Carnival of Politics #101 -- "Mine Is Bigger" Edition

We're thinking big for the 101st Carnival. As in the biggest -- or at least tallest -- building in the world. The honor currently goes to the Taipei 101 Tower in Taipei, Taiwan. That may change as four proposed buildings would rise higher. It seems that any number of countries in Asia and the Middle East want to prove their prominence by building the world's tallest building.

Meanwhile, in post-9/11 America, our attitude seems to be "Tall buildings? No, we don't have tall buildings here. Move along, nothing to see."

And for those of you keeping score at home, Cleveland's Key Tower is the tallest in Ohio and 38th overall among extant buildings.

(All of the above and the image from About.com.)

On to the Carnival.

Bearing Drift Ohio blogger Squeaky Wheel squeaks about the state of Virginia's Lee/Jackson/King day. I was similarly outraged when I lived in the Old Dominion. Also SQ recommends a book written by a blogger and friend of his.

The Ohio Republic is the Ohio blog home of the Ohio secessionist movement. In this week's first post from TOR blogger Harold Thomas explains why you shouldn't dismiss the previous sentence as crazy. In addition, Harold looks at the grim economic news and finds more support for his cause. Hurting his cause is perceptions of racism among Southern secessionists. Harold pleads for better p.r.

Tim Higgens at Just Blowing Smoke offers one set of pithy observations about the primary season, and another set inspired by Canada barring Americans at the border for past convictions.

The ePluribus Media OhioNews Bureau wonders if Ohio will join the Great Lakes compact and offers some reasons why we should. A broad-ranging post offers updates on Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's efforts to reform the election system. And the site offers a similarly comprehensive (though friendlier) treatment of Treasurer Richard Cordray's efforts to encourage Ohio citizens to save their money.

Back on the subject of Jennifer Brunner, Neo-Con Panic Attacks wonders how she plans to deal with vote caging.

King of King's Right Site calls Brunner's reform plan an unfunded mandate -- and that's not the least of his disagreements. He also takes joy in seeing the ACLU file suit against Brunner. Whatever the election system, King will be on the ballot as a candidate for Republican State Central Committee.

Technical problems at a local landfill prompt Village Green to think more broadly about our consumer culture. Also here in SummitCo Ben Keeler announces that he is running for his party's precinct captain as part of State Sen. Kevin Coughlin's team.

Ohio Dave takes on a judicial candidate for suggesting that a gay judge should recuse herself from questions involving gay rights.

Maggie Thurber doesn't think much about Sen. Sherrod Brown's ideas for a stimulus package. She thinks less of the City of Toledo earmarking a local payroll tax to pay for public art.

BizzyBlog contributes the first post about Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) mistaking Fed. Chairman Ben Bernanke for Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Jill Miller Zimon opines that the incident is being blown out of proportion. Lisa Renee notes that she has done much worse.

Rounding out Jill's posts, she reports that the Pew Center is trying to help clean up voting in Ohio and notes a curious Ohio Supreme Court about what we do with brains after autopsies. Lisa Renee takes on two issues generally in political background: race and abortion.

Craig at IdeaTreks takes a long look at the presidential primary and finds it looks awfully familiar.

OhioRedNovember takes issue with a decision by Commissioner (and Congressional candidate) Mary Jo Kilroy to give business to a more expensive union company. He also notes what the difference in expenditure might have bought. Shifting focus, ORN also quarrels with the way Attorney General Marc Dann spends money.

HistoryMike doesn't think the tax rebate stimulus plan is likely to reap dividends.

Conservative Culture is watching the Fourth District Congressional race in which Democrats are challenging freshman Republican Jim Jordan. CC has information that the current candidate may be a placeholder. Looking beyond Ohio, CC doesn't think tighter rules on the Canadian border will help, given that the big problem is the southern frontier.

Boring Made Dull may have found a cure for boredom -- making fun of Dennis Kucinich. Less fun, according to Boring, is the ongoing Summit County Republican Party battle.

The Dean at the Cincinnati Beacon has been on all things Bill Gothard like a switch on an errant child's backside. This week he reports that Hamilton County is looking into a locally active charity to determine its Gothard-connectedness.

For myself, I note a potentially interesting development in a case involving Congressional candidate Bill O'Neill, provide an update in the Summit County Elephant Wars and offer a bet that Dennis Kucinich won't debate his Congressional primary opponents.