* Republican Josh Mandel, Ohio's absent Treasurer, has political commercials on TV only because out of state, right wing, pro-wealthy, anti-middle class special interest groups continue to pour money into his campaign. However, Josh Mandel has spent so little time in his office as Treasurer that he knows so little about what jobs have been saved in the state and how much money is in the state employees retirement funds (police, fire, teachers, state employees, highway patrol, etc.). Here are some example of the robotic, uninformed responses from Mandel:
Josh Mandel's answer on saving auto jobs in Ohio, from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, (Mandel's answer at 3:40):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#48759281
Josh Mandel doesn't care that President Obama's plan to save the American automakers saved hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ohio and millions of jobs across the country.
Josh Mandel doesn't even know how much money is in the state retirement funds! The OhioCapitalBlog has the video:
It might be that Mandel thinks he is protecting only $100 billion of the retirement funds. What about the other $65 billion? That isn't chump change.
Does Josh Mandel refuse to answer because he hasn't been told what to say or because he cannot come up with an answer that is appropriate and in line with his right wing supporters? If not for the right wing PACS which have poured over $15 million into Ohio, Mandel would have no political ads. What will he owe these groups after the election? What promises has he made to them on tax cuts for the rich, ending health screenings for cancer, abortion, ending Pell grants, privatizing education, having a war with Iran, ending Social Security and Medicare? Do you think they'd give him money for nothing? They expect him to vote the way they dictate.
As a woman, I'm concerned about Josh Mandel and other Republicans that want to restrict women and their reproductive choices. How dare Mandel and the rest of the Republicans question a woman's personal issues about birth control and abortion?!!! Would they like it if we asked every male Republican how often they use Viagra and other similar drugs? Mandel and the rest of the GOP might say that question was an invasion of their privacy, but they don't seem to get that they are invading a woman's private decisions.
Josh Mandel is against abortion. He says that he was always pro-choice (although he flip flopped on the issue). If Mandel is against abortion, he probably shouldn't have one. Mandel has supported the "Heartbeat Bill."
PlainDealer:
...Mandel has expressed support for Ohio's "heartbeat bill," which would
outlaw abortions in the state if a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The
bill, passed through the Ohio House but stalled in the Senate, contains no exception for rape or incest....
....no exception for rape or incest....
It is not his right or duty to tell a woman what she can and cannot do. Todd Akin, Josh Mandel, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and the rest of the Republicans have voted to restrict women's reproductive choices. It is none of their business. Paul Ryan even wanted to restrict a woman's access to birth control pills!!!!!!
The Republicans say they want to "take the country back" but they always leave off the rest of the statement.
The Republican motto should be----
"We want to take out country back to the 1950's ---
no civil rights, no birth control, no rights for women,
no Medicare, no voting rights,
no equal education."
What rights and privileges do the Republicans want you to surrender? If you are a woman or a member of the middle class, voting for a Republican is like shooting yourself in the foot. They don't care about you.