A new poll commissioned by the campaign of challenger Dr. Victoria Wulsin (D) shows widespread dissatisfaction with incumbent Rep. "Mean Jean" Schmidt (R), with only 33% approving her job performance and 48% saying they would vote to replace her or would consider doing so. Although the incumbent leads in the head-to-head matchup, her lead is in the single digits:

41% Schmidt (R)
33% Wulsin (D)
6% Krikorian (I)
19% Undecided

The head-to-head includes leaners; among strong supporters Schmidt's lead is only 26% to 24%. The poll, taken by Momentum Analysis, LLC by telephone on June 24-26, included 500 likely voters and has a margin of error 0f +/- 4.4 points.

More after the break.

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Dr. Vic Wulsin is a public health doctor running for Congress in Ohio's 2nd district (which consists of the suburbs and rural counties surrounding greater Cincinnati). In 2006, she nearly defeated Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt, who won by only 2517 votes. Click here for a longer bio

Bye, Bye Karl

Vic Wulsin

This past Monday, Karl Rove announced his departure from the White House, and I am anything but sad about it. Mr. Rove, who was President Bush's closest advisor, has been a profoundly harmful force in American politics. I am running for Congress in the 2nd district because our government should put people before politics. For over six years in the White House, Mr. Rove did just the opposite.

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Editor at Ohio 2nd Blog reports that Victoria Wulsin (D-Indian Hill)has conceded the race to Rep. "Mean Jean" Schmidt (R-Loveland).

Wulsin ran a fantastic campaign. None of the "experts" liked her chances at the outset, and she wound up coming even closer than Paul Hackett in the 2005 special election. With a little more help from the national Democratic establishment she could have won this race handily.

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Congressman Jack Murtha stumped for Vic Wulsin today in Cincinnati at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Hall.  Hordes of international, national, and local media, as well as virtually every southwest Ohio Democratic activist, volunteer, friend, and operative I've come across in my two plus years involved in local politics, came to show their support for Vic and Congressman Murtha.    

Murtha, as many know, was the recipient of Jean Schmidt's disgraceful comments on the House floor.  Throughout the whole episode, Murtha never reciprocated the incivility Schmidt showed towards him, gracefully accepting Schmidt's apology.  Even today, in a room filled to the brim with anti-Schmidt sentiment, Murtha opted for elevated discourse, exclusively discussing the substance of our current Iraqi policy and the need for a new strategy and accountability.  

The reverence in the room towards Murtha was palpable.  I saw tears in several spectators' eyes when the Congressman walked in the room, arm around Vic. Bob Woodward recently described Murtha in an interview with 60 minutes as "the soul and the conscience of the military." Woodward furthered "...he came out and said, 'We need to get out of Iraq as soon as it's practical.' And that sent a ten-thousand volt jolt through the White House.".  He spoke with a powerful authority and conviction- from the perspective of a hawk, a Vietnam Veteran, and a soldier with military lineage dating back to the Revolutionary War.  

Murtha opened his speech with the obvious: no domestic problem can be fixed until the Iraqi problem is brought to a resolution.   He brought up the cost of the war as well as the reality that the War effort has compromised our ability to defend ourselves against legitimate national security threats like terrorism and nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea.  In an era where the Democratic Party still seems to operate by the Bob Shrum- "it's the economy stupid" playbook, what a breath of fresh air to hear the significance of this debacle firmly expressed by a credible voice!

For many on the campaign, this event felt like a reward for all the hard work the campaign has put into this race.  A few months ago, no one took us seriously.  Then Howard Dean noticed the potential of the race, followed by national bloggers like Howie Klein and finally by the DCCC.  The momentum for this race has been reaffirmed and enhanced by a new independent poll showing Vic leading Schmidt.  To have a voice as credible and powerful as Murtha's in our presence was a culmination of all the doors that have been pried opened, all the gates that have been crashed by a little grassroots campaign.

Murtha will always be remembered as the man who helped change the discourse on this War- the man who gave anti-war criticism the media credibility it finally deserved.  And for that he embodies courage- not cowardice.

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The Wulsin campaign has clearly had a fantastic month of September in their quest to unseat unpopular Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt.  Where does one begin in describing just how well this campaign is going?  

-An independent A SurveyUSA/ABC poll shows Vic within 3 points of Jean Schmidt, confirming the Wulsin internal poll's description of the competitiveness of the race.  
-After a meeting with Rahm Emanuel and Howard Dean, Vic is added to the DCCC's Emerging Races list whereby she will now receive "financial and strategic support." 
-Vic attends high-profile DC fundraiser hosted by none other than Jack Murtha, war hero, progressive hero, and the recipient of Jean Schmidt's most unpopular and defining moment as a Congresswoman.  
-The AP and all the local papers pick up on a story about how Jean Schmidt plagiarized a press release.  (See Buckeye State Blog for an amusing visual elaboration.  
-The campaign launches an attractive, brand-spankin' new website.
-The blogs can't stop talking about Vic and her impressive international and humanitarian background. The blog attention includes two frontpaged Kos entries written by Kos himself (1) and 2 ) and a glowing endorsement on Ezra Klein's blog.  Down with Tyranny's Howie Klein (whose excitement has even led him to describe Vic as a "breathtaking candidate") even makes a television and radio ad for Vic. And, perhaps most importantly, the preeminent local blog, Ohio 2nd makes a reluctant-yet-still triumphant return.  

As a former staffer currently living in Missouri, I am thrilled at the developments, though I can't say I'm altogether surprised.  If there's one defining quality to Vic, it's her fearless optimism in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.  Whether it's fighting AIDS in Africa or beating a Republican incumbent in one of the most conservative districts in the country, Vic views everything as possible.  Yet this idealism is weighed and informed equally by a staggering intellect and years of formal experience.  These qualities are what we want in our leaders: the idealism to perceive the possible in the impossible and the practical skills and abilities to actually make that vision a reality.  In two words: GO VIC!  

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