***** The New Times has this about Portman:
...Mr. Portman, a lawyer, has been a longtime associate of the Bush family, serving as a chief liaison to Congress in the first Bush administration before running for Congress in his Cincinnati-area district. His more recent stints as trade envoy and director of the Office of Management and Budget helped establish his economic acumen, but colleagues from both parties have called him a practical politician first and a fiscal conservative second. – this line is lifted from Rutenberg and Andrews....
The part that reads---".... Mr. Portman, a lawyer, has been a longtime associate of the Bush family..." sends shivers up my spine. Can you imagine having someone representing Ohio who is so closely aligned with the entire Bush family and both administrations?
>>> ABCNews has picked up the story about how Republican candidate for Ohio Governor, John Kasich, would do away with the state income tax.
Last night at dinner, we discussed Kasich's plan to do away with the state income tax. We all agreed that such a proposal was absolutely reckless. How would the state pay for public education, roads, agencies, police and fire, and the everyday workings of a state government?
If elected, would Kasich have to put this sign above public schools, police and fire facilities, and government buildings, state parks, libraries, and roads:
Swing State Project has this about Kasich---
OH-Gov: Who knew that John Kasich had the power to transcend the boundaries of space and time? In an effort to court the GOP's restive base, Kasich said "I think I was in the Tea Party before there was a Tea Party."
Oh, my. Kasich's job in the plush offices of the now bankrupt Lehman Brothers seems to have somehow divorced him from reality.
*** Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Steve Stivers, has been trying to stay away from the label of bank lobbyist. However, when Stivers ran for Congress in 2008, he gladly took contributions from his former colleagues at the Ohio Bankers League. The Ohio Bankers League claims to be "Working for Banks and Bankers" on their website.
With just a glance at Open Secrets of which groups are giving to U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15-D) and Republican challenger, Steve Stivers, you can see a clear division. Kilroy's contributions come from people who work, and Stivers campaign money is coming from banks, insurance companies, drug companies, etc.
Open Secrets (Steve Stivers-Republican) This is just a sampling---
American Electric Power..$31,050
JPMorgan Chase & Co.....$6,250
| White Castle | $4,800 |
| Casto Real Estate | $3,400 |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $3,000 |
| Nationwide | $3,000 |
Evergreen Securities..$2,400
| Knox Energy | .....$2,400 |
| Oxford Oil | .....$2,400 |
| Rh Resources | ....$2,400 |
I guess those bankers and investment groups, insurance firms, drug corporations, oil companies, and utility corporations know which candidate will represent them the best ----Stivers.