Mar 1, 2010

As Portman Headlines COAST Fundraiser, State Legislators Call on Him to Sever Ties with Controversial Group that Referred to Them as "Nazis"'

COLUMBUS – Prompted by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman's speech at a fundraiser for the controversial Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) this evening, Representative Mike Foley of Cleveland, Representative Ronald Gerberry of Austintown, Representative Steve Slesnick of Canton, and Representative Kenny Yuko of Richmond Heights today called on the former Bush budget director and U.S. Trade Representative to sever ties with the Cincinnati-based group infamous for its inflammatory rhetoric.

The official COAST website calls Ohio public officials "Nazis" in reference to state legislators' successful passage of important campaign financial disclosure laws that promote transparency and better inform the public about who is behind campaign spending. The state legislators announced today on a conference call that they are sending Portman a letter urging him to terminate his relationship with the organization and commit to upholding honest and respectful public discourse.

"In light of COAST's repeated pattern of troubling and incendiary comments directed toward Ohio's and the nation's public servants, we respectfully ask that you sever your ties with this group which has shown itself to be more interested in hateful rhetoric than solving the challenges facing Ohioans," they state in the letter. The full letter is available below.

The state legislators expressed grave disappointment for Portman's decision to raise money for the organization. COAST charged $75 per person to attend the event headlined by Portman today.

"I'm deeply saddened that Rob Portman would condone such low-level displays of disrespect by actively fundraising for an organization that resorts to the worst kind of politics," Rep. Foley said. "This is not the kind of leadership I look for in a U.S. Senator."

"Rob Portman's decision to raise money for a divisive organization that thrives on incendiary ridicule is a slap in the face to Ohioans struggling during this global recession," Rep. Gerberry said. "COAST's comments should have no place in public discourse, much less the support of someone hoping to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate."

“The term Nazi should never be thrown around lightly. I take personal offense to Rob Portman’s decision to associate with an organization that would make a mockery of one of the most brutal genocides in history,” Rep. Slesnick said.

“Ohio has too much at stake to waste time on this kind of outrageous name-calling,” Rep. Yuko said. “This is not how to get things done at any level of government. Rob Portman needs to end his affiliation with this organization, and he needs to do it now.”

In addition to referring to Ohio legislators as "Nazis," COAST has also made disparaging comments about the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, calling him a "shovel ready project," while referring to Congressman Steve Driehaus as a "chicken (expletive) liberal." COAST's leader Chris Finney also said that restaurant owners should have the right to kick out gay and lesbian couples from their restaurants and landlords should have the right to evict them from their homes. And COAST referred to Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis and County Engineer Bill Brayshaw, two longtime Republican leaders, as "fossils" who should retire.

Upon the recent death of Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Portman's former colleague in Congress, COAST's Twitter account read, "John Murtha dead at 77. Good riddance bad egg."

Representative Slesnick will be asking his colleagues in the Statehouse to sign on to the following letter, which he, along with Reps. Foley, Gerberry, Yuko will send to Portman later this week.

Mr. Robert Portman
c/o Portman for Senate
P.O. Box 39
Terrace Park, Ohio 45174

Dear Mr. Portman,

It is with great disappointment that we learned you headlined a major fundraiser for the Coalition Opposing Additional Spending & Taxes (COAST) in Cincinnati this week despite the organization's continued use of offensive, inflammatory rhetoric.

Most recently, COAST called Ohio public officials "Nazis" on its Political Action Committee Web page. The disparaging comment was made in reference to state legislators who passed important campaign financial disclosure laws that promote transparency and better inform the public about who is behind campaign spending.

COAST was also responsible for the insensitive and highly controversial Twitter post in response to Rep. John Murtha's passing, which read "John Murtha dead at 77. Good riddance bad egg." COAST also described the late Sen. Ted Kennedy as a "shovel-ready project."

These kinds of remarks are both offensive and unproductive. A strong, vigorous debate can help us tackle Ohio's gravest challenges amidst this global recession without this type of disrespectful name calling.

In light of COAST's repeated pattern of troubling and incendiary comments directed toward Ohio's and the nation's public servants, we respectfully ask that you sever your ties with this group which has shown itself to be more interested in hateful rhetoric than solving the challenges facing Ohioans."

COAST's mission to limit unnecessary spending and taxes is a worthwhile one, but its methods are deplorable and have no place in our public forum. We ask you, Mr. Portman: will you end your affiliation with COAST and join us in working toward a more civil public discourse?

Now more than ever, we need to develop smart, innovative partnerships that can rebuild our economy, create jobs and make Ohio strong again. We hope that you will commit to furthering these goals by ending your relationship with COAST and other groups that seek to impose their views on Ohio through fear and intimidation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Representative Mike Foley
Representative Ronald Gerberry
Representative Steve Slesnick
Representative Kenny Yuko

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