Tim Ryan to Clermont: You don't know me, but....

If you are a congressman who would like a promotion to the U.S. Senate some day, the best way to do that is to get outside the confines of your little congressional district and start making yourself known in parts of the state where no one knows your name.

Which explains why the keynote speaker at this year's Clermont County Democratic Party's Golden Donkey Dinner on April 19 is none other than Tim Ryan, the Democratic congressman from Ohio's 17th Congressional District, which includes Youngstown.

Ryan is said to eyeing the Senate seat of Republican George Voinovich, which comes up again in 2010. Voinovich says he is running for a third term.

Some in the Democratic party tried to get Ryan to run in 2006 for the seat then held by Mike DeWine. But Ryan took a pass, and backed Cincinnati's Paul Hackett over Sherrod Brown, who, of course, went on to win the seat.

Ryan is not likely to let another opportunity pass him by. It's not surprising now to see him pop up on the Democratic rubber-chicken circuit.

Clermont County Democrats will hear from the congressman at their Golden Donkey Dinner, which is the party's big annual fundraising event. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. April 19 at the Eastgate Holiday Inn. Tickets, by the way, are $60 a pop and are available at www.clermontdems.org.