Republicans Buying Election?

The Republicans are tapping the wallets from special interests (polluters, big oil, foreign companies primed for our outsourced jobs, banks/bankers, lobbyists) in an effort to get as much money as possible to run their attack ads.  With the help and cooperation of people like Dick Armey, Karl Rove, and those in the Chamber of Commerce at home and abroad, out elections are being bought and sold by corporations. 

Will 2010 be the year that we'll look back on and say, "Remember when the corporations didn't pick and elect our candidates?"

If you don't go out and vote for Democrats, the rich will get richer, and the poor will get poorer, and our public schools will be dismantled.

Huh?

* Have you wondered why Jon Kasich has to have his running mate, Mary Taylor, with him at all times?  Is this Kasich's way of exerting complete control?

* Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has an absolutely stupid campaign ad running in central Ohio. The ad starts out with an ominous voice with quotes from the right wing Wall Street Journal and then shows a picture of Mary Jo Kilroy.   At the end of the ad, Stivers is shown in living color, and with a voice that sounds like he is reading a storybook to children.

* Oh, no! Sen. Jim "Waterloo" DeMint has some additional crazy ideas and this time he put them in writing at Politico. In the article, DeMint and his pal from the Heritage Foundation had this little bit of information:

...It’s no surprise that pollsters Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen found that more than “half of the electorate now say they favor the tea party movement, around 35 percent say they support the movement, 20 [percent] to 25 percent self-identify as members of the movement and 2 [percent] to 7 percent say they are activists.”

 

ROFLOL:  “...half of the electorate now say they favor the tea party movement..." ??? Where did they get their people for this survey --- -- down the hall at the Heritage Foundation???

 

Jim DeMint wants to end public education.  Wow. This idea is terrific if you want to promote stupidity.  I guess DeMint would like to return us to the Dark Ages when only the rich and powerful could afford to learn to read and write. I have a name for DeMint's plan:

 

Jim DeMint's Plan to Promote Ignorance:

End Public Education.

I think that Jim DeMint is a complete moron. How the hell did anyone vote for him?

Boehner's Promises

Republican leader, John "I'd rather be golfing" Boehner, is making a lot of promises to be redeemed if he gains control of the House of Representatives. Personally, I would love to see Boehner with egg on his face.  I think Boehner is a pompous jerk who protects the rich, the powerful, and his lobbyist friends.

From Politico we can see that Boehner has a new promise for a Republican candidate:

Minority Leader John Boehner has promised that Missouri Republican Vicky Hartzler would get a seat on the Armed Services Committee if she wins and Republicans take control of the House. Hartzler, a former state Representative, is running against Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton in southwest Missouri, and with two large bases in the district, military issues have defined the race....

You should know that:  Republican Edward Martin, not a veteran, has endorsed the Paul Ryan budget plan which would cut veterans programs and aid to their families.  If you are a vet, or have a vet in your family, I'm going to guess you won't want to vote for Ed Martin.

I wonder if John Boehner has made any promises to Republican candidate, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist.  Boehner would probably appoint Stivers to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. If Boehner made such an appointment, it would be like Boehner spitting in the face of consumers.  It would be like the fox guarding the hen house.

Republicans never noticed the debt during Bush years?

Here is some useful information from CBS News (September 29, 2008), while George W. Bush was still President:

With no fanfare and little notice, the national debt has grown by more than $4 trillion during George W. Bush's presidency.

It's the biggest increase under any president in U.S history.

On the day President Bush took office, the national debt stood at $5.727 trillion. The latest number from the Treasury Department shows the national debt now stands at more than $9.849 trillion. That's a 71.9 percent increase on Mr. Bush's watch....

The Republicans have just noticed the debt.  Where have they been?  Were they asleep during the Bush administration?

Note--- The date of that CBS story was 9/29/08, and Bush remained in office until the morning of January 20, 2009. On 1/20/09 when Barack Obama became the President, the debt was, according to the U.S. Treasury:

$ 10,626,877,048,913.08

Women Should Support Candidates who Support Reproductive Freedom

Where has Deborah Pryce been now that she is retired from Congress?  Pryce now works for SZD Whiteboard which is described in the following manner at their website:

SZD Whiteboard is a consulting enterprise with roots in one of the legal industry’s most forward-thinking providers, Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, Co., LPA.
Located in Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, the group provides growth and development strategies to corporations, organizations and state and local governments through operating groups that focus in the following areas:

• Government relations, lobbying and public policy consultation....

Funny thing is, SZD Whiteboard is NOT listed as a lobbying group at the JLEC (Office of the Legislative Inspector General Joint Legislative Ethics Committee) even though it list lobbying as one of its activities.

In an article at Politico, Deborah Pryce said the following:

“Let’s see what they call it this year when we have so many Republican women elected. And look at these women who we’re going to elect,” Pryce said. “They’re no shrinking violets. These women are going to be household names. They are no Patty Murrays by any stretch of the imagination...."

Sen. Patty Murray is running for re-election from the state of Washington.  It really is too bad that there are no female fighters like Patty Murray in the Republican Party.  Republican women always seem to take a backseat to men in the GOP.  They wait for instructions from Boehner and McConnell.  

Pryce is not someone I'd take any advice from considering how she knew about the page sex scandal and lied about it: (See BuckeyeStateBlog)

Youtube

 

Sen. Patty Murray is facing Rossi in the upcoming election.  Republican Dino Rossi must hate women.  He is against women having reproductive rights. In a Seattle Times article, Rossi said this: 

Pressed at the Spokane breakfast forum, Rossi said he opposes abortion 

for "anything other than maybe rape, incest or life of the mother."

Maybe?

Maybe? Women would be at the mercy of Dino Rossi making up his mind?  Maybe?  Try telling that to your daughter if she was raped.

In the past, Dino Rossi supported old John McCain's plan for health care. Unfortunately, the Rossi and McCain plans hurt women.

Seattlepi:

...Rossi, like McCain, has opposed policies that would improve women's health. Though it is now state policy, Rossi voted against requiring insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to cover prescription contraception. He also doesn't believe that pharmacies should be required to fill prescriptions for FDA-approved birth control. Rossi voted against funding family planning services for low-income people even when research shows that for every dollar spent on family planning services we save $4 in related health care costs. Like McCain's, Rossi's approach to health care harms women.

Reducing access to basic health care has a devastating impact on women. According to the Guttmacher Institute, women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health-related supplies and services....

If women want safe, affordable health care, vote for Patty Murray.  

However, if you want some right wing man telling you if you can use birth control or maybe have an abortion following a rape/incest, vote for Dino Rossi.

Women should encourage their friends to vote for candidates who support reproductive freedom.  We don't need to move backwards with people like Dino Rossi.

John Boehner's Plans?

*  Does the prospect of John Boehner controlling the House of Representatives worry you?

Check out boehnersamerica.org for the consequences of Boehner in a leadership position:

Boehner’s America: The Economy

Corporate greed runs rampant: CEOs are unchecked, consumers’ rights are weakened, foreclosures jump up.

Boehner’s America: The Environment

More dependence on fossil fuels that create climate change, big breaks for big oil, lower emission standards....

...Boehner’s America: Reproductive Rights

Loss of funding for Planned Parenthood, no information about choice from health care providers, major support of anti-choice groups....

YouTube




- If the Republicans gain control of the House and/or the Senate, they will close down the government, like they did in the mid 1990's.  You may not remember those days when Republican chaos ensued, but it was a mess:  Social Security checks were halted, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were out of work, federal buildings were closed, etc.  President Clinton refused the Republican budget proposal because, as President Clinton said of the Republican budget plan in his address to the nation....

CNN:


....Remember, the Republicans are following a very explicit strategy announced last April by Speaker Gingrich, to use the threat of a government shutdown to force America to accept their cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, to accept their cuts in education and technology and the environment. 

Yesterday they sent me legislation that said -- we will only keep the government going, and we will only let it pay its debts if and only if we accept their cuts in Medicare, their cuts in education, their cuts in the environment, and their repeal of 25 years of bipartisan commitments to protect the environment and public health....

......My message to Congress is simple -- you say you want to balance the budget, so let's say yes to balancing the budget, but let us together say no to these deep and unwise cuts in education, technology, the environment, Medicare and Medicaid. Let's say no to raising taxes on the hardest- pressed working families in America. These things are not necessary to balancing the budget. Yes to balancing the budget, no to the cuts..... 


John Boehner and Mitch McConnell want to shut down Congress again, if they gain the majority.

The Debate

Newspaper columnist, Jonah Goldberg, thinks that young people have abandoned President Obama in favor of the old, white, pro-business, anti-minimum wage, anti-health care Republican Party.  You have to ask yourself why are  Republicans trying to discourage young people from voting?


Last night's debate between Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and John "Lehman Brothers" Kasich was very interesting.  Strickland looked cool, calm, and in control of facts.  Kasich was flailing around the podium repeating the same lines about his plans, of which we've seen no written evidence.  Kasich also showed that he wants to abandon local control of schools and consolidate many school districts.  Kasich knows nothing about education, yet his massive ego allows him to think he is some expert.  Voters must keep in mind that Kasich's only business experience was at a firm that cheated retirees and investors of their savings and retirement funds.  What kind of business experience is that?

You know that Kasich ad that has the unemployed steelworker in it?  That spokesperson is not a steelworker and has a police record.  Even though the Kasich campaign said the ad would be pulled, it continues to run.

Husted Lied About Where He Lives, What Else is He Lying About?

Is Jon Husted, Republican candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, hiding something on his income tax returns?

How can we trust Jon Husted to be honest and fair when he hasn't been honest about where he actually lives?  Although Husted was elected to the Ohio Senate to represent Kettering, Husted lives (eats, sleeps) in Upper Arlington, Ohio, with his family.  

Here is a press release from Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy, the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State.


O’Shaughnessy Campaign Statement on ONN Secretary of State Debate

“In today’s first Secretary of State debate, Maryellen O’Shaughnessy used this opportunity to connect with voters and address the issues Ohioans are most worried about. O’Shaughnessy laid out her plans for increasing job creation in the office as well and ensuring fair and trustworthy elections. While incumbent Sen. Jon Husted launched smears at O’Shaughnessy, she spoke directly to the voters about why she is the best choice to bring jobs to Ohio and partner with boards of elections across the state.

“One week after Maryellen asked Sen. Husted to join her in releasing her tax returns, Husted is still avoiding the question as to whether he is stealing thousands of dollars each year from taxpayers. While he continues to point to the Supreme Court saying he can vote in Kettering, it’s now up to the court of public opinion to decide if they’re ok with Husted stealing thousands of their dollars for trips he isn’t taking.

“While Jon Husted wants to punt the job creation responsibilities of the Secretary of State and allow big businesses to screen their competitors, Maryellen will use her experience as a small business owner as well as her experience creating or retaining tens of thousands of jobs to tackle the job creation duties of the Secretary of State.”

Why won't Husted release his income tax returns? 

Secretary of State Candidate Husted Refuses Transparency
Declines to Release Tax Returns

COLUMBUS - The Dayton Daily News reports today that incumbent State Senator Jon Husted has refused to release his taxes. Husted’s Democratic opponent Maryellen O’Shaughnessy released her taxes yesterday and called on Husted to do the same.

"What's Jon Husted hiding from voters?" asked O'Shaughnessy Communications Director Heidi Hubmann. "Jon Husted claims to promote transparency in government, but apparently he doesn’t apply the same standards to himself."

For tax year 2009, State Senators living more than 50 miles away from the Statehouse were eligible for a tax deduction of up to $55,870 for food and lodging. Husted represents Kettering in the state legislature, though he and his wife own a home in Upper Arlington fewer than ten miles from the Statehouse.

"This is a person who’s clearly out for himself and not out for the best interest of Ohio," said Hubmann. "This is an opportunity for Jon Husted to show he is interested in serving the people of ohio, rather than using his office to line his own pockets. If Ohioans can’t trust Husted to be transparent as a candidate, how can they trust him to do so as Secretary of State?"

Cleveland.com:

.....Ohio Democrats have accused Husted of taking $55,000 worth of legislative tax breaks for travel between the state capitol and his voting address in Kettering despite living in a Columbus suburb with his wife and family. Husted has refused to say whether he took the tax breaks and has not released his returns which would show if he did or not.....

Why does Husted want to reduce voting times?

New bumper sticker: "Bring back pre-existing conditions. Vote Republican"

 In an opinion piece in today's USATODAY, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (OH-Democrat), suggested the following bumper sticker: "Bring back pre-existing conditions. Vote Republican."  If Republicans take control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, that is exactly what would happen.  Sen. Brown reminds voters that "....Progressives brought us minimum wage and Social Security in the 1930s, civil rights and Medicare in the 1960s, and health care and Wall Street reform in 2010...."  Brown also reminds us that conservatives fought against these important structures when they were proposed, and they continue to fight against them today.  Only this time, conservatives, Tea Party groups, and Republicans are getting help from corporations.

In the USATODAY piece, Sen. Sherrod Brown, says the following:

...No one should be surprised over what has happened in the last 18 months:

•We passed health care reform, so the insurance companies are coming after us at election time.

•We enacted consumer protections for homeowners and credit card users, so Wall Street is spending millions to defeat us.

•We worked to end tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas, and now large multinational corporations are doing everything possible to beat us....

Sen. Brown wrote that under the two terms of President Bill Clinton, our nation "....added more than 22 million private sector jobs...."  Then George W. Bush became President and those sizable tax cuts for the rich were pushed.  What happened then?  Under Bush "....only 1 million jobs were added, incomes stagnated or plummeted for most Americans, and we were left with record budget deficits...."

Republicans, conservatives, and their Tea Party cohorts are offering a return to those days of the Bush policies that had poor job creation, layoffs, Wall Street greed, but tax cuts for the rich.  

Here in Ohio, we have two Wall Street types running for office.  Republican John Kasich, a former investment banker with the now bankrupt  Lehman Brothers, spent nearly a decade with Lehman pushing their investments. In central Ohio, Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist (with Bank One, now part of Chase) and stockbroker (with The Ohio Company), is running against U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15).  Stivers is being bankrolled by major financial PACs, bank lobbyists, individual bankers, insurance executives/PACs, and groups/individuals/lobbyists associated with oil/gas/mining.

Both Kasich and Stivers are against the progress we've made and wish to cut regulations to help their Wall Street and financial/utility/insurance friends make more profits and bonuses.  Kasich and Stivers aren't progressives - - - they think backwards.  Kasich talks about Reagan.  Stivers talks about repealing parts of the U.S. Constitution!!!!!  

(Steve Stivers, if elected to the House of Representatives, wants to 

1. Repeal the health care reform bill, 

2. Repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, 

3. Repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution,

4. Eliminate the Department of Agriculture,
5. Eliminate the Department of Education, 

6. Eliminate the Department of the Interior, 

7. Eliminate the Department of Housing of and Urban Development, 

8. Eliminate the Department of Transportation, 

9. Eliminate the Department of Energy,  

10. Repeal Wall Street Reform,  

11. Eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

(source for Stivers @ http://912ohio.com/mtc/pdf/912Survey-Stivers.pdf)

Sen. Sherrod Brown is correct.  We can choose to continue to move forward with Democrats or be forgotten once the Republicans, conservatives, Tea Party-types, and Wall Street types take control.  In a Republican controlled House and Senate, you and your rights are less important than those of millionaires and corporations.  Are you interested in moving toward a better future with Progressives and Democrats?  Do you want to revisit the financial policies, health insurance discrimination, poor job growth, and tax cuts for the rich that created this recession?

Trouble????

According to Huffington Post, "...Ganley allegedly sexually assaulted..."  a woman that wanted to volunteer for his campaign.

YoungOhioDem has a MUST READ posting about Republican/Tea Party candidate, Tom Ganley, at DailyKos.   Here are some excerpts from DailyKos:

...A long time ago, such accusations would almost certainly doom any campaign. The fact that it has not is just one sign of how bad our political discourse has deteriorated. The Republicans are running candidates who have had sex with prostitutes, dabbled in witchcraft, mocked autism, and denied global warming. How can they claim to represent the people when they can't even take care of themselves?

...The truth? Tom Ganley owns the largest group of car dealerships in the state of Ohio, with 32 dealerships and all of your major brands. He has been sued over 400 times for age and gender discrimination, as well as deceptive business practices. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the Ohio Attorney General filed a lawsuit against one of his dealerships after they advertised deals for cars moved out of Louisiana. The resulting investigation found that Ganley had never even received a shipment from Louisiana....


.....Betty (Sutton) is one of the best progressives we have in the US House. She's worked for the common man and woman to get them back on track. Tom Ganley may appear to be right, but he's nothing but a bad deal for Ohio.

I wonder if these accusations will change the minds of voters.

***** It appears that Republican Meg Whitman is in trouble in California for allegedly knowingly employing an illegal immigrant for nine years.  The New York Times has the details, including this: 

....Ms. Whitman has been an advocate of penalties against employers who hire illegal immigrants.....

Whitman has spent over  $100 million of her own money for her campaign, according to the article.

Against All Abortions - even for victims of rape and incest

Time and time again I question why Republicans are so concerned with a woman's uterus.  If a woman is brutally raped, and then finds herself pregnant, some Republicans want the government to force that woman to carry that pregnancy to term.  These same Republicans repeat the mantra that government has to get out of people's lives, but they continue to insert their noses into a woman's reproductive decisions.

Raw Story:

A partial list of Republican candidates running for US Congress in this year's mid-term elections shows that at least 78 of them have professed to oppose abortion in all cases, including where rape or incest are involved.....

.....A list of responses from this year's candidates indicate that 78 Senate and House candidates answered that they are "pro-life without discrimination," meaning they don't agree with any exceptions to a ban on abortion....

...Among the more notable candidates backing a full abortion ban are Christine O'Donnell, running for the Senate in Delaware; Rand Paul, running for the Senate seat from Kentucky; Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann; and Missouri Senate candidate Roy Blunt.....

The article explains that not all anti-abortion candidates are listed:  Sharon Angle and Joe Miller are against all abortions, but not on the list.

Republican National Coalition for Life has their list of candidates who "....indicate they are faithfully pro-life, and do not justify abortion for babies who are conceived through rape or incest, have a handicap, or a genetic defect....."

Which Ohio Republicans are against all abortions, even for victims of rape and incest???

Here is the Ohio list from the website:

OHIO
CD-02	Jean Schmidt (Incumbent) (1)
CD-05	Bob Latta (Incumbent) (1)
CD-08	John Boehner (Incumbent) (1)
CD-10	Peter Corrigan (1)
CD-17	Jim Graham (1)
CD-18	Robert Gibbs (1)

Also, there is some news regarding Republican/Tea Party Tom Ganley: Huffington Post: Ohio GOP congressional candidate Tom Ganley is the target of a new lawsuit alleging that the multi-millionaire businessman sexually assaulted a Cleveland woman in his office last year. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the claims come from a 39-year-old married mother of four who says she met Ganley at a Tea Party rally in July of last year, where she asked if she could get involved in the campaign. After a series of meetings revolving around campaign duties and a potential car repair, on August 1, 2009, Ganley allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.....

Clueless

Republican John Kasich's views on education sound risky to both school children and tax payers.

On the Issues:

John Kasich on School Choice: Apr 6, 1999

Tax money for entrepreneurial private schools

Kasich wants “total school choice,” which would allow states to organize schools as they wish, even using tax money to send children to private schools. A free-market enthusiast, he envisions entrepreneurs with “minimal qualifications” setting up new schools and competing for students. He has little patience for concerns that some of the neediest children could be left behind: “I don't know what will come, but I know what we have ain't working.”

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Kasich Eagerly Rolls”, 4/6/99

Modern Esquire over at Plunderbund shows that John Kasich doesn't know much about some of the industries in Ohio that are already engaged in the use of wind energy.

 (pic and caption from Plunderbund)

Kasich is living in some 1990's time warp because he seems completely ignorant about some issues and problems.  He wants more computers in the classroom, but does he even remotely understand the cost of such an idea? You can't have computers in the classroom without teachers and technology specialists who are trained educators.  I hope Kasich doesn't think he could replace teachers with computers.  He isn't that stupid, is he?


Kasich has this deep seated hatred of public school teachers (that might explain why women, who make up a majority of the teaching profession, support Strickland over Kasich).  Here are a few things that Kasich has said about teachers (from the Kasich website):

....Addressing education in Ohio, he said, "We've got to invest dollars in the classroom to empower buildings. We don't need curriculum advisers and the knuckleheads in Columbus should not tell you how to run the schools.....

...Students don't want textbooks but to learn technology, however, education is stuck in the past. We've been fighting them for 28 years.....

The Star Beacon provides these Kasich  quotes on education: 
 
....Expand the school voucher program and break the grip unions hold on education. "Now my concern with the teachers union is that I am convinced they are a lot more concerned with their own situation rather than the situation of our children," Kasich said.

“We need more school choice, we need to break the back of organized labor in the schools, and we need to turn our schools into institutions that excite our kids and teach them, and the best way to get it done is to give mothers and fathers the power to take their kids out of bad places and put them in good,” Kasich said to a round of applause.....


Kasich's words are evidence of his bull-headed, pompous, know-it-all, attitude about everything.  He doesn't want to discuss a problem--- he'll tell you his way is the only solution, even if he knows nothing about the issue.  Kasich has demonstrated his total disrespect for teachers, educators, college professors, education curriculum supervisors, and those who work in public schools with the challenges of the modern classroom. Does he even know what goes on in a public school? I think he is clueless.

Kasich thinks that just because he had some cushy job at Ohio State, where he was paid $1,000/hour, that he is suddenly an expert on education.  Trust me. Kasich knows nothing about schools, students, teachers, and education. Yet, Kasich, if elected, plans to make major cuts in education.  You cannot have success in life without a good education, but Kasich is willing to pull the rug out from under our public school children to feed the coffers of his campaign contributors who just happen to own charter schools. 

Which parts of Ohio's government will Kasich destroy?

John Kasich still doesn't get it.  The Kasich campaign brought some people to distract voters from Kasich's lack of real plans and policies.  Kasich has enlisted Indiana's Gov. Mitch Daniels, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and now, massive, rude, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.  John Kasich cannot detail which parts of the state structure he'd dismantle, if he is elected governor.  Kasich won't tell us which university programs he'll eliminate to fund his tax cuts, if he wins election.  Kasich won't tell us how much he'll cut from the total education budget.  In an effort to take the voters' eyes off of Kasich's lack of specifics, he offers up distractions - like Christie, Bush, and Daniels.  Frankly, Ohio voters don't care what those right wing Republicans have done.  We're interested in knowing what parts of Ohio's government Kasich will destroy.

 Ed Schultz of MSNBC has criticized N.J. Gov. Chris Christie's verbal attacks on citizens.  (Visit  Huffington Post to see a video of Ed talking about Christie.)  Christie is a large, pompous bully. Kasich admires him, and wants to emulate him. (It might also be that in an effort to refuse to answer questions himself, Kasich tries to hide behind Christie and others.  Kasich is known as a poor public speaker, especially in debates, and has refused to answer certain questions from the media on - How did the state's public retirement funds lose over $400 million by investing with Kasich's Lehman Brothers?   How did he get a bonus even when the retirement funds lost money?  Why won't Kasich release his tax returns like Strickland did? )


Tell Kasich to stop trying to distract voters from his lack of a specific plan on how he'd govern, if elected.  From the beginning, Kasich has talked in generalities and platitudes, but he has not revealed what part of state services he'd eliminate,  which state parks he'd sell off, and what state programs he'd privatize.  Is he afraid that voters can't handle the truth?

_______

David Pepper, Democratic candidate for Ohio Auditor, is even winning endorsements from conservatives.  His Republican opponent, Yost, has attracted a lot of negative attention over his spending and behavior during previous elections when he tried to prevent the recounting of votes.

Josh Mandel- - - Not Ready for Prime Time

Josh Mandel, Republican candidate for Ohio Treasurer, was for gay rights before he was against it?  Why the flip-flop, Joshie?  There are grave concerns about Josh Mandel's inexperience, especially in the area of keeping track of the state's money.  Without real knowledge or experience on such a large playing field, can we really risk having someone like Mandel with so little experience to take care of our state's treasury? 




When we compare Mandel's legislative record with one of his colleagues who was elected the same time he was, we only have more questions about Mandel's experience. Jay P. Goyal (District 73), a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, was elected to office the same year as Mandel.  Compare Mandel and Goyal and what they've done:(From info page on members of Ohio House: Mandel and  Goyal.)

 ......LEGISLATION
Mandel: sponsored 2 bills, cosponsored 41 bills
Goyal:   sponsored 9 bills, cosponsored 79 bills


.......RESOLUTIONS
Mandel: sponsored 1 resolution, cosponsored 6 resolutions
Goyal:  sponsored 2 resolutions, cosponsored 7 resolutions

.....MEMBERSHIP/AFFILIATIONS
Mandel: 0
Goyal: United Way of Richland County, North Center State University Foundation Board, Rehabilitation Center of North Central Ohio, Richland County University and College Access Network, Mansfield/Richland Chamber of Commerce, Nation Federation of Independent Businesses, Richland County Farm Bureau

........HONORS/AWARDS
Mandel: 0
Goyal:  Bowhay Institute of Legislative Leadership Development Fellow (2007); Ohio Civil Rights Commission "Eagle Award" recipient



Mandel was also a cosponsor of the completely stupid, Kasich-fueled HB 400, which would phase out the Ohio income tax over 10 years.  (This incredibly idiotic bill would wipe out 40% of the funds that the state needs to function.)

Republican Mandel, is facing the current Ohio Treasurer Kevin Boyce.  Boyce has been acting state treasurer and has been doing a great job.  In order to save some important programs for the state, Boyce even cut his own salary- twice.  Boyce is definitely the better candidate for the Ohio Treasurer.

Made in China

Today, as I was getting my mother's walker, I noticed the Invacare tag on it.  However, I also noticed that the tag read: Made in China.  Invacare outsourced their jobs and Kasich, as a member of the board of directors, signed off, and gave permission for those jobs to leave Ohio and move to China.

In an article from the Chinaresourcenetwork, and published in the Plain Dealer in 2005, we learn that  a little about the Chinese workers in an Invacare plant in Suzhou, China:

....The factory makes oxygen concentrators, which remove gases from the air so they can pump nearly pure oxygen to someone who has breathing difficulties. 

About 140 people are involved in the process, from the salaried department heads to the 110 production workers who earn about 1,500 to 2,000 yuan, or $185 to $250, per month.
A mid-level professional might make three times the production wage...

China isn't the only country that has gotten jobs from Invacare.  The Bellwetherdaily had this little ditty from Invacare's CEO:

...And here's Malachi Mixon, chairman of Invacare Corp., near Cleveland. Kasich is on Invacare's board of directors. The company moved Ohio jobs to China, a fact that Mixon confirmed in a Jan. 31, 2008 inveterview with The Plain Dealer:

"Q: How difficult was the decision to move production to China?Invacare CEO Mixon: 'It wasn't difficult because it's about survival. [and] We realized we simply couldn't compete from America. You can take virtually any product made in Cleveland, make it in China, ship it back here and pay the freight for probably about 25 percent lower cost.' Invacare CEO Mixon said his Ohio labor costs were about $14 an hour; "And China, 50 cents."

Kasich joined the Invacare Board of Directors in 2001. In the first debate, Republican Kasich said, "We haven't lost jobs to China."  I guess all those jobs that Kasich and Invacare outsourced are just figments of our imaginations.

Time to Balance the Ohio Supreme Court

The Ohio Supreme Court is made up of all Republicans, except for Justice Eric Brown, a Democrat.  Even though the Ohio Supreme Court is supposed to be fair and neutral, their rulings in the past have always seem to favor Republicans.  It is time to make the Ohio Supreme Court a real balanced entity and the only way to do that is to vote for Democrats like Justice Eric Brown and Mary Jane Trapp.  The Republicans on the Ohio Supreme Court are so entrenched in Republican politics in the state, that it makes too many cases and decisions that seem to favor the GOP.

Here is a small important note from DailyKos from 2005:
...In 2004, Ohio's central "Coingate" figure Tom Noe served as campaign manager for Judith Ann Lanzinger's successful run for Supreme Court Justice.....

 pic from DailyKos
 

Tom Noe?  Tom Noe is still in prison because of his convictions involving the Coingate Scandal.  Background info can be found at Cleveland.com.

Recycled Ideas from the Boehner Gang

- - The Republican Tea Party presented their Pledge to America (the group, formerly known as the Republican Party, has gone full right wing and united with the Tea Party) :
Christian Science Monitor:
"....The two-page pledge introducing the policy document is anchored in the language of the tea party movement and the nation’s founding texts, notably government’s powers derived from the consent of the governed and [inalienable] rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. “Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course,” the document states....

What has been the reaction to this "Pledge to America" that was presented to the country from an aisle in a hardware store?  The headline from Newsweek says it all:

Reactions to the 'Pledge to America': Mixed, but Mostly Negative

Once again the down home GOPers, show up to do their presentation in plaid, open collared shirts (probably Brooks Brothers), without ties.  Eric Cantor looks a little perplexed or is he still at war with Boehner?   Needless to say, their document is the same recycled mumbo-jumbo, tax cuts for the rich, trickle down, pro-business, no health care for you, poppy cock, only this time with a new title.  They have no idea how they'll pay for it.





- The DaytonDailyNews is reporting something different: 

The political arm of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has broken with tradition and endorsed a governor candidate for the first time in 117 years.
They chose Republican challenger John Kasich (KAY'-sik) over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat....
.....Strickland spokeswoman Lis Smith says Strickland fights for average Ohioans over "Wall Streeters and outsourcers."

Even the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has sold out to Wall Street????

****  Here's something that Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist never would have done---- sponsor legislation called the Medical Debt Relief Act .

(Background information fromYouTube:  
Over 28 million Americans were harassed by debt collectors in 2007 because of health care bills, but a new piece of legislation from U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy would end the practice of using that debt even after it is settled to affect consumers credit scores. The Medical Debt Relief Act of 2009 would prohibit medical debt paid off or settled as a criteria for credit bureaus to determine approvals for mortgage rates and other consumer purchases.)

(YouTube):


Mary Jo Kilroy cares about her human constituents.  Stivers cares about banks, bankers and their profits.

______________

*** I was wondering how the people engaged in farming in Ohio's 15th congressional district (Franklin, Madison, and Union Counties) feel about Republican Steve Stivers plan to eliminate the Department of Agriculture.  Here is the entire Stivers list:

1. Repeal the health care reform bill
2. Repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution
3. Repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution
4. Eliminate the Department of Agriculture
5. Eliminate the Department of Education
6. Eliminate the Department of the Interior
7. Eliminate the Department of Housing of and Urban Development
8. Eliminate the Department of Transportation
9. Eliminate the Department of Energy

(To see the complete survey that Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, filled out for the Glenn Beck meet up 912 group of central Ohio, visit - OH15 MTC QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.)


What do you think?

Old and Crabby

The Republicans in the U.S. Senate are nothing more than a bunch of crabby, old, white people who seem unable to get over the fact that it is 2010, not 1930!  Yesterday's vote in the Senate proves that, no matter what excuse they're using today, Republicans are living in the past and are unable to provide solutions to today's problems.  They've gone so far to the right that Barry Goldwater wouldn't recognize his own party.

Boston Globe:

Senate Republicans dealt a stinging setback yesterday to efforts to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy for gay soldiers, defeating attempts by Democratic leaders to take up a major military bill that includes the issue.


Democrats fell four votes shy of the 60 votes needed to break a GOP filibuster — which included Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts — that prevented consideration of the overall bill.....

I fully agree with Sen. Menendez of New Jersey, quoted by the Boston Globe:

“It’s ridiculous! Ridiculous!’’ said Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey. “What this is all about is using the minority to obstruct.’’

We should all be thankful that  old, white, crabby McCain is not the President.

_____

****   A far right religious commentator is skeptical of the poll showing Kasich with a double-digit lead in the election for governor.  Check out OneNewsNow.

- - -

> Kasich has already indicated a few places he'd make his cuts.  Dispatch:


Republican John Kasich says that, if elected, he would get rid of Ohio's new school-funding model, which Gov. Ted Strickland points to as one of the signature accomplishments of his term.

Strickland and legislative Democrats say that once the formula is fully funded, which they hope will occur by 2019, it will be a constitutional, adequate and fair way to pay for public education....


....Although most details remain undisclosed, Kasich's plan could mean more school levies by districts across the state, critics said....

If Kasich wins, Ohio's school children lose.

McCain Doesn't Get It

From  Americablog we have this:

....McCain and his sidekick, Lindsey Graham, held a victory press conference after they won the filibuster vote, which insured no imminent legislative action on DADT repeal. Kerry Eleveld was there -- and she deals in facts. She questioned McCain's flawed interpretation of how DADT works. He was wrong -- and it sure looked like he was was getting ready to explode because someone had the audacity to challenge him....

 Youtube video


...Igor adds:

In fact, as Almy explained in testimoney before McCain’s own committee (Senate Armed Services): “In Iraq, during the height of the insurgency, someone in the Air Force ordered a search of my private emails solely to determine if I had violated “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and to gather whatever evidence could be used against me.” “I was relieved of my duties, leading nearly 200 Airmen, my security clearance was suspended and part of my pay was terminated. Even as my commander was relieving me of my duties, he assured me this was in no way a reflection of my performance or my abilities as an officer,” Almy testified...

 I'm thankful that McCain is not the President of the United States. You might want to check out the comments at the Youtube website on this video.

__________

* Sen. Al Franken's speech today on the floor of the Senate was amazing.  Franken, who is against the current DADT policy, spoke from the heart:  Youtube





Sen. Al Franken's speech really makes a lot of sense.  It is time to repeal DADT.

The GOP's Plans

 * Rep. Joe Barton, the former oil executive, is salivating at the possibility of taking over the congressional committee on energy.  Politico has the lowdown on how Republicans are setting up plans with lobbyists in the event they take the majority:

Ranking member Joe Barton of Texas, potential 2011 GOP panel leader, Michigan's Fred Upton, and Reps. John Shimkus of Illinois, Mike Rogers of Michigan and Greg Walden of Oregon met Wednesday with 40 to 50 industry officials during an event at the National Republican Club. 

 

An industry source in the room said the meeting wasn't billed as a fundraiser. But the lawmakers' message tacitly linked donations to the committee agenda in 2011 if Republicans regain control of the House. 

“You should be giving us money because we're going to be in charge," the source said. "We'll ensure there is no climate bill. But at the same time, they think they'll build nuclear plants and more clean coal."

I know that things don't look good for Democrats right now, but I'd love to see the Dems retain control in both the House and the Senate.  I'd also like to see Joe Barton's plans go down the toilet.

________________

* Oh goody.  It appears that there is some disagreements, accusations, and yelling going on within the Republican Party.  CNN has the details.

________

*  As Rachel Maddow said tonight, Sen. Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, voted against saving the U.S. auto industry, but was at a celebration at the factory where he tried to bask in the revival of the car industry. 

Think Progress:


General Motors recently announced that, thanks to federal efforts to keep the American auto industry from going under, it would be able to rehire 483 workers at its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to manufacture “three variants of Ecotec four-cylinder engines.” The $438 million arrangement will start producing engines for the Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC models by 2011.
As auto blog Jalopnik reports, the plant recently held a ceremony to welcome back the new workers to begin production of the Ecotec engines. Attending the ceremony were three local Republican legislators, Sens. Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, and Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Ironically, all three of these lawmakers opposed the plans to save General Motors and other U.S. auto companies. This didn’t stop Corker from taking credit for the federal rescue, anyway. At the event he claimed he “contributed to strengthening the auto industry in this country.” Jalopnik reports that “irony of the Republican lawmakers’ presence wasn’t lost on the workers who attended the ceremony; they booed Tennessee Republican Bob Corker”:
...The irony of the Republican lawmakers’ presence wasn’t lost on the workers who attended the ceremony; they booed Tennessee Republican Bob Corker, and one UAW official made clear from the stage that the union still remembered which politicians had voted to rescue Wall Street but opposed an auto industry bailout...

Bob Corker is disgusting. 

Witchcraft?

A small portion of the song, "Witchcraft" was just played as a teaser for a story about Christine O'Donnell.  Does the far right queen of Alaska, Sarah Palin, still support a former witch?

Andrea Mitchell just said on MSNBC that, "We all had bad dates in high school but I never had a date that involved witchcraft."

And as if there hasn't been enough negative news about Christine O'Donnell, we have this from CBS News:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, today filed a pair of complaints concerning Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's use of more than $20,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses. 

"Christine O'Donnell is clearly a criminal, and like any crook she should be prosecuted," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a release. "Ms. O'Donnell has spent years embezzling money from her campaign to cover her personal expenses. Republicans and Democrats don't agree on much these days, but both sides should agree on one point: thieves belong in jail not the United States Senate." 

....The group said its allegations are tied to former O'Donnell aide David Keegan's affidavit stating O'Donnell, who has run for Senate three times, paid her rent for two months out of campaign funds in 2009 and also used campaign funds for meals and gas. In addition to misappropriation of campaign funds, CREW argues that O'Donnell is guilty of lying about the expenditures and committed tax evasion by not reporting the money as income... 

I don't know all the ins and outs of campaign finance law, but I know that you are not supposed to be using your campaign funds in this manner.

> In today's Columbus Dispatch, a newstory about the three candidates for Ohio Secretary of State lists the city of residence for each candidate: 

Democrat Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy

Residence: Columbus (Victorian Village)

Republican Jon Husted

Residence: Kettering

Libertarian Charles Earl

Residence: Bowling Green

I'd like to play that game from Sesame Street, "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong....."

Look at the list above of the candidates and decide which one doesn't belong.

Have you decided which one doesn't belong????????????


Jon Husted!  Even though the then all Republican Ohio Supreme Court declared that Husted was a resident of Kettering "for voting purposes"---- HE DOESN"T LIVE  THERE!
Husted lives in Upper Arlington with his family.  What is the definition of lives?  Husted rarely visits his house in Kettering and, when he was taken to the Montgomery County Board of Elections, his utility bills proved it.  If you are looking for background on this story, you can visit the OhioDailyBlog, Ohio15thDistrict, hu-huFacebook, the ToledoBlade,  and BuckeyeStateBlog.

Oh, dear me.

More on Republican-Tea Party candidate for U.S. Senate for Delaware, Christine O'Donnell.

This video shows Miss O'Donnell in 1999, as she appeared on Bill Maher's program, Politically Incorrect: (ABC News)



Hmmm.  This should go over big with some far right conservative voters.

The Gospel According to Mike Huckabee

I was a little surprised about Republican Mike Huckabee's recent statement that he is against health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.  Huckabee, obviously must have been preaching from some other holy book when he was a Baptist minister. I don't recall anything in the Bible which says that Jesus healed people, except if they had a pre-existing condition. 

Rick Ungar puts in his two cents about Huckabee's views at Forbes:

...I guess Huck figures that a child born with a serious medical condition should never be entitled to expensive but needed medical care throughout his or her life because, in the Governor’s words, that house has already burned down....

...there are hundreds of thousands of ‘innocents’ in this country who did nothing to earn their pre-existing condition beyond being born.


I found myself wondering how Huckabee could possibly believe that his lack of compassion for these people  somehow represented a Christian point of view....

Mike Huckabee has revealed himself as a man who'd rather gain power, than show kindness.  None of us chose what traits we'd have or what disabilities/defects we'd have.  Huckabee has demonstrated his lack of compassion, kindness, and understanding.

From EncouragingBibleQuotes:


Matthew 25:41-45
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.'

Mice With Human Brains!!!!!!!!

The Christine O'Donnell story just keeps stranger.  O'Donnell, the Tea Party candidate for U.S. Senate for Delaware, seems to have a long history of bizarre quotes and questionable behavior.

RawStory:
...In a brief statement posted Friday morning on its Facebook page, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced, "CREW calls for FEC and criminal investigation into Christine O'Donnell. Stay tuned, more to come."


Meanwhile, O'Donnell is being widely mocked for a claim she made just a few years ago that scientists were "cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains."

During a discussion of the cloning of monkey embryos on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News program in November 2007, O'Donnell, introduced as a Republican strategist, insisted that "the real point of all of this research is to lead to human cloning."....

Uh-oh! 

I have a human brain! I have a human brain!

Pic from Mus-Musculus

Pic from Mus-Musculus

Christine O'Donnell just seems like someone who just rattles on while jumping from one topic to another.  Some of the quotes that have popped up in the last few days have been weird.

Here is what The Note from ABC News had to say:


...Speaking to an adoring crowd at the Values Voters Summit in Washington on Friday, Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell cast herself as an enemy of the “ruling class” and took aim at the “anti-Americanism” that she said taints the establishment....

....O’Donnell, who began her speech with a indictment of the Obama administration -- a reoccurring theme at the event, organized by the conservative Family Research Council -- said that the “incremental assault on our freedoms, our values, our free enterprise, our property rights our economic stability” had gone on too long....

O'Donnell might feel especially unhappy because she allegedly is having some personal financial problems of her own.  

Kasich: "We don't want public employees."

Have you actually read some of the stuff that John Kasich has said?  Here is an example:

John Kasich on teachers' unions from the Starbeacon:

...we need to break the back of organized labor in the schools...

As a former teacher, I'm insulted by obvious disdain for teachers and working people.
Why would he say something like this?  What does he think he can do?  Would he try to vacate agreements?  It is clear to me that
(1) John Kasich has no respect for teachers and other working people,
(2) Kasich has no idea what goes on in a public school,
(3) Kasich is definitely an elitist who cares only about himself and his rich friends.

This YouTube video really sums up what Kasich has done in the past and what he plans to do in the future:



At 2:50, Kasich says, "We don't want public employees."  Someone has to ask him what he means by that.

The Anti-Small Business Republicans

H.R. 5297(Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 has finally been passed in the U.S. Senate. The Republicans in the Senate had a filibuster on this bill for several months. According to the U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home, the vote was 61 Yeas to 38 Nays.

Which U.S. Senators voted against this bill????? (Which U.S. Senators are against small business?)
Here are the "Nay" votes from the U.S. Senate:

NAYs ---38
Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brown (R-MA) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN)	Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE)	Kyl (R-AZ) Lugar (R-IN) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Snowe (R-ME) Thune (R-SD) Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting - 1
Vitter (R-LA)

Holy Cow!

Christine O'Donnell, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Delaware, is a real, bona fide, wing nut.  Then again, she was endorsed by Sarah Palin.

The Huffington Post has a list of some of "The Craziest Things Christine O'Donnell Has Ever Said".  Just do a GOOGLE search to find more of the wacky stuff that just pours out of O'Donnell's mouth. Here is what I found:
On evolution from NYMag: 

CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, Concerned Women for America: Well, as the senator from Tennessee mentioned, evolution is a theory and it's exactly that. There is not enough evidence, consistent evidence to make it as fact, and I say that because for theory to become a fact, it needs to consistently have the same results after it goes through a series of tests. The tests that they put — that they use to support evolution do not have consistent results. Now too many people are blindly accepting evolution as fact. But when you get down to the hard evidence, it's merely a theory. But creation —

Whoops. Technically, evolution is a theory in the scientific-nomenclature sense, but it's so widely accepted by every legitimate scientist in the world that it is considered fact. Not enough evidence?.....

Is there something wrong with this woman?

The Democratic Underground has this:
...Reports have surfaced that she owed $10K in back taxes, defaulted on her mortgage and holds outstanding campaign debt....

I guess she'll be leading by example.

* And, one more time about the Strickland - Kasich debate from ProgressOhio:

...Then there is the bravado of the John Kasich whose budget pen stared down Bill Clinton and lost. He now brags about his accomplishments over the Clinton budgets he once shut down Washington over in a Gingrich induced game of "blink." 

But on the very day John Kasich bragged about his budget bravado, Bill Clinton outside the debate sucked the air out of that fairy tale, reminding Ohioans of who really won that blinking contest.... 

Thank you, President Clinton for that valuable piece of information about Kasich's 10% contribution to the budget fix.

ProgressOhio also noted that Kasich moved around a lot. I also saw Kasich movements, but I found them very distracting.  Is he nervous?  Is he hyperactive?  Does he have a medical condition that causes him to move about so much?  Did he have to use the restroom?  We'll probably never find out the truth.  I'll just add Kasich's constant motion to just another thing that annoys me about Kasich.

Debate Winner: Strickland

It was a very busy evening for Ted Strickland, Democratic governor of Ohio.  First, a rally was held for Strickland at Genoa Park with President Bill Clinton providing the reasons why we all need to get out and vote. With a crowd of just over 2,000 people, Clinton said that under Strickland, the state has gotten rid of the franchise tax, has recruited hi tech and manufacturing jobs, and has been highly rated as being ready for green jobs.  Strickland has created 50,000 new jobs.

Strickland's second big event was the debate with Republican, John Kasich, former managing director for the now bankrupt Lehman Brothers.

Ted Strickland was quick with his statements and responses including the following:
"Ohio and this country were hit by major recession, not of our own making.  It was caused by Wall Street."

Strickland has
- balanced budgets
- cut taxes by 17.5
- provided for a tax cut for senior citizens who own homes.
- helped Ohio be regarded as the 5th strongest education system in country
- froze college tuition for 2 years
-  there are 56,0000 more people in college than at the start of his term
- according to Federal Reserve Ohio has the 6th fastest growing economy
- entrepreneur and small business council says Ohio is friendly to business.
- Ohio has fewer government workers than any other state
- has released ten years of his income tax returns
- Strickland  blamed Kasich and "his buddies on Wall Street" for the recession
- accused Kasich of using dated information on Ohio's education
- when Lehman manipulated things on Wall Street, Ohio's pensions lost  over $400 million, and then Kasich got a bonus
- Strickland called Kasich "impulsive and reckless"
- called Kasich's development plan to use public funds to pay appointees, give them bonuses and not report information to the public as against Ohio's constitution

Kasich will be remembered from this debate for saying certain things:
- Kasich said, "We haven't lost jobs to China."
- used the phrase "snouts in the trough" at least four times in referring to special interests
- all Kasich talked about was business
- he would not use the money provided for the 3 C train project (money would then be turned over to another state)
- Kasich claimed he was the architect of the budget fix in the 90's
(Note:  Here is what Bill Clinton said about Kasich taking all the credit for the budget fix:
Kasich should only get credit for 10% and Democrats, including Strickland who was in Congress at the time, should get the remaining 90% credit. Clinton said that what Kasich is saying about the budget during the 90's is wrong because it was not Kasich's budget that was passed. Kasich wanted to eliminate the Dept. of Education, Energy, cut Medicaid, cut Medicare, and make various other serious cuts.  When Clinton wouldn't "budge" (Clinton's word), the Republicans shut down the government twice.)


"We haven't lost jobs to China," uttered by Republican candidate John Kasich during his debate with Gov. Ted Strickland, will be remembered by every working man and woman in the state of Ohio.

 Kasich repeated the same lines over and over again and seemed somewhat off balance by having to respond to questions.  Also, Kasich uses hokey stories to explain things. I don't think that is a real winning strategy.

I give Strickland the win in this debate.