Aide to Ney Subpoenaed

A senior aide to Republican Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18) has been subpoenaed in the ongoing investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his ties to the Republican Party. Here are some excerpts from the Columbus Dispatch:

...Matt Parker, who has served as district director for Ney’s office in Ohio as well as an adviser to the re-election campaign, was ordered to turn over documents to federal prosecutors and testify before a grand jury in Washington.

Parker’s subpoena was made public yesterday in an announcement on the House floor, as required when lawmakers or staff members receive subpoenas. Parker could not be reached for comment.

Also announced yesterday were the departures of Brian Walsh, a longtime Ney spokesman; Will Heaton, Ney’s chief of staff; and Chris Otillio, a senior legislative aide.

Heaton was with Ney on a lavish 2002 golf trip to Scotland arranged by Abramoff. That trip is part of what federal prosecutors are examining in an investigation of Ney’s ties to Abramoff...

It is clearly not a good indication when a large number of staff members bolt for the door. You just have to wonder how long it will take for the investigation to finally get to Ney. I wonder what the people of Ohio's 18th congressional district are thinking now.

****The Coingate investigation continues------
The Toledo Blade has a great article on the latest development in the Tom "Coingate" Noe investigation. Here are some excerpts:

...Investigative reports released yesterday after the convictions of Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber, Toledo City Councilman Betty Shultz, former Toledo Mayor Donna Owens, and former state Rep. Sally Perz show that Noe had treated Ms. Thurber and Ms. Owens on several occasions — and neither had disclosed those contacts.

The women pleaded no contest in Toledo Municipal Court yesterday to the misdemeanor charge they faced of failing to disclose a meal — from the October, 2003, fund-raiser — paid by Noe. Visiting Judge Mark Reddin of Bowling Green Municipal Court found them guilty and fined them $1,000 apiece, plus court costs, and the cost of the investigation, which has not been determined. He could have imposed a jail sentence of up to six months....

Do you need any additional proof about the Republican culture of corruption here in Ohio? The citizens of Ohio have had enough!

Grand Oil Party = GOP

With gasoline prices at or near $3/gal. here in central Ohio, drivers are getting upset. It was not surprising to see a protest against rising gas prices. Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce has received political contributions from PACs and people associated with the oil companies. According to Open Secrets, Oil and Gas PACs gave 83% of their 2006 campaign contributions to Republicans. For the 2006 campaign, a large source of Pryce's campaign funds come from PAC's (special interests). (Note: This does not include what she has received in past years.) Pryce and the Republicans have a cozy relationship with the oil and gas corporations. This is why the Republicans refuse to do anything to regulate gas prices. Pryce and the Republicans benefit by getting those contributions and, in turn, we suffer by having to pay these extremely high gas prices.

Families and businesses are hurt when gas prices go up. People are paying higher prices at the grocery store and for other services. It seems the only people who benefit with high gas prices are the people at oil companies and Republicans, like Pryce, who get their contributions. Call Pryce's office (614 469-5614) and let her know that you are unhappy with gas prices.

Isn't it time to change from a Congress controlled by corporations to a Congress controlled by the people?

15th District: From Red to Blue?

All indications are that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is in deep trouble in Ohio's 15th district. She started her television ads 4 months. According to The Hill, Pryce has also beefed up her campaign staff. Will it be enough???? Here are some excerpts from The Hill article.

...Democrats have suggested that Pryce’s close alliance with the Bush administration as a member of House Republican leadership could be her Achilles’ heel in a district that gave him only 50.3 percent of the vote in 2004. Franklin County, which makes up a large portion of the 15th District, went Democrat in 2004.

The Pryce campaign says that the race is about local issues and her record as a longtime representative. DeStefano said links to Bush would not impede Pryce, who received many more votes than the president in the district in 2004.

“Our focus is her and her record of accomplishment here — why she is a perfect fit for the 15th District,” he said....

People in the 15th district are very unhappy with the culture of corruption here in Ohio and the lack of leadership. We have not seen a 'record of accomplishment' and we are not pleased with Pryce's support of this administration's policies. We need a change in direction for this country and we need to bring our troops home. The only way this will happen is if Pryce is defeated.

Protests at Gas Stations

Update: The new Google Video has a video on Pryce's ties to corporations. See it HERE.

There are planned protests at gas stations tomorrow and Republican Deborah Pryce is one of the reasons for the protests. Here is an excerpt from US Newswire:

This Wednesday at more than 300 gas stations across the country, thousands of MoveOn members will hold "Rallies for An Oil-Free Congress," exposing Republicans in Congress for accepting campaign contributions from Big Oil companies while they do nothing to ease the burden of Americans who are paying more at the pumps.

The rallies are part of a National Day of Action, echoing the "Caught Red Handed" theme of MoveOn's latest TV ads that tie the Republican-controlled Congress to the culture of corruption. MoveOn.org Political Action just completed three rounds of a $1.3 million campaign in the districts of Republican Reps. Chris Chocola, Thelma Drake, Nancy Johnson and Deborah Pryce.

"Big Oil companies have given millions in campaign contributions to the Republican controlled Congress, but that pales in comparison to the billions they've received in tax breaks and subsidies. Republicans have consistently rejected Democratic attempts to move toward energy independence and a national clean energy policy. With gas prices soaring and global warming a deepening threat, it's time to stop America's addiction to oil -- by curing Republicans' addition to oil money," said Nita Chaudhary of MoveOn.org Political Action.

Since 1990, Big Oil has given more than $190 million to members of Congress -- 75 percent of which has gone to Republicans...

Should be interesting!!!!

Americans: Bring Troops Home/ Pryce: Let Troops Stay in Iraq Forever

The Republicans just don't get it. Americans want out of Iraq! The latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows that Americans want our military home within the next 12 months. Here are some excerpts from the article:

A majority of Americans say Congress should pass a resolution that outlines a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday. Half of those surveyed would like all U.S. forces out within 12 months....

Bush's approval rating is at 37%.

In the poll, 57% say Congress should pass a resolution that outlines a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops; 39% say that decision should be left to the president and his advisers....

The poll also shows that only 1/3 of Democrats and Independents and 2/3 of Republicans want to stay in Iraq as long as necessary. Clearly, if Americans want to end the war, they must elect Democrats. Otherwise, the war in Iraq will go on, and on, and on.

Republican Rep. Pryce wants to continue to stay in Iraq. She has no plan for bringing our troops home. She has no plan to end the war. Pryce just hopelessly supports an unending war with billions of dollars being wasted while we lose thousands of our troops. Pryce's motto should be ----Elect Pryce for War Without End!

Just a note---the Columbus Dispatch has yet to include any of Pryce's votes against veterans. Why are they covering up her votes????

Here is a sample:

1. *Representatives Ney and Pryce Opposed Expanding TRICARE to National Guard & Reserve Volunteers. Representatives Ney and Pryce voted against expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to all reservist and National Guard members. The proposal would have expanded military health care to provide access to TRICARE to members of the Guard and Reserve and their families for a low fee, which would have helped 2,563 in Ohio.
[HR 1815, Roll Call #221, 5/25/05; Leadership Document, “DOD Authorization Previous Question on
Rule”; S. 2400, Roll Call Vote #105, 6/2/04]

2. *Representatives Ney and Pryce Voted Against $30 Million Boost for Veterans Health Care & Benefits. In 2005, Ney and Pryce voted against an additional $30 million for veterans' health care. The amendment have would added funding for combat-related trauma care to support wounded troops once they return to their homes, medical and prosthetic research and 100 additional staff to help process claims for compensation and pension benefits.
[HR 2528, Roll Call #224, 5/26/05; Leadership Document, “Medical Quality Democratic Amendment Final]

3. *Representatives Ney and Pryce Opposed $150 Million Increase for Military Personnel. In 2005, Ney and Pryce voted against a proposal to the budget to increase funding for military health care by $100 million and transitional job training for military personnel by $50 million. [HR 1268, Roll Call #76, 3/16/05; CQ.com vote reports]

4. *Representatives Ney and Pryce Voted Against Additional Job Assistance to Veterans Returning from
Overseas. Ney and Pryce opposed efforts to provide extra job training assistance to veterans who are returning
from overseas. Four out of 10 members of the Guard and Reserve forces lose income when they leave their civilian
jobs for active duty, and many are self-employed or run small businesses. This means they face the daunting task
of reestablishing their businesses after their release from active duty.
[HR 27, Roll Call #47, 3/2/05; 109th Congressional Record, pg. H915, 3/2/05; 109 th Congressional Record, pg. H2074, 4/14/05]


Additional information about Pryce's voting record can be found at http://www.uaprogressiveaction.com/archives/ohio_politics/ohio_15th_district/index.html

'Unprecedented Public Corruption'

With the midterm election just a few months away, it is hilarious to hear the Republicans tell us what a fabulous job they've done for us in Ohio. In reality, the Republicans have done absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G for the good people of Ohio! Ohio has lost 200,ooo manufacturing jobs. People have lost health insurance. Our country has lost over 2500 men and women in Bush's war. Ohio's reputation as a nice place to live has been ruined by Republican corruption and scandals.

The Plain Dealer has the results of the task force that was set up to investigate corruption in Ohio. Here is an excerpt from the PD article:

Over the last year, nine people, including six who were on the state payroll, have been charged in an unprecedented public corruption investigation by a federal, state and local task force, the largest undertaking of its kind in Ohio history. The charges have ranged from misdemeanor ethics violations to federal bribery and racketeering charges. The probe continues....

Isn't that a great paragraph? Read the rest of the article for all the details. The next time someone says they are voting for an Ohio Republican, give them three little words---'unprecedented public corruption!'

Ohio Politics

Ted Strickland, Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, is gaining momentum and campaign money. Strickland is gaining support from Republicans who have been turned off by the extreme right wing bent of Republican candidate, Kenneth Blackwell. Here are some excerpts from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Democrat Ted Strickland, candidate for Ohio governor, said Saturday that Republicans keep coming to him and pledging their support because they have grown disenchanted with Republican-dominated government, nationally and locally.

"Ohio is headed in the wrong direction and is in need of a turnaround," Strickland told about 200 supporters at a rally in Hoffner Park, kicking off his general election campaign in this part of the state.

Among Strickland's supporters: Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. He called incumbent Republican Gov. Bob Taft "about as popular as mad cow disease." A spectator shouted: "He has it!"

...Strickland, 64, acknowledged that he will need votes from Democrats, Independents and Republicans to beat his opponent, Republican Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state. Strickland said he will need Ohioans to elect Democrats to other offices to advance Democrats' proposals on issues such as education, minimum wage and health care.

The crowd cheered when Strickland announced that the independent Rasmussen poll on Saturday reported he has a 13-point lead over Blackwell. Strickland has also raised more money than Blackwell so far - $2.6 million, about double what Blackwell has, a Strickland spokesman said...

It seems as though Republican candidate for state treasurer, Sandra O'Brien, has some problems. Here is an excerpt from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

...As the little-known O'Brien begins her underdog general election run for state treasurer, the recent letter underscores troubling lapses that have surfaced from her 12-year tenure as auditor in Ohio's far northeastern county.

The most serious questions about O'Brien's record arise from state audit findings spread over several years, including a 2003 finding that a lack of safeguards in O'Brien's office led to the embezzlement of $40,000.

Couple those findings with a series of costly court disputes with local officials, and a picture emerges of an auditor with a penchant for controversy a picture at odds with her pleasant demeanor.

With $11 billion in state assets riding on the state treasurer's job, O'Brien detractors question her fitness for office while O'Brien and her supporters shrug off the disputes as partisan politics and see her as a fierce watchdog of public money....

Ouch!!!!

The citizens of Ohio are extremely tired of the corruption that the Republicans have created throughout the state. If Ohioans really want change, they'll need to vote out large numbers of Republicans in the next election. The Ohio GOP controls all areas of the state government. Just voting for a Democrat for governor, is a start, but not enough to make significant change. We have to work together to get Ohio back on the right track and that means voting for Democrats instead of the corrupt GOP.

Kilroy: Demand a Plan

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Mary Jo Kilroy, had this to say about the war in Iraq (US News):
...In Ohio, Kilroy, who is facing Rep. Deborah Pryce, says Congress should demand a plan from the president to bring troops home.
"There is a lot of language in this resolution that of course everybody agrees with, but I think they are using it for very partisan political purposes," says Kilroy. "I think they are refusing to allow a necessary real debate on the war and an appropriate timetable for withdrawing and redeploying from Iraq."

Kilroy has made it simple--Demand a plan from the president to bring the troops home.
However, Pryce and the Republicans would rather play lapdogs for the president. The Republicans don't want to discuss the causes and future of the war because they just want to repeat the Karl Rove mantra- Cut and run! Cut and run! Cut and run! What the heck does Rove know about war? He avoided Viet Nam. Didn't he cut and run when he dropped out of college?

House Republicans: Wrong on Immigration

The Republicans in the House of Representatives are headed in the wrong direction on immigration reform. Their planned sideshow has been noticed with an editorial in the New York Times. Here are some excerpts:

This was supposed to be the time that the House and Senate got serious about immigration — by working out the differences between their drastically opposing bills and sending a solution to President Bush, who has made repairing the immigration system one of his cornerstone promises to Americans. It was going to be a hard job, involving lots of focused attention and a willingness to compromise. A hard job, but that's what we pay these people for. But wait. Hold on. House Republican leaders have decided they don't want to negotiate just yet....

The House has a much more simple-minded solution: walling immigrants out and calling the rest felons...

A senior member of the Republican leadership, Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio, called the Senate legislation the "Kennedy bill," a nasty bit of partisan mislabeling that would surprise Arlen Specter and the other Republican co-sponsors, including Mel Martinez and John McCain.

If the Republicans really wanted to listen, they would listen to a recent poll that found that Americans are coming around to President Bush's immigration views. Or to the more than 500 economists who signed an open letter to Mr. Bush arguing that immigration is a net plus for the nation's economy.

Given the topics that have preoccupied Congress lately, one wonders why the Republicans don't simply propose a catchall bill aimed at illegal gay liberal Mexican flag burners and be done with it. The immigration debate has been obscured for too long by a fog of distortion and fear, and the House Republicans are gambling that the public won't see through it. The American people deserve better. They deserve action on a good immigration bill, and if this do-nothing Congress won't give it to them, they should elect a Congress that will.

These Republicans, including Pryce, are just trying to make a show of things. They aren't actually interested in solving any problems. As a matter of fact, this Republican controlled House of Representatives has accomplished nothing. It is time to throw the Republicans bums out. We need members of Congress who will actually get the job done.

Update:
Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10th) is for staying the course in Iraq. Born in 1975, McHenry is still young enough to join the military. Now that the Army has raised the enlistment age to 42, McHenry could show his real support of the war by enlisting in the Army. Someone should send enlistment papers to McHenry. Why should McHenry advocate sending our sons and daughters to Iraq when he would be an excellent candidate for military service??????

Ohio's Unemployment Rate for May '06

Ohio released the unemployment numbers for May 2006. Here are the numbers:

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in May, down from 5.5 percent in April, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment remained relatively unchanged over the month, increasing slightly from 5,462,500 in April to 5,462,700 in May...

Among the state's 88 counties, the May 2006 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 3.1 percent in Delaware County to a high of 9.2 percent in Monroe County. Rates decreased in 87 of the counties. The comparable rate for Ohio in May was 4.9 percent....

Keep in mind that this report does not include those laid off at the auto plants.

Money and Politics

Republican Deborah Pryce and other GOP members held a big fundraiser and collected almost $300,000.

Kenneth Blackwell has his hands on something again: Dispatch:

Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell will decide whether a conservative supporter can continue an independent run for Congress that could hurt his own party’s nominee.

The Franklin County Board of Elections voted along party lines yesterday on a Republican challenge to the candidacy of Charles R. Morrison II, a Madison County business owner who wants to join the 15 th District race between GOP incumbent Deborah Pryce and Democratic challenger Mary Jo Kilroy....

According to the article, Morrison ran against Pryce in 2004 primary and managed to get 7,200 votes. Morrison's campaign scares the daylights out of the Pryce supporters because Pryce will need every vote to defeat popular Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy. Now Blackwell, suspected of having his hand in the 2000 and 2004 elections in Ohio, has to decide if Morrison stays or goes off the ballot. I don't think Blackwell can be objective on anything that challenges his friend, Pryce or the GOP.

President Bush's roadtrip to Europe bring more demonstrations. This time the protests were in Hungary. Pic #1
Pic #2

Bush Trip to Austria Met With Large Demonstrations

President Bush has a terrific ability to unite a lot of people-----against the U.S.A. A newspaper in Vienna, Der Standard, has a slide show of the demonstrations in Austria. (photo: APA/Guenter R. Artinger) Slideshow: http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2487727%26_index=2

Pryce Does NOT Support Troops

Need evidence of how much Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce supports our troops and veterans? Remember that actions speak louder than words. Read below:

1. Pryce voted against expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to all reservist and National Guard members. The proposal would have expanded military health care to provide access to TRICARE to members of the Guard and Reserve and their families for a low fee, which would have helped 2,563 in Ohio. [HR 1815, Roll Call #221, 5/25/05; Leadership Document, “DOD Authorization Previous Question on Rule”; S. 2400, Roll Call Vote #105, 6/2/04]

2. Pryce voted against $30 Million Boost for Veterans Health Care & Benefits. In 2005, Pryce voted against an additional $30 million for veterans' health care. The amendment have would added funding for combat-related trauma care to support wounded troops once they return to their homes, medical and prosthetic research and 100 additional staff to help process claims for compensation and pension benefits. [HR 2528, Roll Call #224, 5/26/05; Leadership Document, “Medical Quality Democratic Amendment Final]

3. Pryce opposed $150 Million Increase for Military Personnel. In 2005, Pryce voted against a proposal to the budget to increase funding for military health care by $100 million and transitional job training for military personnel by $50 million.
[HR 1268, Roll Call #76, 3/16/05; CQ.com vote reports]

4. Pryce voted against Additional Job Assistance to Veterans Returning from Overseas. Pryce opposed efforts to provide extra job training assistance to veterans who are returning from overseas. Four out of 10 members of the Guard and Reserve forces lose income when they leave their civilian jobs for active duty, and many are self-employed or run small businesses. This means they face the daunting task of reestablishing their businesses after their release from active duty. [HR 27, Roll Call #47, 3/2/05; 109th Congressional Record, pg. H915, 3/2/05; 109th Congressional Record, pg. H2074, 4/14/05]

-------------------------
The Republicans had promised to have major successes this term. However, it is very easy to see that the Republicans have been total failures. Here is the Republican report card:

Immigration Reform = F (The GOP failed to accomplish anything.)
Social Security Reform = F (They still plan to try to dismantle Social Security next year.)
Ending the Iraq War = F (There is still no exit plan. The Republicans want to continue the war forever.)
Domestic Spying Investigation = F (Sen. Specter (R-PA) changed his mind about having hearings.)
Lobbying Reform = F (Are you kidding? Do you think the Republicans want to give up their cash cow?)
Veterans Benefits = F (The GOP supports your kids fighting in Bush unending war. Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce has been a miserable failure in supporting our troops and veterans.)

Less than 1 Percent?

US News and World Report has a small article about Ohio's 15th district. Here is an excerpt from that article:

In the 15th Congressional District, centered in Columbus, Democrats may have a better shot. Incumbent Deborah Pryce, the fourth ranking Republican in the House, is facing Mary Jo Kilroy, a county commissioner. A proven vote getter and formidable fundraiser, Kilroy will most likely benefit from a decade-long exodus of conservative voters to the exurbs. That has made the increasingly suburban district more moderate. It went to Bush by less than 1 percentage point in 2004...

If Bush got this district by less than one percent, it means that Kilroy has a fighting chance to unseat Pryce. The people in the 15th district are extremely concerned about the war in Iraq. Pryce supports Bush's war without any reservations. However, many of us in the 15th are saddened by the many young people we've lost in Iraq. If Pryce is re-elected, she will continue to support this war and will refuse to change the course. However, if Kilroy is elected, we will have someone in Congress who is not a puppet of the administration, the GOP, and big business. Kilroy is our only choice for change.

Details, Details, Details

The Pryce campaign is a little red-faced today (besides being caught red-handed!). Here is an article from Myrtle Beach Online:
Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, goofed in a television ad: In the last frame, her first name is spelled "Deboarah."

We all make spelling errors. However, when you are a professional politician with a big staff, and your message is out there for the voting public, you cannot make mistakes. Why? It shows your lack of attention and inability to focus on details. Pryce is really not concerned with details. Pryce just follows the orders of Bush, Rove, DeLay, Hastert, Boehner, and the rest of the high-living, business-loving Republicans. The average citizen has been forgotten. The rest of the article goes like this:

Her challenger, Mary Jo Kilroy, a Democrat, has exploited the gaffe.
"Deborah Pryce and her campaign are so 'wildly' out of touch, they don't even know who they are anymore, or even how to spell the candidate's name," Scott Kozar, Kilroy's campaign manager, declared in a statement.
Pryce spokesman John DeStefano was not amused. "We finally know Mary Jo Kilroy knows one issue - correct spelling. ... No matter how you spell Deborah Pryce, one thing is certain: Mary Jo Kilroy is a tax-raising liberal."

Really, Mr. DeStefano? I remember when the Republicans were fiscal conservatives. At the end of President Clinton's last term there was a surplus. Now our country is now faced with the largest national debt in our history. Pryce is not a fiscal conservative. Kilroy is more fiscally conservative than Pryce. As an Franklin County Commissioner, Kilroy has been balancing the county's budget for years. Who should we trust with our money----Pryce who rewards big business and the wealthy with tax cuts or Kilroy who knows how to balance a budget???

This just in: Looks like Republican Denny Hastert is under investigation. Oh, no! Not another Republican corruption scandal!!!!! Details here.

Pryce: Stay in Iraq for the Women???

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce gave a speech on the floor of the House to support "staying the course" in Iraq. In her speech, Pryce said that our troops should stay in Iraq to help the women of Iraq.

What? Many American mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts have lost family members in Iraq. What about the American women? Is Pryce so cold-hearted that she would worry about the lives of others before she would worry about the families in her district and her country? Isn't she concerned about the American mothers who cry every single night? Isn't she worried about the American wives who will never have their husbands with them? Doesn't she think about those American boys and girls who've lost their fathers?

This country is on the wrong track. Pryce's thinking is wrong. Why do we women need to make any additional sacrifices for this war? Haven't we lost enough?

White House, Pryce, and GOP: 2500 Deaths Just a Number?

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) just doesn't get it and neither does the rest of the GOP. The people in the 15th district want our family members home. Americans want Bush's war in Iraq over. We want our sons and daughters home before another one dies. Too many lives have been lost and too many lives have been changed forever because Bush and the neo-cons decided to invade Iraq.

However, Pryce and the GOP want us to continue to stay in Iraq. Why? Why? How we will know when the war is won?

The disconnect that this administration has from the human cost of this war was displayed yesterday. This is from Think Progress:

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked this afternoon if President Bush had any reaction to the death toll for U.S. troops in Iraq reaching 2,500. Snow responded: “It’s a number.” Watch it

If this White House and the Republicans think that the deaths of 2500 Americans is just a number, it shows their pure political purpose for keeping our men and women in Iraq: The Republicans don't want to admit that the reason for the war was a lie.

:> This takes the cake: Despite the fact that Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (GA-R) co-sponsored a bill about the Ten Commandments, Westmoreland can't name them. Steven Colbert visited Westmoreland and Crooks and Liars has the video. Video-WMP Video-QT

Re: the VFW endorsement of Pryce= It is goes against the bylaws of the VFW.
I found out that: No one in the VFW can endorse any political candidate except the VFW-PAC Board of Directors. This information came from someone in the VFW in DC.

Republicans vs. Move On

Did the Republicans threaten to sue TV stations that would broadcast Moveon.org ads against Republican Deborah Pryce??? A similar case in Virginia, made a TV station turn down a Moveon.org ad. It just may have also happened here in Ohio. The Liberty Post has the AP story. Here is an excerpt from that article:

A TV station and a cable network are refusing to run an ad sponsored by a liberal activist group that targets Republican U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce because of questions about material the group provided to back up the ad's claims.

The group MoveOn.org is spending $300,000 on ads targeting Pryce and other lawmakers. The ads say they accepted thousands of dollars in donations from defense contractors and then "opposed penalties for contractors like Halliburton who overcharged the military in Iraq."

Tom Griesdorn, president and general manager of WBNS-TV, said the station didn't air the ad because its attorneys "did not feel comfortable with the documentation provided by Moveon.org," he said.

In other words, the Republicans may have threatened to sue WBNS if they ran the ads. This is what is called pure and simple intimidation.

If you live in Worthington, Upper Arlington, Dublin, Columbus, Grove City, and other parts of the 15th congressional district, we are NOT getting the full truth about Pryce's big money defense contributors. Moveon.org has the facts and they are backed up with lots and lots of sources and records. Here are the Pryce (OH-15) ad | facts and an excerpt:

PAC contributions form defense contractors working in Iraq (not including contributions from PACs of defense contractors not working in Iraq):

Flour Corp. PAC.........$500
CH2M Hill Co. LTD PAC.......$2770
Science Application International Corp. Voluntary PAC.....$1000
Lucent Technologies, Inc. PAC.....$6000
Northrup Grumman PAC (contract awarded to Vinnell Corp, fully-owned Northrup Corp)....$6000
Motorola Inc. PAC.....$500
______________Total $16,750

......Then she opposed penalties for contractors....
Rep. Pryce voted against Higgins, D-N.Y., motion to recommit the bill to the Judiciary Committee with instructions to add language that would impose stricter criminal and civil penalties on corporations who intentionally overcharge the federal government for the provision of goods and services in response to a presidentially declared major disaster, emergency or military action, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.[HR 1751, CQ Vote 584, 11/9/05]...

Go to Move ON and see the ad that the Republicans don't want you to see. The Republicans haven't told us the truth about Ohio's corruption problems and they haven't told us the truth about Iraq. Now Pryce and her party won't tell you the truth about their contributions from defense PACs.

If you haven't seen Pryce's ads claiming her endorsement of a local VFW, count yourself lucky. The local VFW could lose its charter because it endorsed a candidate. Also, Pryce's early ad may signal her desperation and indications that she is losing in her own private polling. It is just my guess.

Many Veterans Against Pryce

A recent endorsement by a Veterans group for Republican Deborah Pryce is causing a lot of anger among veterans. Pryce has voted against many veterans issues and many veterans believe she should have not gotten any endorsement. For example, here is a letter written by a veteran and posted at Veterans for America. The letter writer provides some information as to Pryce's real voting record on veterans benefits. Just between you and me, Pryce's voting record is pathetic. The voting record can be found here .

The Republican Strategy At Work

*Yesterday we saw all the glitz associated with the Republicans controlling the news. After President Bush showed up unexpectedly in Iraq yesterday, we are supposed to believe that everything is good. However, the heavily orchestrated event does not change the reality of the war. Our young men and women continue to be killed and THERE IS STILL NO EXIT STRATEGY. How does a short trip to anywhere provide information? The appearances had all the markings of Karl Rove-- cheering people in uniform, American flags, and lots of cameras. However, other than the self-congratulations offered by the president, did you hear any concrete details? No. This story shows the results of the Iraq War: Sgt. Mark Smykowski's death in Iraq.

*Ohio's golfing governor, Bob Taft, got some news yesterday: He was ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court to turn over his papers he claims are secret. The Toledo Blade has the story. I have to give a lot of credit to Ohio Sen. Marc Dann of Youngstown for his unyielding search for the truth in the Taft corruption matter. Why isn't anyone talking about the missing millions in the BWC's Coingate corruption scandal?