Stubborn Liberal

Still No Exotic Animal Law in Ohio

2012-02-10T00:45:00.000-05:00

* The Ohio Republicans that control the state legislature have not passed a bill to restrict the ownership of exotic animals. Last fall, Zanesville, Ohio, saw the owner of a private zoo release exotic animals before taking his own life. The result was outrage around the world.
Jack Hanna shared his concerns about the public's safety.

RomeNewTribune:

Celebrity zookeeper Jack Hanna criticized Ohio lawmakers Thursday for not yet passing a bill to regulate exotic animals, months after authorities shot nearly dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other wild creatures let loose by their suicidal owner.

A Republican state senator from Zanesville, the eastern Ohio city where the animals were shot, had planned to introduce a bill this week but then said it was not ready. There is no new timetable for the measure.

"What's it going to take, everyone, to pass a bill? Someone else getting killed?" Hanna said during his remarks to an Ohio newspaper trade group......

The dangers of exotic animals associated with private ownership are real. That doesn't seem to matter to Ohio's Republicans. The work schedule of the Ohio General Assembly is really disgusting. It is no wonder they get nothing done. Don't you wish you had a job with good pay and little work?

Legislative calendar:

February 2012 [Back to Top]	Senate	House
Tue. Feb 07	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Feb 08		Session at 1:30 p.m.
Thu. Feb 09		Committee Hearings
Tue. Feb 14	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Feb 15	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 1:30 p.m.
Thu. Feb 16		Committee Hearings
March 2012 [Back to Top]	Senate	House
Tue. Mar 13	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Mar 14	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 1:30 p.m.
Thu. Mar 15	Committee Hearings	Committee Hearings
Tue. Mar 20	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Mar 21	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 1:30 p.m.
Thu. Mar 22	Committee Hearings	Committee Hearings
Tue. Mar 27	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Mar 28	Session at 1:30 p.m.	Session at 1:30 p.m.
Thu. Mar 29	Committee Hearings	Committee Hearings

They are hardly working.

*** What have we here? Yes, folks, we have another stupid idea from Republicans.

Raw Story:

A Republican State Representative in New Hampshire has found a way to create a new front in the war on workers, proposing a bill that would repeal the state’s law requiring that workers get a 30-minute lunch break after five hours of labor.

State Rep. J.R. Hoell (R), a supporter of libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) for president, told a New Hampshire General Court committee this week that he believes the law is unnecessary because it is in employers’ interest to treat workers well, according to The Concord Monitor.

His argument was seconded by state Rep. Kyle Jones (R), a 20-year-old Ron Paul backer who earned a seat in the New Hampshire General Court during the last election as part of a mother-son candidate slate....

Is there something organically wrong with the Republican brain that allows them to come up with completely ignorant, disrespectful proposals?

Kasich and More Job Losses

2012-02-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

*** Gov. John Kasich's long and winding state of the state speech is getting more scrutiny today. HuffPost has details about some of the lows of the speech as well as Kasich's imitation of someone with Parkinson's disease. Those of us who have loved ones with Parkinson's are not at all impressed by Kasich's talk about the disease. To be fair, Kasich should have prepared his speech and therefore, he would have gotten his facts straight. Instead, he looks like a complete jerk, as usual.

>>>>> The Warn Notice has not gone up on the planned layoffs in Ohio for Eastman Kodak. However, the Chiquita warn notice is up and they plan to layoff 200 people in Hamilton County. As of the first of the year, over 1500 have lost jobs in Ohio. This is another example of Kasich's failure to keep and bring in more jobs to the state.

* To tell you the truth, I really hadn't heard of this latest right wing controversy until today. Apparently some right wing hatemongers are targeting JC Penney because the company has hired Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. The right wingers boycotting JC Penney do not like Ellen DeGeneres because she is gay. Eonline has all the details.

Give me a break. If right wingers are against Ellen and JC Penney, then I'll make sure to watch Ellen's show and shop at JC Penney. My Mother always shopped at JC Penney for many household items. Since JC Penney has is standing by Ellen, I'll stand by them.

* I'm so, so, so, sick of right wing conservative men who want to determine my reproductive decisions!!!!!!!!! Someone, anyone, please tell John Boehner that Catholic women are already taking birth control pills. (See HuffPost on Boehner's demands.)

PennLive:

...Birth control usage is nearly universal among American women with 99 percent of all sexually experienced women — and 98 percent of sexually experienced Catholic women — using birth control at some point in their lives....

Kasich Contributor Gets Big Return

2012-02-07T20:19:00.000-05:00

Pay to play???? You betcha!!!!

* Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website reports:
The Kasich-Taylor committee received $4,040 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for KPMG...

ClevelandPlainDealer:

The state is on track to spend up to $2.85 million for consultants to study options that would wring transportation funding from the Ohio Turnpike....

...The state Controlling Board is expected to vote on the contract with KPMG Corporate Finance LLC, of Austin, Texas, Monday.

KPMG's team will look at scenarios that include keeping the turnpike as is; putting it under ODOT control and using a portion of toll revenue to finance transportation projects; or leasing it out for up-front cash and a portion of yearly revenues...

What a deal! KPMG's people contributed money, now they will be granted $2.85 million from the state to do the study!!! Ohio has just seen the old "pay to play" reinstated. Kasich's buddies have their noses in the trough.

I am thankful that I missed the State of the State speech given by Gov. John Kasich today. He wasted 80 minutes of people's lives with his babbling.

Mitt-Not So Much

2012-02-07T09:32:00.000-05:00

A new poll shows how Americans think of Mitt Romney.

ABC News:

....Fifty percent of Americans in this new ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Obama’s job performance, the most since spring. Fifty percent say he deserves re-election, better than Bill Clinton at the start of his re-election year and as good as George W. Bush a month before he won a second term. And Obama now leads Romney among registered voters by a slight 51-45 percent, the first time either has cracked 50 percent in a series of matchups since spring......

The other: questions focused on Romney’s wealth, his low tax burden and, relatedly, his ability to connect with average Americans. Notably, 52 percent in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, say the more they hear about Romney the less they like him – double the number who like him more.

Based on his roughly 14 percent tax rate on 2010 income of about $22 million, the public by a broad 66-30 percent says Romney is not paying his fair share of taxes; even nearly half of Republicans say so, as do half of very conservative Americans. The public by 53-36 percent, a 17-point margin, thinks Obama better understands the economic problems people are having. Obama leads Romney by 55-37 percent in trust to better protect the interests of the middle class, and remarkably, by 10 points, 52-42 percent, in trust to handle taxes.....

Let me highlight that important sentence from the ABC News report:

...Notably, 52 percent in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, say the more they hear about Romney the less they like him – double the number who like him more.....

Whoa! Do you think that Romney's presidential campaign that seems like it has been going on since 2007, just is boring the heck out of people? It also might be that Romney seems to lack passion. His lack of passion for the poor, minorities, the unemployed, the elderly, etc., just makes people wince every single time he speaks. Personally, I look away from the TV when his face appears, and I automatically disregard what he says. Americans just doesn't have it.

Mitt Romney is about as exciting, creative, and interesting as a baloney sandwich on white bread.

The Continuing Assault on Women

2012-02-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

The recent controversy surround Komen's intention to cut ties with Planned Parenthood is an example of how the right continues to try to tear apart the rights of women. If conservatives had their way, women would not be able to have birth control or any reproductive freedom regarding their own bodies. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, has authored many bills to criminalize the use of birth control pills (see YouTube), even as they use false claims about what birth control pills do.

The fallout continues as Komen tries to regain its footing following their huge public relations disaster. As we look back, we can see perhaps the origin of the controversy. SouthernStudies indicates that fingers are being pointed at Karen Handel:

....Republican and staunch abortion opponent Karen Handel, who became Komen's VP for Public Policy in April 2011.

The latest evidence comes from The Huffington Post now says that , which claims to have viewed internal emails confirming Handel's instigator role, as well as providing this anonymous email from a Komen staffer:

Karen Handel was the prime instigator of this effort, and she herself personally came up with investigation criteria. She said, 'If we just say it's about investigations, we can defund Planned Parenthood and no one can blame us for being political.'

Handel's other work shows her as an advocate for more restrictive voting rights.

Women must continue to be alert to those on the right who'd like us to return to the days of the 1500's. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to give up my rights as a modern American woman just to satisfy some conservatives. Most Republican presidential candidates appear likely to push for restrictions on birth control, voters' rights, and even free speech. A true indication of a man is the way he treats women. Take a look at these candidates and their relationships with women and you'll see what they think about you.

Stock Market Up

2012-02-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

--- WashingtonPost:

A drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years propelled the Dow Jones industrial average Friday to its highest close since May 2008, before the financial meltdown later that year. The Nasdaq composite index hit an 11-year high.

The Dow jumped 156.82 points to 12,862.23, its highest mark since May 19, 2008, about four months before Lehman Brothers investment bank collapsed. In May 2008, credit markets were tightening up, subprime mortgages were going sour and Bear Stears had already collapsed.

Before the market opened, the Labor Department said the economy added 243,000 jobs in January. It was the strongest job growth in nine months. The increase in hiring pushed the unemployment rate down to 8.3 percent, the lowest since February 2009.....

Can you imagine how many jobs would have been created if the Republicans would have supported President Obama's job bills? Millions and millions of jobs would have been given to millions and millions of Americans. But Republicans would rather sit on their tucheses and do nothing, nothing, and nothing! Republicans are delighted that you don't have a job.

*** Voters have gotten a peek into the rivalry between Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Chairman of the Ohio GOP, Kevin DeWine. Kasich has been trying to remove Kevin DeWine from his leadership post since January 2011.

ONNTV:

Gov. John Kasich and supporters who are mounting a coup against incumbent Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine suffered a major setback Friday.

Incumbent members of the Ohio Republican Party central committee voted narrowly to severely restrict membership on the committee.

A move designed to help DeWine....

I'm no fan of either guy, but I'm all for anything that restricts the power of John Kasich.

**** Will someone explain to me why Sen. Orrin Hatch is so disrespectful toward President Obama? Sen. Hatch must not honor that part of the Bible that says that we should be our "brother's keeper" because he criticized a speech given by the President which advocated helping others (see Raw Story). President Obama never said that he was Jesus Christ. Hatch is a little confused.

Also, during the prayer breakfast this morning, while President Obama was giving his speech, Republican Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia, walked out. Gingrey, according to the Marietta News, said the President was "politicking." I think Gingrey is out of line. The President was sharing the concept of helping each other.

Just Awful

2012-02-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

* When I read this story today, I was absolutely horrified. How could this happen?

SunTimes:

The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates — creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.

The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.....

Women who've been able to get exams at Planned Parenthood because of grant money it received from Komen are now out of luck. How did this happen? Here is a hint......

Salon:

...Komen says the move is just about “newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities.” You know what else is pretty “new” around Komen? Its senior vice president of public policy, Karen Handel. During the Sarah Palin-endorsed, Tea Party favorite’s 2010 campaign for governor of Georgia, Handel declared, “I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood,” making clear that she “strongly supports” laws prohibiting “the use of taxpayer funds for abortions or abortion-related services.” She did, however, emphasize that she “strongly support(s) the noble work of crisis-pregnancy centers.” If you were one of the world’s biggest charities and were looking to hire someone who had women’s welfare as her greatest imperative, would you go for someone who’d send them to a place that offers breast cancer screenings – as well as ovarian cancer screenings and HPV tests? Or someone who prefers a bunch of right-to-life fanatics pretending to be a medical facility? If you picked the former, you’re smarter than Komen for the Cure.

That Komen has raised staggering amounts of money is undeniable. There’s also pretty compelling evidence that it has done so in some pretty boneheaded ways. So given its track record, it’s fair to ask what happens now to the 11 percent of the Komen budget that goes to screening...

....It’s worth noting that while breast cancer rates are dipping, an October report from the American Cancer Society warned that they are declining more slowly among low-income women, and that “Poor women are now at greater risk for breast cancer death because of less access to screening and better treatments. This continued disparity is impeding real progress against breast cancer.” You know who loses when Komen backs away from Planned Parenthood? Probably not those nice, pink-clad ladies who attend Susan Komen wine-tasting events.....

Many, many women have already stated that they will not participate in the Komen race again. Several online petitions have started and women are writing about this horrible move by Komen. Here are a few suggested sites:

Blackbirdwhistling
SignonPetition to Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Moveon Petition-Put Women's Lives Before Politics
Change Petition-Do Not Defund Planned Parenthood

Donate to the national or local Planned Parenthood organizations. Help them help women.

Can you spare $100,000?

2012-02-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

* What kind of people are supporting the candidacy of Mitt Romney?
NY Times:

Close to 60 corporations and wealthy individuals gave checks of $100,000 or more to a “super PAC” supporting Mitt Romney in the months leading up to the Iowa caucuses, according to documents released on Tuesday, underwriting a $17 million blitz of advertising that has swamped his Republican rivals in the early primary states....

...Millions of dollars came from financial industry executives, including Mr. Romney’s former colleagues at Bain Capital, who contributed a total of $750,000; senior executives at Goldman Sachs, who contributed $385,000; and some of the most prominent and politically active Republicans in the hedge fund world, three of whom gave $1 million each: Robert Mercer of Renaissance Technologies; Paul Singer of Elliott Management, and Julian Robertson of Tiger Management.

Harlan Crow, the Texas construction magnate, gave $300,000 personally and through his company. William Koch, whose brothers Charles and David are among the country’s most prominent backers of conservative causes, gave $1 million personally or through Oxbow Carbon, the energy company he founded. Members of the Walton family, founders of the Walmart chain, gave over $200,000, while Bob Perry — a wealthy home builder who has long been the top patron of Mr. Romney’s erstwhile rival, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas — chipped in $500,000 in early December....

Wow! How many people have a spare $100,000 or more to give to Romney? Do you? This kind of information only highlights the fact that Romney's agenda would help the rich. Romney, who famously tried to bet Rick Perry $10,000, is completely unaware of the plight of average Americans. Those that are contributing to Romney's campaign know they would benefit from a Romney administration.

* * * *

* U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is introducing some new legislation.
Washington Post:

Sherrod Brown is calling on his fellow Senators, Democrats and Republicans alike, to take a stand on a simple question: Should Senators be allowed to own stock in companies whose bottom lines are directly affected by their votes?

...Brown will introduce the measure — which could very well get a vote — as an amendment to the STOCK Act that’s currently being debated in the Senate. The STOCK Act would ban insider stock trading in Congress, preventing members of Congress from using “non public information” derived from their position to explicitly enrich themselves. But the STOCK proposal doesn’t address the far more pervasive situation in which members are casting votes that directly impact companies they have a financial stake in.

Brown says he supports the STOCK Act, but that it isn’t good enough. His proposal would formally prohibit members from owning individual stock in any companies directly affected by any of their official duties. This rule already applies to committee staff and executive branch employees, but not officials elected to the legislative branch.....

This kind of reform is definitely needed.

-----

* Ohio Gov. John Kasich has opened tickets to his State of the State speech to a raffle. I don't why he thought there would be such a demand. Ohioans already know what the condition Ohio is in and we don't need to hear Kasich tell us.

Since the beginning of the year, eight hundred people have been notified of job losses, according to ODJFS Warn Notices.

* The far right Gov. Mitch Daniels is pushing his right-to-work legislation through the Indiana legislature. One of the results could be that the state of Indiana could see a boycott by some large conventions and meetings.

* Will Republicans get their panties in a knot since Mitt Romney used teleprompters last night for his speech in Florida?

Canada?

2012-01-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

*** What would you do if Newt Gingrich was elected President of the United States? Some people that don't know the legislative background of Newt Gingrich might wonder what a President Gingrich would be like. If, God forbid, Gingrich ever became President, my husband and I would sell everything and move to Canada. Gingrich is not to be trusted with things like red buttons, nuclear weapons, or anything that could cause a catastrophe.

>>> Residents in the Pennsylvania region where the Marcellus Shale is located, are losing their homes to the gas companies declaring "eminent domain" and taking their property at prices far below value (WSJ). Could that happen here in Ohio or in other states? Some Republican governors would sell their families to get in good with the energy companies.

**** Early voting has started in Ohio. You can request an absentee ballot so that you don't have to face some Republican trying to prevent you from voting.

>>>> You might want to check out a poll by the Plain Dealer.

Mandel

2012-01-30T09:12:00.000-05:00

* Josh Mandel, current Ohio Treasurer, has given us every indication that he is bored and tired of the job that he has had since January 2011. As a member of the Ohio General Assembly, Mandel's work was unimpressive.

Cleveland.com:

In four years at the Statehouse he introduced four bills, none of which made it to a vote. In his Senate campaign, which Mandel began preparing three months into his first year as treasurer, he embraces hard-line views on topics such as the Second Amendment and Occupy Wall Street, yet he decries "hyper-partisan" rhetoric.

"When I think of Josh Mandel and a number of other folks I served with, I'm reminded of 'The Wizard of Oz,' when Dorothy said, 'My! People come and go so quickly here!' " said State Rep. Jay Hottinger, a Republican from Newark. "He was thoughtful, he was serious. But he was not often vocal. I don't recall a floor speech or caucus speech."

Are Ohio's Republicans having doubts about Josh Mandel's ability to take on a difficult job like being in the U.S. Senate?

Job Growth?

2012-01-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

If you need proof of the jobs created under President Obama, just look at the graph showing the job growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Jobs Created Under
Presidents Bush and Obama
December 2007 to Present

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Can you imagine how many jobs would have been created if the Republicans would have worked along with President Obama instead of against him and the American people?

Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate need to get off the fundraiser party wagon and learn to work with the Democrats. Americans are sick of the do-nothing, right wing, Aynd Rand worshipping Republicans. If Boehner and Cantor are too arrogant and smug to cooperate, they should resign.

Republican Debates Continue? Zzzzzzzzzzz...

2012-01-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

* Have the Republican presidential candidates discussed ways to get people back to work, how to fund public education, how to rebuild our infrastructure, equal job protections, and how to protect Social Security? If they've said anything about these topics, I've missed it. It seems serial groom Gingrich, flip-flopper Romney, and crazy Santorum, have just tried to prove they are more conservative than the other candidates.

* I'm no military expert, but it might be time to cut our country's military spending. The cuts would have to be in areas that would (1.) not create any danger, and (2.) not hurt our troops or veterans. Republicans like to portray an image as being tough and pro-military by continuing to support wars, wars, and more wars. It would be to our benefit to create more technological weapons (drones, satellites, etc.) and wage a war different from the one Rumsfeld did in Iraq. While continuing to protect our military, our vets, our people/assets around the world, our future wars should rely more heavily on technology, intelligence, and prevention.

What is Brewer's problem?

2012-01-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

* By now you've seen the picture of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer sticking her finger into President Obama's face at an airport in her state. I'm not a doctor, or a psychiatrist, but perhaps Gov. Brewer needs some help. She appears to be having some difficulty with anger management. Adding to her behavior with the President, Brewer also had a disturbing performance last year during her campaign. See below:

YouTube:

Where was the Secret Service? If I had been there, I would have put her in handcuffs as soon as her finger went up.

>>>> Newt Gingrich is a disgusting person. That is my opinion. Gingrich's attacks on the Spanish language (see YouTube video), calling President Obama a "food stamp President" recently, suggesting that poor children should have jobs as school janitors, etc., etc., etc. Gingrich is a pig. We do not need someone like him in the White House.

Anyone that likes/supports these Republican candidates should have his/her head examined.

What is wrong with being fair?

2012-01-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

Did you watch President Obama's State of the Union last night? I was struck by his call for fairness, his challenge to get the country moving again, and his positive attitude about ways to solve our problems. President Obama offered us all a chance to get out of this economic funk by proposing bringing jobs back to this country and giving more opportunities for people to attend college. The President did have examples of people who've taken advantage of retraining programs that helped them qualify for new jobs.

However, I was also cognizant of the obvious display of complete boredom and arrogance shown on the faces of John Boehner, and Eric Cantor. Both of them looked like tired, old, constipated, white guys, who've grown accustomed to expensive liquors at "the club." I guess Republicans are quite happy to collect massive contributions from anti-environment PACs, big shot billionaires, and right wingers who want to take our country to a time before Civil Rights, voting rights, women's rights, child labor laws, safety on the job, and a minimum wage. Republicans want to go back to the early 1800's when white, male overlords controlled everything. I have a message for Republicans: We are going to move forward, not backwards. You can be part of the solution, or left on the side, wondering what happened.

Where do we go from here? The only way to keep moving forward is to -

1.) re-elect President Obama.
2.) elect Democrats who will embrace and help the President's agenda.
3.) adopt a fairness doctrine---
        - fairness in taxes (Warren Buffet's secretary should have a lower tax rate than his)
        - fairness in opportunities in education, jobs, training, and access to health care.
        - fairness in the way we approach our daily lives.

Do you really want the closed-minded, arrogant, Republicans controlling your lives, your reproductive rights, and your future?

Do You Have A Swiss Bank Account????

2012-01-24T08:35:00.000-05:00

* Mitt Romney's tax returns have finally been released. It appears that even though Romney's job for the past year has been as a candidate for President, his income was quite good. However, his tax rate at nearly 14% illustrates the inequality of the American tax rate---- those at the top pay less of their income because of pro-weathy loopholes and the ability to hide large some of money in off shore accounts. Why does he have a Swiss bank account (see CBS News), and other investments in foreign countries? Do you have a Swiss bank account? I don't.

Romney's wealth does explain his inability to connect with regular people. When you have several homes, are accustomed to dealing with a long list of your investments (here and overseas), accountants, and lawyers before you make a move, you cannot relate to average Americans.

I don't agree with Newt Gingrich on anything, but I do agree that Romney's years at Bain could easily label him as a "vulture capitalist." Taking over companies, draining them of their assets to fill your own pockets, while firing people, does not seem to be a good, moral, decent way to practice business. The word that comes to mind when I look at this kind of business behavior is GREED. Those investors at Bain were only interested in their own personal wealth. In their world, the more money they had the better.

For more information on Romney's tax returns, here is a short list of articles with details:
CBS News NYDaily News USA Today SF Chronicle

Notes....

2012-01-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

* Ohio Gov. John Kasich is facing a lot of criticism for taking his State of the State speech out of the Statehouse. The DailyJeffersonian has the details.

* Republican presidential candidates are against the rights of women. Does anyone else see something wrong with that? Why are they concerned about my uterus?

* President Obama's singing at the Apollo has had over 3,000,000 viewers on YouTube.

There is a new Obama headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, on the corner of Beechcroft and 161. Check out the updated Obama website.

Would women vote for any Republican?

2012-01-21T13:09:00.000-05:00

I find it unbelievable that any woman would vote for any Republican presidential candidate. They all want to limit what a woman can and cannot do. Is this the 1540's? Are we the property of our husbands and need to ask them for permission to leave the house?

Personally, I have a lot of problems with Newt Gingrich's racist remarks. Calling President Obama the "food stamp president" is insulting. It might be Gingrich's way of covering up his real racist views and could actually be a code word for something else.

Gingrich's lack of respect for the women he was married to makes him untrustworthy. How can you trust a man that has cheated on two wives and freely admits it?

Mitt Romney seems like a plastic Ken doll with the perfectly combed hair, neat, expensive clothes, and stiff, awkward mannerisms. How can anyone trust anything he says because he has flip-flopped on everything?

Santorum? This guy wants to ban birth control? I'd like to see him tell that to a group of women (not just any women--- Democratic women) and see how that goes over. Is he nuts? Why is it his business if a woman takes birth control?

Ron Paul is the Ayn Rand candidate. Forget about it! This is America and we work together for the common good.

If a Republican wins the White House, our progress will stop and women, especially, will have more restrictions because of these backward thinking Republicans.

Obama was correct!

2012-01-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

* The President is all about creating opportunities for Americans and American companies. Republicans are more concerned with their own personal wealth.

* There was a big announcement today regarding General Motors.
NYTimes:

After three years of settling for second place, General Motors reclaimed its title as the world’s largest automaker in 2011, a year when its sales grew in every region of the globe while Toyota sales were hampered by major natural disasters....

....G.M. said Thursday that it sold 9,025,942 vehicles last year, 7.6 percent more than in 2010. Its closest competitor was Volkswagen, whose sales grew 14 percent to 8.156 million, with Toyota falling to third place....

....The industry’s sales crown means little beyond bragging rights. But G.M.’s ability to climb back on top, only two years removed from its government rescue and bankruptcy, is certain to bolster morale within the company and strengthen the Obama administration’s argument that its bailout of the industry was worthwhile. G.M. was the world’s largest automaker for more than 70 years before Toyota surpassed it in 2008.....

General Motors and Americans should thank President Obama for helping to save the American auto industry and all the jobs that go along with it. In 2008, Mitt Romney (see his NYTimes opinion piece from 11/18/08) said that the automakers should just be left to die. (Of course, this is not a surprise since we now that Romney likes to fire people.) President Obama was right in providing help to the domestic auto industry.

Even Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, was against the auto bailout.

Plunderbund:

John Kasich opposed the federal bailout of GM, saying on the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News at the time:

“Americans will say we don’t mind helping them if they’re going to be viable. If they’re not going to be viable, we shouldn’t throw go money after bad. And so I think the public’s even going to put pressure on them.”

Except that the auto bailouts totally worked. They saved the domestic auto industry in the Midwest and the tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of jobs that go along with it. For the first time since 2006, GM has reported a quarterly profit ($2 billion, to be exact.)..

It is incredible that Kasich continues to visit the big shots in Detroit and beg for jobs for Ohio (even though he didn't give a s**t about their survival a few years ago).

Let me repeat----

Thank you, President Obama!

---------------------

The IndianCountryMediaNetwork has an interesting take on something Mitt Romney said:

....Mitt Romney told a television reporter that “I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.”

...Although Romney has repeatedly declined to release his tax returns, he did file a personal financial disclosure as is required by all who are seeking the Presidential nomination. According to that filing, Romney was hired to give nine speeches and was paid a total of $374,327. The least he made for a speech was $11,475, paid by Claremont McKenna College, and the most was $68,000, paid on two different occasions.

Romney’s detractors and pundits on the left have been quick to point out that, to the vast majority of Americans, Romney’s speaking revenues are hardly “not very much.” The average American household makes $49,445 annually, according to the latest U.S. Census data; Romney’s speaking fees are more than seven times that amount.

For American Indians, the $374,000 figure is even more striking: It’s ten times the average household income of $37,348. (Source: 2009 American Community Survey.)....

I guess if you are as rich as Romney, own several homes, and pay very low income taxes, $374,327 is chump change.

Numbers

2012-01-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

* A recent survey in U.S. Catholic magazine, provided data on opinions of the administration of President Barack Obama. Here are some highlights from U.S. Catholic:

....4. Partisan politics in Washington have stifled President Obama’s attempts at working to promote the common good.

Agree 55%

Disagree 29%

Other 5%

5. If I had to choose only one, the recent president I hold most responsible for our nation’s current economic difficulties is:

George W. Bush. 53%

Barack Obama. 21%

Ronald Reagan. 11%

Bill Clinton. 5%

George H. W. Bush. 2%

Jimmy Carter. 2%

Other 6%

....7. I intend to vote for Barack Obama in the 2012 elections.

Yes 51%

No 38%

Undecided 11%....

For more details, follow this link to U.S. Catholic.

********

**** Isn't it amazing that Republican candidate Mitt Romney is in the 15% tax bracket?
Romney doesn't seem to get how that appears very unfair considering he is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

HuffingtonPost:

....In Greenville, S.C., Romney was asked directly what his effective tax rate is. It was a hot topic of discussion at Monday night's debate, at which Romney repeatedly declined to fully commit to release his tax returns.

"It's probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," said Romney on Tuesday. "For the past 10 years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or earned annual income. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. Then, I get speakers fees from time to time, but not very much."

Not very much? According to his personal financial disclosure, from February 2010 to February 2011, Romney earned $374,327.62 in speaking fees. A few months later, Romney joked that he was "unemployed."

Romney's not very much of $374,327.62 in speaking fees is huge. Does he realize that most people are not making $374,327.62 in a year? That is probably pocket money in Romney's world. Romney's famous line that "...corporations are people..." shows you that he is completely out of touch with the lives of average Americans. Seeing as how Romney justified his "...corporations are people..." comment, what other objects will Romney try to claim as people? Sidewalks? Shoes? Country clubs?

You're Known by the Company You Keep...

2012-01-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

* Fairness? Objectivity? Forget about it!

This weekend, Ohio's Inspector General Randy Meyer gave a speech that included the following----
WNEWSJ:

“Our country depends upon people with integrity that seem to rise above

politics that so often divides us,” he stressed.

Meyer’s job as inspector general is to safeguard the integrity of state

government.....

.....His office is non-partisan.....

Where do you think that Randy Meyer, the Inspector General of Ohio, gave his speech about integrity????

Mr. "Non-Partisan" Inspector General spoke, according to WNEWSJ.com, at the
Clinton County Republican Party's Century Club dinner. Ha!

_____

> Ohio's Treasurer of one year, Josh Mandel, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, came up with a questionable statement on why he supported SB 5 last November.
ThinkProgress:

.....while most Republicans at least acknowledge that the law disadvantages public employees, one Republican thinks the opposite. This summer, Ohio Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel said he supported Senate Bill 5 because the law, in his mind, actually “respect[s] police, and firefighters, and teachers” by giving “fiscal conservatives” the tools to ignore collective bargaining rights, which somehow “insur[es]that there is a state and there are local governments” down the road:

MANDEL: Well I’ve been supportive of Senate Bill 5…In my mind, it’s not about going after police, and firefighters and teachers. It’s about respecting police, and firefighters, and teachers and insuring that there is a state and there are local governments long into the future so that we have communities here in the state. The current level of spending in our state and our country? Simply unacceptable. And I think we need to put the tools in the tool belts of local government leaders and also people who are fiscal conservatives to bring this state into a sense of fiscal health. And that’s one of the reasons I’ve been supportive.....

Did Mandel come up with this reasoning all by himself? His explanation is completely idiotic. How are you showing respect when you take away their rights? Besides being absolutely wrong, Mandel shows that his political beliefs have no basis in fact.

Today....

2012-01-16T11:37:00.000-05:00

Today we honor the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We still have so much to do to bring his dreams to reality.

- - - - - - - -

* Just like the Hatfields and McCoys, the Ohio Republican Party is waging a war on itself.

CommunityPress Cincinnati:

...DeWine refused to talk to The Enquirer. However, in an email statement, his spokesman Christopher Maloney said, “The focus of the Ohio Republican Party and Chairman DeWine has been, and remains on supporting incumbent office holders and filling vacancies when and where they occur. Republican voters throughout Ohio are familiar with this being an historical function of our state organization.”

Kasich has a slate of candidates running in March, some of whom are seeking to oust long-term members. Kasich needs only get a simple majority to remove DeWine.

Two of those battles are in Southwest Ohio: in the 7th Senate District, which includes part of Hamilton and all of Warren County, and the 4th Senate District, which covers all of Butler County....

This is another example of Kasich's enormous ego and his appetite for power. He wants to control everything. He is managing to create uncertainty, resentment, disorder, and a sense of chaos in the Ohio Republican Party. Good job! Seeing as how Kasich's popularity has plummeted within the state, this latest party battle will only add more to his baggage.

* * *

>>>>>>> The Marion Star has an Associated Press story on how Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel has been spending his time on his job and the job he wants---- Republican Senator. Mandel, who has very little legislative experience, appears to be afraid of the press and has repeatedly declined interviews---- except on right wing media like Fox News.

In a letter to the editor of the Plain Dealer, the writer takess issue with Josh Mandel's support of airborne mercury pollution. Would Mandel like to live near a site that produces mercury? Does Mandel think that it is okay to pollute our air, water, and environment with deadly substances to make corporations and CEO's richer? Should the public be willing to sacrifice their lives and those of their children in order to help corporations make money? Does Mandel think that corporations are more important than the people of Ohio?

Unfortunately, you won't be able to get an answer from Josh Mandel because he is avoiding the press and anyone that might demand a truthful answer.

Cough, Cough, Cough

2012-01-12T18:51:00.000-05:00

Clean air? Clean water? A clean environment? These are not goals pushed by the Republican presidential candidates. The Sierra Club has posted the Republican view at Vimeo (h/t DailyKos):

Real Republicans on the EPA from Sierra Club National on Vimeo.

(Note: They might look like sock puppets, but, in my humble opinion, they capture the true essence and personality of Newt, Mitt, Paul, and Santorum. I'm especially fond of the eyebrows.)

Romney didn't ask what American citizens thought about having clean water, air, and environment. Romney asked "...some of the oil and gas executives...." their opinions. As you can see, Romney is more interested in the views of corporations and their CEO's than those of the American people. We must remember that Romney thinks "..corporations are people too, my friend..." However, we should remind Romney that corporations answer to stockholders who are looking for profits. Elected officials answer to their constituents who are looking for a stable, safe life.

***********************

Just when you thought it was safe to......

WashingtonPost:

“I wish he would . . . We wanted him to this time.”

— Laura Bush, on the prospect of her brother-in-law Jeb running for president, in a speech Wednesday in Sarasota, Fla., reports the Herald-Tribune.

OMG! Haven't we suffered enough under the Bush family???? We don't need another Bush.

Tax Plan?

2012-01-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney's tax plan has been analyzed and it provides big rewards for millionaires.

BostonHerald:

Mitt Romney’s tax plan would cut taxes for fewer than half of U.S. households, with the wealthy getting most of the benefits, according to an independent analysis released Thursday.

Some taxpayers at the lower end of the scale - those who make less than $40,000 a year - could pay more taxes under Romney’s plan.

Under the presumption that the Bush-era tax reductions are extended - as Romney has proposed - nearly all Americans who make more than $1 million would get tax cuts that average $150,000, the review by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found....

Isn't that incredible? Romney would be rewarding the same people that George W. Bush did---fat cat millionaires would get richer!!!

>> In 2010, Mitt Romney shared his idea of "creative destruction" in a talk he gave at Emory University in Georgia. You can find information about how Romney defended taking over companies and firing people at this Emory University link.

*** Romney continues to get money from Bain even though he left the company, according to the NY Times:

....In what would be the final deal of his private equity career, he negotiated a retirement agreement with his former partners that has paid him a share of Bain’s profits ever since, bringing the Romney family millions of dollars in income each year and bolstering the fortune that has helped finance Mr. Romney’s political aspirations....

...Though Mr. Romney left Bain in early 1999, he received a share of the corporate buyout and investment profits enjoyed by partners from all Bain deals through February 2009: four global buyout funds and 18 other funds, more than twice as many over all as Mr. Romney had a share of the year he left. He was also given the right to invest his own money alongside his former partners. Because some of the funds and deals covered by Mr. Romney’s agreement will not fully wind down for several years, Mr. Romney is still entitled to a share of some of Bain’s profits....

.....One lucrative deal for Bain involved KB Toys, a company based in Pittsfield, Mass., which one of the firm’s partnerships bought in 2000. Three years later, when Mr. Romney was the governor of Massachusetts, the company began closing stores and laying off thousands of employees. More recently, Bain helped lead the private equity purchase of Clear Channel Communications, the nation’s largest radio station operator, which resulted in the loss of 2,500 jobs.....

This is an awful way to make money. Taking over a business, bleeding it dry of its assets, firing people, destroying families and communities, and then making huge profits is a prime example of greed.

Romney's Numbers

2012-01-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

As of this time (11:39pm EST), it appears that Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire Republican primary. However, when you look at the numbers (see NYTimes), 60% of the voters in the primary voted against Romney. Apparently, the Republicans are still voting for anyone but Romney.

Political News....

2012-01-09T23:09:00.000-05:00

* Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown is getting ready for her campaign.

Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown on Monday officially kicked off her election campaign with a short speech before a couple dozen family members and supporters at a Columbus YWCA meeting room.

Brown said she will campaign on her long professional and political career tied to helping juveniles and broken families and her belief that Ohio's courts must contain elements of diversity to ensure fairness in the judicial system.

Brown is the only African-American and only Democrat among the seven Ohio justices....

We need to keep her on the Ohio Supreme Court!

* Thomas Fitzgerald, a columnist in the Philadelphia Inquirer, has a short list of Republicans that Mitt Romney might choose as a running mate. Check out the article and the comments by readers.

* Chris Redfern of the Ohio Democratic Party is asking for information that we all want to know----- How much time does Josh Mandel actually spend doing his job as State Treasurer?

WKSU:

.....Ohio’s Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern has filed a request for the daily schedule of state Treasurer Josh Mandel.

Mandel is the frontrunner among the six Republicans running in the March 6th primary for the U.S. Senate, and has raised well over $2 million for his run.

Some of his Republican opponents and Ohio Democrats claim that within months, Mandel was ignoring the treasurer’s office he was elected to in November 2010 to set up his Senate bid. Redfern filed a public records request for Mandel’s daily schedules for the last year....

Josh Mandel has spent a lot of time visiting special interest groups all over the country while he collects campaign donations. Is he doing all the flying after hours? Is he using state vehicles to take him to campaign locations? Josh Mandel, with his extremely limited legislative experience, is a lightweight compared to Sen. Sherrod Brown. We need to keep Sherrod Brown in the Senate because he cares about Ohio's middle class.

The Cold Reality

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sixty years old and I can truthfully say that I've learned a lot over the years. Some of what I know can be applied to the cold, ruthless behavior of Republicans.

* In a story posted at Raw Story, Gov. Chris Christie yells at an Occupy protester that attended a Romney event.
---I know that fat men from Jersey with big mouths should be ignored. They don't care about your needs because they only care about their own avarice and misguided appetite for food and power.

* Mitt Romney's past behavior at Bain indicates the kind of leader he'd be. He is not interested in helping people get back to work. He enriched himself and his partners by taking over companies, soaking up the money through management fees, and throwing employees out on the street without pensions or anything.
-----I know that we don't need a one percenter in the White House. We already had one in the case of George W. Bush and we can see where that took us.

* Mitt Romney says he was a job creator. Really? Romney has a long record of filling his own pockets and firing people.
----Take a look at the trailer for "When Mitt Romney Came to Town."

* Gov. John Kasich actually falls into the same category as Romney. More and more people I meet use the same word to describe Kasich (a seven letter word that begins with "a" and ends with "e")
---Gov. John Kasich is not a person that you feel has the best interests of all of us in mind.

* Sen. John McCain of Arizona thinks we're interested in his opinion on Iraq and everything else.
---- I think we know that the words that come from McCain's mouth come from a very bitter man. Frankly, I don't care what he says.

Republicans will do and say anything to get your vote. They need your vote but forget about you until the next election day.

2 Bad Ideas

2012-01-06T00:55:00.000-05:00

* Indiana Republicans are going after collective bargaining in their state. Bad idea.

Bloomberg:

The fight is on in Indiana (STOIN1) over another Republican attempt to weaken unions amid signs that the party’s appetite for war with organized labor isn’t matched in other states.

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker faces an ouster campaign after pushing restrictions last year on government workers’ collective bargaining. Ohio voters repudiated Governor John Kasich’s similar curbs on labor in November.

So as Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Republican lawmakers want to prohibit mandatory union dues in private workplaces, others keep their distance in an election year...

Gov. John Kasich is only slightly more popular that a Michigan wolverine in Ohio.

............................

* Guess the name of the Republican presidential candidate that wants to raise taxes on the poor but give tax cuts to millionaires? Mitt Romney!!!

HuffingtonPost:

Republican Mitt Romney's tax plan would increase taxes on low-income families while cutting taxes for the middle-class and the rich, according to an independent study released Thursday.

On average, households making less than $20,000 would see their taxes increase by more than 60 percent, said the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research group that studied the Romney plan.

Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 would get small tax cuts, averaging 2.2 percent, or about $250, the study said. People making more than $1 million would get tax cuts averaging 15 percent, or about $146,000.....

What a guy! Would you expect anything less from a guy like Romney that said that "corporations are people" at a campaign event?
YouTube

The conservative ChicagoTribune explains what would happen if Romney's tax plan was adopted:

U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's tax plan would cut revenues and increase the government's budget deficit, while benefiting wealthy taxpayers more than others, said a report from a non-partisan think tank released on Thursday....

Increase the deficit??????? OMG!

Romney and Indiana's Republicans need to rethink these stupid plans.

Get Informed...

2012-01-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

The Republicans have their panties in knots because President Obama made a recess appointment. Ohio's own Richard Cordray was appointed by President Obama "...to head the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Republicans blasted the move by Obama as constitutionally dubious, arguing that the Senate was in “pro forma session” and technically not in recess. Meanwhile, business groups, such as the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce, expressed disappointment with the decision and said that Cordray’s authority as the consumer watchdog could ultimately be challenged in the courts.

For his part, Obama charged Republicans with foot-dragging on Cordray’s appointment of the agency tasked with oversight of non-bank financial companies.... (from TucsonCitizen).

A graphic shown on MSNBC from the Washington Post shows the number of recess appointment made by the last four Presidents:

Reagan = 240, Clinton = 170, G.W. Bush = 171, Obama = 32

Since the Republicans refused to even have a vote on Cordray, the President did what other Presidents before him had done---- he made a recess appointment.

>>> Here is something that Rick Santorum, Republican presidential candidate wants to do that will knock your socks off---- Santorum wants to outlaw all birth control.

ThinkProgress:

Rick Santorum reiterated his belief that states should have the right to outlaw contraception during an interview with ABC News yesterday, saying, “The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It is not a constitutional right, the state has the right to pass whatever statues they have.”

......an overwhelming majority of Americans — virtually all women (more than 99 percent ) aged 15–44 have used at least one contraceptive method — rely on contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies and limit the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. In fact, the Guttmacher Institute estimates that contraceptive services provided at publicly funded clinics helped prevent almost two million unintended pregnancies. Without funding from Medicaid and Title X, “abortions occurring in the United States would be nearly two-thirds higher among women overall and among teens; the number of unintended pregnancies among poor women would nearly double.”

Would you vote for a person that wants to outlaw all birth control, even condoms?

Underwhelming Romney

2012-01-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

* Mitt Romney got an astounding 25% of the vote in the Iowa caucus. The problem is that Romney never seems to get anything higher than 25% of voters in these primaries. Are people just not sure about him and his continuing flip flops on every issues?

ChicagoTribune:

Talk about winning ugly. Mitt Romney squeaked out an early morning victory over relatively unknown Rick Santorum to win the Iowa caucuses by a whisper-thin eight votes. Romney’s 24.6 percent of the caucus vote taunts him. It reminds everyone of his recently acquired nickname: “The 25-Percent Man.”

That’s his ceiling, so far. He received a quarter of the votes in Iowa four years ago when he lost to Mike Huckabee. That’s also been the ceiling that persistently stops him in national polls of fellow Republicans. The Grand Old Party’s Anybody-But-Mitt movement doesn’t like him because he’s not conservative enough. They didn’t like Sen. John McCain, either, for which President Barack Obama should be most grateful.....

Are Republicans underwhelmed with their candidates?????

* Did anyone else notice that in the recent debates the Republican presidential candidates did not discuss how they'd get people back to work? They'd rather try to discuss your uterus, which of them is more conservative, allowing children to work as janitors, etc., etc. It is all a bunch of baloney.

The MoralLiberal shares this:

...The low turnout at the republican Iowa caucuses is not an exception but apparent trend in the last few months. The defeat of Governor Kasich’s attempt to reform labor laws in Ohio was the major warning sign for the Republicans of disenchantment with their brand. Forcing people to buy health insurance was rejected by the voters in the same special election. The republican establishment favorite will have to defend the most hated measure in the ObamaCare law, because Mitt Romney was the one who started it all in Massachusetts.

The independent folks who stood in the wave that in 2010 delivered the shellacking of the Democrats realized that the Republican Party is dysfunctional (judging by their erratic behavior in Congress) and unwilling to change (standing behind Mitt Romney, whose vision for the future is copy/pasted from the Bush policy books) ....

...The majority of voters in the republican primary understand that Mitt Romney is unelectable. He won the Iowa caucuses with the lowest percentage of votes in the recorded history. Unfortunately, the party also failed to produce electable conservative alternative. So the protest vote will go in three directions: some disappointed folks will stay home, some will join the Ron Paul Revolution, and some will cast protest votes for third party candidates.....

The Republican Party seems to want to give the nomination to the person next in line. It is the way the royalty decides which person takes the throne. Since Romney was a runner up in the last election, the GOP considers it his turn to be their candidate. Romney has been running for President since the last presidential election.

We can only hope that some Republicans display their lack of interest in their party's nominee and stay home on election day.

What is wrong with Mitch Daniels?

2012-01-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

Apparently the Republicans in Indiana have not learned anything about what happens when Republicans attack middle class workers. Are they completely unaware of events in Wisconsin and Ohio? Gov. Mitch Daniels continues his right wing assault on the people who are the backbone of his state and this country.

Firedoglake:

....Daniels, going back on his earlier word, supports the right-to-work legislation.....

Currently 22 states, almost all of them in the South and West, have right to work laws. New Hampshire passed one last year, but Democratic Governor John Lynch vetoed it and the legislature could not override him. You should really call them “right to work for less” laws, because they diminish the bargaining power of labor, empower management, and lead to wage cuts. Studies have shown that workers in right to work states make at least $1,500 and as much as $5,500 less for the same job than workers in states without those restrictions. And it’s designed to starve a union of revenue by creating a free rider problem, eventually dissolving the union entirely. First Daniels busted the public unions; now he wants to bust the private ones.

Labor leaders in Indiana plan to use many of the same tactics that delayed anti-union laws in Wisconsin and Ohio and stopped right to work in Indiana. They are already on the air with a law telling the truth about right to work. But it would probably come down to having Democrats leave the state and deny a quorum again. Daniels is supportive of the legislation this time, going back completely on his view from last year, and Republicans have large majorities in both houses of the legislature. Democrats could walk out, raise awareness about the law (which polls show a lot of flexibility on) and rally opposition, like they did in other states in the Midwest last year, including Indiana.

Mitch Daniels is a flip flopper on this issue--he was for it, against it, and now for it. He might want to get Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the phone and ask him what happened with SB 5.

But wait!!!! There is more!!!! Mitch Daniels is becoming even more anti-middle class worker.

BusinessInsider:

The NYT reports that Indiana governor Mitch Daniels is pushing legislation that will require workers who support a union to pay extra money to support the cost of representing workers who don't want to pay. Under federal labor law, a union is required to represent all the workers in a union, whether they opt to join the union or not. This means not only that all workers will receive the full pay and benefits negotiated by the union, but also that the union is required to represent workers who face any sort of disciplinary action.

Since the union is legally obligated to represent all workers, in most states workers are able to sign agreements with management that require all workers to pay for this representation. However, some states infringe on workers' freedom of contract and prohibit such agreements with management. These states require the workers who join a union to pay for the representation of workers who opt not to join......

Mitch Daniels might be viewed by some as a moderate, but he seems very radical to me. Listen to what he had to say about health care. Is Mitch Daniels promoting death panels? If you are too poor, should you just be denied treatment? Wouldn't that be cruel and unusual punishment?

YouTube

A doctor recently told me that because some people are out of work and without health insurance, many are showing up with end stage cancer, where treatment is no longer helpful. If these same patients would have had early treatment, their cancer could have been treated and possibly cured.

Mitch Daniels and his Republican buddies need to stop listening to the Koch brothers and their right wing, pro-corporate agenda.

Which Mitt are they getting?

2012-01-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

* Which Mitt Romney are Republicans voting for in their primaries????

From Which Mitt:
(YouTube)

Good News for Central Ohio

2011-12-30T19:45:00.000-05:00

* Just in time for the big election of 2012, the people of central Ohio will have some old friends back in town on the radio.

****

Progressive talk radio is coming back to central Ohio!!!!!!

~~~~ Hooray! ~~~~

***** ****** *****

Radio-info.com:

Until recently, WVKO has been LMA'd by the lay-Catholic St. Gabriel Radio, and that group has just acquired its own station. In mid-December, St. Gabriel Radio closed on its $2 million purchase of WOSU-AM at 820 from Ohio State. Starting January 2, WVKO owner Bernard Ohio LLC puts this lineup on 1580: Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy, Bill Press and Leslie Marshall. The website, including the talent schedule, is here......

WVKO1580:

Program Schedule

Weekdays

9:00 am – 12:00 Noon	The Stephanie Miller Show
12:00 Noon – 3:00 pm	The Ed Schultz Show
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm	The Thom Hartmann Program
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm	The Best of Bill Press
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm	The Leslie Marshall Show
10:00 pm – 12:00 Midnight	The Mike Malloy Radio Show
12:00 Midnight – 3:00 am	The Ed Schultz Show (rebroadcast)
3:00 am – 6:00 am	The Bill Press Show

Saturday

6:00 am – 9:00 am	The Best of Bill Press
9:00 am – 12:00 Noon	The Best of Stephanie Miller
12:00 Noon – 3:00 pm	Jill On Money
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm	The Best of Thom Hartmann
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Jill On Money
7:00pm – 10:00 pm	The Best of Leslie Marshall
10:00 pm – 1:00 am	The Best of Mike Malloy

Sunday

6:00 am – 2:00 pm	Local Religious Programming
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm	Jill on Money
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm	The Best of Thom Hartmann
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Jill On Money
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm	The Best of Leslie Marshall
10:00 pm – 6:00 am	Various

Thank you, WVKO, for bringing progressive talk back to Columbus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Set your AM dial for 1580 starting on January 2nd, 2012.

Ethical Business Practices?

2011-12-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney's Bain Capital made money for investors, but fired hundreds of people. If you need some sources for this type of information, here are a few----

LA Times (12/3/2011):

...Bain formed GSI in the early 1990s by spending $24 million to acquire and merge steel companies with plants in Missouri, South Carolina and other states.

Company managers cut jobs and benefits almost immediately. Meanwhile, Bain and other investors received management fees from GSI and a $65-million dividend in the first years after the acquisition, according to interviews with company employees....

....More than 700 workers were fired, losing not only their jobs but health insurance, severance and a chunk of their pension benefits. GSI retirees also lost their health insurance and other benefits. Bain partners received about $50 million on their initial investment, a 100% gain....

I don't know a whole lot about business practices, but I do know that it is wrong to make huge profits while ordinary workers lose jobs, health insurance, and pension money. That shows pure greed on the part of Bain.

GSI wasn't the only company to be destroyed by Bain.

The AtlantaJournal-Constitution details a similar scenario with a company, Holson Burnes, once employing hundreds in South Carolina and later in Claremont, New Hampshire. According to the article, Bain investors made huge profits, and hundreds of workers lost jobs and pensions when the company closed.

These are just a couple of companies which went down the tubes after Bain used their business plan on them. People lost jobs and everything else. Yet Romney brags about his job creation. Really? Really?

Josh Mandel = Jim DeMint

2011-12-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

* The far right Republicans and their PACS are targeting Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH-D). The smear campaign pushed by conservative, anti-middle class, pro-corporate groups hope to put empty suit Republican, Josh Mandel, in the Senate. Mandel supported SB 5 and has supported drilling in our state parks. Newser has all the details on the far right money.

Josh Mandel is still going on the attack against Sherrod Brown. However, Mandel is very tight-lipped about revealing his own views/goals (see Cleveland). It could be that Josh Mandel's opinions are so far to the right that Ohioans would shudder at the prospect of someone promoting the same extremist, Tea Party policies of Sen. Jim DeMint.

_ _ _ _ _

Some people in the Ohio Republican Party are hoping for the failure of the Kasich administration so that their favorite, Jon Husted, could move into the office of Ohio Governor. Husted is far more ambitious than just being Ohio Secretary of State. He has been heavily supported by big time contributor/charter school owner, David Brennan.

***

> If the name "Cheetah" makes you think of a chimp, you obviously are old enough to remember the Tarzan/Jane/Cheetah movies. Cheetah, the chimp, has just passed away.

DaytonDailyNews:

A Florida animal sanctuary says Cheetah the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s has died at age 80.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced that Cheetah died Dec. 24 of kidney failure....

....Cheetah was the comic relief in the Tarzan films that starred American Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Cobb says Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller's estate sometime around 1960.....

Cheetah was definitely an important part of the films.

Republican Mantra - "NO!"

2011-12-27T00:40:00.000-05:00

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday with you family and friends.

* It is becoming clear to many Americans that Republicans and their Tea Party radical branch are becoming accustomed to saying, "NO!" to nearly everything.

Now, in an effort to eliminate Democratic voters, Republicans are doing their best to stop people from voting.

NYTimes:

...Political leaders should be encouraging young adults to participate in civic life, but many Republican state lawmakers are doing everything they can instead to prevent students from voting in the 2012 presidential election. Some have openly acknowledged doing so because students tend to be liberal.

Seven states have already passed strict laws requiring a government-issued ID (like a driver’s license or a passport) to vote, which many students don’t have, and 27 others are considering such measures. Many of those laws have been interpreted as prohibiting out-of-state driver’s licenses from being used for voting.

It’s all part of a widespread Republican effort to restrict the voting rights of demographic groups that tend to vote Democratic. Blacks, Hispanics, the poor and the young, who are more likely to support President Obama, are disproportionately represented in the 21 million people without government IDs. On Friday, the Justice Department, finally taking action against these abuses, blocked the new voter ID law in South Carolina.....

This is just another example of the dastardly deeds of Republicans. If you feel that your right to vote is being thwarted, contact your local office for civil rights or the Democratic Party.

Not a regular guy

2011-12-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney, Republican candidate for President has tried to portray himself as a regular guy. Right. Romney is a regular guy that just happens to own four homes, according to CelebrityHousePictures. Romney has homes in (1) Belmont, Massachusetts, (2) Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, (3) LaJolla, California, and (4) Park City, Utah. How many homes do you own?

In case you are having a difficult time remembering all of the Romney flip-flops, there is a website that has a list of some of the major Romney reversals----- http://mittromneyflipflops.com/

Here is one Romney flip-flop to remember:

'I respect and will protect a woman's right to choose.' ^[1]

'I never really called myself pro-choice.' ^[2]

Will Romney change his mind again?

Shame

2011-12-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

* Americans are incensed about the Republicans in the House of Representatives and their refusal to vote for and support the continuing tax cuts for the middle class. Speaker of the House John Boehner is clearly unable to lead, and as one pundit said on TV last night, might not survive his role of leader.

The House Republicans were presented with a one year extension of the pay roll tax cut, but they refused (see JoplinGlobe). Are they refusing because this tax cut was pushed by the President? These Republicans will do anything to hurt the middle class. In the end, the GOP has hurt itself because they'd rather put politics before human beings.

Huh???

2011-12-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

* OMG! Why do Republicans tell such whoppers? Do you remember when Republican Christine O'Donnell of Delaware said she had attended some ivy colleges and then people found out she hadn't???

Plunderbund found something that Republican Treasurer Josh Mandel, currently running for U.S. Senate, has added something questionable to his biography.

Plunderbund:

According to Josh Mandel’s official biography on the Ohio Treasurer’s website:

Treasurer Mandel holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the Ohio State University, a Law Degree from Case Western Reserve University, and completed the Investment Decisions & Behavioral Finance program at Harvard University.

...According to their website, the program is an “intensive two-day seminar” that costs $4000 to attend....

Plunderbund suggests that Mandel had to take to course "...because his actual education provided him zero experience that would qualify him for his job...."

A two day course??? Whoa! If I once visited the University of Bonn in Germany, does that qualify me as a professor? I've removed splinters from my children's fingers. Does that make me a surgeon?

Exaggeration is the key to Mandel's candidacy. He is an empty suit just repeating the lines handed to him by his Republican Tea Party backers, and his rich conservative contributors. Mandel support Paul Ryan's plan to end Social Security and Medicare and we don't need any additional push in that direction.

________

160,000,000 Americans will see their taxes go up because Boehner's bozos refuse to support a bi-partisan effort that passed in the Senate.

Today, we saw how much John Boehner cares about you when he ended further discussion of the tax cut bill, and shut off the CSPAN cameras.

YouTube

I remembered a similar incident several years ago when Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner ended a hearing when he took his gavel, shut off the microphones, and left a congressional hearing in 2005.

YouTube

Republicans need to grow up and put people before politics.

The Republicans: "Bah Humbug!"

2011-12-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

Yo, America! The Republican Tea Partiers are a bunch _____. (Fill in the blank with your own inappropriate word.)

Washington Post:

The House on Tuesday rejected a bipartisan Senate compromise to extend a payroll tax cut for two months, along with unemployment benefits, plunging Washington on the eve of Christmas into uncertainty about the fate of the tax cut enjoyed by 160 million workers.

On a vote of 229 to 193, the House set aside the Senate bill and requested a formal conference with the Senate, setting up a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Obama, who has demanded that the House approve the short-term plan now to avoid a Jan. 1 tax hike....

.....In debate before the procedural votes that shelved the Senate bill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) charged that “the extreme tea party element of the Republicans in the House” was blocking an extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits for millions of Americans.....

If you recall, John Boehner assumed power in the House of Representatives with a huge gavel. It might be time for Boehner to use that large gavel on some of Tea Party Republicans. The Republicans refused to vote on the payroll tax break for the middle class and passed a vote to go to conference with the Senate (which has adjourned until next year).

You can see the list of Republicans that stood and refused to pass the payroll tax cut bill at the clerk's website :

12:54:49 P.M.

H.R. 3630

On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendments, and request a conference Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 229 - 193 (Roll no. 946).

The Republicans that voted to delay the vote include the following---- (Roll no. 946) --

Adams
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Amash
Amodei
Austria
Bachus
Barletta
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Benishek
Berg
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Brooks
Broun (GA)
Bucshon
Buerkle
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Canseco
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Cravaack
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Denham
Dent
DesJarlais
Dold
Dreier
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Emerson
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar

Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guinta
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Hayworth
Heck
Hensarling
Herger
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jordan
Kelly
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Labrador
Lamborn
Lance
Landry
Lankford
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lewis (CA)
LoBiondo
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Marino
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meehan
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Myrick
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Palazzo

Paulsen
Pearce
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Quayle
Reed
Rehberg
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rigell
Rivera
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross (FL)
Royce
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schilling
Schmidt
Schock
Schweikert
Scott (SC)
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stearns
Stivers
Stutzman
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner (NY)
Turner (OH)
Upton
Walberg
Walden
Walsh (IL)
Webster
West
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Young (IN)

Taxes will go up on 160 million Americans because the Republican Tea Partiers have hijacked the House of Representatives. Those of you in Ohio will note that Tiberi, Stivers, Renacci, Latourette, Austria, Johnson, Latta, Turner, Chabot, Jordan, Gibbs, and Schmidt voted yes, thereby refusing an up or down vote on the payroll tax cut extension. Shame on these radicals. Shame. Without an actual up or down vote on this bill, everyone's paycheck will include a tax increase. The more you make, the more taxes you will pay because the House Republicans refused to act.

The Republicans and Democrats in the Senate hammered out a compromise, but the Tea Party Republicans in the House have refused to accept that until they get their way.

The Incompetence of John Boehner

2011-12-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

* DailyJobCuts found some layoff news in Ohio at 13abc:

30 people have been laid off from Owens Illinois.

In a release sent to 13abc, O-I says the layoffs affect the North American headquarters in Perrysburg, the global technology and operations center, and the corporate headquarters.....

These layoffs are not posted, as yet, at the ODJFS Warn Notice page.

*** I'd like to know how many subscriptions that the Columbus Dispatch lost after they came out to support Kasich's SB5. If you have that information, let the world know. I have noticed that the Dispatch delivery is down in a few neighborhoods.

*****

>>> A report found at Insurancenewsnet and published on December 13, 2011, has John Boehner pushing for approval of the Senate bill on the extension of the middle class tax cuts:

....The House sets up its bill for a vote Tuesday, and while it's expected to pass, the vote count will be a test in its own right. According to Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei, Boehner told his caucus "I don't want 218 votes, I want 242." A count of 218 is a simple majority in the House; 242 would represent all Republicans on board.

Now Boehner is against the bill. What happened? Is Boehner being controlled by the Republican Tea Party members? If Speaker Boehner does not have a vote on this bill, everyone will see their taxes go up. If that happens, you can clearly blame the Republicans for their ineptitude.

Where are the jobs, Republicans? Where are the jobs?

Radical In Which Way????

2011-12-18T13:21:00.000-05:00

TalkingPointsMemo has the latest crap that has come out of Newt Gingrich's mouth:

Newt Gingrich on Sunday hammered at the nation’s judiciary system, saying that if a court’s decision was out of step with American popular opinion, it should be ignored.

There’s “no reason the American people need to tolerate a judge that out of touch with American culture,” Gingrich said on CBS’ Face the Nation, referring to a case where a judge ruled that explicit references to religion were barred from a high school graduation ceremony. And Gingrich recently has said judges should have to explain some of their decisions before Congress.

Host Bob Schieffer asked Gingrich how he planned to enforce that. Would you call in the Capitol Police to apprehend a federal judge, he asked.

“If you had to,” Gingrich said. “Or you’d instruct the Justice Department to send the U.S. Marshall in.”

I think that Gingrich is the radical. Hasn't he ever studied about the three branches of government, separation of powers, and checks and balances? Doesn't he claim to be a "historian" or something? Gingrich and 99.9% of the Republican Party are the radicals. They support corporations over human beings. They promote charter and private schools and want to take tax payer money away from public schools. The Republicans are the radicals.

Gingrich's "family values" are clearly out of the mainstream of American life. Dumping wives as though they are old shoes does not allow me to put any support behind a man who has regularly cheated on his wives. His ethics violations do not show a man that knows the difference between right and wrong (and the Republican pollsters cannot understand why women won't support Newt! Ha!).

Gingrich is just an egomaniac that thinks he is a legend, and a genius. Luckily, he has a small following of confused supporters that believe his rubbish.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

2011-12-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

* One thing Ohio voters have learned about Gov. Kasich---- he doesn't adhere to laws. The continuing feud between Gov. John Kasich and Republican Chairman for Ohio, Kevin DeWine is heating up. This time Kasich's employees are doing campaign work during working hours.

Dispatch:

....Official documents show Kasich's regional liaisons Nicole Kostura, Nick Gatz and Sherri Carbo each turned in petitions for candidates to run for the GOP state central committee against candidates who support DeWine. The petitions were delivered by the Kasich staffers during weekday work hours.

Kostura and Gatz turned in petitions on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Carbo circulated petitions on Dec. 1, 2, 5 and 6, and submitted them on Dec. 7.

State law prohibits government employees from doing political activities during their work day.....

The article also explains that Kasich mentioned to Kevin DeWine that he wanted to have his own choice in filling the position of chairperson. DeWine explained that the chair was elected, not appointed. Election???? Kasich must appear to be a dictator to even members of his own party.

* Even right-leaning Politico is seeing some problems with Republican Josh Mandel's run for U.S. Senate:

...Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel is proving his fundraising chops, but his bumpy rollout has given Republicans pause about the 33-year-old candidate’s ability to handle the glare on a bigger stage....

With so many people out of work, why can't Mandel just be satisfied with his job as the State Treasurer? Mandel is so afraid of the press, he has refused meeting with even the Akron Press Club. Mandel has plenty of time to fly all over the country to collect campaign checks, but he doesn't have the time to talk to those people who write for media and print??? Mandel is showing his arrogance.

Aren't You Tired?

2011-12-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

Aren't you tired of hearing about the Kardashians, the millionaires, Trump, Ryan Secrest, John Boehner, Romney, Gingrich, and all that other baloney? It is the same running list of names every single night on the news. We don't care!

As far as I'm concerned, and I'm a sixty year old married woman, I am sick of the self-centered, pro-Wall Street, pro-war, pro-white man Republican Party. It is as if they haven't opened their eyes and noticed that our society has people of many different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and family situations. We are no longer living in the Ozzie and Harriet Nelson neighborhood (some of us never did), but Republicans seem to think that they alone should impose their beliefs on every person. We need to spend less time and energy on them and turn our attention to people that need our help.

A new report from the National Center on Family Homelessness states that there are more than 1.6 million homeless children in our country. In a state by state Report Card, we can discover the incredibly sad statistics on homelessness. We need to move forward with job creation, fixing our infrastructure, employing our veterans, getting people back to work, and educating our children. With the country ending one war and winding down another, we've got to concentrate on helping the middle class working families instead of the Kardashians.

Don't Tell Me!

2011-12-14T09:51:00.001-05:00

*** When I heard that Lowe's had dropped their advertising for the TLC program, "All-American Muslim," I was not surprised. In the world we live in, some corporations are so easily swayed by the demands of certain small, right wing groups. Personally, I don't want anyone telling me what I can or cannot watch on television. Somehow, the family organization of Florida felt a need to be the "decider" of what is American.

I've seen a couple of episodes of "All-American Muslim," and the families on the program were just regular people trying to do well for their families, kids, and neighborhood. There was nothing at all threatening or offensive. The families on the program seem to be discussing the same things American families talk about--- food, sports, clothing, and family. It is too bad that someone thought that was offensive. It could be that the Florida family group has not learned to love, instead of hate.

As for me, I'll be watching more episodes of "All-American Muslim" because it is an example of the greatness of our country. Our country has had contributions from every ethnic group in the world. Isn't this country considered a melting pot?

We should all stand up and applaud Russell Simmons (see CBS) and others who've stepped up and bought ads to keep "All American Muslim" on the air.

>>> Aren't you getting tired of the old white guys in the Republican Party and far right organizations trying to tell you what you can see, and say, and do?

>>>>>>> Newt Gingrich is a real _____ .

Here is a post at HuffingtonPost about Gingrich's views on pay:

Long before he was a GOP presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich knocked the Bush administration for its effort to ensure all workers -- regardless of immigration status -- were paid for their work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"The government of the United States is currently insisting that everybody in the Katrina recovery make sure they pay all of their illegal workers," he said in an April 2006 speech at the American Enterprise Institute. "Now again, I am not for cheating anybody who came here, but I just want to suggest to you, this is so out of touch with reality, that it's baroque. It makes no sense at all. In a country which wants to crack down on illegality, the United States government is helping it."

Once again we see that fairness and equality are words completely unfamiliar to Gingrich.

***** The teacher evaluation document for Ohio has been put together with a list a recommendations. I really wonder how much politics has influenced this document. The paper can be read at Stateimpact.NPR.

My concern also were raised when I saw the list of names from the steering committee from the report:

(p. 21)

Ekta Chabria

Jeanne Derryberry

Kyle Farmer

Diane Horvath

Dondra Maney

Chris O'Brien

Laurie Preston

Heather Reynolds

Sean Riley

Scott Shinaberry

Bonnie Ward

Melissa Wood

Do you recognize any names???? I can see two questionable appointments. I guess the Ohio GOP needed some people to guide and spy.

> Kyle Farmer is the chairman of the Fairfield County Republican Party and was featured in a pro-SB 5 ad.

> Is Ekta Chabria related to Kasich's buddy/staff member, Jai Chabria?

Women Voters

2011-12-13T10:50:00.000-05:00

* Republicans are concerned that Newt Gingrich doesn't seem to have the support of female voters. :( Really? Give me a break. Women know what a scoundrel looks like and it is the face of Gingrich. Wait! There is more on Gingrich at Raw Story:

New GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich has signed a pledge from Iowa social conservative group The Family Leader that forbids committing adultery, according to the political blog The Iowa Republican.

The pledge has already been signed by Texas Governor Rick Perry, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and Rick Santorum. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) have said they would not sign the pledge.

Gingrich chose to sign today after initially declining to do so in August, when the text of the pledge claimed that African-American children were better off under slavery than they are today. That text has since been removed. He also vowed to uphold The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibits same-sex marriage.....

ROFLOL Gingrich can count on female voters when....... Never!

Somehow Gingrich thinks that his past behavior is okay. What a hypocrite! Why do Republicans think that they should be involved in the private lives of people but we should keep out of their business? I think that any Republican that supports child labor, blocks women's reproductive freedom, and is against equal rights for all should be asked some personal questions like......... How often do they use male enhancement drugs? How often do you take drugs or drink alcohol? Would you take a drug test? Have you ever put your dog in a crate on the roof of your car while traveling hundreds of miles (Romney)? Etc. Etc.

The $10,000 Romney bet?

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

* Have you ever bet someone $10,000 like Mitt Romney did on the Republican debate this weekend? When someone bets a figure like that, it must mean that is just some extra money they have in his pocket. Most Americans might bet someone a dollar or lunch or even a cup of coffee, but nothing close to Romney's $10,000. It is no wonder that Romney is so out of touch with Americans.

Need more? Romney's cute little $12,000,000 house on the west coast is a toooooo small at only 3,000+ square feet. He will be bulldozing it so that he can expand it to four times the present size, according to an article in SignonSanDiego. Romney doesn't feel your pain.

Shame on the Republicans

2011-12-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

* I've never been to Iowa, but somehow I cannot believe that there are so many far right voters that Republicans continue to court. Could it be that the far right Republicans in Iowa are just louder than other people in their state?

I'm just sick of the hypocritical Republicans and their "moral" candidates. I'm sick of the Republicans defending and supporting millionaires, bankers, and wealthy corporate CEO's who'd rather count their money than improve their country.

The Republican leadership in the House and the Senate have done nothing but sponsor bills that take apart regulations. Shame on the Republicans and their greed. Shame on their purposeful agenda of halting progress.

We've got to get the leadership out of the hands of the Republicans. We cannot put people back to work and empower the middle class as long as the GOP controls the House and can block votes and nominations in the Senate.

Republicans Doing Nothing, As Usual

2011-12-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

The vote on the nomination for Ohio's own Richard Cordray was held today, and, unfortunately, the do-nothing Republicans blocked the vote.

LA Times:

Republicans on Thursday blocked the Senate from voting on the nomination of Richard Cordray to be the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Supporters of Cordray's nomination came up seven votes short of the 60 needed to bring Cordray's nomination to the Senate floor for an up-or-down vote. The final tally was 53-45, with only one Republican, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, voting to cut off debate. Sen. Olympia Snow (R-Maine) voted present.....

....Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said the vote showed that "more than 40 of my colleagues chose Wall Street special interests over Main Street consumers. They should be ashamed of themselves."

Which people voted to No on the Cordray nomination?

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 223:

NAYs ---45
Alexander (R-TN) Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coats (R-IN) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Heller (R-NV) Hoeven (R-ND) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (R-WI) Kirk (R-IL) Kyl (R-AZ) Lee (R-UT) Lugar (R-IN)	McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Murkowski (R-AK) Paul (R-KY) Portman (R-OH) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Vitter (R-LA) Wicker (R-MS)

Now we know which Senators love Wall Street more than regular, average Americans.

Here is the contact list for Senate Republicans:

Alexander, Lamar - (R - TN)	Class II
455 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
Web Form: www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Ayotte, Kelly - (R - NH)	Class III
144 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3324
Web Form: www.ayotte.senate.gov/?p=contact

Barrasso, John - (R - WY)	Class I
307 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6441
Web Form: www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Conta...

Blunt, Roy - (R - MO)	Class III
260 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5721
Web Form: www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form?p=cont...

Boozman, John - (R - AR)	Class III
320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
Web Form: www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Brown, Scott P. - (R - MA)	Class I
359 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Web Form: www.scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailscottbrown

Burr, Richard - (R - NC)	Class III
217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3154
Web Form: www.burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.C...

Chambliss, Saxby - (R - GA)	Class II
416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3521
Web Form: www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Coats, Daniel - (R - IN)	Class III
493 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5623
Web Form: www.coats.senate.gov/contact/

Coburn, Tom - (R - OK)	Class III
172 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5754
Web Form: www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactsenatorcobu...

Cochran, Thad - (R - MS)	Class II
113 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5054
Web Form: www.cochran.senate.gov/email.html

Collins, Susan M. - (R - ME)	Class II
413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Web Form: www.collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=Con...

Corker, Bob - (R - TN)	Class I
185 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3344
Web Form: www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe

Cornyn, John - (R - TX)	Class II
517 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2934
Web Form: www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm

Crapo, Mike - (R - ID)	Class III
239 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6142
Web Form: www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

DeMint, Jim - (R - SC)	Class III
167 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
Web Form: www.demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactInformation

Enzi, Michael B. - (R - WY)	Class II
379A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3424
Web Form: www.enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=e-mail-sen...

Graham, Lindsey - (R - SC)	Class II
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5972
Web Form: www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contac...

Grassley, Chuck - (R - IA)	Class III
135 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3744
Web Form: www.grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Hatch, Orrin G. - (R - UT)	Class I
104 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5251
Web Form: www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=Email-Orrin

Heller, Dean - (R - NV)	Class I
361A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6244
Web Form: www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Hoeven, John - (R - ND)	Class III
120 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2551
Web Form: www.hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator

Hutchison, Kay Bailey - (R - TX)	Class I
284 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5922
Web Form: www.hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay

Inhofe, James M. - (R - OK)	Class II
205 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4721
Web Form: www.inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...

Isakson, Johnny - (R - GA)	Class III
131 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3643
Web Form: www.isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Johanns, Mike - (R - NE)	Class II
404 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4224
Web Form: www.johanns.senate.gov/public/?p=ContactSenatorJohanns

Johnson, Ron - (R - WI)	Class III
386 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
Web Form: www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Kirk, Mark - (R - IL)	Class III
524 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2854
Web Form: www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=contact

Kyl, Jon - (R - AZ)	Class I
730 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4521
Web Form: www.kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Lee, Mike - (R - UT)	Class III
316 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5444
Web Form: www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Lugar, Richard G. - (R - IN)	Class I
306 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4814
Web Form: www.lugar.senate.gov/contact/

McCain, John - (R - AZ)	Class III
241 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2235
Web Form: www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...

McConnell, Mitch - (R - KY)	Class II
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2541
Web Form: www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact

Moran, Jerry - (R - KS)	Class III
354 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6521
Web Form: www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=e-mail-jerry

Murkowski, Lisa - (R - AK)	Class III
709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6665
Web Form: www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Paul, Rand - (R - KY)	Class III
208 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4343
Web Form: www.paul.senate.gov/?p=contact

Portman, Rob - (R - OH)	Class III
338 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3353
Web Form: www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=contact...

Risch, James E. - (R - ID)	Class II
483 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2752
Web Form: www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Roberts, Pat - (R - KS)	Class II
109 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4774
Web Form: www.roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailPat

Rubio, Marco - (R - FL)	Class III
317 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3041
Web Form: www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Sessions, Jeff - (R - AL)	Class II
326 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4124
Web Form: www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Const...

Shelby, Richard C. - (R - AL)	Class III
304 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5744
Web Form: www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby

Snowe, Olympia J. - (R - ME)	Class I
154 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5344
Web Form: www.snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=email

Thune, John - (R - SD)	Class III
511 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2321
Web Form: www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Toomey, Patrick J. - (R - PA)	Class III
502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
Web Form: www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact

Vitter, David - (R - LA)	Class III
516 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4623
Web Form: www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...

Wicker, Roger F. - (R - MS)	Class I
555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6253
Web Form: www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...

New Video

2011-12-07T20:27:00.000-05:00

* Have you seen the new YouTube video on Josh Mandel?

Mandel's support for Paul Ryan's budget has a lot of elderly ladies in Cleveland and all over Ohio worried that, if elected, Mandel would try to end Medicare.

Mandel Running from the Press????

2011-12-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

* Republican Josh Mandel is running away from the press. He has declined an invitation to the Akron Press Club because he might have to answer questions. According to Ohio.com, Sen. Sherrod Brown has accepted the invitation for January 6th.

Will Mandel only meet with lobbyists who give campaign contributions?

Be sure to check out why Josh Mandel has been given a "Pants on Fire" by PolitiFact for his outlandish claims about Sen. Sherrod Brown.

* Some Ohio corporations have tax rates that are so low it should be embarrassing to them. A report by Citizens for Tax Justice shows the tax rates for 265 of the Forturne 500 firms (Full Report Here). If you look at page 28 of the file, you will see the tax rates for some Ohio corporations like American Electric Power, American Financial Group, First Energy and others. Could it be that the reason the state is having financial difficulties is because these companies don't contribute to the state?

Public Information

2011-12-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

*** Are you interested in reading some great information about Newt Gingrich? There is public information available online at the Washington Post.

TalkingPointsMemo:

Newt Gingrich reacted to Nancy Pelosi’s reminder to America that he was slapped with a $300,000 ethics violation by the House in the 1990s about as you’d expect: he accused Pelosi of violating ethics rules herself, and threatened to bring her up on charges.

Pelosi responded to that by sending TPM a link to the publicly-available cache of files on the Gingrich ethics case and informing Gingrich that she doesn’t need to breach the confidentiality of the ethics committee chamber to embarrass him.

“Leader Pelosi was clearly referring to the extensive amount of information that is in the public record, including the comprehensive committee report with which the public may not be fully aware,” a spokesperson for Pelosi said....

Does Gingrich think people are too stupid to find out what he did in Congress?

The Politics Behind Cyber Schools

2011-12-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

If you can get the December 5th edition of The Nation, buy yourself a copy (this edition is not yet online). The Nation profiles the people and organizations behind the virtual education push. To be honest, it is frightening to see how these people and groups (ALEC, Jeb Bush, Patricia Levesque, David Brennan, IQ-ity, etc.) are gaining influence across the country and in Ohio.

Mother Jones has another article, Jeb Bush's Cyber Attack on Public Schools, which is online. Here is an excerpt from Mother Jones:

....With more than 10,000 kids, ECOT is bigger than some of Ohio's 609 school districts. But its test scores rank above those of just 14 other districts. In 2010, barely half of its third-graders scored (PDF) proficient or better on state reading tests, and only 49 percent scored proficient in math, compared with state averages of 80 percent and 82 percent, respectively. ECOT's graduation rate has never exceeded 40 percent. ("The method used to calculate the official graduation rate does not consider students who take more than four years to graduate from high school," an ECOT spokesman says. "ECOT enrolls many students who are years behind their peers before they enroll with ECOT. ECOT graduates a large percentage of its population.")

The school also has a dubious track record in other areas. A 2001 audit (PDF) conducted after its first year of operations found that while the state had paid it to educate more than 2,000 students during one month, a mere seven kids had actually logged on to ECOT's computer system; state auditors couldn't verify that the rest of its student body even existed. In 2002, state officials forced ECOT to repay Ohio $1.7 million for these and other violations.....

Astounding. These charter and electronic/cyber schools put profit before student performance.

The Ohio GOP Battle Within

2011-12-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

* The Ohio GOP appears to be in disarray. With Gov. Kasich and Ohio Speaker of the House Batchelder fighting against state GOP Chair, Kevin DeWine, a new battle is being waged between two Republican U.S. Representatives.

Dispatch:

The new congressional districts are not yet a lock, but in one stretch of southwestern Ohio, incumbent congressmen Mike Turner of Centerville and Steve Austria of Beavercreek are already sparring as if a heated Republican primary race in their newly drawn district is a given....

....The two lawmakers have been busy lining up supporters and raising money for an anticipated June primary. Each is claiming he would be the best protector of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the largest single-site employer in Ohio. And both have begun lobbing sharp barbs at one another.

Turner, first elected in 2002, said that Austria has been an “echo’’ in mimicking initiatives that Turner launched. And in a very conservative district, Austria, first elected in 2008, said he is the true conservative while Turner is more liberal than he....

Both Mike Turner and Steve Austria voted for the Paul Ryan budget plan (see NYTimes) which sought to privatize Medicare and lower corporate tax cuts (see Washington Post).

>>>> Just when you thought the Josh Mandel had already declared himself the winner of the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, there is word that someone else is vying for attention.

PRweb:

U.S. Senate Candidate Donna Glisman has issued a challenge to Ohio Treasurer, and potential candidate Josh Mandel to “Step up or step aside.” The statement on her website comes in response to the media portrayal of Mandel as if he has already won the nomination without any primary challengers. Such reports have gone beyond merely a failure to acknowledge Donna, and have become a blatant exclusion of her candidacy. Yet, until Mandel officially declares he is running, and files nominating petitions with the Secretary of State, he cannot appear on the primary ballot. Glisman wants to know if Mandel is serious about running against her, if not he needs to back away from the spotlight and not further confuse the voters.

Glisman, who has been campaigning statewide for the nomination since June, filed her nominating petitions to appear on the March ballot on November 23rd, 2011. Whereas State Treasurer Mandel, who created an exploratory committee last spring, and since raised considerable funds, has yet to officially declare a run. Mandel does not have a Senate campaign website nor has he filed the required 1,000 signatures to appear on the ballot, which are due no later than December 7th, 2011.....

While Mandel continues sling mud at Sen. Sherrod Brown, Mandel still hasn't done the necessary paperwork for his candidacy. Still, Mandel is busy adding to his frequent flyer miles as he raises money for his unofficial campaign.

* The Nation has a terrific article online, The Nastiness of Newt.

The Nation:

It figured that a Republican presidential primary race defined by nothing so much as a taste for cruel and unusual politics would eventually see Newt Gingrich emerge as the cruelest and most unusual contender. Sure, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain might strive for the lowest common denominator. But Gingrich would outdo them in that department, despite heroic feats of insanity, stupidity and sex scandals by the other three. And so he has, emerging as the default choice of a new breed of Republican so extreme it would scare the bejeezus out of Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan.....

You wonder what Republicans of the past would say to these far right candidates today.

Help our Veterans

2011-12-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

* Why are Republicans against promoting jobs for our veterans? The vets have risked their lives in going to war, but the Republicans won't to anything to support President Obama's legislation to help vets. See how President Obama is trying to help our vets: http://my.barackobama.com/vets-jobs-video-inv

The Hypocrite

2011-11-30T19:40:00.000-05:00

With a Republican frontrunner like Newt Gingrich, we can't help but have our own conclusions about Gingrich based on his actions and words. How can he call himself a social conservative when he has been married three times?

I do not care for Newt Gingrich. When I see him, I see a slimeball. His voting record and his extramarital affairs make me believe that -
(a) he has no respect for women.
(2) he is deceptive (A cheater, is a cheater forever.).
(3) he is a pompous a**.
(4) he insults those that do not agree with him.
(5) he continues to protect the wealthy while the 99% suffer.

I can't think of anything with which Gingrich and I agree. I am a proud liberal that believes ---
- that every person has the right to marry the person they love.
- a woman has the right to make her own decisions about her reproductive needs.
- the government must provide equal public education, and those who desire private education should not use my tax dollars.
- the best way to get people back to work is to repair/replace the crumbling infrastructure in our country.
- tax cuts for the rich have done nothing to increase jobs, but they have added to our debt.

A few months ago, The Nation had a list of some of the quotes that have spilled from Gingrich's mouth. Since the article's publication, Gingrich has added more stupid quotes. (His recent idea to fire all the certified/licensed school custodians to let school children clean and fix their school grounds, boilers, and facilities, shows people that Gingrich is an idiot.)

This is my favorite stupid quote from the eleven listed by The Nation (May 11, 2011):

...(5) “It doesn’t matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There’s no one else who can say what I can say. It doesn’t matter what I live.” – [Newt’s explanation for why his multiple affairs won’t damage his political fortunes, as told to his jilted wife.]...

Yes, America, Gingrich is so full of it that he thinks we should hang on every word that he spews. Here is a little selection someone made that is posted at GoAnimate:

GoAnimate.com: Moral Majority %5BHa%5D Hypocrisy USA by AM:Hate Radio Inc.

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Is Newt Gingrich your candidate? Read.....

2011-11-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

* Wouldn't it be something if Newt Gingrich was the Republican candidate for President? There is sooooooooooo much about Gingrich that I just don't know where to start! Here are some links that will provide you with some background information:

Newt Gingrich's Skeleton Closet

ChicagoMag: Newt Gingrich's Child Labor Philosophy, Orphan Trains, and Japanese School Cleaning

AddictingInfo.org

Mother Jones: Quote of the Day

Mediate

Esquire Magazine

The Congress Project on the Dole Loan to Gingrich

CBS News on Gingrich's $500,000 account at Tiffany's

These articles should keep you busy for a few hours.

One more thing for Ohio voters------ John Kasich was endorsed by Newt Gingrich.

Have you heard........

2011-11-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

* The Ohio State Buckeyes have a new football coach. It is Urban Meyer. I hope that he is able to keep Luke Fickell on staff. Coach Fickell worked hard under the most adverse conditions and deserves our thanks for his dedication for the program.

* The NFIB (the National Federation of Independent Business) seems to be a right wing organization with ads on TV/radio attacking Democratic office holders that support safety regulations and laws protecting the environment. Luckily, I don't own a small business but if I did I would not join the NFIB.

* OMG. Would you vote for the new Republican frontrunner in the presidential sweepstakes---Newt Gingrich???? On so many levels, Gingrich makes me ill.

* Why does Republican Josh Mandel want to end Social Security and Medicare? Not everyone has a huge portfolio like his.

Mandel Likes Fracking

2011-11-22T21:54:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy fresh air, clean water, quiet parks, then you probably won't like Republican Josh Mandel's opinion.

ThinkProgress:

Ohio’s transparency-allergic treasurer and U.S. senate candidate Josh Mandel (R) is finally stepping out on stage by offering a certain type of policy positions: wildly unpopular. Mandel endorsed Gov. John Kasich’s (R) anti-labor law early this summer, insisting that Senate Bill 5 — a bill that was resoundingly defeated by police and firefighters — “is about respecting police and firefighters.” Now, Mandel is demanding that Ohio officials open up a national forest in Ohio to fracking — a policy 70 percent of Ohioans oppose. And he wants it done immediately.....

If Mandel likes fracking so much, perhaps Mandel would like to have some fracking in his yard, in his neighborhood, or in Lyndhurst. ProPublica published this:

For the first time, a scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire.

The peer-reviewed study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, stands to shape the contentious debate over whether drilling is safe and begins to fill an information gap that has made it difficult for lawmakers and the public to understand the risks....

....The group tested 68 drinking water wells in the Marcellus and Utica shale drilling areas in northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York State. Sixty of those wells were tested for dissolved gas. While most of the wells had some methane, the water samples taken closest to the gas wells had on average 17 times the levels detected in wells further from active drilling. The group defined an active drilling area as within one kilometer, or about six tenths of a mile, from a gas well.....

YouTube has a video from CBS that shows what it is like when methane from fracking is found in your home faucet: http://youtu.be/con8vHdH5fs

It is clear that Mandel hasn't a clue about fracking and knows nothing about the wants and needs of Ohioans. He is just parroting the wants and needs of his far right contributors, and those of Rep. Paul Ryan, Sen. Jim DeMint, and other extremists.

Arrogant, and Out of Touch

2011-11-20T18:21:00.000-05:00

* With Republican presidential candidates running all over the country before the primaries, there continues to be incredibly stupid things coming out of their mouths.

Raw Story has the latest from Republican Newt Gingrich:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich proposed Friday evening that public school janitors be replaced by children in order to help solve the income gap in America.....

“This is something that no liberal wants to deal with,” Gingrich said, according to Politico. “Core policies of protecting unionization and bureaucratization against children in the poorest neighborhoods, crippling them by putting them in schools that fail has done more to create income inequality in the United States than any other single policy. It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in, first of all, child laws, which are truly stupid.”...

“You say to somebody, you shouldn’t go to work before you’re what, 14, 16 years of age, fine. You’re totally poor,” he said. “You’re in a school that is failing with a teacher that is failing. I’ve tried for years to have a very simple model,” he said. “Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they would have pride in the schools, they’d begin the process of rising.”...

Wow. Gingrich has really shown his true self with this latest dumb idea. Gingrich wants to abandon child labor laws, allow poor children to go to work as janitors under a "master janitor," and pretty much abandon any chance for further education. Did you notice that Newt used the word "master" to describe someone in charge of the children working?

Why am I not surprised that someone who had a credit account at Tiffany's (once owed Tiffany's up to $500,000, according to CBS) and took a Greek cruise in the middle of a campaign, would call child labor laws "stupid"?

As one pundit said on a talk show the other day, Gingrich's baggage has baggage. I'll let Stephen Colbert explain Newt:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Spill, baby, spill?

2011-11-18T14:55:00.000-05:00

* Oh, my. They've done it again.
FinancialNewsNetwork:

The Brazilian Federal Police's environmental affairs division alleges that an oil spill in an offshore field operated by Chevron (CVX) is "far bigger" than the company has stated, the Associated Press reports.

The group says there is only one ship being used in the clean up, though Chevron says there are 18 ships being used. The drilling contractor for the well is Transocean (NYSE:RIG).....

As you may recall, Transocean was one of the companies involve in the Gulf of Mexico spill in 2010. A related story on Transocean comes from FuelFix:

Transocean Ltd. can’t blame the U.S. government for partial fault in the 2010 blowout of BP Plc’s Macondo Well in the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent oil spill, a judge said.

Transocean filed a claim against the U.S. in February, contending the incident may have been caused in part by the acts of federal agencies and government employees. Transocean was seeking a credit or offset on any prospective damages assessed against the company in the lawsuits....

...The accident and spill led to hundreds of lawsuits against London-based BP and its partners and contractors including Transocean, the Switzerland-based owner and operator of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded; Halliburton Co., which provided cementing services; Cameron International Corp., which provided blowout-prevention equipment; and BP’s minority partners in the well, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Mitsui & Co.’s Moex Offshore LLC unit.

Now Republicans, including Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) and John Boehner, want to allow more drilling to help pay for infrastructure repairs in the U.S., according to the CypressTimes. In the CypressTimes story, those mentioned include Republicans Stivers, Boehner, John Mica, Doc Hastings, and Tim Murphy.

Open Secrets notes the following from the personal financial disclosures of those Republicans:
Stivers owns stock in Exxon Mobil
Boehner owns stock in Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum

Hey. I'm just saying.......

Sick and Tired

2011-11-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

I'm sick and tired of certain things and people. Since this is a democracy, these people have the right to speak, but please, not near me.

* What are the Kardashians? I don't care which one got married, divorced, etc. Why do people watch these media whores?

* Republicans are just downright nasty, boring, self-righteous, greedy, lying people. Here is my example, from USA Today:

....Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Mitt Romney both claim President Obama said that "Americans are lazy." He didn't. To the contrary, Obama has consistently and repeatedly praised American workers as the "most productive in the world," a bit of boosterism he has repeated dozens of times. His recent words — "we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades" — actually referred to collective efforts to promote foreign investment in the U.S., and not to American workers or voters as individuals. Perry and Romney simply rip those words out of their context in order to mislead....

Do you know what else is lazy??????
> John Boehner is lazy for doing nothing to get people back to work. It is much easier for Boehner to go to country clubs, golf courses, champagne toasts than to find out what has to be done to create jobs. Repeating the same old "protect the rich" just makes me want to puke.

***

> Steve Stivers is lazy for doing the work of the polluters and bankers who filled his campaign coffers with big buck. I guess it takes work to find out what your constituents need.

***

> Herman Cain is lazy because he didn't know that China had nukes, didn't know what happened in Libya, was clueless about Iran. Don't these people read?????

***

> The newspapers in Ohio are lazy because they refuse to investigate the backroom deals, firings, and mismanagement going on in the Kasich administration. The media owners have not demanded the transparency that is required by Ohio law. The owners of Ohio newspapers are still in love with John Kasich while a majority of Ohioans have already dismissed his trickle down economics.

***

> Newt Gingrich? There are many links with Newt lying, but I cannot stand to hear his pompous, self-righteous, voice. Let me sum up Gingrich's profile in as few words as possible: married 3 times, divorced twice, check scandal, resigned from House post in disgrace, self-promoter, etc., etc....... Read the Esquire article about Newt.

***

> Mitt Romney is lazy because (I have a list, but I'll try to be brief.)
(a.) Romney tied his dog carrier, with the dog inside, to the top of his car while the family went on a long car trip. It must have been hard to think of an alternative way to take care of the family pet. Did he hate his dog so much that he put Seamus at risk of being hurt?

(b.) Despite having five sons, Romney's excuse for none of them being in the military, was lame. Obviously, Romney never heard of the Sullivan brothers.

(c.) It must have been much easier for Romney and his company, Bain, to take the money, layoff people, and close businesses, rather than put effort into running a business and keeping people and a community working. Taking the money and running shows greed.

(d.) Romney was for SB 5 (Ohio's Issue 2), then he was against it, and then for it. Does it take that much for Romney to remember something?

(e.) Romney's health care legislation that he championed while he was governor of Massachusetts, is now something he refuses to talk about in townhall meetings/interviews.

(f.) Romney was for a woman's right to have reproductive freedom, but now he is against it.

In all these example, Romney is too, too lazy to remember and care. Does he think that the public is so stupid that we won't remember what he said and what he did?

Arrests in Columbus

2011-11-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

* Just as we've seen police in other cities arrest Occupy Wall Street protesters, Columbus Police have also made arrests here. Dispatch:

Seven Occupy Columbus participants were arrested yesterday afternoon while protesting at a Downtown bank.

The protesters were arrested about 12:45 p.m. at the US Bank branch at 10 W. Broad St., said Sgt. Rich Weiner of the Columbus police. They were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor....

....US Bank security asked the protesters to leave and they refused, Weiner said. Columbus police officers arrested the seven after officers also asked them to leave the bank....

Despite arrests here and around the country, the Occupy Wall Street movement is certainly making a statement about the greed, avarice, and the selfishness we see with see on Wall Street. As if that was not enough, Republican elected officials continue to protect the rich while cutting programs for children, education, the elderly, and disabled.

>>>>> Thank goodness there is still some common sense out there! The plan to lease land in the Wayne National Forest has been delayed (see Disptach). The leases were to go out to companies to frack/drill. With reports around the country showing methane pouring out of faucets and igniting, explosions, contaminated water, and other hazards, I'm glad to see a halt to fracking on national land. Will Ohio follow?????

Cain and Romney---Not for Me!

2011-11-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

* Republican Herman Cain's recent interview on camera shows a man not ready for the White House, prime time, or any intelligent discussion on foreign policy. See USA Today.

* The Iowa Independent has a revealing article about some people involved in the Mitt Romney campaign-- They are vehemently anti-gay, and anti-women's reproductive freedom.:

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced the members of his Social Conservatives Statewide Steering Committee today; the list includes prominent anti-gay rights and anti-abortion rights activists in Florida’s Christian right circles.....

...The state co-chairs of the committee include state Sen. Anitere Flores, Pat Neal, Nancy McGowan and state Rep. Daniel Davis.

Flores has positioned herself as one of the state Legislature’s most active anti-abortion policy-makers. Last session, she successfully introduced a ballot measure (set to appear in the 2012 ballot) that would roll back a woman’s right to privacy in the Florida constitution....

Wasn't Romney for a woman's reproductive freedom before he was against it???????

This and That

2011-11-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Republicans and their "debates" seem to get crazier every single time they have one. With Bachmann and Cain indicating their push for waterboarding, you just have to wonder if they don't realize that waterboarding is tortue. Since President Obama's declaration to end waterboarding, the U.S. military has successfully gotten rid of major terrorist threats.

Mitt Romney wants to go to war with Iran, as of Saturday. Of course, with Romney, that could change. Does Romney think that he is making himself appear tough?

* My husband wants me to stop yelling at the TV. He says that I should just stop listening to the right wingers. It is true that watching Republicans speak raises my blood pressure, but screaming "liar" at them as they appear on my screen does make me feel better.

**** Do you get that impression that Herman Cain really doesn't take women seriously?

>>>> Why are the Republicans attacking Elizabeth Warren, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate? Nothing scares GOPers more than a smart, outspoken woman.

* Speaking of women------ How in the world can anyone take Newt Gingrich as a serious candidate? I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him! His elitism and respect for women are disgusting. Gingrich has been married three times and divorced twice. How many other Americans have a revolving credit account at Tiffany's??? Besides, where does his wife wear all those fancy schmancy diamonds and jewels? Needless to say, the only fancy places I go to include church, Krogers, and Whole Foods.

Thanks, Vets!

2011-11-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

To all those veterans out there:

Thank you for your service to our country.

**********

*******

The choices in the Republican Party for a presidential candidate leave a lot to be desired. I don't plan on voting for a Republican, and I'm just wondering what people see in the GOP candidates. From my perspective, I see a flip-flopper (Romney), a man who disrespects women (Cain), and a man that disrespects women and marriage (Gingrich).

The Christian Science Monitor has results from a recent CBS poll that shows one candidate tanking among women:

...The CBS poll, conducted in the field Nov. 6-10, shows that Mr. Cain, mired in sexual harassment allegations, has lost support among women since October: Then, 28 percent backed the former Godfather’s Pizza chief, but now, 15 percent support him. Romney, meanwhile, has seen his backing with men erode, but Gingrich has received an eight-point bump among them....

Gingrich gaining among female Republican voters???? It must be his revolving accounts at Tiffany's that has caught their attention.

In my humble opinion, Perry and Bachmann will never be ready for national office. I cannot even discuss Santorum without wondering if he landed on this planet from a time machine from the dark ages.

Cornyn is Wrong About A Lot!

2011-11-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

* What a moron! Sen. John Cronyn of Texas had some extremely stupid things to say, recently, but it is just part of his history.

RawStory:

Why shouldn’t same sex couples have equal rights? According to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), it’s because equality is just too expensive.

“Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) would actually result in an expansion of federal benefits and spending at a time when we know that federal spending is way out of control and our entitlement programs are unsustainable,” he told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

“Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act would actually increase the cost of Social Security that is already insolvent,” he added. “No one has paid into the Social Security system expecting benefits to be paid to same sex partners.”

Do you know what is too expensive for this country? I think that having morons in the U.S. Senate like Cornyn costs this country too, too much. Would it be okay if the U.S. stopped allowing oil and gas concerns from contributing to political campaigns? According to OpenSecrets, Cornyn has received over $1.8 million in contributions from people associated with oil and gas companies.

Despite the economic situation the country is experiencing, Cornyn and his ilk have gone after Planned Parenthood!!! Why is Cornyn spouting lies about Planned Parenthood? Cornyn and his Republicans in the House and Senate have wasted their time and energy being concerned about our uteruses instead of getting people back to work.

Cornyn says he supports veterans but he has continued to vote against funding for our vets and their health care. Shame on Cornyn and his Republicans for their lies, and self-serving, right wing agenda.

Cornyn's record on veterans has been documented by TxVeterans on YouTube:

Kasich Not Finished

2011-11-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

In a story at Raw Story, Gov. John Kasich said that it was "time to pause" in additional actions against unions.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State's website, 61% of the voters voted NO on Issue 2. That is a total of 2,145,042 votes against Issue 2. However, absentee ballots have not yet been added into the total. It also should be noted that in the 2010 election for governor, Kasich received 1,889,186 votes. Over 255,000 more people voted against Issue 2 than for Kasich. Yet Kasich wants to "pause."

We have a few years to go before Kasich would come up for re-election on November 4th, 2014. Work hard. Be fair. Keep one eye on the future, and one eye on the Republicans.

Kasich's Poor Choice of Shirts

2011-11-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

>>>>> Gov. John "elitist" Kasich has a shirt on from an exclusive, all male, golf club, according to ThinkProgress:

Today, Ohioans will decide on Issue 2, a referendum on GOP Gov. John Kasich’s deeply unpopular anti-labor law Senate Bill 5. In its print-version of a story on how voters “are set to roundly reject” his “signature achievement, Politico included a picture of the beleaguered Kasich stumping for his law at a Building A Better Ohio meeting. What’s striking about this image, however, is his shirt. It appears that Kasich decided to step out at a public event in a polo shirt bearing the logo of the Pine Valley Golf Club — an invitation-only, male-only country club.

Described as one of the “most exclusive” clubs in the world, Pine Valley Golf Club in Camden, New Jersey is “male-only membership” that is offered “by invitation from the board of directors only.” The membership list is “a closely guarded secret” and women wishing to play the course are permitted only on Sunday afternoons......

Why am I not surprised? Mr. Elitist just doesn't get why picking on the middle class is wrong.

*** Time Magazine has their take on Issue 2 and Gov. John Kasich:

...Kasich’s tenure hasn’t gone as planned. The former TV personality and investment banker is currently the nation’s second-least popular sitting governor behind Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie, according to the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, with ratings that have mostly hovered in the 30s. And on Tuesday, he’s likely to see his signature legislation, a bill that curbs collective-bargaining rights for public employees, repealed in a hotly contested referendum. It would be a telling rebuke to the governor who made it a centerpiece of his platform. “If voters could do the governor’s race over again, they would,” says PPP’s Tom Jensen....

If Ohioans could do a "do-over" in the governor's election, I'm sure many people would not vote for him. But then again, I did not vote for him because I knew he was an a**#+@#.

___________

* The Today Show's guests this morning included one of the sons and one grandson of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Dusty Rogers noted the celebration of what would have been Roy Rogers 100th birthday. There are many of us who fondly remember the show in the 1950's that featured Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Trigger, and the rest of the gang. Do you still know all the words to "Happy Trails to You" (check out the RoyRogers website to check the lyrics)?

Earthquakes in Oklahoma?

2011-11-07T11:03:00.000-05:00

There was a earthquake in Oklahoma a few days ago. According to CNN, the quake and aftershocks continue:

....The 5.6-magnitude quake struck four miles east of Sparks in Lincoln County at 11:53 p.m. ET Saturday.

It hit struck the same area where a 4.7-magnitude quake struck just hours earlier -- at 3:12 a.m. ET Saturday.

By 8 a.m. Sunday, geologists had recorded more than 30 aftershocks.....

What could have caused the quakes?
PESN has this:

....This is not a natural earthquake. This is due to fracking operations going on in the area. Sorry for the folks making excuses for the oil and gas operations. This one is theirs at 5 km (3.1miles, 16,500 Feet). Its depth is square in the region affected by their drilling. It may in fact be exactly at their drill depth.

On November 5, 2011 at 2:12 AM CDT (07:12:45.4 UTC) an magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. This turned out to be a foreshock to a much larger earthquake. The mainshock occurred at 10:53 PM CDT (11-6 03:53:10 UTC). The earthquakes occurred about 6 miles northwest of Prague and 5.2 miles southeast of Sparks. These earthquakes occurred very close to where a magnitude 4.3 earthquake occurred on February 27, 2010. From the location of the earthquake and the focal mechanism it is most likely that this earthquake occurred on the Wilzetta fault also known as the Seminole uplift. We are currently working to locate the numerous aftershocks will continue to update information as we can. (Oklahoma Geological Survey)

There are several points here
(1) This is massive. The force here is equivalent to about 100 million tons of TNT detonation.
(2) This earthquake has the potential for very real damage to things like hydroelectric pools.
(3) This may in fact be below the fracking operations somewhat but it is well within the zone that is affected by the ground shifts associated with these operations.
(4) While some of the energy here may be natural in origin, this is a man caused event.....

Ohioans should get ready for earthquakes here since Gov. Kasich and his corporate buddies will be fracking in the state very soon, if they haven't already started.

Fair Warning

2011-11-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

A piece over at Opednews gives Ohioans the real threat that Republicans bring---- the chance that they'll tamper with this election as they've done in the past:

Opednews:
..Polls show the repeal winning by 25% or more. But will it -- like the 2004 presidential election -- be stolen by the 1% intent on crushing working people and stealing huge sums of money?

.....The attack has the loud, persistent support of Wall Street's hand-picked Governor John Kasich, who made millions as a Foxist commentator and Lehman bond dealer. Among other things, Kasich helped pawn $400 million in Lehman's junk bonds onto the Ohio teacher's pension fund, making him a multi-millionaire. Control of that money would be directly affected by the outcome of this referendum.....

...In July of this year, http://www.freepress.org posted the architectural maps used in Blackwell's 2004 voting operation in Ohio. His electronic reporting operation was designed by a partisan Republican firm, GovTech and linked directly to servers at the premier Republican and right-wing tech company SmarTech in Chattanooga, Tennessee. See New court filing reveals how the 2004 Ohio presidential election was hacked....

Ohioans will be watching to see if the vote is close to what the polls indicated. If the Republicans pull a fast one and alter our votes, there would be massive demonstrations across the state.

Vote NO on Issues 1, 2, and 3.

Oh, no! Kasich lied again! Politifact Ohio looks at Kasich's latest claim:

...PolitiFact Ohio rated Kasich's claim Pants on Fire.

...Out-of-state mediators cannot resolve disputes under the state's rules for binding arbitration -- and that is the specific process Kasich has repeatedly criticized.

His office cited another procedure seldom used by safety forces, who are covered by the binding arbitration rules, that could allow an out-of-state mediator. But that doesn't make this claim accurate.

And as the state government's chief executive and leading spokesman for reforming the state's collective-bargaining rules for public employees, Kasich should know that....

Kasich knows that out of state people cannot be used in these binding arbitration because the law forbids it. How can anyone trust Kasich?

There is a lesson in all this for Ohio's public employees--- you cannot trust the Republicans.

What was your tax rate?

2011-11-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

* Here is something that will raise your blood pressure--

Citizens for Tax Justice:

280 Most Profitable U.S. Corporations Shelter Half Their Profits from Taxes.
“These 280 corporations received a total of nearly $224 billion in tax subsidies,” said Robert McIntyre, Director at Citizens for Tax Justice and the report’s lead author. “This is wasted money that could have gone to protect Medicare, create jobs and cut the deficit.”

...30 Companies average less than zero tax bill in the last three Years, 78 had at least one no-tax year.....
....U.S. corporations with significant foreign profits paid tax rates to foreign countries that were almost a third higher than they paid to the IRS on their domestic profits....

Full Report Here

There is a lot within this report and some of it applies to companies with Ohio ties. This is just a smidgen of the info:

(Effective Federal Corporate Income Tax Rates)

Ashland (page 25: 3 yr.: tax rate 6.7%),
J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. (page 26: 3 yr. tax rate 30.1%)
Omnicare (page 27: 3 yr.: tax rate 5.1%)
Marathon Oil (page 30: 3yr. tax rate 15.8%)

Which candidates and elected officials don't want to raise taxes on corporations and millionaires?????

Republicans Have No Time to Create Jobs

2011-11-03T19:51:00.000-05:00

*This week the Republican-controlled House of Representatives put a bill on their agenda to demonstrate "In God We Trust" while millions of Americans are unemployed. Obviously, people losing their homes, unable to feed their families, and having utilities shut off, doesn't matter to the Republicans.

Today, in the U.S. Senate, the Republicans were involved in more roadblocks to the economic recovery of families and the nation.

USA Today:

Republicans in the Senate have killed legislation sponsored by President Obama to spend $60 billion on building and repairing roads, rail lines and other infrastructure to help kick-start the sluggish economy.

The 51-49 vote fell well short of the 60 votes required under Senate procedures to start work on the bill. The infrastructure measure is the third in a string of Senate defeats for Obama's stimulus-style jobs agenda, which would be financed by a tax surcharge on the very wealthy....

The Republicans keep protecting the 1%, while the 99% just try to make it day to day.

Who is Mitt Romney?

2011-11-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this video from PrioritiesUSAction posted over at DailyKos and wanted to share it.

YouTube

> Here are some other little bits of information about Romney:

In a story from Outside the Beltway in 2007, Romney responded this way when asked why none of his five sons had not served in the military:

“One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I’d be a great president.”

Voting for Romney? Not a chance. As a dog owner, there is no way I'd vote for a person who mistreated their own family pet. (See ABC News)

Boehner's Friends?

2011-11-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

* Do you want to join a group that protects the rich, the corporate titans, and the top 1% of the top income bracket? Have I got a special interest group for you!!!!!

TheHill:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday launched Team Boehner, a new website designed to be a central location for his social media efforts focusing on the upcoming 2012 elections.

Boehner called the new effort “an innovative & grassroots oriented website [to] empower the people, not the [government]” at the new Twitter feed created for the website. “Our site will connect @JohnBoehner [with] the millions of Americans who understand that the bigger our [government] gets, the smaller its people become,” reads a subsequent tweet....

“Team Boehner members get the inside scoop on our efforts to secure freedom for the American people, and fight for a smaller, less costly and more accountable government,” Boehner said in a video welcoming people to the site....

"Team Boehner" sounds like a club for the rich elite, complete with special handshake, club t-shirts, and private wine tastings. Needless to say, the 99% won't be invited.

*** This just in.... ClevelandJewishNews:

Former Republican congressional candidate Richard Iott, who participated in reenactments of Nazi battles, dressing up in SS uniforms, donated $2,400 to House Speaker John Boehner's political action committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The National Jewish Democratic Council called on Boehner to return Iott's money. Last week, it was reported that Iott gave $1,000 to Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel's Senate campaign.

Click here for more.

Need I say more?

What else is new???

2011-11-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

>>>> There are more layoffs in Ohio. The Ohio Dept. of Jobs and Family Services Warn Notices:

Gonzalez Contract Services/Toledo (Lucas Co.) =176 people

Yet Gov. Kasich claims his strategies are creating jobs?????

*** Josh Mandel, current Ohio Treasurer and Republican candidate for Senate, is over 170 days late in filing his personal financial disclosure. 170 days late!!!! OMG! What is he afraid to disclose? Is he trying to figure a way out of following the law? Shame. Shame.

* Gov. John Kasich just doesn't get it. So what else is new?

ToledoBlade:

Despite pleas to save Seneca County’s 1884 courthouse from Gov. John Kasich all the way up to the president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Seneca County commissioners remained resolute Tuesday in their 2- to-1 position in favor of demolition.

Democratic Commissioner Ben Nutter said after the meeting with courthouse advocates that he finds it ironic that the same governor who slashed funding to local governments would urge commissioners to defer demolition.

“I think it’s actually hypocritical of the governor who has decimated local budgets across the state to now come in and offer up a plan that would have us spend more money,” Mr. Nutter said.....

John Kasich made the budget cuts and he has to learn to deal with it too. If he wants something done, he can suggest it, and discuss it with people, but he is not a dictator. He cannot get everything he wants. If he refuses to fund something, he too has to suffer the consequences.

Think of how budget cuts will change other areas of our lives in Ohio. John Kasich cut public school funding, but he will still demand that schools, teachers, and administrators, and students perform at high levels. When a governor makes the kinds of cuts like Kasich did, the results are not always what was expected.

Regulations Help Workers

2011-10-31T08:43:00.000-05:00

* Why do Republicans always talk about getting rid of regulations? Do they want to permit companies to dump whatever toxic chemical they want into our drinking water? Do Republicans even care about the safety of their workers?

There are precautions that every company should take to protect their employees and the public. Regulations exist to protect all of us. A website at OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Adminstration) has a list of companies that have had safety problems for every state, including Ohio. Here is a sampling from OSHA on Ohio for 2011:

2011 - 10/25/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Campbell Road Sawmill after worker killed while felling trees at Archbold, Ohio, job site

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20916

2011 - 05/24/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites WPM Construction Services for exposing workers to cave-in and traffic hazards at Toledo, Ohio, job site

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=19890

2011 - 10/27/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Canton Drop Forge in Ohio for safety violations after worker dies in machinery accident

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20943

Secret Meetings????

2011-10-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

*** Sh-h-h-h-h-h-h....
The Kasich administration doesn't want you to know too much about what they're doing in the state. The entire exotic animal disaster in Zanesville could have been averted, but Kasich allowed former Gov. Strickland's executive order to expire. Now the meetings with ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) to set up regulations will be behind closed doors. Even the right-leaning Dispatch is upset with the secrecy.

Dispatch:

...In the wake of the escape and deaths of dozens of exotic animals near Zanesville, the public and press are understandably interested in the workings of a "task force" appointed by state officials to recommend how to best keep both creatures and Ohioans from harm.

But, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says the meetings of the group are closed because it is not a public body and therefore not subject to open-meetings laws.....

....a ruling by the 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus states that while an advisory committee was established without formal action, the Open Meetings Act is not intended to allow a public body to informally establish committees that are not subject to the law....

If this involves public safety, citizens need to know what is going on with these meetings. I'd like to see people representing citizens and the animals. From what I've heard, some of these meetings involve just those people who own exotic animals. What is up with that? I'm hoping that someone, maybe even PETA, the ASPCA, or some group will get these meetings opened to the public. I hope that law enforcement is also heavily involved.

* We saw a great movie that really ties in with all the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations -----Margin Call. The movie is set in the year 2008 and shows methods that some people in financial institutions will employ to get rid of toxic, worthless investments. (Does this sound familiar?) It is a finely crafted movie that leaves you wondering what you would have done if you were a trader told to sell off junk to anyone, even your mother. The greed and disdain that is displayed by the CEO will make you mad. Catch it while you can!

"under seige"

2011-10-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

Since I am not a fan of George Will, I'm not a regular reader of his column. However, a little blurb in a recent column made me sit up and scream.

George Will's column that appeared in the Tennessean, listed reasons that he thought that Romney would not be a good candidate for the Republicans. Will noted that Romney flip-flopped on his for-against-for Issue 2 in Ohio. Frankly, I don't care about Romney's chances in the political arena. Below is the paragraph that I want to bring to your attention.

Tennessean:

....Last week in Ohio, Romney straddled the issue of the ballot initiative by which liberals and unions hope to repeal the law Republican Gov. John Kasich got enacted to limit public employees' collective bargaining rights. Kasich, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is under siege. Romney was asked, at a Republican phone bank rallying support for Kasich's measure, to oppose repeal of it, and to endorse another measure exempting Ohioans from Obamacare's insurance mandate (a cousin of Romneycare's Massachusetts mandate). He refused.....

Here is the offensive sentence from the article in the Tennessean:

.......Kasich, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is under siege.....

Really? George Will thinks that Kasich....is under siege. Give me a break! Gov. John Kasich has made a point of disrespecting, denigrating, and dismissing the education, accomplishments, and work of Ohio's public school teachers. Kasich has made teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, and public employees the scapegoats for Ohio's economic disaster. Of course, Kasich doesn't mention that former Gov. Bob Taft set up the state for this mess because of Taft's massive tax cuts. Kasich fails to mention that as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers that he and his Wall Street buddies created this mess.

The middle class is under siege in Ohio with John Kasich as governor. George Will might be trying to create some sympathy for his buddy, but those of us that live in Ohio know that Kasich is an arrogant, anti-middle class, and pro-corporate Wall Streeter.

____________

The Ohio Republicans and their SB 5/Issue 2 also hurts our veterans. Plunderbund discovered this way back in March:

....So, just to be clear, Ohio’s Republican state Senators just sent a bill over to the House that screws Ohio’s veterans who want to be teachers out of a well-deserved 20% salary increase based on their military service.....

Why do Ohio's Republicans hate veterans too?

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote No on Issues 1, 2, and 3.

Nothing Happening

2011-10-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

* Since the Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives, very little has been accomplished. Sure, the Republicans have tried to end Social Security and Medicare with Paul Ryan's budget. They've titled bills as "job killers" and tried to abolish regulations. Certain legislation that was put into place to prevent another Wall Street meltdown have been championed by the Republicans, and even Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (Ohio's 15th). They've passed several bills to stop abortions, even though the bills are similar to other bills that were passed. In the end, nothing has gotten done. Boehner, Cantor, Paul Ryan, Gohmert, Stivers, and the rest of the GOPers have not created one job.

Next year will be a national election and the Republicans have put out their "work" calendar for 2012. Kos at DailyKos has posted the planned work days in the Republican controlled House of Representatives.:

Not Thinking Ahead?

2011-10-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney's big mistake in Ohio the other day clearly demonstrates his flip-flop on issues time and time again. Romney's flip-flop on Issue 2, as explained at The Hill, has made right wingers get upset. If Romney wants to support Gov. Kasich's anti-middle class Issue 2 that takes away rights from Ohio's public workers, that is fine. Ohio's firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and public workers are making lists and checking them twice. They will remember Republicans, their push for Issue 2, and their lies during the campaign.

In the meantime..... Vote NO on Issue 2.

* After the exotic animal disaster in Zanesville, and Gov. Kasich's meaningless executive order, it will come as no surprise that the widow of the man that released all those animals is headed to the Columbus Zoo to retrieve them.

ZanesvilleTimesRecorder:

Marian Thompson, the widow of Terry Thompson, will reclaim six exotic animals housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium at 2 p.m. today, according to zoo officials.

The animals were the only ones to survive last week's tragedy at the Thompson farm near Zanesville.....

....The zoo has no legal rights to the animals and removed them from the farm with the permission of Marian Thompson....

People are wondering how Mrs. Thompson can get the exotic animals back. Here is the answer from an article published on October 22nd, in the Dispatch:

An executive order on Ohio’s dangerous wild-animals problem that Gov. John Kasich signed yesterday relies exclusively on existing agencies and authority — including arrest powers available to county humane societies since 1953.

Unlike an order signed by his predecessor, Gov. Ted Strickland, which Kasich allowed to expire, the new order does not ban ownership or sale of wild animals, or require registration. Kasich said that would require changes in state law to be proposed later this year....

.....Tim Harrison of Outreach for Animals, a Dayton organization that does wild-animal rescues, called Kasich’s order “absolutely toothless. This is like putting a Band-Aid on a bleeding artery."

Are we in store for another exotic animal tragedy because Kasich signed a weak executive order? After such a horrible event, Kasich's lack of initiative to protect the public and animal life is disgusting. Kasich's answer about the possibility that Issue 2 will go down to defeat could also explain his lack of foresight in the exotic animal issues.

Columbus Dispatch:

...When asked if he has “a back-up plan,” Kasich replied: “I never think ahead.”

We can conclude that Kasich did not think ahead as to what could happen if the widow wanted the surviving animals back in her possession.

Mandel=DeMint=Club for Growth?????

2011-10-25T10:05:00.000-05:00

* Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Josh Mandel, who was just a candidate last year for Ohio Treasurer, will be in Washington, DC for a fundraiser this evening. Mandel has been able to raise money while sidestepping any inquiries on his views on issues. If we look at the types of groups and individuals that support him, Mandel comes off as being very right wing and pro-rich.

The Plain Dealer reported some recent endorsements for Mandel:

When South Carolina U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint announced his support for Josh Mandel in next year's Ohio U.S. Senate race, you might have assumed fine, another day, another endorsement......

.....A Plain Dealer review of the donations -- made through DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund with instructions that they be forwarded to Mandel's Senate campaign -- shows that DeMint's endorsement was worth $123,069 to Mandel by Sept. 30, the last day of the most recent quarter......

......The Club for Growth, a group that promotes conservative economic and political principles, endorsed Mandel on June 28. That served as a signal for 484 people who support the club's PAC to write checks to help Mandel. The total of these Club for Growth-to-Mandel earmarked donations: $124,282......

The Republican-leaning Columbus Dispatch had this opinion piece on Mandel:

....That is the way Mandel has been campaigning for next year’s U.S. Senate race. He can raise gobs of money. He campaigns with energy. But ask for a comment on a particular bill before Congress and all you get is another attack on Sherrod Brown....

What can we gather from all this? Can we can make some assumptions about Josh Mandel since he is unwilling and unable to discuss his views?

Does Josh Mandel support Sen. Jim DeMint's amendment to stop people from even discussing abortion on the internet? (see ThinkProgress) Should we assume that Mandel doesn't want people to exercise their right to free speech on the internet? Does DeMint's endorsement of Mandel mean that Mandel supports this (ThinkProgress):

....Now Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), one of the most die-hard anti-choice lawmakers, has jumped on the bandwagon by sneaking a radical anti-abortion amendment onto a completely unrelated piece of legislation. DeMint’s amendment would ban women and their doctors from discussing abortion over the Internet:

Anti-choice Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) just filed an anti-choice amendment to a bill related to agriculture, transportation, housing, and other programs. The DeMint amendment could bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and through videoconferencing, even if a woman’s health is at risk and if this kind of communication with her doctor is her best option to receive care.
Under this amendment, women would need a separate, segregated Internet just for talking about abortion care with their doctors....

Does Mandel believe the same way? Oh, I forgot. He won't answer questions.

What about the fact that the Club for Growth has contributed to Josh Mandel's campaign? Does that mean that Mandel supports the same agenda as the Club for Growth, as stated at their website:
Fiscally Conservative Spending
Federal Death Tax Repeal
Expanding Trade Freedom
Reform Social Security with Personal Retirement Accounts
Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform
Regulatory Reform and Deregulation
Education Choice

Can we assume, since Mandel won't answer any questions, that he supports the Club for Growth philosophy and wants to eliminate Social Security, eliminate public schools and give money to failing charter schools, have free trade and outsource American jobs, allow businesses to behave as they please so that can pollute the environment, get rid of regulations so that poison and fecal matter would be allowed in our food, cut worker safety protections, etc.?

Mandel has to man up and answer some questions or we'll make up his answers.

Speed Up Foreclosures?????

2011-10-24T07:41:00.000-05:00

*** Here is a dumb idea from Mitt Romney---throw more people out on the street by speeding up foreclosures. CSMonitor:

....In an interview published Tuesday ahead of presidential debate, Romney told Las Vegas Review Journal's editorial board that solving the foreclosure crisis would require letting banks proceed against homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages. New investors could then rent out the homes until markets adjusted.

"As to what to do for the housing industry specifically and are there things that you can do to encourage housing: One is, don't try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom," Romney said....

Romney doesn't need to worry about being thrown out of his home because he owns so many of them.

Romney's suggestion to speed up foreclosures is similar to one proposed by Steve Stivers in 2008 when he was a state senator.

Ohiovotes2011:

....State Senator Steve Stivers is set to unveil proposed legislation that would speed up the foreclosure process by allowing cities to go after property owners even if they don't owe the city money, NBC 4 reported....

Romney and Stivers must want more families living in cars and under bridges. Shame on them.

President Obama Makes Important Announcement

2011-10-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

CBS News:

President Obama announced Friday that the United States will withdraw nearly all troops from Iraq by the end of the year, effectively bringing the long and polarizing war in Iraq to an end.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," said Mr. Obama.

He said the last American troops will depart the country by January 1 "with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops."

Thank goodness. Hopefully, we'll be bringing out military out of Afghanistan too.

Kasich's Response Pathetic

2011-10-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

After 49 exotic animals had to be killed because Republican Gov. John Kasich allowed an executive order by former Gov. Ted Strickland to expire, this is how Kasich responded to questions:

WLWT:

"What had been proposed was frankly, not very workable," Kasich said. "You don't want to just put something out and not have the infrastructure or have all the complications that are connected to this. As a result of that, we formed a working group. Obviously going to move faster now. And at the end of the day, there will be legislation."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is heading up the effort to mold the law. They said they expect to have something within 30 days.

So what is allowed right now? In Ohio, it's about as easy as it gets to own a tiger, a bear or even a lion as a cat or dog.....

Kasich is wrong in so many ways. Something is better than nothing. Instead of at least renewing what Strickland had started, Kasich let it go. As Kasich and his Republican cohorts repeat the mantra that regulations are bad, we are seeing the results of his careless attitude. He could have used Strickland's proposal as a starting point to bring tighter restrictions, however, he chose to abolish the order entirely. Just as he has done away with education improvements, voting expansion, help for the poor, Kasich has tossed away any evidence of progress made by the Strickland administration.

Even as the public, animal rights advocates, and Jack Hanna have demanded change, Kasich decides to create a "working group." Then he says, "...at the end of the day, there will be legislation...." Today, Democratic State Rep. Debbie Phillips started some legislation to ban the ownership of exotic animals in the state (see DaytonDailyNews). It is a start.

Big News

2011-10-19T13:32:00.001-05:00

Check out Google Trends and you'll find that lots of people are following the escape of the wild animals in Zanesville, Ohio.
Jungle Jack Hanna, in a news conference earlier today:
YouTube and WDTNTV:

This is just another example of the incompetence of Gov. John Kasich. Why did he allow the executive order that banned the private ownership of exotic animals to expire?

**** With many Ohioans voting by absentee ballot this year, just one word for those voting on election day: Vote.

>>>>>> Public Policy Polling has the results of their latest poll in Ohio. Here is a little hint from PPP:

There has been basically no change in how Ohioans feel about their governor since PPP last polled the state in August. John Kasich is still the least popular governor in the country, with only 37% approving and 54% disapproving of his job performance.....

Aren't you proud to have the least popular governor in the country? In case you are interested, the PPP poll indicates that 60% of women disapprove of Kasich. Women do not like bullies.

If you live in Ohio, remember to Vote No on Issue 2.

Vote No on Issues 1, 2, 3.

Wall Street's Collapse

2011-10-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

* Some members of the Ohio delegation are whining about money being taken away from the state that was going to be used to study privatizing the Ohio Turnpike (see InsuranceNews).
If they Ohio Turnpike is making a big profit, why is there a need to privatize it?

* If you want to see how we lost money on Wall Street, you've got to see Margin Call, which opens in theaters on Friday. The movie, starring Kevin Spacey, explains what went on inside a financial firm during the Wall Street collapse. Hmmmmm. Do you think Ohio voters, especially those that lost money in their retirement funds will want to see this? For more info, see Margincallmovie.com.

Herman Cain?

2011-10-16T23:46:00.000-05:00

* Herman Cain appeared on Meet the Press today. Here is what he said regarding abortion-
OpposingViews.com:

“I do not agree with abortion under any circumstance,” he insisted.

“Exceptions for rape and incest?” Gregory asked.

“Not for rape and incest,” Cain replied. “Because if you look at rape and incest, the percentage of those instances is so miniscule that there are other options.”

Is Herman Cain saying that there are a "miniscule" number of rapes or a "miniscule" number of pregnancies that are the result of rapes? By saying it this way, Herman Cain attempts to diminish the pain and suffering of the victims. According to the U.S. Census crime statistics on forcible rapes, in 2009, there were over 81,000 forcible rapes. That number represents those that were reported.

On his views on Social Security, Herman Cain wants to follow the model used in Chile by a dictator. Businessweek:

Herman Cain, the former pizza executive surging in polls for the Republican presidential nomination, wants to replace Social Security with what he called the “Chilean model” of private pension funds. Full adoption of that model may push the U.S. deeper into deficit than Greece......

.....The U.S. budget shortfall would rise above Greece’s 10.5 percent of GDP if all of the current payroll tax was diverted into private saving funds, according to Bloomberg data....

Cain doesn't seem to have a complete picture of what all these programs entail. Besides, the claim that he would run the country as a business or that a person with business experience knows something that others do not, is a big crock of baloney. Here in Ohio, we have John Kasich, a former vice president for Lehman Brothers, and the state is still bleeding jobs.

Speaking of Ohio----- Vote NO on Issue 2.

Stay Informed

2011-10-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

* There is a great post over at WeAreOhio that states---

ISSUE 2 is UNSAFE, UNFAIR, and HURTS Ohio's Middle Class Families

UNSAFE

Issue 2 puts all our families’ safety at risk. It makes it harder for emergency responders, police and firefighters to negotiate for critical safety equipment and training that protects us all.
Issue 2 will make our nursing shortage worse. It makes it illegal for nurses, hospital and clinic workers to demand reasonable and safe staffing levels—so nurses will juggle more patients while their salaries and benefits are cut.
UNFAIR
The same Columbus politicians who claim “we all must sacrifice” left themselves a gaping loophole in the law, making a special exception for politicians and upper management....

If you really want to talk about class warfare, the Ohio Republicans started it in Ohio. By protecting the rich and taking worker protections away from the middle class, Kasich & Co. (the Republicans) are doing all they can to protect themselves and their friends.

**** We're known by the friends that we keep. Josh Mandel, Republican candidate for Senate, will be endorsed by the Family Research Council, according to a story in the conservative PlainDealer.

The Family Research Council is an extremely conservative group that has made some very controversial statements. For example, Sojourners had this earlier in the year:

In response to Sojourners’ radio ads about the budget debates, the Family Research Council’s political action committee has launched radio ads in Kentucky and Ohio arguing that deficit reduction should cut programs that serve poor and vulnerable people. The ads assert that it is the private individual, not government, who has a responsibility to the poor.....

.......This also sets up the Family Research Council in opposition to major evangelical anti-poverty groups like World Vision and the Salvation Army. While just a few years ago, “compassionate conservatives” were at the forefront of increasing effective aid to address pandemic diseases and extreme poverty, the Family Research Council has been calling for cuts to USAID’s anti-poverty work, which would hurt groups like World Vision and the Salvation Army......

Doesn't that make you feel sick all over knowing that the FRC wanted to make cuts to programs that helped the poor?

**** Josh Mandel's personal financial disclosure report is now 5 months late.

Ask Orrin about Raser

2011-10-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

According to viewers of Fox News (every family has a couple), there was some energy company called Solyndra had some financial problems and Republicans are blaming President Obama. Last time I checked, President Obama tried to move the country forward after the Wall Street collapse, bank bailouts, and recession of the Bush administration. He tried to get the country back to work. Unfortunately, the Republicans have been sitting on their fat a**es repeating a mantra of "more tax cuts, more tax cuts, more tax cuts...." In my book, President Obama tried to get things moving, but the Republicans have created discourse, shown a lack of effort, and have actually spoken out in favor of failure.

One topic you won't hear about on Fox News is the Raser Technologies project that was championed by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.

USA Today:

....In April, the company that Hatch touted as on the cutting edge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — never coming close to producing the 10 megawatts that were projected at the Hatch Plant.....

Nice going, Orrin.

New Republican Jobs Plan: Same Old, Same Old

2011-10-13T22:08:00.000-05:00

Republicans have unveiled their new "jobs plan" to counter the one introduced by President Obama. The plan can be found here, but I can already tell you that the word/words
-   "tax" appears 20 times.
-   "regulations" appears 4 times.
-   "capital gains" shows up 2 times.
- "clean air act" 1 time.
- "balanced budget amendment" 1 time.
- "corporate" 2 times.
- "fiscal" 4 times.
- "federal lands" 2 times.
etc., etc., etc.

I'm sure that you get the picture. The GOP jobs plan is the same b.s. they offered in the past.

Ohio's Teachers

2011-10-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

WeareOhio has released a new ad opposing Issue 2:

Did you see all the restrictions that SB 5 has against teachers? Let me refresh the information for you.......

ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
SMALLER CLASS SIZES
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)

ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
UP-TO-DATE TEXT BOOKS
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)

ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
SCHOOL SAFETY ISSUES
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)

ISSUE 2
MORE STANDARDIZED TESTING
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 154-157, Section 3317.13 (B) (C)
and less time for classroom learning.

Issue 2 gives politicians the right to completely gut the budget for public education in Ohio. This destruction of public education is a goal of some powerful Republicans. If Issue 2 stands, you can expect crowded classrooms, tens of thousands of teachers fired, old and out of date books and equipment in schools, an increase of violence due to a lack of safety officers, and tests, tests, tests, and more tests.

Stop this unnecessary and unfair law.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Boehner Disappointing

2011-10-11T16:32:00.000-05:00

Do you think that the nation is finally realizing that the Republicans plan to do absolutely nothing until after the election in 2012? John Boehner has really been a disappointment to all those who thought he'd provide some real leadership.

Daily Kos/SEIU State of the Nation Poll has some good numbers for President Obama:

Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos & SEIU. 10/6-9 . Registered voters. MoE ±3.1% (Obama trendlines 9/2-25, all others 9/15-18):

Why destroy something making a profit?

2011-10-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

* Even though Ohioans are against it, Gov. John Kasich continues to move forward on the issue of selling/leasing the Ohio Turnpike.

PressPublications:

Gov. John Kasich’s plan to privatize and lease the Ohio Turnpike has met with considerable opposition from across the state. But Kasich is prepared to make a Request for Proposals (RFP) and pursue the plan, according to State Rep. Matt Szollosi (49th District)....

....Szollosi, as have other opponents of the plan, have cited Indiana, which leased its turnpike in 2006, as an example of what could happen in Ohio.

“Indiana privatized its turnpike. The maintenance of that asset has deteriorated, the tolls have almost doubled in four or five short years, and I believe at this point the toll workers are making just over minimum wage,” said Szollosi. “I’ve heard that the rest stops have deteriorated in quality and cleanliness. When you privatize, profit becomes the motive. Anyone who has traveled along the Ohio turnpike can see that this asset is in excellent condition. The workers do an exceptional job maintaining this precious asset. The rest stops are clean. The people, particularly in the northern part of the state who primarily use the asset on a daily or weekly basis, should not have to see the rates increase or potentially doubled nor should they have to experience a deterioration in the quality of the asset. It’s too important for us - the corridor along the northern part of the state - for economic and industrial development purposes to turn the turnpike over to outside or potentially foreign interests. We shouldn’t hand over this asset paid by the taxpayers for corporate profit.”

If the Turnpike continues to make a profit, why sell it? Kasich's plan just doesn't make any sense, especially considering the Indiana example.

* Plunderbund has a great posting about Dr. Robert Sommers.

Stop the Republican Power Grab

2011-10-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hey, Ohio voters! Remember this----

Vote NO on Issues 1, 2, and 3.

Do you ever get the idea that the Kasich administration is creating two classes in Ohio---- the rich corporate people and the rest of us? With FOK (Friends of Kasich) getting preferential treatment in tax incentives and grants for their companies, the rest of us are seeing our hard earned tax money being given away by Kasich to his corporate friends. The Dayton Daily News revealed that Kasich has given away more than $240 million to corporations since January. Where did he find all that $240 million? Those cuts in education probably provided the bulk of the money.

Ohioans really do not need to worry because Gov. Kasich continues to take care of his pals, and staff.

InnovationOhio:

Gov. Kasich, while repeatedly calling for cuts in the pay and benefits of state and local government workers, pays his own senior staff an average salary of over $110,000. And he has repeatedly fudged the numbers on what he pays all workers in his office. In April, he told the General Assembly that the Governor’s Office payroll was just over $4.8 million. But as of May 7, the actual figure was just over $5.4 million —12% more than what the Governor claimed;
Gov. Kasich’s 27 Cabinet members earn an average base pay of more than $131, 000 and at least 22 of them each receive an additional $6,600 per year in “car allowances.” At least 7 Cabinet members are also ‘double dippers” who receive state pensions in addition to their government salaries.....

.....Though fiercely critical of “double dipping” by other public workers, 12 House and Senate members who support SB 5 are themselves double-dippers (one is a triple-dipper), and collect legislative salaries in addition to state pensions. Perhaps the biggest single double-dipper in Ohio is House Speaker Bill Batchelder, who receives over $100,000 in a PERS pension, on top of his $94,500 annual legislative salary.....

Clearly, the Ohio Republicans are hypocrites. While they've cut education, those Republicans seem to be prospering with extra perks and benefits from the governor, and the legislators have refused to take pay cuts.

If SB 5 stands, local school boards will not be able to discuss class size with teachers. Does that mean that someone else like the governor or some political appointee will set class sizes across the state? This is all part of the right wing agenda to destroy public schools and teachers. Don't stand for it!

Vote NO on Issue 1.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote NO on Issue 3.

If you need another way to remember, try this----

NO. NO. NO on Issues 1 ,2, 3.

"Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain..."

2011-10-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Did they think we wouldn't notice? Yes, the Ohio Republicans, Gov. John Kasich, and their corporate sponsors, were hoping that you wouldn't or couldn't find out about their people in some of their ads.

There is the fake cop in the Republican, pro-sb5 mailer (see Plunderbund).

WeAreOhio recognized Kyle Farmer, the teacher in the ad that supports SB 5, as the Chairman of the Fairfield County GOP. HA!

YouTube

Kyle Farmer's Twitter page was discovered:

Kyle Farmer

@kylefarmer Baltimore, Ohio

http://www.fairfieldgop.com

Kyle Farmer's picture, representing the Fairfield Co. GOP, was seen in the LancasterEagleGazette.

Kyle Farmer's Facebook page was noticed, with his connections to the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club (?), a Republican page on Facebook (OhioVictory), etc.

Plunderbund reported, on July 6, 2010, that Kyle Farmer was at a protest during a speech given by Gov. Ted Strickland.:

[UPDATE:] It gets even worse…. one of the other five protestors was the Ohio Republican Party’s “tracker” of the Strickland campaign.
According to an eyewitness to the protest, another was Kyle Farmer, the Executive Director of the Fairfield County Republican Party.

According to Twitter, some from the “Hinch Group” was there with him. The Hinch Group is a political consultancy company which lists…. John Kasich’s campaign as a client.

What can we learn from this? Kasich, and the Ohio GOP will do anything to hurt the middle class of Ohio, especially those people who are the backbone and support of this state--the teachers, the police officers, the fire fighters, the nurses, and state workers.

Let Kasich and the Republicans know that you've had enough with the tax breaks for corporations, and this attempted power grab.

VOTE NO on ISSUE 2.

* * *

Forum Explains More About Failures of SB 5

2011-10-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

The LancasterEagleGazette has a video of a forum that took place at Ohio University-Lancaster. We Are Ohio's representative, Dale Butland, does a phenomenal job of providing how SB 5 will hurt us all. Note: The SB 5 discussion starts at the 1:30 mark.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Watch live streaming video from lancastereaglegazette at livestream.com

As Dale said, 94% of the public employees already pay 10% toward their pensions. If Kasich would have closed loopholes, we would not be in this mess. If SB 5 remains standing, as many as 51,000 people could lose their jobs.

The Dangers of Fracking

2011-10-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

It is good to see that there are some people in Ohio willing to stand up and say that they might not jump on the fracking bandwagon. Officials in the city of Athens and Athens County have voiced opposition to fracking in the area. Besides being concerned about destroying and polluting the water, the officials have also raised concerns about losing the beauty of the area.

Athensnews:

Bids for oil-and-gas leases on more than 3,000 acres of Wayne National Forest land will start at $2 an acre, according to an official of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The "public notice" of the pending auction – set for Dec. 7 – consisted only of posting an announcement in the "public room" of the BLM's website, according to Larry R. Denny, acting deputy state director of resources for the agency. The BLM also provided the U.S. Surface Management Agency a copy of the auction notice, Denny said.....

...Athens City Council has also drafted a letter to the BLM, opposing the planned auction.

"Athens City, Ohio is a statutory city that relies upon a riparian aquifer as the sole source for its municipal water system," the letter says. "That aquifer is downstream from the parcels. We are concerned that the leasing, drilling and operation of the potential wells in the Utica shale will have a deleterious effect on our sole source municipal water supply. It must be noted that we have a meager water supply in general in unglaciated Ohio, and our water source is inextricably bound to the health of the Hocking River. We are also concerned that the leasing and drilling of these parcels could negatively impact human health, wildlife, habitat and recreational enjoyment… Given the experiences of our adjacent state, Pennsylvania, in the exploitation of the Marcellus Shale, we request that the Forest Service's determination be reconsidered for the parcels upstream from our municipal water supply… We request the withdrawal of the lease sale until the proper environmental analysis is conducted and our water supply is protected."

There seems to be some very smart people in Athens, Ohio. Even though the Ohio Republicans and Gov. John Kasich will say that nothing bad will happen because of fracking, we just need to look to Pennsylvania for evidence of what could happen.

YouTube

Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

I offer my sympathies to the Jobs family and the people at Apple Computer. Steve Jobs transformed our lives, and we thank him for his work, dedication, and vision.

No Jobs

2011-10-04T18:55:00.001-05:00

We were all looking at President Obama's job creation bill with great enthusiasm. With goals like fixing roads, bridges, schools, and putting people back to work, the legislation seemed like the antidote for the high unemployment in the country. However, Republican Rep. Eric Cantor stopped the jobs bill from even going for a vote.

NewsroomAmerica:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Tuesday that President Obama's jobs bill was "dead," adding that the president's "all or nothing approach" was unacceptable.

When asked during a press briefing by a reporter if the American Jobs Act was dead, Cantor replied, "yes," then said, "It seems as if the president is in full campaign mode. The president continues to say ‘pass my bill in its entirety.’ As I’ve said from the outset, this all-or-nothing approach is just not acceptable."

Do you know what I find unacceptable? It is absolutely unacceptable that Cantor, Boehner, and the rest of the Republicans refuse to even discuss a plan to get people back to work. The Republicans in the U.S. of Representatives have done absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G to help Americans get back to work. NOTHING!!!!!!! They have not written or passed one bill to create jobs. Not one!!!

But wait!!!!! Here is the real kicker---Cantor demanded just a few days earlier that FEMA provide help now for his state after the latest weather disasters and earthquake..

HuffingtonPost: (9/27/11)

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have been busy convincing Congress to quickly fill its emergency aid coffers, as the agency finds its funds drained by the natural disasters that have hit the country in recent months. The insistence, led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), that Congress should cut spending elsewhere to offset disaster relief funding, led to a partisan standoff and nearly shut down the government.

On Friday, however, FEMA officials found themselves busy answering to Cantor for another reason: He had requested a conference call to get updates on the disbursement of aid requested by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) for his district, which was affected by the Aug. 23 East Coast earthquake....

.....Cantor also called Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, "asking for additional information and a better sense of timing," according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch....

If I worked for FEMA or Homeland Security, I would have told Cantor to..........! I guess I would have gotten fired immediately.

It just isn't right that Cantor demands special attention for his state when he refuses a few days later to help the rest of the country find jobs and feed their families. The entire Republican Party and their concerns for themselves and their rich contributors is wrong. This is a country of 308,000,000 people. We all matter. Cantor and the Republicans should care about all of us, not just the rich, and not just the people of their own state.

Those people in Virginia's 7th congressional district need to elect someone with a heart to speak for them in the House of Representatives.

Kasich Has the Highest Disapproval Rating

2011-10-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

PublicPolicyPolling has announced what Ohioans already knew:

...Scott no longer holds the dubious distinction as the most unpopular Governor PPP has polled on in 2011- Ohio's John Kasich edges him out for that with a 53% disapproval rating....

Kasich must be sooooooooo proud.

While we fight against SB 5, a bill that ends collective bargaining and binding arbitration for public employees, Kasich continues to push the law which would cause people to lose their rights on the job.

At a rally in Youngstown, State Rep. Bob Hagan and State Sen. Joe Schiavoni provided those in attendance with encouragement to go out and work against SB 5.
The Jambar:

....Hagan offered a memorable quip for voters to overcome the tricky language of Issue 2:

"Remember, do you want to re-elect Kasich? No. Vote ‘no' on Issue 2."

*** Vote NO on Issue 2. ***

Stubborn Liberal

Still No Exotic Animal Law in Ohio

February 2012

March 2012

Kasich and More Job Losses

Kasich Contributor Gets Big Return

Mitt-Not So Much

The Continuing Assault on Women

Stock Market Up

Just Awful

Can you spare $100,000?

Canada?

Mandel

Job Growth?

Republican Debates Continue? Zzzzzzzzzzz...

What is Brewer's problem?

What is wrong with being fair?

Do You Have A Swiss Bank Account????

Notes....

Would women vote for any Republican?

Obama was correct!

Numbers

You're Known by the Company You Keep...

Today....

Cough, Cough, Cough

Tax Plan?

Romney's Numbers

Political News....

The Cold Reality

2 Bad Ideas

Get Informed...

Underwhelming Romney

What is wrong with Mitch Daniels?

Which Mitt are they getting?

Good News for Central Ohio

Program Schedule

Weekdays

Saturday

Sunday

Ethical Business Practices?

Josh Mandel = Jim DeMint

Republican Mantra - "NO!"

Not a regular guy

Shame

Huh???

The Republicans: "Bah Humbug!"

The Incompetence of John Boehner

Radical In Which Way????

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Aren't You Tired?

Don't Tell Me!

Women Voters

The $10,000 Romney bet?

Shame on the Republicans

Republicans Doing Nothing, As Usual

New Video

Mandel Running from the Press????

Public Information

The Politics Behind Cyber Schools

The Ohio GOP Battle Within

Help our Veterans

The Hypocrite

Is Newt Gingrich your candidate? Read.....

Have you heard........

Mandel Likes Fracking

Arrogant, and Out of Touch

Spill, baby, spill?

Sick and Tired

Arrests in Columbus

Cain and Romney---Not for Me!

This and That

Thanks, Vets!

Cornyn is Wrong About A Lot!

Kasich Not Finished

Kasich's Poor Choice of Shirts

Earthquakes in Oklahoma?

Fair Warning

What was your tax rate?

Republicans Have No Time to Create Jobs

Who is Mitt Romney?