“There’s only 435 people that get this privilege and honor to hold this job, and I just want to make sure I’m giving 100 percent.”

Mr. Latta, 52, was sworn in Dec. 13 after a special election two days earlier to serve the year remaining in the term of the late Rep. Paul Gillmor (R., Tiffin), who died Sept. 5 in a fall in his Arlington, Va., townhouse.

Since then Mr. Latta has plunged with enthusiasm into Congress’ busy round of committee meetings, constituent obligations, and voting.

None of this is a big surprise to Mr. Latta, whose father, Delbert Latta, 88, of Bowling Green, held the same seat from 1959 to 1989.

Bob Latta has been appointed to two committees: Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure.

On a typical day, Mr. Latta said, he is up by 5 a.m., exercised, dressed, and at his desk before 6:30 a.m., impatient for the House cafeteria to open an hour later.
With much to do and little time to do it in, and no car, Mr. Latta said he so far has rarely ventured beyond the Capitol Hill complex with its office buildings connected by underground tunnels.

“At one point I realized I hadn’t been outside for 56 hours,” Mr. Latta said. Now that spring sunshine beckons, he plans to start a morning jog to the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial.

He’s taken over Mr. Gillmor’s office in the Longworth Building, but may have to move to less spacious digs when he changes from serving the remainder of Mr. Gillmor’s term to serving his own term in January, if he wins re-election in November.

Mr. Latta has opened offices in Defiance, Norwalk, and Bowling Green and finished hiring his staff, some of them trusted associates from Columbus as well as experienced Washington hands.

“They’re doing a great job in this office,” he quips of his staff. “They can produce a lot of letters for me.”

A typical week for Mr. Latta is to fly in to Reagan National Airport from Toledo or Detroit on Tuesday for votes on the House floor at 6:30 p.m. and then to fly back on Thursday after the last vote, leaving Mondays and Fridays for work in the district.

Sometimes, the week in Washington starts on Monday; sometimes it ends on Friday.

Mr. Latta’s routine will shield him from the criticism that dogged Mr. Gillmor. Although he maintained a condominium in Tiffin as his official residence, the late congressman lived with his wife and sons in a $1 million home in a golf course development in suburban Columbus, far from the congressional district he represented.

A busy schedule
On April 16 in Washington, Mr. Latta helped welcome Pope Benedict XVI to the White House. It was a busy day that included a meeting with a group of 5th District high school students from Norwalk, a committee meeting to talk about a Democratic proposal to update the Clean Water Act, and frequent votes on the House floor.

Back in his Bowling Green district office he has meetings and reads and signs letters and uses it as a base to attend meetings in the district, some as far as 94 miles away in Mercer County.

A lot of the work of a congressman involves constituent concerns, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans Administration benefits. He was called one Sunday night to help intercede with the State Department on behalf of a family that had an emergency overseas and needed passports expedited.

Like father, like son
Mr. Latta joins 26 other members of the House whose parent preceded them in office.

Memories and stories about his father spill easily out of Bob Latta. “I used to work 13 county fairs for dad throughout the ’80s until he left office,” he said. “I’d leave work and drive an hour and a half to the far points of the district and work ’til late and get back in the car and drive home and get up the next morning and go to work.

“We all wanted to make sure dad could do his job, so we all pitched in to help,” he said.

Mr. Latta now attends the chicken dinners, fairs, and town hall meetings that were once his father’s domain.

When in his district, Mr. Latta drives an older car — a 1998 Ford Taurus — like his father used to do. Del Latta once accused his son of pilfering his tools from underneath the front seat of the 1971 sedan he was then driving, until he realized that the tools had fallen out a hole in the floorboard and apologized.

Today, because of redistricting, the district spans parts of 16 counties, ranging from the state borders with Indiana and Michigan, taking in southwestern Lucas County and all of Wood County, and extending eastward to Ashland County in north-central Ohio.

His father was an ardent conservative, one of the last to hold out against agreeing to vote for impeachment against President Nixon in the Watergate scandal. The elder Mr. Latta also was co-author of the Gramm-Latta amendment, which embodied President Reagan’s 1981 budget that cut taxes and boosted military spending.

Pushing forward
Bob Latta went to Bowling Green State University and then to the University of Toledo law school, graduating with his law degree at age 24.

When his father opted against seeking re-election in 1988, his son ran for the seat.

He lost the Republican primary to Mr. Gillmor, then president of the Ohio Senate, by 27 votes.

Denied the chance to run for Congress, Mr. Latta won a seat as a Wood County commissioner in 1990. In 1996, he defeated Democrat Chris Redfern of Port Clinton for the 2nd District Ohio Senate seat and held that post until 2000, when he was elected to the House, where he was re-elected in 2002, 2004, and 2006. As a state legislator, Mr. Latta successfully pushed legislation in 2000 increasing the exemption on Ohio’s inheritance tax so that 78 percent of estates were exempt from being taxed. He unsuccessfully backed legislation to abolish the practice of letting party bosses fill vacancies by appointment instead of special elections.

The fighter within
Congress beckoned again last year after Mr. Gillmor’s untimely death.

Known as a nice guy, Mr. Latta exhibited a bare-knuckles side of his personality in the two races it took to win the special election to fill the remainder of Mr. Gillmor’s term.

He and state Sen. Steve Buehrer (R., Delta) spent heavily and traded attacks, some of them unfounded, in their fight for the GOP nomination in November.

Mr. Latta followed up that narrow victory with a sound thrashing of Democrat Robin Weirauch, 57 to 43 percent, on Dec. 11 after a campaign that was also dominated by negative TV attack ads.

He beat Scott Radcliffe, an Iraq war veteran from Perrysburg, in the March 4 Republican primary.

He faces George Mays, 52, of Norwalk, the Democratic nominee, in November.

Mr. Mays said he doesn’t agree with Mr. Latta on the war, on how to revive the economy, or on energy, and hopes voters are “smart enough” to see that “our district and our state doesn’t need old blood or blue blood; they need new blood.”

“I don’t have anything negative personally to say about Bob,” said Mr. Mays, who is a disc jockey and karaoke operator. “I tend to think Bob would be the old guard and would go along with the current administration, which has basically continued to ship our jobs overseas, pushed energy prices through the roof, and continue to keep us mired down in a war that should never have taken place.”

A matter of priorities
Mr. Latta plans to emphasize energy independence.

In a one-minute speech on the House floor on Wednesday, Mr. Latta warned that China is rapidly expanding its offshore oil drilling and spending $24 billion on coal gasification — conversion of coal into methane to drive electrical turbines.

He said the Democrats who control the House “exclude coal from their energy policy, even though it is the most abundant and efficient fuel source found in the United States.”

“We have got to do things now. We have got to keep this country on course. Where are people’s incomes going to be when they’re paying $7 for a gallon of gas? People won’t have the purchasing power to buy anything else,” Mr. Latta said. “In 10 years, in my opinion, we’ve got to be energy independent.”

A strong fiscal conservative who believes in a government that takes as little tax money as possible, he’s quick to warn listeners about the impending repeal of the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003.

He told a group of visiting students from Norwalk that he’s committed to electing Republican John McCain as president. “Right now the only thing holding back massive spending is the President’s veto pen,” Mr. Latta said.

Some would say the current president is most to blame for massive overspending, primarily on the Iraq war. But Mr. Latta said national security trumps fiscal conservatism. “Protecting your country is your No. 1 obligation,” he said.

‘Quite conservative’ Democrat Alvie Perkins, a longtime Wood County commissioner, said he had to credit both Mr. Latta and Mr. Gillmor for staying active in their district.

“It’s an awful responsibility to try to get around in the rural areas. It was a real challenge for Del, raising a family and doing what he did. Bob’s doing the same thing now,” he said.

He said Mr. Latta is “very responsible, very conscientious,” but “Bob’s different than I am. He’s quite conservative, very much so. Bob is just in his nature very …” Mr. Perkins said, pausing and then choosing his word, “conservative.”
Steve Fought, communications director for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), said Mr. Latta has adjusted quickly to Congress and has a bright future. He said Mr. Latta may have been held back in the Ohio Statehouse because he didn’t come from one of the politically powerful “Three Cs” — Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati — but that won’t matter in Washington.

“He will rise quickly. … He’s not the type of guy who offends people. He’s experienced. He’s from an important state,” Mr. Fought said. “And he has the prospect of being there for a good, long time.”

Republicans in the sprawling 5th District said they have high hopes for Mr. Latta.

Lyle McKanna, Republican chairman of Putnam County, said, “I think he’ll do real well. He pretty much reflects the views of the bulk of the people in the district.
“He’s a very conscientious individual. He’s never missed a vote in the Statehouse, and he’s trying to do the same thing in Washington,” Mr. McKanna said.

He said he thinks Mr. Latta’s main job is to try to bring new jobs to his district.

State Rep. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green), who has traded state offices with Mr. Latta, predicted Mr. Latta will emphasize constituent service. In Columbus, he said Mr. Latta worked with him to amend state law to allow commissioners to waive sales tax collections to help bring Bass Pro Shops to Rossford. “There was a lot of opposition to giving counties even permissive authority, and we got the law changed,” Mr. Gardner said.

Mike Marsh, a former longtime Republican chairman of Wood County and a year older than Mr. Latta, said he never heard him talk about running against Mr. Gillmor, other than in 1988.

“As far as I can tell, he was always happy doing the things he did. I don’t think he was looking for anything to happen [with Congress]. That was totally unexpected,” Mr. Marsh said.

He said Mr. Latta is well in tune with his district because “he’s just a regular guy; that’s what people like to see in their political leaders around here.” “He’s not a headline grabber, by any stretch. He’d rather go hunting than have his picture in the paper,” Mr. Marsh said.

Mr. Latta said he goes deer hunting every year and has introduced his daughters to the sport.

The family man
Mr. Latta and his wife, Marcia, decided to keep the family home in Bowling Green and have Mr. Latta commute, as his father did for most of his tenure. Their daughters, Elizabeth and Maria, are 16 and 14, and Mrs. Latta has a full-time job in the development office of Bowling Green State University.

Still, Mrs. Latta said she wants her husband to establish a normal residence in Washington.

“I’d like for him to find a spot soon. He quite honestly has not had any time to look,” Mrs. Latta said. “He’s a full-time dad and a full-time congressman and a full-time spouse.”

She added that the current accommodations don’t bother Mr. Latta, who, she said, “is not a man of creature comforts.”

Mr. Latta said his living arrangements will become more normal when the new Congress is elected in the fall and a new crop of members comes to town looking for roommates.

While some congressmen and senators rent apartments or own homes in the District or in the suburbs, many share space.

“There’s one house with six House members and three senators. You’ve got nine guys in a house. It’s kind of like being in college,” he said.

Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.
SOURCE

With his help, Congress passed the economic stimulus package to try to jumpstart the ailing economy. Latta, a Republican from Bowling Green, is hoping citizens put that money to work in the marketplace, and businesses then invest that revenue in jobs. “It’s important we do not allow the economy to slump into a recession,” he said. But Congress must do more, Latta said, suggesting that the temporary tax cuts become permanent. If they don’t, an estimated 116 million Americans will face higher tax bills. “I’ve always said that individuals can do a better job figuring out how to spend their money than the government.” Latta would also like estate taxes, or the “death tax” as he calls it, to be permanently repealed. The tax is anti-family, anti-farmer and anti-business, he said.

A former Wood County commissioner and state legislator, Latta also wants to promote alternative energy. “We have to have a 10-year plan to get this country energy independent,” he said. Latta stopped short of saying he supported incentives for industries using more alternative and less traditional energy. “No matter how much we do,” green energy will only be able to supplement traditional energy sources, he said. The congressman suggested that America needs to conserve more and produce more power to reduce its reliance on foreign oil. “We’re in a terrible dilemma,” he said.

Latta is also concerned about health care costs, especially with the recent report stating Medicare will soon consume 50 percent of federal revenue. “If something’s not done, it will literally crush us,” he said. More competition is needed to drive down costs, and lawsuits must be reined in. “We cannot afford to have socialized medicine in America,” he said. The congressman is also worried about the mounting national deficit, reaching $9 trillion. “We’ve got to get control of that,” he said. “I’m very concerned about it.”

Cutting taxes and slowing federal spending should help, Latta said. When asked why the recent tax cuts haven’t seemed to help the economy rebound, the congressman said the Sept. 11 attacks and corporate scandals have slowed any improvements. In the area of education, Latta said he supports the “No Child Left Behind” initiative as a way to determine how schools stack up with one another. Though the program has been criticized for relying too much on standardized tests, it has succeeding in identifying problem schools, he said. “Tax dollars are getting tighter, tighter and tighter,” he said. “Do we just want to keep pouring money into systems” even if they are failing?

On the topic of immigration reform, Latta is opposed to granting amnesty. It troubles him that illegal immigrants are using governmental services without paying for them. “It drives up the costs for our citizens.” Latta believes in securing the nation’s borders and enforcing current immigration laws. “We’ve got laws on the books that need to be followed.”

The congressman also sees a need for the foreign intelligence surveillance act to be renewed. “It’s imperative that we be able to track these people,” he said of suspected foreign terrorists. “We can’t afford another 9/11.” As far as bringing American troops home from Iraq, Latta puts his trust in the military commanders. “I’m still a firm believer we can’t be armchair quarterbacks in Washington, D.C., running the war.” He cited the “complete turnaround” after the troop surge in Iraq, with more Iraqi troops being trained and the nation’s government now in operation. A premature withdrawal of troops would “create a vacuum” for the terrorists. Though the expense of the war is troubling, Latta stressed that there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001. “This is something we can’t afford not to do,” he said. “We have to carry the fight to them and not them to us.”

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“On behalf of our millions of NRA members, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund is proud to endorse your candidacy for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in the fifth congressional district of Ohio,” stated Charles Cunningham, NRA Director of Federal Affairs.

“During your tenure in Congress and the Ohio legislature, you have consistently supported the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen, demonstrating a strong commitment to the Second Amendment and our hunting heritage,” added Cunningham. Congressman Latta not only stands for our Second Amendment rights, he was a leader in passing Ohio’s Conceal and Carry Legislation while serving in the Ohio State Legislature.

“I am proud of the work I have done in the state legislature to protect our Second Amendment rights and look forward to continuing this fight in Congress,” said Congressman Latta.

“I am proud to endorse Congressman Bob Latta today for the upcoming primary election on March 4th. Congressman Latta has the rock-solid conservative credentials to continue to best represent the 5th District in Congress, and has already worked hard to stand up to the liberal Democrat leadership in Congress. With Bob Latta as our Congressman, the residents of the 5th District can be assured that he is fighting every day for the traditional values and ideas we share,” Blackford stated.

“I am humbled and honored to receive Chairman Blackford’s endorsement today. I am proud to represent Crawford County as well as the entire 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. I appreciate the outpouring support of Crawford County and look forward to continuing my work representing the citizens of the 5th Congressional District in Congress,” Latta added.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement by the Buckeye Firearms Association and I will continue to fight for our 2nd Amendment rights in Congress,” stated Congressman Latta.

Congressman Latta not only stands for our 2nd Amendment rights, he was a leader in passing Ohio’s Conceal and Carry Legislation while serving in the state legislature.

“I am proud of the work I have done in the state legislature to protect our 2nd Amendment rights and look forward to continuing this fight in Congress,” said Congressman Latta.

“Congressman Latta has the conservative credentials necessary to best represent the constituents of the 5th Congressional district. As a member of Congress he is already standing up for the traditional values we hold dear to our heart, fighting the liberal agenda of the Democrat leadership in Congress. Congressman Latta has proved that he is committed to reducing government spending, ensuring tax cuts are made permanent, and protecting our country against terrorists who threaten to compromise our freedoms. I am proud to endorse Congressman Bob Latta and would encourage voters to support him on March 4th,” Knight stated.

“I am humbled and honored by Chairman Knight’s endorsement. I am proud to represent Seneca County as well as the entire the 5th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. I appreciate the outpouring support of Seneca County and look forward to continuing my work representing the citizens of the 5th district in Congress,” added Latta.

“I am thrilled to announce The Putnam County Young Republicans endorsement of Congressman Bob Latta. As a republican team I believe we will forge ahead to have a successful 2008 election season,” declared Justin Barnhart Chairman of The Putnam County Young Republicans.

The Putnam County Young Republicans believe Congressman Latta is the sole candidate for Congress which exemplifies the positions of the Republican Party. Not only does the Congressman have experience he shows real concern for the people of Putnam County.

“Congressman Latta is a candidate who will lead the fifth district to prosperity and be sure that the district is represented by a candidate, who believes in the right to life, sanctity of marriage, and the protection of our second amendment rights,” stated Justin Barnhart Chairman of the Putnam County Young Republicans.

Yoho added that the people should see their $600 per-person checks in the mail by late May.

Latta was unavailable to speak at the monthly meeting of the Crawford County Republican Women Monday because of a sinus infection, Yoho said. But Latta's opponent in the March 4 primary for the Fifth District seat, Scott Radcliffe of Perrysburg, was on hand, along with those candidates running for state and local offices. Latta and Radcliffe both discussed the recent flooding in northwest Ohio.

Yoho said that Latta is trying to work with the governor and lawmakers to find solutions to the recurring flooding problem. "A lot of families and businesses were hurt this past week," Yoho said. "It's really sad and we're trying to do what we can. We're trying to bring relief and we are working to find a solution to the problem."

Radcliffe, who graduated from West Point and played football there, said he found inspiration when he went to New Orleans to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. "I called home to see if we could get some support," Radcliffe said. "(The support didn't come in a trickle, it came in an absolute torrent. That showed me something. That showed me the type of people we have here in northwest Ohio. "Those are the types of people I want to represent," he added. "And those are the types of people I would like to lead, to help lead into the future. To gain solutions to problems like this. Because things need to be done. The floods hit here this winter. That's two times in less than a year. Things need to be done. I worked in New Orleans to find solutions there and I will work here in northwest Ohio to find solutions here as well."

The two candidates talked at great length about different issues. Yoho said that Latta is working to get the FISA act renewed. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is codified in all 50 states and it faces a challenge in Congress. Discontinuing the legislation could weaken national security, according to proponents of the legislation. The federal law provides procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and collection of foreign intelligence information between or among "foreign powers" on territory under United States control.

Opponents of the measure call the act unconstitutional, adding that it's an invasion of privacy. "The Democrats are trying to do away with it," he said. "It's going to be hurtful in trying to protect us from the terrorists. If it is renewed, than our agencies can work with the phone companies to help protect us."

Radcliffe did not address FISA, preferring to talk more about rebuilding communities. He discussed his work in the Army in Iraq, saying that he "tried to improve communities there, not only by figuring out solutions to their problems, which included sewage, school problems, but also, fighting our nation's war. "We need to find solutions to other problems that need conservative solutions, like the economy, like national security, and like health care," Radcliffe said. "We need a strong voice here to do that."

Locally, county commissioner candidates Richard Strickland, Doug Weisenauer and John Rossington, also spoke. Current commissioner Mo Ressallat was not available.

Sunday afternoon, the group held its second meeting in Barnhart’s basement to ratify its constitution, elect officials and discuss local politics. The group includes 10 members from Cloverdale, Fort Jennings, Gilboa, Kalida, Miller City, Leipsic and Pandora, and Barnhart said he expects the organization to continue growing.

Last September, through his campaign efforts for U.S. Rep. Robert E. Latta, of the 5th Congressional District, Barnhart garnered interest from local youth. “I started calling kids and ended up getting a few who were more than willing to come and help out,” he said. “Throughout the campaign, I was getting more and more kids, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is great.’” Barnhart credits Latta for his support in revitalizing the once defunct organization. “Congressman Latta took a personal interest in his volunteers. He and his campaign have been a tremendous help in getting our organization started,” he said.

Latta commended the group for its work. “It is always exciting to see our younger generations becoming more involved in the political process,” he said. “Groups like Justin’s are important, especially for the Republican Party, because someday they are going to be the leadership of our party, our public-elected officials and our representation for conservative principles at all levels of government.”

Latta’s campaign manager, Ben Yoho, who attended Sunday’s meeting, encouraged the group to continue its efforts. “You’re young and motivated. … You can light a fire and go out and get a grassroots program that’s going to work hard,” he said. “We can beat any Democrat when we have people out there knocking on doors. Democrats should be running with fear today because we’re starting up. … We’re going to be a premier grassroots organization because of the energy that kids bring, because of their diligence and dedication.”

Barnhart said he believes in perseverance. “I was told by another young leader that I wouldn’t be able to get in and help out Bob Latta, but I did, and now we’re setting up other kids in Putnam County to make these same kinds of connections and learn from experience,” he said. “One of the No. 1 goals of this group is to educate,” added Barnhart, a sophomore education major at Bowling Green State University. “We’ve sent out a questionnaire to all the local candidates, so we’re making contact and collecting data. That’s part of political science, and that’s what we’re teaching kids.”

Barnhart looks to Ohio Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Cupp as a role model for the group. “Bob Cupp used to be in the Putnam County Young Republicans, and now look where he is today,” he said. “The leaders of this county today were in this group at one time, and we’ll be the leaders of tomorrow.” For information on the group regarding membership or support, send an e-mail to Justin Barnhart at putnamcountyyoungrepublicans@gmail.com.

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"All the years when I was younger and Dad was in the Congress here, and being able to come onto this floor, I never dreamed of the day I'd be standing in this well to address the members," Mr. Latta said. Mr. Latta, a lawyer who was a Wood County commissioner, a state senator, and a state representative previously, defeated Democrat Robin Weirauch of Napoleon in a special election Tuesday. He unsuccessfully ran for the office in 1988, losing in the primary to Mr. Gillmor by 27 votes.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., California) oversaw the administration of the oath, and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) gave a short speech noting Mr. Latta's "exemplary" public service and welcoming him to the Ohio delegation. "Indeed we need his help to pull our Buckeye state forward, in more than football," Miss Kaptur said.

Ironically, both women figured in Mr. Latta's bid for the seat. Miss Kaptur cam-paigned and helped raise money for Mrs. Weirauch. Ms. Pelosi contributed money to Mrs. Weirauch's campaign, and Republicans used her picture in a negative ad to attack Mrs. Weirauch's "extreme liberal values." Those moments of political battle were set aside, briefly at least, as Mr. Latta and Rob Wittman (R., Virginia) were sworn in to become members of the 110th Congress. Both of them then took part in voting on a continuing budget resolution, joining the majority who voted yes in the 385-27 roll call.

Mr. Latta got 57 percent to Mrs. Weirauch's 43 percent in the special election to replace Mr. Gillmor, who died from an accidental fall Sept. 5. Mr. Latta yesterday immediately took control of the late Mr. Gillmor's office, which had been under the oversight of the House clerk. He will keep that office until Mr. Gillmor's term expires at the end of 2008, said Matthew Parker, his campaign manager. If Mr. Latta is re-elected in November, he likely will move to a smaller office and give up the Gillmor office to a congressman with more seniority.

Mr. Parker said Mr. Latta will have to quickly tackle the task of hiring staff for his Washington and district offices. He said Mr. Latta intends to have district offices in Bowling Green and in the eastern and western ends of the district. Mr. Parker said he would not apply for a job on Mr. Latta's staff because he plans to continue working as an independent campaign consultant through his business, Matthew D. Parker & Associates, and likely will remain with Mr. Latta through his primary and general election races next year.

- Tom Troy
- SOURCE: TOLEDO BLADE