Democratic cattle calls

Southwest Ohio Democrats have two good chances to eyeball some of their statewide candidates this week.

Wednesday night, Democracy for Cincinnati (the local Deaniac group) will have a statewide candidate forum that could be interesting because it is the first head-to-head meeting in this part of the state between the two Democrats running for Ohio attorney general - former Cleveland law director Subodh Chandra and State Sen. Marc Dann of Youngstown.

The Democratic front-runner for the gubernatorial nomination, Ted Strickland, can't make it, but his way-undedog opponent, former state representative Bryan Flannery, is headed this way.

Festivities begin at 7 p.m. at 879 Rue de la Paix in Clifton.

A bumper crop of Democratic statewide and local candidates are expected to descend upon the Union Township Civic Center in Eastgate Saturday afternoon for a candidate forum sponsored by the Quin-T Democrat Club.

The headliner Saturday will be U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown. The Democrats' endorsed candidates for secretary of state and state treasurer - Jennifer Brunner and Richard Cordray, respectively - say they will also be on hand, as will four of the five Democrats running in the 2nd Congressional District primary.

No Strickland and no Flannery expected, although organizers say Flannery may send his lieutenant governor running mate, Frank Stams. Stams is an Akron insurance executive, but his real claim to fame is as a football player who had a stint with the Cleveland Browns and was an All-American on Notre Dame's 1988 national championship team.

Quin-T's forum runs from 1 to 3 p.m., with a social hour to follow.

The Quin-T Democrat Club, by the way, takes its rather odd name from the fact that it was started some 30 years ago by Democrats from five Clermont County townships - Franklin, Monroe, Ohio, Tate and Washington.

"Quin-T,'' get it?