From "IS" to "WAS"

I've been thinking about that story from CQ Politics, and so I went back to check the link. Since I first referred to the post at CQ, the original text has been altered/edited/changed. The CQ Politics article now reads.....

....Stivers, who was a registered lobbyist......

When I wrote about it in this same blog (see below) on May 27th, the text read-----

.......Stivers, who is a registered lobbyist....

I think we'd all like to know if the "....is a lobbyist..." was changed to "....was a lobbyist..." because Stivers and the Republicans made the author change the text. I'd like to suggest that the Ohio Democratic Party check into the exact status of Stivers lobbyist designation. How does one un-register their position as a lobbyist? Does he still work for any companies/institutions as a lobbyist when the Ohio Senate is not in session? When did he cease to be a lobbyist?

Early Poll

Here is an interesting tidbit from Roll Call:

In the highly competitive race to replace retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D) had a double-digit lead over her opponent, state Sen. Steve Stivers (R), according to a poll released by Kilroy’s campaign on Thursday.....

What? You mean that people in Ohio's 15th district aren't interested in voting for a registered bank lobbyist like Steve Stivers?????? I'm shocked! Just shocked!!!!!

Swing State Project has the numbers from the poll that was done by Benenson Strategy Group:

Benenson Strategy Group for Mary Jo Kilroy (5/20-22, likely voters):
Mary Jo Kilroy (D): 47
Steve Stivers (R): 37
(MoE: +/-4.3%)

Both Swing State Project and Politico have more about the poll and the candidates in Ohio's 15th congressional district.

Remember that this is an early poll. We must be cautiously optimistic that Kilroy can beat Stivers. However, we must continue to work hard for her election.

Courage

I'd like to thank Scott McClellan for his courage in finally speaking the truth about what went on in Bush's White House. I found this quote by Theodore H. White (Wisdom Quotes):

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of most of the people you see every day,
is probably the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.

We should all thank Scott McClellan for his honesty and courage, especially now with the smearing going on from this administration.

Ohio Political News

> Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has named Nancy Hardin Rogers, dean of Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, to be the interim Attorney General until there is a special election in November.

>The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting about another Ohio Republican scandal. Here is an excerpt:
State Rep. John Widowfield, R-Cuyahoga Falls, abruptly resigned his legislative seat Wednesday amid allegations he purchased Ohio State University football tickets with campaign funds and sold them for a profit.

In a brief letter to House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, Widowfield said he was resigning effective 1 p.m. Wednesday....

Did Widowfield think no one would notice that he was scalping football tickets?????

> Bloomberg has an interesting article this morning about Republican Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1). Here is an excerpt:

In 2006, Ohio Republican Representative Steve Chabot barely survived the electoral drag of the Iraq War, congressional scandals and an unpopular president. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy this year may deliver a knockout blow.

More than a quarter of the voters in Chabot's Cincinnati district are black, the highest concentration for any incumbent House Republican in a competitive race this fall. Obama's likely spot at the top of the Democratic ticket may fuel a surge in turnout among black voters that could help the party pick up a half-dozen new House seats.....

Chabot has had President Bush visit his district for fundraisers. Chabot has voted against SCHIP and has strongly supported all of President Bush's policies for the Iraq War. However, Chabot's most controversial vote was that AGAINST the New G.I. Bill. Does Chabot hate the veterans? Why would he vote against helping these young men and women who have suffered so much physically and mentally in Bush's wars? Shame on Chabot!

15th District Still Rated Toss-Up, But......

CQ Politics has an interesting article about Ohio's 15th congressional district. According to the writer, neither Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy nor Republican Steve Stivers have a clear advantage. I disagree and here are my reasons why:
(1) People in Ohio's 15th district have moved a little more to the left. Just drive around the district, and you'll see that Democratic candidate signs far outnumber those for Republicans.
(2) The UAPA (Upper Arlington Progressive Action) members are active and increasing in numbers.
(3) More human beings have donated to Kilroy than Stivers.
(4) Stivers is still a registered lobbyist. Here is an excerpt out of the piece at CQ Politics:

....Stivers, who is a registered lobbyist, initially denied that he served in a lobbying capacity for Bank One, a major Columbus-based company, but has since changed his tone. “I did work for Bank One and I advocated for jobs and economic development,” Stivers said. “So if that makes me a lobbyist, then I’m a lobbyist. And if that makes me a janitor, then I’m a janitor.”

Note: What is the meaning of "is" in this paragraph? Stivers IS a registered lobbyist. It doesn't say he was. Stivers said he "...advocated jobs and economic development..." but in reality he pushed for legislation that would protect banks and lenders from regulation. As a paid lobbyist for Bank One he worked for the bank and their stockholders NOT the general public.

(5) Pryce was very popular in the district. There were many Democrats and Independents who voted for her but those same people will not vote for Stivers ".....who is a registered lobbyist..."
(6) Stivers was originally against limiting interest rates for payday lenders. However, he flipped and voted for the bill that limits payday lenders to a ceiling interest rate of 28%.

Are you paying attention????

An opinion piece in The Nation specifically shows how Republican presidential candidate, John McCain has not supported vets. The title of the piece, McCain Sells Out Vets, is available online. Here are some excerpts:

....During a March 2005 Senate budget debate, McCain voted to kill an amendment that would have "increase[d] veterans medical care by $2.8 billion in 2006." That amendment lacked an assured funding stream, but lest one mistake this incident for a maverick's stance against budget-busting, there's more. Just a year later McCain voted against an amendment that would have "increase[d] Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes." Two days after it failed, he voted to kill "an assured stream of funding for veterans' health care that [would] take into account the annual changes in the veterans' population and inflation to be paid for by restoring the pre-2001 top rate for income over $1 million, closing corporate tax loopholes and delaying tax cuts for the wealthy." That amendment died quietly, forty-six to fifty-four.

In September 2006 McCain voted to table an amendment to a Defense appropriations bill that would have prevented the department from contracting out support services at Walter Reed. The amendment was indeed tabled--by a vote of fifty to forty-eight, the sort of margin a true veterans' senator might have been able to flip if he really cared about veterans' healthcare.

"John McCain voted against veterans in 2004, '05, '06 and '07," says Jeffrey David Cox, who spent twenty-two years as a VA nurse before moving to the American Federation of Government Employees, where he serves as secretary-treasurer (AFGE represents employees of several federal agencies, including the VA). Cox is right. Under Bush, McCain has voted for measures that target so-called Priority-7 and Priority-8 veterans (those whose injuries are not service-related and whose incomes are above a low minimum threshold) for annual fees, higher co-pays and even suspended enrollment. Priority-7 veterans without dependents earn more than $24,644 annually. Priority-8 veterans without dependents earn an annual minimum of $27,790.....

And of course, we know McCain had voiced his opposition to the New G.I. Bill. It was passed by the U.S. Senate but McCain was too busy to show up to vote for vets.

* Republicans in Ohio are very worried. Without money and little interest by the public, Democratic candidates are picking up much need donations and support. The Democratic Party in Ohio and across the nation is energized. A new SurveyUSA poll shows that Obama could easily win Ohio in an election against McCain. Check out the poll to see the possible match-ups.

Did you know.....

The picture above is from the Republican family album which includes Tom Noe, Bob Taft, and Ed Gillespie (pic from The Blade and Ohio Citizen). Tom Noe was part of the "Coingate" scandal. Former Gov. Bob Taft had to plead no contest to charges he violated state ethics laws. Gillespie still works for President Bush.

> Jon Husted used the NCR private jet to go to the Alamo Bowl in December 2004, according to Ohio Citizen.

> U.S. Sen. George Voinovich voted AGAINST the "New G.I. Bill" yesterday. I know you'd like to contact him.
Here is a list of contact numbers: (216) 522-7095, (614) 469-6697, (513) 684-3265, or visit his contact page.

> McCain's relationship with Rod Parsley is coming under scrutiny. Here is some background info about Parsley: http://www.pfo.org/parsley.htm

> Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, one of the potential vice presidential candidates being interviewed at one of the McCain homes this weekend, is a proponent of teaching "intelligent design" in public schools.

> Gasoline now averages $4/gal. in central Ohio.

Stivers Having Money Problems?????

It appears that some Republican candidates are unable to raise enough money for their upcoming campaigns. From the looks of it, Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Steve Stivers, has fallen into that category. Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, does not seem to be able to match the campaign war chest of the Democratic candidate, Mary Jo Kilroy. Stivers, and some other Republican candidates, will be getting some fundraising help from Rep. Fred Upton (MI-6th-R). Here are some excerpts from The Hill:

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) is in the process of raising money for more than a dozen of his vulnerable House colleagues, and Michigan GOP Reps. Joe Knollenberg and Tim Walberg are set to be the beneficiaries Thursday....
....The only non-incumbent receiving Upton’s help is Ohio candidate Steve Stivers, who is running for retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce’s (R) seat.

Was Stivers in Washington last week to get some financial help from Republican members of Congress?

Watch Out for the Flies

The good people at Buckeye State Blog have some interesting information about Republican candidate for Congress, Steve Stivers, and his support for factory farms. Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, is running for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Here are some excerpts from the Buckeye State Blog:

...In 2003, Steve Stivers was a co-sponsor of House Bill 152, which limited localities right to challenge factory farms in their townships by placing all permitting authority with the state. The bill also further reduced the EPA's power to regulate factory farms, stating that the EPA had to be able to prove the CAFO (called Concentrated Anmial Feeding Operations or CAFOs in bureaucratic parlance) is polluting ground water before it can regulate it. This bill was passed and eventually signed into law by Gov. Taft.

CAFOs are of particular interest to Columbus because two are planned in Madison and Union counties, which would place the city downwind of the pollution they generate. Orleton Farms wants to build a factory farm housing 5,428 cattle in the watershed of Little Darby Creek in Madison County. Since factory farms can produce up to 500 million tons of animal waste each year, there is a high risk that this farm could contaminate the ecologically sensitive Little Darby Creek.

Similarly, Hi-Q Egg Farms wants to build a factory farm with 4 million chickens on 473 acres in Union County....

According to the Buckeye State Blog, Stivers says he against both projects. Keep in mind, he co-sponsored the bill that took away the rights of communities to fight these factory farms.

By the way, part of Union County is in the 15th district. I wonder if the resulting flies and smells could reach the lovely golf courses in Dublin? Just asking.

Hurting

> Republicans are hurting. USA Today has this:

The number of Republicans leaving Congress will cost the GOP millions of dollars in party-building funds for the fall congressional elections, campaign-finance records show.

Of the 32 Republicans who have resigned or announced plans to retire, 26 have political action committees known as leadership PACs — which members of Congress typically use to make donations to colleagues facing tough campaigns. Those 26 PACs raised $17 million in the last campaign cycle, but only $5.3 million for this election, a USA TODAY analysis of the latest campaign reports filed in March and April shows....

The article mentions that retiring GOP member of Congress, Deborah Pryce, once had $811,740 in her own committee (Promoting Republicans You Can Elect) for the 2005-2006 cycle. However, with her retirement looming, Pryce's leadership PAC only has $49,411 for the 2007-2008 cycle.

> Ohio Republicans are licking their chops. With Marc Dann's resignation as Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio GOP is trying to find someone within their party to run in a special election against a Democratic candidate. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the usual list of Republicans are on the list---- Deborah Pryce, Mike DeWine, and Rob Portman. Can't the Republicans come up with some new, fresh candidates???

> Sen. Barack Obama is correct about John McCain. According to the St. Petersburg Times (March 25, 2005), John McCain supported President Bush's plan for Social Security.

The Carpetbagger Report has some additional views from McCain on Social Security. McCain's plans for Social Security appear to change, depending on the direction of the wind. (flip-flop!!!!) Why does McCain want to hurt seniors????

> The people at ZR5 have discovered how the Chinese train their soldiers to march in perfect formation with their heads held high. It must hurt.

Ouch!






>>>> With my Honda Civic Hybrid, I'm able to get 50-53mpg on the highway if I go 62mph (in a 65mph zone).

News from Central Ohio

Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, is receiving lots of love and contributions from people associated with banks, insurance companies, large corporations, and PACs. Here is the list of some of Stivers' biggest contributors as provided by Open Secrets:

Limited Brands	$16,900
Freedom Project	$10,000
National Auto Dealers Assn	$10,000
Nationwide	$10,000
Worthington Industries	$9,600
Vorys, Sater et al	$9,250
Crown Equipment	$9,200
American Dental Assn	$9,000
Buckeye PAC	$7,500
Huntington Bancshares	$7,300
JPMorgan Chase & Co	$6,500
National City Corp	$5,500
American Electric Power	$5,400
American Medical Assn	$5,250
Ashland Inc	$5,250
Nationwide Childrens Hospital	$5,050
21st Century PAC	$5,000
Abbott Laboratories	$5,000
American Bankers Assn	$5,000
American Society of Anesthesiologists	$5,000
Associated Builders & Contractors	$5,000
AT&T Inc	$5,000
Bank of America	$5,000
Cmte for the Preservation of Capitalism	$5,000
Every Republican is Crucial PAC	$5,000
Hartford Financial Services	$5,000
International Franchise Assn	$5,000
Koch Industries	$5,000
Liberty Mutual Insurance	$5,000
Loews Corp	$5,000
Majority Initiative-Keep Electing Repubs	$5,000
National Assn of Realtors	$5,000
National Beer Wholesalers Assn	$5,000
National Restaurant Assn	$5,000
Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors	$5,000
Ohio Farmers Insurance Co	$5,000
Ohio's 17 Star PAC	$5,000
People for Enterprise/Trade/Econ Growth	$5,000
RED PAC	$5,000
Rely on Your Beliefs	$5,000
Republican Main Street Partnership	$5,000
Reynolds American	$5,000
Scotts Miracle-Gro	$5,000
United Parcel Service	$5,000
Wendy's	$5,000

>News about Lima Company---
WBNS-TV:

Some Marine reservists from Columbus-based Lima Company are returning to war....

...They will receive training in California over the summer before heading to Iraq in the fall. It’s an opportunity that gives many marines mixed feelings....
...The 5 Lima company marines will augment a unit out of New York. They’ll be training in California for four months before mobilizing to Iraq for a seven month tour of duty.
Lima Company suffered the highest loss of life of an American military unit to have served in Iraq. Three years ago, 23 of the company's Marines were killed during their tour of duty.

Still Cleaning Up the from the Taft Administration

Remember the last Republican governor of Ohio, Bob Taft? Do you remember the scandals, corruption, the Coingate mess, the trials and convictions, and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation disaster that had over $200 million missing? The state of Ohio is still cleaning up after the Taft administration's scandals. Today, the Dispatch had information about how Ohio had to go fight hard to recover some of the money it lost under risky investments during the Taft administration. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch article:

The state paid nearly $2 million, including $6,000 for a trip to Bermuda, for a chance to get back $5 million from one of the biggest frauds in Ohio history.

Records show it cost taxpayers $1.84 million for the state to pursue a civil lawsuit against Mark D. Lay, who agreed to pay $5 million to resolve the case stemming from an Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation investment scandal.

Lay and his MDL Capital Management, based in Pittsburgh, managed an offshore hedge fund for the bureau that lost $216 million before it was shut down in 2005....

Now Kevin Dewine, the Ohio Republican deputy chairman is criticizing Marc Dann and the Democrats for not recovering enough money and paying too much in legal fees. Someone needs to tell Kevin Dewine that his Republican Party's corruption and mismanagement resulted in the state losing this money. The Ohio Republicans who were in office and their "friends" misused the public's trust and state money. Why should Democrats and the current administration be blamed?

Kevin Dewine and the rest of the Ohio GOP thinks that Ohioans have forgotten about the Republican scandals. We will remember them for a long time.

The Times Are Changing

I've talked to a lot of people and many of them are just plain disgusted with the condition of our country. Four dollars for one gallon of gasoline, high food prices, an endless war, and increasing costs all around, have made many Ohioans angry. A trip to the grocery store is downright depressing. How are people expected to feed their family and fill their gas tank?

President George W. Bush and his Republican Party have left our country in shambles. Although you'll still see a couple of Bush-Cheney stickers on the back of cars, most people have abandoned the thought of supporting anyone associated with the Republican Party.
I think that many people are looking for a brighter future.

Last night we watched a repeat of the Chris Matthews vs. right wing talk show host video. It was the biggest smackdown I've seen on TV recently. If a person doesn't know something, repeating the right wing buzz words just makes them look foolish. It was like a seventh grader trying to convince the teacher that he had read about the topic when he really had not. "An empty tin makes the most noise." (The YouTube video here.)

Every American should watch this video and learn to take apart the right wing talking points. The Republican Party has nothing to provide Americans except worn out buzz words and fables. Republican presidential candidate, John McCain has nothing to offer us except a continuation of the war, more corporate welfare, higher gas prices, and illusions. It is time for change.

News to Use

* This afternoon on MSNBC's Hardball, Chris Matthews had Mark Green of Air America and Kevin James, a radio talk show host. (Please don't confuse this Kevin James with the comedian, Kevin James!) Chris Matthews asked his guests what they thought of President Bush's comments in front of Israel's Knesset. Here is part of what Bush said (CTA):

....Marking the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding, Bush told members of Israel's legislative body at the Knesset that he condemned "the false comfort of appeasement ... that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along."

He then compared such a strategy to speaking with Hitler and the Nazis in the lead up to Germany's takeover of Poland and the start of the Second World War.

While he did not mention Barack Obama by name, Democrats accused Bush of cheap political posturing....

Matthew's guest, Kevin James, said he agreed with President Bush that Obama and the Democrats were "appeasers." Chris Matthews then asked Kevin James what was the historical reference of Bush's "appeasement" remark. Matthews repeatedly asked him if he knew what happened with Neville Chamberlain and Hitler. To make a long explanation short, the right wing radio host had no clue about the history of World War II, Chamberlain, and Hitler. Chris Matthews made Kevin James, the radio talk show host, look like an ignorant putz.

FYI---- Raw Story has more on the Matthews vs. James story along with the video.

(Apparently, to be a right wing radio host you need not be educated---(examples: Kevin James, Limbaugh, etc.).

>>Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Steve Stivers, has been doing some flip-flopping. He voted for the payday lending bill that limits payday lenders to 28% interest. Stivers had been against setting any top interest rate for the check cashing stores. Now there is word that Stivers, who had supported SB305, had now possibly changed his mind. Here is an excerpt from The Other Paper:

...SB 305 would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Four members of the Senate Civil Justice Committee support it, and three are against it.

Two members are on the fence—Republicans Steve Stivers and Bill Seitz, neither of whom was present for Tuesday’s testimony. Stivers was on a plane from Washington, D.C., and Seitz was, for whatever reason, sitting on the Statehouse patio chatting with another senator, Tom Niehaus....

...One conspiracy floated by the SB 305’s supporters earlier this week is that the bill is being secretly killed by Stivers. A Columbus Republican, Stivers is running against Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy for what promises to be a tightly contested congressional race in Ohio’s 15th District. The rumor goes that Stivers doesn’t want to annoy his friends in the gay community or his socially conservative allies in the Republican Party; therefore he’d like to avoid a vote altogether.....

Flippity, floppity, flip!

They Write the Laws

Mary Jo Kilroy is the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Her Republican opponent, Steve Stivers, is a former bank lobbyist. Stivers is a member of the Ohio Senate, and he works very closely with lobbyists and industries for which he helps create laws. Is he a little tooooooo cozy with bankers, financial firms, and insurance providers?

According to PIA of Ohio (Professional Insurance Agents) and their Legislative Affairs Newsletter, Stivers met with the PIA in April 2007:
...A top priority for PIA is to develop and maintain positive working relationships with key decision
makers in government. Toward that end, State Senator Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), Chair of
the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee, recently visited PIA to meet with Board
members to learn more about the association and the resources PIA offers its members. During the meeting, Board President Dave Kotary and President-Elect Terry Kelso led a discussion about critical issues facing independentagents and consumers. The meeting was productive and Senator Stivers expressed interest in working closely with PIA on insurance-related issues....

>>>Here is another little meeting Stivers had on May 6, 2007, according to the Life Settlements Wire:

Ohio state Sen. Steve Stivers told about 25 representatives of the life insurance and life settlements industries to reach a compromise on life settlement legislation or risk that neither group may like what legislators come up with.

The gathering in Columbus, Ohio, occurred on May 6, according to Shawn Busken, legislative aide for the senator. Stivers is chairman of the state Senate's Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee.

"He put them together and said, 'It's in your best interest to negotiate this. Otherwise you'll be stuck with the decisions of the committee and the will of the committee, and it might not be in your favor,'" Busken said.....

Let me see if I have this straight....... Stivers is letting the insurance companies write the legislation????? Very interesting. Shouldn't Stivers be working to protect Ohio citizens instead of insurance companies??

Ohio News

* Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Dispatch:
Jennifer Brunner will receive a national award today that calls her courageous for trying to overhaul the state's voting system, but critics in Ohio call her plans costly and reckless at a time when Ohio is strapped for cash and the focus of another presidential election.

The secretary of state will accept a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in Boston for pushing Ohio away from touch-screen voting machines toward optically scanned paper ballots.....

Congratulations! It is good to see that Brunner's hard work has been noticed.

* Did you know Republican congressional candidate Steve Stivers, was against the increase in Ohio minimum wage? Stivers wanted exemptions for certain workers. To put it plainly, Stivers did not want home health-care workers, farm workers, and amusement park employees to receive the new increase in the Ohio minimum wage and he fought against it. (Dispatch: 4/26/07, MyEmploymentLawyer). Despite his opposition to the minimum wage for these three groups, Stivers lost and they were awarded the minimum wage increase.

Steve Stivers is a member of the Ohio Army National Guard. The Dispatch clarifies his recent military service.

Scandal At Ohio State Highway Patrol

A scandal has erupted in the Ohio State Highway Patrol and it may have a lot to do with Public Safety Director, Henry Guzman and some backroom political maneuvering. Word has it that Guzman has created complete chaos in his department.

Ohio citizens are now being told that Lt. Col. Michael Finamore, a highly decorated member of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and a former "Trooper of the Year," was pushed out of his position, re-assigned to a warehouse, and eventually forced to retire. When Richard Collins got the top job at the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Finamore, a 29 year veteran of the patrol, was kicked out of the Highway Patrol headquarters.

For details, check the Columbus Dispatch. There is much, much more to this story and hopefully we will learn what really happened. It may end up as a federal case.

178 Republicans Vote Against Mothers

It appears that the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives threw a tantrum this week. First, the Democrats and Republicans voted for HRES 1113 (House Vote 274), which the Washington Post reports was a resolution "Celebrating the Role of Mothers in the United States and Supporting the Goals and Ideals of Mother's Day." This was on May 7, 2008 at 2:19pm. Then, at 2:27pm, a re-vote on the same HRES (Vote 275), 178 Republicans voted against the Mother's Day Resolution.

I know that you are reading this wondering what foolish Republicans would vote against Mother's Day during an election year???? Here are the names of the Republicans, as reported in the Washington Post, that voted against Mother's Day. In my opinion, they are the scoundrels:

Robert Aderholt, Todd Akin, Rodney Alexander, Michele Bachmann, Spencer Bachus, J. Gresham Barrett, Roscoe Bartlett, Joe Barton, Judith Biggert, Brian Bilbray, Gus Bilirakis, Rob Bishop, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Jo Bonner, Mary Bono, John Boozman, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, Paul Broun, Ginny Brown-Waite, Vern Buchanan, Michael Burgess, Steve Buyer, Ken Calvert, Dave Camp, Chris Cannon, Eric Cantor, Shelley Moore Capito, John Carter, Michael Castle, Steve Chabot, Howard Coble, Tom Cole, Ander Crenshaw, John Culberson, Geoff Davis, Tom Davis, Charles Dent, Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, John Doolittle, Thelma Drake, David Dreier, John 'Jimmy' Duncan, Vernon Ehlers, Jo Ann Emerson, Philip English, Terry Everett, Mary Fallin, Tom Feeney, Mike Ferguson, Jeff Flake, Randy Forbes, Jeff Fortenberry, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Elton Gallegly, Scott Garrett, Jim Gerlach, Wayne Gilchrest, Phil Gingrey, Louie Gohmert, Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Sam Graves, Ralph Hall, Doc Hastings, Robin Hayes, Jeb Hensarling, Wally Herger, David Hobson, Peter Hoekstra, Kenny Hulshof, Duncan Hunter, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Sam Johnson, Walter Jones, Ric Keller, Steve King, Peter King, Jack Kingston, Mark Kirk, John Kline, Joe Knollenberg, Randy Kuhl, Ray LaHood, Steven LaTourette, Doug Lamborn, Tom Latham, Ron Lewis, Jerry Lewis, John Linder, Frank LoBiondo, Frank Lucas, Daniel Lungren, Connie Mack, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Thad McCotter, Jim McCrery, John McHugh, Buck McKeon, John Mica, Jeff Miller, Candice Miller, Gary Miller, Jerry Moran, Tim Murphy, Marilyn Musgrave, Sue Myrick, Randy Neugebauer, Devin Nunes, Stevan Pearce, Mike Pence, John Peterson, Chip Pickering, Joe Pitts, Todd Platts, Ted Poe, Jon Porter, Tom Price, Deborah Pryce, George Radanovich, Ralph Regula, Dennis Rehberg, David Reichert, Rick Renzi, Thomas Reynolds, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Rogers, Hal Rogers, Mike Rogers, Dana Rohrabacher, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Edward Royce, Paul Ryan, Bill Sali, Jim Saxton, Steve Scalise, Jean Schmidt, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Christopher Shays, Bill Shuster, Michael Simpson, Christopher Smith, Lamar Smith, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Cliff Stearns, John Sullivan, Tom Tancredo, Lee Terry, Mac Thornberry, Todd Tiahrt, Pat Tiberi, Michael Turner, Fred Upton, Timothy Walberg, Greg Walden, James Walsh, Zachary Wamp, Dave Weldon, Jerry Weller, Lynn Westmoreland, Ed Whitfield, Heather Wilson, Joe Wilson, Robert Wittman, Frank Wolf, Bill Young, Don Young

I'm not exactly sure why they did this, but these 178 Republicans insulted American mothers. With what appears to be a safe, symbolic resolution honoring mothers, these Republicans instead flipped flopped and finally voted against mothers!!! Are they out of their minds???????

Can you imagine a poster saying -----

"Michele Bachmann Voted Against Mother's Day!"

or

"Steven LaTourette Hates Mothers!"

or

"John Boehner Disrespects Mothers!"

or

"Deborah Pryce Doesn't Support Other Mothers!"

Even though 178 Republicans won't honor you with a Mother's Day resolution, I'll wish you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

The Continuing Story of Republican Deborah "Get Me Out of Here" Pryce

While Ohio and the nation suffer through another Bush recession, home foreclosures continue, and gasoline prices approach $3.79/gal. here, our elected member of Congress, Republican Deborah Pryce skips sessions of the House of Representatives. Is she already starting her retirement? When you call her office, her staff will say she is busy working in her district office. Really? It is too bad that while the economy is in the dumpster, Pryce is doing nothing to help her district. According to the Washington Post, "....Deborah Pryce has missed 240 votes (16.8%) during the current Congress..." Don't worry about Pryce----she continues to get her paycheck and build up her retirement.

Meanwhile, the Ohio GOP is happy with their pick to replace Pryce. Republican candidate, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, is doing his part to collect money from PACs that represent banks, financial institutions, and insurance companies. Stivers has supported legislation that protects financial institutions and has even come out in support of payday lenders keeping their 300%+ interest on loans. What a guy!!!! Stivers also supports Bush and McCain's 100 years of war in Iraq.

If we really want change, in our country and our state, we must vote for a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress. Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th, will represent the people of central Ohio. Stivers would do a fine job representing banks and insurance companies.

Kilroy's Campaign Bringing in the $$$$$

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy, is doing very well raising campaign funds. Open Secrets reports that Kilroy has raised over $1.2 million. Her opponent, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has raised $788,000. With word that the Republicans are cash poor, Stivers will not be able to count on the NRCC for handouts. Kilroy's ability to fund her campaign with contributions from real voters, gives Kilroy a real advantage as election day approaches.

Here is more on the NRCC's money woes from CBS News:

....And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn’t have enough cash to “save them” in November if they don’t raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves.....

Yes, folks, Americans are turning away from the Republicans and refusing to contribute to the Grand Old, Old, Old Party. The GOPers and their leaders want to continue to fight in Iraq until hell freezes over. They have no exit plans, no specific goals except to let our tax money go to Iraq. The Republican Party is not only financially bankrupt, they haven't had a fresh idea in decades about how to improve our country.

I guess it is clear that in order to have real change, we have to vote for new leadership---- someone like Barack Obama.

Just Asking.......

People outside of state government can't understand how Ohio Speaker of the House Jon Husted, a Republican, gets so much stuff for his district. Husted pushed and bullied his way through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) until he got the Austin Pike interchange built in his district. Even though the Austin Pike project had been a low priority, Husted got it moved to a Tier 1 (high priority) project. How did Oberer Development, that just happened to contribute thousands and thousands of dollars to the Husted campaign, win the contract? I'm just asking.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State's campaign finance page, people associated with Oberer Companies/Oberer Development gave:

$10,000 to Husted's campaign in 2007
$2,000 to Husted's campaign in 2006
$4,000 to Husted's campaign in 2005
$4,500 to Husted's campaign in 2004

Doesn't that seem a little excessive?

38 years ago...

Thirty-eight years ago, I was a freshman at The Ohio State University. On May 4, 1970, four students were killed at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard. One of the students killed, Sandy Scheuer, had attended the same high school as I did. There is a Youtube video here with the song by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Please also visit Crooks and Liars for their piece on the Kent State killings. It may seem like a long time ago to some people, but the events and emotions of the spring of 1970 still remain with me and others.

A Little Coercion Goes A Long Way

The "payday" lenders in Ohio have been under a lot of scrutiny from the state government, groups that assist the poor, and regular citizens. However, a little arm-twisting has been going on behind the scenes.
Dispatch:

The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks withdrew from a fight for tougher payday loan regulations after being pressured by a national payday company that gave $500,000 to its parent organization.

Rent-A-Center, a Texas-based rent-to-own company that also offers payday loans, complained after learning that the food bank group was a member of the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending. A Second Harvest official agreed last week to drop out of the group.....

...Guy Whitcomb, a vice president at Rent-A-Center, told The Wall Street Journal that he and a co-worker called food-bank officials repeatedly to express concern about the Ohio affiliate's role in the payday lending fight....

Did that Rent-A-Center group threaten to stop their support of Second Harvest? You decide. Check the Dispatch for the full article.

Somehow I don't think we are not getting the entire story. Can you imagine the other ways that "payday lenders" might be exerting pressure on people and organizations in order to keep their profitable companies functioning?

John McCain's 100 Years in Iraq

If John McCain becomes President, there will be more stories like this:
SeattlePI:

.....Two Fort Lewis soldiers were killed in April.
Pfc. William T. Dix, 32, a combat engineer, died last Sunday in Kuwait in noncombat circumstances while preparing with his newly arrived battalion to enter Iraq.
Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, an Army Ranger leading a platoon on his seventh deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan, was mortally wounded in a firefight in Afghanistan on Tuesday....

Let me repeat that...... on his seventh deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan....

Why did this young man have to be on his seventh deployment???? I think that there is no reason that someone must serve a 7th deployment. What has been done to the Army that this has to happen? Can John McCain support these types of decisions?

Contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them that you think that these long, repeated deployments are wrong.

News

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy, has a new endorsement----The Sierra Club, according to The Dispatch's Daily Blog. The article in the Dispatch also has this:

....Scott, the vice chair of the national Sierra Club's Conservation Governance Committee and a resident of the 15th Congressional District, which Kilroy wants to represent, said the group's support of Kilroy was never a close call.
"She's saying the things that our members want to hear," Scott said.
Scott also noted that Kilroy's Republican opponent, state Sen. Steve Stivers, has received contributions from energy companies and the tobacco giant RJ Reynolds......

Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, really loves those energy and tobacco friends.

*********

Right now in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) is talking against Republican Sen. Larry Craig's energy proposal. Craig has proposed drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve and in Florida wildlife preserves. Craig must be doing the bidding of the oil companies and the Bush administration. Nelson said we are "wasting billions, and billions of gallons of oil" because we don't have serious conservation measures and higher mpg standards, as they do in other countries. He also said that it would take at least 10 years before any oil would actually come out of these places.

I've be getting excellent gas mileage on my Honda Civic Hybrid this week (48mpg city). I don't want to hear some people crying because they absolutely "have to drive a mammoth SUV for business." No one is forcing people to drive those gas-guzzling SUVs. If you can't afford to gas up the SUV, trade it in for something with better mpg.

Arrogant, Country Club Enthusiast Boehner

John Boehner, the tobacco-infused, custom-made suit wearer, right wing member of Congress, continues to call Sen. Barack Obama an elitist. Hmmmm. Boehner, who has golfed at more private country clubs than any other elected official, doesn't seem to get it. Boehner is the real elitist. How many times have you golfed at private exclusive country clubs? 50 times? 100 times? There are some country clubs in Ohio that would not even allow Obama to join.

I think that Boehner and the rest of the Republicans who continue to attack Obama are fearful. They are afraid of having someone as President who is smarter than they are. Shouldn't we elect a smart person as President this time? Shouldn't we elect someone like Obama who has the will and ability to make positive changes?

(pic from Thinkprogress.org)