DENVER - Various Ohio leaders, old and new, praised House Leader Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) during the Ohio House Democratic caucus lunch reception Monday. Speakers included Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern, former Ohio Gov. Dick Celeste, current Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, and Ohio first lady Francis Strickland, as well as Beatty herself.

All of the leaders also spoke about Democratic efforts to win the Ohio House this November, latching onto the theme set by Celeste of "four and more."

Redfern opened the remarks by saying he was delighted to be there to recognize Beatty's leadership in the Statehouse.

Redfern thanked his colleagues for joining him and thanked candidates throughout Ohio for joining him in spirit. He said those candidates "will turn a minority into a majority when Democrats capture the Statehouse."

Ohio First Lady Francis Strickland said she was happy to see everybody and was looking forward to seeing everybody out on the campaign trail.

Former Ohio Gov. Dick Celeste said that the question he is most asked is, "What will Ohio do?" Celeste said that his answer is always, "Pick the next President." Celeste, who now lives in Colorado, then predicted that Sen. Barack Obama will carry both Ohio and Colorado this November.

"I'd also point out there may be a few people in this room that are like me, whose original candidate wasn't Barack Obama," Celeste said. "I had a very loyal commitment to the woman whose husband appointed me ambassador to India. But as soon as the primary was over, I matched my contribution to her with my contribution to Barack Obama. And I expect to double it before the election."

Celeste then started the theme of saying that Democrats don't need to just aim for four Statehouse seat pickups, but "four and more."

Redfern then introduced House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty by bemoaning the fact that due to term limits he would be deprived of seeing "Speaker Joyce Beatty."

Beatty opened her remarks by saying that nobody can accomplish anything on his or her own and thanked the Democratic caucus for their contributions.

Beatty went around the room calling individuals up to share the spotlight and thanked them for their contribution to the caucus and to the event. She thanked her staff as well as various members of the Democratic caucus, including state Reps. Armond Budish and Ted Celeste, each of whom are vying for Democratic House leadership.

"Oftentimes, people will say, ‘What is it that you do?' I am very clear, ‘I serve the people,'" Beatty said. "I am very clear, I am an advocate for the people. I am very clear that I believe in strong leadership. I am very clear that we will have Senator Barack Obama as our next president. I am very clear that with the best Governor that you can have in the United States - Governor Ted Strickland - we will make a difference for the middle class. We will make a difference for working people. We will make a difference that every child and every family will have health insurance. We will make the difference that little children going to public schools will grow up and be proud, like any of us in this room, who graduated from a public school and went on to public universities, and/or private universities, and/or historically black colleges to make a difference. That's what I stand for. That's why I do what I do."

Beatty then introduced Gov. Ted Strickland, saying when she thinks of real leadership that stands for the middle class and yet is not afraid to make the tough decisions "and to give you that wonderful Duck Run smile, my Governor, the honorable Ted Strickland."

Strickland thanked Beatty for her leadership and all that she's accomplished.

Strickland praised the candidates for their "tenacity," intelligence, and commitment to win a majority in the Ohio House "using the lines that the Republicans drew."

"I think it is an example of what can be done when people put aside their own narrow interests and focus on the common good," he said. "The common good is our obligation as people who believe in Democratic principles and believe in the Democratic Party."

Strickland also expressed the importance of diversity, calling Democrats the inclusive party and saying, "We want everyone."

Strickland spoke about the attention being paid to Ohio in 2008.

"There is the recognition that Ohio is the key to the presidency," he said. "So we're going to do what has to be done to make sure that Barack Obama is our new president and Joe Biden is our new vice president, that we get two to four new Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, that we have enough seats in the Senate to deprive the Republicans of a veto majority."

Strickland then said the he was not a rich man but he would bet just about all of it on Democrats picking up a majority in the Ohio House.

"And then we're going to work," he said. "We're going to craft a budget that is reflective of the tough times, but that is committed to the things that most matter."

Strickland spoke about tackling education in the state of Ohio, saying that it's going to be "a helluva battle," but that it needs to be confronted and Strickland vowed to do so.

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