Category Archives: election 2010

Bill Conner For Congress and Wannabe Jim Tressel

Bill Conner is a local candidate running for U.S. Congress. While preparing for the Fairborn 4th of July parade, he and his campaign staff were pleasantly surprised by the visit of the famous OSU Buckeye Man and Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. Unfortunately, both famous visitors were not the real thing. They were merely fun-loving impersonators albeit very good fakes as seen in the picture below.

The picture above includes Bob Billett, Coach Tressel (Dennis Singleton), Bill Conner, Carolyn Conner, Buckeye Man (Larry Lokai), Jason Conner, and Andy Feeser. Carroll Day, John Flemming, and Abby Comstock completed the crew for the parade.

Let’s hope Conner’s supporters are the real thing.

Too Big To DISCLOSE? SBE Council Rips Bill that Protects Speech of Powerful Interests, but Muzzles Small Business

With a June 18 vote expected in the U.S. House on the so-called “Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act” (DISCLOSE Act, H.R. 5175), a leading small business advocacy organization ripped the legislation, and said its clear intent is to silence the voice of small business during the 2010 election cycle. SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan sent a letter to every House member detailing the group’s outrage about H.R. 5175’s “unconstitutional, discriminatory, onerous and politically motivated underpinnings.” SBE Council will KEY VOTE the legislation as a vote against small business in its upcoming Ratings of Congress.

“Small business owners are rightly outraged by this legislative charade. It imposes complex and burdensome ‘disclosure’ requirements on businesses and their associations, while exempting big powerful interests like labor unions, the NRA and AARP. First there was ‘too big to fail’ and now ‘too big to disclose’ – small business owners keep getting the shaft from this Congress,” said Kerrigan.

According to SBE Council’s Kerrigan, H.R. 5175 is a bad bill that got worse once the National Rifle Association (NRA) cut its deal with House Democrats. The NRA will not take a position on the bill ever since language was included that effectively exempts the organization from its onerous and unconstitutional demands.

Kerrigan said, “This special deal for the NRA and other groups is a scandal. It speaks to the desperation of the bill’s supporters to muzzle the business community during the upcoming election cycle.”

The unwarranted, complex and burdensome disclosure requirements in H.R. 5175 would apply to businesses and business associations, but not to labor unions or the NRA due to the crafty donor levels designed by the legislation. Blanket restrictions on election-related speech, such as independent expenditures, would be placed on government contractors, but effectively not unions under government contract. Unworkable and intimidating “stand by your ad” provisions would only apply to business groups and other advocacy organizations.

“Essentially, the free speech rights of labor unions, the NRA and a few other powerful interest groups are left intact by the bill. Our voice is effectively curbed by the legislation,” added Kerrigan.

According to SBE Council, the bill’s language flies directly in the face of the kind of speech most clearly and fully protected under the First Amendment, i.e., speech related to politics, elections and policy. The U.S. Supreme Court has been clear in its decisions that such speech warrants protection, and any differential treatment of speakers based on identity or content violates the First Amendment.

“No matter where one happens to fall on the philosophical and political spectrum, this legislation is nothing less than shameful,” concluded Kerrigan.

SBE Council is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For additional information, please visit: http://www.sbecouncil.org/.

Dayton Daily News Fronting For Self-Absorbed Politicians

By John Mitchel

RE: “ Springfield base gets missions”, Dayton Daily News, May 8, 2010

Propaganda artists Jack Torry and John Nolan couldn’t have written a more one-sided piece on the recent Pentagon announcement that the MQ-1 Predator aircraft is on its way to the Springfield Air National Guard. This article is nothing more than stroking whiny politicians from both parties looking for top cover as the November election approaches.

First, Torry and Nolan either didn’t get their facts straight or were lied to by Sherrod Brown, Ted Strickland, John Boehner and Steve Austria. They wrote that moving the MQ-1 (Predator) mission to Springfield “will shift the base’s mission to unmanned aircraft and retain 866 jobs.” At the Miami Valley Military Affairs Association luncheon in Springfield on May 3, 2010 (one day before the primary), Col. Craig Wallace, Vice-Commander for the 178th Fighter Wing, stated there were never more than 360 jobs at the Springfield location. You may agree it’s largely disingenuous that the article claims to “retain” over 500 jobs that never existed in the first place. That’s nothing new for career politicians like Brown, Strickland, Boehner, and Austria , but it’s very disappointing coming from journalists who should be reporting the facts accurately.

Actually there’s good reason to base Predators returning from Afghanistan and Iraq in Springfield , but when career politicians from both parties knock themselves out to take credit for those jobs, we should ask the question, “What’s driving the train here, support for the warfighter or the November election?” You don’t have to go far to answer that question. Not once in Torry and Nolan’s front page article, nor in another piece on page A6 was there any mention of how the Predators coming to Springfield helps the warfighter or saves scarce taxpayer dollars. Instead career politicians from both parties persist with their “it’s-all-about-jobs” mantra while the troops and taxpayers remain an afterthought in both theory and practice.

It’s important that we review history within the context of the announcement. Earlier BRACs that took jobs away from Wright Patt were forgotten long ago. The 906th F-16 Tactical Fighter Group and 4950th Test Wing were both national treasures in providing warfighting capability, and those departures lost more jobs than the 178th in Springfield could ever hope to create, but it did help Springfield’s favorite son Dave Hobson get re-elected at least six times. And what about NAFTA, pushed by Republicans and signed into law by Bill Clinton that sent hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs offshore? Republicans Portman, Kasich and Austria , and Democrats Strickland and Brown all seem to lose their memory when it comes to accountability for those one-sided trade deals except when it comes to blaming the other side.

It’s hard to tell who screams loudest when the Obama administration bails out banks, financial institutions and automobile manufacturers, but of course it’s a different story when Obama borrows and sends the proceeds to career politicians and their special interests who have caused the mess in the first place and now desperately need talking points as the 2010 election approaches. It’s tragic that the Dayton Daily News continues to sacrifice its journalistic integrity by enabling the same bad-actor politicians to systematically dismantle freedom and economic opportunity for future generations of Americans.

Kasich and Taylor Event at Shawnee Park Thursday May 13 Noontime

Join with State Representative Jarrod Martin to welcome John Kasich and Mary Taylor to Greene County on Thursday May 13th. Gates open at Shawnee Park in Xenia at 11:30AM. Event will begin at 12:15 PM.

Sandra O’Brien Best Candidate for Secretary of State

If you read my previous post titled Right to Life Candidate Endorsements, you noticed at the end a favorable report of both John Michel’s and Sandra O’Brien’s pro-life candidacy. In this post, I want to elaborate on why O’Brien is the best candidate for Secretary of State.

In the past post, I wrote about a letter written by past state representative Diana Fessler to the Liberty Council in which Fessler exposes Jon Husted’s deceptive advertisements that touts his saving prayer in the House of Representatives. After further research, I found supporting evidence that the content of Fessler’s recent letter is true. For example, Ohio Christian Alliance reported the following on October 7, 2007:

On May 16th of this year, the Clerk’s Office at the Ohio Statehouse sent a memorandum to all House members in regard to the Guest Minister Prayer Policy after a protest was filed by minority leader Democrat Chris Redfern (80th District) and Democrat Robert Hagan (60th District) who objected to the prayer offered by Pastor Keith Hamblen, a guest of State Rep. Matt Huffman (R-4th District). Their objection to Pastor Hamblen’s prayer was that he had prayed in the name of Jesus and that he had referenced legislation that was to be voted on in the Ohio House that day.”

As Fessler letter indicates, the intent of the memo was to implement a policy that would censor the name of Jesus from all opening session prayers.

The Alliance report continued:

The memo from the Clerk’s office informed House members that a prayer policy that had been adopted in 2001 during Rep. Larry Householder’s Speakership, but never enforced, was now going to be enforced, at the Speaker’s urging. The policy called for ministers to submit a copy of their prepared remarks at least 72 hours prior to the session day for which they were scheduled to pray. “If it is determined that the prayer is of a denominational, sectarian, or proselytizing nature, we will ask for it to be changed to conform to the guidelines.”

The speaker of the House was none other than Republican Jon Husted.

The Alliance report rightly concluded “[i]t was clear that the action taken by the Clerk’s office was oppressive and discriminating toward Christian ministers.” However, the Clerk was merely the scribe of the memo not it source. Husted was the source who borrowed from a unenforced liberal policy.

As the Alliance Defense Fund press releases state, it was Diana Fessler who initiated legal action against Husted’s oppressive policy. It was Fessler, not Husted, who saved prayer in the House. Husted was the problem. (See also a letter by Fessler published by Citizen USA; To see information provided by the Alliance Defense Fund about this case, go to here and here)

If Husted is lying about this and about his Tea Party affiliation, what else is he lying about.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Ohio Tea Party officials’ denouncement of any affiliation with Husted. In fact, they claim a general hostility of entrenched GOP politicians like Husted to the Tea Party movement. “Chris Littleton, president of the Ohio Liberty Council, said Husted’s overtures to the Tea Party are all propaganda.” Husted’s record demonstrates his opposition to Tea Party values such as reduced government spending and debt, limited government, and the like. (To read the article, go here.)

Sandra O’Brien is an Ohio Tea Party favorite. Unlike Husted, she is also a real pro-life supporter. Husted has proven to be a pro-lifer for votes. Other wise he has supported pro-abortion candidates against pro-lifer. One of those candidates was O’Brien during the 2006 Republican primaries.

Sandra O’Brien is a genuine social and fiscal conservative. She deserves Republican and independent vote for Secretary of State, not Husted.

Don’t believe me? Good, check her website out for yourself.

Vaduva On Final Stretch In Campaign For County Commissioner

As the May 4 Ohio Republican primaries are just one day away, I wanted to say “thank you” to all of you supporting my campaign through donations, encouragement and volunteer work. When I decided last year to run for Greene County Commissioner, it was an easy decision – it came about as a result of looking at our current political environment and saying, “enough is enough!”

In an article today Dayton Daily News recognized how the GOP is facing
tough challenges from candidates with Tea Party values, not just here
locally, but also at a state and federal level (see article: http://bit.ly/9VCOhW).

What the Dayton Daily News article does not cover however, is the
truth that the GOP political machine in Ohio had declared all-out war
on any Tea Party candidate running on a Republican ticket. John
Husted, and other candidates here in Ohio have even used a bogus “Tea Party Values” logo on their campaign correspondence, trying to mislead voters into thinking that they are being endorsed or supported by Tea Party organizations.

This is some outrageous behavior on the part of the Ohio GOP, but it
is not surprising. Both at a local and state level, the Republican Party officials are really worried about idealist candidates, and real people with real principles running for office and taking the reigns of their party back; they are doing their best to ensure that this will not happen. This is why I need your help.

I am running on principles alone, as a result of being fed up with the
Greene County GOP and the ruthless political machine that had captured our party here long ago, at the expense of our souls and our
principles of small government and low taxation. I am not a politician, an attorney or someone that had spent a lifetime in the political sphere. I consider my inexperience as a politician an asset, and I hope so do you.

This is a small chance we all have here in Greene County now to try to
reclaim our ideals and principles, so I would be humbled to receive your support and your vote on Tuesday. My promise is that we can use this first step to try to steer our county into the right direction and start to slowly get back to our roots.

Right To Life Candidate Endorsements

The Ohio Right to Life Pac candidate endorsements mostly align with endorsements by the Ohio Republican Party. This is not surprising since Republicans tend to favor pro-life issues, and Democrats support pro-abortion.

Why is an Ohio RTL Pac endorsement of any importance? The Pac claims because it makes a difference to about half (maybe more) of the voting population. The Pac provides user-friendly access to information about the candidate experience, views and voting record on abortion and pro-life issues. Beyond that, RTL’s endorsement of pro-life candidates assists voters identify those who will likely honor their oath of office by upholding the constitutionally protected right to life.

With that in mind, let’s see who those candidates are.

STATE

Jarrod Martin, who seeks a second term in the 70th Ohio House District, received the Ohio RTL Pac stamp of approval. Tea Partiers seem to like him as well as the Ohio GOP. His campaign website is at www.electjarrod.com

U.S. Representative John Kasich has the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. He is not only favored by the GOP but also by Tea Party members and many of the who’s who is local and state politics. His campaign website is at www.kasichforohio.com

Jon Husted, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representative and native of Dayton, is running for Secretary of State. He has also received the Ohio RTL Pac 100% pro-life stamp of approval. But, I recently received information from a friend who lives in northern Ohio that casts some doubt about Husted’s support of both pro-life and pro-faith causes, which I will cover later. His campaign website address is www.hustedforohio.com

Mike DeWine is no stranger to local politics. He is local lawyer, previous County Prosecutor, state representative, senator, and U.S. Congressman. He is running for Ohio Attorney General with GOP approval and the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. His campaign website is at www.mikedewine.com

State Representative Josh Mandel is another dynamic young politician with the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life stamp of approval along with the GOP and Tea Party endorsements. His campaign website is at www.joshmandel.com

I’m not 100% certain but I think Ohio only allows one Auditor of State. However, Ohio RTL Pac as well as the Ohio GOP endorses two. They are David Yost and Seth Morgan.

David Yost is among the select few picked by the Ohio GOP. His repertoire includes his current position of Delaware County Prosecutor and the previously held position of county auditor. Posted on his blog is an endorsement by the Darke County Tea Party as well as the most of the big press and entrenched GOP politicians. Yost’s campaign website address is www.davidyost.com

Ohio Representative Seth Morgan is among select few running for accounting position of State Auditor who actually is actually a certified public accountant (CPA), which should be one of the requirements for holding that office. Just ask Mary Taylor. The Huber Heights native currently serves as Secretary of Finance and Appropriations Committee, Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education, Ways and Means Committee, and as Chair of the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee, among others. Every where I look, Morgan is receiving honorable mentions and endorsements from the Associated Builders and Contractors to the Citizens for Community Values, not to mention the Ohio Tea Party. His campaign website is at www.sethmorgan.org

NATIONAL

U.S. Representative Steve Austria is running for the 7th Ohio Congressional District for a second term, He has received the distinction by the Ohio RTL Pac as a 100% pro-life candidate. Austria not only a Beavercreek native but is favored by the GOP as well. The Tea Parties I have attended Austria has not been among the favored representatives or candidates.

Robert Portman is running for U.S. Senate with the endorsement of the Ohio RTL Pac. He has effectively served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative, and as U.S. Congressman for 12 years. Although favored by GOP leaders, Portman has not been favorable received by some Ohio Tea Party groups, according to reports. His campaign website address is www.robportman.com

As mentioned earlier, an added benefit of the above candidate list is their GOP endorsements. The Ohio GOP stamp of approval tells us that the Party regards those members as the most qualified, the most charismatic, and/or the most faithful to party policies.

It should be remembered that the Democratic Party also chooses its candidates on the same basis. As pointed out during the last national election by Dennis Kucinich, one of the most important factors to Party endorsement is faithfulness to the pledge. Here, the pledge is not to the Ohio or U.S. Constitutions, dear comrades, but to the Party.

The above-mentioned qualities that are required by both Parties are also the same characteristics of career politicians, which in turn is part of the ever-increasing problem produced by party politics. As evidenced by the current regime of Democrats, progressive regression back to the Revolution era issues of big government social and economic tyranny is a serious problem that came in the name of change. Liberals claim the same thing happened when the GOP was in charge.

That is why the other non-career track candidates are worth considering. Some of them promise to defend the right to life as well as other conservative issues of constitutional importance.

One such candidate is Lt. Col John Michel (Ret.) who is running against incumbent Rep. Steve Austria for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District. Michel is definitely a pro-life candidate. He believes “the Constitution protects human life from conception to natural death.” His position on most other important issues like the economy, health care, immigration, war on terror, and the like reveals a well-reasoned and articulated conservatism, which is another reason to put him into office. His views on the issues can be read by going to his website at www.reformcongress.com

Sandra O’Brien is running against Jon Husted for Secretary of State. She is definitely a consist defender of the right to life and liberty. She is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau, a veteran schoolteacher, past county auditor, and current adjunct professor at Leland Community College. In 2006, she defeated her pro-abortion opponent in the Republican primary for Auditor of State. Jon Husted supported her pro-abortion opponent, which demonstrates his wavering commitment to the constitutional issue of the right to life. Moreover, my friend from the North also pointed me to letter by Diana Fessler addressed to the Ohio Liberty Council in which tells how Husted lying to the public about his saving prayer in the House. While Speaker of the House, Husted attempted to forbid the mention of Jesus’ name in all prayers offered at the opening session of the Ohio House. It was she who saved prayer with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund litigators. Fessler assures us that Sandra O’Brien is the real conservative candidate for Auditor of State. O’Brien’s campaign website is at ohio.sandraobrien.com

Healthcare Boondoggle

By Jarrod Martin, Representative of the 70th Ohio House District

At the hands of your “representatives” in Washington, a $940 billion health care spending bill will skyrocket your taxes, diminish care services and expand the federal government’s control over your personal decisions. Are you willing to sacrifice more of your hard-earned money, as well as your liberties that are guaranteed by the Constitution, to satisfy Congress’s spending spree they call reform?

The political elites believe that inundating families and small businesses with taxes, penalties, mandates and bureaucratic red tape is the right course of action in this recession. However, as a fiscal conservative I believe that we cannot fix a deficit by accruing more debt, nor can we fix our nation’s spending problem with more spending.

After receiving feedback from the residents of the 70th Ohio House District, I’ve found that our community, just like other communities across the nation, believes that America’s health care system needs to be reformed. However, this partisan, corrupt bill that caters to special interests is not the “change” that any of us want.

America and especially Ohio does not want or need a multitrillion-dollar entitlement program that entails backroom deals, special interests, intimidation tactics and dishonest circumventing of a fair democratic process. We don’t want a bill in which the only bipartisanship was in the opposition-especially a bill that allows the government to now control one-sixth of the American economy.

What hard-working Ohioans do want is a government that is accountable and transparent. It is important that elected officials fight to preserve the people’s rights and freedoms, while still working to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Here in Ohio, the aftermath of this bill will be profound. We will likely see accelerated job loss when small businesses that cannot afford the new government mandates eliminate more jobs just to make ends meet. With an $8 billion deficit fast approaching in the next budget, it is crucial that lawmakers take steps now to not only avoid undue costs and mandates, but also become more conscious of our spending habits.

Although the Ohio legislature has no control over federal bills and was unable to stop the passage of the health care bill, House Republicans are working to ensure that new pricey mandates will not be imposed on the people of Ohio. We are urging the passage of two pieces of legislation, House Joint Resolution 3 and House Bill 489, to protect the freedom of Ohioans to make their own health care decisions. Specifically, these measures will help prevent individuals from being forced to buy into any particular health care plan according to our state policies. I cosponsored both of these proposals because I believe that although we certainly need to improve the affordability and accessibility of health care, this bill will unnecessarily raise costs at a time when families and businesses can least afford them.

The American people would have greatly benefited from a bipartisan effort to improve our health care system with the best ideas both Democrats and Republicans could bring to the table. I will continue to defend your family’s concerns as I fight to hold down the tax burden and protect your liberties from Washington’s growing control.

Xenia Tea Party A Success for Liberty

On Saturday April 24, the first Tea Party began at 4 pm on the steps to the historic Greene County Courthouse. As historic as justice is for all within the walls of that symbolic building was the success of first local Tea Party in Greene County. It was fitting that it took place in Xenia, the seat of Greene County governance.

If memory serves, the first Tea Party held in Boston Massachusetts initiated the successful resistance to corrupt government, its many threats and usurpation to both the inherent and positive rights of our British colonial ancestors, and finally to the independent sovereign statehood as well as our national compact consisting of both social contract and divine covenant.

Xenia Tea Party was a rally for the restoration of principles upon which the sovereignty our state is secured and federal governance is limited. That is, it was a rally for the restoration of the rule of Constitutional law and of making elected representatives and unelected officials accountable to it for the good of all citizens.

Xenia Tea Party also was a platform to those seeking election to local, state, and federal offices. As a platform without due coverage by the media, ordinary citizens with extraordinary abilities and determination presented their qualifications, ideas, and/or positions on issue. Of course, everyone I heard wants to represent the rest of us in the effort to bring about real change: the restoration of strict Constitutional governance, fiscal responsibility, and personal liberty. The Tea Party also provided stump for representatives of organizations like Ohio Freedom Alliance, Ohio Open Carry rights organization, and Stop Xenia Tax, all of which are working with state and local officials to the same ends.

The candidates included John Mitchel, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Steve Austria. Mitchel spoke briefly about the continued corruption of our current federal government and a pending investigation of Steve Austria. His priorities are government reform to control earmarks and spending, tax reform for fair and equitable taxing, and imposing term limits.

Scott Rupert is running for Ohio Senate. He is an independent from Northern Ohio. He represents people who value a commonsense approach to resolving societal and political issues rather than party agendas. In other words, Rupert is not a elitist who is out-of-touch with ordinary hard working people. One good reason to vote for him–he says he won’t seek to impose entitlements on us by means of trillions more in taxes and spending. In return, fewer families will likely face bankruptcy and maybe even retain more of their hard earned income.

One of the speakers not campaigning for office was Mickey Denin. In his speech entitled The United States Has Become The Nation It Rebelled Against, he made the following comments:

The colonists’ vision of limited government, taxation without representation was a problem, but so was representation without taxation—that is, voting by those who were at the mercy of the wealthy and thus easy to bribe. Colonial leaders quoted the English jurist Blackstone’s accepted view that if those “in so mean a situation as to be esteemed to have no will of their own” were given the vote, they would be tools of the powerful. Colonists discussed the right level of property qualification, one that would exclude the dependent while encouraging voting by all those with a “stake in society.

Yet in our society today we have large burdensome government, with career politicians who essentially hand pick their successors through the party system. These career politicians have figured out how to bribe the poor to earn their vote. Now nearly half of all Americans pay no federal income taxes and the only stake they have in society what they receive from society not what they contribute to society.

Maybe that is why many liberals are so intent on taking away our guns.

After his discussion about the progress of the movement in Ohio for the right to openly own and carry guns, Josh Diaz of Ohio Concealed Carry gave a rather lengthy talk on why Americans must elect representatives who will at least reduce, if not end, the tax burden imposed by all levels of government.

John Anderson is a libertarian running for Congress. He had a more detailed plan that is worthy of consideration, which can be read by going to johnandersonforcongress.com

While Anderson was the first speaker, Andy Myers of the Ohio Freedom Alliance was the last. He briefly shared the various bills the Alliance has either been passed or are in the legislative process, all of which can be seen at the Ohio Freedom Alliance website.

Not last and not least was the host of the first successful Tea Party in Xenia, Virgil Vaduva, who is also running against incumbent Alan Anderson for Greene County Commissioner. Vaduva has been proving his dedication to upholding and enforcing our laws. For instance, the election laws Xenia officials were violating. His ability to get things done is another of his abilities. For more information about him and his campaign, go to Virgil Vaduva for Greene County Commissioner.

Meet the Candidates at Express Yourself Sat. April 24 10AM to Noon

A community MEET THE CANDIDATES, DISCUSS THE ISSUES event to be held at Express Yourself 78 E. Main St on Saturday the 24th in the morning from 10-noon (or so). The public is cordially invited to come and listen and participate. Any and all candidates and spokespersons for local issues are invited to take part in a free wheeling and civil conversation about the issues of concern to the voters. RSVP if you are a candidate and wish to attend. EY is 372-7446