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In an unusual move, Sen. Brown criticizes Portman
By Jack Torry
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - In an unusual attack by a sitting senator, Sen. Sherrod Brown Wednesday, July 28, assailed Senate Republican nominee Rob Portman, charging that there is “no candidate running anywhere in the country’’ more responsible than Portman for the current sluggish U.S. economy.
In a conference call with Ohio reporters, Brown, D-Ohio, complained that Portman was an ardent supporter of President George W. Bush’s economic policies throughout the decade, first as a Republican congressman from Cincinnati and then as U.S. trade representative and White House budget director in the Bush administration.
Brown expressed surprise that Portman “of all people,’’ would “blame anybody else’’ for the steep job loss in Ohio since 2007 “when he was the architect of Bush’s economic policies. He had the car keys when he was driving the car into the ditch. Now he wants the voters of Ohio to give him the keys back. I don’t get it.’’
Brown is a major backer of Senate Democratic candidate Lee Fisher, the state’s lieutenant governor. Last night, Portman unveiled a new TV commercial against Fisher, charging that Ohio lost nearly 400,000 jobs since Fisher and Gov. Ted Strickland took office in 2007.
While it is true that non-farm payrolls in Ohio have fallen by 379,900 since December of 2006, the state has lost 568,300 jobs since January of 2000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bush was president from 2001 through early 2009.
Sitting U.S. senators who are not up for re-election tend to avoid attacking other Senate candidates. The most striking exception was in 2004 when then-Senate Republican Bill Frist of Tennessee campaigned against Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
Asked about the Portman commercial during a conference call on clean energy, Brown said he had not seen it. But he asserted “there is no candidate running anywhere in the country more aligned and more responsible for the Bush economic policy that got us here. It was bad trade policy … they gave companies incentives to go overseas and tax cuts for the richest Americans that blew a hole in the government.’’
Brown was referring to Portman’s votes for tax cuts championed by Bush in 2001 and 2003, which including reductions in income tax rates for all taxpayers, cuts in taxes on dividends and capital gains, which are the profits from the sale of real estate and stock, and reducing the tax on married couples.
In a response to Brown’s attack, Jessica R. Towhey, a Portman spokeswoman, said in a statement that “Lt. Gov. Fisher asked to be held accountable for his record, but since he refuses to talk about it we wanted to make sure Ohioans know the facts: Under Lt. Gov. Fisher’s watch, Ohio lost nearly 400,000 jobs, and nearly nine out of every 10 jobs that left Ohio, left for another state.
“Ohio is falling behind the rest of the country, and the last thing we need is Lt. Gov. Fisher in Washington rubberstamping the agenda” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Towhey said.
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Comments
By Carol Haley
August 2, 2010 7:33 PM | Link to this
Portman wants more than the keys to a car to drive Ohio and the nations ecomony back into a ditch he is asking for a semi. I trust Ohioan are smart enough to know to ask for Portman to take a realitu check on what he is for. End Job taxes now really that would be oh yes the income tax laws. Portman not only wants to repeal income taxes but run the Nation bankrupt for real. Get this man’s name off the Ohio balot American can not afford men like this.
By Anne E Moore
July 29, 2010 10:18 AM | Link to this
Sen. Brown is great! He is a real person and not a politician. I’m a disabled veteran and I request help from both Brown and Turner on getting my claim moving. Turner ignored me and his office lady was rude and inconsiderate. Sherrod Brown’s office DID take the time to help me and his office lady was helpful, respectful and commpassionate. SEN. BROWN REALLY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPEL HERE! Never forget that.
By L Berry
July 29, 2010 9:58 AM | Link to this
Sen Brown, like Gov Strickland, is slinging mud. Why? Because they have done nothing positive to brag about. In a word, it’s called Desperation. They know the American Voters are fed up with the Liberals Tax and Spend Mentality and see the end in sight. They convinced the public that everything wrong in America was George Bush’s fault. Now, America seems them for what they are. Incompetent! No longer does Blame Bush work, although they all use it like its gospel. It truely is time for change, vote GOP and save our Great Nation from these BOZO’a.
By anti-Obama Democrat
July 29, 2010 8:55 AM | Link to this
Is Barney FWANK running for office? Chris Dodd pulled out because he knows he’s responsible for the housing crisis. What about Charlie Rangel? Is his seat up for grabs? That’s just 3 Democrat crooks off the top of my head who we all know are up to their ears in creating and profiteering from the financial crisis. Sherrod SCUMBAG Brown, voting for you was the worst mistake I’ve ever made in the voting booth. It won’t happen again.
By R U Kidding Me
July 29, 2010 6:53 AM | Link to this
Sherrod “A$$ CLOWN” Brown is Obama’s lap dog. AC Brown is the anti-christ of business. He has never with his own resources or money earned money, made a payroll, employed people, built a product, ran a store or paid payroll/employment/business taxes. For Brown to accuse Portman of wrecking the economy is like is like Obama blaming the US citizens for the current deficit for not sending in enough of our money. AC Brown lacks any credibility. His only skills include dividing Ohio citizens by economic class, encouraging irrepsonsibility, promoting union activiites, killing small businesses and small business employment and generally embarrasing the good, moral folks he is supposed to represent. I have never worked on a political campaign but regardless of who runs against AC Brown - I will work feverously on that campaign to rid ourselves of this human slime bag. SHERROD BROWN IS AN A$$ CLOWN - VOTE HIM AND ALL OF HIS LIKE KIND OUT!!!!! RISE UP AGAINST YOUR LIBERAL GOVERNMENT INSURECTION NOW!
By tiredofit!
July 29, 2010 6:53 AM | Link to this
the current depression is the result of the failed policies of the bush administration.
By BLA
July 29, 2010 6:01 AM | Link to this
Why does everyone blame former President Bush for eveything that has gone wrong? This is not right..There are many different reasons why things are so bad. President Bush was not the terrible person that everyone thinks he was..We all need to pray for Godly people to enter into the world of Congress and public offices..
By null
July 28, 2010 10:44 PM | Link to this
Someone a while ago gave Brown the nickname “Sherrod Brown the A*s Clown” Yep, it still applies. What has Brown done for you? I wish it was just nothing, but no he has helped drive up the deficit, wants cap & tax (in Ohio of all places, we make things here…remember)and is all over Obama Care, adding more people on the government payroll.
By null
July 28, 2010 10:39 PM | Link to this
Lip spittle lackey Brown, flush it down, was a congressman and senator while Ohio went down the tubes. And, like a good socialist, he blames everyone else.
By JP
July 28, 2010 10:25 PM | Link to this
Go Sen. Brown. Tell it like it is. These GOP FOX watchers wouldn’t know the truth ( or admit to it) if it bit them.
By Judi P
July 28, 2010 10:23 PM | Link to this
Go Sherrod Brown. Tell it like it is. These GOP FOX followers wouldn’t know the truth if it bit ‘em. Hypocrites, the whole bunch .
By jackjack
July 28, 2010 10:10 PM | Link to this
send obammer’s lap dog brown to the dog house he is a liberal wanna be loser…I have met the man…by accident…what a schmuck
By Braying
July 28, 2010 10:04 PM | Link to this
The U.S. response to the financial crisis probably prevented a depression, slowed a decline in gross domestic product and saved about 8.5 million jobs, economists Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi said.
By joe2
July 28, 2010 9:58 PM | Link to this
George Bush is also responsible for the crucifiction of Jesus Christ. Not too many people are aware of this.
By jim
July 28, 2010 9:21 PM | Link to this
Stephen - yikes is right. As apposed to talking points, what study sites “Obama and the Dems have stopped the bleeding and according to recent study they stopped us from entering into another great depression” I prefer that no poster throws out studies that none of us really know what is behind the results. Lets all hope that whoever is in power gets us back into a positive direction. As you can guess, I prefer quantifiable numbers, not opinion driven “jobs saved” slight of hand analysis. It comes down to how many folks are out of work.
By Stephen
July 28, 2010 8:52 PM | Link to this
yikes..this page is full of right wingers. But lets go for the truth instead of talking points from the right. Since those are rarely the truth. We have lost jobs under BOTH parties. Portman and Bush policies definitely lost us jobs. Obama and the Dems have stopped the bleeding and according to recent study they stopped us from entering into another great depression. They got hit by what Portman and Bush left us. VOTE DEMS 2010! Forward not backwards!
By John
July 28, 2010 8:37 PM | Link to this
TRS, Scooby is a real tool isn’t he? He’s got a passion though that is admirable. Unfortunately liberals are ruled by passion only and can only repeat the talking points. One can also see that he is a successful product of our government schools. Don’t be too hard on him, he did cite some “facts”, however redundant and erroneous though they may be… I actually feel bad for him to be that consumed with a hatred of something he can’t comprehend.
By ohiodonkeyman
July 28, 2010 8:35 PM | Link to this
Come on Craig?? What gives. 568,000 jobs lost since 2000? If that’s not George Bush and Rob Portman, I certainly don’t know who it would be. Certainly not Lee Fisher. Secondly, Portman was providing access to China through his leadership as trade rep with China. He opened the flood gates for American companies to use their tax breaks to send jobs over seas in places such as China. Portman is a fraud and thinks we all forgot about his nonsense as a Bush supporter. Portman thinks he’s entitled to the job as US Senator from Ohio. He doesn’t deserved to be chairman of the I crashed my Bike club of Ohio.
By TRS
July 28, 2010 7:58 PM | Link to this
Scooby - get some counseling will ya?
By Obama Like Cheeseburgers
July 28, 2010 7:20 PM | Link to this
@Nobody, “Can’t we get some real people into office?” IMO, that’s what we have in President Obama. Look, he’s not perfect. But IMO, he’s a regular guy who made the right moves. His favorite TV show is Sports Center. He’s a big NBA fan, and likes a beer. He took the Russian President to Ray’s Hell Burgers for a Cheeseburger Summit. Come on all you haters, Obama is not a bad guy. And as a hardcore Dem, I’m bet Bush would have been a great guy to have a beer and a bar-b-q with. We all need to get past our Partisanship.
By Craig
July 28, 2010 7:06 PM | Link to this
Dems response to everything, Blame Bush. This gets old. When will they come up with their own ideas to improve the economy? If Bush’s economic ideas were so wrong why does the Obama administration continue them?
By Jim
July 28, 2010 7:00 PM | Link to this
I like Brown. He’s one of the few politicians who’s trying to look out for the small guy. Looks like a federal judge “refudiated” Arizona’s new policy of discrimination against legal,US citizens of Hispanic Heritage. I knew it was coming.
By tommyv
July 28, 2010 6:08 PM | Link to this
While attending a telecommunications conference in Columbus in 2003, then Representative Brown came to the conference to brief us on telecommunications legislation. He never mentioned telecommunications. All he did was trash George W. Bush for his abortion policies. Brown is a completely arrogant disgrace. He needs to go!
By scoobydo
July 28, 2010 6:06 PM | Link to this
Ge vote for Portman, guess all you great thinkn’ conservatives forgot just how we got in this mess in the first place. So run right back and vote in the idiots that put you here, yep that makes sense for sure, you betcha. Think people, these morons got us here in the first place following 8 years of stupidity and miss management. Look at history, the last GOP rule was a disaster. Going form a surplus to a 3.1 trillion deficit, thats some fiscal responsibility for you. Ask them how they plan ion paying for the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the erich, those on the GOPs mind do NOT have to be deficit neutral, tax cuts the were 54% of the ballooning deficit, yep they needed passed again, then you can b***h more about the deficit when unemployment benefits come back for a vote, now those HAVE to be paid for, but didnt a few years ago when the GOP ran the congress. HYPOCRITES.
By KevinBob
July 28, 2010 5:54 PM | Link to this
Portman needs to campaign on Brown’s support of Obama’s failed economic policies with the several million jobs lost on top of an $800 million failed stimulus package. Just ask Brown “How many jobs have you brought to Ohio?”
By TRS
July 28, 2010 5:52 PM | Link to this
Gee - never thought I’d see a Senator from Ohio worst than Metzenbaum. Never say never!
By null
July 28, 2010 5:44 PM | Link to this
Keep flapping your gums Brown, we’re coming after you next…
By if its brown..flush it
July 28, 2010 5:44 PM | Link to this
brown has been nothing but an obama lap dog, represent ohio, not the party. FLUSH HIM!
By Proud to be an American
July 28, 2010 4:44 PM | Link to this
Sen. Brown is an embarassment to Ohio an I can wait to vote him out on his next run, that is what he does best is blame, how about asking your boss in the White House on what he has done, instead of fixing the economy He dug us futher down into the hole.
By DB
July 28, 2010 4:16 PM | Link to this
Sen. Brown - just making that kind of comment and its illogical thinking says more about you than Portman or the current economic state. Let’s get these kind juvenile Senators and Representatives the hec’ out of Washington D.C. - and that goes for BOTH sides of the aisle!
By Papagino
July 28, 2010 3:32 PM | Link to this
Portman at his most poswerful was one vote out of 450. Brown is one out 100, who carries the most blame here. Mr Brown, enjoy the rest of your term, we are working hard to see that you retire after this one.
By joe
July 28, 2010 3:15 PM | Link to this
elections have consequences - therefore we’re “stuck” with Humpty-Dumpty for only five more years…
By Brown
July 28, 2010 3:14 PM | Link to this
Brown has rubber stamped every expensive piece of legislation Obama and the dems have promoted. He votes with his party 97% of the time, meaning he does the bidding of the party, not the people who elected him.
By null
July 28, 2010 3:14 PM | Link to this
elections have consequences - therefore we’re “stuck” with Humpty-Dumpty for only five more years…
By jim
July 28, 2010 3:11 PM | Link to this
I met Brown 30 years ago, he was a smug hack then, and now thinks he is the 2nd coming…I await his attempt to reelection in a couple of years
By jimmie
July 28, 2010 3:09 PM | Link to this
Brown must go. He is an embarrassment.
By what??
July 28, 2010 3:06 PM | Link to this
The best defense is a good offense. Where is Waldo, er Lee?
By Nobody
July 28, 2010 3:01 PM | Link to this
Wish we could just wipe the slate clean of all politicians. Can’t we get some real people into office?