Ohio 15th District

Monday, November 13, 2006

Bush To Get Bail Out From Father

How many times has George H.W. Bush rescued his son, W, when he was in trouble? When George W. tried to avoid Viet Nam, his father got him in the Air National Guard. When George W. had problems because of a drunk driving charge, his father rescued him. There are probably other rescues made by the father, but we'll never know. However, we have become aware of the fact that President Bush is going to get a lot of help from his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Besides his father, W, will have the expertise of James Baker and a group of old Republicans from his father's administration. The purpose of getting all these people together is to find a way to save face and get us out of Iraq.

Isn't it amazing how Democratic Representative, Jack Murtha, a Marine, was right about what was going on in Iraq and the Republicans and the White House were completely wrong?????? Here is a You Tube video about Rep. Jack Murtha. By the way, that Patrick McHenry in the video, a Republican, was re-elected.

BREAKING NEWS: ABC7---A former GOP fundraiser was convicted Monday of embezzling from a rare-coin investment fund in a scandal that contributed to the rout of Ohio's Republican Party on Election Day. Tom Noe, a coin dealer and former Republican fundraiser, was convicted of 29 of the 40 counts against him, including theft, corrupt activity, money laundering, forgery and tampering with evidence.

The corrupt activity charge was the most serious, carrying a mandatory 10-year prison sentence.....

How nice.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Dispatch Article Seems to Cheer On Pryce

Here in Columbus, Ohio, all the votes from the November 7th election have still not been counted. With outstanding absentee ballots and provisional ballots to be counted the day after the Michigan game (Nov. 19th), it appears that the GOP and the Columbus Dispatch don't want all the votes counted. The Dispatch said they've done an "analysis" of the remaining ballots, and that, according to their "analysis," there is no way for Kilroy to win. Hey, Dispatch, here is what I think of your 'analysis.'

B******t.

Why don't they want the votes counted? Why doesn't Pryce want to honor the right of every citizen to have their vote counted? Why is she afraid? Is Pryce afraid of losing? Is the Dispatch afraid of losing a powerful friend in DC? The Dispatch and Pryce aren't counting the votes. Pryce and the Republicans at the Dispatch should stop the whining and just ......

.......wait to have the votes counted!

GO BUCKEYES!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Election Results for Ohio's 15th District Will Come AFTER OSU vs that team up north

Only in central Ohio would you have to wait to count votes because Ohio State football comes first. Those of you who live in other parts of the country may not understand this latest snag in counting votes in Franklin County. However, it appears that everything will just wait until after November 18th when Ohio State plays that team from up north. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch article:

.....Elections workers will delay their final, official tally of Tuesday’s ballots — a total that could add more than 38,000 votes to unofficial results in some races — until Nov. 19, the day after state law lets them begin counting provisional ballots.

They said they don’t plan to open for business on Nov. 18, a Saturday, when Ohio State plays Michigan at Ohio Stadium. But they’ll issue final election results by Nov. 21, a week before the state requires them.

They could count nearly 18,000 absentee ballots now, but they said they’ll wait to avoid more unofficial numbers.

"Our goal is to accommodate our employees’ plans for both the OSU football game and Thanksgiving," said Franklin County Board of Elections Director Matthew Damschroder.

The decision to concede the day to college football will leave winners unknown a bit longer in four contests:

• In Ohio’s 15 th Congressional District, which includes 432 of 836 Franklin County precincts, incumbent Republican Deborah Pryce leads Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by 3,536 votes, according to the secretary of state’s office. (Franklin County puts the margin at 2,835.)

.....A total of 17,766 absentee ballots that were returned Monday and Tuesday will remain uncounted until after the OSU-Michigan game, Damschroder said, correcting an elections board spokeswoman’s earlier comment that they’d be tallied by today.

Of that total, 9,137 were cast by residents of the congressional district in which Kilroy and Pryce competed.

A total of 20,679 provisional ballots cast at the polls Tuesday potentially will be counted on Nov. 19 as well, but state law dictates much of that delay. Provisional ballots are cast by people whose registration is in doubt; the law gives officials time to validate a would-be voter’s eligibility or toss the ballot out.

Of the provisional total, 9,469 ballots were cast in the Kilroy-Pryce congressional district, while 878 were cast in precincts split between that district and another.

In addition, Madison and Union counties have a total of 918 votes in the district that are yet to be counted....

....Attorneys for Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and voting-rights advocates who challenged new voter-identification rules before the election were back in federal court yesterday in Columbus negotiating rules for counting provisional ballots. They are to meet again today.

Pryce’s campaign, which declared victory on Wednesday, said it doesn’t mind Franklin County’s decision to sideline vote-counting while the Buckeyes take the field.

"That makes perfect sense to me," said spokesman George Rasley. "They’ve worked hard enough to get the day off."

During a boisterous rally at Ohio State University last night, Kilroy insisted that Pryce’s lead will evaporate once the provisional and absentee ballots are counted. She thinks that about a third of OSU students — a primarily Democratic constituency — voted provisionally.

Pryce "is wrong on the defining issues of our time," Kilroy told about 150 cheering supporters. "She is also wrong if she thinks she won this election."

Did you get that------our Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell will be in court to get a ruling on how to count provisional ballots. My advice is COUNT THEM ALL!!!!

Here is a posting from the Kilroy for Congress web page:
In unofficial figures released late yesterday by the Franklin County Board of Elections for the entire 15th District, the Upper Arlington Republican had 100,343 votes and Kilroy had 97,508.

About 21,000 provisional ballots and 20,000 absentee ballots cast in Franklin County and received Monday and Tuesday remain to be counted, with about half of those in the 15th District, according to Franklin County election officials.

Kilroy said those uncounted votes, particularly those in heavily Democratic precincts around Ohio State University, could tilt the balance her way. Kilroy edged Pryce in Franklin County in early returns.

"This race is still on," Kilroy said. "It's not decided yet."

Kilroy's campaign manager, Scott Kozar, was more optimistic: "When all the ballots are counted, Mary Jo Kilroy is going to Congress."

Thursday, November 09, 2006

'No Retreat, No Surrender'

The Springsteen song, 'No Retreat, No Surrender,' reminds me a lot of Mary Jo Kilroy. Kilroy has refused to concede until every single vote is counted. The Dispatch has the story about the continuing ballot count for Ohio's 15th congressional district. Here are some excerpts from the Dispatch article:

With 20,000 ballots still uncounted and her lead just 2,835 votes, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce yesterday declared victory over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy in their hard-fought race for Congress.

But Kilroy and her campaign manager said Pryce is premature. They think the uncounted votes in Democratic-leaning Franklin County will be enough to overcome the deficit and send Kilroy to Congress.

In unofficial figures released late yesterday by the Franklin County Board of Elections for the entire 15 th District, the Upper Arlington Republican had 100,343 votes and Kilroy had 97,508. Pryce, a seven-term incumbent, gained her margin in Union and Madison counties.

About 21,000 provisional ballots and 20,000 absentee ballots cast in Franklin County and received Monday and Tuesday remain to be counted, with about half of those in the 15 th District, according to Franklin County election officials.

"This race is still on," Kilroy said. "It’s not decided yet."

Kilroy’s campaign manager, Scott Kozar, was more optimistic: "When all the ballots are counted, Mary Jo Kilroy is going to Congress."

There were few ballots left to count in rural Union and Madison counties. In Union County, only 436 provisional ballots are left to count. And in Madison County there are 472 outstanding absentee and provisional ballots.

Absentee ballots already are being counted, with those totals added on a rolling basis over the next day or so...

Mary Jo, you go girl!!!!

Kilroy fought a very tough battle against a Republican incumbent and she is not going to stop until every vote is counted. No matter what the final result, we should all admire Kilroy for her tenacity.

UPDATE:
10:09AM----I just found this article that claims that Deborah Pryce lost. From GOPUSA:
...John Sweeney (ACU Lifetime Rating: 77) in New York lost. Deborah Pryce (ACU Lifetime Rating: 79) in Ohio lost. Curt Weldon (ACU Lifetime Rating 70) in Pennsylvania lost....

Does the author know something we don't know????????

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Ohio 15th----Still Counting

UPDATE: 5:08pm
10TV said that Mary Jo Kilroy will not concede. At this time, Pryce is ahead by only 3,600 votes and provisional ballots and some absentee ballots have NOT been counted. Many of the ballots are from the OSU area. Pryce said that if she were in Kilroy's position that she'd concede. Yeah, sure. Let the count and recount begin!!! We will not be denied a counting for every single ballot! Nuff said.

It is not over in Ohio's 15th congressional district. With 30,000 provisional ballots to be counted, we won't know for at least one week who won the 15th. Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy has not conceded. Pryce holds a lead of only 4,000 votes.

Here in Ohio, we are happy to have elected Democrats to our state's highest offices:
Ted Strickland, Governor
Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator
Marc Dann, Attorney General
Jennifer Brunner, Secretary of State
Richard Cordray, Ohio Treasurer
Zack Space, OH-18

I hope that Ted Strickland gets a big broom and cleans the state government.

In other news, Nancy Pelosi will be the new Speaker of the House. Yippeeeeeeeeeeee! With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, we now set the agenda.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Breaking Election News

Because of the problems with voting machines in Cuyahoga County, a federal judge has ordered certain precincts in Cuyahoga County to remain open until 9pm. What a surprise!!!! Not!

Time to Throw the Bums Out

We have waited for this day and now we have the chance to change almost everything. Vote a straight Democratic ticket. If you live in Ohio, vote No on 4 and YES on 5.

Here is our review:
Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15)
---fully supports the failed policies of the Bush administration at home and in Iraq.
---says she is "willing" to have your sons and daughters stay in Iraq for another 4 years.
---said her best friend is pedophile and disgraced representative, Mark Foley.
---took money from PACs with ties to oil, gas, and pharmaceutical corporations.
---says that Ohio is on the "cusp" of an economic turnaround. Yeah, right? Is that why Ohio lost 200,000 jobs?
---has voted in lock step with DeLay, Boehner, Hastert, Ney, and the Republican leadership 99% of the time.
---has forgotten she represents the people of the 15th congressional district, not just the Republican Party.

It is time for change. Vote for Mary Jo Kilroy, Democrat for Congress.

------------------------------------
A great reminder about the failures and corruption of the Ohio Republicans who control our state government, is the embezzlement trial of Republican fundraiser, Tom Noe. According to the Toledo Blade:
...Prosecutors have said Noe took more than $2 million from the state coin funds he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and doctored records to cover the theft. He used the money, they said, to spend on his homes, past debt, and other personal items....
Ohio has lost so much because the Republicans lined their pockets while the jobs went away. It is time for change.
----------
I'll be following election results and post whatever I can here.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Same Old Stuff or New Direction

Election day provides us with a real chance to change direction. If voters choose to stay with the Republicans, we know what they'll give us: scandal, ethics problems, lobbyists dictating the writing of legislation, and a continuation of the fiasco in Iraq. As Chris Matthews said this morning on the Today Show, if Republicans keep control, President Bush will say something like 'thank you for supporting my policies.'

The only real choice is to vote for change and a new direction. By voting a straight Democratic ticket, you are saying to the President and the Republicans ------- ENOUGH!

*If you live in Ohio, you've seen the new ad by Republican Mike DeWine. The ad has someone named Vicki Almay who makes some accusations about what happened in Sherrod Brown's office in 1986. Almay and her husband are major contributors to DeWine's campaign (several thousand dollars). Voters should also know that the employee that Almay and DeWine refer to was exonerated. This ad just shows has down and dirty DeWine and the Republicans have become.

Check out the video from Crooks and Liars that shows Chris Matthews accuses DeWine of smearing Brown.

*Look at my previous post that shows the Ohio hometowns of our troops who have died in Iraq. Republican Deborah Pryce lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio, an upper income suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Not one person from Upper Arlington has died in Iraq. Think about it.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Can you imagine 4 more years of the Iraq War?

Yesterday I wrote about how Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) said she was "willing" to have U.S. forces remain in Iraq four more years (see post below). As of today, Ohio has lost 137 men and women in Iraq. The Washington Post has the full list of Ohioans who have died in Iraq. If people vote for Pryce, will this list of Ohio's dead double, or triple? According to the Post, here are the number of dead from each Ohio city:

Are you willing to have Bush, Pryce, and the rest of the Republicans continue to fight the war in Iraq in the same way------ war without end? For change, we must vote for Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and every single Democrat on election day.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Pryce Is Willing to Stay in Iraq for Up to 4 More Years

In a debate that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) had with her Democratic opponent, Mary Jo Kilroy, Pryce said the following (LINK):

"I’m willing to have U.S. troops in Iraq until we defeat terrorism in Iraq," said Pryce, who added that she hopes the troops can come home in less than four years. She talked of visiting Iraq and how the people "are liberated and they are happy in their freedom."

If you examine that statement, Pryce is willing to have your sons and daughters stay in Iraq for up to 4 years. That is very generous of her, don't you think? She is willing to let military families remain apart for another 4 years. Pryce is willing to have our money continue to pour into Iraq for another 4 years. Pryce is willing to have the military profiteers continue to make excessive profits for another 4 years.

Although Pryce might say today that what is happening in Iraq has no reflection on her, I would disagree. Her support of the war in Iraq has put our men and women in the military at risk every single minute they are in Iraq. It is time to tell Pryce and the Republicans to pack up their suitcases and go home. We simply cannot continue to have our service members in Iraq for another 4 years.

If you are tired of the scandals, lies, and the war, you know what you must do. If you want to change course, there is only one way-----
vote out the R's and vote for the D's (Democrats).

Friday, November 03, 2006

'Iraq is not a direct reflection on me'

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is hoping that we will all get amnesia before election day. Pryce hopes that we will forget that she said the following about the war in Iraq (Link):

On June 28, 2005, three years after the war started, Rep. Deborah Pryce told the Columbus Dispatch that "Iraq is now a beacon of freedom."
On October 24, 2003, Rep. Deborah Pryce said "I didn't see any chaos" in Iraq.

And, of course, who can forget those disastrous cuts that Pryce and the GOP made to benefits for our troops?

According to CNN:
Deborah Pryce distanced herself Thursday from the Iraq war, telling CNN Radio, "What's happening in Iraq is not a direct reflection on me."

...Pryce made the remark Tuesday in an interview at a Columbus, Ohio, factory. When pressed by CNN on whether her position as a House leader connected her to the volatile situation in Iraq, Pryce objected to the interruption of her remarks and said the interview was over....

"Thanks, I'm done," Pryce said. She expressed frustration and walked away saying, "Maybe we'll call you later when I'm feeling better."

In a statement issued to CNN later, Pryce finished her response, writing, "What's happening in Iraq is not a direct reflection on me."

"I voted to give the president the authority to use force in Iraq; that doesn't mean I'm always happy with what I see, but I can think of nothing worse for our troops or our prospects for success than having 435 members of Congress second-guessing our commanders," Pryce wrote....

"...Not a direct reflection on me.....?????"

Pryce voted for the war. Pryce has been a cheerleader for the administration's policies for the war. Pryce voted to cut medical benefits to our troops. Pryce voted to cut raises and bonuses for the troops. Pryce supports continuing the war until Bush pushes it off to the next President. Pryce and the Republicans are directly responsible for the mess in Iraq. They refused to have bills come to the floor that would involve oversight, or investigations of impropriety.

Here is my advice: If you want to continue the war in Iraq, continue the American bloodshed, continue the financial hardship the war has created for families and this country, vote for Pryce.

However, if you want to change course, VOTE FOR KILROY.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Pryce and the GOP Have Made Cuts for Vets

*A weekly newspaper here in central Ohio, The Suburban News, has had many recent letters to the editor voicing support and reservations about candidates. However, a letter written by a retired member of the U.S. Army explained how Republican Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has done more harm to our veterans. Here are some excerpts:

...She (Pryce) showed her true colors and demonstrated beyond reproof that issues affecting those who wear our nation's uniforms are secondary and a lower priority. The year 2003 is telling. Many believe Pryce put her "leadership rank" ahead of her commitment as an entrusted "representative," choosing power over service.

If you need more you only need to look at where Rep. Pryce stood when the House leadership unceremoniously dumped Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) from his position as chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee in January 2005. After four years of outstanding service as chairman and with two years remaining on his leadership position, Smith was dumped from the committee. Not only did Pryce support stripping Smith of his chairmanship, she was part of the high-ranking House leadership team that threw Smith off the committee on which he had served for more than 20 years. More than 10 veterans groups protested this acion, but to no avail.

What was Smith's sin? This expert on veterans' affairs put the legitimate needs of veterans and the uniformed military ahead of the cost-cutting, war-on-the-cheap agenda of the Hastert-DeLay-Pryce leadership team. The result was denial of billions of dollars for health care and other services for veterans, widows, and National Guard families.

Pryce's record is a dismal track of repeated refusal to co-sponsor meaningful veteran-friendly House legislation, votes against bringing bills to the floor for a vote, and slavish devoting to the Bush administration's practice of squeezing veterans programs. Only when public pressure has reached a crescendo, forcing the House to act, has Rep. Pryce supported veterans issues....

*To support the thesis that Pryce doesn't support vets, I've included excerpts from The Nation (1/11/2005):

Here's how House Republicans support the troops in a time of war: by demoting and embarrassing the leading advocate for soldiers on Capitol Hill.

The crackdown on GOP moderates continued last week as the House leadership ousted Representative Chris Smith as chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs for his tireless advocacy of veterans rights. Smith--like House Ethics Chairman Joel Hefley--did his job a little too well.

Smith served on the Vets Committee since arriving in Congress twenty-four years ago and became its chairman in 2001, angering the GOP top brass with his opposition to stingy VA budgets and ability to pass bills across bipartisan lines. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay--who wanted Smith punished two years ago--got his wish when House Speaker Dennis Hastert inserted GOP poodle Steve Buyer as Chairman and took the unprecedented step of throwing Smith off the Vets Committee. (Ironically, Smith is also a major figure in the anti-choice movement.)...

*The veterans organization, Veterans United, has included Deborah Pryce and 33 others as "Certified Veteran Unfriendly."

*USA Today has an article today about how troops with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) are being kicked out of the military, given less than honorable discharges, and denied medical benefits. Here is an excerpt:

...In Iraq, Marines who perform well in combat can be lauded for it. But if they develop PTSD, they can be punished for stress-related misconduct, kicked out of the military and denied treatment for their illness.

In recent months, the Marine Corps has begun investigating the matter, identifying 1,019 Marines who may fall into this group since the war in Iraq began. All served at least one year in the Marines and one tour overseas before being discharged for misconduct....

These examples show how the Republican Congress and Deborah Pryce have abandoned our troops and veterans. With the great possibility that more men and women will be suffering physical and mental problems as a result of combat, it is time that common sense and compassion rule in dealing with veterans affairs. Pryce and the GOP have failed. It is time for change.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

A Vote for Jean Schmidt is A Vote for Nuclear Waste Dump in Ohio's 2nd District

If Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH-2) wins on Tuesday, what is in the future for the citizens of her district? Schmidt thinks it would be a good thing to have a nuclear waste dump in her district. Think about it.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Just a Reminder....

I just want to remind you why we cannot afford to have Deborah Pryce re-elected.

Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce voted against
.....raising the minimum wage 7 times.
.....expanding the military's Tricare health insurance to cover all Reservists and National Guard members.
.....a $30 million increase for veterans' health care that would have provided more funding for combat-related trauma care for the wounded.
.....providing job-training assistance to troops returning from overseas.
.....increased port security that would have provided inspection for every container that comes into this country.

Pryce has voted with Bush 88% of the time and co-authored the book on the Social Security Privatization Plan with Rick Santorum.
Deborah Pryce took $103,000 from the energy/oil industry and consistently rubber-stamped the Bush-Cheney big oil/energy policies.
Pryce voted for her own pay raises, while voting down a bonus for our military. (Pryce could have returned the raise! Ted Strickland did.)
Pryce has failed to deliver jobs to her district, and Ohio's 15th district has actually lost jobs.
Deborah Pryce called disgraced Republican Rep. Mark Foley her best friend.
Pryce continues to support Bush's failed Iraq policy while our young people are killed and maimed in the war.

We need change and it must start in Ohio and in our district. When you go to vote next Tuesday, be sure to bring your identification, and vote a straight Democratic ticket.

Who Speaks for You?

The Dispatch is reporting that the Democrats and the Republicans have well-known celebrities visiting Ohio to stump for their respective candidates. The Democrats invited actor, Michael J. Fox, and the GOP had Rudy Giuliani speaking for them. Michael J. Fox is a respected actor, and a spokesman for stem cill research. Giuliani, on the other hand, is a former mayor and a thrice married, twice divorced, well-known adulterer---- and that is not just my opinion.

Recent polls continue to show a tight race between Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican (and best friend of Mark Foley) Deborah Pryce. In the coming days the Republicans will continue to discourage Democratic voters, but we must get out there and vote a straight Democratic tickets. Why? It is the only way to show the GOP that we are sick and tired of all the scandals and we want change.

On yesterday's Ed Schultz Show, Ed reported that Republican Mike DeWine owns $1.47 million of oil stock. Is that why DeWine has supported the oil corporations in 7 out of 10 votes? Just asking.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Jon Stewart Visits Columbus, Ohio

If you read a newspaper or see a news report on TV, the information is the same-------Ohio could be the determining factor on the Democrats controlling the House of Representatives. Here is an excerpt from the Toronto Star:

If there had been any doubts that this state is America's King of Swing as next week's U.S. mid-term elections approach, they were dashed when the arena lights came up at Ohio State University Saturday night and comic Jon Stewart recoiled in mock amazement.

There, cheering back at him, were more than 10,000 students and faculty, celebrating the arrival in their backyard of Stewart's The Daily Show, the first time the trend-setting late-night satirical news show had come to the Midwest.

Stewart said he brought his "Midwest Midterm Midtacular" to Ohio, which gave the 2004 presidency to George W. Bush, because of its status as a national barometer — and because one political scandal here involved the sale of rare coins....

...If Ohio swings back next week, it will again be kingmaker, handing control of the U.S. Congress to the Democrats.
The state appears to be a Republican graveyard, with angry voters ready to punish the ruling party over the state's economy, their ethical transgressions and the war in Iraq."All those issues have come together here," said Ohio State political scientist Herb Asher.

"In Ohio, it's hard to blame the Democrats for anything because there are no Democrats in power here."

...Asher says although Ohio will likely decide next Tuesday's national results, the state is atypical this time because of its concerns over jobs and ethics. Corruption within Republican ranks had become systemic, the product of "having one party control in this state for a long period of time," he said.

The real fight here is the Pryce-Kilroy battle. Last night, Kilroy told some 25 supporters at a private home that voters were sick of scandal in Washington and Ohio, and the state had paid a disproportionate price in Iraq."Stay the course isn't a strategy, it's a slogan," she said.

Kilroy has implied in ads that Pryce is more interested in protecting friends like Foley than protecting teenage pages in Washington...

This week, Jon Stewart's Daily Show will be broadcast from the campus of The Ohio State Buckeyes. It will be interesting to see how Stewart pokes at the Ohio Republican culture of corruption.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Democrat Jim Webb Knows How to Solve Iraq

The Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate for Virginia, Jim Webb, knows a thing or two about the military. As a decorated Viet Nam vet, and a former Navy secretary under President Reagan, Webb knows why the Bush administration has failed in Iraq. Webb also offers a solution. (Yahoo News)

...The former Republican, who was President Reagan's Navy secretary, said in the Democrats' weekly radio address that Bush's "incompetence" in Iraq had undercut the fight against terrorism...

"Since 2003, President Bush has laid out nine different plans for victory in Iraq, none of them serious and none of them workable. And most seriously, this incompetence has hindered our ability to fight international terror," Webb said.

It marked the second time since July 1 that Webb, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, has given the Democrats' address. Both times, his focus has been Iraq.

Webb warned in a newspaper column in 2002, the year before Bush ordered the Iraq invasion, that a war there would destabilize the oil-rich Middle East and mire U.S. forces in a bloody and protracted conflict. As of Friday, 2,810 American troops had died in Iraq....

"A Democratic Congress will demand from day one that the president find a real way forward in Iraq. We'll work with the administration and other Republicans to develop a concrete plan, but none of us are ready to settle for empty rhetoric, or the same old unacceptable results," Webb said....

Webb makes a lot of sense. Either we continue to lose 100/or more of our troops per month in Iraq for the next several years or decade, or we work to get something done now to end the bloodshed. The Republicans will continue the same old rubber stamp of the Bush policies. The GOP won't provide debate, oversight, or suggestions.

I hope that the voters in Virginia choose Webb. He could be the key to finding a solution in Iraq.

Why does Pryce continue to support a failed Iraq policy?

With so many of our young men and women being killed in Iraq, we need to start asking some very serious questions of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15). Why does she continue to support a failed Iraq policy? How many more years does she expect that our military will remain in Iraq? Does she think that a diplomatic solution can be used to end the war?

Does Pryce fully support Dennis Hastert? Exactly when did she find out about the page scandal? Did anyone in her office know about it before her? Has she directly asked any of her pages if they had any problems with Foley or any other Republican members of Congress?

How many Ohioans have died in Iraq (125)? How many from her district? How many military funerals has she attended?

All Pryce wants to do right now is sling false charges against her Democratic opponent, Mary Jo Kilroy. Pryce needs to explain her support for the Iraq war and why her district has lost jobs. If she can't give a good explanation, she needs to lose the election.

By the way, the stupid new ad that Pryce has out now accuses Kilroy of not wanting to stop terrorist phone calls???? The law, as it stands, says that the government can get a search warrant up to 72 hours after they've started the surveillance. Why doesn't Pryce want our country to follow the law? I thought she was a lawyer. Doesn't she have any respect for the laws?

Friday, October 27, 2006

New Polls

CBS News has this about the upcoming election:
Less than two weeks before the crucial midterm congressional elections, all signs are pointing to a big night for the Democrats. But will Republican scandals and growing dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq be enough to give the Democrats the 15 seats they need to take control of the House for the first time in a dozen years?

Many experts — including leading nonpartisan analysts Charlie Cook and Stu Rothenberg — say the answer is yes, and suggest a Democratic victory could turn into a romp.....
...With all 435 House seats up in November, a CBS News analysis rates 48 races as competitive — 42 of them involving Republican-held seats versus just five held by Democrats (the one remaining seat is held by retiring Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders). Another 28 races are rated as potentially competitive — 24 Republican seats and four Democratic....

...Ohio, CD-15: Rep. Deborah Pryce, who holds the number four position in the GOP leadership, is one of the highest-ranking members of Congress in jeopardy of being ousted. Her Democratic opponent, county commissioner Mary Jo Killroy, has painted Pryce as a rubber stamp for President Bush and run ads accusing her of being part of the GOP leadership team that failed to protect pages from disgraced Republican congressman Mark Foley. Pryce faces the added burden of running as a Republican in Ohio, a state that's recently seen its GOP governor plead no contest to ethics violations and one of its GOP congressmen plead guilty to corruption charges....

This new poll by SurveyUSA shows strong support for candidate for Ohio governor Democrat Ted Strickland
and candidate for U.S. Senate Democrat Sherrod Brown.

**The Examiner gives us this information for residents of Ohio's 15th congressional district:
...GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce's suburban Columbus district is relatively affluent but suffered one of the worst jumps in unemployment in the country from 2000 to 2005 - from 3.7 percent to 6.6 percent. She's facing her toughest election challenge in more than a decade because of a range of issues, including her House GOP leadership role and her friendship with disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley....

Looks like Pryce has done nothing to help us here in the 15th district. I hope she enjoyed those 8 pay raises she voted for herself. Do you know she could have refused the pay raises? That is what Ted Strickland did. Strickland refused to take the pay raises in Congress and he also refused the health benefits. Why didn't Pryce do that? No one forced her to take the pay raises!

***Wolf Blitzer asked Lynne Cheney about her books. Watch the video and watch Mrs. Cheney get upset about the lesbian affairs in her books.

A New Direction: Mary Jo Kilroy

I recently had the honor of meeting Mary Jo Kilroy, the Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district. She was very respectful of everyone in our group and very willing to listen to all our concerns. With her experience as a Franklin County Commissioner, she knows how to work with people of various opinions and find solutions. Here in central Ohio, we have a rare opportunity to change the leadership and focus of our country. By voting for Kilroy, we can renew our hopes for a better tomorrow.

The Republicans in Ohio and in other states are in deep, deep trouble. This excerpt from the Dallas News says it all:

...Karen Tumulty finds more discouraging news for the GOP in Ohio, where the 15th District House race offers "no better indicator of whether this congressional election will follow the midterm norm in which voters make their decision based on their loyalties to their individual member of Congress, or whether they will be swept up by a national wave that could wash out the same Republican majority that came in on the last one in 1994."

The Time columnist reports that once-popular GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce is now "in the political fight of her life" against her Democratic challenger, a county commissioner. "It seems every plague that has been visited on Republicans nationally has found its way into this bellwether district," Ms. Tumulty writes. "The latest is the Mark Foley scandal, which probably would not have had much impact in this district were it not for the misfortune of an interview that Ms. Pryce gave to Columbus Monthly magazine a month before the scandal broke. She was asked to name her best friends in Congress, and you-know-who made her top five."

This is the first time in years that Pryce has had a strong Democratic opponent. Vote to change our future and vote for Kilroy.