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Health Care for America Now Applauds Senator Brown for Supporting Real Health Care Reform
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 01:25 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.
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.
“I, Pat Tiberi, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Amendment I
“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”
As the publisher of The Liberty Voice, I had made preparations to record the September 29th public debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters, The Delaware Gazette and the Farm Bureau. This forum for local, state and federal candidates was held in a publicly-funded local school. As I am not able to write every word live, it is necessary that I record such events so that I may accurately transcribe what is said.
This was an especially important service to perform this evening, as “our Congressman” Pat Tiberi has repeatedly refused to answer our questions concerning his voting record which illustrates his gross and repeated violations of the US Constitution.
Lately, I have recorded similar debates sponsored by two of the above-mentioned organizations without incident, so what changed?
Incumbent Pat Tiberi was there.
In the past four debates–all of which had invited “our Congressman” to come, he never bothered to make an appearance. However, it was anticipated that this would be a widely-attended debate, so there was great pressure for him to make a showing. Judging by what happened later in the evening, as a condition for Tiberi’s long-awaited participation in the debates and unbeknownst to me, Tiberi pressured the sponsoring groups to forbid the use of any recording devises–without exception granted even to the press.
As I was setting up my equipment before the debate began, I was asked to put my video recording devise away, as it was an event rule that all involved had agreed to in advance. When I challenged this, the organizers–in order to “prevent making a scene” –which most definitely did make a scene, reluctantly agreed that I could record.
Read More »What is John McCain's problem?
That was my reaction to tonight's first presidential debate in Mississippi. It wasn't really about the policy or even the political language - that was pretty predictable on both sides. It was about body language.
For nearly two hours, McCain ignored Barack Obama, having a conversation with moderator Jim Lehrer, even when Lehrer urged him to respond directly to the Democratic candidate. Obama talked directly to McCain, referring to his opponent as "John." McCain, grinding his teeth in a tight smile, never looked at Obama and always referred to "Senator Obama" as though Obama was not sharing the stage.
It struck me as a clear case of passive aggression on the part of McCain, which made my teeth grind. By passive aggression, I mean avoiding direct confrontation with those who disagree with you, preferring to smirk and stonewall and diminish another's abilities.
Why would McCain act so dismissive?
He's the guy who supposedly wanted a series of 10 town hall forums with Obama, and has frequently complained about being dissed on that by his Democratic opponent. Is this how he'd behave in a casual format?
McCain is a guy who says he'd be a President who could conduct his office in a bi-partisan manner. And yet, he wouldn't even look at his Democratic counterpart in this election race, or recognize his presence. That seems a poor way to demonstrate bi-partisan tendencies.
McCain didn't blow his top, to be sure, but he did come across as an angry old guy who bottles it all up to the point of not even acknowledging an opposing point of view. At one point, in an otherwise predictable argument over meeting with foreign leaders, McCain said he'd meet "anybody" with proper pre-conditions. But now we have to believe that if a President McCain sat down with Putin or the leaders of China, Korea or Iran, he wouldn't look them in the eye.
We all knew McCain doesn't like Obama. A quick, chilly handshake at the end of the evening didn't change that. But who thought that McCain's resentment about this younger and more articulate rival would result in a debate freeze-out rather than a boil
That was my reaction to tonight's first presidential debate in Mississippi. It wasn't really about the policy or even the political language - that was pretty predictable on both sides. It was about body language.
For nearly two hours, McCain ignored Barack Obama, having a conversation with moderator Jim Lehrer, even when Lehrer urged him to respond directly to the Democratic candidate. Obama talked directly to McCain, referring to his opponent as "John." McCain, grinding his teeth in a tight smile, never looked at Obama and always referred to "Senator Obama" as though Obama was not sharing the stage.
It struck me as a clear case of passive aggression on the part of McCain, which made my teeth grind. By passive aggression, I mean avoiding direct confrontation with those who disagree with you, preferring to smirk and stonewall and diminish another's abilities.
Why would McCain act so dismissive?
He's the guy who supposedly wanted a series of 10 town hall forums with Obama, and has frequently complained about being dissed on that by his Democratic opponent. Is this how he'd behave in a casual format?
McCain is a guy who says he'd be a President who could conduct his office in a bi-partisan manner. And yet, he wouldn't even look at his Democratic counterpart in this election race, or recognize his presence. That seems a poor way to demonstrate bi-partisan tendencies.
McCain didn't blow his top, to be sure, but he did come across as an angry old guy who bottles it all up to the point of not even acknowledging an opposing point of view. At one point, in an otherwise predictable argument over meeting with foreign leaders, McCain said he'd meet "anybody" with proper pre-conditions. But now we have to believe that if a President McCain sat down with Putin or the leaders of China, Korea or Iran, he wouldn't look them in the eye.
We all knew McCain doesn't like Obama. A quick, chilly handshake at the end of the evening didn't change that. But who thought that McCain's resentment about this younger and more articulate rival would result in a debate freeze-out rather than a boil
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Central Ohio residents were treated to yet more of the Columbus Dispatch Printing Company’s (CDPC) ‘fair and balanced’ judgment; Pat Tiberi, a republican currently holding the 12th Congressional seat at the People’s House, has gotten the local daily printing company’s endorsement for Congress.
Hopefully, CDPC readers will remember the past ‘judgment’ of the company’s endorsements–including George W. Bush for president in both 2000 and 2004, when shortly before the 2004 election, even the CDPC seemed to know better. In the midst of this latest fill-in-the-blank-shock-and-awe crisis, that presidential endorsement has shown where the loyalties of the Wolfe family media empire really LIE. Much like Washington serves its lobbyists, the CDPC likewise serves the corporations who pay for thier ads.
The fact that a local printing company’s public informational monopoly would find it within their job description to endorse a candidate before even informing the population of where all candidates stand on the issues that affect them most, is discrediting to not only to the endorsement, but raises questions as to the credibility of the CDPC itself.
The CDPC wrote, “Tiberi [is a] moderate Republican, reasonable in [his] approaches to policy issues and capable of the nitty-gritty legislative work that’s required.”
The most glaring omission in this statement is that Tiberi has never sponsored and passed even one piece of legislation in his nearly eight years of [dis]service.
By this same CDPC standard, Tiberi’s voting record indicates that he is as “moderate” as he is “capable”!
Let’s look at his “moderate” and “reasonable approach” from his congressional voting record, for as even the CDPC noted, “most candidates are fiscal conservatives during the campaign season; the proof is what happens when they get to Capitol Hill.”
Exactly.
The question is, why didn’t the CDPC look at that “proof” and relate that to their readers? The [t]reason is that Tiberi’s record is far from moderate.
Read More »In this era of pervasive and mass communications, 24-hour news cycle and instant replay, why can't I get these questions answered?:
1/ Is 12th District Congressman Pat Tiberi running unopposed this year? In a Sunday editorial, the Dispatch endorsed Tiberi for a fifth term, without ever mentioning his opponent, Democrat David Robinson. Admittedly, Robinson has been ignored all along by the media since his surprise primary win last March, but when did he become a MSM non-person? And, if against all odds, Robinson wins on Nov. 4, some poor late-night political reporter is going to have to scramble to find out who this guy is!
2/ Given John McCain's marital and health history, it's perhaps understandable why wife Cindy always posts herself one step behind her man at every public event. How are they going to keep her from being at John's shoulder at Friday night's presidential debate? (If Cindy gets to back-seat drive, so does Michelle).
3/ Again, in the Dispatch, confusion reigns when in results from the latest Ohio Newspaper Poll, it's reported that John McCain leads Barack Obama 48-42 percent among surveyed voters although, by a margin of 46-39%, these same respondents think Obama "best understands the problems facing Ohio." So do a good many Ohioans worry more about Georgia (the country, not the state) than they do about Ohio? So much for this election being all about the economy.
4/ But really, why would either one of these guys still want to go to work at the White House next January? As soon as they're sworn in, the country will expect them to resolve two sticky wars, put everybody back to work, bring down gasoline prices, rebuild New Orleans (and now South Texas) and get Congress to reform the health care and financial regulatory systems. And do it without any money, since that giant sucking sound you just heard was Wall Street swallowing up what precious little is left in the U.S. Treasury. Don't you think at times that Barack feels like placing that 3 a.m. call to Hillary saying, "Hey, if you still want the nomination, it's yours!"
5/Where have all the campaign bumper stickers gone? I've seen more Obama stickers on cars than I see Obama signs on lawns, and visa versa for McCain. (And I've seen one Kerry 04 sticker gamely hanging on to prime bumper space, even though the owner had second thoughts and tore off the "Edwards" side). No doubt many people (and some local governments) think it's too early to plunge into the pre-election sign wars, but -- hey -- early voting starts on Sept. 30!
6/ Which leads me to wonder, why don't we just save ourselves the pain (and campaigns the cost) of another seven weeks of campaign ads and just open the polls and have everybody vote on Sept. 30? With the storm clean-up and the economic crisis and the upcoming holiday season, don't we already have enough on our plate for October? And really, anybody who's clueless about the candidates and issues on Sept. 30 will probably be just as clueless come Nov. 4.
So, what's your question?
1/ Is 12th District Congressman Pat Tiberi running unopposed this year? In a Sunday editorial, the Dispatch endorsed Tiberi for a fifth term, without ever mentioning his opponent, Democrat David Robinson. Admittedly, Robinson has been ignored all along by the media since his surprise primary win last March, but when did he become a MSM non-person? And, if against all odds, Robinson wins on Nov. 4, some poor late-night political reporter is going to have to scramble to find out who this guy is!
2/ Given John McCain's marital and health history, it's perhaps understandable why wife Cindy always posts herself one step behind her man at every public event. How are they going to keep her from being at John's shoulder at Friday night's presidential debate? (If Cindy gets to back-seat drive, so does Michelle).
3/ Again, in the Dispatch, confusion reigns when in results from the latest Ohio Newspaper Poll, it's reported that John McCain leads Barack Obama 48-42 percent among surveyed voters although, by a margin of 46-39%, these same respondents think Obama "best understands the problems facing Ohio." So do a good many Ohioans worry more about Georgia (the country, not the state) than they do about Ohio? So much for this election being all about the economy.
4/ But really, why would either one of these guys still want to go to work at the White House next January? As soon as they're sworn in, the country will expect them to resolve two sticky wars, put everybody back to work, bring down gasoline prices, rebuild New Orleans (and now South Texas) and get Congress to reform the health care and financial regulatory systems. And do it without any money, since that giant sucking sound you just heard was Wall Street swallowing up what precious little is left in the U.S. Treasury. Don't you think at times that Barack feels like placing that 3 a.m. call to Hillary saying, "Hey, if you still want the nomination, it's yours!"
5/Where have all the campaign bumper stickers gone? I've seen more Obama stickers on cars than I see Obama signs on lawns, and visa versa for McCain. (And I've seen one Kerry 04 sticker gamely hanging on to prime bumper space, even though the owner had second thoughts and tore off the "Edwards" side). No doubt many people (and some local governments) think it's too early to plunge into the pre-election sign wars, but -- hey -- early voting starts on Sept. 30!
6/ Which leads me to wonder, why don't we just save ourselves the pain (and campaigns the cost) of another seven weeks of campaign ads and just open the polls and have everybody vote on Sept. 30? With the storm clean-up and the economic crisis and the upcoming holiday season, don't we already have enough on our plate for October? And really, anybody who's clueless about the candidates and issues on Sept. 30 will probably be just as clueless come Nov. 4.
So, what's your question?
Today's Dispatch, in a fair if belated article on the 12th District Congressional race, forces four-term incumbent Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Twp., out of the weeds where he usually hides.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/08/copy/cong12.ART1_ART_09-08-08_B4_9DB8SRF.html?sid=101
And what this article also does is remind us of how the usual sure-skipping Tiberi tripped into hot water last summer when he voted against SCHIP, the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.
His position in August 2007 was that SCHIP was badly flawed, extending coverage to families earning up to $81,000 which could trigger higher Medicare rates for seniors as well as black and latino children covered by Medicare advantage plans.
But this put him in hot water with many of his constituents so, like a scorched toad, Tiberi flipped lilypads to support SCHIP when the issue came back before the House the following month.
Here's how Tiberi explained his flip-flop on his web site last October:
"I voted for this measure not because I believe it's perfect, I voted for it because I understand the importance of insuring low-income kids. The reason Congressional approval ratings are at an all-time low, is people are sick of these political games, they're sick of members from both parties not working together to create quality legislation. I understand that. So do my Republican colleagues. If Republicans were included in coming up with a new plan, perhaps I would have voted for a bill that would go on to become law. Democratic leaders know this bill won't become law. Yet they continue to play politics with the issue rather than advancing an expanded program to help low-income children."
So, to summarize, Tiberi voted against the children's health bill (in August) before he voted for it (in September), but only because those irresponsible Democrats didn't play fair!
If you buy this, vote Tiberi a fifth term and hope he has a Republican president next year to keep him on the narrow (if not the straight).
If you think that Tiberi, who came in with George Bush in 2000, should exit with Bush in 2009, take a look at his challenger, Democrat David Robinson.
Here's Robinson's reaction to today's article:
Robinson Charges Tiberi 'Two-Step' on Children's Health Care
Columbus - In a September 8, 2008 Columbus Dispatch profile of the 12th District Congressional race, Congressman Pat Tiberi claimed that he supports the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), despite his vote in August of 2007 against the program. David Robinson, the Democratic candidate for the 12th District, said, "This is a classic example of the Tiberi 'Two-Step.' He says one thing but does another."
"Pat Tiberi says 'I do what I think is right,'" Robinson continued, "but last August he apparently thought it was right to vote against health coverage for our children." Robinson referred to Tiberi's vote on August 1 of last year, when he voted against the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007. The CHAMP Act reauthorized and expanded the highly-successful SCHIP, a program that currently provides health coverage to more than 6 million low-income children nationwide.
"I see it as just another example of my opponent voting in favor of his campaign donors," said Robinson, noting the $485,000 that Tiberi has received from the insurance industry. "In the 12th Congressional District, nearly half of single mothers with children under the age of 5 live in poverty," said Robinson. "Instead of voting for legislation that would ensure that those children get the medical care they deserve, my opponent votes in favor of his friends in the insurance industry. He pursues the wrong policies for the wrong reasons."
Robinson, highlighting his own goal of achieving health coverage for every American, said, "Health care should never be a luxury," he said, "but with rising costs in nearly every area of our economy, it is steadily becoming harder and harder for the middle class to afford the kind of care that they need."
More information on David Robinson and his policies can be found at www.Robinson2008.com
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/08/copy/cong12.ART1_ART_09-08-08_B4_9DB8SRF.html?sid=101
And what this article also does is remind us of how the usual sure-skipping Tiberi tripped into hot water last summer when he voted against SCHIP, the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.
His position in August 2007 was that SCHIP was badly flawed, extending coverage to families earning up to $81,000 which could trigger higher Medicare rates for seniors as well as black and latino children covered by Medicare advantage plans.
But this put him in hot water with many of his constituents so, like a scorched toad, Tiberi flipped lilypads to support SCHIP when the issue came back before the House the following month.
Here's how Tiberi explained his flip-flop on his web site last October:
"I voted for this measure not because I believe it's perfect, I voted for it because I understand the importance of insuring low-income kids. The reason Congressional approval ratings are at an all-time low, is people are sick of these political games, they're sick of members from both parties not working together to create quality legislation. I understand that. So do my Republican colleagues. If Republicans were included in coming up with a new plan, perhaps I would have voted for a bill that would go on to become law. Democratic leaders know this bill won't become law. Yet they continue to play politics with the issue rather than advancing an expanded program to help low-income children."
So, to summarize, Tiberi voted against the children's health bill (in August) before he voted for it (in September), but only because those irresponsible Democrats didn't play fair!
If you buy this, vote Tiberi a fifth term and hope he has a Republican president next year to keep him on the narrow (if not the straight).
If you think that Tiberi, who came in with George Bush in 2000, should exit with Bush in 2009, take a look at his challenger, Democrat David Robinson.
Here's Robinson's reaction to today's article:
Robinson Charges Tiberi 'Two-Step' on Children's Health Care
Columbus - In a September 8, 2008 Columbus Dispatch profile of the 12th District Congressional race, Congressman Pat Tiberi claimed that he supports the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), despite his vote in August of 2007 against the program. David Robinson, the Democratic candidate for the 12th District, said, "This is a classic example of the Tiberi 'Two-Step.' He says one thing but does another."
"Pat Tiberi says 'I do what I think is right,'" Robinson continued, "but last August he apparently thought it was right to vote against health coverage for our children." Robinson referred to Tiberi's vote on August 1 of last year, when he voted against the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007. The CHAMP Act reauthorized and expanded the highly-successful SCHIP, a program that currently provides health coverage to more than 6 million low-income children nationwide.
"I see it as just another example of my opponent voting in favor of his campaign donors," said Robinson, noting the $485,000 that Tiberi has received from the insurance industry. "In the 12th Congressional District, nearly half of single mothers with children under the age of 5 live in poverty," said Robinson. "Instead of voting for legislation that would ensure that those children get the medical care they deserve, my opponent votes in favor of his friends in the insurance industry. He pursues the wrong policies for the wrong reasons."
Robinson, highlighting his own goal of achieving health coverage for every American, said, "Health care should never be a luxury," he said, "but with rising costs in nearly every area of our economy, it is steadily becoming harder and harder for the middle class to afford the kind of care that they need."
More information on David Robinson and his policies can be found at www.Robinson2008.com
The 12th Ohio Congressional district, an "all-American district" in the view of Michael Alwood of WVKO's "Blue State Diner" offers a uniquely relevant contrast of candidates in this year's election that goes directly to the point of who controls our wayward government. David Robinson is a first-time candidate who has pledged devotion to the Constitution and is leading an all-volunteer group of supporters in an attempt to dislodge the four-term incumbent, Pat Tiberi, a Bush-loyalist. The following is excerpted from this interview on July 26, 2008.
Michael Alwood: If you look at the twelfth district, it is about as American as it gets. It parallels-almost exactly the national average demographics across the board. We are talking about the all-American district. I think of an all-American district as the people who are being hardest hit in these tough economic times. The institutions who back Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi-insurance companies, financial institutions, some pharmaceutical companies, and these are not people who have the best interest of average Americans in mind-they have the best interest of their stockholders in mind.
David Robinson: One of my central tasks in this campaign is to focus on Mr. Tiberi's voting record and awaken the citizenship to exactly what he is doing in DC. Voters should be asking themselves whether he's representing their interests and values.
The policy we articulated during the primary was the Apollo II Energy Initiative. Stated simply, it recognizes that many of the long-term problems facing our country: loss of jobs, national security issues and environmental concerns-all trace back to energy. It is my belief that by boldly changing the direction of our country-away from fossil fuels and towards next-generation renewables, we can revitalize our economy-especially here in Ohio. We are bound to benefit immensely from this program.
Read More »
Michael Alwood: If you look at the twelfth district, it is about as American as it gets. It parallels-almost exactly the national average demographics across the board. We are talking about the all-American district. I think of an all-American district as the people who are being hardest hit in these tough economic times. The institutions who back Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi-insurance companies, financial institutions, some pharmaceutical companies, and these are not people who have the best interest of average Americans in mind-they have the best interest of their stockholders in mind.
David Robinson: One of my central tasks in this campaign is to focus on Mr. Tiberi's voting record and awaken the citizenship to exactly what he is doing in DC. Voters should be asking themselves whether he's representing their interests and values.
The policy we articulated during the primary was the Apollo II Energy Initiative. Stated simply, it recognizes that many of the long-term problems facing our country: loss of jobs, national security issues and environmental concerns-all trace back to energy. It is my belief that by boldly changing the direction of our country-away from fossil fuels and towards next-generation renewables, we can revitalize our economy-especially here in Ohio. We are bound to benefit immensely from this program.
Read More »
It seems I wasn't the only viewer who took strong exception to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of Barack Obama's service as a Chicago community organizer…and of the value of community organizing in general.. during her speech in St. Paul Wednesday night (see yesterday's Community News posting, Gov. Palin: This Is How Democracy Works!)
The Chicago Tribune (see today's Dispatch, A4) quotes Obama as saying he finds Palin's remark "curious."
Appearing in Lancaster, Pa., he explained:
"I would argue that dong work in the community to try and create jobs, to bring people together, to rejuvenate communities that would have fallen on hard times, to set up job-training programs to areas that have been hard hit when the steel plants closed, that that's relevant only in understanding where I'm coming from, who I believe in, who I'm fighting for and why I'm in this race."
Also curious was the fact that McCain, in the wind-up of his speech last night, urged all Americans to get involved in their communities and in the political process to bring about change. One way to do that, of course, is community organizing, regardless of your party.
Palin, on the other hand, seemed to assume that community organizing only referred to Tammany Hall-type recruiting of the urban poor. And she calls herself a reformer!
McCain was more partisan when, in his speech yesterday, he went after Obama by saying "I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need."
The Republican audience cheered lustily at this, perhaps forgetting that in 2000 and 2004 their party was just as eager to support a Republican standard-bearer who claimed his mandate from God.
The Chicago Tribune (see today's Dispatch, A4) quotes Obama as saying he finds Palin's remark "curious."
Appearing in Lancaster, Pa., he explained:
"I would argue that dong work in the community to try and create jobs, to bring people together, to rejuvenate communities that would have fallen on hard times, to set up job-training programs to areas that have been hard hit when the steel plants closed, that that's relevant only in understanding where I'm coming from, who I believe in, who I'm fighting for and why I'm in this race."
Also curious was the fact that McCain, in the wind-up of his speech last night, urged all Americans to get involved in their communities and in the political process to bring about change. One way to do that, of course, is community organizing, regardless of your party.
Palin, on the other hand, seemed to assume that community organizing only referred to Tammany Hall-type recruiting of the urban poor. And she calls herself a reformer!
McCain was more partisan when, in his speech yesterday, he went after Obama by saying "I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need."
The Republican audience cheered lustily at this, perhaps forgetting that in 2000 and 2004 their party was just as eager to support a Republican standard-bearer who claimed his mandate from God.
You may assume that because you sat up late watching John McCain's speech last night, you don't need to read about the GOP convention in today's paper.
You would be wrong.
Yes, today's Dispatch main convention stories predictably swoon over McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, without adding anything you don't know already. But that's to be expected, given the Dispatch's Republican leanings and - perhaps more importantly - the habit of journalists to put at least first-day priority on stenographic rather than analytical coverage.
Still, we have to learn how to read newspapers the way the Russians do: look for the small items at the bottom of the column, and for what is NOT being reported.
Let's look at what's buried first:
---(Page A8) Former 12th District congressman John Kasich, once widely viewed as a responsible budget hawk, is now trying to kick-start his fledgling gubernatorial campaign by joining the loonies in the Ohio General Assembly pushing for repeal of the state income tax. This is overkill, says former Bush budget director Robb Portman of Cincinnati (also eyeing a gubernatorial run) who prefers tax "reform." As the Dispatch's Joe Hallett points out, "replacing the $9.1 billion generated by the income tax would not be easy. The 5.5 percent state sales tax would have to leap to around 12 percent to raise a similar amount."
---(A6) While all eyes were on St. Paul, Vice President Dick Cheney is setting the stage for the showdown with Russia by "insisting" that the former Soviet republic of Georgia be admitted to NATO. The last paragraph of this AP story discloses that "U.S. officials have said it is likely that more military assistance will be forthcoming at some point to help the badly routed Georgian forces rebuild again."
Maybe this is what John McCain meant when he predicted there would be more wars even if Iraq and Afghanistan are pacified.
Now consider what's missing from today's edition:
---No mention of the demonstrations last night during McCain's speech by anti-war veterans who raised signs criticizing the nominee's position on veterans benefits. They were shown briefly on television several times but didn't get any ink, at least in the Dispatch.
---Even more curious is why the Dispatch on its editorial page has been mum on the Sarah Palin nomination, at least up until now. Maybe the newspaper just wanted to wait and make sure she was, in fact, nominated at the convention and will publish its Valentine this weekend. But ever since Bush was elected, the Dispatch has been critical of the influence of the Christian Right on the Republican Party, and of Bush for catering to the fanatic fringe.
You would be wrong.
Yes, today's Dispatch main convention stories predictably swoon over McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, without adding anything you don't know already. But that's to be expected, given the Dispatch's Republican leanings and - perhaps more importantly - the habit of journalists to put at least first-day priority on stenographic rather than analytical coverage.
Still, we have to learn how to read newspapers the way the Russians do: look for the small items at the bottom of the column, and for what is NOT being reported.
Let's look at what's buried first:
---(Page A8) Former 12th District congressman John Kasich, once widely viewed as a responsible budget hawk, is now trying to kick-start his fledgling gubernatorial campaign by joining the loonies in the Ohio General Assembly pushing for repeal of the state income tax. This is overkill, says former Bush budget director Robb Portman of Cincinnati (also eyeing a gubernatorial run) who prefers tax "reform." As the Dispatch's Joe Hallett points out, "replacing the $9.1 billion generated by the income tax would not be easy. The 5.5 percent state sales tax would have to leap to around 12 percent to raise a similar amount."
---(A6) While all eyes were on St. Paul, Vice President Dick Cheney is setting the stage for the showdown with Russia by "insisting" that the former Soviet republic of Georgia be admitted to NATO. The last paragraph of this AP story discloses that "U.S. officials have said it is likely that more military assistance will be forthcoming at some point to help the badly routed Georgian forces rebuild again."
Maybe this is what John McCain meant when he predicted there would be more wars even if Iraq and Afghanistan are pacified.
Now consider what's missing from today's edition:
---No mention of the demonstrations last night during McCain's speech by anti-war veterans who raised signs criticizing the nominee's position on veterans benefits. They were shown briefly on television several times but didn't get any ink, at least in the Dispatch.
---Even more curious is why the Dispatch on its editorial page has been mum on the Sarah Palin nomination, at least up until now. Maybe the newspaper just wanted to wait and make sure she was, in fact, nominated at the convention and will publish its Valentine this weekend. But ever since Bush was elected, the Dispatch has been critical of the influence of the Christian Right on the Republican Party, and of Bush for catering to the fanatic fringe.
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Statement by the President on Health Care Reform Bill Released by Senate HELP Committee Today
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 12:38 PM
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Kennedy, Dodd Deliver Strong Public Option Bill That Is $400 Billion Below Estimates
By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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By: Dave Harding, ProgressOhio
Posted Jul 2, 11:56 AM
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What Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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By: Doug
Posted Jul 4, 08:31 AM
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SEIU 1199 HEALTH CARE WORKERS PRAISE SEN. BROWN FOR LEADERSHIP ON FIXING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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By: SEIU District 1199
Posted Jul 3, 12:04 PM
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The Employee Free Choice Act is Vital for Economic Recovery
By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
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By: Doug
Posted Jun 27, 10:43 PM
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We are seeing the impact of repression
I would like to see this study expanded to examine the incid...
I would like to see this study expanded to examine the incid...
