By Tim Inwood

I have been involved in Republican party politics for many years and I am also on the Republican Central Committee in Clinton County, Ohio. So I am going to offer some advice I hope my fellow Republicans will listen to. First I must say I am distressed to see the polls are indicating my fellow Republicans are making a huge mistake, one they have made often in recent elections. What they are doing? According to the polling data they are setting up the party for a major defeat. How? By alienating a major player in the coalition that gives the GOP victories--a vital ally who will sit home next November, if Rudy or Mitt are at the top of the ticket. Their sitting at home will surely deprive the GOP of victory. In my view, with Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney as the supposed front-runners, the GOP is heading towards sure defeat.

For the Republicans to win they must keep a diverse coalition of groups happy. Victory can only be achieved if social conservatives who support the pro-life position are on board. Also needed are fiscal conservatives, the pro-low tax, pro-growth crowd, who are for protecting private property rights. You need those who support a robust military, strong homeland defense, as well as secure borders. Without any one of these groups the GOP is in trouble. But the vital group I speak of is those Americans who choose to keep a firearm in their home and vote based on those who will defend their right to exercise that Second
Amendment freedom.

ATHENS, OH - 2007 marks the 50th year of a cooperative agreement between
American Electric Power (AEP) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
(ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This agreement allows the use of AEP owned
properties for public hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing opportunities
on more than 56,000 acres of land in southeastern Ohio.

The anniversary of the first cooperative agreement in was recently
commemorated with a dedication ceremony at Avondale Wildlife Area on October
18. Avondale was the first AEP property to be opened to the public in 1957.

AEP has continued to add acreage into their public use agreement. In 2006
American Electric Power signed into agreement 2,300 acres in Athens County
called the Poston Plant Lands. With the addition of the Poston Plant Lands,
AEP has land in cooperative agreements with the Division of Wildlife in
Athens, Coshocton, Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Perry counties.

Related Stories:
AEP Ohio provides opportunity for disabled sportsmen

Handicapped hunters track deer on special weekend