Buckeye State Blog - Pamphleteers of the Revolution

Josh Mandel Says Screw The Schools

David Potts — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:47:23 -0700

Late yesterday it came to my attention that Josh Mandel, the Republican candidate for Treasurer of State, issued a big “screw you” to Ohio’s schools.

He did this by voting against H.B. 462; a reappropriations bill that, among other things, provides:

$94.4 million for school construction and emergency school building assistance;
$74.6 million for the popular voter-initiated Clean Ohio fund;
$3.5 million to support the Ohio School for the Blind; and
$4.3 million to expand “mandown” emergency alert services to the four Ohio correctional institutions without these life-saving services.

Not only did Mandel’s vote set him at odds with the majority of his Republican colleagues, it also put him at odds with himself. This bill was largely the same as the one two years ago, and Mandel voted yes on that one.

So what’s changed? Or perhaps the question I should be asking is: Am I really surprised Josh Mandel is so eager to sell out his beliefs for tea party support?

Boccieri Is A Yes On Healthcare!

David Potts — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:56:45 -0700

John Boccieri is on MSNBC right now telling America that even though people say this decision could cost him his job, he’ll be supporting healthcare reform.

Way to go John, I knew you had it in you.

Boccieri Holding Press Conference, Expected To Vote Yes

David Potts — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:33:40 -0700

Not much more to report than that at the moment.

OH-6: Wilson A Firm Yes On Healthcare Reform

David Potts — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:54:34 -0700

It’s not a huge surprise, but Charlie Wilson came out this morning as another confirmed yes vote on healthcare reform.

Facts On Abortion Conference Call With Charlie Wilson

David Potts — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:33:39 -0700

Abortion Healthcare Call With Charlie Wilson

OH-01: Cincinnati Enquirer Publishes Attack Ad Showing Driehaus Daughters

David Potts — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:52:22 -0700

A group calling themselves the “Committee to Rethink Reform” took out an ad in the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this week pressuring Congressman Steve Driehaus to vote against healthcare reform.

So what makes this one special?

It featured a picture of Driehaus with his two young daughters.

The Enquirer, showing slightly more reason than Robert Portman and COAST, did later publish a full page apology and retraction.

OH-6: Charlie Wilson Undecided, But Satisfied With Abortion Language So Far

David Potts — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:44:55 -0700

I’ve received word from Charlie Wilson’s office that, while still undecided on the bill until he reviews the final language, he is satisfied with the current language on abortion.

In the offices own words, when asked if Wilson supports the bill:

He will review the final language of the reconciliation bill, which is due this afternoon. The CBO score came out this morning. He needs to make sure things like the Nebraska sweetener are out and that he’s comfortable with the excise tax on Cadillac plans.

But, many thought he was a “NO” because of abortion; that is not the case.

So that’s that, and it sounds pretty good in my book.

There should be more to report later this afternoon, when Wilson is expected to elaborate his position on the abortion language during a conference call.

Just Got Off The Phone With Boccieri's Office

David Potts — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:21:46 -0700

I just talked to Jessica Kershaw, Congressman John Boccieri’s press secretary, about the upcoming healthcare vote.

If there was one key point to the call, it’s that they still claim to be undecided and will remain that way until they see the final bill (which they hope comes this afternoon).

Beyond that, it was mostly spin.

When asked about the CBO analysis released this morning, all she would say is that John was encouraged by it.When pressed to name key issues that they were looking for in the bill, I was told they were looking for a bill that cut down on “waste, fraud, and abuse” while strengthening Medicare and Medicaid.

Despite asking repeatedly, I couldn’t even get an answer on whether Boccieri would be willing to pass the Senate bill if he felt an adequate fix was waiting. I was only told that they wouldn’t deal with hypothetical situations.

Finally, I asked her to compare the situation now to the situation before the first vote. I was told that it was largely the same. I followed up by asking if the CBO analysis hadn’t made any impact, given that most of his previous issues with the bill were financial. Once again, I was told only that Boccieri was encouraged by it.

One question I did feel that I got a straight answer to? The amount of contacts the office has been receiving on this. I was told that the office received over 3,350 calls, letters, and emails yesterday alone.

Betty Sutton Is A Yes On Healthcare

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:17:31 -0700

Just for those of you keeping track, The Dispatch confirms that Betty Sutton is a "yes" on healthcare reform.

While Ohio Daily has starting running that Driehaus is a no, almost all the talk I've heard have been traced back to pretty vague statements and I also haven't been able to get through to Driehaus' office.

Parkinsons Video All Over MSNBC

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:24:58 -0700

The video shot by the Columbus Dispatch yesterday outside of Mary Jo Kilroy’s office is really making the rounds. It’s been featured on both Hardball and The Ed Show on MSNBC tonight.

If you haven’t seen it yet, ODP has put the most shocking part up on YouTube.

By the way, anyone else notice that the guy next to the screaming dollar guy is holding a baby? Who (besides Sarah Palin) drags a baby to a political event, much less one with this much screaming?

Anyway, the Mary Jo Kilroy campaign has started a petition calling on the organizers of this protest to condemn these actions and restore some decency back to the debate.

OH-9: Marcy Kaptur Is The Latest Contestant On Name That Vote

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:51:22 -0700

Marcy Kaptur is securing her place among the hypocritical faction that’s only pro-life until birth and after that a person is on their own.

Despite other members of the so called “Stupack Bloc” and even the Catholic Hospital Association coming out in support of the healthcare reform bill, Marcy Kaptur wants it redundantly clear that she doesn’t like abortion.

Obviously, Kaptur isn’t saying much about all the people who die from preventable conditions because they couldn’t afford insurance.

Contact Information:

Washington Office
2186 Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711

Ohio Office
One Maritime Plaza - Sixth Floor
Toledo, Ohio 43604
(800)964-4699 | Tel: (419) 259-7500
Fax: (419) 255-9623

OH-16: Promising Signs From Boccieri

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:23:46 -0700

While not a firm yes, John Boccieri is now calling this choice between “voting on an imperfect bill or doing nothing” in an interview with CNN.

An inquiry sent to Boccieri's office an hour ago has not yet received a response. Seeing the level of activity in the office, this isn’t a surprise.

What Will Kasich Cut?

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:45:05 -0700

While John Kasich has been less than forthcoming about what funding will be cut through his reckless tax plan, the Ohio Democratic Party thinks you should have a rough estimate. That’s why they’ve launched kasichcuts.com, complete with a calculator to show the likely impact Kasich’s proposed budget hole would have on your local community.

Pictured is the information for Franklin County, which could lose over $73 million under John Kasich. Libraries would lose almost $100 million more than that.

Kucinich Yes Vote Will Give Him Better Legacy

Nick D — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:35 -0700

So Dennis Kucinich was just on CNN stating that he has changed his vote and will now vote Yea on the health care reform legislation the House of Representatives is currently considering. I'm really glad to hear that, not just because it will make it easier to get the bill passed, but also because it will give him a much better legacy when he leaves the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012.

Wait. How can I be so sure he's leaving?

Well, the math is pretty simple. Ohio currently has 18 congressional seats, which were drawn after the 2000 census for approximately 630,000 persons per district. Cuyahoga County, which had just shy of 1.4 million residents at the 2000 census, has two congressional districts to itself, including Kucinich's, and two more that are shared with other counties.

Given that Ohio's population has stagnated, estimated to have grown only by 150,000 over the course of the 2000s, when the 2010 reapportionment is done this year Ohio is all but certain to lose two congressional seats. This will reduce our Congressional delegation to 16 members, and our number of electoral votes to 18. A little quick math shows that with only 16 congressional seats, Ohio's congressional districts will need to be re-drawn for approximately 720,000 residents per person. Meanwhile, Cuyahoga County's population has fallen by roughly 100,000 during the decade. So instead of having two districts all to itself, Cuyahoga will more than likely have only one to itself, plus one more to share with other counties. Which district will stay wholly within Cuyahoga come 2012?

If I had to bet, I would bet it's Marcia Fudge's Ohio 11th. There will be tremendous pressure to maintain that as a majority-minority seat. In order to do so, it will leave Kucinich's 10th district with the whiter, more conservative less-than-half of Cuyahoga County as well as having to pick up part of (or all of?) either Lorain or Medina counties. I simply cannot see him being re-elected to a district reconfigured like that.

Why does his legacy matter? It might, and I stress might, enable him to be elected to a different political office if he's interested in running again. He could end up on the new Cuyahoga County Council. Or he could take the Tom Sawyer route and go from Congress to Columbus. Either way, I'll bet this consideration crossed his mind when he was debating whether to switch sides on the health care bill. Don't think it was all about President Obama's or Speaker Pelosi's entreaties.

BREAKING: Kucinich Now A Yes On Healthcare

David Potts — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:20:17 -0700

Dennis Kucinich has reversed course and will now be voting yes on healthcare reform.