TIME Magazine: The Importance of Ohio
By Erick Sanchez on 07/29/2010 @ 11:16 AM
TIME Magazine recently analyzed the importance of Ohio’s elections in 2010. If Democrats win the 2010 elections, we will help President Obama be re-elected in 2012. Having a Democratic Governor helps a Democrat win the White House. President Obama needs Governor Strickland leading our state so that he has a big advantage going into 2012. Ohio will again be the most important state in 2012 so it’s critical that we win this November.
Congressman Kasich to Reporters: Stop Asking “Stupid Questions”
By Erick Sanchez on 07/20/2010 @ 04:48 PM
“There is this perception in some quarters that Kasich is not available. You think I am not available? You call me. Because I don’t think I’ve ever turned down any of your interviews ... unless they are just stupid questions.”
That is what Congressman Kasich said to reporters yesterday, as one of his spokesmen tried to pull him away.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Exactly what so-called “stupid questions” has Kasich refused to answer during this campaign?
Here’s a list we compiled:
1) Why’d you vote for NAFTA?
2) Why’d you vote for free trade with China?
3) Why’d you vote for tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas?
4) Why’d you vote against job training for workers whose jobs you helped outsource?
5) Why’d you vote for a billionaire’s loophole - four times?
6) Why won’t you give us any details about your tax plan?
7) Why won’t you tell us the details of your work at Lehman Brothers?
8) Why do you refuse to release your Lehman Brothers tax returns?
9) Why don’t you support Wall Street reform that just passed the Senate?
Recently, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Columbus Dispatch asked the Kasich campaign to explain his voting record during his two decades in Congress. Judging by his campaign’s response, perhaps Kasich thought that, too, was a "stupid question."
New York Times Profiles Congressman Driehaus’s Race
By Erick Sanchez on 07/07/2010 @ 05:21 PM
The New York Times profiled Congressman Steve Driehaus’s race for re-election. As the article notes, this is one of the most competitive races in the country, and the Ohio Democratic Party intends to use every resource at our disposal to win. Across the state, Ohio Democrats are making a concerted effort to target first-time 2008 voters again in 2010. The New York Times reinforces what we already know: that these voters are a key component of our victories in 2010, particularly in races like the 1st Congressional District. Here are a few excerpts for the New York Times profile:
The congressman was dripping with sweat, and his face was as red as a tomato as he moved through a crowded park here, passing out dozens of plastic cups bearing his name.
"Hi, I’m Steve Driehaus," he said, leaning down to shake a woman’s hand. "I’m your congressman, and I need your help in November."
While all candidates ask voters for support, the pitch from Mr. Driehaus is more pointed than most. He is among the class of Democrats who face the challenge of running in difficult districts without the same enthusiasm and expected voter turnout that helped the party expand its Congressional majorities when Barack Obama led the ticket two years ago.
…
To hold these seats and to protect others that are vulnerable, Democrats are trying to re-create the Obama campaign machinery and expand turnout beyond a typical midterm election…
The prospects for Democrats holding on to the House, and perhaps even the Senate, could rest with whether legions of first-time or occasional voters who supported Mr. Obama, including a high percentage of African-Americans, return to the polls this year.
The contest in Ohio’s First Congressional District offers one of the best case studies in the country. The campaign is among a dozen rematches in this election cycle: Steve Chabot, who was first elected in the 1994 Republican sweep, lost his seat to Mr. Driehaus by four percentage points — 14,772 votes — and is fighting to win it back.
…
As some Democratic candidates balance how closely to align themselves with the president, Mr. Driehaus believes that his best path to winning a second term is to remind voters who remain loyal to Mr. Obama of the consequences of the midterm election. He declared to a group of Hispanic voters, "I was happy to run with President Obama on the ticket."
Later, at the opening of a local office of Organizing for America, the outgrowth of the Obama campaign that works to increase voter turnout, Mr. Driehaus said: "If you believed in hope in 2008, if you believed in change in 2008, this election is about delivering on that change. It’s just that simple. We can keep moving forward or we can go back."
The Congressional race, which includes most of Cincinnati and several suburbs and townships, offers a laboratory on how Democrats are working to hold their majority in the House. Two years ago, 53 percent of voters here in Hamilton County selected Mr. Obama, the first time a Democratic candidate for president won in 44 years.
…
"Our job is to make sure people don’t take a pass on the midterm," said Ken Shewmon, a management consultant who volunteers as a Democratic neighborhood team leader. "We know who they are, we know where they are, we know their phone numbers."
"We’re a little bit early now," he said, "but if we don’t see a lot of volunteers by August, that’s a problem."
Mr. Chabot said he was impressed by the Democratic Party’s get-out-the-vote operation, particularly the absentee ballot program, which he plans to try to replicate…
Read the full story here.
Kasich Not Able to Defend Record of Standing up for Wall Street during Two Decades in Congress
By Seth Bringman on 07/07/2010 @ 12:54 PM
Yesterday, following Governor Strickland’s speech, in which he laid out Congressman John Kasich’s record of standing up for Wall Street as a member of Congress, Kasich was unable to defend ANY of the out of touch votes he cast or ANY of the devastating cuts he proposed, many of which benefited Wall Street at the expense of Ohio.
In fact, both the Columbus Dispatch and the Cleveland Plain Dealer gave the Kasich campaign an opportunity to defend Congressman Kasich’s record, and they declined. The Dispatch reported, “Kasich's campaign declined opportunities to dispute Strickland's characterization of any of the votes.” The Plain Dealer reported, “[Kasich’s] spokesman Rob Nichols would not respond to specific questions about Kasich's congressional voting record raised by Strickland.”
Here’s a rundown of some of the key components of Congressman Kasich’s record, as highlighted by the Columbus Dispatch:
• Voted against raising the minimum wage and his budget plan would have slashed food stamps and children's nutrition programs.
• "Fought to reduce the Earned Income Tax Credit ...a tax rebate for people who punch in, work hard and don't hide their assets in tax shelters and offshore accounts."
• Supported a 1990s "tax loophole that allowed American billionaires and other really wealthy people to evade taxes by renouncing their American citizenship."
• "Voted repeatedly to increase the cost of college loans ... He wanted to gut the Small Business Administration, with his budget seeking billions in cuts to programs that help fuel the growth and job creation of small businesses."
• Proposed cutting $7 billion from veterans programs, quadrupling veterans' prescription costs, and "cutting benefits for veterans who suffered head wounds and mental traumas and could no longer care for themselves independently."
By refusing to defend his record of standing up for Wall Street, Congressman Kasich is tacitly admitting to his Wall Street values. Between hiding the millions he made working at Lehman Brothers and his anti-working families Congressional record, Kasich has demonstrated that he would not be on the side of Ohioans as Governor.
John Kasich's Bad Week
By Doug Kelly on 06/29/2010 @ 11:16 AM
Cross posted at Huffington Post.
Last week, the gubernatorial campaign of Congressman John Kasich took to the national stage in what has since been deemed a "backwards political twofer." In one week, his campaign managed to offend both rural Ohioans and Ohioans in Northeast Ohio - the most populous region of the state.
As first reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Kasich told FOX News radio, "the last guy I worry about is LeBron James." Kasich went on to say, "I'm not singing in any chorus for LeBron James," chiding Governor Strickland for appearing in a music video with famous Ohioans asking LeBron to stay in Cleveland. Knowing how important LeBron is to Ohio - both as a source of pride and as an economic driver for the Cleveland area - we quickly put together an "Ohioans Against LeBron" website - with John Kasich being the only member - and included a web video highlighting Kasich's comments, along with Google Ads to drive voters to the site.
The Kasich camp committed another major blunder with offensive comments directed at rural and Appalachian Ohio. In a prepared statement responding to a policy speech on urban issues by Lt. Governor candidate Yvette McGee Brown, a Kasich spokesman alleged that Governor Strickland has ignored Ohio's cities because he had "grown up in a chicken shack in Duck Run." The next day, Appalachian surrogates including Congressman Charlie Wilson called on the Kasich team to apologize. Kasich was put on his heels; his spokesman was forced to apologize and Kasich said he took that spokesman "out to the woodshed."
Kasich's gaffes - and the strategic response from Ohio Democrats - garnered widespread state and national headlines, such as:
Politico: Kasich mocks Strickland's upbringing
AP: Ohio Dems blast Kasich over LeBron James comments
Talking Points Memo: GOPer Kasich In Damage Control Mode After Gaffes In OH-GOV Race
NPR: Ohio Gov: Chicken Shack Comment Compounded By Kasich Dis Of Lebron
NBC Sports: John Kasich's LeBron gaffe could cost him the governor's race
Dayton Daily News: Kasich's light dims in 'chicken shack' flap
And the list goes on.
These gaffes reinforced two things we already knew:
First, Kasich is out-of-touch with Ohioans. After two decades in Congress and nearly a decade on Wall Street, Kasich has lost touch with the "son of a mailman" roots he brags about. Even as Congressman Kasich was offending millions of Ohioans last week, he was touring his old stomping grounds in New York to promote his third book.
Second, Kasich is running an inept campaign. And LeBrongate and Shackgate weren't Team Kasich's only recent screw-ups. The Associated Press revealed that Kasich's communications director attempted to cover up the extent of the cost of Lehman Brothers' collapse on Ohio's public pension systems. Kasich has also touted a radical tax proposal during this campaign - a plan that would decrease state revenue by 40 percent and devastate schools, libraries, parks, police and fire departments.
Following last week's events, it is now more clear than ever why we can't afford to place the future of Ohio in the hands of Congressman Kasich and the Wall Street values he represents.
Follow Doug Kelly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OHDems
Dave Yost: A Tale of Two Candidates
By Erick Sanchez on 06/22/2010 @ 10:51 AM
A web ad released by the Pepper campaign last week showed Republican Dave Yost addressing a Tea Party rally in Columbus, rallying the crowd by touting himself as an advocate against government spending, but failing to disclose that that in his seven years as prosecutor, his office increased its budget by 150% from his predecessor.
Read more about the records of David Pepper and Dave Yost here.
DeWine: Far from ‘doing well’ in the Valley
By Seth Bringman on 06/15/2010 @ 02:48 PM
Today’s Youngstown Vindicator quoted Republican candidate for Attorney General Mike DeWine saying that he has “done well” in the Mahoning Valley in previous campaigns. As someone who took part in Sen. Sherrod Brown’s thumping of former Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006, I can tell you that Mike DeWine did not do well in the Mahoning Valley – or anywhere else for that matter.
In fact, DeWine was trounced by Sherrod Brown in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, where he received only 27 percent of the vote. His performance in the Valley should come as no surprise, considering his support of bad trade deals that sent area jobs overseas. Cities like Youngstown have been hit particularly hard by trade deals like the ones with China and Mexico, which DeWine enthusiastically supported during his 20 years in Congress.
Just as our team in 2006 effectively informed voters about Mike DeWine’s record, we will hold DeWine responsible during this campaign for his record of standing up for Wall Street corporations and companies that ship jobs overseas. And we will remind Ohio voters why they have already rejected Mike DeWine’s record at the ballot box.
A Very Prideful Summer for the LGBT Caucus
By Collin Burton on 06/15/2010 @ 02:25 PM
June has been a very eventful month for the LGBT Caucus. Our Involvement in the coordinated campaign kick-off and the many Pride events around Ohio have gotten the summer off to a busy start. We have had some incredible success recruiting new volunteers across the state, which will be essential throughout the campaign season. For the LGBT community, it’s important that we organize and support our candidates as they fight to move equality forward.
This Saturday, June 19th, our volunteers and supporters will be gathering to march in the Columbus Pride Parade, which is billed as the largest Pride celebration in the Midwest. The parade is great exposure for our candidates within the LGBT community, and will also be another opportunity to build our forces by signing up new volunteers. Sign up to participate in the Columbus Pride parade and festival here: (http://bit.ly/d0WsTB).
John Boehner: BP's BFF
By Erick Sanchez on 06/10/2010 @ 04:58 PM
After years of leading the Republican Party of “No,” Ohio’s-own GOP House Minority Leader John Boehner finally said “yes” today. Boehner is calling for a bailout of BP—telling a reporter that the federal government, essentially taxpayers, should split the tab of the oil spill cleanup and rescue effort with BP. While this is outrageous, it is, by no means surprising. Boehner and his colleagues have no problem kowtowing to Big Oil.
This is exactly the type of “leadership” we saw when Republicans were in control. Their push to prioritize Wall Street and big business interests over that of Ohio's working families helped to bring about the global recession. And Ohio's own John Boehner is leading the way to leave taxpayers responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation’s history.
To get a better picture of what Boehner thinks we should pay for, here’s what the oil spill would look like if it were over Ohio:
10,000
By Lauren Groh-Wargo on 06/07/2010 @ 05:53 PM
10,000. That’s the number of Ohio voters we reached out to this past Saturday at 30 office openings and 120 canvasses throughout the Buckeye State. Despite adverse weather, we came out in force to spread our message as part of our fight for an economy that works for all families.
This campaign is an unprecedented, coordinated campaign for victory in 2010 that includes the Ohio Democratic Party, Organizing for America and all our Democratic candidates and committees. We call this effort the Fight for Ohio's Future.
Here is a video recap from this past Saturday’s events:
Thank you to all of our candidates and volunteers who made our 2010 Democratic campaign kickoff a huge success.
Also, here’s what Ohio media outlets had to say about the 2010 Democratic campaign kickoff:
Dayton Daily News: “Though the election is Nov. 2, local Democrats say it’s no accident they’re starting to campaign now.”
Lima News: “Gearing up for a battle they say would continue Ohio on the road to recovery, Democrats in Allen County kicked off the campaign season Saturday.”
Ironton Tribune: “In every corner of Ohio, Democratic volunteers went door-to-door, talking with voters about the election and seeking support.”
WBEX Chillicothe: “The kick-off event in Chillicothe was part of a statewide launch to Ohio Democrats' unprecedented, coordinated campaign for victory in 2010…”
Mansfield News Journal: “Local Democratic leaders, candidates and volunteers met Saturday to kick off the 2010 campaign at the grassroots level.”
Cincinnati Enquirer: “Greater Cincinnati Democrats knocked on about 1,000 doors Saturday morning and opened several new campaign offices…”
WYTV Youngstown: “This was D-Day across the state - that’s Democrat Day - as the party began campaigning in earnest for November.”
It's Tea Party v. GOP here in Ohio
By Doug Kelly on 05/29/2010 @ 11:16 AM
Cross posted at Huffington Post.
Rand Paul's recent win in Kentucky was further evidence of what we've been seeing in Ohio for some time: a war between the Republican Party and the Tea Party.
Just how bad is this division in the Ohio? The President of the Ohio Liberty Council, perhaps the biggest player in Ohio Tea Party politics, said repeatedly that the Ohio Republican Party "declared war" on the Tea Party during Ohio's primary election. And instead of vowing Party unity after the primary, Littleton is instructing his fellow Tea Partiers to vote their conscience in November, regardless of whether or not that means Democrats will win.
The Teabaggers were so upset at these shenanigans that they protested outside Ohio Republican Party headquarters. And they threw their full weight into the Auditor's race, working against the endorsed Republican candidate that they once supported - before he became the establishment's guy.
Soon after anointing their candidates, the Ohio Republican Party realized they had a problem on their hands. Tea Party leaders began lashing out at the GOP. County Republican parties in all corners of the state bucked the state Party and endorsed the Tea Party candidates. And the Tea Party was recruiting a strong slate of candidates at the local level, with the stated intention of taking over the Ohio Republican Party from the ground up.
The Ohio Republican Party-endorsed candidates then sprinted to the right and focused only on Tea Party issues - even in the Secretary of State's race, in which the Party-endorsed Republican candidate, Jon Husted, ran ads (complete with Biblical imagery and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag) saying that he "wants to stop immoral government debt, to protect our children's liberty."
The Ohio Republican Party then sent controversial mailers, which included an image of a teacup and the words "Tea Party Values," even though their candidates were opposed, vigorously, by Tea Party supporters. One Tea Party candidate filed an elections complaint against the Ohio Republican Party over the mailer.
In the end, the Ohio Republican Party was forced to spend as much as $2 million to defeat the Tea Party in the primary election. And, while the statewide Tea Party candidates were defeated, it is clear that trouble is brewing for our friends on the other side of the aisle.
The Tea Party made a number of gains at the local level, such as winning 20 seats on the Republican State Central Committee. One of the Tea Party's local winners was "Joe the Plumber," the icon of Sen. John McCain's losing presidential bid, who has since turned against the Republican Party and will likely use his new leadership role to cause trouble for the Party from the inside.
In short, Ohio Republicans are bitterly fractured going into November's election. And neither the Party nor its candidates know how to address this growing problem. Candidates like Congressman John Kasich pander to the Tea Party one day and run from it the next. Two candidates who should be particularly worried about Tea Party influence in November are so-called moderates Congressman Rob Portman and former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine.
The Ohio Republican Party dismisses all of these warning signs and says their Party will be united in November. If Republicans in Ohio and across the country assume that the Teabagger crowd will be with them in November, they might want to think again.
Maryellen O’Shaughnessy: Check Out Our New Website
By Maryellen O'Shaughnessy on 05/26/2010 @ 06:13 PM
Today, my campaign for Secretary of State launched a new website, www.MaryellenforOhio.com. We listened to supporters, bloggers and reporters from around the state to create this new online resource that we hope will be useful to voters throughout the campaign.
Some of the new features include links to Maryellen for Ohio Twitter and Facebook pages as well as an interactive map where supporters can follow my travels around the state. Additionally, supporters can find out how to become more involved with the campaign as well as sign up receive periodic updates from my staff and me. As we move closer to November, I will be adding more information about my positions on issues important to Ohio voters.
Please visit the new site, and while you’re there, make sure to download a voter registration form if you aren’t already registered. We hope you like what you see. Always feel free to contact my campaign at contact@maryellenforohio.com.
Next Gen Dems: The Power of Inclusion
By Scott T. Surovjak on 05/25/2010 @ 07:48 PM
“Are they organized? Do they care? Will they vote?”
Each cycle, political commentators ask these same old questions about us young people. Candidates spend entire campaigns trying to connect with us in new, creative ways. Campaigns spend major dollars on consultants in hopes of finding the magical way to catch our attention. While some have trouble understanding us and connecting with us, the key to success relies on the ability of our Party to embrace the ideas and ideals of young people.
That’s why I was recently hired by the Ohio Democratic Party as the Director of Next Generation Democrats. At the party, we're building a statewide, grassroots network of 18- to 35-year-olds to turn our generation's ideals into action. The creation of this position is an extraordinary opportunity for the Party to engage young people from across the state. As their director, and someone who sees the issues through the lens of a young person, I can now speak for a demographic whose voice is often unheard. All of this is possible thanks to the vision of Chairman Chris Redfern, who worked hard to make the Ohio Democratic Party a national leader in year-round outreach to key Democratic constituencies.
The Ohio Democratic Party’s investment in building future leaders goes beyond Next Generation Democrats. Over 75% of ODP’s 100+ staff members are under the age of 35 and are a diverse group in all respects. Both College Democrats and Young Democrats have representation on our State Executive Committee.
This young staff, coupled with genuine inclusiveness, has moved youth engagement to a new level in Ohio. We have connected over 30 College Democrats chapters and 10 Young Democrats chapters to the state Party and to our statewide ticket. In March, over 200 young people joined us in Columbus, Ohio for the Next Generation Democrats Inaugural Statewide Summit. We are also actively recruiting thousands of young people across the state to work with our Coordinated Campaign and elect Democrats this November.
With the early involvement of young activists like you, we have accomplished a great deal in Ohio in just a few months, and we have big plans for the rest of the year. But the success of youth outreach is not specific to Ohio. What we are doing here can easily be implemented across the country.
Remember: We as young people join the Party when people reach out us. We volunteer when candidates speak to us. We vote when issues matter to us. The key is inclusion.
Scott T. Surovjak
Next Generation Democrats
Ohio Democratic Party
Learn more about Next Gen Dems by clicking OhioDems.org/NextGen.
Jennifer Brunner: Together
By Jennifer Brunner on 05/14/2010 @ 11:58 AM
After the May 4 primary, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wrote a letter to Democratic supporters, expressing the importance of party unity. That letter follows.
No one likes losing an election, and that includes me. Tuesday's May 4th election was my first political loss of four campaigns run in the past ten years. I look forward to continuing to serve you as your Secretary of State for the remainder of my term and to overseeing a fair and well-run election in November.
As we ready ourselves for the fall campaigns, I encourage all of you stay involved in Democratic Party activities, locally and statewide. We have important races ahead--from U.S. Senator, Governor and Supreme Court Justices to seats for a new county commission in Cuyahoga County and county commissioners and common pleas court judges throughout the state. Each of us as Ohio Democrats is called to do our part.
I will continue to stand firm for fairness, equality and respect in how we elect our leaders and in how we govern. Whatever your views in the primary, I urge everyone to come together as one Democratic family. We must move swiftly to achieve our shared values for a better quality of life for the people of Ohio.
Thank you to all of you who voted on Tuesday. Let's keep up the hard work to help our Party with its plans for the fall. We're all in this together, and I remain committed to standing with you in fighting for progress for Ohio.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Brunner
Ohio Secretary of State
A Divided GOP
By Seth Bringman on 05/05/2010 @ 04:10 PM
The results of the Republican primary confirm that the Ohio Republican Party is bitterly fractured. Instead of energizing the Ohio Republican Party, the Tea Party worked against it. Instead of embracing the Tea Party, the Ohio Republican Party declared war on it. During this primary campaign, while Republican candidates sprinted to the far-right in an attempt to out-Tea Party one another, the Democratic candidates focused on their plans to create jobs and other issues that matter to the people of Ohio.
The Ohio Republican Party was also forced to pour in hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of dollars in a desperate attempt to convince its own voters to support its own endorsed candidates. Not only do Democrats emerge from this primary election united, we also emerge with a strong advantage over our Republican counterparts, both in terms of resources and in terms of infrastructure.
Help Ohio Students Have the Chance of a Lifetime
By Lauren Groh-Wargo on 04/30/2010 @ 06:59 PM
Today, I wrote a letter to President Obama encouraging him to speak at the commencement ceremony of Cincinnati’s Clark Montessori Junior and Senior High School. Clark Montessori is one of three finalists in the country in the White House’s Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, and President Obama will pick the winner.
Please join me by writing to President Obama at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. Ask him to choose Clark Montessori Junior and Senior High School.
For more information about the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/commencement.
President Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
This week, I wrote an email to our statewide list of Ohio Democratic Party supporters asking them to vote for Clark Montessori Junior and Senior High School in Cincinnati for the White House's Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. The response was amazing. Our supporters – the same supporters who worked tirelessly to turn Ohio blue in 2008 – responded with enthusiasm for this Ohio school.
Clark is the first public Montessori high school in the country, and in the last ten years, 99.5 percent of seniors have graduated and 96 percent of graduates have attended a post-secondary educational institution. While at Clark, students learn that education is not just classroom work, but a lifelong commitment to learning. Every student completes more than 200 hours of community service and participates in rigorous field studies to prepare them for life after graduation. Having President Obama speak at the school's commencement would be the experience of a lifetime for these Ohio students. Moreover, as a former community organizer from Cincinnati, I know how much your visit would mean to the entire region.
Even during these difficult times, Ohio has become a national leader in education. While other states have cut funding for primary and secondary education, our Democratic leaders have increased Ohio's investment in education by more than five percent over the next two years. This increased investment was possible thanks to the partnership of the White House and funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. After nearly two decades of Republicans kicking the can down the road, Democrats in Ohio have passed vital reforms to our education system that make it possible for each child in Ohio to live up to his or her potential. Governor Ted Strickland and our Democratic leaders know that in order to pull Ohio out of this global recession, we must prepare our students for the 21st century economy by making our schools the best in the nation.
In addition, while other states have raised college tuition by as much as 30 percent, Ohio has done what no other state has done – we froze college tuition for the first two years of Governor Strickland's administration and then capped tuition increases at 3.5 percent over each of the following two years to make it easier for our young people to attend college. We are proud of our more than 600,000 students enrolled at more than 200 institutions of higher learning in our state.
Thank you for your consideration of speaking at the commencement ceremony of Clark Montessori Junior and Senior High School. And thank you for all of the work you do every day on behalf of our young people.
Sincerely,
Lauren Groh-Wargo
Deputy Director, Ohio Democratic Party
Why Medina GOP's Remarks about Congresswoman Sutton are Offensive
By Patricia Hanek on 04/28/2010 @ 04:51 PM
Dear Editor:
Recently, the Medina County Republican Party sent out their newsletter to 15,000 households in the county. The newsletter stated: “Let’s take Betty Sutton out of the House and put her back in the kitchen!” The Medina County Republican Executive Committee produced this newsletter. I suspect that they thought this was a cute little remark that would gain the reader’s attention. Instead, they produced a comment that is not only insulting to all women but plays into derogatory stereotypes. This comment is inappropriate from the leadership of a political party.
There are many women who serve as elected officials in Medina County, including myself, who serve in positions such as township trustee, judge, mayor, clerk of courts, fiscal officer, county commissioner, as well as councilwomen. Among them are both Democrats and Republicans. These women are dedicated in their jobs to serving the public. I found the Medina County GOP's remark particularly surprising and insensitive because it perpetuates outdated gender stereotypes. Our congresswoman, Betty Sutton, and the women of Medina County deserve better treatment and respect.
Sincerely, Patricia Hanek Brunswick City Council at Large
Ohio Democratic Party African American Caucus stops in Lucas County
By Nathaniel Angel on 04/23/2010 @ 01:55 PM
On April 9, I had the opportunity to introduce the top leadership of the Strickland for Governor campaign to a excited group of African American activists in Toledo. As African American Caucus Director for the Ohio Democratic Party, I’m looking forward to working them and other African American activists across the state to elect Democrats up and down the ticket in 2010.
Sojourner’s Truth said this about the event:
Signaling that the statewide election campaign has begun in earnest, several members of the Ohio Democratic Party spoke to an audience of grassroots volunteers last week...
Nathaniel Angel, director of the Party’s African-American Caucus... [said] “it’s important for the State of Ohio that we get [Gov.] Ted Strickland and the Democratic ticket re-elected.”
Also on hand for the Q and A session were John Stephan, the Strickland deputy campaign manager, and Karundi Williams, political director.
Williams emphasized how important it was to the Democratic Party to win in 2010 – important particularly for the presidential race of 2012 and for the re-districting tasks that will follow this year’s election.
...
Read the full article here.
Why Earth Day Matters
By Maryellen O'Shaughnessy on 04/22/2010 @ 06:49 PM
“On today's 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, we take time to recognize the challenges facing our planet and the importance of finding sustainable solutions. These efforts to protect our environment, which have been a passion of my life, are inseparable from our efforts to create jobs. As Ohioans face this global recession, our Democratic leaders have positioned our state at the forefront of creating new green jobs and investing in emerging industries that put Ohioans back to work. As Secretary of State, I will manage the Business Services Division in a way that makes state government a partner with new businesses so they can immediately start creating jobs for Ohioans.”
(A former Columbus City Councilwoman, Maryellen O’Shaughnessy served as chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee, working to restore "Complete Streets" to the city's transportation grid, advocating comprehensive sidewalk policies, safe bikeways and better public transit options. As former chair of the Utilities Committee and chair of the Development Committee, she championed the redevelopment of Downtown Columbus, helping attract businesses and create jobs, while working toward better, more sustainable growth policies like the city's "21st Century Growth Strategy." Maryellen has ridden her bike to work throughout her career in public service.)
Jon Husted's "hometown" newspaper criticizes his opposition to passenger rail
By Sarah Bender on 04/13/2010 @ 02:49 PM
State Senator and Republican candidate for Secretary of State Jon Husted’s “hometown,” the Dayton Daily News, criticized his opposition to a passenger rail system in Ohio. Ohio was awarded $400 million in stimulus funds for the rail project but could stand to lose the money if the rail project is not approved. The Dayton Daily News editorial board called on Husted to "put the interests of Dayton before partisan politics" and said, "the Kettering Republican is being penny-wise and dollar-foolish."
Read the full Editorial here.
