By FRANK LEWIS
PDT Staff Writer

Dale Stanley is Democrat of the Year in Scioto County.

Bob Walton, Jr. presented the award at Saturday night's Scioto County Democratic Party Banquet held at the James Dickey Post 23 American Legion.

"Something I have learned over the years," Stanley said. "Take care of Democrats and Democrats will take care of you."

Before the event began, Scioto County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Basham described the purpose for the award.

"It's a short period term of someone who jumps in and does something for the previous year," Basham said.

"And then there's the Hall of Fame award, in which someone is going into the Hall of Fame."

Scioto County Commissioner Mike Crabtree was surprised when fellow Commissioner Tom Reiser called his name for the award.

"That was unexpected," Crabtree said. "I've been a Democrat all my life, and I haven't been really active in the party. But I can tell you these last four years have been the most interesting years of my life."

Guest speaker for the event was Sixth District Congressman Charlie Wilson.

Wilson immediately went on the attack against the White House on the subject of the $700 billion bail out.

"We're not going to waste your money. We're going to do everything we can to make sure you get your money back," Wilson told the party faithful at the packed house event. "I'd like to say, first of all, the problems that we have had -- the financial problems and issues that we are dealing with have come from one reason -- lack of oversight and deregulation by this administration put America where it is today."

Wilson compared the situation with playing a football game without a referee.

"There is nobody watching what is going on," Wilson said. "There is now. Democrats went to Congress in 06. You the voters realized the issues we're dealing with and said, 'we need Democrats to come back and provide leadership'."

Several times during his address, Wilson interjected support for Sen. Barack Obama for president.

"The encouraging thing for me is that we can get the right kind of policy for working families to give them a chance," Wilson said. "It will be so nice to be able to do a bill and send it to the White House and have it signed by President Obama."

Wilson talked about a new process coming to southern Ohio called Carbon Sequestration, involving liquid coal.

"This new plant will produce 50,000 barrels a day. This is huge. It's Ohio income, it's going to employ Ohio people. It's going to be good for our economy -- "We're going to make it out of the rut that we are in. We're going to dig our way back out. We're going to produce our energy better. We're going to pay wages that families can live on," Wilson said. "We're going to raise the level of what's going on in the state of Ohio with the Governor and certainly what's going on in Congress."