Romney's Tour: 3 out of 3

--- Mitt Romney has visited 3 countries----- Great Britain, Israel, and Poland, and has managed to have gaffes, screw-ups and mistakes in each country!!!!  This morning, we have this:
The Atlantic Wire:

Mitt Romney's press secretary got so mad at reporters yelling questions at the candidate that he yelled back, "Kiss my ass. This is a holy site for the Polish people. Show some respect." Romney was visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, and aide Rick Gorka was so moved by the sacred spot that the violation of a respectful silence compelled him to swear. The outburst was six days into Romney's eventful foreign tour, and there seem to be some tensions between the reporters assigned to cover him and his aides, judging by their complaints on Twitter. It's one of those situations where people who don't like each other are forced to share a small space. That's rare in adult life, which is why they have to use some artificial conceit to make it happen on reality shows, and which is why we spectators like to enjoy the reality show-like outburst.

After Gorka's "kiss" comment -- the audio captured by CNN's Jim Acosta, naturally -- Gorka told Politico's Jonathan Martin to "shove it." Gorka later apologized to two reporters for being "inappropriate." But that doesn't mean everything's all better. Martin notes that Romney hasn't answered questions from the traveling press corps since he took just three questions back in London last Thursday....

Mitt Romney & company have embarrassed us all.

>>>> If you want to see the kinds of bills that have been sponsored by Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th), visit this LINK.  See if you can figure out which groups Stivers is protecting/helping (NOTE: It isn't  his constituents!). Here are the numbers and titles some of the bills from the Library of Congress:

1. H.R.1539 : Asset-Backed Market Stabilization Act of 2011

2. H.R.2214 : Debt Elimination By Tax-Deductible Contribution Act of 2011

3. H.R.2439 : Removing GSEs Charters During Receivership Act of 2011

4. H.R.2779 : To exempt inter-affiliate swaps from certain regulatory requirements put in place by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

5. H.R.3410 : Energy Security and Transportation Jobs Act

6. H.R.3559 : Insurance Data Protection Act ....

11. H.R.4193 : Land Acquisition to cut National Debt Act ...

13. H.R.5508 : To extend the temporary suspension of duty on electrically operated pencil sharpeners.

14. H.R.5509 : To suspend temporarily the duty on 4-Vinylbenzenesulfonic acid, sodium salt hydrate.

15. H.R.5510 : To extend the temporary suspension of duty on certain smooth nonwoven fiberglass sheets of a type primarily used as acoustical facing for ceiling panels.

16. H.R.5511 : To suspend temporarily the duty on 4-Vinylbenzenesulfonic acid, lithium salt....

23. H.R.6105 : To amend the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to allow non-Federally insured credit unions to become members of a Federal Home Loan Bank.

 Count them up---How many of these bills protect banks, manufacturers of dangerous products, and the wealthy? To see the complete list of bills sponsored by Steve Stivers, visit this LINK.

*** I've completely turned off the Today Show. After the way NBC treated Ann Curry, it is just difficult to give the Today Show my attention.  In the morning I now view the Bill Press and Stephanie Miller on Current TV.

This morning, Bill Press interviewed a gentlemen, Mr. Wilhelm, that represents hotel workers.  I learned that non-union housekeepers in Hyatt Hotels are required to do 30 bathrooms/day. OMG!  Can you imagine doing 30 bathrooms/day, by yourself?  Because of the turnover of workers, Hyatt is now hiring temporary workers to clean rooms. Ouch! That can't be good. Wouldn't the management be worried about security and quality in having new workers everyday? Instead of providing help and assistance to their current housekeepers, Hyatt spends more money to hire outside workers. (When a worker from a service is hired, a company pays a service fee over and above the pay rate of the temporary worker.)

There is a website that you can view and add your support: http://www.hyatthurts.org/
If you are looking for a hotel, you might want to avoid these hotels listed at Hyatt Hurts.

Romney: Gaffe Generator

*** Mitt Romney's international tour continues today as he appears in Poland. After Romney embarrassed the nation in London, angered some of the people in Israel, now he heads to Poland where he'll bathe in the memories of Reagan and Gdansk. Other than collecting campaign cash in London and Jerusalem, you wonder if Romney has convinced anyone that he is really ready for the world stage.  Romney still looks like an amateur.

Just as rock bands have groupies that follow them everywhere, Mitt Romney has at least one groupie.  Unfortunately, Romney's groupie is a lot older than the typical band follower.  Sheldon Adelson, big GOP donor, was also in Israel for Romney's speech.

Pantagraph:

Mitt Romney told Jewish donors Monday that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians, outraging Palestinian leaders who called his comments racist and out of touch.

"As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 dollars, and compare that with the GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality," the Republican presidential candidate told about 40 wealthy donors who breakfasted around a U-shaped table at the luxurious King David Hotel.

The reaction of Palestinian leaders to Romney's comments was swift and pointed....

Considering the long history of problems between Jews and Palestinians, you wonder why Romney had to open his mouth and say anything that compared the two groups.  Romney seems to be a gaffe machine. Doesn't Romney know that the best thing to do on an international tour is to smile, shake hands, and offer pleasant greetings? 

••••••  Plunderbund has more on Gov. John Kasich's latest secret meetings.  According to Plunderbund, Kasich is  holding closed door meetings on school funding and consolidation.

Forget "Twit"- Romney is a "Wimp"

*  You might not have seen this week's cover story from Newsweek-

Romney- The Wimp Factor

Following Mitt Romney disastrous visit to London, here part of the cover story from  Newsweek:

..Mitt Romney managed to alienate just about every living Briton. He didn’t merely criticize the organizers or bureaucrats—he questioned the people of Britain themselves: “Do [the people] come together and celebrate the Olympic moment?” He wasn’t sure. The Sun even went so far as to dub him “Mitt the Twit.”

It was an astonishing faux pas—one of many packed into his brief visit. And it makes one wonder: if elected, Romney is going to have to work hand-in-glove with Prime Minister David Cameron and other world leaders on the ongoing global financial crisis and other issues. What unintended offenses are going to tumble out of his mouth then, when he’s representing our nation on the world stage?

The episode highlights what’s really wrong with Romney. He’s kind of lame, and he’s really ... annoying. He keeps saying these ... things, these incredibly off-key things. Then he apologizes immediately—with all the sincerity of a hostage. Or maybe he doesn’t: sometimes he whines about the subsequent attacks on him. But the one thing he never does? Man up, double down, take his lumps.....

Since some people do consider Romney a "wimp" this might explain why he has so easily fallen in line with many of the same people associated with the administration of George W. Bush.  Romney's staff on foreign policy and defense include many neo-cons.  The same neo-cons that pushed us into war with Iraq. He seems unable and unwilling to stand up to them with his own set of beliefs.

Is Ohio still a toss-up?

>>>  Some pollster believe that Ohio should no longer be counted as a toss-up state because President Barack Obama is gaining strength in the polls.  Real Clear Politics:

Ohio: Romney vs. Obama

Polling Data

Poll	Date	Sample	Obama (D)	Romney (R)	Spread
RCP Average	6/19 - 7/24	--	47.4	42.4	Obama +5.0
WeAskAmerica*	7/24 - 7/24	1115 LV	48	40	Obama +8
Rasmussen Reports	7/18 - 7/18	500 LV	47	45	Obama +2
Purple Strategies	7/9 - 7/13	600 LV	48	45	Obama +3
PPP (D)	6/21 - 6/24	673 RV	47	44	Obama +3
Quinnipiac	6/19 - 6/25	1237 RV	47	38	Obama +9

In my humble opinion, Ohio's vote is being influenced by what citizens think of Gov. John Kasich.  Ohioans do not approve of Kasich, and they certainly do not like Mitt Romney.

- - - - - - -

* Republican Mitt Romney doesn't want anyone to find out what a total twit he is on foreign policy, so his campaign has banned the press from his big fundraising event in Jerusalem.

HuffPost:

..Romney's campaign is barring reporters from a fundraiser at Jerusalem's King David Hotel and not saying why. At U.S. events, Romney's remarks to donors in communal spaces such as hotels are typically public.

President Barack Obama allows reporters to hear his words at fundraisers, though he generally bars them from listening to question-and-answer sessions with those in attendance. The president sometimes allows coverage of his remarks at events in private homes.

Romney traveling press secretary Rick Gorka, asked to comment, simply said, "Closed press, closed press, closed press," as he walked down the aisle of the candidate's campaign plane during the flight from London to Tel Aviv....

From the Jerusalem Post we have more on the Romney visit:

...The media will be limited to a photo-op before their Sunday morning meeting.

Over the past few months, the prime minister has downplayed the perception that emerged following a New York Times article in April that the two men were close friends. The article, which to some read as a warning to readers that Romney was somehow “in Netanyahu’s pocket,” characterized their ties as a “warm relationship, little known to outsiders.”

Netanyahu immediately poured cold water on that depiction and in an April interview with CNN said that after working at the same consulting firm with Romney in Boston 35 years ago he did not meet him again until many years later when he was finance minister and Romney was governor of Massachusetts....

Romney will be busy meeting and greeting people at his fundraiser that has minimum contribution of $50,000.

Friday!!!

***  Republican Leader Eric Cantor  of Virginia has displayed once again that he is an idiot.  Cantor has refused to condemn the bizarre claims of Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann. Huffington Post has the details.

Cantor's Democratic opponent is retired Army Colonel Wayne Powell. Powell's candidacy has gained a lot of attention, especially from the large number of people that are displeased with Cantor's lack of interest in helping the middle class. Check out some info on Cantor at http://www.cancantor.com/.

>>>  With Romney going to Israel, how will the people of Israel react to members of Romney's church baptizing Jews, after their deaths.  The story, published in USA Today, shows that despite calls to stop, some LDS church members were continuing the practice.

****  How will Mitt Romney embarrass our country today? 

Romney is Inept and Embarrassing

***  Mitt Romney just started his "tour" overseas and he has already managed to insult the British people, the British government, and the Olympic organizers.  Romney continues to show that he just doesn't have that certain diplomacy that it takes when you visit another country as a guest. Not only has Romney demonstrated his clumsiness in talking with  regular human beings (Do you remember the cookie disaster in Pittsburgh?), now we see that he just doesn't know how to act when meeting dignitaries.  Romney looks like a buffoon!

HuffPost:

Mitt Romney, in his first trip abroad as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is trying to walk back comments he made questioning London's Olympics preparation -- comments that have drawn a sharp response from Prime Minister David Cameron.

The dustup began Wednesday, as Romney, who ran the 2002 Salt Lake City games, said there were "disconcerting" signs in the days before this year's games....

...In another faux pas, Romney announced his meeting with MI6, the U.K. Secret Intelligence Service whose existence was only acknowledged by the British government in 1994....

We should all hope that Romney's clumsiness goes away, but considering his advisors are leftovers from the administration of George W. Bush, we'll probably see more of these awkward Romney moments.

Hiding Something, Willard?

* Some people say Mitt Romney knows how to create jobs. I question that idea.  Mitt Romney was able to create jobs overseas when Bain took over companies, closed plants, fired workers, and then set up the factories out of the U.S. 

Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts was terrible.  Job creation in Massachusetts under Gov. Romney placed the state 47th out of 50 states.  There is more. A piece by CBS Boston takes issues with Romney's business practices:

W. Mitt Romney has a penchant for duplicity and secrecy. Romney has no interest in revealing what he did while he held the public’s trust, both as head of the Olympics and as Governor of Massachusetts.

Now, as he campaigns for the highest office in the land, he runs a campaign of secret plans funded by secret bundlers....

....One of the few management details that is known is that that Romney tried to steer Olympic business from Office Depot to Staples, a company he sat on the board of while running the Games. Perhaps there are more links between Romney’s finances, Bain and the Olympics....

 Hiding something, Willard?

848,000 Jobs

•  Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH-Democrat) has worked hard to help our veterans and protect our seniors.  Here is a local news story that shows how Sen. Brown plans to continue those efforts.
WCMH:

Sen. Sherrod Brown's support of President Obama's rescue of the American auto plan helped keep 848,000 auto jobs in Ohio.  (Mandel, Kasich, and Romney were against it.) In case you might be interested---- Republican candidate, Josh Mandel supports the Paul Ryan plan that would cripple Social Security and end Medicare.

There is a new group for right wing women that want their paycheck and reproductive rights controlled by Mitt Romney.  There is a group called Women for Mitt on Facebook (with 1,500 Likes).  I'm surprised there are that many women that like Romney.

As for me, I'm supporting President Obama. The Women for Obama Facebook page has 675,000+ Likes).

*****

This just in:

EXCUSE ME!!!!!  Did Romney just call President Barack Obama "corrupt" in front of the VFW????  See the Las Vegas Sun for details.  Are you kidding me????  Shame on Romney!!!!!!!

Secret Money

Dayton Daily News:

Outside groups such as Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS are pumping millions of dollars into U.S. Senate races including Ohio’s, raising complaints among Democrats that independent, secretive PACs are distorting the election process with a seemingly unlimited flow of money from groups that do not have to disclose their donors....

....At least $11 million has been spent against Brown by so-called social welfare nonprofits, known as 501c’s because of their IRS tax designation, according to amounts released by the groups. These organizations are also exempt from donor and spending limits and Federal Election Commission filings because they say supporting or opposing candidates is not their primary activity.

As a result, it is not clear who is bankrolling the ad campaign against Brown....

I think every Ohioan would like to know which people from outside of Ohio are propping up a thoroughly weak, pro-right wing candidate like Republican Josh Mandel.  Josh Mandel cannot even do his current job as Ohio Treasurer and continues to depend on his political appointees and  others to carry out his duties while he visits his contributors around the state, the country, and the Bahamas.

Any group that has a connection with sexist Karl Rove cannot be worth anything. If you need more information, on Karl Rove, just Google Karl Rove and Valerie Plame.  You can also watch the movie, "Fair Game" or read the book.

-------

The Boston Herald has information about some of Bain Capital's early investors.  It is very frightening that Mitt Romney accepted money from the people described in the article. Did Mitt Romney worship money and invest with people with questionable backgrounds?  

Five! 5!

5

Five

Cinco

Cinq

Cinque

No matter how you say the number, it is still incredible! This may go down in the annals of history! Here is the astounding news------

Republican Josh Mandel has just received his fifth designation of "PANTS ON FIRE" from Politifact Ohio.  You are probably asking yourself how that could even be possible!!!!!!

Here are the cold hard facts from  Politifact Ohio:

All Pants on Fire! statements involving Josh Mandel

   1. The Affordable Care Act "will likely go down as the biggest tax increase in history." 

   2.  Sherrod Brown "gave huge bonuses to executives." 

   3.  "Make no mistake -- Sherrod Brown is one of the main D.C. politicians responsible for Ohio jobs moving to China." 

    For Josh Mandel's "Pants On Fire" statements #4 & #5, visit this Politifact Ohio link.

I would be remiss in not pointing out that Josh Mandel has had a history of problems with his statements.  Politifact Ohio also has its rulings on Josh Mandel's other statements including 3 False  and 2 Mostly False.

Where is Josh Mandel's integrity, honesty, ethics, and just plain common sense?  How can he be trusted when he doesn't even show up for his job as Ohio Treasurer?  How can we have faith in someone like Mandel when he has abandoned his job as Treasurer to seek fame and campaign contributions from special interest groups in Hawaii, Texas, Illinois, Utah, Florida, New York, Kentucky, Washington, DC, and the Bahamas?

I'll be voting for Sen. Sherrod Brown.  I might be just a grandmother from central  Ohio, but I can honestly say that Sen. Sherrod Brown has worked for all the people.  

Sen. Sherrod Brown 

• has demonstrated his support for the working men and women in Ohio. He opposed the Ohio Republicans and Gov. John Kasich's legislation known as SB 5/Issue 2.  Sen. Sherrod Brown stood with Ohio's police, fire fighters, nurses, teachers, and state workers to oppose the GOP plan that would have denied workers' rights. 
• has worked to help our veterans find jobs and has been of great assistance to our veterans and their families.
• has continued to push for more job creation, even when facing the Republican obstructionists in the Senate. 
• supports the rights of women for pay equity and our rights to our own reproductive choice. 
• has worked tirelessly to keep low interest rates on college loans. 
• supported President Obama's plan to help American automakers survive. 

We need to keep Sen. Sherrod Brown as our U.S. Senator because he has shown us time and time again that he is for us-- the men, women, children, the elderly, the poor, college students, and everyone that calls Ohio home.

Disturbing

* The shooting in a Colorado movie theater is so awful.  Our hearts go out to the friends and families of the victims.

•••••••••••••••••••••

>>>  The list of special interest groups supporting Josh Mandel is getting longer, and the out of state PACs make you wonder why they'd support someone like Mandel.  Has he made them any promises? I'm just asking.

The following information concerning campaign contributions to the campaign of Republican Josh Mandel is from the FEC (Federal Elections Commission):

Club for Growth, Washington, D.C.-- Total $14,643 (from 6/11-11/11)
Senate Conservatives Fund (of Alexandria, VA)- Total $89,000+ (from 6/29/11-5/31/12)
Citizens for Josh Mandel, also received $10,000 from the Senate Conservatives Fund, Alexandria, VA.

If you'd like to see which outside groups are propping up Josh Mandel, check the following links:
Josh Mandel, candidate at FEC

Citizens for Josh Mandel at FEC

Josh Mandel also seems to be the darling of the PACs of oil companies, banks, payday lenders, Halliburton, insurance companies, coal companies, the Maverick PAC of Texas, etc.  Why would these outside groups support a candidate with poor attendance in his current job as Ohio Treasurer and very light legislative experience?

Women Voters Will Make the Difference

* It appears that women voters are holding strong for President Obama in many recent polls.  Could it be that women are just tired of the Republicans and Mitt Romney being overly concerned with their female reproductive parts and the GOP's anti-pay equity for women?

A new Quinnipiac Poll demonstrates the firm resolve of women voters in New Jersey in their support of President Obama and Sen. Robert Menendez. Quinnipiac finds that 53% of New Jersey women voters support President Obama, and 52% of women voters support Sen. Menendez.

Quinnipiac:

...New Jersey voters give President Barack Obama a 49 - 38 percent lead over Mitt Romney. Democrats back Obama 89 - 3 percent while Romney leads 86 - 7 percent among Republicans. Independent voters tip to Obama 43 - 39 percent. Men split 44 - 43 percent while women back Obama 53 - 33 percent.....

We must be certain that women exercise their right to vote.

> A recent rally in Philadelphia, featured Alicia Keys, Valerie Jarrett, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as speakers.  Politicspa:

...The speakers outlined what they believe women could lose if Romney was elected: fair pay (Romney has not yet commented on Obama’s first law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act), birth control options (available under the Affordable Care Act which Romney has vowed to repeal) and affordable education (available via Obama’s student loan reforms.)...

...According to the Philly Clout, women backed Obama 51-36 in a June 12 Quinnipiac University Poll of registered Pennsylvania voters while men backed Romney 44-40 percent.

Women need to show their strength at the polls.

Make Your Choice

* Right wingers in Ohio keep tweeting the same message:Twitter-- ".....conservatives rally around Josh Mandel..." They should keep putting out the same words because it just turns off more Ohio voters. Ohio is not a conservative state, especially after we've had John Kasich as the governor.

People that are against equal pay for women and men....
People that are against reproductive freedom for women....
If you want poor performing charter schools to misuse your tax money.....
If you believe the wealthy need more tax cuts.....
If you were against President Obama saving the American auto industry......
If you believe that workers should not be able to speak up for their safety on the job....
If you believe that Medicare should be abolished and vouchers should be used....
  you need to vote for Republican Josh Mandel, Ohio's often absent Treasurer.

However, if you believe
....in equal pay for women,
.....reproductive freedom for women,
....more money should go into public schools from the state,
....tax increases for the wealthy,
.....President Obama saved the American auto industry and thousands of Ohio jobs,
.....workers have the right to bargain for safety on the job,
.....Medicare should remain as it is,
......men and women that are members of the LGBT community should have rights too,
......that the rich should not be able to buy elections,
Vote for Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate.

More Elitism

* Another example of Mitt Romney's arrogance, and disdain for working people has surfaced. 

CBS News:

...Addressing 300 contributors at a Jackson, Miss., fundraiser who paid $2,500, $10,000 or $50,000 to hear him speak, Romney acknowledged that the people in the room were well-off compared to many Americans. It was the middle class that had been let down by Obama, Romney said, and he pointed to the wait staff serving finger foods as an example.

"It's tough being middle class in America right now," Romney said. "The waiters and waitresses that come in and out of this room and offer us refreshments, they're not having a good year. The people of the middle class of America are really struggling. And they're struggling I think in a way because they're surprised because when they voted for Barack Obama...he promised them that things were going to get a heck a lot of better. He promised hope and change and they're still waiting."

To show his appreciation for the hardworking men and women working his event, Mitt Romney embarrasses them and uses them as examples.  Mitt Romney is an elitist.

>>>>  Would  you benefit from the Romney tax plan?  There is an image that shows who benefits from the Romney plan:
Bostatic

Why doesn't Romney care about regular Americans?

"Most Dangerous"

Ohioans must feel so embarrassed.  Ohio Gov. John Kasich made the list of the "12 Most Dangerous Governors" as described by the CurrentTV website:

...Ohio Gov. John Kasich followed in Scott Walker's footsteps, taking public bargaining rights away from public employees. Voters later repealed the measure. Kasich also made budget cuts that forced towns to cut back on public safety and close fire stations....

No matter how highly John Kasich thinks of his work as governor, the people continue to view his tenure in an unsatisfactory way.

****  In case you might have forgotten, the Teamsters want you to remember this about Josh Mandel:
YouTube

A letter to the editor of the Lima News asks the following question:

So Josh Mandel won’t be bossed around by anyone. Does that count the people (or person) responsible for the $10.5 million spent so far on his behalf?

Thanks to the Supreme Court we don’t know who it is, but Mandel has already been given the order to be nothing but an obstacle when it comes to solving problems....

It is very obvious that the last people Josh Mandel cares about are the working men and women in Ohio.   A quick search at the FEC should provide some answers.

Lowest Taxes in 30 Years Under Obama!

••••> Talking Points Memo:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has enough votes to pass President Obama’s plan to extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone’s first $250,000 in income, according to his office … if Republicans agree not to filibuster it....

What will the Republicans do? 

> According to the Congressional Budget Office, taxes are at a 30 year low under President Obama.

The Ed Show: 

 

Ed Schultz ‏@edshow

Hilary Shelton of @NAACP is telling ‪#edshow‬ that Mitt Romney brought in his own audience to NAACP speech today... 

That must be how Romney claimed to have secret Black supporters (see TPM). He flew them in to attend his speech but they were not part of the NAACP convention.  I guess we'll see the names of the secret Black supporters that Romney has right after he releases information about his secret money in tax havens.

In case you are interested, there is more about Romney bringing in his own African-American supporters to the NAACP convention here.

Romney Wants to Restrict Your Education

Yo!  College students!  Mitt Romney wants to restrict how much education you get.
Rachel Maddow, the smartest woman on television, caught this little nugget from Romney---

Maddowblog:

 YouTube

...The key phrase: Romney wants young people to "get as much education as they can afford." That's not really the way American society is supposed to work -- if you're a young person who's bright, works hard, and wants to further you're education, your public leaders and public institutions aren't supposed to say, "Sorry, you're not wealthy enough to pursue educational opportunities."

But that's Romney's message in a nutshell. Indeed, in March, the GOP candidate explained his intention to cut Pell Grants and encourage students who struggle with tuition costs to "shop around" until they can find a college they can afford.

And then, of course, there's Romney's plan for the student-loan system, which he intends to make worse, on purpose, in order to boost bank profits for no reason. It's arguably the most scandalous element of Romney education agenda, and most voters probably aren't aware of how absurd it is...

With restrictions like Romney's proposals, we (my husband and I) never would have been able to further our education.  

Open Your Eyes to the Truth

Republican Josh Mandel's less than stellar campaign has Mandel now claiming he'll go against his own GOP bosses, if elected.  Really?  He never did it before when he was in the Ohio General Assembly.

DaytonDailyNews:

...In his first two-year term, when the GOP controlled the Ohio House, Mandel voted with Republicans 97.2 percent of the time, according to the House clerk’s office. In his second term, when the Democrats were in charge, Mandel joined Republicans on 94.2 percent of the votes....

...Mandel routinely refuses to answer media questions about his positions on pending bills before Congress, making it difficult to gauge how he might vote as a U.S. senator. He did say he would have voted against the $2.1 trillion debt-ceiling deal, and he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court recently upheld.....

The biggest punishment Josh Mandel could have would be to not elect him for the Senate and force him to finish his term as Ohio Treasurer, which apparently he hates.

* It appears that Gov. John Kasich is trying to take credit for Ted Strickland's "rainy day" fund.  Plunderbund has all the dirt on Kasich's lies and lack of full disclosure.

In other words, Kasich’s claim of running a surplus is based on a lower Medicaid case load, which is largely due to the fact that the Kasich Administration is covering even fewer eligible Ohioans.  Medicaid is an entitlement program.  Saying Kasich is running a budget surplus when he’s leaving an estimated half a million poor and elderly Ohioans from receiving the Medicaid they’re legally eligible and entitlted to receive is nothing to celebrate.  Kasich’s “surplus” is built on denying poor Ohioans health care that they could not otherwise get… leaving them to either not seek treatment at all or force them to accept ER care which creates an unfunded mandate on hospitals.

Source: PlunderBund (http://s.tt/1hiEA)

* The Christian Science Monitor has an online quiz to check what your political leanings are.  I found out that I'm "...a lefty...."  Wow. I'm so not surprised.

Mandel: Parroting Right Wing Mantra

The headline in the Canton Repository got my attention because it was absolutely ridiculous--- "Ohio Treasurer Mandel Knows Way to More Jobs":

Josh Mandel, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, visited the Repository on Friday to discuss his philosophy behind his jobs plan.

He believes the federal government will create more jobs by getting rid of regulations rather than passing new laws.....

What a bunch of ____ (fill in the blank)!

When Josh Mandel walks into a newspaper or media outlet for an interview, he does the talking (mostly repeating the talking points he has memorized). A reporter or editor should be cautioned ----please, please, please, don't ask him any questions that require any depth, explanation, or something outside the realm of his talking points. 

Josh Mandel probably hasn't really thought through any of the proposals his right wing talking puppet masters have given him. Josh Mandel wants to get rid of any regulations for clean air, water, and environment.  Is Josh Mandel willing to gamble your child's health so that -
(1) his investments in stocks will increase (see Marion Star for his portfolio),
(2) his campaign contributors that are major polluters will get richer,
(3) and his right wing talking point suppliers will love him forever.

Behind all of this is Josh Mandel's plan to not only get rid of regulations but to also give major tax cuts to the rich, top 1% contributors that have supported his campaign when regular citizens did not.

The only people Mandel will provide new jobs would be himself, and his fraternity pals (and their relatives), camp friends, high school and college buddies, kids of lobbyists (like someone in his Treasurer's office), and his campaign workers. You and I would not benefit from any Mandel/tea party Republican proposal.  If you  believe anything Mandel says, I'd like to show you some swampland......

Our U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is working for all of us.  Sherrod Brown has help farmers, working men and women, college students, the elderly, pet owners, veterans, etc.  Sen. Sherrod Brown cares about his constituents.

Jobs in Ohio

>>>  Have you heard about Mitt Romney's jobs plan.  Ezra Klein has details in the Washington Post:

...It’s true that Mitt Romney has a jobs plan, and that it includes 59 bullet points. But it’s not true that Obama hasn’t released anything similarly detailed. He’s released the American Jobs Act, which has 41 bullet points on its fact sheet. So Romney has a slight advantage in bullet points. But Obama’s plan has actually been written up as a 423-page piece of legislation, making it considerably more specific than anything Romney has put forward....

....In his news conference, Romney emphasized four ideas in his plan: expanding domestic energy production, working out trade agreements with Latin America, cracking down on China and cutting the corporate tax rate. These are all reasonable ideas. But working out trade agreements takes a long time. Getting the Keystone oil pipeline up and running takes a long time. Rewriting and implementing a new corporate tax code takes a long time.  Changing China’s policies takes a long time. It’s difficult to see how any of these ideas creates a substantial number of jobs quickly....

.....Obama has a plan for creating jobs now. Romney has a plan for changing the regulatory, budgetary and tax environment in which jobs are created later.

Romney's plan is the same old more tax cuts for the rich, cut regulations, blah, blah, blah,.....

*******

***  Job hunters in Ohio should take a look at the large number of openings in the Columbus metropolitan area:

Kroger has numerous listings for various skills.

GM has openings in Lucas and Defiance Counties, and in the city of Lordstown.

Penn National Gaming -- Columbus has 7 pages of openings.

Mt. Carmel Health Systems in central Ohio has about 200 openings for case managers, nurses, coding specialists, support staff, etc.

You might want to view Honda of America's opportunities.

Whole Foods has openings in several locations in Ohio.

A recent story at 10tv in Columbus, indicated that the Kroger Distribution Center in Delaware, Ohio, has lots of openings.

10TV:

Kroger Distribution Center
Delaware, Ohio
Now Hiring Order Selectors

starting pay $11.50/hr

pay increases every 6 months

up to $21.72/hr

bonus potential up to $5,000

earn up to an additional $5.25/hr

Productivity bonus

Full-time hours - paid vacations - medical, dental & prescription benefits - life insurance - 401(k) - employee stock purchase plan - discounts on Kroger brand products

Requirements :
Background check & drug screen

Apply online @ www.kroger.com, or at the main facility, located at 2000 Nutter Farms Lane, Delaware, Ohio 43015

Where is your money?

Does Mitt Romney believe in America?

Romneys Not Paying Fair Share

It is apparent that Mitch Romney doesn't really want to invest in the future of our country.  Apparently, the Romneys have taken investments out of our country and invested them in other countries.  Why? Do they believe that those countries are more stable? Are they trying to avoid paying their "fair share" of taxes?

The taxes we pay to the federal government support our military, our roads, our infrastructure, public education, and every aspect of our government services.  By not paying their fair share they are not supporting our military and all our government services. 

Here are a few of the countries that Mitt Romney has placed his investments (graphic from BarackObama.com):

Holy cow!   Zero percent tax rate????? OMG! 
This explains why Mitt Romney said, "Let Detroit go bankrupt."  He had not invested money, his efforts, or his heart in saving American jobs.

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* Have you told your children not to do anything that could come back and embarrass them in the future?  Apparently, Republican Josh Mandel didn't listen to those suggestions, as this picture, posted at Huffington Post reveals:  
http://tinyurl.com/7dhyoxx  The picture is part of an article at HuffPost.

Little Known Facts

* In an article publish in the Boston Herald on November 24, 2008 (article retrieved through library), information is provided that indicates that two of Mitt Romney's daughters-in-law contributed to California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 campaign. The Boise Backpage has more on this and the Romney family's ties to Prop 8 and other similar causes.

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>>Voters are worried about how many people lost jobs when Romney and Bain bought out companies. Would Romney allow corporations to get tax cuts to send jobs overseas?  Does Mitt Romney believe that profit is more important than human beings?

Washington Post (8/14/2007)

...Some deals caused controversy -- bringing job losses, questions about Bain's consulting and success fees, and lawsuits. During his first political campaign, for U.S. Senate in 1994, Romney was put on the defensive by incumbent Democrat Edward M. Kennedy , who highlighted the plight of 350 workers at an Indiana plant who lost their jobs after Bain bought out their parent company, Dallas -based Ampad.

Bain's takeovers of KB Toys and contact lens maker Wesley Jessen sparked legal battles that highlighted the extensive profits and fees Bain often earned. Bain reportedly made $350 million on its investment in Wesley but struck a nerve when it sought an additional $8 million fee for helping the lensmaker find a new owner. The new buyer objected, and a judge eventually ruled that Bain could not collect the fee....

Looks like Bain under Romney tried to squeeze as much profit as possible from the companies they "invested in" all while throwing people out of work.  Sounds to me like the greed at Bain was their overwhelming driving force. 

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Even though Republicans are claiming that the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") is the largest tax increase ever, Ezra Klein has the real facts.

Washington Post:

Since the Supreme Court decision, Republicans have been calling the Affordable Care Act “the largest tax increase in the history of the world.” Politifact rates this false. Kevin Drum’s got a table of the 15 significant tax increases since 1950, and the Affordable Care Act, which amounts to a tax increase of 0.49 percent of GDP, comes in 10th. Austin Frakt took Drum’s table and made a chart:

Republicans are not entitled to their own facts.

Mandel---Inaccurate Again!

>>>>>>  Republican Josh Mandel said the following, according to the Dispatch:
Josh Mandel told some workers at a medical device factory Thursday that when it comes to spending on his U.S. senate race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, Mandel's the little guy.
In remarks to workers at Smiths Medical in Dublin, Republican state treasurer Mandel decried the outside money spent on Brown's behalf against him, even though as of earlier this month outside groups had spent more than $8 million against Brown and about $2 million against Mandel......

Mandel appears to be inaccurate with his assessment.  Even Open Secrets shows that campaign contributions to Josh Mandel's campaign are coming from outside the state.

Opensecrets:

2012 Race: Ohio Senate

Outside Spending

Candidates Opposed/Supported

Candidate	All 2012 Total	Last Week Total	Last 24 Hours Total	Supported	Opposed
Mandel, Josh (R)	$1,936,730	$25,000	$0	$172,404	$1,764,326
Brown, Sherrod (D)	$48,874	$0	$0	$34,337	$14,537

Looks like another fable coming out of Josh Mandel's campaign.




*  It might be that I'm just hanging out in the Democratic sections of Ohio, but the Obama bumper stickers outnumber the Romney ones by 100 to 1.  Not all of the Romney campaign sites are up and functioning in Ohio, even though the Obama campaign has had a presence in the state for months.

*** How would you feel if you were in the middle of cancer treatments, and suddenly your health insurance was pulled away due to the Republicans repealing the Affordable Care Act?  That would be awful!  Keep in mind that the Republicans believe that having health insurance and medical care is a privilege that the rich should be able to have.  The arrogance of Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, and the rest of the champagne-sipping, custom suit wearing Republicans just makes me ill.  They want to be able to decide what happens in your uterus, which people get medical treatment, and which treatments are used. 

The hospital emergency room cannot refuse you care, if you don't have insurance.  However, if you don't have health insurance, some hospitals will not admit you, and some physicians will not see you because they refuse to take anyone without health insurance.  Some physicians will not see you if you have an outstanding balance to their office.  It all comes down to rights and privileges.  In the Republican world, the rich have the rights, and the poor have no privileges.