Today.........

Today we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We need to dedicate ourselves to continue his campaign for freedom, civil rights, and social justice. For more information, the King Center has a beautiful and informative website about Dr. King.

•   •   •

Big news in Ohio----- Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, Ed FitzGerald, has chosen his running mate.

Cleveland:

Democrat Ed FitzGerald reset his campaign for governor Friday, selecting Dayton-area attorney Sharen Neuhardt as his new running mate....

....FitzGerald's pick telegraphs the likelihood that women's reproductive issues, including abortion, will become a significant campaign issue. Women are another key voting bloc for Democrats. Neuhardt is a past board member of Planned Parenthood of the Greater Miami Valley. Last fall, she helped lead a Columbus protest against abortion restrictions that Kasich signed into law as part of the most recent state budget.

"Looking at what the last state budget did to women’s health care, the state legislature and Gov. Kasich ought to be ashamed of themselves," Neuhardt said.....

It would be great to have a Lt. Governor that would address the needs and concerns of Ohio women. Current Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor is nothing more than a puppet of Gov. John Kasich, who is brought out of her cave only occasionally.

News

* More layoffs coming to Ohio?

WKSU:

...Avon Lake's Mayor: More layoffs than expected likely at Ford plant
Northeast Ohio’s auto industry is bracing for layoffs this summer, and more than expected. In late 2011, Ford announced it would invest $128 million to retool its Avon Lake plant to switch from making vans to manufacturing chassis for trucks and RVs. Those plans included the elimination of about 100 jobs. Avon Lake mayor Greg Zilka tells the Plain Dealer he’s now been told to brace for a greater number of layoffs after the plant temporarily shuts down this summer.
The plant currently employs 1,800 people.....

* An Ohio tea party group wants to have a primary challenger for Speaker of the House John Boehner. The Dispatch has details.

* Two Target stores are closing in Ohio. WCPO has the locations.

* Gov. Kasich was asked if he might run for President. Cincinnati.com has his answer. 

* How are Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. John Kasich alike? Besides bullying teachers, disrespecting police, and making drastic cuts to public education, they have something else in common---

  LimaOhio:


...Christie said he Kasich “get along very well because we have very similar approaches to governing.

“We’re both very direct, we say what we believe, and we do so enthusiastically,” Christie said.


>>>> You need to be watching the Rachel Maddow Show at 9pm on MSNBC. She is the smartest woman on television.  Maddow has been fantastic in her coverage of the Chris Christie bridge scandal. 

Ohio's Charters Failing At An Alarming Rate

The Columbus Dispatch found that Ohio's charter schools are failing:

.... 17 charter schools in Columbus closed in one year, which records show is unprecedented....

....A Dispatch analysis of state data found that 29 percent of Ohio’s charter schools have shut, dating to 1997 when the publicly funded but often privately run schools became legal in Ohio. Nearly 400 currently are operating, about 75 of them in Columbus....

....Since 2000, when the state auditor began auditing charter-school finances, 110 schools have been found to have misspent a total of $22.6 million. Many of them are closed....

As long as Kasich and the Ohio GOP continue to protect the charter schools, they will continue to fail and lose taxpayer money.

This Happens Under Republicans

* Is anyone surprised by this news?

USA Today:   E-mails tie N.J. Gov. Christie's Office to Lane Closures

The Hill:  Staff emails link Chris Christie administration to bridge scandal

NorthJersey:  Top Christie aide to Port Authority: 'Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee'

MSNBC:  Christie cancels event after scandal revelations

HuffingtonPost: Chris Christie's Top Aide Linked to Traffic Jam Payback Against Democratic Mayor 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

- - - - -

>>>> The Republicans of Ohio tried to keep some other political parties off the ballot in the state. However, that has changed.

The Toledo Blade:

Ohio cannot change the rules on minor parties for the 2014 ballot in mid-game, a federal judge ruled today.
Republican-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of a new law and ordering Secretary of State Jon Husted to follow through with his original directive granting several small parties spots on the primary election ballot.

Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2014/01/07/Judge-Ohio-cannot-change-minor-party-rules-for-2014-ballot.html#yw1KDcpuBUeod3HM.99

Ohio cannot change the rules on minor parties for the 2014 ballot  in mid-game, a federal judge ruled today....

Ohio cannot change the rules on minor parties for the 2014 ballot in mid-game, a federal judge ruled today.
Republican-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of a new law and ordering Secretary of State Jon Husted to follow through with his original directive granting several small parties spots on the primary election ballot.
The ruling, however, applies only to 2014.

Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2014/01/07/Judge-Ohio-cannot-change-minor-party-rules-for-2014-ballot.html#yw1KDcpuBUeod3HM.99

Ohio Republicans cannot win elections fairly so they try eliminating other political parties, and throwing roadblocks for minority voters that usually vote for Democrats.

- - - - -

••••  Why do Republican governors like Ohio's John Kasich and Pennsylvania Tom Corbett try to destroy public schools with budget cuts?  A recent article in Philadelphia City Paper illustrates how those cuts have hurt city school students.

Philadelphia City Paper:

...Some Philadelphia high schools reached a counselor-to-student ratio of 1 to 3,000 this fall, according to Philly School Counselors United. That's much higher than the 1-to-250 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association.

The School District of Philadelphia, following budget cuts made by Gov. Tom Corbett that aggravated a long-term fiscal crisis, opened this school year with 3,000 fewer staff members than last year. In September, there were only 126 counselors, down 236 from the 362 on staff the year before. Recently, the District rehired some laid-off counselors after Corbett, facing mounting political pressure, released $45 million in one-time federal funds that he had withheld over demands for concessions from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

Philly School Counselors United pointed to a number of cases that illustrate the crisis: Northeast High School, with 3,000 students, has just two full-time and two-part counselors this year, down from 11 five years ago; Masterman, one of the state's top high schools, began the school year with only one counselor, and recently added a second; Academy at Palumbo, a school of 800 students, has only one....

Kasich and Corbett, like most Republican governors, have displayed their ignorance with their lack of support for public education. Remember that for the future when you go to vote.

* * *

There are more layoffs in Ohio. See ODJFS for details. Why did it take so long to have this latest layoff (Altos IT) posted?

Republicans Fail to Deliver Jobs

What can we do to get more people employed and end homelessness?

When given the opportunity to create jobs, the Republicans have refused to do anything. Their solution always comes to the same thing----the "trickle down" method--- tax cuts to the rich.  Face it. We've given tax cuts to the wealthy and the so-called "job creators, " but nothing has come from it.  Here in Ohio, Republican Gov. John Kasich has continued to shower tax cuts, tax credits, and grant money to his corporate buddies, but our unemployment rate remains higher than the national average.

Added to the unemployed are the military veterans who've returned, but they are also finding it difficult to find jobs. A recent story at Philly.com, highlights some of the struggles that the homeless and unemployed vets are dealing with everyday.

Republican members of Congress state that they support our troops, care for families and children, but their lack of action on a jobs bill shows their real concern.  The Republicans just don't care.


With so many unemployed in our country, why did the Republican leader of the House, Eric Cantor,  schedule so few work days in 2013, and even less in 2014? The Republicans are only concerned about their own jobs, fundraising for their re-election campaigns, and keeping their right wing base happy. The GOP doesn't care about the middle class.

Ladies!

The Duck Dynasty reality star that recently got in trouble for his views on African-Americans, and gays, has also revealed his thoughts on women. Phil Robertson, the Duck Dynasty star embraced by conservatives, has some other caveman-like opinions.

RawStory:

....some Americans could also be shocked to find out that Robertson believes that the age of 15 is the perfect time for girls to get married — as long as they can cook and carry a Bible.

At a Sportsmen’s Ministry talk in 2009, Robertson had some advice for a young man. 

“Make sure that she can cook a meal, you need to eat some meals that she cooks, check that out,” he said. “Make sure she carries her Bible. That’ll save you a lot of trouble down the road. And if she picks your ducks, now, that’s a woman.”

Obviously, a young woman's education is not a priority for Mr. Robertson.

To the ladies out there----
If you meet someone that claims that they love Phil Robertson and the Duck Dynasty people, run away from them as fast as you can.

Ohio's Mess

The following is an example of some of the Ohio Republicans who've been elected in the state legislature.

YouTube:





Buchy doesn't care or want to know why a woman would seek an abortion. Like most Ohio Republicans, it is just their way of controlling women.

* * *

In case you are interested, there is no economic miracle in Ohio. If Gov. John Kasich and member of the Ohio GOP try to tell you that, just call it what it is---- BS.

LimaOhio:

.....The national unemployment rate not too long ago exceeded the rate here. That has reversed, Ohio at 7.4 percent, the country at 7 percent....

....Part of the trouble facing the governor results from his own actions. If he has closed a huge budget hole and launched initiatives, from the third-grade reading guarantee to JobsOhio, he also celebrated early, when Washington was no less troubled, declaring on his watch mounting interest in a “miracle” here.....

....there has been a sharp slowing the past year of momentum, the state adding a mere 19,800 jobs....

Kasich has been a failure at creating jobs in Ohio.  W.P. Carey School of Business notes that Ohio is 46th in job creation. The only people that benefit are those CEO's at corporations that have received tax incentives and grant money from JobsOhio. The regular people in Ohio are losing jobs, services, and are facing cutbacks to our schools. The increase of school levies on the ballot demonstrates that Kasich's cuts to schools have forced districts to go to voters more frequently. 

Someone is making out on Kasich's "trickle down economics" and it isn't the people of Ohio.

Peace to all!

Happy Holidays!

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

If you live in Ohio, you know that Gov. John Kasich's lack of leadership on job creation has resulted in Ohio being ranked as the 44th state in job creation.  Kasich has used his "trickle-down" policies to reward the rich and corporate buddies by granting tax cuts, while the poor, unemployed, and even school children suffer because of his cuts. Hopefully, 2014 will bring us a new governor like Ed Fitzgerald.

The saddest part is that Kasich had the chance to save 1,000 jobs at Ormet, but he didn't make the effort. As a result, former Ormet workers and their families are faced with a depressing future---- no jobs and no gifts under the tree.

Best wishes for a New Year with a new Democratic Ohio governor and Democratic elected officials!

*****

What!  Another questionable appointment has been made by Gov. John Kasich!!!! 

The Toledo Blade  reports that an appointee to the Owens Community College board had some incredible background!

One of Gov. John Kasich’s appointments last week to the Owens Community College Board of Trustees is in jeopardy after the governor’s office later learned the appointee had withheld information during the vetting process about a criminal record.
The governor’s chief counsel on Friday sent a letter to Keith Bernard Jordan, Sr., president of the Toledo Board of Community Relations and vice president/​director of development for JLJ Vision Outreach.
The letter noted four dates, three in 2001 and one in 2004, when Mr. Jordan was booked in Toledo on a variety of charges that included driving under suspension, failing to leave information after an accident involving a car off the street, obstructing official business, giving false information to a police officer issuing a ticket, and other primarily traffic-related charges.

Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2013/12/22/Kasich-pick-for-trustee-questioned-on-his-past.html#agiuoExV1rqOEZXv.99

One of Gov. John Kasich’s appointments last week to the Owens Community College Board of Trustees is in jeopardy after the governor’s office later learned the appointee had withheld information during the vetting process about a criminal record.
The governor’s chief counsel on Friday sent a letter to Keith Bernard Jordan, Sr., president of the Toledo Board of Community Relations and vice president/​director of development for JLJ Vision Outreach.
The letter noted four dates, three in 2001 and one in 2004, when Mr. Jordan was booked in Toledo on a variety of charges that included driving under suspension, failing to leave information after an accident involving a car off the street, obstructing official business, giving false information to a police officer issuing a ticket, and other primarily traffic-related charges.

Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2013/12/22/Kasich-pick-for-trustee-questioned-on-his-past.html#agiuoExV1rqOEZXv.99

We'll just add this latest Kasich appointee to the list of people that should not be appointed to any office.

More Bad News in Ohio

*** If you need further evidence of Gov. John Kasich's failure to stimulate the economy and hiring in Ohio, you need to look at the ODJFS Warn page. Two more companies have announced layoffs--
http://jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm, and that includes BEF (Bob Evans Farms) and Huntington (Camco Financial Corporation).  Considering the millions of dollars that Bob Evans Farms received from JobsOhio, layoffs like this should not be happening.

>>> A civil rights violation in the government of Ohio?????

Plunderbund has uncovered a serious investigation in the Kasich administration:

....we have confirmed that the Ohio Inspector General is indeed investigating Rutherford and Ryan.    The Inspector General’s Office has not yet released the report and is not commenting on the investigation.

We have also confirmed that ODOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity has a case pending on Mr. Rutherford involving an allegation that he “retaliated against another Department employee for engaging in a protected activity under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of employees based on an “individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”    Later court decisions have also held that sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal under the act.   The act also prohibits retaliation by an employer against an employee who has filed an equal opportunity complaint or an employee who testifies as a witness regarding a complaint....

The lack of diversity in the Kasich administration has been documented.  If this civil rights accusation is true, it is just another problem for the Kasich administration. 

Have you noticed?

*** By now you've heard Fox News talker Megyn Kelly claimed that both Jesus and Santa Claus were white (see RawStory). I'd suggest that Megyn Kelly and the rest of the right wing racists on Fox check out the history of St. Nicholas (AKA Santa Claus). Kelly might want to look at where Jesus lived and the fact that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew. Any educated person knows that Megyn Kelly and Fox News are just plain wrong on this and everything else.

****

** Will Gov. John Kasich accept the invitation to pass out Christmas gifts to the families of the jobless Ormet workers and their families? The USW has offered Kasich an invitation, according to BizJournals.  Is Kasich willing to face them after he ignored them for so many months?

Would you like to see Kasich's job creation? It is all located at ODJFS Warn page. These are the
 layoffs in the state.

•••••••• Plunderbund has a big story on how JobsOhio has altered their recent report:

If you recently tried to read our story about JobsOhio’s disappointing third quarter report you may have noticed that the link to the report no longer works.   That because JobsOhio removed the original report and replaced it with a new, modified version of the document.

The first file had a create date of 11/21/2013 at 3:18:08 AM and a modified date of 11/22/2013 at 3:29:08 PM.   It was quietly released on JobsOhio’s website sometime over the weekend of November 29th......

......Based on an automated comparison of the two documents, we determined that the document had been altered by modifying the text describing the number of job commitments made by companies in the quarter.....

Thank you, Plunderbund, for your hard work exposing Kasich's shenanigans.

-----------

*  As the winter continues to hit us with snow, it is nice to have a few websites to divert our attention from the cold. Here are a few of my favorite places to visit:

The Tiny House movement is showcased at
 http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
 http://tinyhousesmallspace.tumblr.com/
 http://tinyhouseswoon.com/

Beaches in the U.S. worth a visit like
 http://www.earthcam.com/usa/hawaii/

Targeting Women Voters

The Republican Party has had a difficult time getting support from women voters. Now, the GOP is going to try some special training so that Republican candidates learn how to talk to women.

PoliticsUSA:

Republicans may be pretending to learn how to talk to women, but don’t get the idea they really care what women think. Nothing with regard to the substance of Republican policies toward women is really changing. 

The GOP has spent all of 2013 trying to prevent women from having access to contraception or access to accurate medical information about abortion – let alone access to an abortion itself. Just look what they did in Kansas early this year if you must have an example.

For Republican men, women are still the second-class citizens, the inferior humans, they have been historically. Pretend the Nineteenth Amendment never happened: When Republicans want an opinion out of a woman, they’ll give it to her and then tell her to “shut her hole” and let the cranky old white men govern as God intended....


Women are smart enough to know that Republicans are still going to pedal the same old right wing agenda. It won't matter if Republicans take sensitivity training because they are still against women's reproductive rights, limiting birth control, blocking equal pay for equal work, public schools, and keeping Social Security. These are concerns of women and Republicans don't care about any of these items.

If you are interested in what women really think of Republicans, check out Jezebel's opinions on the GOP outreach to women. Face it---- women believe the GOP is a party of old white guys that care only about old white guys, especially those with lots of money.

Losing Support? Good!

Apparently, the organization known as ALEC is facing some financial problems and has lost some corporate members. ALEC promotes a pro-business, anti-labor, anti-public school, anti-middle class agenda by pushing their own legislation to state and federal elected officials.

The Guardian has an article about ALEC's financial crisis:

...The Guardian has learned that the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which shapes and promotes legislation at state level across the US, has identified more than 40 lapsed corporate members it wants to attract back into the fold under a scheme referred to in its documents as the "Prodigal Son Project".

The target firms include commercial giants such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Kraft, McDonald's and Walmart, all of which cut ties with the group following the furore over the killing of the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida in February 2012.....

...Despite the losses, Alec continues to be supported by some of the largest rightwing foundations in the country, including the energy tycoons the Koch brothers, the Bradley Foundation and the Searle Freedom Trust set up by the creator of NutraSweet. Alec's list of corporate members includes companies such as the telecoms firm AT&T, energy concerns Exxon Mobil and Peabody Energy, the pharma company Pfizer, drinks giant Diageo and the tobacco multinational Altria....

Visit the article at The Guardian for a very interesting article, including documents about membership and finances.

>>> The Guardian has another article about how ALEC is trying to go after people who are using solar energy. 

Worst Ever!

Do you need another reason to vote Republicans out of office?

HuffingtonPost has the proof that the Republican controlled House of Representatives is definitely the worst ever:

...The House is only scheduled to work eight days between now and January 7, when members return for the second session of the 113th Congress.

The House had 239 days off scheduled during 2013, and they have even more off days scheduled for next year.

The 2014 calendar for the House, released in October by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), shows members will only work only 113 days. That's down from 2013, when House lawmakers were scheduled to meet for 126 days. Only 107 days were scheduled in 2012....

Boehner, Cantor, Issa, and the rest of the GOP should be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately, they are too arrogant to feel shame.

50 Years Ago

On November 22, 1963, I was a seventh grader in a Catholic school. It had started out as an ordinary day, but that soon changed. Our principal came into our classroom and announced that President Kennedy had been shot, and that the entire student body would immediately go into the church to pray for the President and his family.

Soon after we returned to our classroom, someone brought a radio to our teacher's desk where we heard an update about the President. We were all in shock, and many of us were crying, especially when the announcement was made that the President had died. It was difficult to understand how something so terrible could happen to someone so young like President Kennedy.

The next few days, my family, and the nation were glued to the television. It was all so unbelievable and so very sad. We watched every interview and report surrounding President Kennedy and his family.

On Sunday morning, November 24th, 1963, my brother and I were watching television before we went to church. The news was showing Lee Harvey Oswald being taken out of a building and into a car. We watched in horror as Oswald was shot on live television. We yelled for our parents and told them what happened.

On Monday, November 25th, schools and businesses across the country were closed for the funeral of President Kennedy.  We watched the entire funeral on our black and white television. The streets of Washington, D.C., were lined with sobbing mourners. We saw Caroline and John-John with their mother, Jacqueline Kennedy, and then watched John-John salute. It was more than we could bear.

Fifty years later, and we still grieve and remember.

Oh?

* The stupidity of Fox News is apparent in this item from RawStory, when Elizabeth Hasselbeck shows concern for elderly pregnant women under the ACA. If there are 70, 80, and 90 year old pregnant women, Hasselbeck should provide some examples and notify scientific experts.

>>> The good people at Plunderbund point out that Gov. John Kasich's Medicaid website is a disaster in itself. Check out the complete story at Plunderbund. 

*** Ohio has had the 9th suicide by a prisoner in a state correction facility. Circleville Today has the story. Rumors of a lack of prison staff might be true since it appears to be a lack of supervision going on in the state prisons.

Kasich's Cuts

The people of Ohio are upset about the cuts that Gov. John Kasich has made to local governments and school districts.  Ohioans just don't know the full extent of Kasich's cuts and how they've hurt their communities.  Luckily, a website will provide information on Kasich's cuts----www.cutshurtohio.com.

Here are a few examples from www.cutshurtohio.com -

Washington County, Ohio: 
   Cuts to Education $9 million
   Cuts to Local Government $5 million
   Total Cuts to the community $14 million

Franklin County, Ohio:
   Cuts to Education $129 million
   Cuts to Local Government $133 million
   Total Cuts to the community $262 million

Hamilton County, Ohio:
   Cuts to Education $117 million
   Cuts to Local Government $105 million
   Total Cuts to the community $222 million

Check out how Kasich has hurt your community by visiting www.cutshurtohio.com and share with your contacts.

Ohio Needs Him

Talking Points Memo has a super news item on Democrat Ed Fitzgerald, candidate for Ohio Governor.

Here is an excerpt from TPM: 

...According to FitzGerald, Kasich's policies are "laying the foundation" for corruption to be a major problem in Ohio.

"What they're doing with economic development out there, I am so opposed to the philosophy that's guiding it right now," said FitzGerald. "Here's what they've done, they've gone from saying government should be run like a business. ... They're running it as a private corporation. ... They took the state's economic development company, they put it into a corporation they claim is private, but the governor appoints all the members of it. They are approving loans to other companies that they have received compensation from and that they have sat on the board of, including some that they currently sit on the board of."

FitzGerald, who also worked as a country prosecutor, described the current situation in Ohio as reminiscent of his experiences in law enforcement...

Ohio needs Fitzgerald to clean up the state!

----------

Oh, no! Joe Scarborough is on Hardball with Chris Matthews. Why do people like Scarborough idolize and worship Ronald Reagan??? I lived through 2 Reagan administrations and they were not good for average Americans.

Today....

Huffington Post has news about the latest action by employees of Walmart:

Surrounded by about 100 police officers in riot gear and a helicopter circling above, more than 50 Walmart workers and supporters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles Thursday night as they sat in the street protesting what they called the retailer's "poverty wages." 

Organizers said it was the largest single act of civil disobedience in Walmart's 50-year history. The 54 arrestees, with about 500 protesting Walmart workers, clergy and supporters, demonstrated outside LA's Chinatown Walmart. Those who refused police orders to clear the street after their permit expired were arrested without incident. Those who fail to post $5,000 bail would be jailed overnight, Detective Gus Villanueva, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman, told The Huffington Post...


"Where is the American economy going if we're all working poverty wages?," Sellers said. "There will be no working class. We'll all be in a poverty class."

This is why I don't shop at Walmart. Period.

>>>  WKSU is reporting more info involving the Suarez Corporation investigation.

New details are emerging about the connection between North Canton-based Suarez Corporation Industries and several republican lawmakers.

The company’s owner has been charged with making illegal campaign contributions while facing a consumer protection law investigation in California.

Founder Benjamin Suarez sought help from numerous Ohio officials in the case, including Governor John Kasich.....

Read the entire story at WKSU.

*** It looks like CBS News has a problem with their report on Benghazi-----CBS got it WRONG!

Ohio's Economy Under Kasich

If you are wondering how things are going in Ohio under the leadership of Republican Gov. John Kasich, you need only to view this video- YouTube:



What is going on in Ohio? A quick look at ODJFS Warn page shows how the state is bleeding jobs. Just since the first of November of this year, Ohio has lost 253 jobs, as noted on the ODJFS Warn page.

Progress? Not From GOP!

*  What is going on in Ohio? It appears that the backroom deals, and pay to play are happening again! Plunderbund has uncovered some of the major players and the benefits they seems to be receiving.

* The only way to make progress in America is to have a Democratic majority in the U.S. House and Senate. The Republican Party is interested in three things:
1.   blocking legislation for jobs and any proposals from President Obama,
2.   giving more tax cuts to the rich,
3.   returning your civil rights to the same as they were in the 1800's (white men in power).

With the Senate appearing ready to pass the ENDA legislation, John Boehner will block the bill from ever moving forward in the House. HuffPost has the sad details.

Frightening GOP Candidate

Rachel Maddow noted that a Republican candidate for Senate has questionable ties. Mother Jones had previously written an article about Chris McDaniel.

MotherJones:

Chris McDaniel is taking the "GOP Civil War" to a new level. Two months ago, the tea party-backed Mississippi Senate candidate addressed a neo-Confederate conference and costume ball hosted by a group that promotes the work of present-day secessionists and contends the wrong side won the "war of southern independence." Other speakers at the event included a historian who believes Lincoln was a Marxist and Ryan Walters, a PhD candidate who worked on McDaniel's first political campaign and wrote recently that the "controversy" over President Barack Obama's birth certificate "hasn't really been solved."

...With their endorsements of McDaniel, the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club for Growth have shown just how far they are willing to go in terms of embracing the far right to prosecute their war for the soul of the party. In August, McDaniel addressed a neo-Confederate conference in Laurel, Miss., near his hometown of Ellisville. A local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels, hosted the two-day event, which the group described in invitations as a "Southern Heritage Conference" for "politically incorrect folks." Attendees were advised to dress in "Confederate uniforms and antebellum ball gowns or wee kilties." McDaniel's appearance at the Rosin Heels heritage conference was not a one-off occurrence; weeks earlier he was the keynote speaker at a separate event in Jackson.

The Rosin Heels does more than regret the outcome of the Civil War. Its monthly newsletter routinely features articles and essays advocating for present-day secession....
Yes, folks, these Republicans have taken a far turn to the right. It is frightening.

Health Insurance

The Healthcare.gov website is probably the most popular one in the nation. The Republicans are trying to discredit it because they never supported it and they know that Americans will love the program once it is fully implemented.


The reason some insurance providers must change their policies is because now there are standards that they must meet within a given policy. They must provide certain exams, procedures, etc. In the past insurance companies were only worried about making profits--- now they will have to provide real services to their subscribers.

Cutting Their Schedule?

Politico has an interesting tidbit that will get a lot of people upset about the Republican controlled House of Representatives:

For the first time in months, House Republicans are facing no immediate cataclysmic deadlines, and GOP leaders are struggling to come up with an agenda to fill the 19 legislative days that are left in 2013.
Need evidence? The House votes Monday evening and will finish its work week Wednesday. After that, the House is out of session until Nov. 12. Internally, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and senior Republicans aren’t discussing coming back early from the scheduled recess, but instead, they are wondering if they’ll cancel some of the remaining days in session....

Rachel Maddow noted that this House of Representatives is on schedule to be the least active in recent history with less bills passed than previous sessions. I guess the Republicans are running out of post offices to name.

**** Rachel also noted that Rand Paul's speech in Virginia today was plagiarized from the Wikipedia entry on Gattaca (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca).

He Supported the Shutdown

It appears that U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-6th) is feeling a little heat from his constituents concerning his support of the Republican shutdown of the government.

AthensNews:

....During the partial shutdown, House Republicans repeatedly moved their goal post, going from calls to defund Obamacare, to calls to delay it, to calls to remove a medical device tax from the legislation, to calls to delay that tax, to calls to eliminate government employer subsidies for congressional staff health-care plans, which Johnson referenced above as a "special pass," though employer health-care subsidies are common in the United States in both the private and public sector. His other "special pass" reference was to a one-year administrative delay in the mandate for businesses with over 50 employees to provide health-care coverage.

"I'm also deeply troubled that this legislation increases America's debt limit, but does nothing to address the main driver of the debt - Washington's out-of-control spending," Johnson said explaining his vote. "The American people have had to tighten their belts in this weak economy, and Washington should be forced to do the same."

....Today the national deficit stands at 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) after peaking at 10 percent in 2009. That 4 percent figure is projected to shrink to 2 percent by 2015, the CBO reports. The U.S. has maintained a 3.3 percent average deficit-to-GDP ratio over the past 30 years....

It is too bad that Bill Johnson is unable to use his own words to justify his vote. Johnson just keeps repeating the same old lies and talking points.  

Where are the jobs that Boehner and Johnson promised to create?  They've spent too much time trying to deny healthcare for the poor instead of funding infrastructure repairs that would have employed hundreds of thousands of workers. 

In case you are interested, Bill Johnson has been endorsed by various tea party groups, and continues to carry out their agenda.  

Incredible

HuffingtonPost:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told his Democratic caucus last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican said to President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," according to two Democratic senators who were present, and confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from two other senators.....

....The alleged incident took place in the throes of the government shutdown, when Obama was meeting with different factions of lawmakers to try to find a resolution to the debacle. The White House aide told Democratic leaders that the lawmaker who couldn't stand to look at the president was Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Rules Committee, the two senators told HuffPost.

One of the two Democratic senators who spoke to HuffPost said that Reid told the caucus about the incident last Tuesday and named Sessions. He also told the caucus that he was “sorry” to have to tell them about it, per this senator, but gave Obama credit for his “dignified” response to Sessions. Reid reportedly told the caucus that Obama responded to Sessions by saying he understood that they disagreed on many issues and he respected their differences.....

Shame on Rep. Pete Sessions! You can let him know what you think of his disrespectful remark by contacting him: Phone: (202) 225-9191
                                      Fax: (202) 225-6763
                                      Rules.RS@mail.house.gov
                                      Twitter: @PeteSessions

Still Need Help With ACA????

If you still need help at Healthcare.gov, there are several ways to apply for health coverage. Visit this link or call this number: 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY: 1-855-889-4325).

******

* Tea party members always talk about "personal responsibility" but apparently it doesn't apply to them. Daily Kos has a post about the leader of the Oregon Tea Party, John Kuzmanich, and the fact that he has not paid his mortgage----in three years:

Washington County court records show Kuzmanich is more than three years behind in mortgage payments on a Beaverton duplex. The lender, the Federal National Mortgage Association, better known as Fannie Mae, has gone to extraordinary lengths—unsuccessfully, so far—to find Kuzmanich and serve him with court papers.....
 
Sounds like an example of "do as I say, not as I do."

- - - - -

As you may have heard, the football team at Grambling State refused to play their scheduled game this past week due to the conditions of their practice facility, program cuts, the increase of staph infections, and funding cuts at their school. The BleacherReport has the details along with pictures of what these young men have to work with in their facility.

ESPN notes:

....State funding for the school has been cut 57 percent since 2007-08, according to the school's fundraising literature. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and the state legislature have cut $269 million from higher education since 2009, the year Jindal turned down federal stimulus funds......

Bob Jindal and the rest of the Republican governors just don't want higher education to be funded because they don't like highly educated people.

Cry me a river!

Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, wants you to feel sorry for his friend.

RawStory:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Sunday that he opposed President Barack Obama’s health care law because a “friend” would have to pay more to insure the employees at his 52 Wendy’s restaurants — but the South Carolina Republican did not offer another solution to provide heath care for the 60 percent of those workers that did not currently have insurance.....

This is yet another example of the Republicans caring more for their wealthy friends than the hardworking Americans, especially the working poor. Lindsey Graham and the rest of the Republicans have no idea how messed up their priorities are. In the next election, Americans need to get to the polls and let the Republicans know that we are not interested in their prehistoric ideas.

Not One Woman?

Americans have become disgusted at the antics of the Republicans in the House of Representatives in the shutdown of the government. Speaker of the House John Boehner is viewed by many as weak and ineffective, especially in his inability to push back the radicals in his party.  There are people that are advising Boehner. In a post at YahooNews, the National Journal lists those that are part of Boehner's closest confidants:


...Reps. Tom Latham of Iowa, Pat Tiberi of Ohio, and Mike Simpson of Idaho—House veterans, but not household names—are on the list. Notably absent are Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, both of whom are allies but also represent rival power centers in the famously fractious chamber....

...there remains no official membership list. And if there was one, says LaTourette, there would be layers to it.

For instance, he named Tiberi, Simpson, Latham, and Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Richard Burr of North Carolina, both former representatives. Boehner also counts on Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, his appointed National Republican Campaign Committee chairman, and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, the previous NRCC chairman and now Rules Committee chairman, to advise him about the political scene. And there is Boehner’s “Ohio Mafia,” including Reps. Steve Stivers and Bob Latta.

Beyond these members, LaTourette, lawmakers, and aides also list Reps. Charles Boustany of Louisiana; Doc Hastings of Washington; Frank Lucas of Oklahoma; Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey; and Michael McCaul and Sam Johnson of Texas. There are also newer members, such as Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas.....

Steve Stivers? Pat Tiberi? Bob Latta? Do you know what is missing? There is not one elected female member of the House in Boehner's inner circle, and not one member of a minority.

You might notice that Boehner tries to include Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in every news conference or photo op, but clearly she is not part of the group advising Boehner--- she is just there for the picture.

Where are the jobs????

Ohio continues to lose jobs. Warn notices continue to appear at the ODJFS website. Here is just October's list, as of this morning---

Date Rec'd	Company	City/County	Potential Number Affected	Layoff Date(s)	Phone Number	Union	Notice ID
10-07-2013	Hilex Poly	Elyria/Lorain	48	10-01-2013 Last day worked (Administrative Leave until 11-29-2013)	419-678-8700 ext 105	N/A	004-13-024
10-07-2013	Ben Venue Laboratories	Bedford/Cuyahoga	1150	12-27-2013; Additional from 01-2014 through 06-2014	440-201-3239	N/A	003-13-023
10-02-2013	Call Henry, Inc	Cleveland/Cuyahoga	99	11-30-2013	321-267-9808	IBEW Local 38 and IAM	003-13-022

It is apparent that Gov. John Kasich's JobsOhio is failing to bring in jobs. As a matter of fact, JobsOhio has caused some major problems in many counties because of a lack of communication and accusations of conflicts of interest, according to a post at Plunderbund:

...A must-read story from Sunday’s Journal News documents the disaster in Hamilton and surrounding counties.  According to the piece, local  economic development directors are pissed off at JobsOhio and its region partner, the Cincinnati USA Partnership, “because they aren’t getting the job-generating leads and attention from the agency that they used to before JobsOhio entered the picture.”

...There is also concern that JobsOhio’s involvement has brought about – surprise! – conflicts of interest within the Cincinnati USA Partnership because the group accepts donations from “investors” that include “private corporations and local governments.”   According to the Journal News piece, the Partnership continues its policy of providing access to information and events based on  the amount of money a company or city donates to the group.   At the same time, the partnership is directly responsible for recommending which companies will receive loans, grants and/or tax credit from the state......

....That’s right, one of the guys Kasich’s JobsOhio has entrusted with preserving and creating more jobs in Ohio threatened to move his own company out of Ohio if JobsOhio and the Kasich Administration didn’t give him over $10 Million.....

Some corporate people appear to be making money from JobsOhio. Unfortunately, the people of Ohio are not seeing jobs or any economic benefits from Kasich's pet project.

Steve Chabot

Republican Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1st) was one of the original signers of the letter that supports defunding ObamaCare during the budget legislation. Chabot says most of the phone calls his office receives supports his efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act. Really?  Take a moment to call or email or send a message to Steve Chabot and tell him to stop holding the country hostage---- Pass a clean CR.

Contact Steve Chabot:
Twitter @SteveChabot 
Washington, DC: (202) 225-2216  FAX (202) 225-3012
Warren Co. office: (513) 421-8704
Cincinnati office:  (513) 684-2723
campaign office: stevechabot.com or (513) 662-8000

Why does Steve Chabot want millions of Americans to go without health insurance and health care?

Insane Republican Idea

Ohio Republicans seem to hatch the craziest ideas. A few years ago, Ohio had SB5 which would have taken protections away from workers.  A new proposal from an Ohio Republican would put health care for the poor into to the hands of unlicensed medical trainees.

Plunderbund:

Republican State Rep John Becker has a solution to Ohio’s healthcare woes and it goes something like this:
1.  Pick one hospital in every urban area to be “designated for indigent care”
2.  Staff the hospital with low-paid “interns, volunteers, students and trainees”
3.  Give all of the hospital workers “immunity from malpractice litigation”
4.  Force all poor people to ”be transferred to their designated” indigent hospital....


....Ohio already has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country for African American children, and the fourth highest rate in the country.   And neighborhoods around the hospitals Becker suggests we designate indigent-only facilities have rates that are off the charts; rates higher than countries like Vietnam and Libya.

Becker’s plan would most certainly result in even higher infant mortality rates, especially when combined with a another bill Becker introduced in August (HB 255) that would kick thousands of Ohio’s pregnant women and low income families off Medicaid and into the type of care Becker hopes will now be performed by interns, students and trainees.....

The bill sponsored by Becker is HB 271. Plunderbund has more information on the bill.  John Becker seems to be tossing the poor out in the garbage.

State Rep. John Becker has also added his two cents after a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black.
CityBeat:

....Republican Rep. John Becker is pretty upset that a terminally ill gay man has earned the right to die in peace, and now it’s become a very real possibility that other gay Ohioans might also get to die (and live) in peace. And, just like my brother, he’s kind of trying to ruin the game for everyone just because he’s losing....

.....In his ruling, Black called the case “not complicated,” explaining that he’d allow the marriage to be legalized on Arthur’s death certificate because it was likely a constitutional violation that the state of Ohio treated lawful out-of-state same-sex marriages differently than lawful out-of-state same-sex marriages.....

....Becker..... wrote U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup and called for Black to be impeached for “malfeasance and abuse of power,” which apparently made him really concerned about the “federal government’s ever growing propensity to violate state sovereignty.”   

As City Beat notes, "...U.S. District Court judges are appointed for life... "  

Ohioans are tired of these self-righteous Republicans who call themselves religious, but are against the poor, children, decency, and equality.  It is time to throw the Republican bums out of office here in Ohio and in Congress---especially those that promote tea party Republican ideology.

Women's Health

Tomorrow, October 1st, is the first day to sign up for Health Care (ACA) in the U.S.A. If you don't have insurance, you can sign up at www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual/ on October 1st. WebMD has a simple introduction on what it means:  wb.md/18Gb6AA

Women will find that the new Health Care law expands preventive care for them.  Here is a list of what will be covered in the new program:

HealthCare.gov: Women--- 


....All Marketplace health plans and many other plans must cover the following list of preventive services for women without charging you a copayment or coinsurance. This is true even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible.
This applies only when these services are delivered by an in-network provider.

1. Anemia screening on a routine basis for pregnant women
2. Breast Cancer Genetic Test Counseling (BRCA) for women at higher risk for breast cancer
3. Breast Cancer Mammography screenings every 1 to 2 years for women over 40
4. Breast Cancer Chemoprevention counseling for women at higher risk
5. Breastfeeding comprehensive support and counseling from trained providers, and access to breastfeeding supplies, for pregnant and nursing women
6. Cervical Cancer screening for sexually active women
7. Chlamydia Infection screening for younger women and other women at higher risk
8. Contraception: Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling, as prescribed by a health care provider for women with reproductive capacity (not including abortifacient drugs). This does not apply to health plans sponsored by certain exempt “religious employers.”
9. Domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling for all women
10. Folic Acid supplements for women who may become pregnant
11. Gestational diabetes screening for women 24 to 28 weeks pregnant and those at high risk of developing gestational diabetes
12. Gonorrhea screening for all women at higher risk
13. Hepatitis B screening for pregnant women at their first prenatal visit
14. HIV screening and counseling for sexually active women
15. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA Test every 3 years for women with normal cytology results who are 30 or older
16. Osteoporosis screening for women over age 60 depending on risk factors
17. Rh Incompatibility screening for all pregnant women and follow-up testing for women at higher risk
18. Sexually Transmitted Infections counseling for sexually active women
19. Syphilis screening for all pregnant women or other women at increased risk
20. Tobacco Use screening and interventions for all women, and expanded counseling for pregnant tobacco users
21. Urinary tract or other infection screening for pregnant women
22. Well-woman visits to get recommended services for women under 65....

Why do Republicans want to repeal a law that will save women's lives?  It is no wonder that the Republicans are against this. The Republicans voted against the Lily Ledbetter Act and against VAWA. Why are Republicans so against helping women stay healthy and alive?

Faux-buster

Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, performed like a clown during his 21 hour talk-a-thon. It was NOT a filibuster, but just a display of Cruz's inflated ego. It served no purpose but to perform in front of his tea party fan club.

After Cruz's talk-a-thon, he followed the Senate agenda.
CNN:

He spent more than 21 straight hours railing against any government funding for Obamacare. Then Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas joined the other 99 senators from both parties in voting Wednesday to move ahead on a spending plan expected to do just that.

The rare 100-0 vote on a procedural step means the spending measure that would avoid a partial government shutdown next week now can be amended by Senate Democrats to restore funding for President Barack Obama's signature health care reforms, which had been eliminated last week by House Republicans.....

Ted Cruz provided a platform for himself. 

Must Read on Ted Cruz

If you've been following the egotistical career of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, you'll find these two articles very informative.

Here is a sample from GQ:

...Cruz, 42, arrived in Washington in January as the ultimate conservative purist, a hero to both salt-of-the-earth Tea Partiers and clubby GOP think-tankers, and since then he has come to the reluctant but unavoidable conclusion that he is simply more intelligent, more principled, more right—in both senses of the word—than pretty much everyone else in our nation's capital. That alone isn't so outrageous for the Senate. "Every one of these guys thinks he's the smartest guy in the room," one senior Democratic aide told me. "But Cruz is utterly incapable of cloaking it in any kind of collegiality. He's just so brazen."

Little more than a month after Cruz was sworn in, Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat from California, likened him to Joe McCarthy for his conduct during Chuck Hagel's confirmation for secretary of defense. Without presenting a shred of evidence, Cruz insinuated that Hagel, a fellow Republican, was on the take from America's enemies. Because Hagel had declined to reveal the source of a $200,000 payment, Cruz suggested, how do we know it didn't come from the North Korean government? Or Saudi Arabia's? Even South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, also a Republican, called Cruz's line of inquiry "out of bounds." 

And then there was the moment, just a month later, when the Judiciary Committee was debating the assault--weapons ban: Cruz was trying to get it through Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein's thick skull that there was this thing called the Second Amendment and that it deserved the same respect as the rest of the Bill of Rights. He made his point by rattling off other amendments and the rights they protected until Feinstein bristled, "I'm not a sixth grader. I've been on this committee for twenty years.... I've studied the Constitution myself. I am reasonably well educated, and I thank you for the lecture."

Read the entire article, especially those of you that are alumni of those fine universities that Cruz referred to as 'minor Ivies' like Penn or Brown' (see GQ).

Mother Jones also ran and article about Cruz, and one section detailed his experience in front of the Supreme Court. Here is a brief snippet from Mother Jones:

...Most of the cases Cruz argued before the Supreme Court shared a common theme—Texas' constitutional right to do as it pleases, free from Washington's meddling.

Of Cruz's eight oral arguments before the Supreme Court on behalf of Texas, five involved the death penalty, with Cruz arguing, at various points, that Texas should be allowed to execute the mentally ill, a Mexican national who hadn't been informed of his Vienna Convention right to speak to his consulate, and a man who raped his stepdaughter.....

There is another case Ted Cruz was involved in that will shock many people. The NY Times has the info:

....Mr. Cruz rarely mentions his earliest appearances before the Supreme Court, which do not make for great campaign material. During his first trip there, in 2003, he argued that Texas was free to back out of a legal settlement in which it had vowed to improve health care services for poor children. The justices ruled unanimously against Texas.... 

What kind of a cold-hearted person would argue against health services for poor kids? Ted Cruz.

Poor, Overpaid Politician

Things are soooooooooo tough for some Republicans members of the House of Representatives. They have a short work week, spend weekend hobnobbing with wealthy donors, and take long vacations recesses.  You just feel their pain.

Talking Points Memo:

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), who's running for Senate in Georgia, complained that while his staff can jump to K Street and make $500,000 a year by lobbying, he's "stuck" in Congress making a bare $172,000 a year.
The comments, relayed by congressional aides to National Review, came during a closed door meeting among Congressional Republicans on Obamacare....

...."Meanwhile I'm stuck here making $172,000 a year," he added.....

Poor Phil Gingrey is scraping by on a mere $172,000 per year!!!!!  Cry me a river!!!!  It is apparent that Gingrey needs to go to the private sector and get a real job.  The good people in Georgia need to send Gingrey out of Congress and out to the unemployment line.

Again

The news from Washington, DC is just awful.
WashingtonPost:

At least 13 people are dead and several others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, police said, spreading fear and chaos across the region as authorities sought to contain the panic....

....D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the mounting number of casualties in a series of news conferences. The suspected shooter, identified by the FBI as Aaron Alexis, 34, living in Fort Worth, is among the 13 dead. Alexis was a military contractor, one official said....

These mass shootings are horrible. People go to work on an ordinary day and they get killed. When will it stop?

Ohio GOP Fails at Math- Again

Let us never forget September 11th.

* Gov. John Kasich's administration and the Republican Party just want you to know that there is nothing wrong with the the fact that appointees and JobsOhio members are contributing massive funds to his re-election campaign. Instead, they want you to look at the smaller inappropriate contribution made to Democrat Ed Fitzgerald that has already been returned.

Dispatch:

Gov. John Kasich has received about $445,000 in campaign contributions from people he appointed to state boards and commissions in 2011, according to numbers provided by the Ohio Democratic Party.

Those figures, which were independently verified by The Dispatch, show that Kasich received contributions totaling $445,301 from 101 people who were among the hundreds he appointed during his first year in office, including more than $64,000 from JobsOhio board members.

The contributions are permitted by state law and are common for gubernatorial appointees for most administrations. The total dollar amount Kasich has received from his appointees is likely much higher — there have been hundreds more appointments made in Kasich’s second and third years as governor....

Let me see if I get this straight......  According to the Ohio GOP, $445,000 is smaller that the $1000 that Fitzgerald received (and has already returned).  We know Republicans have never been good at math except when they are on the receiving end of cash! We may need to have some second and third graders teach the Republicans this little math fact:  $445,000  >  $1000.

In the news....

* Indiana's right to work law has been declared unconstitutional, according to Raw Story.

* Business First has news about Ohio.
 Business First:

JobsOhio, A&F, slots, Groupon, glass, tax breaks for adult toys and more in Tuesday's top headlines:

• JobsOhio under fire: Likely Democratic nominee Ed FitzGerald continues to make a political case out of JobsOhio as he mounts his campaign to unseat Ohio Gov. John Kasich, telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer he'd work to bring more transparency to the privatized economic-development agency. He admits, though, that doing so would be difficult with a Republican-dominated legislature.
• Kasich squeamish?: If you thought any growing company could get tax credits from the state, you'd be wrong. As the Cincinnati Business Courier reports, "relationship enhancement product" company Pure Romance Inc.'s deal with JobsOhio for tax breaks was vetoed by the Kasich administration despite its pledge to add jobs. The CEO told the paper he's disappointed in Gov. John Kasich, whose spokesman didn't return calls for comment........
• Not-so-happy anniversary: In national news, it was five years ago this week that the economic downturn accelerated into the Great Recession with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.....

Kasich didn't want to give money to a company that would create jobs because it makes sex toys???? How interesting!!!!

>>>> Roll Call has a story that hints that John Kasich may be a candidate for President in 2016. Kasich would be just like the rest of the Republicans----anti- women, workers, police, firefighters, job safety, and of course, anti-public school.

Roll Call:

....As veteran political columnist Joe Hallett of The Columbus Dispatch noted in a late June column, it would be “bad form” for Kasich to acknowledge his interest in a national race even before Buckeye State voters had awarded him a second term.....

.....Insiders believe Kasich’s biggest change from his brief 2000 presidential run to a potential run in 2014 is money.
“He spends more time in the Cleveland media market than any place other than Columbus,” one longtime Ohio watcher said. “There are still plenty of votes and plenty of money up there. He has done a good job locking that money up. He finally has some serious people behind him financially.”

Kasich's poll numbers among women and minority voters are not good. We all know that Republicans represent mostly white males.

Jon Stewart

On CBS This Morning, the program ran a short clip about Jon Stewart's return to The Daily Show on Comedy Central. Charlie Rose and Gail King said that they were excited that Stewart had arrived back and indicated that they had stayed up late to watch the program. Norah O'Donnell said nothing  and instead went over to a station break. O'Donnell, it should be noted, is married to Dan Senor, former member of the Bush administration and adviser to Mitt Romney. I guess Republicans don't understand The Daily Show.

John Oliver did a super job over the summer filling in for Jon Stewart, but it was great to see Stewart back in his chair!  Welcome back, Jon Stewart!!!!