On the web, through email to party members and in a message to the press on letterhead stationery, Coughlin's marching orders were the same: Relieve Arshinkoff of his command and replace all 474 precinct committee heads who sit on the Summit County Republican Central Committee.
Coughlin said that he agreed to be the big name for the newly formed New Summit County Republicans until its members are ready to go public. He said office holders who asked him to join the effort are afraid of reprisals in their own election campaigns.
Coughlin isn't just critical of Arshinkoff - he's disdainful. The chairman, he says, is responsible for the loss of statehouse and county judicial seats. He also accuses Arshinkoff of being paranoid and having a bunker mentality.
Kevin Coughlin: You can be a vindictive jerk and be effective in keeping people in line but be totally ineffective at winning elections. I think that's what's on display at the county party right now, and something we intend to change.
Coughlin said his group will name candidates for the central committee and its leader that will change the tenor of Republican politics in the county of more than 500,000 residents.
Kevin Coughlin: The new face of the Republican Party in Summit County is gonna be much younger than it is today, much more energetic and much more focused on winning.
For his part, Arshinkoff has discounted claims that there's dissention in the ranks. He said he's busy working on his party's main fundraising dinner of the year -- not fighting a secret army.
Alex Arshinkoff: You've gotta be able to stand on your record, and I'm willing to stand on mine. We are 'Fort Apache'. We are the underdogs and we've suffered from scandals like the Tom Noe scandal. By the way, I've never received a contribution from Tom Noe. There's only one candidate in Summit, really two candidates, Kevin and his wife are the only two candidates who received contributions from Tom Noe.
Coughlin donated his Noe contribuitions to charity.
Both men are formidable political forces in the county. Coughlin has spent more than a decade in Columbus as a state representative and senator. Arshinkoff was elected to lead county Republicans at 23. Now 52, he has been a force in presidential victories that goes back to Reagan, and made Summit County one of the state's two top republican moneymakers along with much larger Hamilton County.
It will be months before this battle has a winner. Central Committee members have 60 days after the March 2008 primary to either vote in a new party leader or re-elect Arshinkoff to another two-year term.
Kymberli Hagelberg, 90.3.