Obama and Biden

Yesterday was a great day. Not only did the Buckeyes win, but Barack Obama and Joe Biden were in Dublin, Ohio. In front of a crowd estimated to be between 19,000 and 20,000, Obama and Biden rocked the home of the Dublin Coffman Shamrocks. The loud and enthusiastic crowd filled the stadium stands and the field. Despite the heat and the sun, people brought families, the young, and the old. It looked like everyone wanted to be part of history.

Also appearing with Obama and Biden were Sen. Sherrod Brown, Gov. Ted Strickland, and Democratic candidate for the 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy.

Obama and Biden Will Be in Central Ohio Today

There are two things to get excited about today:
1. The Buckeyes have their opener at Ohio Stadium.
2. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be in central Ohio today.

Here are some news items:

*According to the Timesonline:
-Obama and Biden visited a biodiesel plant in Western Pennsylvania.
-Biden will march in the Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh.

* More details are coming out about Sarah Palin (see Grizzly Bay).
Picture from Anchorage Daily News, September 2007---



Did Palin kill that bear herself? Did she do it from a plane?

Palin's support of killing bears and wolves from private planes has many people opposing this barbaric
hunting.

I don't think many Democratic women are going to run to the McCain side because of Palin. She stands for everything that Hillary Clinton and other Democratic women oppose. She is just a token woman and McCain thinks we're dumb enough to fall for it.

'No way. No how. No McCain.' And that is my final answer!!!!!!

Just some notes....

I finally found an article that mentions the size of McCain's audience in Dayton. McCain had his rally at the Nutter Center which has a capacity of 10,000. Here is the story from WANE-TV:

....In front of hundreds at Dayton's Nutter Center Arena, John McCain made his official announcement......

* There are some interesting facts about the Sarah Palin for Governor website (Palin has been Governor for Alaska for 650 days):

> Education : Wasilla High graduate, 1982; University of Idaho graduate, B.S. Communications - Journalism, 1987
> Palin was Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Wasilla has a population of 5,469, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, with a land area of 11.72 sq. miles.
> Sarah Palin spent $400,000 of Alaskan state money to promote the aerial shooting of bears and wolves from private planes in Alaska.

From Think Progress--- Sen. Ted Stevens and Gov. Sarah Palin----




I've read so much today and I'm sorry I don't know where I read this, but it applies:

"I know Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is a friend of mine. Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton."

Just one last thing......
Doesn't this show something about McCain's judgment or should I say, lack of judgment? If you are in the military or a member of a military family, does McCain's pick give you comfort about the direction he'd take this country? As my 85 year old mother said, "Maybe McCain has a little dementia."

Oh, my! Are there some disagreements in the Ohio GOP?

* According to the Dayton Daily News, Bob Bennett, chair of the Ohio GOP, has criticized McCain's plans for presidential primaries.

* By the time John McCain gets around to make his V.P. announcement, everyone I know will have already sent text messages to the Obama campaign to volunteer.

* I heard today that there were so many people willing to work as volunteers for the Democratic National Convention, that they had to turn some away. Don't worry. Knowing how the DNC is working, those people will be volunteering in some other capacity for the Democrats. Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Republicans still haven't found enough volunteers for next week's convention.

McCain Rumors

It looks like the Republicans are having trouble filling the 10,000 seat Nutter Center in Dayton for John McCain's big announcement. Even though the tickets are free and available all over the state, it looks like Ohioans are not taking the bait. Will the Republicans have to pay people to come to see McCain? If McCain cannot fill up the Nutter Center, will the cameras and the media show us the complete story?

Stay tuned.......

It is about judgment....

Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, has always worked for the people of Franklin County. Her leadership has impressed her constituents so much that she has been re-elected to office time and time again. People know that, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kilroy would work for the people of the 15th district, not lobbyists, not banks, and not big oil.

Kilroy's opponent, Republican Steve Stivers, has had a different background. Stivers was a bank lobbyist for Bank One. His job was to work directly with the state legislature to protect his bank from over regulation. As a lobbyist, Stivers worked to promote and protect his employer. Even today, Stivers prefers the company of bankers instead of voters.

As a member of the Ohio Senate, Stivers has worked against consumer protection laws. Here is what Emily's List had to say about Stivers:
....Republicans have coalesced behind Steve Stivers, a right-wing state senator and former lobbyist for the banking industry. Stivers has repeatedly opposed legislation to protect consumers, including efforts to curb predatory lending. He has consistently earned “0” ratings from Ohio NARAL and even worked against an amendment requiring insurance companies to cover contraception.....

Do you want someone like Steve Stivers determining if and what type of birth control you can use? Do you want someone like Steve Stivers interfering with your reproductive freedom?

Stivers even suggested that the State of Ohio should not regulate or oversee mortgages. Here is the quote from the Dispatch:
....Sen. Steve Stivers, a Republican and former lobbyist for Bank One, said Ohio should remain one of only two states that exempts the mortgage industry from the Consumer Sales Practices Act....

....But Stivers isn't finding much support in his own caucus, much less among advocates for the poor....

"The bottom line is the homeowner has to have the ability to seek redress," he said, adding that consumers have more protections when buying a toaster than a house.....

OMG! It appears that Stivers thinks he was elected to the Ohio Bank Senate instead of the Ohio Senate. Do we really want to send someone to Washington DC who intends to protect banks instead of people? With the problems that some banks are having (see CNN), do we really need someone like Stivers who continues to be too cozy with the banking industry?

I do not think that Stivers has the judgment to go to Congress and represent the people of the 15th.

New Stivers Ad Doesn't Give the Whole Story

We knew it was going to happen. Right wing corporate lobbyist, Steve Stivers, had his first ad on TV for his run for Congress.
> The ad talks about the fact that he went to Iraq but it doesn't mention that he has the support of the far right wing Vets for Freedom who support 100 more years of war in Iraq.
> The ad doesn't mention that Stivers is so far to the right that he is against women's reproductive freedom, against stem cell research, and as a former bank lobbyist, he still panders to the banks.
> There was no mention that Stivers championed a bill that makes it virtually impossible for communities to fight against large factory farms (like Hi-Q's proposed 6,000,000 chickens in Union County).
>>> Most importantly, the ad does not mention that Steve 'Stivers took almost $10,000 from Halliburton, Exxon Mobil....' (see Buckeye State Blog). Here is what Buckeye State Blog said about Stivers:

....Steve Stivers took $5,000 from the Independent Petroleum Association of America, $2,500 from Dubai-based Halliburton, you know, Dick Cheney's old employer and the King of No-Bid Contracts, and $2,000 from ExxonMobil, one of the only oil companies to have yet to invest significantly in alternative energy....

The voters in our house are supporting Mary Jo Kilroy.

_____________ ___________ ___________

Speaking of political ads......
The extreme right wing of the Republican fringe is running ads in Ohio sponsored by the American Issues group. Apparently, channel 6 here in Columbus, a Sinclair station, is still running the ads even though the Obama campaign has threaten to sue. By the way, channel 6, also ran the John Kerry smear video in 2004, so you know what kind of people they are.

Pat Tiberi, Friend of Oil Companies

Hey, folks. One of President Bush's favorite people, Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH-12), will be making a special appearance at

County Line Professional Pharmacy
484 Conty Line Road, Suite 110
Westerville, OH 43082
on Wednesday, August 27th at 1:30 PM

Bring your signs and ask him:
*Why Tiberi supports the oil companies so much and why they have given him hundreds of thousands of dollars for his campaign.
*Why has Tiberi voted with President Bush 92% of the time?
*Why did Tiberi vote against a bill for Equal Pay? (HR1338)
*Why did Tiberi vote against a minimum wage increase? (HR 2)
*Why does Tiberi continue to vote against pulling our troops out of Iraq?
*Why did Tiberi vote against stem cell research? (HR3)

If......

If there is an 80% voter turnout in Ohio, would this mean a Democratic victory? According to Raw Story, Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner is predicting and preparing for 80% voter turnout in November. Wow. That means that the Ohio Republican Party and their operatives are working hard to block the vote. We must remain vigilant. I still remember going to vote at my local precinct in 2000 and seeing pamphlets in the doorway left by a pro-Republican, right wing religious group. I notified someone within the precinct and made sure that the pamphlets were thrown away immediately.

Don't forget to pick up this week's Time Magazine with Barack Obama on the cover!

Visit the latest video from You Tube:






Well said!!!!

Noteworthy

> It looks like the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) is putting a substantial amount of money into Ohio's 15th congressional district to help Democratic candidate, Mary Jo Kilroy. According to the SwingStateProject, the DCCC has already invested over $125,000 into the district for media, production, telephone services, and mail services. The DCCC has plenty of money to help Democratic candidates.

> I don't know if you've noticed it, but central Ohio seems to have Obama signs sprouting in front yards. In Worthington, Arlington, the Ohio State campus area, and Victorian Village, Obama signs are very plentiful.

> Did you know that during his two terms as President, George W. Bush has taken the equivalent of two and a half years of vacation time? It is no wonder our country is in such a mess!

> If you are interested in helping the Kilroy campaign, visit http://www.kilroyforcongress.com/.

Where is Pat Tiberi hiding????

* Where has Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH-12) been recently? Tiberi must think his re-election is guaranteed and he is just avoiding the media. Tiberi, who has supported Bush 92.8% (see WP), is working hard to avoid controversy so that he can realize his ambition to be a party leader. Tiberi has voted against some important veterans' issues, even though he calls himself a champion for veterans.

Examples (Project Vote Smart):

05/15/2008	G.I. Bill Expansion and Other Domestic Provisions HR 2642	N	Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166)
03/13/2008	Concurrent Budget Resolution H Con Res 312	N	Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207)

Here is a list from Open Secrets regarding the top sectors that have contributed to Tiberi's campaigns:

Sector	Total	PACs	Indivs
Agribusiness	$165,414	$129,164	$36,250
Communic/Electronics	$177,155	$115,150	$62,005
Construction	$423,484	$137,500	$285,984
Defense	$25,500	$24,000	$1,500
Energy/Nat Resource	$365,906	$212,456	$153,450
Finance/Insur/RealEst	$2,054,608	$1,291,210	$763,398
Health	$585,390	$379,040	$206,350
Lawyers & Lobbyists	$551,938	$110,486	$441,452
Transportation	$279,286	$218,332	$60,954
Misc Business	$928,159	$535,504	$392,655
Labor	$41,500	$41,500	$0
Ideology/Single-Issue	$495,856	$432,311	$63,545
Other	$291,082	$4,700	$286,382

By the way, Tiberi's Democratic opponent is David Robinson.

Ohio Republicans Are Very Afraid

An article in the Dispatch will cause many Ohio GOPers to have stomach problems today.
Dispatch:

As Ohio Democrats pack for their national convention in Denver next week, they have quietly rolled up an advantage that almost no one has noticed: nearly a million more registered voters than Republicans.

Almost three times as many Ohio voters have become Democrats as have become Republicans since the summer before the last presidential election.....

Here is a chart from the Dispatch--

Hopefully, Democrats will turn out in force to elect Barack Obama, Mary Jo Kilroy, and other Democratic candidates.

Of course, Ohio Democrats cannot rest. Still another story in the Dispatch reports about problems with voting machines. Diebold has changed its names to Premier but obviously the problems remain.

News from Ohio

* Ohioans are mourning the untimely death of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She was a dynamic leader and will be missed.

* Ohio Republicans and their supporters are complaining that allowing workers in the state of Ohio to have 7 mandated sick days, will make people lose jobs. This is the same propaganda the GOP used against raising the minimum wage. Ohioans are tired of the Republican anti-worker mantra. People should Vote Yes on Issue 4.

* I'm still waiting for my text message from Barack Obama on his choice for Vice President!!!!

* In a recent unscientific poll I've conducted in Worthington on yard signs, Kilroy is preferred over Stivers 5 to 1.

Don't Forget....

Here is a comparison of unemployment rates for Ohio:

During the last months of the administration of President Bill Clinton, a Democrat:

June 2000 = 4.1%

July 2000 = 4.1%

The corresponding period of the George W. Bush administration:

June 2008 = 6.6%

July 2008 = 7.2%

Here is the latest ad from the Obama campaign:

More Attention on Ohio's 15th Congressional District

It looks like the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) is putting more money into Ohio's 15th. PolitickerOH.com:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is out with its latest round of independent expenditures, this time targeting competitive races in Alaska, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, and Ohio.

In the Buckeye State, the committee is investing nearly $17,000 in mailings and phone banking in the race for the 15th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus). In that race, Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy is taking on state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus)....

....The committee is also spending $13,000 on mail services and phone banking in Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, where state Sen. John Boccieri (D-Alliance) and state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Navarre) are battling it out for the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre)....

The article also describes the DCCC as being "well-funded" which means that the DCCC has the money to support their candidates. On the other side of the aisle, the Republican Congressional Committee, is hardly able to back their candidates.

With the possibility of real change coming to Washington, DC, many people are looking to Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate for the 15th, to help make that change. Her opponent, Steve Stivers, a right wing, anti-choice, corporate bank lobbyist, and anti-stem cell research, has taken huge contributions from insurance, bank, pharmaceutical, and oil PACs. How beholden would Stivers be to these huge groups? Stivers is already in trouble in Dublin and Union County because of his co-sponsorship of a bill that prevents communities from fighting against huge factory farms. Time and time again, Stivers has fought for the rights of corporations and businesses instead of communities and people.

Stivers' Big Goof

The good people of Union County are still angry about the proposed factory farm that will bring in over 6,000,000 chicken into their neighborhood. Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Mary Jo Kilroy, had plenty to say about Republican candidate Steve Stivers. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch:

State Sen. Steve Stivers, the Republican candidate for a central Ohio congressional seat, misrepresented a bill that he co-sponsored in 2003 dealing with the ability of counties and townships to regulate egg farms, dairies and the like, his opponent said today....

....On the egg farm issue, her (Kilroy's) campaign today accused Stivers of misrepresenting a 2003 bill he co-sponsored that weakened the ability of local governments to regulate livestock, egg and dairy operations. The Kilroy campaign cited comments Stivers made to a Marysville newspaper, in which the state senator said local governments were stripped of their regulatory powers in 2000, before he took office.

Stivers was referring to a bill that requires the farm operators to get written statements from local officials about improvements to infrastructure that would be made to accommodate the farming operation. That bill, however, puts the permitting and regulating of such operations in the purview of the state, not counties and townships....

Stivers just refuses to take ownership and responsibility for the bill he co-sponsored. Isn't that just incredible?

If you are interested in reading more about the problems that arise from factory farms, here a something from the NRDC:

Giant livestock farms, which can house hundreds of thousands of pigs, chickens, or cows, produce vast amounts of waste -- often generating the waste equivalent of a small city. While a problem of this nature -- and scale -- sounds almost comical, pollution from livestock farms seriously threatens humans, fish and ecosystems. Below are facts and statistics that tell the story.....

....Runoff of chicken and hog waste from factory farms in Maryland and North Carolina is believed to have contributed to outbreaks of Pfiesteria piscicida, killing millions of fish and causing skin irritation, short-term memory loss and other cognitive problems in local people....

Kilroy's Ad Debuts During Olympics

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy, had a well-place campaign ad right in the middle of Saturday evening's Olympic coverage. It was positive, highlighted her successes as a Franklin County Commissioner, and explained her goals if elected to Congress. I thought it was great. Kilroy's ad did not mention the name of the Republican opponent who is a corporate bank lobbyist and recipient of money from big oil.

"Blatant Voter Suppression"

Columbus Dispatch:
In trying to close a brief window that will allow simultaneous voter registration and absentee voting, Ohio Republicans are engaging in "blatant voter suppression," a leading legal expert on voting said yesterday.

"This is exactly what the law says and what it allows," said Daniel Tokaji, a professor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. "If the Republicans are trying to close the window, they would be violating the law they wrote."

....The "no-fault absentee" voting law has been in place since 2005, when it was passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed by GOP Gov. Bob Taft....

The Republicans are still trying to deny all of us the right to vote. They are so afraid that they'll lose if all the votes are counted. Shame on the Ohio GOP and particularly Kevin DeWine, the chief whiner.

You might wish to contact the Ohio GOP at (614) 228-2481
Kevin DeWine.... (614) 644-6020 (office)
Kevin DeWine..... FAX (614) 719-3970
Kevin DeWine.....Email district70@ohr.state.oh.us

Let them know that nothing, not even the sleazebags of the Ohio Republican Party, will stop you from voting for Barack Obama and Democrats.

Here They Go Again

The right wingers are back with their lies, smears, and books. The guy who wrote the filthy lies against John Kerry is back with a book that smears Barack Obama. In order to boost the book on the NY Times book list, millions of copies of this new rag were bought by extreme right wing big sh*ts (right wing media types, etc.). Faux News is falling all over themselves talking about the book. ( I don't actually watch Faux News. Stephanie Miller watches it for me.)

Here are a few responses about the book from the Barack Obama website:

A LITTLE RESEARCH DISPROVES EVEN CORSI’S MOST BASIC CLAIMS

LIE: “The year 1995 was a banner one for Obama. He had just married Michelle and the couple bought a Hyde Park condo, the first home Obama ever owned.”[p 145]

REALITY: OBAMAS MARRIED IN 1992 AND BOUGHT A CONDO IN 1993

10/3/92 Obama And Michelle Robinson Were Married. [Chicago Sun-Times, 10/3/07]

1993 Obama Bought a Condo for $277,550. [Chicago Sun-Times, 1/22/06]

_____________

NONE OF CORSI’S DIVISIVE, REHASHED CLAIMS CHECKS OUT, EITHER

LIE: “Senator Obama could claim to be a citizen of Kenya, as well as of the United States. Obama can trace his heritage back to his mother, who was born in the United States and was an American citizen when he was born, and to his father, who was born in Kenya and was a Kenyan citizen when Obama was born.” [p 103]

REALITY: OBAMA CANNOT CLAIM KENYAN CITIZENSHIP

Kenya Does Not Allow Dual Citizenship Applications for People Over 21 Years of Age. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management writes of Kenya, “DUAL CITIZENSHIP: Not recognized except for persons under 21 years old.” The Kenyan Constitution writes, “A person who, but for the proviso to section 87 (1), would be a citizen of Kenya by virtue of that subsection shall be entitled, upon making application before the specified date in such manner as may be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament, to be registered as a citizen of Kenya: Provided that a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years (other than a woman who is or has been married) may not himself make an application under this subsection, but an application may be made on his behalf by his parent or guardian.” [U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Kenyan Constitution]

Even if Obama Had Applied for Dual Citizenship Before He Was 21—Which He Did Not—It Would Have Expired. ”A person who, upon the attainment of the age of twenty-one years, is a citizen of Kenya and also a citizen of some other country other than Kenya shall, subject to subsection (7), cease to be a citizen of Kenya upon the specified date unless he has renounced his citizenship of that other country, taken the oath of allegiance and, in the case of a person who was born outside Kenya, made and registered such declaration of his intentions concerning residence as may be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament.” [Kenyan Constitution]

______

For a more complete rebuttal, check here = PDF: Unfit for Publication.

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

I think that the next time I hear Corsi's name, I will sing my favorite tune from the Stephanie Miller Show--- "You Lying Sack of Crap"----- which I've included below (Source): plink, plink.>

Press PLAY.

Kevin DeWine is a Whiner

Ohio Republicans have become a party of whiners. You can almost hear them saying all across Ohio, "It isn't fair." Whine. Whine. Whine.

Here is a story from the right wing radio station in Columbus, WTVN:


Between September 30th and October 6th, Ohio elections officials will allow residents to register to vote and then immediately cast their ballot. That gives the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain a chance to bank thousands of first-time voters.....
....Deputy Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party Kevin DeWine objects to the move, claiming it will disenfranchise voters in the state. "If you go to the booth on election day you have to show some form of identification," said DeWine. "When you vote using an absentee ballot during that five-day window, no identification is required. We're just looking to make sure that the voters are who they say they are."

DeWine says his party will ask Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to intervene to stop the proposed voting measure. Brian Clark from her office argues these laws were signed into law by former Ohio governor Bob Taft in 2006 and have been in place for the past two years.

The Ohio Republicans are faced with the prospect of voters exercising their rights. The Ohio GOP has been disenfranchising people for years. Years!!!! Here are some excerpts from an article on Ohio voting irregularities in OpEdNews:

...One of them has just surfaced to the staggering tune of 175,000 purged voters in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), the traditional stronghold of the Ohio Democratic Party. An additional 10,000 that registered to vote there for the 2004 election were lost due to "clerical error."

As we reported more than a year ago, some 133,000 voters were purged from the registration rolls in Hamilton County (Cincinnati) and Lucas County (Toledo) between 2000 and 2004. The 105,000 from Cincinnati and 28,000 from Toledo exceeded Bush's official alleged margin of victory -- just under 119,000 votes out of some 5.6 million the Republican Secretary of State. J. Kenneth Blackwell deemed worth counting.....

...But all tie votes are decided by the secretary of state, in this case Blackwell, the extreme right-wing Republican now running for governor. Blackwell served in 2004 not only as the man in charge of the state's vote count, but also as co-chair of the Ohio Bush-Cheney campaign. Many independent observers have deemed this to be a conflict of interest. On election day, Blackwell met personally with Bush, Karl Rove and Matt Damschroder, chair of the Franklin County (Columbus) Board of Elections, formerly the chair of the county's Republican Party.....

The people of Ohio want free and fair elections. The Republicans and Kevin DeWine should just deal with it and stop acting like spoiled children.

Stivers' Legislation Puts Everyone At Risk

If Hi-Q Farms does go through with their planned 6,000,000+ factory chicken farm in Union County, Ohio, it would be the largest farm of its type in the U.S.

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Mary Jo Kilroy, and the rest of the Franklin County Commissioners have voiced their opposition to the proposed Hi-Q Farm, according to the Dispatch. Due to threats to the environment, drinking water, and other concerns, Kilroy and the property owners in the area are standing against Hi-Q.

What is Republican candidate Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, doing? Stivers orchestrated a vote and passed a law that makes it virtually impossible for local communities to stop the placement of these mega farms in Ohio. Obviously, Stivers doesn't care about community values. Stivers is concerned about supporting big oil, big insurance companies, banks, and big business and the thousands of dollars they contribute to his campaigns. Now Stivers is blaming everyone else who voted for the legislation instead of taking the responsibility himself. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

Despite assurances from agencies and even the Hi-Q Farms owners, we do not know what the future brings. The Scioto River has problems with waste when it rains too much. What kind of damage will there be to the air? Will more children end up with asthma because of the pollutants in the air? What will the nearby property owners do when their land values plummet? Will the farms' neighbors be able to cope with the millions of living and dead flies in their homes, cars, and on their property? Will picnics with the family become a memory to the people in Union County? Could the flies carry diseases and harm other livestock? Are the people of Union County willing to jeopardize their lives for the possibility of gaining a maximum of 75 low paying jobs?

Is this the type job creation Stivers would bring to central Ohio......low paying, environmentally dangerous, unhealthy??? If you need a reminder, here is a picture of the Buckeye Egg Farm.

Tuesday's Topics

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Mary Jo Kilroy, is getting some help from the DCCC. Politico:
After an initial investment in mailings to a few targeted districts, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee kicked off their general election advertising spending over the weekend, purchasing almost $200,000 in ten districts across the country....
...The party is making a serious investment in Ohio on behalf of Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, who gets almost $36,000 in the first round of ads, and State Senator John Boccieri, who will have $19,000 worth run on his behalf.....

The Bulletin:
Philadelphia - Gov. Ed Rendell called presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a "rock-ribbed conservative who cares more about corporate America than he does about American workers" during a press conference in Center City yesterday......
....Citing Mr. McCain's support of the merger of DHL shipping company and United Parcel Service (UPS), Mr. Rendell said the Arizona senator was responsible for putting as many as 10,000 Ohio jobs on the chopping block.
"[Mr.] McCain lobbied for DHL and ... "

If those workers in Wilmington, Ohio, lose their jobs, they should blame John McCain and his campaign manager, Rick Davis. They created the groundwork that could cost Ohio thousands of jobs.

* Did you know that Steve Austria, the Republican candidate for Ohio's 7th district is against a woman's reproductive freedom? What woman wants someone like Austria telling her what she can/cannot do with her body? By the way, Fundamental Truths has some questions about Steve Austria's campaign contributors:

....Most concerning is donations from the "Rely on your beliefs PAC" that is best known for having Enron as a past contributor and the Tigua Tribe who gave to the PAC as a favor to Jack Abramoff to get approval for a casino. Austria mentions ethics on his web site and this is the company he keeps....

Hmmmmm.

Stivers on the Hot Seat

HB 152, that was co-sponsored by Republican Steve Stivers in 2003, is creating a lot of anger in and around Union County Ohio. With the proposed mega-chicken farm that would be owned by Hi-Q Egg, residents are worried about the flies, contaminated wells, reduced property values, and health hazards. At this point, estimates are between 6,000,000 and 11,000,000 chickens to be housed in the Hi-Q Egg farm. Stivers, who is pro-big business, pushed for this type of big farm operation.

Stivers should have inserted some type of limit on the size of this type of farm in the bill he co-sponsored. However, just like Stivers left the enforcement section out of the camp employee background check legislation, Stivers did not take care of the details on this factory farm bill. Details. Details. Details. Allowing a farm of this size alongside family farms will definitely create some side effects.

Stivers is back pedaling now on his support for HB 152. He doesn't have to live next to the Hi-Q farm. He won't have to deal with the smell and the millions of flies. When this farm moves in, neighbors will see living and dead flies everywhere. Those flies will be a reminder of what Steve Stivers did for your community when he co-sponsored HB 152.

Union County Ohio Voters Should Blame Stivers for the Chicken Farm

If you live in Union County Ohio, let me remind you of something I wrote about Republican candidate Steve Stivers and the chicken farm you are now opposing: (I've highlighted a few points.)

________________________________________________

May 20, 2008
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 Animal 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 is 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.

_____________________

Now Channel 4 is reporting this:

Hi-Q Egg Products wants to build the farm on 473 acres of land off of Davis road. The company could potentially bring 6 million chickens into the area. Hi-Q says it will bring 75 new jobs to the area, provide revenue by buying corn from local farmers, and the chicken waste will be sold as a cheaper option for fertilizer. But residents are concerned about the environment, and aren't reassured by the company's promise of high sanitation measures.....

Wait until these neighbors off Davis Road see the resulting flies! Enjoy your last summer picnics without thousands of flies attacking you and your children.

Did you notice the original article I quoted said there would be 4 million chickens? Now it is up to 6 million chickens! If you are having difficulty stopping this farm with 6 million chickens, blame Republican candidate for Congress, Steve Stivers. He co-sponsored the bill that took away your rights.

Career Bank Lobbyist = Steve Stivers

Republican candidate for Congress Steve Stivers, won't say he was a career bank lobbyist. He'll call his former job title with Bank One anything but lobbyist. But we know better. Ohioans are a little wary of someone who supports banks more than the rights and needs of consumers. Here is an excerpt from a recent article in Roll Call:

....“Steve Stivers’ career as a lobbyist is a central theme in this race because Central Ohio residents are looking for real answers to the serious economic problems that have been caused by too much lobbyist influence in the state and federal government,” Kilroy’s communications director, Brad Bauman, said in an e-mail. “It simply cuts to the core of his credibility. ... He spends a lifetime advocating for banking deregulation and then wants to tell people in Ohio how he’s gonna help fix the mortgage crisis, people simply don’t buy it.”

Stivers’ campaign manager, Mike Hartley, said the Republican candidate “was an advocate” for one of the state’s largest employers and “worked to bring jobs to Central Ohio” when he worked for Bank One.....

He "was an advocate"? Stivers was "an advocate" for Bank One. He protected their business profits when he met with state representatives. He worked to make sure that his employer did not have to deal with too many regulations or inconveniences. Stivers even filled out yearly lobbyist reports for the State of Ohio.

For more information, see the Office of the Legislative Inspector General:

Search for Steve Stivers at the following links for his lobbying reports:
Lobbyist Forms Filed 1991 - Present
Financial Disclosure Statements Filed 1994 - Present

No matter what Stivers and his staff call it, STEVE STIVERS IS A CAREER BANK LOBBYIST.

During his short tenure in the State Senate, Stivers has sided with big business, banks, and lawyers over regular citizens. Besides his bank lobbyist leanings, Stivers is also against women's reproductive freedom. This is probably an area where Ohio women should have the most concern. Here is an excerpt from Emily's List:

...Stivers styles himself as a moderate, but his voting record on fiscal and social issues is anything but. One of four Republican senators who voted against bipartisan legislation to curb predatory lending practices, Stivers has consistently opposed consumer protection efforts — a reflection of his loyalty to the banking industry (he was a longtime lobbyist for one of Ohio’s largest banks). He says he is pro-choice, but has consistently voted against reproductive freedom, earning “0” ratings from Ohio NARAL. In 2004, Stivers voted to require doctors to prescribe three times the necessary dosage of RU-486, effectively tripling the cost of medical abortions. Two years later, he voted to codify Ohio’s ban on funding for abortions for poor women. Stivers even worked against an amendment requiring insurance companies to cover contraception. In a moment of sleazy candor, Stivers made an offensive remark about a group of high school girls visiting the state Senate. According to the Canton Repository, when Stivers was reminded that he had just returned from his honeymoon, he said, “I’m allowed to window shop, just not buy.”....

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy will have my vote.

Don't Believe It

Once again the Republican Party and their surrogates, like Freedom's Watch and Vets for Freedom, are busy with their attack machines. Freedom's Watch and Vets for Freedom are both extreme right wing organizations that are light on fact but heavy on smears. You'll be seeing some of their ads in the weeks to come. They are against any movement that would take American troops out of Iraq and into the growing attacks on Americans in Afghanistan. Both Freedom's Watch and Vets for Freedom subscribe to the Bush and McCain plan to have everlasting war in Iraq. Remember---you've been warned! For additional info on Freedom's Watch and Vets for Freedom, check over at the Ohio Daily Blog.

Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, is fighting against the above mentioned right wing 527 groups. Kilroy, who is pro-choice, is up against extreme right winger and former bank lobbyist, Steve Stivers. (Stivers, by the way, is against a woman's right to choose.) Stivers has become a media whore recently by contacting local TV stations about all the new legislation he plans or his energy plan. (Stivers has received campaign donations from big oil.) Unfortunately for parents, the last legislation that Stivers was responsible for, he did not complete. The camp background check bill, which was supposed to protect campers by mandating background checks for camp employees, had no enforcement written into it and has been considered weak. Stivers is so desperate for attention.

If you watch these TV ads, remember that Vets for Freedom and Freedom's Watch were hatched by the Bush administration to keep the war in Iraq going on forever. Don't believe their Bush propaganda.

A Middle Class Tax Cut?

Both Senator Obama and Senator McCain have proposed middle class tax cuts. What do they look like
side by side? (McCainpedia)

Family	OBAMA PLAN	McCAIN PLAN
Married couple without children making $60,000	$1,500 includes $1,000 Making Work Pay tax cut and $500 universal mortgage credit	$0
A 70 year-old widow making $35,000	$1,900	$0
Married Couple making $90,000	$1,000	$125
Married Couple making $60,000 with two children, one of whom is in college.	$3,700 includes $1,000 Making Work Pay tax cut; $500 universal mortgage credit; and $4,000 college credit net of current college credits	$125

Let me make it simpler:

OBAMA McCain

$1,500 > $0

$1,900 > $0

$1,000 > $125

$3,700 > $125

Which one looks better for you?

Stivers Is Disrespectful Toward Women

We have all heard the story about Republican Steve Stivers and his remarks when the Mercy High School State Champion Girls' Volleyball team visited the Ohio General Assembly. (If you don't recall what he said, do a Google search of the phrase----- Steve Stivers girls volleyball team ---http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=steve+stivers+girls+volleyball+team&btnG=Search). It makes Stivers sound like someone I'd not like to have in my home or near my daughters.

Stivers, a candidate for Congress and a former corporate bank lobbyist, has said some very nasty things about Mary Jo Kilroy, Democratic candidate for the 15th congressional district. Here is what Stivers had to say about Kilroy (iStockanalyst):

As he savored a cheeseburger with everything, state Sen. Steve Stivers was asked, "What is Mary Jo Kilroy's Achilles' heel?"

He didn't swallow the answer: "Have you ever met her?"

And then, "Voters want to vote for someone they like..."

Hey, Steve---Voters must like Kilroy a lot. They've voted for her in four elections and in greater numbers than you've received.

We've met Mary Jo Kilroy. My husband and I found her to be an intelligent, knowledgeable, and interested in the lives and struggles of the people of central Ohio. I would invite Mary Jo into my home, let her meet my daughters, my family, and my neighbors. I am going to use one of my most valuable rights that I have---the right to vote----and use it to vote for Kilroy for Congress.

Stivers has been hanging around too many other lobbyists, bankers, and the well-to-do. He apparently doesn't realize that this recession that George W. Bush has provided has hurt regular Americans. Stivers might not meet the out of work men and women because they don't hang out at those mega-fundraisers that his banking friends and Grover Norquist throw for him.

I'll be voting for Kilroy for Congress because I know she'll represent me, not a bank or corporation.

Lima Company

Many people remember this: Washington Post (August 4, 2005)

Aug. 3 -- A Marine Reserve company that was known as "Lucky Lima" before suffering heavy casualties in May was hit Wednesday by the deadliest roadside bombing of the Iraq war, a massive explosion that killed 14 Marines and the unit's Iraqi interpreter, according to witnesses and military spokesmen.

The Marines were part of a convoy that was attacked on a desert road outside the western town of Haditha, one witness said. Rolling in armored vehicle after armored vehicle, the patrol was nearing the entrance to the town when a brilliant flash erupted in the middle of the convoy.....

Special Delivery

Flower Delivery for Steve Stivers, Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district:



(from You Tube)

Did you notice the Ohio Republican Party headquarters? I wonder how much money they got from lobbyists and special right wing interest groups to build that massive building.

>> Why would any person vote against a bill for equal pay?
According to the the Roll Call Vote 556 on HR 1338 ( Title: To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes. ), the following members of the House of Representatives voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act. This means these people don't believe women deserve equal pay for equal work:

Aderholt Akin Alexander Bachmann Bachus Barrett (SC) Bartlett (MD) Barton (TX) Biggert Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (UT) Blackburn Blunt Boehner Bonner Bono Mack Boozman Boustany Brady (TX) Broun (GA) Brown (SC) Buchanan Burgess Burton (IN) Buyer Calvert Camp (MI) Campbell (CA) Cantor Capito Carter Chabot Coble Cole (OK) Conaway Crenshaw Culberson Davis (KY) Davis, David Davis, Tom Deal (GA) Doolittle Drake Dreier Duncan Ehlers Emerson Everett Fallin Feeney Ferguson Flake Forbes Fortenberry Fossella Foxx Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly

Garrett (NJ) Gingrey Gohmert Goode Goodlatte Granger Graves Hall (TX) Hastings (WA) Heller Hensarling Herger Hobson Hoekstra Hunter Inglis (SC) Issa Johnson (IL) Johnson, Sam Jones (NC) Jordan Keller King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Kline (MN) Knollenberg Kuhl (NY) LaHood Lamborn Latham LaTourette Latta Lewis (CA) Lewis (KY) Linder LoBiondo Lucas Lungren, Daniel E. Mack Manzullo Marchant McCarthy (CA) McCaul (TX) McCotter McCrery McHenry McHugh McKeon McMorris Rodgers Mica Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller, Gary Moran (KS) Murphy, Tim Musgrave Myrick Neugebauer

Nunes Paul Pearce Pence Peterson (PA) Petri Pickering Pitts Platts Poe Price (GA) Pryce (OH) Putnam Radanovich Regula Rehberg Renzi Reynolds Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher Roskam Royce Ryan (WI) Sali Saxton Scalise Schmidt Sensenbrenner Sessions Shadegg Shimkus Shuster Simpson Smith (NE) Smith (TX) Souder Stearns Sullivan Tancredo Terry Thornberry Tiahrt Tiberi Upton Walberg Walden (OR) Walsh (NY) Wamp Weldon (FL) Weller Westmoreland Whitfield (KY) Wilson (SC) Wittman (VA) Wolf Young (FL)

Just because President Bush was against this bill, the "Rubber Stamp Republicans" must follow his commands. We'd like to thank these Republicans for delivering a painful lesson to working women. Do you know what that lesson is? If a woman has the same job qualifications as a man, the man, according to these Republicans, should get a better pay, because he is a man. They are also saying that the woman should not and cannot complain about this situation. These Republicans should be ashamed of themselves----especially the women.

(Note: John McCain has voted against equal pay for women in the past.)

Their Plans

- - -The Daily Kos has a little something about Republican congressional candidate Kirk Schuring:

OH-16: Republican State Sen. Kirk Schuring has been a reliable foot soldier for disgraced former Governor Bob Taft on energy issues. Now, as a candidate for the U.S. House, Schuring has a splendid plan for relieving the pressure of gas prices on middle-class citizens: more handouts to Big Oil. From a press release by the campaign of Schuring's Democratic opponent, State Sen. John Boccieri:

On the same day that Exxon Mobil reported the largest quarterly profit of any U.S. company ever, Kirk Schuring announced that the centerpiece of his "economic plan" is cutting Exxon Mobil's taxes and increasing their profits....

I guess Schuring feels that Exxon hasn't made enough money.

- - If elected President, John McCain intends to privatize social security and take away the employer based health insurance. McCain is so, so, so Draconian.

Notes...

One year ago today, the bridge collapse in Minnesota caused the deaths of 13 people. However, with recent cuts in highway spending (because all of our money is going to Iraq), there has been less attention paid to our infrastructure. Mary Jo Kilroy, Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, has something to say about that:

Mary Jo Kilroy, Franklin County commissioner and candidate for Congress in Ohio's 15th Congressional District, called for a strong partnership between local, state and federal governments to renew the commitment to invest in Ohio's infrastructure. While standing at the recently closed Town Street bridge, Kilroy stressed the importance of not having a tragedy similar to the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis that occurred a year ago this week...
.....She noted that a well maintained infrastructure is especially important to Ohio because it has the 6th most interstate highway miles and is home to the second most bridges of any state in America. Federal dollars are needed to ensure that the 25% of Ohio's 18,940 local bridges that are structurally deficient are repaired. Kilroy said she has already proven she has the abilities to bring transportation improvements to Central Ohio.

"As a County Commissioner, I helped invest in the Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility to improve transportation and commerce through Columbus. This investment will result in a $15.1 billion economic impact on the region and create more than 20,000 jobs. I look forward to continuing these priorities in Congress to invest in our infrastructure" Kilroy said.

** According to Politico, the GOP will stay away from the collapsed bridge site in Minneapolis when their convention comes to the city. Gov. Pawlenty, a disciple of Grover Norquist, doesn't want to risk his chances to be a vice presidential candidate for McCain.

>>> Things are getting ugly in Ohio's 16th congressional district. Democratic candidate, John Boccieri, is running a decent, issues oriented campaign. However, the Republican candidate, Kirk Schuring and his staff have been running a campaign that is similar to a junior high student council election. Hopefully, people are looking at Boccieri as a serious candidate with an actual plan on how to get things done. Example-- Boccieri's energy plans:

John believes that America's energy should come from Midwest innovation, not Middle East oil. To start relieving pain at the pump today, we should open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, crack down on oil speculators, make oil companies drill on the U.S. lands and coastal waters they already have, and transition to alternative energy sources as soon as possible.

In the same 10-20 years it would take to develop new sources of oil, we could invest in cutting-edge technologies like wind, solar, biomass, biofuels, geothermal, clean coal and nuclear that will lead to home-grown, affordable, renewable energy while creating jobs and turning around the economy.....

>>> When will John McCain start talking about the issues? Is the McCain campaign desperate because all they can offer citizens is the same old worn out Bush policy failures? Can McCain have one of his "town hall" meetings (you know the ones with all the "specially" picked audiences) without mentioning the word "surge"?