Josh Mandel sits down with 3BP

Yesterday morning, Josh Mandel visited the Avon Lake Victory Center in Lorain County. I had already planned to volunteer as part of Buckeye Blitz, and finding out that Josh would be visiting us before we started working was great news.

He had a very busy schedule, starting out with us, then heading to Akron and then back to Columbus to greet fans at the Bucks game. But he still made time to sit down with me for a couple of minutes.

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel greets volunteers in Avon Lake, OH

3BP: We're here in Lorain County, Avon Lake. Is there anything you'd like to say to voters of Lorain County and Ohio about this campaign? Where you've been, where we are now, and what you'd like to do if elected as a US Senator?

Josh Mandel: I think one of the reasons we're tied in the polls is because citizens throughout this state of every race, religion, political party, shape or form are rejecting Sherrod Brown as a career politician who's way to the left of our state. He's a rubber stamp for Barack Obama. And citizens have come to the realization that we're only going to change Washington if we change the people we send there.

It's important that we elect the right kind of leaders in Washington. We need leaders who are going to stand up to political bosses on both sides of the aisle and do what's right.

And we need Republicans who are going to take on their own party, if they feel that their party is acting outside of the best interest of the citizens. Republicans who are willing to oppose Wall Street bailouts, and who are going to fight vociferously for a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution.

You know, when I go to Washington, I want to try to take the federal government back to the basic principles of our Constitution. And do a top to bottom review of our federal government, within every nook and cranny of our federal government for opportunities for cost savings. Applications of efficiency and economies of scale.

I think we need to get government regulations out of the way of small businesses, so that small businesses can grow into larger employers. I also think we need to completely dismantle our tax code, and build it back up with broader based lower tax rates, with less of these special carve-outs for strong lobbying groups and special interest industries.

3BP: A lot of our readers are already committed to voting for Josh Mandel. Is there a message you have for them as to..what's the most important thing they can do to help elect Josh Mandel to the Senate and defeat Sherrod Brown?

JM: There are a lot of ways they can help but the 3 main ways they can help is sending an email to their entire email address book with our website, encouraging people to go to our website to donate, volunteer or sign up for a yard sign. So that's one thing they can do, and it doesn't cost them any money. They can do it from their desk at work, or their couch from home.

Secondly, they can call their Christmas card lists, and their wedding lists, and go through their address book, and call or email as many of their friends and family as they can, and ask them to put a sign in their yard. They can get in touch with our campaign, and we'll get them signs.

The third thing they can do is volunteer to knock on doors and make phone calls for us.

You heard it straight from the man himself, folks. Go here and at the very least get a yard sign for Josh and put it in your yard, and contact your friends and family about doing the same.

Let's get this done and elect a real conservative fighter as Ohio's next Senator.

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