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SEIU and UFCW poised to rescind support for Zach Space
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Mar 19, 04:45 PM
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Ohio 12th Congressional District
This group is dedicated to electing a Democrat from Ohio's 12th Congressional District to the U.S. House.
After years of ignoring central Ohio's 12th Congressional District, it's nice to see that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is finally willing to commit some muscle to helping Democrat Paula Brooks oust incumbent Republican Pat Tiberi.
This site has hammered Tiberi for years for his partisan flip-flopping, voting YES for every budget-busting spending spree put forth during the Bush administration only to suddenly claim to be a fiscal conservative after Obama moved into the White House.
Yet the 12th district race has remained invisible while the DCCC lavished attention on Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy in the 15th and Zack Space in the 18th.
Indeed, Brooks, currently Franklin County commissioner, is so excited (surprised?) by this sudden interest from Washington that she's announced it twice in two months:
Jan. 14, 2010: "Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, just called Paula to let her know that her campaign is on the list of "Top Races" nationwide!"
March 11: 2010: "Yesterday, our campaign was placed on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list. This is a selective group of campaigns deemed by the national party to be winnable in 2010."
David Robinson, who ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi in 2008 on a shoe-string budget, sure could have used some of this love from the DCCC. And Robinson's election would have likely given Obama one more vote in the House for his programs instead of the steady drip of No, No, No, offered up by Tiberi and his party.
Robinson, by the way, is now running for state representative in Franklin County's 21st Ohio House District and has a good shot at winning. At a Wednesday night political meeting in Columbus, he vowed to run "a robust and well-organized campaign" to claim the seat for the Democrats this November. The 21st District sprawls across areas of Columbus and Worthington in northwest Franklin County.
Although this is a Franklin County race, some of us in Licking County will support Robinson just because he ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi two years ago -- and spent a lot of time here getting to know us even though Licking is not friendly ground for Democrats.
Over the past two years, he's gained a wife (Lorraine) and a ton of political experience, although he says he's still driving that same old pick-up truck. (Hey, it worked for Scott Brown!)
Although Robinson this year is auditioning for a smaller role on the political stage, state legislative races take on a new importance this year since, following the 2010 census, it's the Ohio House which will decide how voters are grouped into the new congressional districts. Democrats have fought an uphill battle in congressional races for a decade just because a Republican-controlled legislature gerrymandered the Ohio map in favor of its party following the 2000 census.
If you want to continue to support David and help keep the Ohio House in Democratic hands, check out his web site at: http://robinsonforohio.com/
This site has hammered Tiberi for years for his partisan flip-flopping, voting YES for every budget-busting spending spree put forth during the Bush administration only to suddenly claim to be a fiscal conservative after Obama moved into the White House.
Yet the 12th district race has remained invisible while the DCCC lavished attention on Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy in the 15th and Zack Space in the 18th.
Indeed, Brooks, currently Franklin County commissioner, is so excited (surprised?) by this sudden interest from Washington that she's announced it twice in two months:
Jan. 14, 2010: "Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, just called Paula to let her know that her campaign is on the list of "Top Races" nationwide!"
March 11: 2010: "Yesterday, our campaign was placed on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list. This is a selective group of campaigns deemed by the national party to be winnable in 2010."
David Robinson, who ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi in 2008 on a shoe-string budget, sure could have used some of this love from the DCCC. And Robinson's election would have likely given Obama one more vote in the House for his programs instead of the steady drip of No, No, No, offered up by Tiberi and his party.
Robinson, by the way, is now running for state representative in Franklin County's 21st Ohio House District and has a good shot at winning. At a Wednesday night political meeting in Columbus, he vowed to run "a robust and well-organized campaign" to claim the seat for the Democrats this November. The 21st District sprawls across areas of Columbus and Worthington in northwest Franklin County.
Although this is a Franklin County race, some of us in Licking County will support Robinson just because he ran an aggressive campaign against Tiberi two years ago -- and spent a lot of time here getting to know us even though Licking is not friendly ground for Democrats.
Over the past two years, he's gained a wife (Lorraine) and a ton of political experience, although he says he's still driving that same old pick-up truck. (Hey, it worked for Scott Brown!)
Although Robinson this year is auditioning for a smaller role on the political stage, state legislative races take on a new importance this year since, following the 2010 census, it's the Ohio House which will decide how voters are grouped into the new congressional districts. Democrats have fought an uphill battle in congressional races for a decade just because a Republican-controlled legislature gerrymandered the Ohio map in favor of its party following the 2000 census.
If you want to continue to support David and help keep the Ohio House in Democratic hands, check out his web site at: http://robinsonforohio.com/
Over the holidays, Republican congressman Pat Tiberi (12th) circulated - on the public dime - a glossy, four-page, thinly disguised campaign ad explaining why he opposes the pending healthcare plan.
"Simply put, this bill isn't the kind of healthcare reform we need," he says. "In fact, it doesn't fix many of the current problems in our healthcare system. I believe it only makes them worse."
The mailer includes a list of what the bill does - and doesn't do - according to Tiberi. Fair enough, except the first examples he cites under both categories are dead wrong.
- "What It Does: Rations mammograms for women under 50 as prescribed by the Preventive Services Task Force."
Tiberi is entitled to his opinion but he should know perfectly well that the pending bill never has rationed mammograms, even this was the partisan leap taken by Republicans after the named government task force made its controversial recommendations on use of mammograms.
“Opponents of the health care reform bills moving through Congress have seized on the new recommendations as evidence that the government is seeking to put bureaucrats between you and your doctor or that it would ration care by denying coverage for some mammograms that are now covered. There is virtually no chance that any insurers, either public or private, will deny coverage to anyone based on these recommendations. Government and industry officials have said that explicitly and, in fact, every state but Utah requires private insurers to pay for mammograms for women starting in their 40s.
There is nothing in the reform bills that would change the current Medicare laws, which require that annual mammograms be included among the preventive services covered, an important benefit for more than a million women in their 40s who get Medicare coverage because they are disabled or suffering from end-stage kidney disease.
The only part of the reform bills that could affect mammography would only make them more accessible. Under the legislation, the secretary of health and human services might be given authority to waive Medicare co-payments for prevention services that rank highly in the opinion of this task force. Since the task force gave a low grade to screening women in their 40s, the secretary could not waive cost-sharing for them.” (NY Times, 11/19/2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/opinion/20fri1.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=mammograms+Utah&st=nyt
Don't trust the Times? How about the Wall Street Journal, whose editorial page usually reflects the GOP line. In its Nov. 24 editorial, the Journal suspects Democrats have rationing in mind even if it's not stated in the pending legislation.
"In any event, the distinction between cost effectiveness and clinical effectiveness will be moot if ObamaCare passes. The House bill gives the HHS task force the mandate to review "the benefits, effectiveness, appropriateness, and costs of clinical preventive services" in making its de facto insurance coverage rulings. As Mr. Reinhardt notes, "at some point soon the rising cost of American health care actually will force Americans to bring monetary costs into the analysis as well."
What's really going on here is that the left knows its designs will require political rationing of care, but it doesn't want the public to figure this out until ObamaCare passes. Then it will begin the campaign to instruct the rest of us that we must follow the guidance of Princeton professors about what medical care we can receive. Americans will simply have to accept that the price of government-run health care in the name of redistributive justice is that patients and their doctors must bow to the superior wisdom of HHS task forces."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704779704574552320222125990.html
But remember, Tiberi's mailer says mammogram rationing is dictated by the pending bill which is just untrue. The Journal editorial only speculates that's the Democrats' future goal.
- "What It Doesn't Do: Bring Down Healthcare costs."
Wrong again, Pat, at least according to this Congressional Budget Office. December 19 analysis:
"CBO and JCT estimate that the direct spending and revenue effects of enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act incorporating the manager’s amendment would yield a net reduction in federal deficits of $132 billion over the 2010-2019 period. Of that total amount of deficit reduction, the manager’s amendment accounts for about $2 billion, and the act as originally proposed accounts for the remaining $130 billion.The estimate includes a projected net cost of $614 billion over 10 years for the proposed expansions in insurance coverage. That net cost itself reflects a gross total of $871 billion in subsidies provided through the exchanges, increased net outlays for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and tax credits for small employers; those costs are partly offset by $149 billion in revenues from the excise tax on high-premium insurance plans and $108 billion in net savings from other sources. Over the 2010–2019 period, the net cost of the coverage expansions would be more than offset by the combination of other spending changes that CBO estimates would save $483 billion and other provisions that JCT and CBO estimate would increase federal revenues by $264 billion. In total, the legislation would increase outlays by $366 billion and increase revenues by $498 billion between 2010 and 2019." http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=446
Again, Tiberi is entitled to his opinion but here we have a clear example of misinformation on a major bill, "prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense" under the guise of "official business."
Congressman Pat Tiberi's opposition to health care legislation evidently applies as well to legislation to protect the health of the Great Lakes.
Tiberi, according to the Nov. 1 Dispatch report, How Ohioans voted last week, joined most of his Republican colleagues in casting a "No" vote on H.R. 2996, a $32.2 billion spending bill for the U.S. Departments of Interior and Environmental Protection. "It includes $475 million to help clean up the Great Lakes," said the chart.
Ohio Democrats, except for Rep. Dennis Kucinich, supported the measure. But among Ohio Republicans, only Sen. George Voinovich and Rep. Steven LaTourette voted "Yes."
More details were provided by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in an article published today in the Dispatch.
WASHINGTON -- Without fanfare, President Barack Obama has approved a large cash infusion to help clean up the Great Lakes, quietly signing a bill that was years in the making and marks a rare bipartisan milestone......
---
....the news brought cheers yesterday. It will mean about $146 million can be spent in the next year to clean toxic sediment and areas of concern, including the lower Cuyahoga River, while $60 million more can go toward removing zebra mussels, keeping out Asian carp and dealing with other invasive species that threaten marine life, shipping and recreation, according to figures in Obama's budget.
Another $97 million will go to reduce runoff and contamination from entering streams and rivers from farms and industry, while $105 million will help restore habitat and wildlife, including building the populations of lake trout, brook trout, lake sturgeon and piping plover. Finally, the budget has $65 million for accountability and monitoring.
This was a bipartisan accomplishment, set in motion during President George W. Bush's administration when Great Lakes shippers, environmentalists, fishermen and recreational boaters created an ambitious restoration blueprint calling for investments from U.S. and Canadian governments, states and provinces and the private and nonprofit sectors........
----
The spending bill also contains $3.4 billion for drinking water and sewer improvements across the nation. It has an additional $4 million to add 635 acres to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Summit County.
Although Tiberi likes to portray himself as a moderate Republican who supports bipartisanship in Congress, he regularly votes against any spending bill for EPA or the Department of Interior.
Once Barack Obama replaced George Bush in the Oval Office, Tiberi became a sudden convert to fiscal responsibility, voting against every Democrat-sponsored appropriation bill unless it was for the military, for veterans or for homeland security.
It's good to see the usually-invisible Pat Tiberi getting some attention this week in the local media. Since 2001, this 12th District Republican congressman has stayed in office by being the stealth candidate as far as the general public is concerned, attending efficiently to individual constituent requests while building up his re-election war chest by voting consistently to please his party bosses and campaign contributors.
With the media (and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) focused on Tiberi's more newsworthy congressional neighbors -- Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy in the 15th and Zack Space in the 18th -- this hide-and-seek tactic has worked like a charm. All Congressman Pat has had to do every two years to punch his ticket back to Washington is lay down a few thousand yard signs and take advantage of the Democrats habit of putting forth a weak and even more obscure opponent.
But the 2010 election may be different.
Tiberi is now opposed by Democrat Paula Brooks, a popular Franklin County commissioner, and the 12th district race is now attracting more out-of-town attention.
The Dispatch today informs that MoveOn.org has targeted Tiberi this week with one of its "caught red-handed" commercials, linking the congressman's opposition to Democrat-sponsored health care reform bills to his record of hefty contributions from the health care and insurance industries.
"The 30-second spots began airing in the Columbus area last night (Thursday) and will continue for 10 days, said Alex Howe, a spokesman for Moveon.org," said the newspaper.
Moveon.org has posted the ad at: http://pol.moveon.org/redhanded_ads.html
Included is this documentation:
"Congressman Patrick Tiberi has received $682,394 throughout his career from health and insurance interests, including:
Insurance
$601,594
HMOs
$80,800
TOTAL
$682,394
And Wednesday, in the Newark Advocate, Tiberi in a guest editorial repeated his claim that he's all for health care reform - but just doesn't like any of the ideas brought forth by President Obama or majority congressional Democrats.
Tiberi casts himself in the column once again as a hopeful but all-too-often disappointed warrior for reform, a politician who wonders why we all can't just get along. Consider this whopper:
"I had high hopes when President Barack Obama was sworn in," he writes. "We had just completed one of the most partisan periods I'd seen in Washington. Obama talked about common ground, working together regardless of party and finding good solutions for all Americans....then came the stimulus package."
Now while it's true that Tiberi didn't start complaining about Obama in public until March, a month after Obama took office, it's hard to envision this loyal Republican harboring "high hopes" for the new Democratic President last February
Tiberi, it should be noted, was one of ten legislators who signed on during the 110th Congress to one of the most simplistic rants against the Democratic Party ever published by the GOP.
In a 6-page broadside entitled, The Architects of Chaos, Decline and Defeat vs. The Champions of American Freedom produced by the Republican House Policy Committee, the group said the goal of Democrats was "to reduce sovereign Americans from the masters of their destiny into the serfs of governmental dependency."
It then went on to describe the party of FDR and Truman and Kennedy as "the architects of chaos, decline and defeat."
And yet, in February 2009, after supporting this vile slander, Tiberi claims he looked forward to Obama's presidency with "high hopes." This, after a campaign during which his party's leadership had castigating Obama for being the most liberal Democrat in the Senate.
Right.
In fact, in supporting such a document, Tiberi proved himself a partisan "tea-bagger" long before the movement erupted on the Republican Right. Remember this every time the congressman now wrings his hands over the lack of bipartisan cooperation in Washington.
And which party today would you describe as "the architects of chaos, decline and defeat.?"
Our 12th District congressman, Republican Pat Tiberi, is all for health care reform, he says.
Just not the sort of reform now moving towards decision in the Democrat-controlled Congress. Consider these excerpts from his posting at his website (http://tiberi.house.gov ):
“I am for healthcare reform. Doing nothing has never been an option.
“Americans should be able to keep what they have if they like their current healthcare plan.Americans should not need to worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions, and they should not need to worry about loss of coverage because they get sick, because they lose their job, or because they move. We need to move quickly to address the sky-rocketing cost of medical care; ensuring the next generation of Americans won’t be buried in debt to pay for these reforms.
“I am for pursuing healthcare reform in the right way –together, taking the best ideas we all have to offer and moving forward. Healthcare reform is not a Democratic issue, it’s not a Republican issue; it’s an American issue and deserves an American solution.”
Tiberi, you may recall,drew heavy criticism in his district when he first voted in August 2007 AGAINST extending the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover some 5 million lower-and-working class children. Within a matter of weeks, he reversed himself and voted FOR the bill.
Despite all his usual outrage about Democratic mishandling of the current health care reform bill, might Tiberi go along this fall with the Democratic majority in hopes of securing his re-election next year in an increasingly swing district? Is Democrat Zack Space the only local congressman who's on the griddle on this?
Whatever we on the Left might think of his choices, Tiberi is a survivor and a pretty smart politician. In 2007 and 2008, he backed off from some of the more unpopular measures backed by the Bush administration.
Dare he desert the Republican Right on health care reform?
Next year he faces a potentially tough race against Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks, although Brooks in her health-care statement this week isn't telling us much yet about where she stands on the details. To quote her "Dear Friends" posting on Sept. 10:
"While it would be easy to sit idly by and ignore this call for action, it is the current unwillingness to tackle the big issues that has left our nation with a system that watches from the sidelines as 14,000 Americans lose their coverage each day......
"There are many sides to this debate and many details yet to be worked out. In order to move forward, we need a representative in Congress who will listen to all sides, who will keep an open view, and who will work hard to make sure that fresh ideas do not go stale due to inaction."
One would hope that Brooks would get tough - and specific - about her disagreements with Tiberi on health care reform, now that people are paying attention. "Many sides to this debate" and "many details yet to be worked out" sounds like what a politician would say who's not up to speed on the subject.
We don't get to vote on these two for another 14 months but this fall will be a good time to watch what they say - and do - not only health care reform but the big energy-and-environment bill waiting in the wings.
Just not the sort of reform now moving towards decision in the Democrat-controlled Congress. Consider these excerpts from his posting at his website (http://tiberi.house.gov ):
“I am for healthcare reform. Doing nothing has never been an option.
“Americans should be able to keep what they have if they like their current healthcare plan.Americans should not need to worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions, and they should not need to worry about loss of coverage because they get sick, because they lose their job, or because they move. We need to move quickly to address the sky-rocketing cost of medical care; ensuring the next generation of Americans won’t be buried in debt to pay for these reforms.
“I am for pursuing healthcare reform in the right way –together, taking the best ideas we all have to offer and moving forward. Healthcare reform is not a Democratic issue, it’s not a Republican issue; it’s an American issue and deserves an American solution.”
Tiberi, you may recall,drew heavy criticism in his district when he first voted in August 2007 AGAINST extending the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover some 5 million lower-and-working class children. Within a matter of weeks, he reversed himself and voted FOR the bill.
Despite all his usual outrage about Democratic mishandling of the current health care reform bill, might Tiberi go along this fall with the Democratic majority in hopes of securing his re-election next year in an increasingly swing district? Is Democrat Zack Space the only local congressman who's on the griddle on this?
Whatever we on the Left might think of his choices, Tiberi is a survivor and a pretty smart politician. In 2007 and 2008, he backed off from some of the more unpopular measures backed by the Bush administration.
Dare he desert the Republican Right on health care reform?
Next year he faces a potentially tough race against Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks, although Brooks in her health-care statement this week isn't telling us much yet about where she stands on the details. To quote her "Dear Friends" posting on Sept. 10:
"While it would be easy to sit idly by and ignore this call for action, it is the current unwillingness to tackle the big issues that has left our nation with a system that watches from the sidelines as 14,000 Americans lose their coverage each day......
"There are many sides to this debate and many details yet to be worked out. In order to move forward, we need a representative in Congress who will listen to all sides, who will keep an open view, and who will work hard to make sure that fresh ideas do not go stale due to inaction."
One would hope that Brooks would get tough - and specific - about her disagreements with Tiberi on health care reform, now that people are paying attention. "Many sides to this debate" and "many details yet to be worked out" sounds like what a politician would say who's not up to speed on the subject.
We don't get to vote on these two for another 14 months but this fall will be a good time to watch what they say - and do - not only health care reform but the big energy-and-environment bill waiting in the wings.
Cats supposedly are entitled to nine lives but nobody ever mentions retirement as an option for geriatric Toms.
No matter. Take this as public notice that I, Gray Hunter, am retiring.....from politics, from blogging, from the whole messy and time-consuming world of digital chatter. Whether you realize it or not, the Gray Hunter you depend on for political insights is actually an old feral cat. An old feral cat who now intends to spend the rest of his days sleeping and eating by day, prowling by night, and enforcing barn-yard discipline on the younger felines at Folk Lore Farm (the females who disrespect old Gray by trying to eat out of his supper dish).
I only got into this game at the insistence of my "neighbor", the human who lives in the big house next to my barn. David Lore, a retired journalist, wanted to try his hand at blogging but was reluctant to enter the fray under his own name. So a bargain was struck. We'd collaborate at LICOPAC (www.licopac.org ) by employing my moniker - as well as my snarky, don't-give-a-damn attitude - providing he'd do all the writing and typing and keep my food dish full.
It worked swell for several years. Lore would sit out on his stoop at feeding time reading the newspaper while I would chomp down my high-protein pellets. Being wild, I always kept my distance from him but still approached close enough to read the headlines (which is all a blogger needs to know anyway). No words were spoken, although Lore always thought it funny to greet me by calling out, "Hey, Gray Hunter - cat got your tongue?"
Still, there was communication. He could tell by my scowl what I thought of the news of the day.
But lately I've become disenchanted with politics (at least that of the human variety).
And my blogging partner, being a former newspaper reporter, no longer finds it ethical to hide his identity (however loosely) while slicing and dicing political opponents by name. So as with Evans and Novak, Huntley and Brinkley, this news team is now breaking up with each partner going his separate way.
So after today, if you have a complaint or an opinion about this site, tell it to Lore. He'll be writing under his own name and no doubt be exhibiting a sunnier disposition.
The fact is that, being a barn cat, I could care less what you think or what you do as long as you just leave me alone. I guess that makes me a political Independent, which sounds right for a cat.
As the Washington wag once said, if you want somebody in this town to listen to you, get a dog.
Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks was a surprise visitor yesterday at the Licking County Democratic Party picnic in Newark.
Brooks, currently president of the commission, has announced her candidacy to oppose Republican incumbent 12th District Congressman Pat Tiberi in next year's election. Since a successful race depends on holding down Tiberi's margins in Republican-leaning Licking and Delaware counties -- while running strong in Democratic-leaning Franklin -- Brooks vowed to be a road warrior over the next 14 months.
"We're going to make this happen," she said. "I will be back again and again and again."
Tiberi has served in Congress since 2001, aided by the favorable political architecture of his district and relatively unknown opponents in recent years. Brooks, a popular commissioner who won her second term with 63 percent of the vote, is considered the strongest Democrat in the 12th District race since then-Columbus city councilwoman Maryellen O'Shaughnessy in 2000.
"I'm hearing from people that they're disappointed in the current member, and fatigue has set in as to what he's been able to deliver," she said yesterday.
Brooks said she'll stress her record in both public and private service bringing jobs to Columbus and Franklin County.
"Central Ohio families of the 12th District deserve a representative who will energetically stand up for their most important concerns - their pocketbooks, their jobs, and their health care - not sit back and block progress in Washington," she said in announcing her candidacy on Aug. 6.
Although Republicans are already attacking Brooks as yet another "tax-and-spend liberal," the Dispatch in its lead editorial last Thursday commended the Democrat-controlled commission for keeping its budget $183 million in the black.
"By the end of the year, county officials estimate that total spending will be $306.9 million, a reduction of $1.1 million from 2008," the newspaper said. "Last week, commissioners eliminated seven vacant positions and reduced the budget for supplies and services to save an additional $4.8 million."
Progressives and Democrats wanting to learn more about Paula Brooks should check out her campaign web site: www.paulabrooks.com
Our 12th District congressman, Republican Pat Tiberi, tells us that his newly announced challenger, Democrat Paula Brooks, "is miles away from the values that the district cares about," according to the Dispatch.
Brooks, a popular Franklin County commissioner, revealed her candidacy yesterday for the House seat on the ballot in November, 2010.
"Folks from Delaware to Westerville to Newark know I represent them and the priorities of our community," said Tiberi, the four-term incumbent, selectively embracing the GOP-leaning suburbs at the perimeter of his district while ignoring the core (and increasingly Democratic) vote in Columbus and Franklin County.
Here at LICOPAC, we make it a habit to track the voting records of Licking County's two congressmen, Tiberi and Democrat Zack Space (D-18).
That's how we know that Tiberi's core values - which may or may not match that of his constituents these days - can be summed up as "Just Say No" in accordance with Republican Party discipline to oppose all things Obama (or Democrat), regardless of their merit.
Okay, that's not exactly fair.
Tiberi since Inauguration Day has voted to support some spending, as long as it's earmarked for the military or for homeland security.
But since last December, Tiberi has voted against:
- Appropriations to maintain the departments of agriculture, transportation, urban development, education, health, labor and Interior as well as funds for the Food and Drug administration, the Treasury, the judiciary, the Federal Aviation Administration and even the national parks.
- The cap-and-trade energy and environmental bill. On the other major Obama priority, the health care reform act, Tiberi has expressed opposition to all versions of the measure now approved by House committees. .
- A bill to modernize, renovate and repair public school buildings nationwide.
- A bill to enable local law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes.
- A national service bill to promote volunteerism.
- Curbs on excessive executive pay at bailed-out banks and financial institutions.
- Authority for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate (but not ban) tobacco products to ensure consumer safety.
- A bill to prevent mortgage foreclosures.
- The Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,(i.e. the economic stimulus package).
- Authorization for $15 billion in loans to U.S. automakers
And finally, Tiberi said "No" to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to tighten laws on wage discrimination. (Actually, he voted NO on this measure in January, then abstained when the bill came back for final approval several weeks later).
Also in January, Tiberi voted NO on the Paycheck Fairness Act to raise dollar limits on gender-based lawsuits and set in place new standards to discourage such discrimination.
All that in just eight months -- and the congressman is only one-third way through his current term.
But in fact Tiberi and his Republican colleagues are just flexing their "thumbs-down" reflexes after jerking thumbs-up since 2001 for the Bush administration agenda of war, more war, curbs on civil liberties and tax cuts for business and the rich (i.e., the GOP base).
"Frankly, people in the district say they are disappointed in the current member and they want a fresh approach...," Brooks told the Dispatch.
It can't come soon enough.
If newspapers want to survive, they need to provide information quickly and efficiently that readers are not likely to obtain easily from other media.
Today's Dispatch, for example, has a "good news" piece by syndicated columnist Tom Teepen about final Congressional action on the Omnibus Public Lands Management Bill of 2009 (H.R. 146). He writes:
"Forget the bum economy for a minute. You just got richer. We all did. A lot richer.
After years of dawdling and fussing, both abetted by an indifferent-to-antagonistic Bush administration, the House and Senate finally have passed an omnibus wilderness bill that will protect more than 2 million acres from despoliation. President Barack Obama was pleased to sign it.
The bill brings the highest level of federal protection to sites in nine states, from California to Virginia. Key sections of several national parks and monuments receive heightened security. A number of historic sites benefit.
National forests will be preserved against development encroachments. The nation's system of designated "wild and scenic" rivers will be extended by a thousand miles -- a 50 percent increase.
Our national parks, forests, historic sites and monuments are the nation's endowment, our trust fund for the country's future. They amount to a patrimony of incalculable worth."
See the complete column at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/04/01/teep01.ART_ART_04-01-09_A9_G6DDMGB.html?sid=101
But why, after reading Teepen's piece, should I have to spend another 15 minutes on the Internet tracking down the official name of the legislation, the bill number and how our Ohio representatives voted on the measure?
(FYI, all Ohio Republican representatives (including Pat Tiberi, Delaware) voted NO while all Ohio Democratic representatives (including Zack Space, Dover) voted YES.)
Instead, the timely reporting of how our representatives and senators in Washington vote is pretty hit-and-miss. Even when the Dispatch's own Washington reporters write about legislative action, they often don't say how central Ohio congressmen voted, or only do so days later.
With congressional voting tallies now available virtually instantaneously through a number of Internet sites, why can't the newspaper help out its readers by automatically telling us not only about legislative action but about how our area congressmen voted? Needless to say, most readers are not going to spend time doing their own research.
The failure to track legislators' votes is even more problematic at the Ohio Statehouse. But it's more understandable, since Statehouse voting is more difficult to track on a timely basis.
Our 12th District Congressman, Pat Tiberi, was partly right last night when he declared during a brief television interview that the Obama stimulus bill was "a missed opportunity."
Tiberi, a Delaware County Republican whose district includes part of Licking County, obviously likes the phrase, "missed opportunity." He repeated it twice in the space of a 5-minute interview on Channel 4, and makes it his headline in an equally brief comment on the bill at his congressional web site:
TIBERI CALLS FINAL DEMOCRATIC STIMULUS BILL “MISSED OPPORTUNITY”
“Today’s vote represents a missed opportunity for those of us in Washington who wanted to prove to the American people we understood their call for change. This bill is not stimulative; it’s loaded with Nancy Pelosi’s grab bag of big spending wishes. It does very little to ease our housing crisis, the driving force of the economic downturn. We can’t counter an economic downturn if the causes of it aren’t addressed. What the Democratic Stimulus does include is unprecedented, record-breaking spending that saddles future generations with mountains of debt. Americans deserve better.” (Feb. 13)
http://tiberi.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=111506
As I said, he got it partially right. The near $800-billion economic stimulus package the president signed last week is an opportunity for Obama and more importantly for the nation, although nobody can yet be sure it will be successful.
And, yes, it was also a missed opportunity - for Tiberi and his fellow House Republicans, all of whom marched lock-step in opposition.
"Congressional Republicans have made a stand on the stimulus package, just as they did on the original bank bailout when they refused to accommodate a president of their own party, George W. Bush. These Republicans are as wrong as wrong can be, and history, I am sure, will mock them, but they were not elected by history, and they are impervious to mockery from the likes of me. They come from conservative districts, and they are voting as their people want them to. That's partisanship. It is also democracy." (Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 2/17/09)
But, in fact, Tiberi's 12th District isn't the sort of solid-red conservative district Cohen is talking about here. Tiberi has been elected to Congress five times now because he's usually faced weak opponents and the district has been gerrymandered to make it reasonably safe for a moderate Republican.
Now, by joining the "Just Say No" Boehner gang, Tiberi jeopardizes his own moderate reputation
He's betting against the president - and worse yet, against the country - by playing Hoover to Obama's Roosevelt, even though the President and congressional Democrats agreed to include $288 billion in tax cuts in the package. Unfortunately, tax cuts seemed to be the only element of the recovery plan Republicans showed any interest in.
According to the Obama administration (see www.recovery.gov ) the recovery package will produce (or preserve) 133,000 jobs in Ohio alone. It also comes to the aid of state and local governments, the schools and the poor and unemployed while making major investments in energy, health care and the nation's crumbling infrastructure.
This is also a missed opportunity for Tiberi who, although in the minority, now has the experience and seniority to begin demonstrating for voters that he brings more to the table than another predictable "No" vote on behalf of the GOP. Need he continue to be a Yes man to the caucus and the party after 8 years in congress? At a time when the Republican Party is struggling to develop a new message, does Tiberi have nothing more to contribute than "ditto."
Maybe he'll surprise us as more elements of the administration's plan come before Congress for approval. According to this Feb. 16 column by Bob Herbert in the New York Times, the President hasn't given up on his bi-partisan pledge - yet.
"He (Obama) said that the fact that he’d been rebuffed so far in his quest for bipartisanship would not stop him from reaching out for Republican support.
“Going forward,” he said, “each and every time we’ve got an initiative, I’m going to go to both Democrats and Republicans and I’m going to say, ‘Here’s my best argument for why we need to do this. I want to listen to your counterarguments. If you’ve got better ideas, present them. We will incorporate them into any plans that we make, and we are willing to compromise on certain issues that are important to one side or the other in order to get stuff done.’ ”
When I asked him if there was any reason to believe that the G.O.P. had made a good-faith effort at bipartisanship, given the fact that only three Republicans voted for the stimulus plan in the Senate and none in the House, he said he did not want to question the motives or sincerity of those who opposed the plan.
But he made a point of adding, “Now, I have to say that given that they were running the show for a pretty long time prior to me getting there, and that their theory was tested pretty thoroughly and it’s landed us in the situation where we’ve got over a trillion-dollars’ worth of debt and the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, I think I have a better argument in terms of economic thinking.”
He also made it clear that he won’t let his desire for bipartisanship undermine important initiatives. “I’m an eternal optimist,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m a sap.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/opinion/17herbert.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
The marketplace of ideas is being strangled.
After one year of service to the progressive community of Central Ohio--with virtually no warning and despite enormous support, Monday, December 22 will be the last day of progressive broadcasts at WVKO.
Six companies own 80% of our media outlets, but the majority of people "they serve" are not buying the conservative stations' rhetoric. Latin Catholic masses and other Catholic programming will replace WVKO programming.
I can barely perceive the [not-so] subtle message.
Read More »We know that Barack Obama on Nov. 4 became the leader of the party.
The question now is whether that's the Democratic Party, the Obama Party or some cobbled-together combination of the two.
The new President-elect is still more than a month away from taking possession of the White House, and already such winds of discord are swirling, from Chicago to Washington and -- yes -- into even Licking County, Ohio.
On Thursday, for example, about 30 Obama supporters met at Licking County Democratic headquarters in Newark to explore what change means in their futures. Everyone in the room vowed to remain politically active for progressive causes after Jan. 20. The questions now are what to do and how to do it.
The meeting, which reached no conclusions, proved to be somewhat premature.
In this morning's email, for example, there was a Democratic Party alert from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to an upcoming nationwide series of house parties to address just these kind of issues:
And, in this morning's Dispatch, an AP story recounted that "Obama aides are weighing whether to keep the ($30 million campaign surplus) to build a massive grass-roots program to support his agenda or to cycle that money to the party apparatus."
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/national_world/stories/2008/12/06/Obama_Dems_1206.ART_ART_12-06-08_A3_QLC5A8F.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
True, Plouffe's memo was circulated by the national Democratic Party. But at both the national and local level, it's hard to see right now where all this will go.
There are certainly more important problems facing the nation and its incoming president than how to spend that $30 million left over from Barack's $745 million campaign. What is significant, however, is whether Democrats and the sort of independent progressive activists who flocked to Obama can find common cause on the local level in the years ahead.
Here, discussions have just begun as to whether Obama volunteers not previously active in local Democratic politics would now join the local party or affiliate with existing independent groups (such as LICOPAC or the Licking County Women's Democratic Caucus) or maybe form a new organization or organizations to pursue different goals.
Can those local activists who were so enthused about Obama's run for the White House become equally engaged now in trying to elect Democrats running for county offices, the state legislature and the Congress? Or should these Obama warriors now focus on promoting specific issues, such as universal health care, or spread the word by lending their weight to community service projects?
Some answers may emerge before Obama ever takes office. Local volunteers agreed to meet again once more information is received from Washington and/or Chicago as to just what this reported "massive grass-roots program" might involve.
In addition, a number of Obama volunteers said they intend to stop by this Tuesday evening when the Licking County Democratic Club holds its regular monthly meeting (7 p.m., at the county administration building, 20 S. Second St., Newark).
http://www.lickingcountydemocraticparty.com/
There is precedent for this, of course.
After the 2004 election, a number of previously uncommitted Kerry campaign volunteers were faced with the same sort of choices. Many joined the county Democratic Club, revitalizing the local party which had struggled for years from a lack of manpower and resources.
And at the same time, some of us decided not only to stick with the party but to also develop new local political action organizations -- LICOPAC and more recently the women's Democratic caucus -- to focus on specific issues and the congressional campaigns.
(Since early 2005, LICOPAC has worked on behalf of Democratic congressional candidates in the 12th and 18th Districts while promoting voter education, redistricting reform, the preservation of Social Security and sick-leave benefits for all Ohio workers. We have also been active in networking with progressives in neighboring counties and developing regional action through the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations.)
It's called evolution, and it ain't easy. But it's a sign of health that we, as progressives and Democrats, can adapt to change as it happens in our lives and not just talk about "change" as a campaign buzz word.
The question now is whether that's the Democratic Party, the Obama Party or some cobbled-together combination of the two.
The new President-elect is still more than a month away from taking possession of the White House, and already such winds of discord are swirling, from Chicago to Washington and -- yes -- into even Licking County, Ohio.
On Thursday, for example, about 30 Obama supporters met at Licking County Democratic headquarters in Newark to explore what change means in their futures. Everyone in the room vowed to remain politically active for progressive causes after Jan. 20. The questions now are what to do and how to do it.
The meeting, which reached no conclusions, proved to be somewhat premature.
In this morning's email, for example, there was a Democratic Party alert from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to an upcoming nationwide series of house parties to address just these kind of issues:
"On December 13th and 14th, supporters are coming together in every part of the country to reflect on what we've accomplished and plan the future of this movement. Your ideas and feedback will be collected and used to guide this movement in the months and years ahead," it said.
And, in this morning's Dispatch, an AP story recounted that "Obama aides are weighing whether to keep the ($30 million campaign surplus) to build a massive grass-roots program to support his agenda or to cycle that money to the party apparatus."
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/national_world/stories/2008/12/06/Obama_Dems_1206.ART_ART_12-06-08_A3_QLC5A8F.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
True, Plouffe's memo was circulated by the national Democratic Party. But at both the national and local level, it's hard to see right now where all this will go.
There are certainly more important problems facing the nation and its incoming president than how to spend that $30 million left over from Barack's $745 million campaign. What is significant, however, is whether Democrats and the sort of independent progressive activists who flocked to Obama can find common cause on the local level in the years ahead.
Here, discussions have just begun as to whether Obama volunteers not previously active in local Democratic politics would now join the local party or affiliate with existing independent groups (such as LICOPAC or the Licking County Women's Democratic Caucus) or maybe form a new organization or organizations to pursue different goals.
Can those local activists who were so enthused about Obama's run for the White House become equally engaged now in trying to elect Democrats running for county offices, the state legislature and the Congress? Or should these Obama warriors now focus on promoting specific issues, such as universal health care, or spread the word by lending their weight to community service projects?
Some answers may emerge before Obama ever takes office. Local volunteers agreed to meet again once more information is received from Washington and/or Chicago as to just what this reported "massive grass-roots program" might involve.
In addition, a number of Obama volunteers said they intend to stop by this Tuesday evening when the Licking County Democratic Club holds its regular monthly meeting (7 p.m., at the county administration building, 20 S. Second St., Newark).
http://www.lickingcountydemocraticparty.com/
There is precedent for this, of course.
After the 2004 election, a number of previously uncommitted Kerry campaign volunteers were faced with the same sort of choices. Many joined the county Democratic Club, revitalizing the local party which had struggled for years from a lack of manpower and resources.
And at the same time, some of us decided not only to stick with the party but to also develop new local political action organizations -- LICOPAC and more recently the women's Democratic caucus -- to focus on specific issues and the congressional campaigns.
(Since early 2005, LICOPAC has worked on behalf of Democratic congressional candidates in the 12th and 18th Districts while promoting voter education, redistricting reform, the preservation of Social Security and sick-leave benefits for all Ohio workers. We have also been active in networking with progressives in neighboring counties and developing regional action through the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations.)
It's called evolution, and it ain't easy. But it's a sign of health that we, as progressives and Democrats, can adapt to change as it happens in our lives and not just talk about "change" as a campaign buzz word.
Dave Robinson got his first taste of politics this year -- and evidently liked it.
Even though Robinson, a Columbus businessman and environmentalist, lost in his bid to oust four-term Congressman Pat Tiberi, the Democratic newbie sounded Sunday like he'll be coming back for a second helping in 2010 and/or 2012.
"My core motivation remains undiminished," Robinson told supporters at a post-election reception in Westerville. His father, Jerry, was even more specific. "This is only the beginning, the first step," said Robinson Sr., pointing out that many of today's Democratic heavyweights, including Gov. Ted Strickland, lost in their initial bid for office.
Robinson and his key staffers said they feel they ran a respectable campaign, given Tiberi's 10-1 financial advantage and much greater name recognition in the 12th Congressional District. Robinson got 42 percent of the vote in Franklin County but was hammered in Licking (30 percent) and Delaware counties (28 percent). That shows the power of the 2000 gerrymandering of congressional districts by the then Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Democrats are more confident they'll control the map-making when new state legislative and congressional districts are drawn following the 2010 census. If that's the case, it would be advantage-Democrats beginning in 2012.
Which leaves Robinson a number of options if he chooses to pursue them. Rather than go up against Tiberi again in 2010 in the same GOP weighted district, Robinson appears to be leaning towards a local race in Franklin County in 2010 to gain experience and much-needed visibility. If successful, that could leave him in a better position to seek a Congressional seat in 2012 or thereafter.
Meanwhile, Robinson said he intends to continue to work for the Al Gore "global warming" initiative as a guest speaker on environmental and energy topics. His archived web site remains up at www.robinson2008.com
We at LICOPAC hope Robinson stays active in area politics. All too often, Democrats have tried to launch their political careers by running for Congress instead of working their way up the political ladder as Republicans have been prone to do. Hopefully, this time, we have a candidate who's ready to engage for the long haul.
Even though Robinson, a Columbus businessman and environmentalist, lost in his bid to oust four-term Congressman Pat Tiberi, the Democratic newbie sounded Sunday like he'll be coming back for a second helping in 2010 and/or 2012.
"My core motivation remains undiminished," Robinson told supporters at a post-election reception in Westerville. His father, Jerry, was even more specific. "This is only the beginning, the first step," said Robinson Sr., pointing out that many of today's Democratic heavyweights, including Gov. Ted Strickland, lost in their initial bid for office.
Robinson and his key staffers said they feel they ran a respectable campaign, given Tiberi's 10-1 financial advantage and much greater name recognition in the 12th Congressional District. Robinson got 42 percent of the vote in Franklin County but was hammered in Licking (30 percent) and Delaware counties (28 percent). That shows the power of the 2000 gerrymandering of congressional districts by the then Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Democrats are more confident they'll control the map-making when new state legislative and congressional districts are drawn following the 2010 census. If that's the case, it would be advantage-Democrats beginning in 2012.
Which leaves Robinson a number of options if he chooses to pursue them. Rather than go up against Tiberi again in 2010 in the same GOP weighted district, Robinson appears to be leaning towards a local race in Franklin County in 2010 to gain experience and much-needed visibility. If successful, that could leave him in a better position to seek a Congressional seat in 2012 or thereafter.
Meanwhile, Robinson said he intends to continue to work for the Al Gore "global warming" initiative as a guest speaker on environmental and energy topics. His archived web site remains up at www.robinson2008.com
We at LICOPAC hope Robinson stays active in area politics. All too often, Democrats have tried to launch their political careers by running for Congress instead of working their way up the political ladder as Republicans have been prone to do. Hopefully, this time, we have a candidate who's ready to engage for the long haul.
For two days now, heavy tanker trucks have been rumbling up and down my rural road, hauling pig manure from a nearby feed lot to juice up farm fields to the west. The ground shakes, the air smells, we can't wait for the transfer to be complete. This must be what it's like on Pennsylvania Avenue as the Bush administration gets set to vacate back to Texas.
Now that's the change we need!
Other random thoughts two days after the election:
- A lot has been said about how Barack Obama's election should revive the nation's reputation in the eyes of the world. But let's also realize that Ohio stands a little taller since Tuesday night. Ohio, the state which provided the industry, the leadership and the manpower to make America great, has been blamed now for eight years for helping put George Bush over the top in 2000 and then sealing the deal for another four years in 2004. But on Tuesday night, it only became apparent that Obama was on the victory road when Ohio turned blue shortly after 9 p.m. Ok, NO MORE OHIO JOKES.
- As we noted yesterday, however, Licking County hasn't yet gotten the word that a new day is dawning. According to preliminary totals at the LC Board of Elections, Barack with 41 percent ran slightly better than John Kerry, who got 37.8 percent in 2004. On the other hand, Democratic Congressman Zack Space in his winning re-election effort lost ground in Licking County, gaining 54.7 percent of the vote here as compared to 60.3 percent in 2006. Meanwhile, the vote here for Licking County's other congressman, Republican Pat Tiberi, remained virtually unchanged, 66.6 percent in 2008 as compared to 66.1 percent in 2006.
This is not to fault the work of Obama organizers in Licking County. I really appreciated how hard they were working on Halloween Eve when the only trick-or-treater that showed up at our rural McKean Township door was an Obama volunteer collecting names! We NEVER get trick-or-treaters out here in the country, and we certainly have never seen Democratic canvassers before, especially those for a presidential campaign.
If you enjoyed the recent book about blue-collar politics, Deer Hunting with Jesus, you'll want to enjoy this follow-up in the Washington Post about how the denizens of Winchester, Va., approached this week's election. See it at : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110101841.html?referrer=emailarticle
Tuesday's election marked an historic shift for the nation but -- unfortunately -- just more of the same for Licking County.
The whoops and shouts were loud and sustained last night at the local Democratic election party at the Center Pub in Newark as, shortly after 9 p.m., Ohio was declared for Obama, making his eventual nationwide victory look inevitable. Hours later, the Obama victory was sweetened by Democratic gains in the U.S. House and Senate, the election of Richard Cordray as state attorney general and the flipping of the Ohio House to a 51-48 Democratic majority.
But in Licking County, it was another wipe-out for the Democrats. Only freshman State Rep. Dan Dodd and freshman 18th District Congressman Zack Space survived the night as Republicans took over all three seats on the Licking County commission and a field of Democratic newcomers and judicial candidates went down to defeat, often by large margins.
The Space and Dodd victories were significant since both legislators wore GOP bulls-eyes on their backs, having won two years ago in districts normally safe for the Republicans.
In many ways, however, last night resembled the 2006 elections where Democrats made great gains at the Ohio Statehouse and in Congress but failed to dent traditional GOP control in local races.
The Blue team, however, showed potential for the future in backing thoughtful new candidates such as Doug Moreland for county commissioner, Don Hill for state representative and David Robinson for the U.S. House (12th District). We can only hope that they -- and others -- stay in the fight and come back benefitting from this experience to challenge again in 2010.
Also a big plus was that behind the ballot box, the big winner of the night was Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner who has, since her election in 2006, has withstood a withering attack from Statehouse Republicans intent on making her "too controversial" for re-election in 2010. Two headlines in this morning's Dispatch tell the story:
VOTING PROBLEMS? NOT IN OHIO (pp. A1)
FRAUD ALLEGATIONS FEW DESPITE TURNOUT (pp. A5)
The attacks on Brunner are all about controlling which party gets to gerrymander state and federal legislative district redistricting after the 2010 census. As Dispatch senior editor Joe Hallett wrote back in 2006:
"For decades, Ohio has used a system that awards gerrymandering power every 10 years to the political party that wins two of the three races for governor, secretary of state and state auditor. That power has been abused by both parties, most recently Republicans, who has ensured their legislative majorities by virtually eliminating competitive elections."
As of now, Democrats control the governor's office and secretary of state's office, while Republicans hold the auditor's office. With Gov. Ted Strickland still riding high in the polls, Republicans have decided to try and unseat Brunner, a relative unknown, by linking her to what has now proven to be the phony issue of voter fraud.
We were reminded again last night that the Ohio GOP's congressional Maginot Line held firm once again thanks to gerrymandering. The 12th District Republican, the lackluster Pat Tiberi, converted his massive financial advantage as an incumbent to defeat Robinson with only minimal deployment of TV advertising and direct mail. And in Franklin County, it appears that gerrymandering once again defeated Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy from overcoming GOP majorities in rural Union and Madison counties.
In the 2006 congressional elections, Ohio sent 11 Republicans and 7 Democrats to the U.S. House, even though the total combined vote for Democratic congressional candidates here was 1.97 million as compared to 1.78 million for the Republicans.
So while we can cheer Barack Obama's historic victory, it remains true that all politics is local and on both the local and state level, Democrats still have much work to do.
The whoops and shouts were loud and sustained last night at the local Democratic election party at the Center Pub in Newark as, shortly after 9 p.m., Ohio was declared for Obama, making his eventual nationwide victory look inevitable. Hours later, the Obama victory was sweetened by Democratic gains in the U.S. House and Senate, the election of Richard Cordray as state attorney general and the flipping of the Ohio House to a 51-48 Democratic majority.
But in Licking County, it was another wipe-out for the Democrats. Only freshman State Rep. Dan Dodd and freshman 18th District Congressman Zack Space survived the night as Republicans took over all three seats on the Licking County commission and a field of Democratic newcomers and judicial candidates went down to defeat, often by large margins.
The Space and Dodd victories were significant since both legislators wore GOP bulls-eyes on their backs, having won two years ago in districts normally safe for the Republicans.
In many ways, however, last night resembled the 2006 elections where Democrats made great gains at the Ohio Statehouse and in Congress but failed to dent traditional GOP control in local races.
The Blue team, however, showed potential for the future in backing thoughtful new candidates such as Doug Moreland for county commissioner, Don Hill for state representative and David Robinson for the U.S. House (12th District). We can only hope that they -- and others -- stay in the fight and come back benefitting from this experience to challenge again in 2010.
Also a big plus was that behind the ballot box, the big winner of the night was Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner who has, since her election in 2006, has withstood a withering attack from Statehouse Republicans intent on making her "too controversial" for re-election in 2010. Two headlines in this morning's Dispatch tell the story:
VOTING PROBLEMS? NOT IN OHIO (pp. A1)
FRAUD ALLEGATIONS FEW DESPITE TURNOUT (pp. A5)
The attacks on Brunner are all about controlling which party gets to gerrymander state and federal legislative district redistricting after the 2010 census. As Dispatch senior editor Joe Hallett wrote back in 2006:
"For decades, Ohio has used a system that awards gerrymandering power every 10 years to the political party that wins two of the three races for governor, secretary of state and state auditor. That power has been abused by both parties, most recently Republicans, who has ensured their legislative majorities by virtually eliminating competitive elections."
As of now, Democrats control the governor's office and secretary of state's office, while Republicans hold the auditor's office. With Gov. Ted Strickland still riding high in the polls, Republicans have decided to try and unseat Brunner, a relative unknown, by linking her to what has now proven to be the phony issue of voter fraud.
We were reminded again last night that the Ohio GOP's congressional Maginot Line held firm once again thanks to gerrymandering. The 12th District Republican, the lackluster Pat Tiberi, converted his massive financial advantage as an incumbent to defeat Robinson with only minimal deployment of TV advertising and direct mail. And in Franklin County, it appears that gerrymandering once again defeated Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy from overcoming GOP majorities in rural Union and Madison counties.
In the 2006 congressional elections, Ohio sent 11 Republicans and 7 Democrats to the U.S. House, even though the total combined vote for Democratic congressional candidates here was 1.97 million as compared to 1.78 million for the Republicans.
So while we can cheer Barack Obama's historic victory, it remains true that all politics is local and on both the local and state level, Democrats still have much work to do.
The Dispatch continues to -- how do I say this nicely? -- screw up its coverage of the 12th District Congressional race, mostly by neglect but now also by printing false information about the Democratic candidate, David Robinson.
Which is something you wouldn't know unless you're in the habit of reading the daily corrections, well buried inside the newspaper.
To be specific, yesterday, in a prominent article on the back display page of the Metro section, it was reported that the Ohio Elections Commission panel "found probable cause to forward a complaint (to the full commission) against David Robinson who is running against incumbent Republican Pat Tiberi, for the 12th Congressional District."
"In the Robinson case, complainant Mike Stable of Dublin, who did not attend yesterday, identified himself in the complaint as a Marine veteran who served in Lima Company. He took issue with Robinson's campaign web site"
"The site said Disabled American Veterans gave Tiberi an F rating for 2007, though that group had not issued a 2007 grade and gave Tiberi a 100 percent rating on two 2008 votes, Stable's complaint said."
Pretty serious stuff, with the election only a little more than two weeks away and veterans a key voting bloc.
Except that in today's edition, deep at the bottom of page A-4, there's this correction:
"The Ohio Election Commission dismissed a complaint against Democrat David Robinson's campaign in the 12th Congressional District on Thursday. Because of a reporter's error, the commission's decision was incorrect in a story on page B8 of yesterday's Metro & State section."
Care to guess how many readers read the original incorrect article, and how many read the correction?
These things happen at a newspaper, but the Dispatch seems to have a special problem with Robinson.
We've noted earlier how the newspaper editorial page, on Sept. 21, heartily endorsed Tiberi without ever even mentioning Robinson, a highly unusual slip at the Dispatch where endorsements usually recognize all candidates in a race.
http://www.licopac.org/licking_county_issue_pac/2008/10/media-blind-spo.html
Since the March primary, the number of articles the newspaper has published on the 12th District race can be counted on the fingers of one hand, as compared to the heavy coverage of the neighboring 15th District Race. This despite the fact that the 12th District encompasses the heart of the Dispatch's circulation area: eastern Franklin County as well as part of Licking and Delaware counties.
Presumably, the newspaper considered the race uncompetitive because of Tiberi's huge advantage in terms of campaign contributions and name recognition. So by not covering the race, and Tiberi's lackluster record in Congress, the Dispatch makes sure it stays uncompetitive.
We look forward to a better performance from the newspaper when (and if) it reports on the WOSU-TV debate between Tiberi and Robinson this coming Thursday evening, and in the Voters Guide just prior to the election. As Barack says, we need to hope beyond all expectations.
Which is something you wouldn't know unless you're in the habit of reading the daily corrections, well buried inside the newspaper.
To be specific, yesterday, in a prominent article on the back display page of the Metro section, it was reported that the Ohio Elections Commission panel "found probable cause to forward a complaint (to the full commission) against David Robinson who is running against incumbent Republican Pat Tiberi, for the 12th Congressional District."
"In the Robinson case, complainant Mike Stable of Dublin, who did not attend yesterday, identified himself in the complaint as a Marine veteran who served in Lima Company. He took issue with Robinson's campaign web site"
"The site said Disabled American Veterans gave Tiberi an F rating for 2007, though that group had not issued a 2007 grade and gave Tiberi a 100 percent rating on two 2008 votes, Stable's complaint said."
Pretty serious stuff, with the election only a little more than two weeks away and veterans a key voting bloc.
Except that in today's edition, deep at the bottom of page A-4, there's this correction:
"The Ohio Election Commission dismissed a complaint against Democrat David Robinson's campaign in the 12th Congressional District on Thursday. Because of a reporter's error, the commission's decision was incorrect in a story on page B8 of yesterday's Metro & State section."
Care to guess how many readers read the original incorrect article, and how many read the correction?
These things happen at a newspaper, but the Dispatch seems to have a special problem with Robinson.
We've noted earlier how the newspaper editorial page, on Sept. 21, heartily endorsed Tiberi without ever even mentioning Robinson, a highly unusual slip at the Dispatch where endorsements usually recognize all candidates in a race.
http://www.licopac.org/licking_county_issue_pac/2008/10/media-blind-spo.html
Since the March primary, the number of articles the newspaper has published on the 12th District race can be counted on the fingers of one hand, as compared to the heavy coverage of the neighboring 15th District Race. This despite the fact that the 12th District encompasses the heart of the Dispatch's circulation area: eastern Franklin County as well as part of Licking and Delaware counties.
Presumably, the newspaper considered the race uncompetitive because of Tiberi's huge advantage in terms of campaign contributions and name recognition. So by not covering the race, and Tiberi's lackluster record in Congress, the Dispatch makes sure it stays uncompetitive.
We look forward to a better performance from the newspaper when (and if) it reports on the WOSU-TV debate between Tiberi and Robinson this coming Thursday evening, and in the Voters Guide just prior to the election. As Barack says, we need to hope beyond all expectations.
Round 3 of the Presidential campaign debate series played out like round 15 in a heavyweight prizefighter match, as Republican John McCain threw a last-minute flurry of jabs, a knockout punch being his only hope against Democrat Barack Obama who was winning on points.
Okay, the boxing analogy is a cliche. The Dispatch preview on Wednesday was headlined, "Last Round," featuring a graphic showing two robots in a ring. George Will, on ABC-TV last night following the "fight," concluded Obama won by letting his opponent punch himself into exhaustion, Mohammed Ali's old game. But cliche or not, the boxing analogy works.
Throughout the 90-minute Hofstra University debate, McCain was the puncher, landing a few good ones to be sure but never really denting Obama's calm composure, the thing about Obama that many voters find most attractive in these acidic and troubled times. As in the long primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, Obama has overcome the "fighter" by demonstrating confidence and maturity and intelligence, the traits of a real leader.
Bottom line: good fight, John, but it looks like Barack will wear the Belt.
(Before getting into the "blow by blow," let's not forget the warm-up act Wednesday afternoon featuring vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and Gov. Strickland at OSU-Newark's Adena Arena. For the record, several thousand partisans crammed into the "Home of the Titans" to hear the Delaware Democrat give his usual stump speech as part of a sweep across central and southern Ohio. If you thought you heard anything new being said, you haven't been listening.)
Obama's Best Moment: His dismissal of the McCain-Palin campaign attacks against him for "palling around" with 1960s radical William Ayers and Obama's so-called links to ACORN, the voter recruitment campaign under fire for falsified voter registrations. Obama explained calmly that he was 8-years-old when Ayers, now a university professor, was on his youthful rampage and that his only relation with ACORN was in the past, as an attorney for a client. "This says more about your campaign than it does about me," he told McCain.
McCain's Best Moment: Responding to the Obama campaigns repeated attempts to tie him hand-and-foot to the Bush administration, McCain said, "I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Obama's Worst Moment: Asked to cite specific spending cuts he would recommend as president, Obama came up only with one: a $15 billion saving by ending subsidies to insurance companies. McCain, by contrast, said he'd support an across-the-board spending freeze, cuts in defense budgets, elimination of pork-barrel earmark appropriations.
McCain's Worst Moment: His stumbling over the "woman" issue. First he praised running mate Sarah Palin as a "role model for women" despite growing evidence that the bloom is off that rose with most voters, including women. And then, after Obama said he voted as a state legislator against a bill outlawing partial-birth abortions because it didn't provide exceptions to protect the health of the mother, McCain said that whole "health of the mother" issue was overblown. "They've stretched the meaning of health-of-the-mother," said McCain. "That can mean anything."
Double Fudge: Both Obama and McCain said they'd choose future Supreme Court justices strictly on the basis of merit, without making abortion a litmus test. Then McCain added, "I don't believe anybody who supports Roe vs. Wade would have those qualifications." And Obama said he'd expect his choice to be a judge who not only understands the law but the real environment in which people live.
Pandering To The Base: McCain didn't bring up Ayres and ACORN, moderator Bob Schieffer did. But once these punching bags were in play, the Republican took full opportunity, while accusing Obama of running a dirty campaign. And Obama, during their discussion on energy, twice referred to the need to rebuilt the auto industry through loan guarantees and more fuel-efficient cars. Did you catch that, Ohio and Michigan?
Absentee Winner: Joe the Plumber, of course, the common man from Ohio extolled on numerous occasions by McCain throughout the debate. Even as I write this at minutes before Midnight, there are hundreds of reporters nationwide trying to track down this poor guy for an interview. Maybe McCain should have picked a plumber rather than a Palin as his running mate.
Okay, the boxing analogy is a cliche. The Dispatch preview on Wednesday was headlined, "Last Round," featuring a graphic showing two robots in a ring. George Will, on ABC-TV last night following the "fight," concluded Obama won by letting his opponent punch himself into exhaustion, Mohammed Ali's old game. But cliche or not, the boxing analogy works.
Throughout the 90-minute Hofstra University debate, McCain was the puncher, landing a few good ones to be sure but never really denting Obama's calm composure, the thing about Obama that many voters find most attractive in these acidic and troubled times. As in the long primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, Obama has overcome the "fighter" by demonstrating confidence and maturity and intelligence, the traits of a real leader.
Bottom line: good fight, John, but it looks like Barack will wear the Belt.
(Before getting into the "blow by blow," let's not forget the warm-up act Wednesday afternoon featuring vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and Gov. Strickland at OSU-Newark's Adena Arena. For the record, several thousand partisans crammed into the "Home of the Titans" to hear the Delaware Democrat give his usual stump speech as part of a sweep across central and southern Ohio. If you thought you heard anything new being said, you haven't been listening.)
Obama's Best Moment: His dismissal of the McCain-Palin campaign attacks against him for "palling around" with 1960s radical William Ayers and Obama's so-called links to ACORN, the voter recruitment campaign under fire for falsified voter registrations. Obama explained calmly that he was 8-years-old when Ayers, now a university professor, was on his youthful rampage and that his only relation with ACORN was in the past, as an attorney for a client. "This says more about your campaign than it does about me," he told McCain.
McCain's Best Moment: Responding to the Obama campaigns repeated attempts to tie him hand-and-foot to the Bush administration, McCain said, "I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Obama's Worst Moment: Asked to cite specific spending cuts he would recommend as president, Obama came up only with one: a $15 billion saving by ending subsidies to insurance companies. McCain, by contrast, said he'd support an across-the-board spending freeze, cuts in defense budgets, elimination of pork-barrel earmark appropriations.
McCain's Worst Moment: His stumbling over the "woman" issue. First he praised running mate Sarah Palin as a "role model for women" despite growing evidence that the bloom is off that rose with most voters, including women. And then, after Obama said he voted as a state legislator against a bill outlawing partial-birth abortions because it didn't provide exceptions to protect the health of the mother, McCain said that whole "health of the mother" issue was overblown. "They've stretched the meaning of health-of-the-mother," said McCain. "That can mean anything."
Double Fudge: Both Obama and McCain said they'd choose future Supreme Court justices strictly on the basis of merit, without making abortion a litmus test. Then McCain added, "I don't believe anybody who supports Roe vs. Wade would have those qualifications." And Obama said he'd expect his choice to be a judge who not only understands the law but the real environment in which people live.
Pandering To The Base: McCain didn't bring up Ayres and ACORN, moderator Bob Schieffer did. But once these punching bags were in play, the Republican took full opportunity, while accusing Obama of running a dirty campaign. And Obama, during their discussion on energy, twice referred to the need to rebuilt the auto industry through loan guarantees and more fuel-efficient cars. Did you catch that, Ohio and Michigan?
Absentee Winner: Joe the Plumber, of course, the common man from Ohio extolled on numerous occasions by McCain throughout the debate. Even as I write this at minutes before Midnight, there are hundreds of reporters nationwide trying to track down this poor guy for an interview. Maybe McCain should have picked a plumber rather than a Palin as his running mate.
Congressman Pat Tiberi and David Robinson square off on the BAilout and Economy
*Note: NO! photo or video is available for this story. Please see “Pat Tiberi Seeks to Silence the Free Press” for details.
On Monday, September 29 Representative Pat Tiberi and Democratic challenger David Robinson faced off in their first debate. This was following at least four previously held events where “Our Congressman” had disappointed the 12th District electorate by being unable to attend while the Democratic challenger David Robinson maintained perfect debate attendance.
The Delaware, Ohio debate was held in a local vocational school. Tiberi flew in from Washington just hours after he went “His Own Way” and said NO! to the $700 Billion bailout package.
That evening, Tiberi confidently addressed the audience of approximately 150 Delawareans saying:
“We had a vote today that I told the President, 'NO!'
"Some say I can't tell the president, 'NO!'
"But I told my party leadership, 'NO!'
“Because at the end of the day, when I look into my daughter's eyes, it's about her.
"It's about the next generation of Americans. It's not about party. It's about doing the right thing.”
Based on his opposition to the bill, The Liberty Voice posted our support on our website saying, “We salute Pat Tiberi on this choice.”
The Delaware Gazette reported, “Tiberi felt the bill didn’t adequately protect consumers and was jammed through Congress.”
According to Tiberi on Monday, his NO! vote represented the will of his constituents. He said,
“Main Street wasn't protected in that bill. That's who I got the phone calls from.
"The phone calls from Central Ohio were AGAINST it!!!
“We've got to deal with the reality of what we can do, cause at the end of the day, guess who's going to pay for it--WE ARE!”Read More »
One reason we have such a partisan and unresponsive Congress is the lock that incumbents have on their chairs once they get in office. A sitting congressman, no matter how incompetent, can depend on not only name recognition and fat envelopes of lobbyist cash but also on special treatment from the media.
No better example is the current 12th District House race where incumbent Pat Tiberi, R-Delaware County, is challenged by Columbus businessman David Robinson, a first-time candidate for public office.
Despite his lack of accomplishment outside of being a loyal foot soldier for the Bush White House, Tiberi is pursuing re-election with hundreds of thousands of dollars of support from the financial, insurance and real estate lobbies plus the endorsement of the Dispatch.
Robinson, given his disadvantage in terms of money and media attention, has been running an energetic grassroots campaign which has caught the attention of many Democrats and Independents in Franklin, Licking and Delaware county. But it hasn't attracted much notice from the local political press.
The Dispatch editorial page on Sept. 21 endorsed Tiberi, as expected. What wasn't expected was the lack of any mention of Robinson in the editorial, leaving the reader to conclude the congressman was running unopposed. Typically, Dispatch endorsements will at least name both candidates and often give reasons why they favor one over the other.
Then, last evening, on WOSU's "Columbus On The Record" (ch. 34), a panel of area journalists and party consultants got around to discussing Tiberi's flip-flop on the Wall Street bail-out bill and how it might affect his re-election prospects.
They concluded that since Tiberi's opponent - again, never named - didn't have much money for television or direct mail, the congressman's indecision on one of the most important votes in U.S. history probably wouldn't hurt him on Nov. 4.
And they're probably right. If the Dispatch editorial writers and WOSU's panel of political experts can't even bother to mention Tiberi's opponent one month before the election, Tiberi doesn't really have to worry too much about being swept out of office by all this talk of "change."
This demonstrates how campaign cash has become the only measure of candidate viability. And why the political system is wide open to corruption but shut down tight to any challenger who doesn't bring a personal fortune to the game.
In this regard, this site reported earlier on the decision by the national Sierra Club not to endorse or give financial support to Robinson, despite his green-chip environmental record, including his work as a volunteer speaker for Al Gore's global warming initiative. Again, the decision was made on the basis of Robinson's perceived lack of fund-raising prowess. See earlier post at:
http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/licopac/CHj9
We now hear that local Sierra Club members, who had recommended a Robinson endorsement to the national, have been so embarrassed by the decision that they're making a concerted effort to help Robinson by other means.
"We are supporting him in every way we can through our field program," said MacKenzie Bailey, a member of the national field staff working the election in Ohio.
So far, this takes the form of recruiting volunteers for Robinson, having club members show up at his events and doing everything just short of giving money, which would depend on a formal club endorsement.
Local club members and staffers should be commended for this initiative. But it remains disturbing that, at least at the national level, this usually progressive environmental group would turn its back on an environmental candidate just because he hadn't hit their dollar benchmarks.
So if somebody tells you the political game is rigged, they just might know what they're talking about. And until we get some combination of limits on campaign contributions and public financing of Congressional elections, "change" is just another slogan, easily ignored unless you can take it to the bank.
No better example is the current 12th District House race where incumbent Pat Tiberi, R-Delaware County, is challenged by Columbus businessman David Robinson, a first-time candidate for public office.
Despite his lack of accomplishment outside of being a loyal foot soldier for the Bush White House, Tiberi is pursuing re-election with hundreds of thousands of dollars of support from the financial, insurance and real estate lobbies plus the endorsement of the Dispatch.
Robinson, given his disadvantage in terms of money and media attention, has been running an energetic grassroots campaign which has caught the attention of many Democrats and Independents in Franklin, Licking and Delaware county. But it hasn't attracted much notice from the local political press.
The Dispatch editorial page on Sept. 21 endorsed Tiberi, as expected. What wasn't expected was the lack of any mention of Robinson in the editorial, leaving the reader to conclude the congressman was running unopposed. Typically, Dispatch endorsements will at least name both candidates and often give reasons why they favor one over the other.
Then, last evening, on WOSU's "Columbus On The Record" (ch. 34), a panel of area journalists and party consultants got around to discussing Tiberi's flip-flop on the Wall Street bail-out bill and how it might affect his re-election prospects.
They concluded that since Tiberi's opponent - again, never named - didn't have much money for television or direct mail, the congressman's indecision on one of the most important votes in U.S. history probably wouldn't hurt him on Nov. 4.
And they're probably right. If the Dispatch editorial writers and WOSU's panel of political experts can't even bother to mention Tiberi's opponent one month before the election, Tiberi doesn't really have to worry too much about being swept out of office by all this talk of "change."
This demonstrates how campaign cash has become the only measure of candidate viability. And why the political system is wide open to corruption but shut down tight to any challenger who doesn't bring a personal fortune to the game.
In this regard, this site reported earlier on the decision by the national Sierra Club not to endorse or give financial support to Robinson, despite his green-chip environmental record, including his work as a volunteer speaker for Al Gore's global warming initiative. Again, the decision was made on the basis of Robinson's perceived lack of fund-raising prowess. See earlier post at:
http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/licopac/CHj9
We now hear that local Sierra Club members, who had recommended a Robinson endorsement to the national, have been so embarrassed by the decision that they're making a concerted effort to help Robinson by other means.
"We are supporting him in every way we can through our field program," said MacKenzie Bailey, a member of the national field staff working the election in Ohio.
So far, this takes the form of recruiting volunteers for Robinson, having club members show up at his events and doing everything just short of giving money, which would depend on a formal club endorsement.
Local club members and staffers should be commended for this initiative. But it remains disturbing that, at least at the national level, this usually progressive environmental group would turn its back on an environmental candidate just because he hadn't hit their dollar benchmarks.
So if somebody tells you the political game is rigged, they just might know what they're talking about. And until we get some combination of limits on campaign contributions and public financing of Congressional elections, "change" is just another slogan, easily ignored unless you can take it to the bank.
Economic collapse brings together the strangest bedfellows: Michael Moore and RINO Pat Tiberi.
Despite Pat Tiberi's voting record which has handed taxpayer money over to no-bid contractors and often supported corporate welfare, Pat Tiberi decided to actually "go his own way" (despite a 93% lock-step record with President Bush).
This is ironically the same choice of Michael Moore. We salute Pat Tiberi on this choice. I guess with $830,000 already in the Tiberi's WAR chest from financial and security companies over the past eight years, Tiberi would rather finally side with his voting block (and just in time for the election!) rather than again rewarding bad behavior. It remains to be seen however if the voters of Ohio's 12th Congressional District will have amnesia of the trillions of no-bid appropriations and corporate bailouts Tiberi has already approved.
Here is an excerpt from Michael Moore's proposal:
Read the rest of Michael's proposal here.The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans combined. 400 rich Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they are now demanding we give to them for the "bailout."
Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves! Of course, they are not going to do that -- at least not voluntarily.
George W. Bush was handed a $127 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not his, he did what the rich prefer to do -- spend it and never look back. Now we have a $9.5 trillion debt. Why on earth would we even think of giving these robber barons any more of our money?
I would like to propose my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, are predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps.
Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: There... is... no... free... lunch. And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there will be no handouts from us to you.
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Kilroy Announces Support of Health Care Reform Bill
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Mar 19, 03:38 PM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Mar 19, 03:38 PM
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ZACK, WHAT WOULD NIXON DO?
By: David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens
Posted Mar 19, 10:30 AM
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By: David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens
Posted Mar 19, 10:30 AM
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Representative Steve Driehaus: Keep standing up for us, not the insurance companies
By: User from Washington, DC
Posted Mar 17, 11:30 AM
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By: User from Washington, DC
Posted Mar 17, 11:30 AM
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Dennis, do you have learning disability?
Because you apparently cannot even comprehend what you write...
Because you apparently cannot even comprehend what you write...
they just keep digging their hold deeper
In an effort to claim that "99%" of AFP members are well-beh...
In an effort to claim that "99%" of AFP members are well-beh...
