Off With His Head

Or at least pump him full of thiopentol.

Governor ("Just tell me how many people I have to kill to get reelected") Ted adds another notch to his belt. He finally ruled on Abdullah Sharif Kaazim Mahdi's clemency petition. Denied.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, it was "one of the most difficult cases that I have reviewed." That's because the case for clemency is so glaringly obvious:

There's no real basis for thinking that Mahdi committed a capital crime.

But he killed someone. And Ted wants to be re-elected. And he thinks the notches on his gunbelt help. So many people thought better of him. So many people were wrong.

Mahdi's will be the first execution of 2010. Ohio already has five more scheduled, and that just takes us through June.

Just how many bodies does Ted think he needs?