The political battle over whether state Attorney General Marc Dann should leave office has taken on the feel of a standoff. Dann, 46, refuses to surrender to demands by an army of his own Democratic leaders that he step aside following an admitted affair and a sexual harassment scandal at his office.Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland said Monday that Dann's refusal to submit to the pressure - including a threat by the Ohio Democratic Party to revoke its endorsement - means Democrats will move forward to impeach him. Republican House Speaker Jon Husted said that his chamber, which takes the first step in any impeachment, was already reviewing the process.
"I think it's important for Democrats to send a very clear message that we will clean our own house," Strickland said. Democrats' calls for Dann to resign were applauded by Republicans, adding a new twist to Strickland's reputation for bipartisan cooperation.
Dann is the third high-ranking Democratic official around the country to be marred by sexual scandal in recent months.
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned abruptly in March after revelations that he had been a customer of a high-end prostitution service. But Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick continues to hold office despite being charged with perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice for accusations that he tried to hide a long-term romantic relationship with his former chief of staff.
In Dann's native Mahoning Valley, people were divided, though. The Vindicator of Youngstown is the only major newspaper in the state that hasn't called for Dann to resign.
Carlotta Sparks Cooper, 44, taking a walk in Youngstown while baby-sitting two grandchildren, said she voted for Dann and hopes he doesn't resign. "I feel everybody deserves a second chance," she said. "I believe in the man. I voted for the man. If he did something wrong, give him a chance to rectify it and then take it from there."