, raised $228,000 in the second quarter, slightly more than the first quarter total of $207,000.

So Portman raised more money this quarter than Fisher has on hand and more money that Fisher and Brunner (whose money woes are continuing) combined.  Ouch!

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It is not a big surprise given the circumstances, and his lack of political experience, but Tom Ganley is clearly planning on running a populist anti-Washington campaign for the US Senate seat open thanks to George Voinovich’s retirement.  His announcement speech today in Brecksville was not particularly polished but its message was that politicians in DC are threatening the American way of life and it takes a honest citizen to make things right.

His speech didn’t give any indication that specific issues will be the focus of this campaign (he denigrated the bailout, run away deficits, cap and trade, and vaguely hinted at unfair trade policies).  He didn’t say anything that most Republicans would have a problem with necessarily.  The speech certainly had a populist edge, however, and it seems clear that he will attack - if that is the right word - Portman for being a career politician with all that that supposedly entails.

But the question that, in my opinion, will come to define this campaign is why is he perpared to run for the US Senate let alone win both the priamry and the general election and serve in such a capacity.  One doesn’t have to be an elistist to wonder if a person’s very first political campaign should be the US Senate.

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As I noted previously, and as Politics Extra notes today, it looks like Rob Portman will have competition in the GOP primary to replace George Voinovich:

Former congressman and Bush administration Rob Portman has a boatload of money and the support of the Ohio Republican Party establishment in his 2010 bid for the U.S. Senate. He even has the endorsement of the man he wants to replace, retiring Sen. George Voinovich.

But it looks as if he won’t get a free ride in the GOP primary next spring. Word is that Tom Ganley, a car dealer from northeast Ohio, will announce his candidacy Wednesday in Cleveland.

The Columbus dispatch has more, including quotes:

Cleveland-area auto dealer Tom Ganley will announce Wednesday his Republican candidacy for the U.S. Senate, setting up a potentially expensive 2010 primary election against former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman of Cincinnati.

Although he has never served in elected office, Ganley, 65, said today that he thinks he can win the seat to be vacated at the end of next year by retiring Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich.

“I have a great passion to see this through to a conclusion, to a victory,” said Ganley, who will kick off his campaign with a speech in his hometown of Brecksville.

A millionaire, Ganley indicated that he is willing to spend a considerable chunk of his fortune to win the GOP nomination against Portman.

“The campaign will be well-funded,” Ganley said. “It will be very well-funded.”

By virtue of his auto dealerships’ heavy advertising, Ganley said he has “tremendous name recognition in northern Ohio.”

I plan to attend the announcement/press conference tomorrow so be sure to check back tomorrow afternoon for the details (including video, I hope).

Keep calling your Senators! 202-224-3121

Roll Call (subscription required) reports that George Voinovich has bowed out of the compromise discussions and Susan Collins is no longer as optimistic about passing the bill today.

It’s not clear from the article whether Collins has gotten more pessimistic because she didn’t like the Democratic offer — about which she offered no comment — or simply because losing Voinovich makes it tougher.

Voinovich Drops Out of Stimulus Talks
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) has pulled out of negotiations on a bipartisan compromise on the Senate’s economic stimulus bill.

Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Arlen Specter (Pa.) — continue to negotiate with Democrats, but Voinovich’s departure could make it more difficult for Democrats to reach the 60 votes they need to pass the bill.

Voinovich left a meeting in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) office around 2:30 p.m., saying he did not believe there was a deal he could agree to on an amendment that would cut as much as $100 billion from the more than $920 billion measure.

“I’ve really tried to work on this, but the three things that it should be timely, that it should be temporary and it should be targeted, that was something that I looked at,” Voinovich said. “It just doesn’t meet my criteria, and I feel very sorry because I think the Majority Leader has his responsibility, and he’s got his Members that he has to take care of.”

Voinovich said he could not get past his objections to fund school construction in the bill, and he wanted the measure to include more money for highway construction.

“They can’t seem to get it through there that right now what we need is a program that will create jobs,” Voinovich said.

Collins said, “We received a counter-offer from the Democrats and we’re going to review it.” She would not discuss details of the offer.

When asked how she felt about the bill’s prospects for passage before the weekend, Collins said, “not as good as I felt earlier.””