Did I read it correctly?

There is a new Pryce ad on TV and one part says that "up to 60,000 jobs could be created." Did anyone else see that? This is a hypothetical statement. She is not promising jobs. I can think of some other hypotheticals.....

...if the Ohio Republicans were doing their jobs, we'd have gotten the new auto manufacturing plant in Ohio.
...if the Ohio Republicans were doing their jobs instead of taking money from Tom Noe and Jack Abramoff, they'd be honest politicians.
...if Taft, Ney, Deborah Pryce had done their jobs, we'd already have new jobs and technology here in Ohio.
...if the Republicans spent more time reading, researching, and talking to real people instead of lobbyists, they'd know what is really on the minds of the American people.

Husted Hates Blogs

This is what we have to deal with in the state of Ohio (Dispatch):

Ohio House Speaker Jon A. Husted is no fan of political blogs.

"I believe they’re overrated in some respects," the Kettering Republican said during a taping Friday of ONN’s Capitol Square. "In high-profile campaigns, this is a way for people to use third parties to get bad information out about your opponent."

The fact that people are paying attention to the blogs, Husted said, "is undermining the campaign process in terms of trying to advance ideas."

"One of the things that is so frustrating when you’re running a campaign is when we get out there, we’re trying to decide who should lead our state, about the important issues of creating jobs and improving the future of this state — and we’re talking about whether or not Ted Strickland is gay on a blog." he said. "That is not helpful."

Apparently, Husted doesn't like free speech. His assertion that bloggers are members of third parties is wrong. Many bloggers are Democrats, Independents, or unhappy Republicans who are all appalled by the Republican culture of corruption in Ohio.

If people only knew how Husted has managed to get projects pushed through for his district, they'd be surprised. It might be that Husted is worried that an investigation might find out about the corruption in his own district.

How about this story about Husted (Enquirer):

...The Plain Dealer reported Friday that the top Republican in the House - Speaker Jon A. Husted - paid just $50 a night over the Memorial Day weekend to stay with his son in a $428,000 Florida Gulf Coast home with three Statehouse lobbyists.

In an interview with the Enquirer, Husted said he spent two days producing receipts and records. He said $50 was the fair market value....

When I've state in similar homes, the charge was between $200-350/night.

Husted pushes family values. However, is Husted an example of family values? Blogesque

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Arrogant and Ignorant

Watch out, folks! Deborah Pryce and the Republicans are spinning their lies so fast that you could use them to fan yourself:

*1. Pryce and the minimum wage.
Pryce voted against raising the minimum wage 7 times and now she is for it. Why? The Republicans have tied raising the minimum wage to more tax cuts. The Republican controlled House of Representatives is not only ethically-challenged but they are also way out of line on issues. Boston Globe:
House Republicans have pushed through a controversial bill linking a minimum-wage increase to a package of tax cuts, but Senate Democrats are strongly opposed to a provision that would cut estate taxes. The standoff could become an issue in the fall elections....

...Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, said Republican leaders knew that the tax provisions would surely be killed in the Senate. He accused them of giving their moderate members a chance to go on record in favor of boosting the minimum wage without having to deliver results.

Representative Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, called it ``the kind of cynical ploy that makes Americans lose faith in their government."

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, accused the Republicans of a ``political stunt" that insulted Americans, especially the 7 million who earn minimum wage...

``These are wonderful accomplishments: House Republicans showing results for the American people," said Representative Deborah Pryce, Republican of Ohio, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House. ``We didn't want to leave for August without accomplishing both of these."

*2. Pryce and the jobs she has brought to central Ohio:
Where are they? We are losing more jobs in Ohio. When you have your college educated relatives and friends unable to find jobs, you know that there are no jobs. Pryce's story that she has brought jobs to Ohio is a myth.

*3. Arrogant and Ignorant
Pryce and her Republican party members are arrogant and ignorant. They are arrogant because they continue to give tax cuts to the wealthy. Their fundraising events are only for the big shots with deep pockets. Pryce and the GOP have few chances to talk with regular people. Their ignorance about the plight of regular people is very evident. The GOP's cozy relationships with oil companies (Pryce has taken big money from energy PACs and special interest groups) has made them unable to understand the struggles of people dealing with rising gas and food prices.

*4. Contributions to Pryce show she is a puppet for big business, big oil, big pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, and financial institutions. She writes the bills that make them all happy. Check out the FEC Report and I promise you will be shocked at the money she receives. FEC Disclosure Report

Pryce Flip Flops on Minimum Wage Increase

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has voted against raising the minimum wage 7 times. Now, according to the Columbus Dispatch, Pryce is for it:

Making an abrupt reversal just months before crucial congressional elections, House Republicans last night were working on a package that would raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.....
...Rep. Deborah L. Pryce of Upper Arlington, the No. 4 House Republican who is facing a difficult race, said, "It's pretty obvious that we're going to try and do this before we leave...."

In summary, Pryce's position on raising the minimum wage-
1.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
2.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
3.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
4.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
5.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
6.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
7.VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

Now Pryce is for raising the minimum wage.

Pryce has officially flip-flopped on the minimum wage. Congratulations!!!!

What jobs????????

Here is a story that doesn't apply to Ohio: House Republican Conference Chairman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) hailed today’s announcement that the economy gained 121,000 jobs in June as another step forward for our thriving economy.
“Another month, another step forward for our economy,” Pryce said. “June marks the 34th straight month of job gains – that’s almost three straight years of job gains. Our economy is thriving: Republican policies of tax relief and decreased government regulation have created millions of jobs for Americans......." Blah! Blah! Blah!

I found that little tidbit at some Republican web page. I want to know how Deborah Pryce can say this stuff with a straight face. Where the hell are the jobs? In Texas? In Georgia? Where? They certainly are not in Ohio. The state of Ohio continues to be plagued by the Republican culture of corruption. The Ohio Republicans are so busy worrying if they are going to get indicted, they don't have time to bring jobs to Ohio. The tax structure in Ohio scares businesses away from Ohio. We can't even hold onto the jobs in this state. And Pryce talks about the jobs she has brought to Ohio?

To add insult to injury, gasoline prices continue to go up. Oil companies are seeing record profits. Drug companies are seeing big profits while the costs of prescriptions increase. The Republicans have made things awful. This administration sends Sec. of State Rice to try to have peace talks but none of the countries involved (Israel, Lebanon, Syria) participate in the conference. The war in Iraq, the inability to react in a timely manner to disasters (foreign and domestic), inept leadership, and the arrogance and ignorance of this administration and the Republican Party is just plain depressing. Keeping that in mind, how could anyone vote Republican?

They're Republicans but Keep It a Secret

According to The Hill, many Republicans running for re-election are not bragging about their party affiliation. They don't want to remind you that they are Republicans. Here is an excerpt from The Hill:

...Reynolds, a 30-year veteran of upstate New York politics and a former GOP minority leader in the state Assembly, is one of several House GOP leaders who do not mention their party affiliation on their campaign websites. In ads posted on their sites, Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) also do not state their Republican credentials.

Republican leaders have said they face a “headwind” in the sixth year of President Bush’s term because voters are frustrated by the war in Iraq and ever-rising gasoline prices. Because voters cannot direct their anger at Bush, many GOP congressional incumbents fear that voters might direct their frustration at them...

Seriously, do these Republicans think we're stupid? We know they are Republicans. We know their party has created the largest debt in our country's history. We know that this administration and the Republicans have been miserable failures. They don't want to be pictured with their Republican President. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Pryce Now Realizes that Port Security Important

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has now realized the importance of port security. On Friday, March 17, 2006, Deborah Pryce voted AGAINST PORT SECURITY.
Here is what I wrote then:

It is absolutely amazing! Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce VOTED AGAINST INCREASED PORT SECURITY. What was she thinking? Doesn't she care about our nation's security?

Yesterday, an amendment put forth by Rep. Sabo for increased port security, was defeated by a narrow margin (AYES 208 NOES 210). Pryce voted against the amendment! Why? Is she afraid to vote for any amendment written by a Democrat? A majority of the people in Ohio's 15th congressional district support increased port security, but Pryce would rather blindly follow Ney, Boehner, and DeLay. Why won't Pryce listen to her constituents? No matter what she says, there is no way for Pryce to justify her vote against this important amendment. The bottom line is--DEBORAH PRYCE VOTED AGAINST INCREASED PORT SECURITY.

*Here is what Pryce said today when new legislation was passed (Union Tribune):
Lawmakers wrote legislation that adds teeth and accountability to the panel that reviews and investigates investments that involve foreign governments or have an impact on critical U.S. infrastructure. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States includes representatives from several different agencies.

The measure updates the committee “for a post-9/11 world where national security and homeland security need to be considered much more strongly,” said Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio.

Does Pryce votes for port security measures when the legislation is written by Republicans? Does Pryce vote for port security only when an election is months away? Could this be called a flip flop? Was she against the legislation before she was for it?

Pryce Accused of Violating Campaign Law

This just in....
According to the Associated Press and reported by the Akron Beacon Journal.....
The Ohio Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint against Rep. Deborah Pryce's congressional campaign, claiming she violated the law by not verbally approving the message of her latest TV ad.

The complaint to the Federal Election Commission says the 30-second spot, running on cable channels in central Ohio, didn't contain the disclaimer when it ran on Fox News in Columbus on 5:18 Saturday evening.....

Also, from Time....
...Ohio, where three Republican incumbents are in real danger of losing, is having a very intense campaign is hardly surprising; the state’s close balance between the two parties meant it was overwhelmed with attention by both presidential campaigns in 2004...
...Ohio’s Bob Taft has a 78% disapproval rating, after pleading no contest to accepting free golf outings from a prominent Republican activist in the state last year....

The Republican activist the Time article refers to is actually Tom Noe, Mr. Coingate himself!

There is even more news about the Republicans from Redding:

...On a party-line vote, GOP members of the House Energy and Commerce committee approved a White House-backed measure that would essentially eliminate a state's right to ban pesticides without approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This is not a trivial issue, nor a theoretical one. EPA inaction has prompted several states to outlaw or sharply restrict pesticides and other industrial chemicals on their own. In Minnesota, for example, some state legislators want to phase out the herbicide atrazine, strongly implicated in frog deformities but, after a series of industry-friendly reviews, still blessed by EPA.

....Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Ohio, was happy to offer a series of amendments needed to bring U.S. laws into line with the treaty - and also, while he was at it, to throw in some irrelevant gifts to the chemical industry....

You remember Paul Gillmor? He is the Republican who says he is from Old Fort, Ohio, but he actually has a pricey house in Dublin, Ohio (must need to get more golf in these days). I have a suggestion for the good folks in Paul Gillmor's district (OH-5)----Go knock on the door of his "house" in Old Fort and ask for Rep. Gillmor and when he'll be there. Don't you think if a person represents a district, he/she should live there?????????

Like What You See?

The Bush administration and the Republican controlled Congress have given us a lot. Here is a list of the GOP accomplishments:

1. diplomacy failures.
2. armed service deaths in Iraq.
3. tens of thousands of American military wounded.
4. billions and billions of wasted dollars in Iraq.
5. worthless foreign policy conferences that only provide embarrassment.
6. FEMA's failures.
7. the continuing attempt to dismantle Social Security.
8. an unfunded mandate: No Child Left Behind Act.
9. a confusing Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for seniors.
10. loss of funding for stem cell research.
11. Republican ethics violations.
12. no oversight in spending, warrantless spying, and anything else this administration does.
13. Abramoff scandal.
14. loss of millions of jobs; loss of 200,000 jobs in Ohio.
15. higher gasoline prices.
16. a Sec. of Defense who berates military generals and refuses to follow their suggestions.
17. a Sec. of State who is more interested in shoes than diplomacy.
18. corruption at every level of government.
19. the failure of the government to react in a timely matter after the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
20. more tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

Who do we have to thank for all this?
Here

Pryce Selling Out Consumers

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is a co-sponsor of a bill that, according to the New Standard, would make it more difficult for consumers to protect their credit from identity thieves.

Here is more from the article:

...Backed by the lucrative financial-services industry, the Financial Data Protection Act of 2005 would narrow the circumstances in which consumers could restrict their credit activity to prevent fraudulent borrowing, and it would undermine stronger state-based reporting rules for companies that hold and sell consumer data....

...Companies that stand to gain from the legislation have spent a small fortune on campaign contributions and lobbying.

In the last two election cycles, finance and credit companies have donated more than $12.5 million to political campaigns, and in 2005 alone, the industry spent almost $30 million on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money’s influence on government.

Two of the Act’s four co-sponsors are on the industry’s top-ten recipient list for the House: Michael Castle (R–Delaware) took in a total of $116,616, and Dennis Moore (D–Kansas) got $67,729. Another co-sponsor, Deborah Pryce (R–Ohio), received $22,500 from the industry.

One of the most controversial provisions of the bill would make it much more difficult for consumers to "freeze" their credit, a process that enables consumers to make it nearly impossible for anyone – including the consumer him or herself – to open new credit cards without first going through extra security precautions...

I think this is called "checkbook legislation"---industries give a political contribution to get the legislation they want. Looks like the Pryce has gotten paid nicely by her friends in the finance and credit card companies. Now we get screwed.

Monday Morning Stuff

>The Ohio State Football Buckeyes are getting ready for the season with some new and improved facilities. The Dispatch has the story.

>The Washington Post is verifying that Republican Sen. Mike Dewine is in a tough election this year. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Are Ohio voters fed up with Mike DeWine's ethics problems? If so, it might not seem fair. After three decades in political life, Ohio's Republican senior senator has not been accused of any improprieties.

Nonetheless, DeWine is in a tough fight for a third term, and his race against Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown
is one that will test the potency of the corruption issue. National and state scandals have tarred members of Congress and even the governor, and Ohio is among the places where Republicans are most vulnerable to the charge that they are an entrenched party that has lost its ethical compass.....

>The Washington Post also has an article about some of the hot races in the House. Here is an excerpt:

In Ohio's 15th District, Rep. Deborah Pryce, a member of the House GOP leadership, is trying to keep her race from being about anything but the president...

New Poll: Strickland and Brown Ahead

I'm betting that there are some very nervous Republicans in the state of Ohio this morning. The Columbus Dispatch has the results of a new poll that shows both Democratic Party candidates, Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown, well ahead of their Republican opponents. Although I remain cautiously optimistic about this poll, it is important to know that the election isn't over until Blackwell counts the votes.

Here are the results of the poll from the Dispatch for Ohio Governor and the U.S. Senate. For the breakdown of the poll, check the Dispatch.

Pryce: Term Limits Are "Beneficial" & "Essential"

Here is a transcript from February 12, 1997, PBS's News Hour. The topic was term limits and here is what Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce had to say:

REP. DEBORAH PRYCE, (R) Ohio: I remain convinced that limits are not only beneficial; they are essential to making Congress more effective, productive, and accountable. The Congress was meant to be a citizen legislature. The founding fathers and those that followed after them were laymen, not career politicians. And just think of the many benefits that would come from term limits: a regular influx of new ideas, fresh, motivated members, a Congress close to the people and issues facing them out there in the real world, a greater emphasis on merit, rather than seniority, and a better chance to guard against legislative gridlock.

Isn't that what we have now---legislative gridlock, old ideas, and a do-nothing Republican congress?

Pryce has an excellent reason to vote for someone new, fresh, and motivated. That new, fresh, and motivated person is Mary Jo Kilroy.

No jobs but plenty of flip flops

Making Nice for the Far Right:
The Republican Congress continues to work on legislation that will not bring us jobs to Ohio. Besides supporting the flag, Rep. Pryce and her Republican Party are voting to keep "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Although these votes are more of affirmations, they DON'T BRING JOBS TO OHIO. Pryce and her Republican Party just continue to appease the extreme far right. Where the hell are the jobs?????

By the way, did you know that Deborah Pryce has voted against raising the minimum wage 7 times!!!!!! Kilroy for Congress has the details.

Flip-Flop!
Ohio Republican Sen. Voinovich now supports John Bolton's appointment to the United Nations. Voinovich, who was against Bolton's first nomination, wants Bolton confirmed, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Bush Approval Rating in Ohio

The SurveyUSA has posted the results of the latest poll on President Bush's approval rating:
Bush has a 33% approval rating in Ohio. The breakdown of the results shows that in central Ohio, Bush has an approval rating of only 39%. This is good news for Democrats and Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy. Since Republican Pryce is so closely aligned with the policies of the Bush administration, it may indicate that central Ohioans are ready to vote for the Democrats.

Groups United to Oust Pryce

According to The Hill, many Democratic-leaning groups are working in the 15th congressional districts to oust Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce. Here is an excerpt from the article:

As many as 24 Democratic-allied outside interest groups have launched attacks or waged other political activity in 82 congressional districts represented by House Republicans, according to data compiled the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

The breadth of this mobilization against House Republican candidates appears to surpass by far any similar effort being waged against Democratic House candidates or Senate candidates.....

....A spokesman for House GOP Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce’s reelection campaign said, Americans United, Working America, American Family Voices, Campaign for a Cleaner Congress and the Campaign for America’s Future have been active in the congresswoman’s Ohio district....

Great! We need all the help we can get to oust Pryce and her right wing agenda.

The "Do-Nothing" Republican Congress

Warning! The Republican-controlled Congress is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. They want you to believe that they've accomplished something since they took over the majority. They are trying to re-write history. Here is what Republican Rep. Pryce said that the GOP Congress has done (Fox News):
"To secure America’s future, we’ve passed legislation to promote energy independence, keep criminals and pedophiles out of our schools, give relief from the double and triple taxation known as the death tax, fund the War on Terror, support our troops, and eliminate waste and abuse in government spending," Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, said in an "Independence Day District Work Period Kit" handed out to GOP incumbents for use at meetings with constituents over the July Fourth recess.

Pryce and her Republican pals are just trying to create the illusion that they've done something. The only thing they have accomplished is to help lobbying firms get their pet projects passed in the Congress.

Let us examine what the Republican Congress has not done.
1. The GOP has not provided oversight in government contracts.
2. The GOP has not provided oversight of the NSA wiretapping of American citizens.
3. The GOP has not asked for a plan for Iraq.
4. The GOP has not come up with immigration reform.
5. The GOP has refused to hold hearings to investigate Republican Reps. DeLay and Cunningham and their ethics violations.
6. The GOP has not created tough ethics reform for members of Congress.
7. The GOP has not worked to lower gas prices. Instead, they've provided more tax breaks for oil companies.
8. The GOP has not pushed for a raise in the minimum wage.
9. The GOP has failed to follow up on pre-9/11 intelligence investigations.
10. Republican DeWine has voted against first-responders time and time again.
11. Pryce has not brought jobs to her district.
12. The Republicans have provided the rubber stamp for this administration's far right wing, pro-corporation, anti-worker, anti-senior citizen agenda.
13. The Republicans and Pryce have voted against increased port security.
14. Pryce has refused to support medical care for our vets:

• Rep. Pryce opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage.
• Rep. Pryce voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces.

How much more do you need to stop the GOP failures?

DeWine- 'Out of Touch'

>>>At the Huffington Post, David Sirota, writes about Mike DeWine. Here are a few excerpts:

....Brown running against the out-of-touch, lobbyist-in-politician's clothing - Sen. Mike DeWine (R). The Cleveland Plain Dealer recently documented how DeWine has racked up a record as one of Corporate America's most obedient puppets on Capitol Hill. On all sorts of issues, DeWine has pocketed tens of thousands of dollars from Big Money and then gone down to the Senate floor to sell out his constituents - all while claiming with a straight face that the huge wads of special interest cash hanging out of his pocket have nothing to do with his votes.

Trade is no exception for DeWine. For example, he's running around Ohio telling people that NAFTA has been a "big success from Ohio's point-of-view." He's making this claim in a state that has lost hundreds of thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs since NAFTA passed. In fact, he's saying this less than two years after studies were released showing Ohio has lost at least 45,000 jobs specifically because of NAFTA alone. But that's Mike DeWine - a guy so totally out of touch he thinks its a good campaign strategy to insult voters intelligence with lobbyist-packaged dishonesty.

Make no mistake about it - DeWine's defense of America's sellout trade policy will be backed up by his Big Money donors, media pundits and editorial boards. And Sherrod Brown will likely be the target of more hit pieces like this Associated Press story. Why? Because Sherrod Brown is a threat to the Establishment that is making a killing off the status quo. That makes him a target - but it also shows why his candidacy is so important.

Sherrod Brown is a guy who has made his career standing up to the corrupt forces in both parties, even when it means a political risk for him personally. He's a guy running in the biggest Senate race in the country in the most politically important state in America, and running openly as an unabashed progressive populist who is willing to go up against Big Money interests even on an issue like trade, where these interests are unified. He's not hiding from the word "progressive" by pretending to be Republican lite. In fact, he's doing the exact opposite. As he told the Washington Post, he's going to "show a progressive Democrat can win in a state like Ohio."

We need more Democrats like this - because in their courage, they speak to the deeper issue of character and conviction. They define themselves as actually standing for something, even when it might be politically difficult. If Democrats had more Sherrod Browns, we would have more winning campaigns, and more winning legislative fights that would change this country for the better.

>>>The Republicans have really ruined Ohio. The Akron Beacon Journal has an article about Ohio's problems:

...In the last five years, Ohio's population grew less than 1 percent. Each year, 31,000 more moved out of the state than moved in.

But why are they fleeing? The economy is sputtering. Household income isn't keeping up with other states. And the overall tax burden has skyrocketed to one of the highest in the country....

• Ohio's median household income in 2004 was $42,240, ranking the state 25th. Ohioans earned nearly the same amount as they did in 1989 and lost ground since 1999 when inflation is factored in.

• The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Ohio's real gross state product -- the measure of the total value of goods and services produced -- grew just 1 percent between 2004 and 2005, ranking the state 47th in growth. Despite that meager rate, Ohio continues to be an important part of the U.S. economy, ranking sixth in the nation for gross state product.

• Ohio's unemployment lost pace with the rest of the country. While the national unemployment rate for 2005 was 5.1 percent, Ohio's was worse, at 5.9 percent. The state's unemployment ranking dropped from 22nd in 2001 to 43rd last year.

• Fewer jobs are available in Ohio than there were in 2000. The number of people working in the state dropped by more than 150,000 between 2000 and September 2005, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor's Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

More than 210,000 -- one in five -- manufacturing jobs were lost during that time....

For the rest of the depressing life style that the Ohio GOP has given us, read the rest of the article HERE.

If Ohioans want to move forward, we've got to vote for change.

Change the Direction

From the good people at Teambio

Pryce + GOP: Against Minimum Raise Hike

Why is it okay for Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce and her Republican Party to vote for their own pay raises yet continue to block minimum wage increases? Does Pryce hate the working poor? Are Republicans only out for filling their own pockets with money? Why has the Republican Party opposed minimum wage hikes time and time again? While the Republican-controlled Congress has voted for their own $31,000 pay increase over the last nine years, they have not pushed for an increase in the minimum raise. I find this morally wrong.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Democrats will be pushing for an increase in the minimum raise if they win control of Congress. This is reason #459 to vote for Democratic candidates in the next election.

The AFL-CIO has a report card on elected officials called Who's on Our Side? The AFL-CIO works for all Ohioans and all Americans to improve wages and working conditions. (The Republicans, on the other hand, work to stop wage increases and improved safety conditions.) Here is Pryce's 'report card' from the AFL-CIO: (click on 15th district-Pryce)--

PRYCE ON JOBS AND WAGES:
• Supported a trade agreement that will send jobs overseas and worsen conditions for workers [CAFTA, Vote #443, 7/28/05]• Blocked a vote to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour [Vote #365, 7/12/05]
• Refused to support the reinstatement of Davis-Bacon community wage standards for workers on federal construction projects in states affected by Hurricane Katrina, which President Bush suspended [HR 3763]
• Supported giving Wal-Mart a sweetheart deal—after it violated child labor laws—that would weaken wage and hour protections [Vote #318, 6/24/05]
• Refused to support a bill that provides protections for workers to form unions [Employee Free Choice Act, HR 1696]

PRYCE ON RETIREMENT SECURITY:
• Opposed protecting pension benefits for more than 120,000 United Airlines workers [Vote #309, 6/24/05]

PRYCE ON HEALTH CARE:
• Supported slashing funds for Medicaid, which provides low-income families, children and seniors with health care [Vote #601, 11/18/05]• Supported a health care plan that would strip away critical consumer protections and raise premiums for the majority of small business employees [Vote #426, 7/26/05]

PRYCE ON TAX FAIRNESS:
• Supported a budget that uses the Social Security trust fund surplus to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans [Vote #149, 4/28/05]• Voted for $56 billion in tax cuts mostly for wealthy investors—even though the House earlier voted to cut $50 billion from Medicaid, food stamps and student loans [Vote #621, 12/8/05]

PRYCE ON EDUCATION:
• Supported cutting $14.3 billion from federal student financial aid programs that help middle-class families afford to send students to college [Vote #601, 11/18/05]• Supported cutting $784 million in funding for America’s public schools [Vote #598, 11/17/05]

Politics As Usual in Ohio

Ohio Sec. of State Ken Blackwell has done it again: He has managed to put party politics ahead of the good of the state. We are not surprised.
Columbus Dispatch:
A former Republican primary challenger can’t run against U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce as an independent candidate this fall, Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell ruled yesterday....
...Blackwell’s ruling runs counter to one that he benefited from in 1984 when he was a candidate for Congress. He filed that year to run as a Republican, even though he voted as a Democrat in the 1980 primary election....
...The ruling late yesterday from Blackwell, the Republican nominee for governor in the Nov. 7 election, immediately brought accusations of partisanship from Morrison and Democrats.
"It’s a shame that democracy was denied to Charles Morrison by Ken Blackwell and the Republican Party," Kilroy said in a written statement...

Also in Ohio politics..... Republican Sen. DeWine has unleashed 9/11 pictures in his campaign ads. DeWine, who is behind in polls, is trying to use a campaign tactic promoted by Karl Rove. Ohioans are not as stupid as DeWine thinks. Ohioans know that DeWine and the Republican Party have ruined stripped Ohio of ethics, jobs, and a future. We know DeWine and the Republicans are responsible for the mess in our state and our country.

Meanwhile, from the Plain Dealer---
Raising lots of money has helped two-term U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine win elections. But in Ohio's poisonous political climate this year, it could also put him on the defensive -- or so hopes Sherrod Brown, the Democratic congressman challenging DeWine's re-election.

Brown's campaign spent part of last week promoting the idea that DeWine has engaged in "pay to play," taking more than $1 million in donations from corporate interests and supporting their agenda in bills dealing with energy, prescription drugs and trade....

Those Republicans certainly love that special interest money!

Pryce May Have Money, But Does She Have Voters?

Today's Columbus Dispatch has an article that reports the Ohio Republicans are still bringing in the dough to their campaigns. However, as I've written before, the money that goes to these Republicans does not necessarily come from individual voters from the district.

Mary Jo Kilroy, Democratic candidate for the Ohio's 15th congressional district is a fundraising magnet. Here is an excerpt from that same Dispatch article:

...Kilroy raised more than $571,000, a big jump from the first three months of the year when she received $318,000. The surge in contributions, aided by such developments as an endorsement from the Democratic women’s fundraising group Emily’s List, left Kilroy with nearly $776,000 on hand as of June 30.

Kilroy "now is a fundraising force to be reckoned with," said Amanda Wurst, her spokeswoman...

Could it be that women voters are looking to Kilroy for leadership? Why is Kilroy grabbing the attention of voters in the 15th district?

It is a simple answer. Kilroy, as a Franklin County Commissioner, knows how to respond to the needs of citizens. Pryce, on the other hand, is a party-liner who often forgets her constituents in favor of supporting the GOP and her President.

The Akron Beacon Journal also has an article that mentions the Kilroy vs. Pryce campaign:

...This is uncharted territory for Pryce, whose closest election in more than a decade was a 20-point victory in 2004 against a candidate who never filed a campaign finance report because he didn't raise the $5,000 minimum.

"These numbers indicate that Democratic donors are seeing great opportunities in Ohio this year," said Alexander Lamis, a political science professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland...

I think that people in OH-15 just are fed up with the direction that Pryce and her party have taken us and want change.

Cook Report: Pryce "in trouble"

This morning Bloomberg.com has an article concerning the problems surrounding Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's campaign for re-election. Pryce is viewed by many as a big 'party-line' supporter. Here are some quotes from the article:

Pryce is ``in trouble,'' said Amy Walter, who analyzes House contests for the Cook report. ``It's going to be a close, competitive race.'' ...This time out, her Democratic opponent, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, is making an issue of Pryce's leadership role. The incumbent's support for Bush's policies, including oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and spending cuts in some domestic programs, are key issues for voters this fall, Kilroy said in an interview. ``As a leader in Congress, she's been responsible for moving much of that agenda through, so it certainly makes her more vulnerable,'' Kilroy said....

And as one voter in Ohio's 15th congressional district said in the article----``I don't think she votes in Ohio's best interests.''

How true! Those of us who live in the 15th district have not seen Pryce support issues that are 'in Ohio's best interests.'

If Pryce and the Republicans retain the majority, President Bush and the Republican Party plan to work on Social Security 'reform.' The Republicans call it 'reform.' However, many people worry about the GOP plans to dismantle and destroy Social Security. Pryce has let it be known that she supports Social Security reform. If she wins re-election, will Pryce and the Republicans destroy Social Security? Do you want to vote for her and gamble on it? I don't.

Why are Pryce and the Republicans against voting rights?

The Republicans in Congress have halted the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Those of us who lived through the Civil Rights Movement are shocked that any political party would deny Americans the right to vote even in the 21st century. However, the right wing Republicans are apparently trying to turn back the clock so that people who are not their supporters will not vote for Democrats.

This whole movement in the Republican Party is frightening. Will we be seeing more people questioned about their ability to vote? We've already had interference in Ohio with voting. If the Republicans maintain power, will they strip more people of their right to vote? Why are Republicans against voting rights?

The Orlando Sentinel has an an opinion about why we should be concerned about this latest ploy by the Republican Congress. Here are some excerpts:

.....Congress has failed to renew key parts of the Voting Rights Act. They've had time to vote on flag burning and gay marriage, mind you, but not on this.

Here we Americans are preaching about, and dying for, democracy in Iraq and other foreign lands. But we have shown ourselves to be hanging-chad-challenged when it comes to carrying out elections. Think Florida. Think Ohio. Think Georgia, the state of my birth, where new rules requiring state-issued photo identification are expected to make it harder for rural, elderly and minority people to vote....

..."It is unfortunate and disappointing that we have encountered a setback in the passage of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization," said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., in a statement, adding, "Georgia is the last place that should seek to relieve itself from the commitment to fully empowered, equal participation that democracy implies."

Lewis should know. This is a man who nearly lost his life fighting for the right to vote in Georgia and throughout the South. He was beaten in Alabama during a March 1965 demonstration that was designed to force that state to permit blacks to vote without having to jump such hurdles as being able to recite segments of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution....

..."The evidence shows that voting discrimination in America is not dead, and the Voting Rights Act must retain its original power in order to assure that democracy prevails in every hill and valley, every city and suburb, on every fertile farm and every desert plain in America," Lewis says....

Where does Deborah Pryce stand in all this? Pryce is a Republican leader and is responsible for this hold up of the Voting Rights Act. Why are Pryce and the Republicans against the Voting Rights Act? Why are they against your right to vote? Isn't it time that Pryce and the GOP stop denying us our rights?

More Layoffs in Ohio

The Republicans and Deborah Pryce are doing such a horrible job with the economy in Ohio. Now there have been more layoffs announced in the state. Can't these Republicans get anything right? They've been in power in Ohio for umpteen years and they only things they can attract to the state are more unemployment and corruption. Here are some of the more recent WARN Notices announced by the state Jobs and Family Services:
date rec'd.................company........................................................................location......# affected.......layoff date

7/6/2006	Veolia Transportation	Columbus	82	7/31/2006
7/6/2006	QualChoice	Cleveland	268	9/1/2006
7/6/2006	NuTone, Inc	Cinicnnat	414	8/30/2006
6/26/2006	Sears, Roebuck and Company	Columbus	122	8/25/2006
6/26/2006	E and L Transport Company; a.k.a. PTS, Performance Transportation Services	Fostoria	69	7/16/2006
6/23/2006	Fluor Fernald	Cincinnati	528	8/17/2006
6/16/2006	Plastech	Andover	182	8/13/2006
6/6/2006	Kmart Corporation	Toledo	57	8/11/2006
6/6/2006	Ottawa Rubber Company	Bradner	71	6/29/2006
5/3/2006	General Motors - Lordstown Complex	Lordstown	770	6/30/200
5/25/2006	Engineered Plastic Products, Inc.	Lima	179	7/1/2006
5/22/2006	Caraustar	Mentor	106	7/16/2006
5/22/2006	Mead Westvaco Corporation	Dayton	300	8/1/2006
5/22/2006	Mead Westvaco Corporation	Miamisburg	140	8/1/2006
5/12/2006	Comprehensive Logistics	Austintown	113	7/15/2006
5/8/2006	Maverick Tube, a.k.a. Republic Conduit	Elyria	62	Between 7/8/06 and 7/22/06
5/5/2006	PMC Specialties Group, Inc.	Cincinnati	103	7/3/2006

Pryce In the News

*There is a new site dedicated to exposing Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce and her support for the war in Iraq. Take a look at PryceWar.Org and you will see exactly how Pryce feels about the war, her president, and even Abu Ghraib.

*From the Open Secrets, we have these numbers:
Total Raised and Spent (Ohio's 15th District)
*Deborah Pryce (R)
PAC's 63%
Individuals 36%

*Mary Jo Kilroy (D)
PAC's 25%
Individuals 75%

The good news is that in the coming election, only individuals can vote. As you can see, Pryce gets more of her money from special interests and big corporation PAC's. Kilroy, on the other hand has a larger percentage of political contributions from people.

*Everybody is talking about Ohio's politics. The Washington Post had an article about the Ohio Republicans who are being closely monitored by Democrats and Pryce's name was included:

For much of the last year, Democrats have been touting Ohio as a key state in their hopes of winning back majorities in the House and Senate. The Buckeye State is seen as a strong playing field for Democrats in part because of ethics problems surrounding the GOP governor, Robert Taft. With Taft's problems hurting his party overall, Democrats are heavily targeting several prominent GOP incumbents, including Sen. Mike DeWine and Reps. Steve Chabot, Deborah Pryce and Bob Ney....

Hamilton County GOP: Stealing from Children, Families, and the Unemployed?

A story in the Columbus Dispatch is just another example of Republican corruption in Ohio. Here are some excerpts:

A possible state bailout of a Hamilton County agency serving children and the poor for misspending nearly $1 billion could become a major issue in Ohio’s November elections.

Democrats pounced yesterday after a Dispatch story revealed that the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services allegedly misused funds for a three year period ending in 2004, calling it the latest example of mismanagement by the state’s all-Republican government.

"The bottom line is that we wake up to more news about the way Republicans have mismanaged government over the last 15 years, and as much as you shake your head and wonder when it’s going to change, it never does," said Brian Rothenberg, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party.

He and other Democrats accused state Auditor Betty D. Montgomery, the Republican nominee for attorney general, of being asleep at the wheel, questioning why it took her office so long to uncover the misspending, allowing it to continue for three years.

"The job of the state auditor is not just to find things after they happen, but to prevent them from happening," said state Sen. Marc Dann, of the Warren area and the Democratic nominee for attorney general....

It appears that the Ohio GOP and their elected party members have just corrupted everything they touch. The Ohio Republicans have had the reverse "Midas Touch"-----everything they control they destroy only to gain money and power for their own benefit. This is really just plain sick and unethical because, according to the article above, "...the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services allegedly misused funds for a three year period ending in 2004..."

Q: Is there a limit to Ohio Republican corruption?
A: Apparently, not, if you are allegedly misusing funds designated for children, families, and the unemployed.

More Problems for Taft?

Ohio Republican Gov. Bob Taft may have more problems ahead if he is issued a public reprimand. Here is an excerpt from the Chronicle:

Gov. Bob Taft faces a public reprimand for ethics violations under an agreement his attorney has reached with the state office that monitors lawyers’ behavior.
Taft, a Republican who has been an attorney since 1976, pleaded no contest last August to failing to report golf outings and other gifts while in office and was fined $4,000.
The Supreme Court’s disciplinary counsel, Jonathan Coughlan, filed a complaint this April saying Taft’s actions violated Ohio’s code of professional conduct for lawyers.
“I admit the violation ... as outlined in this agreement,” Taft wrote in an affidavit attached to a copy of the deal obtained Friday by The (Toledo) Blade.
The agreement faces approval by a disciplinary board and the Ohio Supreme Court.....

Taft and his Republican Party have been running this state into the toilet. How much more will Ohioans take before they throw these guys out of office?

DeWine: Dreaming

The Tribune-Chronicle has this little fable about Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine:

Republican Sen. Mike DeWine says he’s the candidate who has done something to combat gas prices and bring jobs to Ohio.....

"...I got a president to impose steel quotas that saved the steel industry,’’ DeWine said....

Where the hell are the jobs that DeWine has brought to Ohio? Ohio has lost nearly 200,000 jobs since Bush became president. DeWine is combating gas prices????? If he is combating gas prices, why are gas prices at $3/gal. down the street?

Obviously, DeWine must not be dealing with the same reality that the people of Ohio deal with on a daily basis. Someone needs to tell DeWine to wake up and smell the coffee!

.....In the latest Survey USA 50 state poll, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft has a special distinction! He has the lowest approval rating of all the governors:
He has an 18% approval rating. Wow!.

Gas Prices Soar

As I drove by my local gas station this afternoon, I noticed that gas had gone to $3.05/gal. With the Republicans controlling the House, the Senate, and the White House, you wonder why they refuse to do anything about gas prices. The American people are hurting. Businesses are feeling the results of the higher gas prices with a reduction of customers. What is the response of the Republicans? Here it is:___________ Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The GOP likes the money flowing into their campaign war chests and they are not going to do anything to anger their good pals from oil/energy companies and PACs.

If you are interested in gas prices, check Gas Buddy. According to Open Secrets, 83% of money contributed by oil and gas PACs have gone to Republicans. Only 17% went to Democrats. This explains why Republicans aren't interested in punishing their fat cat friends in the oil and gas corporations.

Pryce's Record

On Monday, July 3rd, the Columbus Dispatch printed a Letter to the Editor that was critical of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's record on military veterans. Here is part of that letter:

..Pryce voted against expanding the military’s Tricare health insurance to cover all Reservists and National Guard members....
....voted against a $30 million increase for veterans’ health care that would have provided more funding for combat-related trauma care to support wounded troops when they return home. Pryce voted against additional military health-care benefits. She voted against providing job-training assistance to troops returning from overseas....

I cannot recall another time when the Dispatch published a letter that was critical of Pryce. There are a few possibilities as to why they may have published the letter on July 3rd ---(a.) it was the day before a holiday and readership would be down, (b.) they've received many letters critical of Pryce's real record on vets, (c.) the Dispatch, known as conservative and pro-GOP, wants to appear objective. It really doesn't matter why the Dispatch decided to run the letter because it is important that the truth gets out. Pryce says she supports our troops and our vets but her voting record does not support her rhetoric.

The Dispatch has a story today about the homeless Iraq war vets in our nation. Here is an excerpt:

...Across America on any given evening, hundreds of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are homeless, the government estimates.

The reasons are many. For some, residual stress from daily insurgent attacks and roadside bombs makes it tough to adjust to civilian life; some can’t navigate government assistance programs; others simply can’t afford a house or apartment....

...There are about 200,000 homeless veterans in the United States, according to government figures. About 10 percent are from either the 1991 Gulf War or the current one, and about 40 percent are When I Came Home, which was named best New York-made documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival this year....

This is very sad. Why does this administration want our young men and women to go to war but then abandon them when they return?

More Reasons to Thank Republicans

>Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, will cut 750 civilian jobs. WDTN-TV has the story.

>It appears that the next voting problems could appear in Ohio in November. This time the problems could be caused by some of the ruling of current Ohio Sec. of State, Kenneth Blackwell, who is also a Republican candidate. Here is an excerpt from the CBS report:

...Ohio was, of course, ground zero of the 2004 presidential election, and now it's the battleground of one of the most hotly contested governor's races in the country. The Republican candidate this November is none other than Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio's Secretary of State, a man vilified by voting rights activists for a string of baffling and, to all appearances, nakedly partisan rulings in the 2004 presidential race, when he also doubled as co-chair of George Bush's state re-election campaign. Now he's at it again — issuing draconian guidelines on voter registration that carry the threat of felony prosecutions against grassroots get-out-the-vote groups, especially in Democratic-leaning urban areas, for even the slightest procedural irregularity. Despite denials from Blackwell's office of any malicious political intent, the guidelines have had an immediate chilling effect on groups like the activist community organization ACORN, which has suspended registration efforts pending urgent consultations with its lawyers. Several leading Democrats have urged Blackwell to step aside from all election-supervising responsibilities, a proposal his staff has greeted with near-derision.

It would be bad enough if Blackwell were acting merely to benefit his party, as he did in 2004. But in this case he's taking advantage of his office to act on behalf of his own ambitions. Unless something changes between now and November, he will remain in charge of counting the votes — his own and everyone else's. In a pivotal election in a pivotal state, this is far from reassuring. As Peg Rosenfield, an elections specialist with the League of Women Voters of Ohio who spent twelve years working in the secretary of state's office in the pre-Blackwell era, put it, "If you think '04 was a mess, just wait. I anticipate a debacle..."

These Republicans sure know how to make a mess of things!

Pryce and GOP Can't Solve Energy Problems

The vote for off shore drilling that passed the Republican-controlled Congress is a clear indication of how the Republicans view problems. Republican Deborah Pryce (OH-15) and her Republican Party believe that it is fine to destroy our beaches, marine life, and the ocean in order to help their big oil contributions drill for oil. According to HR 4761 ( Title: To provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.), the Republicans passed a bill to allow drilling off the coast. This allows those Republican-friendly oil companies a free admission to our entire coastlines. Rep. Pryce voted in favor of the bill.

What is so wrong with this type of legislation?
1. It gives the oil companies the right to drill anywhere on the coast.
2. It does not put any pressure on the American automakers to produce more energy efficient cars. (FYI: Europe is far ahead in creating cars that use less gasoline and are better for the environment.)
3. This legislation rewards Republican donors. Deborah Pryce and the Republican Party are the major benefactors from the oil company contributors and their PACs.
4. This legislation will cause pollution of our waterways, destruction of animal life, and destruction of our beaches.

This bill, just like the other Republican plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, shows that Republicans are more interested in catering to the needs of their campaign contributors rather than helping their constituents.