Bob Taft
Robert Alphonso Taft II (born
January 8,
1942) has been the
Republican governor of the
U.S. state of
Ohio since
1999. He is known beyond the state's boundaries for the recent corruption scandals under his administration, particularly
Coingate.
Taft was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, however, he was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio where he attended the
Cincinnati Country Day School through the ninth grade and graduated from Taft High School. He attended
Yale University, graduating in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he was as a
Peace Corps volunteer, teaching in the African nation of
Tanzania. He then attended
Princeton University, receiving a master of arts degree from the
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in
1967. In
1976 he received a
Juris Doctor from the
University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Taft was elected to the Ohio state House of Representatives (
1976–
1981), and then was
Hamilton County commissioner (
1981–
1990). In 1990, he was elected secretary of state, defeating incumbent Democrat
Sherrod Brown. He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democratic candidate
Dan Brady.
Taft was elected governor of Ohio in
1998, defeating
Democrat Lee Fisher 50-45 percent, and was reelected in
2002, defeating Democrat
Tim Hagan 58-38 percent.
In 1999, Taft issued an executive order mandating four hours of ethics training for his cabinet directors, assistant cabinet directors, and senior staff every two years.
During his tenure, Taft offered seats in the governor's box at
Ohio State University football games and invitations to the governor's mansion in exchange for secret contributions to the Ohio Republican Party.[
1]
In the wake of convictions for ethics violations (see "Criminal charges", below), Gov. Taft's approval rating dipped to a shockingly low 6.5%, according to a late November,
2005 poll by
Zogby, giving him quite possibly the lowest approval rating ever recorded by a United States politician.[
2] A Survey USA poll that same month gave Taft a slightly higher rating of 18%
In February 2006 Taft refused to sign legislation removing the 'Plain Sight' provision from the Ohio concealed carry law. This legislation would also keep the
Cleveland Plain Dealer from publishing the names and home addresses of licensees.[
3]
A late-2005 article in
Time Magazine named him as one of the three worst governors in the country.
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-grandfather
William Howard Taft was
President and
Chief 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 President George W. Bush. His uncle,
William Howard Taft III was an Ambassador. His great-grand-uncle
Charles Phelps Taft was a U.S. Representative from
Ohio and for a time, an owner of the
Chicago Cubs baseball team. His great-great-great-grandfather,
Peter Rawson Taft, was a member of the
Vermont legislature. Other prominent relatives include
Seth Chase Taft,
Charles Phelps Taft II,
Peter Rawson Taft II,
Henry Waters Taft,
Walbridge S. Taft, and
Horace Dutton Taft.
Kingsley A. Taft was a U.S. Senator from Ohio and
Chief Justice of the
Ohio Supreme Court.
Bob Taft is also related to current 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 (see
Cousin chart to understand these terms).
On
August 17,
2005, Taft was charged with four criminal
misdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclose
golf outings paid for by
lobbyists, as well as some undisclosed gifts. The
Associated Press reported the total value of the undisclosed gifts as about US$5,800; they included:
* book and artwork from the consulate general of the People's Republic of China worth $100
* a book, autographed football and pottery from then-Pennsylvania Gov. 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.[
4]
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 workers.
Taft's conviction is grounds under the Ohio Constitution for
impeachment and removal from office by the
Ohio General Assembly; this appears unlikely, however, since both chambers of it are controlled by his fellow Republicans. Taft has stated that he will not resign from office. In late 2005, his approval ratings sank to just 6.5%, and according to pollster
John Zogby, "I'm not aware of anyone who's ever sunk lower". [
5]
As of early 2006, candidates in both parties are preparing for the 2006 gubernatorial election. (
See: Ohio gubernatorial election, 2006) Due to
term limits, Taft cannot run for a third term.
Bob Taft's father was a Robert and so was his grandfather. However, he is not Robert Taft III, because the names of all three men are not identical. The grandfather was Robert Alphonso Taft and the father was just plain Robert Taft. Bob Taft's full name is identical to the grandfather's but not the father's, so he is Robert Alphonso Taft II.
*
Taft family*
Peace Corps biography of Bob Taft*
Official Website for Governor Bob Taft*
Taft's ethics inquiry will go to prosecutors (Toledo Blade article)
