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July 31, 2006

Look! Up in the sky!

The Plain Dealer is reporting that The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform is planning on flying a banner over Cleveland with the image of an aborted fetus juxtaposed with an image of the war in the Middle East. The banner will be billboard-sized, proving to be their largest yet.

Here is a quote from a representative of NARAL in regards to this media stunt.

Kellie Copeland, president of the NARAL-Pro Choice Ohio, a group that supports abortion rights, dismissed the banner campaign as a gimmick.

She said that if the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform "is really concerned about reducing the number of abortions, they should help us and other groups trying to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, because that is what works."

So be aware what'll be in our skies today, Cleveland.

Posted by ear14 at 09:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ted Strickland Retiring from Congress

Just a heads up, the word is that Ted Strickland retired from Congress this past Saturday. While it does mean that there is one less Democrat on the Hill, it also means he'll now have more time to focus on his campaign and get out to visit all parts of the state.

Posted by ear14 at 09:47 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

July 26, 2006

More Bad News for Blackwell in Cuy. Co.

It seems that race really will become a big issue with this upcoming election. As both sides are trying to woo the African-American vote, generally Democratic, there have been at least two groups here in Cuyahoga County that are coming up against Blackwell and for Strickland. The first is organized by many community leaders, including our own US Rep (and Colbert Favorite) Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Cleveland's Newest Mayor, Frank Jackson, was also at the groups latest meetin for support. This organization is working with the Strickland Campaign. Most likely they are trying to make sure the Congressman knows what the concerns of their communities are and to make sure he is aware of the problems that need to be fixed.

The other group, which is being organized independantly, calls itself "Blacks Against Blackwell" and is portraying the message that Blackwell is no different from President Bush or Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It's a bit more upfront about their dislike of Blackwell, and their views about his policy.

To read the write-up go to the Plain Dealer

Posted by ear14 at 09:43 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

July 25, 2006

Holy Toledo!

So someone alerted me to this New Yorker article about Blackwell and the role of the religious right in the upcoming Gubernatorial election. It's obviously very well written and points out just how strong of a race Blackwell could present come November 2nd.

Here's just a quote that stuck out for me from the article.

He [Russell Johnson of Fairfield Christian Church]also said that Roe v. Wade had led to the crisis in Social Security: “Abortion is also an economic issue. It has killed millions of American consumers.”

With whatever truth that correlation shows, when I told that passage to a friend they also mentioned the frightening connection of global temperature and pirates. Enjoy those bits of food for thought

Pick up a copy of the latest New Yorker (dated 7/31/06) or read the article online

Posted by ear14 at 10:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Blackwell's Stereotypical Appeal isn't Appealing

The Plain Dealer again has a pretty interesting opinion article regarding the latest Gubernatorial development. This time it is over the recently criticized flyer, which you can see in an earlier post. Anyways, the column focuses on the recipients confusion at the flyer. What was the message supposed to be? Is it intentionally offensive? etc., etc. It's worth checking out.

Read the opinion article at the Plain Dealer

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July 24, 2006

Democrat strong across board

Sunday, July 23, 2006
Darrel Rowland
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Democrat Ted Strickland has surged to a surprising lead of 20 percentage points in the first Dispatch Poll on Ohio’s Nov. 7 race for governor.

Meanwhile, Democrat Sherrod Brown holds an 8-point edge in his bid to unseat two-term Republican Sen. Mike DeWine.

read the rest of the article at The Columbus Dispatch

Posted by ear14 at 02:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 22, 2006

Security votes lose context in Senate race

Washington- After the Cold War ended, the intelligence community in Washington had to refocus. Making it harder were the embarrassments of the 1990s - erroneous targets hit by deadly missiles, billions of dollars unaccounted for, failure to warn of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

A minority in Congress, including Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown, wondered if the CIA was accountable to anyone. So they voted to cut the intelligence budget.

"The whole point was that we knew there was a slush fund at the CIA, that they had a lot of money set aside," Brown recalled. "We knew they had a lot of problems at that agency, where they weren't doing their jobs, and we were sending them a message."

That message, stressed repeatedly in unsuccessful annual votes through the 1990s, now has been flipped on its head. Over the last week, Sen. Mike DeWine has used Brown's votes to bolster his contention that his re-election opponent was "weakening national security." As proof, DeWine cites Brown's unsuccessful desire to slice intelligence budgets before 9/11.

Be sure to continue reading at the Plain Dealer.

The article continues the dialogue in the whole Senate Race - Terrorism debate.

Posted by ear14 at 10:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 21, 2006

Students say Democrats Misunderstood

Hey Hey! Looks like the National College Dems Convention has gotten some press. Read the following article on Yahoo!s front page.
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By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 21, 3:45 PM ET

ST. LOUIS - College Democrats sound a lot like the 1960s British rock band, the Animals, who sang — "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good, please don't let me be misunderstood."

While a tangible sense of optimism was evident Friday at the three-day College Democrats National Convention, several students expressed frustration, saying voters simply don't understand the Democratic Party and its priorities.

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I Don't believe any of us were able to make it down this year, though last year I know that Britt was able to make it. Anyways, comments? Agree or Disagree with what others said?

Posted by ear14 at 07:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Doctored DeWine Ad

THe CIA has Yet to Authenticate this as Bin Laden and not a doctored DeWine spot

"I'm Osama Bin Laden, and I approve this message"

Elect Sherrod Brown: US Senate

Endorsed by the Axis of Evil

from: the Plain Dealer

Posted by ear14 at 09:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

President Bush Kissing Babies

What's weird about it? It's an election year and politicians kiss babies.

from: The Toledo Blade

Posted by ear14 at 09:04 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Ted Strickland wants to be your MySpace Friend

So... I can't believe I'm going to say this, but apparently Ted Strickland's got a my space account. Ok, its true, it is primarily a campaign-run account. And actually, props to him and his campaign for updating it regularly and keeping kids informed. Actually looking at his top 8, I'm surprised Case Dems isn't there, if only because as of yet Case Dems doesn't have a MySpace profile (which I am a bit proud of).

Forgive me for my cold MySpace reception, I guess facebook will always win me over. Regardless, I've already friended him. Come on, it's my democratic duty to support Strickland through MySpace, isn't it?

Anyways here are the reactions on the two fronts about said MySpace news:

“We made a concerted effort to utilize the Web because Ted understands the importance of it,” Baker said, defending the campaign’s use of Myspace.com and other social networking sites. “The idea of writing off an on-line community with millions of people who share opinions and ideas and listen closely to their peers in this network seems short sighted. We will embrace it and if people come across his page – we are happy to have their support.”

Blackwell’s campaign advertises and posts information on political blogs but does not use MySpace.com or similar sites.

“We are not running for junior high president,” Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo said. “We would consider it, if we were 17 again.”

Excuse me Blackwell, but way to hate on the young voters. I don't think their campaign realizes how much of an asset we can be.

Be Ted's Friend Here: http://www.myspace.com/tedstrickland

Posted by ear14 at 12:25 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

July 20, 2006

Wait... Does Strickland Really Hate Black People?

That seems to be the message the Blackwell campaign is trying to spread. Ok, obviously hate is the wrong word, but it does remind me of some other political figure...

Anyways, check out what the Blackwell Campaign started distributing on the East Side of Cleveland this week:

Source: Ken Blackwell for Governor campaign

Yeah...

Here's what the Plain Dealer had to say about it:
Black voters should be afraid of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland, who is white.

That’s the implied message of a glossy new piece of campaign literature being distributed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell, who is black.

It features an image of a black man, dressed in a T-shirt and baggy sweatpants, who looks as if he’d just seen a ghost, mouth agape and hands up. The image is also distorted, which makes the man’s head as big as his torso. The headline reads: “Strickland for Governor? NO WAY!”

Residents in Cleveland’s East Side suburbs, which is home to more blacks than Cleveland’s West Side suburbs, received the flyer.

The flyer also cites numerous Strickland votes that Blackwell believes make him “wrong on education, wrong on religious freedom, wrong on crime, wrong on marriage rights and wrong on small business.”

Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo took umbrage with the assertion that the campaign literature has any racial overtones.

“We didn’t make Ted Strickland white and or Ken Blackwell black,” he said.

He said the flyer is simply “humorous and informative.”

LoParo said Blackwell’s campaign volunteers are distributing it across the state. Asked why the flyer is showing up in only East Side neighborhoods, LoParo said, “that’s where our volunteers are right now.”

Strickland’s campaign would not comment on the flyer's image. But spokesman Isaac Baker disputed the literature's spin on Strickland's voting record.

It notes, for instance, that Strickland voted against a 1998 amendment that, according to the flyer, “stated that no individual shall be excluded from any program or activity authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, or any provision of this act on the basis of race or religion.”

Baker said the amendment, which failed, would have eliminated affirmative action programs used by universities during the admissions process.

“It’s just another example of Blackwell’s dishonesty,” Baker said. “Ted supports affirmative action programs."

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While noone chose what race the candidates would be, someone did make a decision about those flyers. What do you think about Blackwell's decision to bring race into this ..well.. gubernatorial race? Can it backfire? Is it an area Blackwell could win over? Also, seeing how the Ohio Republican Party keeps charging that Ted Strickland is a bleeding heart liberal, would he really be against civil rights and minority rights?

Anyways discuss amongst yourselves, I'm just getting antsy to see where this race is going to go.

Posted by ear14 at 08:25 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

July 19, 2006

DeWine blunder adds fuel to controversial Sept. 11 ad

For those of you unaware, Dewine's recent 9/11 television ad, which shows the twin towers burning actually uses a recreated clip, not one of the actual towers on 9/11. To find out more read the article at USNews.com

Related Links
See the ad
DeWine, Brown trade ads on Sept. 11

Posted by ear14 at 11:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Former President Clinton Coming to Cleveland

July 19th's Plain Dealer is reporting that Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Cleveland on AUgust 6th to appear at the annual meeting of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

For those of you who don't know, Bill Clinton's mother was a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Any Nursing majors out there who'd like to sneak us in?

Posted by ear14 at 12:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

CCYD's Meeting with Tim Hagan TONIGHT

Cuyahoga County Young Democrats

Join us and Bring as many people as possible to our next event

July's monthly Cuyahoga County Young Democrats meeting
will be held

TOMORROW

Wednesday, July 19th at 7pm
at
The Galleria at Erieview, 1301 East 9th Street, Cleveland
The meeting room is on the 2nd floor across from the Key West Café.
Free Parking in the Galleria Parking Garage (Entrance on Lakeside Ave).

Speaker: Cuyahoga County Commissioner

* * * TIM HAGAN * * *

Speaking on mobilizing for the future of the Democratic Party & Ohio!
Get Active!

For more information, please contact

Troy Wayne Bratz
President, CCYD
Phone: 216.702.2196
E-mail: cuyahoga@ohioyd.org
Web: www.CuyahogaYD.org

Upcoming Event:

An Evening with Mayor Frank Jackson
A Young Professionals Networking Event
July 21, 2006 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Cleveland Botanical Gardens, University Circle
FREE!

Posted by ear14 at 09:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 18, 2006

Sam Fulwood on Blackwell's Vote Suppression

For those of you who don't know Sam Fulwood III has been a SAGES professor at Case, as well as a highly respected columnist and author who writes for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He writes a pretty good editorial summarizing his feelings on Blackwell's attention to minority voters. Be sure to read his article entitled Adding up facts on Blackwell action from Tuesday, July 18, 2006.

Posted by ear14 at 11:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Privatizing Turnpike=Higher Tolls

Columbus, Ohio –Following news last week that millionaire and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell is taking free rides on the same Ohio Turnpike he wants to privatize, the Associated Press reported over the weekend that such lease efforts usually involve selling off roadways to foreign companies who increase tolls.

“Expert analysis of other toll-road privatization schemes confirm what we’ve feared all along—leasing off our Turnpike will increase tolls, plain and simple,” said lieutenant governor candidate Lee Fisher. “Selling off one of our state’s most valuable assets that was built by Ohioans and has been run by Ohioans to a foreign company and tying our hands for the next 99 years is incredibly short-sighted. It’s just one more of Mr. Blackwell’s quick-fix, short-sighted political gimmicks.”

The AP reported that after Illinois sold a 99-year lease to the Chicago Skyway, the foreign operators raised tolls 50 cents to $2.50 and said that by 2017 tolls will reach $5.

In fact, Mr. Blackwell’s friends at the conservative think tank Reason Foundation told the AP that “private investors can raise more money than politicians to build new roads because these kind of owners are willing to raise tolls.”

Orange County provides a disturbing example of such misguided privatization schemes. Seven years after a partly French-owned toll-road was built and operated for $130 million, the county faced massive traffic congestion. But its hands were tied because of the lease, which included a provision forbidding the county from building other roads. According to the AP, Orange County was forced to buy back the lease for $207.5 million and a massive loss.

According to news sources across Ohio, when the Ohio Turnpike raised tolls recently, truckers left the Turnpike in droves taking state highways and local roads instead. That led to safety and traffic concerns in local communities, and the Commission eventually rolled back the toll increases.

from: www.tedstrickland.com

Posted by ear14 at 12:07 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

July 17, 2006

Ohio Republican Crossword Puzzle

This is actually a bit old, but hilarious. It was one of the highlights from sorting the mail while interning on the Hill. So, I figured I'd pass on the fun.
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For the past six months a prankster referred to in the press as the “anonymous chocolatier” has entertained the Statehouse crowd with trinkets related to Statehouse scandals.

Among the items distributed by “AC” were chocolate covered coins with Tom Noe, Betty Montgomery and Jim Petro stamped on them; a recent laundry list making light of Jim Petro’s well-publicized fundraising ethics problems (posted on our blog at www.ohiodems.org); and a hand-fan, known as the Petro position changer, making fun of Petro’s flip-flops.

ODP has acquired (through anonymous third party sources who have no affiliation with the Party and will not confirm the identity of the “AC”) the following rage spreading across the Columbus beltway – The Ohio Republican crossword puzzle.

Although unconfirmed, we believe this to be the latest evidence that the “anonymous chocolatier” strikes again.

Article originally found here and released by the Ohio Democratic Party.

Below are Answers