Obama comes to Ohio, delivers same sad song

If you missed President Downgrade's speech in Cleveland yesterday, don't worry. You didn't miss anything new. Literally. It was nearly an hour long, and was a complete snoozer. The administration had touted this speech as a "major address". The press was anticipating something new from the president.

He didn't deliver. It was more of the same class warfare, more of the same finger pointing, and more of the same blaming of his predecessor, even though he has now been president for 3 and a half years.

It was so bad, that even his cheerleaders in the most left-wing of media agreed that it was a huge disappointment. Yes, even his fans at MSNBC.

Check out this video that the RNC put out. It shows how identical the speech was to ones he has made before. This is the President of the United States. For promoting this as a major address, and then trotting out the same tired, recycled tripe he has been peddling for years, he and his campaign should absolutely be hanging their heads in shame.

Amidst National Economic Downturn, Ohio's Fighting The Tide

President Obama visited Ohio yesterday and continued to tout the same policies he’s been preaching since he first ran for the Oval Office:

Contrary to predictions that Mr. Obama would reset the campaign, for nearly an hour he pitched the same philosophy and policy prescriptions he has been making since 2008 -- emphasis on government investments in research, education at all levels, highways and other kinds of infrastructure, and "responsible" deficit reduction -- paid for in part, by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, who he said have gained wealth while the middle class has stagnated. 

Of course, as anyone can see, Obama’s stale policies just are not working. In May, the nation created an abysmal 69,000 jobs as the national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2%, causing the Obama campaign to go on the defensive:

“The private sector is doing fine.” – President Obama, June 8, 2012. 

Wait, what? Some come back.

Of course, for months, Obama has been trying to take credit for the incredibly slow recovery throughout the nation. And yes, the economy is sluggishly moving forward, but on increasingly shaky ground and only thanks to the work done by Republican governors in job creating states like Ohio and Texas.

Sherrod Brown caption contest!

This may be my new favorite picture of Sherrod Brown. It's from the recent Nutroots Nation conference, where he snapped at CNN's Dana Loesch for asking a question about Obamacare.

Looks like Sherrod was getting drunk on free beer, unbridled liberalism and adulation from his many socialist fans.

Please submit your caption suggestions in the comments below.



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Bill Clinton's advice in Ohio: Vote us out

Today, Barack Obama will speak at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, in yet another attempt to "pivot to jobs". How fitting is it then, that the Media Research Center has released a video of Bill Clinton speaking in the very same place in 2010.

Listen to what Clinton had to say to Ohioans two years ago:

Sherrod Brown: "Everybody knows that government creates jobs"

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who last year tied Socialist Bernie Sanders for the title of the Senate's most liberal, has always voted in a manner that suggests that more government is the answer to every problem. He recently spoke with Greg Sargent from the Washington Post's The Plum Line and had some advice for President Obama on how to turn around the economy.

“Everybody knows that government creates jobs,” Brown said, citing the highway bill that has passed the Senate but is bottled up in the GOP-controlled House, which Dems say would create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“Government creates jobs in highways,” Brown said. “We hire private contractors. That creates other jobs. It builds an economic foundation for job creation.”

“During the fifties, the sixties, the seventies, the eighties, the United States had great infrastructure programs,” Brown continued. “We were the envy of the world. Those are clear formulaic job creating strategies that we know.”

Sherrod Brown: Jobs Guru

Framer-in-Chief returns to Ohio Thursday

In 2010, shortly before the midterm elections, Barack Obama came to Cuyahoga Community College and tried to frame the problems of the economy as a result of previous failures, not his own policies:

Millions of jobs were lost before our policies even had a chance to take effect. We lost 4 million in the sixmonths before I took office. It was a hole so deep that even though we’ve added jobs again, millions of Americans remain unemployed. Hundreds of thousands of families have lost their homes. Millions more can barely pay the bills or make the mortgage. The middle class is still treading water,and those aspiring to reach the middle class are doing everything they can to keep from drowning.

Now, two years later, the President is returning to Tri-C to deliver what the Washington Post calls “a major campaign speech.” Apparently, they're even calling it a "reframing" speech, and Obama is going to do another one of his "hard pivots" to jobs. He will try, according to the newspaper, “to frame the election as a choice between two economic visions —one that protects the middle class and another that takes the country back to the failed policies of the past.”

Unfortunately for President Downgrade, there are only so many ways you can “frame” the facts.

Cleveland Plan Passes; Plunder-Pals In Denial

After weeks of ironing out the details and incorporating ideas from both Republicans and Democrats, Mayor Frank Jackson's “Cleveland Plan” passed in the legislature yesterday, and in bipartisan fashion.

The House voted 77-16 Tuesday to approve the measure. The Ohio Senate voted 27-4 Tuesday on an identical measure, and is expected to adopt the House version Wednesday before it is sent to the governor.

And adopt the House version they did, as today the Senate once again voted 27-4 in favor of sending the Cleveland Plan to the Governor's desk.

This is beyond amazing news for every child in the Cleveland area, as the legislation is the first of its kind to truly put children first. And its reforms are badly needed in a district that's mired in a financial crisis, while seeing its graduation rates hover just above 50%.

But the best part was that it was all done with a true spirit of bipartisanship. The plan was written by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, a Democrat, promoted vigorously by Governor John Kasich, a Republican and the Senate bill was co-sponsored by Big Labor darling, Senator Nina Turner, also a Democrat.

Obama Proves He Does Not Understand the Economy

Guest Post By Congressman Jim Renacci

Last week, President Obama proved he is out-of-touch with the economic difficulties facing America. At a Friday conference he insisted, “The private sector is doing fine.” He must be the only person in America who thinks that.

Over 23 million Americans are struggling to find work. Last month, unemployment in the United States actually increased. Prices at the store are on the rise, but paychecks are shrinking. Many small businesses across the country are struggling just to keep their doors open. But President Obama thinks they are “doing fine.”

Obviously, the opposite is true. President Obama's big government agenda—his health care law, burdensome regulations, reckless spending, and demands for tax increases—have all made it harder for job creators to hire new workers due to added expenses, uncertainty, and red tape.

The private sector is doing fine, Mr. President? Really?

"The private sector's doing fine."
Last Friday, Barack Obama confirmed yet again just how out of touch he is with what’s happening in America when he remarked that the private sector is doing “fine.” Considering the country’s 8.2% unemployment rate and the fact that 23 million Americans are unemployed, underemployed, or have stopped looking for work, it is hard to imagine that anyone, let alone the President, could actually believe that.

Even arch-liberal economist Paul Krugman slammed President Obama’s remark about the private sector on CBS’s “This Morning” on Monday. Krugman admitted that it “was an unfortunate line.”

“The president bungled the line. The truth is, the private sector is doing better than the public sector, which is not well enough.”

Uhh, yeah. Sure, Paul. He bungled the line. More like he let slip how he really thinks. Obama's remarks only highlight his philosophy about the economy, which reflects a belief that true economic growth is driven by the government, not the private sector.

Van Treuren offers hope for Lorain County Republicans

Regular readers of the blog probably know that I am a resident of Lorain County. Situated on Lake Erie to the west of Cleveland's Cuyahoga County, this can be a tough place for Republicans. The northern part of the county is urban, industrial and heavily influenced by unions. No matter what happens statewide, Barack Obama will win Lorain County. He beat John McCain here 60-40 in 2008. Under Democratic control for decades, Lorain County has been in decline.

However, things are starting to turn around a bit for Republicans here. There has been a small population shift away from the urban centers like Lorain towards the suburban cities and rural townships in the southern half of the county. Two years ago, all three county commissioners were Democrats. In the 2010 wave election, Republican Tom Williams was elected. While any Republican running for commissioner here is an underdog, there is excitement that we have a real opportunity to place a Republican majority on the commission for the first time in over 60 years.

Meet Phil Van Treuren of Amherst. Phil is an Army National Guard veteran, where he says he learned a lot about leadership and leading by example. His officer candidate class started with nearly 50 people, and when it was done, only Phil and 5 others remained standing.

Lorain County Commissioner candidate Phil Van Treuren

That hard work ethic is evident when you see how hard he works to connect with voters. Since we both serve on the Lorain County GOP Central Committee, I have seen first hand how often Phil is planning a fundraiser or knocking on doors or coordinating volunteers. He reminds me a lot of Josh Mandel's story, and even has the combat boots he wore when he walked over 400 miles knocking on doors in his race for Amherst City Council. Phil says his goal is to introduce himself to every voter in the county before election day.

"I absolutely love being an underdog. I love fighting for what's right, no matter what the odds are." -Phil Van Treuren

Phil will face off against incumbent Ted Kalo in November. Kalo, in typical Lorain County Democrat fashion, has hardly even campaigned. Phil has been campaigning and introducing himself to voters for months. As of the latest financial report, Phil has twice as much money in the bank as Kalo, and raised more in the primary season than any other Lorain County Republican candidate in history. In the primary, Phil received about the same number of votes as Kalo did in his primary. That has never happened before.

Media Trackers Recap: June 11, 2012

Here's a review of some stories you may have missed at Media Trackers Ohio recently!

• May 24: Another Solyndra? Ohio Finally Plans to Investigate Deadbeat Taxpayer-Funded “Green Jobs” Company
• May 25: Ohio Voice Under the Magnifying Glass
• May 29: Ohio Media Let ProgressOhio Deception Slide
• May 29: Unions Seek Control of Ohio’s Redistricting Process
• May 30: Public Documents Show City Council Split Over Prayer Ban
• May 30: Pro-Life Splinter Group Hopes to Jumpstart Heartbeat Bill With Attack Ads
• May 31: Mount Vernon Prayer Dispute Ends With Compromise
• May 31: Ohio Auditor Says “Going Green” Is Costing Taxpayers Millions
• May 31: We Are Ohio Fights to Recall Wisconsin Governor
• June 1: Ohio Unions Dump Member Dues into Failing Wisconsin Recall Election
• June 4: ProgressOhio, Brought to You by Big Labor
• June 4: Months Later, Controversial “Death to Israel” Professor Still Hasn’t Been Disciplined By University
• June 5: Ohio Organizing Collaborative Wants Higher Taxes
• June 6: Toledo Blade Editorial Parrots Voters First Lie
• June 6: Attorney General Overpaid for Luxury SUV, Investigation Shows
• June 7: Why the Ohio Education Association Needs “We Are Ohio”
• June 7: National Taxpayers Union Joins Opposition to Kasich’s Energy Tax Hike
• June 8: Embattled Democrat Fundraiser Tied to Pay-to-Play, Blackmail Plots
• June 8: Kasich Grants Temporary Death Penalty Reprieve to Lakeside Courtroom Shooter

To keep up with everything we cover at Media Trackers Ohio, bookmark http://ohio.mediatrackers.org, "Like" us on Facebook, and follow @MediaTrackersOH on Twitter!

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Ohio picking up slack in energy policy

by Governor John Kasich

Ohio’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors are highly productive and among our state’s largest employers. They’re also big energy users and part of the reason why Ohio ranks seventh nationally in energy generation.

With energy being so important to major Ohio job creators, it’s critical that we do everything possible to make it inexpensive, plentiful and reliable.

Unfortunately, Ohio faces major headwinds on energy from Washington. The U.S. lacks the kind of comprehensive energy policy it takes to achieve energy independence and help job creators secure low prices and reliable supplies. Furthermore, coal — which supplies 86 percent of our electricity — irritates the current president, and his administration’s EPA repeatedly threatens more red tape on Ohio’s growing shale-oil-and-gas industry.

Romney HQ Opens in Columbus

Today, the first Ohio headquarters for Mitt Romney's campaign held its grand opening in Columbus.  The event was a part of today's "Buckeye Blitz", with volunteers in all 88 counties going door-to-door to speak with voters.  

Even before the official opening time of Noon, the building was packed with supporters as others waited to get inside.  Around 250 people sent an RSVP to attend, and the overflow crowd that filled the offices was even larger than anticipated.

People congregate outside of Romney HQ in Columbus, waiting to enter.

Obama's war on coal: Ted Strickland thinks Ohioans are morons, part 2.

In his zeal to support Barack Obama, former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland continues to embarrass himself, and insult Ohioans' intelligence. Previously, we told you about how Ted Strickland actually told gun owners and NRA members that Barack Obama is a champion of gun rights and the 2nd Amendment. This time, Ted actually is trying to tell Ohioans who work in coal that Obama is not trying to kill their industry.

Ohio's former governor insists the Obama administration is not conducting a war on the coal industry.

Although the former governor claims the administration is pursuing all forms of energy production, supporters of the coal industry claim the president is doing everything he can to push them out of business.

Strickland argued that's not true.

In addition, Ted Strickland actually said he's never heard Barack Obama talk negatively about coal.

Toledo Blade Attempts To Rewrite History On Issue 2

In recent years, the Toledo Blade has had its issues with balanced journalism, but yesterday's editorial regarding Scott Walker's victory in Wisconsin is something else entirely. At one point, the Blade attempts to draw comparisons between Walker's victory this past Tuesday and Ohio's loss on Issue 2:

The Walker-backed measure to limit collective bargaining by public unions in Wisconsin arguably went farther than Senate Bill 5, Gov. John Kasich's effort to do the same thing here. It may be that Ohio's governor failed where Wisconsin's governor succeeded because Mr. Kasich was afraid to stand up to the historic might of organized labor. 

Kasich was afraid of organized labor? That's just one of those statements that leave you wondering...

In truth, Governor Kasich was the leading proponent of Issue 2, even when its champions in the Senate failed to fervently and publicly support it. For the Blade to insinuate otherwise is nothing less than rewriting history.

Yes, Ohio lost that fight. But not for lack of dedication by our state’s Governor.

Cross-posted at GOHP Blog.

Walker Proves Unions Can't Win On The Facts

If you were watching the Wisconsin election results last night, you’ve no doubt heard that taxpayer rights won against union scare tactics. Governor Scott Walker beat back a union-funded attempt at a recall with 53% of the vote.

Of course, that brought liberals to wonder how this could happen, with one brainwashed union member proclaiming democracy was dead:

But even if you buy the argument that individuals supported Barrett and only the rich voted for Walker, census data shows you’re out of your mind. If the top 53% of Wisconsin residents were the only ones who voted for Walker, then those making a median family income of roughly $40,000 or more cast their ballots for the incumbent.

Not exactly a “rich” salary. Then again, with Walker defending taxpayer rights, that 53% looks like another number we’ve seen.

Barack Obama’s Magical Arithmetic

“Federal spending since I took office has risen at the slowest pace of any president in almost 60 years.”

The words are those of President Downgrade Obama, speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa in late May. False, deceptive, untrue, evasive, dishonest, misleading, or just plain wrong. Those are only some of the terms that the president’s statement brings to mind. The fact that his spending record has been destructive to our fiscal health doesn’t give him license to invent a new record.

The Columbus Dispatch has an editorial today calling the president’s claims “magical arithmetic.” That is more generous than we are inclined to be.

Another Unfortunate Similarity Between President Obama and Jimmy Carter

As the days go by, it's really hard to tell apart the presidencies of President Barack Obama and his liberal predecessor Jimmy Carter.

• Both saw gas prices double within their first term in office. 
• Both failed to address America's energy problems. 
• Both mismanaged the economy, overseeing high national unemployment rates. 

And now Obama is garnering the support of one of Jimmy Carter's admirers: the Castro family. That's right, the ruthless dictator of Cuba and his family are endorsing Barack Obama for a second term. 

“If I were a U.S. citizen I’d vote for Obama for president,” boasted Mariela Castro during her San Francisco conference last week. “I think he is sincere, I think he speaks from the heart.” To cheers and applause from the San Franciscan crowd Raul Castro’s daughter also proclaimed that “what we want is the power of emancipation through socialism.” 

John Kasich: RINO

At least, somebody seems to thinks so. There is a rumor going around that a few well known Ohio conservatives or organizations are grumbling about the governor, and saying that, get this, he isn't conservative enough.

I have reached out to a lot of sources, and have not been able to nail down who it is, although there is some indications that the people pushing for a Right-to-Work amendment on this years ballot are part of it. Nevertheless, what we're hearing is that there is a press release or interview coming out in the media soon.

Of course, the very idea that Governor Kasich is not conservative is preposterous. So, we thought we would review some facts to consider when judging Kasich's conservatism.

Biden Proves Transparency Means Nothing To The Obama Administration

President Barack Obama has long touted that he would have the most transparent administration in history, swearing on his website (and it’s still there) that he is “committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history.”

Apparently that transparency doesn’t extend to the media.

Obama’s record on transparency certainly leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, one public records lawyer in Washington, D.C. rates his administration as the worst since the Freedom of Information Act became law.

But Obama’s lack of transparency hit a new low earlier this month when Vice President Joe Biden cut off reporters from asking questions, or as many would define it, doing their jobs.

While Joe Biden addressed supporters at a campaign stop in Ohio, his staff shooed away Columbus Dispatch reporter Joe Vardon who attempted to ask the vice-president about coal. 

Vardon took to Twitter to describe the ordeal: