Fisher used to like Rob's record as trade rep. What happened?

One of the primary methods of attack for Lee Fisher against Rob Portman is to go after the Republican for the year he served as U.S. Trade Representative (May 2005-May 2006).

As a Cabinet-level position, the appointment requires Senate confirmation, and Portman was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the job. In his role, Portman was responsible for promoting trade policy and U.S. goods to foreign states.

Now, surely during his time in the evilllllll Bush Administration, he must have promoted policies that damaged his home state of Ohio, right? After all, Fisher keeps claiming Ohio suffered under Portman's trade regime.

Um. Not so much.

• The value for Ohio exports (in millions) has steadily increased since 2005:

2005 - $35,110
2006 - $38,161
2007 - $42,562
2008 - $45,628 (7th largest export total of all 50)

• Ohio's agricultural exports have increased 80% between 2004 and 2008. Value of state agricultural exports between 2004 and 2008 (in millions):

2004 - $1,611
2005 - $1,575
2006 - $1,752
2007 - $2,196
2008 - $2,915

• Ohio is the only state in the country whose exports have increased every year since 1998.

• Between 2004 and 2008, Ohio's exports rose $13.9 billion, the 10th largest dollar increase among the 50 states.

Don't want to take my word for it?

Fine, we can always ask Lee Fisher and Ted Strickland how Ohio's exports have done after Rob Portman's disastrous tenure in the Bush Administration:

Ka-blammo.

But what particularly amazes me is that despite Ohio's massive job crisis that began in 2008, the state was still able to export products at a high level.

It's almost as if trade conditions were of such a state that Ohio was able to overcome its economic deficiencies.

And we now know we have Rob Portman to blame.

Ha.