I have worked in or around the Ohio Statehouse for a decade or more.  I have seen a great many protests, counter-protests and events involving all kinds of issues and groups.  But when I stopped by the Statehouse today to check out the Values Bus Tour event put on by Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council I experienced something I don’t believe I had ever witnessed.  A counter-protest effectively shutting down an event.

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I have worked in or around the Ohio Statehouse for a decade or more.  I have seen a great many protests, counter-protests and events involving all kinds of issues and groups.  But when I stopped by the Statehouse today to check out the Values Bus Tour event put on by Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council I experienced something I don’t believe I had ever witnessed.  A counter-protest effectively shutting down an event.

Read More →

* See update at bottom.

 As today’s government-union bosses push higher taxes, establish dues schemes to fund their bloated salaries and union-bought politicians, the evidence has become pretty clear: Government unions have become political, parasitic entities injuring taxpayers and the communities they control (see Central Falls and Providence, RI; Detroit, MI; and the once-great State of California for examples).

In the private sector, however, where taxpayers’ pockets are not in endless supply, the parasitic model of today’s unions, far too often, allows unions drain companies and ends up killing their hosts.

• Related: Ohio Business Owner Shot For Being Non-Union, Police Investigating

In large measure, the power unions have gained to cripple economies and companies comes from the ability to require workers to pay union dues (or have the workers fired from their jobs should they refuse to pay the union tribute).

In the public sector, union bosses have declared war on Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, Ohio’s John Kasich, Florida’s Rick Scott and, to a lesser extent, Arizona’s Jan Brewer, for their threats to union treasuries through collective bargaining reform.

In the private sector, however, while Indiana finally became the 23rd state in the nation to became a Right-to-Work state—which outlaws unions from having workers fired for refusing to pay union dues—other states like, Maine and Ohio are considering the reform, as well.

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* See update at bottom.

 As today’s government-union bosses push higher taxes, establish dues schemes to fund their bloated salaries and union-bought politicians, the evidence has become pretty clear: Government unions have become political, parasitic entities injuring taxpayers and the communities they control (see Central Falls and Providence, RI; Detroit, MI; and the once-great State of California for examples).

In the private sector, however, where taxpayers’ pockets are not in endless supply, the parasitic model of today’s unions, far too often, allows unions drain companies and ends up killing their hosts.

• Related: Ohio Business Owner Shot For Being Non-Union, Police Investigating

In large measure, the power unions have gained to cripple economies and companies comes from the ability to require workers to pay union dues (or have the workers fired from their jobs should they refuse to pay the union tribute).

In the public sector, union bosses have declared war on Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, Ohio’s John Kasich, Florida’s Rick Scott and, to a lesser extent, Arizona’s Jan Brewer, for their threats to union treasuries through collective bargaining reform.

In the private sector, however, while Indiana finally became the 23rd state in the nation to became a Right-to-Work state—which outlaws unions from having workers fired for refusing to pay union dues—other states like, Maine and Ohio are considering the reform, as well.

Read More →

For a bit of background on this topic, first consult my previous diary where I preview this scenario.

Using this interactive map, I have outlined a scenario where a Romney-Christie ticket could win the White House and not have to win the battleground states of IA, CO, NM, NV, or even AZ. Consider the far west states of CO, AZ, NV, and NM lost to the Democrats temporarily, due to immigration the fact that Latinos are currently polling Democratic 2:1 nationally and 6:1 for Obama over any GOP candidate, startling but true as it may be.

You will notice that the electoral vote is tied 269-269 but for you Constitutional scholars out there, we all know what happens to the Presidency under this unlikely scenario, and that being the race gets thrown to the House of Representatives which we all know which party overwhelmingly controls that chamber. Thus, we can predict what the end result would be for a Romney-Christie ticket under this scenario.

Why Christie?

1. He, being a moderate, but a likeable and competent moderate, can help us win swing states as a party and put us in play in others that a Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich at the top of the ticket could not. New Jersey isn’t a swing-state per se, but something tells me not to write it off this fall. After all, Christie, an unapologetic Republican won this state in 2009,which no one saw coming. If he can just win his home state for Romney that would allow the aforementioned states to be sacrificed and we still win.

Like Romney, we are going to need Republicans who can go into swing states and flip them red. We are going to need someone who can talk to the soccer-mom’s and suburban mom’s in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and not alienate them the way Santorum keeps doing. With Romney many more states are in play than if he wasn’t on the ticket.

2. Notice under this map-scenario, Romney and Christie would have to run the table in the South, meaning all eleven former Confederate states as well as Missouri and Kentucky which had participants on each side.

3. Ohio and Indiana are an absolute must for Republicans otherwise this scenario doesn’t work. The sad thing is, we have to have everything fall into place just so, with no margin for error, yet the Democrats don’t need Ohio or Florida, or even North Carolina or Virginia if they pull off a few surprises out West and take Iowa for example.

With the very popular Christie on the ticket, I think this has a chance. But we also have to consider he has said over and over he doesn’t want to be anything but Govenor of New Jersey, a state he very clearly loves, nor was he “ready” to be President, but I think if his nominee, who he endorsed long-ago asked him to run on the ticket for the good of the country, I’d like to think he would step up.

Another risk of this ticket, is Tea Party/ultra conservative voters may feel slighted in that this ticket appears to have two moderates on the ticket thus not offering them any option. While this is only their opinion, the point of the V.P. is to balance the ticket and appeal to the base, as well as win, and I think Christie can do all three. Some of his strength’s are Romney’s weaknesses and vice-versa and he’s a very good commuunicator with few gaffes so I think he’d be a safe, articulate pick.

What about Maine’s proportial electoral votes?

You will also note there is a second possible path to the Presidency under a Romney-Christie ticket that being the four proportial votes that Maine uses in awarding their delegation. Under this scenario, all the GOP would need is one of these four electoral votes to push them over the top, but I am personally not counting on it.

It is also true that Nebraska  splits their votes but I see very little chance of this being a factor in that crimson red state.

Pennsylvania electoral college change update

If any Pennsylvanian could provide an update on the progress of this proposed change that would be great since this strategy could prove to be the difference in an election year. In intentially include liberal blogger Nate Silver’s summary so as to get the left-leaning prospective on the plan and how it might affect Republicans in the future. Some of his suggestions (#1, #3, #5 I agree with) but (#2, 4) disagree.

Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes, after the 2010 census and is losing population (thank God) as a blue state. Because it hasn’t went red since 1988 and Ronald Reagan, basiscally we conservatives have to write off this state every four years. If drawn out proportionally, even if Republicans only managed to pick up 6-8 of these 20 votes, consider them a bonus since under normal rules, they wouldn’t be in play and thus we wouldn’t get them. Silver mentions how in 2008 we’d have got 10 of the then-21 electoral votes. Whatever we get out of this new scenario would be a gift as I see it. Finally, it would give Republicans in the state a voice after being disfranchised in every Presidential Election since 1988.

Sure, it could hurt PA Republican Congressional and Senate candidate’s chances (#1) that election cylce but that’s a risk we’d have to take. #2 I disagree with (hurting the integrity of the Electoral College by adding another proportional state) because it would still only make 3 such states out of 50 (or is it 57?) Its not like this proportional thing is going to catch on and become popular (Mr. Silver hints as much) so what does it matter if one more state does it? After 236 years as a nation, we still only would have 3 such states suggesting voters are generally happy with the way votes are allocated now.

#3 motivating Democrats nationally and state-wide is a definate possibility, especially state-wide but again, any EV’s we pick up would be a bonus and I’d take them, so we’d just have to let the chips fall where they may and see how ‘galvanizing’ it may turn out to be. Also, its not like this happened when Maine or Nebraska decided to do the same things in their states with motivating the Democrats there and nationwide in the year’s those proportional states became law. #5 long-term costing Republicans their jobs, we’d just have to wait and see.

#4 as far as I am concerned PA is not a swing-state unlike Silver suggests. Even if it were to “demote” themselves by having less electoral votes “in play” I don’t see how they are in play anyway since they’ve went to the Democrat since 1988 so why not try something new? If anything it would make PA more in play since Republicans would be vying to shore up as much of the new-found electoral votes now up for grabs that they could. They’d probably spend more time, effort, and money in the state knowing now at the very least they’d get something of a reward for all that work and no longer write it off.

In my next diary, I’ll outline a similar scenario where Republicans could win the White House without New Jersey, or precious Ohio—yes I said it. But the far-West would definately have to be had (a far more unlikely scenario), and you can already see some of the given scenarios which would have to happen (scenario #2).

Progressive loon Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has argued time and again that unemployment benefits are a great way to create jobs. As RedState readers know, Pelosi isn’t the only congressional Democrat to build a career coaxing the masses into Washington’s crushing embrace.

Where there’s a Progressive economic fallacy, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is never far away. Sherrod seems to think the U.S. economy performs best with bureaucrats working all the levers. This is his 20th year in Congress, so maybe we should forgive his ignorance of how a free market works!

During the 2010 debate over extending the Bush tax cuts, Sherrod made one of his frequent MSNBC appearances to share his rendition of the broken window fallacy:

As an Ohioan, Chris Matthews fawning “you’re the best there is on this argument” is not what I hope for from my senator.

I am impressed, though, with the way Sherrod Brown knows what every wealthy American is going to buy! I wonder how long he had to look into his crystal ball to be absolutely sure extending unemployment benefits is better for the economy than letting citizens keep and invest our own money.

The Right Scoop has footage of Sherrod making a more detailed (but equally laughable) case on the Senate floor around the same time as this Hardball spot.

Like Pelosi, Sherrod also argued for the “stimulus” effects of unemployment benefits in the summer of 2010:

Many have lost their job and, as a result, they lost their health insurance.  After that, they lose their home or apartment because they can’t afford the mortgage or rent. Passing an extension of unemployment insurance isn’t just the right thing to do – it will also help stimulate the economy and serve as a critical part of a jobs agenda that puts the middle class first.

Emphasis mine. Sherrod’s solutions for the crises in health care, housing, and unemployment are one and the same – government redistribution, paid for by “The Rich” with a wave of the hand.

Self-righteous demands for shortsighted spending are exactly what we should expect from a Progressive who can’t even manage his own property taxes. The silver lining: Sherrod Brown is up for reelection in November, and Ohio is not California.

Transcript from the Hardball clip follows.

Sherrod Brown: These tax cuts for the rich that Bush did twice, Chris, in ‘01 and ‘03 as you know, resulted in very little economic growth. We saw only 1 million jobs created in the Bush years, 22 million created in the Clinton years, when we reached a balanced budget with a fairer tax system, and there is no, there’s no real history illustrating that these tax cuts for the rich result in jobs. It’s extending unemployment benefits that creates economic activity that creates jobs – not giving a millionaire an extra 10 or 20 or $30,000 in tax cuts that they likely won’t spend because they’re already buying what they’re gonna buy anyway.

Chris Matthews: You’re the best there is on this argument. Sorry, I’ve gotta ask you one last question…

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jasonahart 

Cross-posted from that hero, Big Government, and Third Base Politics.

Photo courtesy Cleveland Plain Dealer

A month ago on BigGovernment.com and Third Base Politics, we told you about how Mitt Romney’s campaign has been relying on Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine and a scandal-plagued political consultant named Brett Buerck to advise him on his Ohio campaign.

Brett Buerck, widely known among Ohio political activists for his scandal plagued career, is now back as one of Mitt Romney’s point men in organizing Ohio. Buerck is also known as ORP Chairman DeWine’s closest consultant on Party politics. Finally, Romney’s sole appearance in Ohio during this entire campaign season was months ago when he appeared arm-in-arm with DeWine in southeast Ohio and proceeded to flip flop against Kasich’s government union reform bill, all at the recommendation of DeWine.

In other words, Romney is counting on Buerck and DeWine to lead him to victory in Ohio.

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News broke last month that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was delinquent on his property taxes due September 2011 until early February. Sherrod, who angrily demands bigger central government and higher taxes from “The Rich,” paid the nearly $900 in taxes, penalties, and interest due for his $222,000 D.C. condo only after being questioned by a reporter.

Pathetic as Sherrod’s story was early in the day, things got worse for America’s most Progressive senator in the afternoon. His conference call to defuse the situation must have been one of the week’s most hilariously uncomfortable:

“I was late,” he said on a conference call with reporters when asked about the recent delinquency. ”I misplaced the bill and I paid it as soon as I found out. I paid a penalty for being late, and it won’t happen again.”

Senator Brown lost a tax statement and forgot to pay until a reporter came calling months later, but there’s no cause for alarm! He paid the penalty for his delinquency, and it won’t happen again.

When a reporter noted that it also happened five and six years ago, Brown said, “I misplaced it then. This is a small apartment. I’m not in D.C. nearly every week, I’m here when the Senate’s in session, I’m here three or four nights a week. I paid the penalty. And in no way, obviously, was I avoiding taxes.”

Because “the dog ate it” worked so well the first time around, Sherrod tries the same excuse for three consecutive property tax bills in 2006 and 2007. With no reporters reminding him, Sherrod actually fell so far behind on property taxes his condo was listed for public auction! Odd that a U.S. Senator would forget the existence of taxes for months on end, springing into action only when his property is on the line.

I love Sherrod’s volley of additional excuses. It’s a small apartment! He’s there less than 57% of the time! He’s been serially delinquent with payments, but was in no way avoiding taxes by not paying taxes! Obviously.

Since his election to the Senate, Sherrod has paid over $850 in penalties and interest for his failure to submit D.C. property taxes on time. That’s peanuts for a millionaire who promises trillions to interest groups and insists soaking the rich & slashing the military will pay for it.

Remember, Sherrod is a Progressive who thinks a republic of 300 million can – and should – be ruled by a few thousand bureaucrats in Washington. He’s unable to keep track of his mail and pay his taxes on time twice a year, but that doesn’t stop Sherrod from making big plans with your money!

• Sherrod Brown wants more federal regulations and federal spending to control America’s manufacturing and energy industries.
• Sherrod Brown, in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, wants Washington bureaucrats to make America fair.
• Sherrod Brown wants illegally appointed czar Richard Cordray to enforce undefined rules on the nation’s banks.
• Sherrod Brown wants socialized medicine even more sweeping than Obamacare.

Demanding bigger government while failing at his most basic civic duty: one more way Sherrod Brown resembles President Obama’s worst cabinet appointees and staff.

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jasonahart

Cross-posted from that hero, Big Government, and Third Base Politics.

I’m relieved Obama for America is pushing every class warfare chip to the middle of the table. If Americans get a better look at Progressivism’s ugly mug and still vote Democrat in November, the country deserves to go bankrupt!

To simplify mockery of their candidate for those of us with apolitical day jobs, Obama for America has assembled “Truth Teams” – Attack Watch in more sheepish clothing – in a handful of swing states. At the Ohio Truth Team announcement, it was suggested that crashing GOP events may be on the Obama cheerleaders’ agenda.

It’s ruff defending a failed president!

Leveraging deranged protestors for the Progressive brand of populism is nothing new for Ohio Democrats, so The Columbus Dispatch tried to confirm the insinuation:

“We’ll do it in an appropriate, mindful way, recognizing the importance of the conversation,” said Ohio Democratic chairman Chris Redfern, also a truth team member. “The truth team, we envision, will be more of a rapid response, taking a message directly at locations where those individuals who align with super PACs or organizations in support” of GOP presidential hopefuls are present.

Emphasis mine. Given his history, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern is a hilarious addition to an Obama group allegedly aiming for mature conversations. In the waning days of the 2010 campaign:

[...] the camera was rolling as Redfern leveled the expletive at critics in the Tea Party, who, in his words, believe health care is a privilege, not a right.

“If your kids are going to graduate from college, now he or she gets health care, your heath care, while he or she looks for a new job,” Redfern said. “It’s in the very base terms we win these arguments. Every time one of these (expletive deleted) says, excuse my language…”

The deleted expletive rhymed with “truckers,” and unless you count his perfunctory “excuse my language” as he remembered a news crew was in the union hall Chris Redfern never apologized. Instead, the Ohio Democratic Party used his rage-filled outburst as a fundraising opportunity:

In the e-mail, Redfern then asks for a $10 donation to his “swear jar” to “help the Ohio Democratic Party and its candidates get our message out and stick it to our opponents.”

He wrote, “I have been amazed by the outpouring of support the Ohio Democratic Party has received after I spoke out forcefully and unapologetically on behalf of working families.”

What a mindful, appropriate brush for Chris Redfern to paint his political opponents with! Now that the Super Obama Truth Squad has recruited the hateful creep who called the enemies of Obama’s totalitarian health insurance plan F-ers at a 2010 union event, they’re armed to the teeth with truth!

Tell us, Ohio Obama Truth Ninjas: How many of the 2.2 million Ohioans who voted to block Obamacare’s key mandate last November are F-ers? If it’s true that Ohio voters who oppose your preferred statist policies are F-ers, what is it we’re guilty of effing?

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jasonahart. Apologies to Cheddar the Bulldog, whose owner submitted an un-doctored version of the above photo to Wikimedia Commons with a public domain license.

Cross-posted from that hero, Big Government, and Third Base Politics.

The Republican party has held five primaries this cycle to date: New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and Arizona. Mitt Romney won the statewide vote in four of them, including the last three.

Super Tuesday tomorrow will shake all that up, of course. But Ohio looks to be one state Romney may come back to win from Rick Santorum.

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