So what do a couple of formerly fast-lane Republican operatives such as Buerck and Sisk have to do with this year's presidential election?

President Bush can only hope the answer is not much.

Some Ohio Republicans worry that Buerck's and Sisk's influence on the 2004 election may be more consequential. Ordinarily, this state's GOP, which has held a virtual lock on power since 1990, would be a clear asset for the president. He could take advantage of the party's grass-roots organization, official surrogates and goodwill with the electorate. But the Republican brand name in Ohio has been scuffed by a host of local controversies. The most malodorous of these involves allegations of improper fundraising and self-dealing by the two consultants to Republican state House Speaker Larry Householder.

The accusations erupted onto Ohio front pages in the spring, and federal and state criminal investigations are underway. Ohioans have been treated to regular servings of leaked strategy memos and e-mails written by Buerck, Sisk and others in Householder's camp. With a swaggering tone, the documents suggest an approach to politics that borrows equally from H.R. Haldeman and Barney Fife.