Opportunity is clearly knocking in southwest Ohio, thanks to Jane Mitakides in OH-3, Steve Driehaus in OH-1, and Victoria Wulsin in OH-2 . But as you consider these races, take a look at the actual, hard numbers comparing the three districts:
Democratic challenger performance in OH-3 is trending through the roof, besting 60% in the 2008 primary. Governor Ted Strickland carried OH-3 in 2006, making it the only district in the region that he won with more than 50%. This is a highly winnable race.
Democratic performance is on a dramatic upward trajectory-up more than 22% from 2004 to 2008, which is the largest increase among Congressional Districts in Southwest Ohio. In 2006, Democratic performance increased 21.5% in the usually GOP counties of Highland and Clinton.
A 137% increase in Democratic turnout between the 2004 and 2008 primary in Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District illustrates how excited voters are in OH-3 for a new direction for America. GOP primary turnout increased by only 25% over the same period.
*It is vital to remember that OH-3 looks skewed because of the sudden withdrawal of the initial candidate in 2006. Despite the odds and no name recognition, a political newcomer got 41% of the vote in a 53 day campaign.
Many politicians use Earth Day for their own purposes, focusing on environmental issues for one day a year. However, global warming doesn’t take a vacation for the other 364 days a year – and neither can we. That’s why Jane Mitakides has decided to walk the talk of green solutions by making her campaign carbon neutral, and committing to work for renewable energy and green jobs when elected to Congress.
By underwriting carbon offsets from CarbonFund.org, an organization that helps individuals, businesses, and organizations to eliminate their carbon footprints, the Mitakides campaign becomes the first one of the first congressional campaigns in the nation (and the first in Ohio) to take responsibility for their own greenhouse gas emissions. Jane sees investing in renewable energy as the first step in a process that will create jobs and protect the environment. The fossil fuels that cause climate change and keep us beholden to foreign dictatorships can no longer be at the foundation of our economy.
Creating tax incentives for clean energy sources will allow these industries to flourish, and instead of supporting unnecessary tax subsidies for Big Oil, she will work to pass such incentives when in Congress. Greening our economy is a no-brainer: between fighting global warming, creating green jobs, and saving consumers across the board, this should be a priority in Congress. Jane Mitakides intends to be a leader in Congress, and that starts now by having a campaign that takes responsibility and utilizes real solutions for our challenges.
Jane Mitakides, a Responsible Plan endorsee running in the Ohio Third, has reported $164,252.53 in total receipts for the first quarter of fundraising.
With money coming in at more than twice the rate of her opponent, Jane will be able to run an aggressive campaign that builds on the record-breaking Democratic turn-out in the March 4th primary and the changing dynamic of a district that is trending blue.
Some speculate that Mike Turner’s dwindling support is due to ethical issues and frequent exaggerations that are affecting his campaign’s bottom-line.
Jane Mitakides, a Responsible Plan endorsee running in the Ohio Third, has reported $164,252.53 in total receipts for the first quarter of fundraising.
With money coming in at more than twice the rate of her opponent, Jane will be able to run an aggressive campaign that builds on the record-breaking Democratic turn-out in the March 4th primary and the changing dynamic of a district that is trending blue.
Some speculate that Mike Turner’s dwindling support is due to ethical issues and frequent exaggerations that are affecting his campaign’s bottom-line.
With her strong grassroots support, Jane won a competitive three-way primary with more votes than her opponents combined, and she still held on to more of her first-quarter raised cash than her opponent, who has spent more than he raised in Q1, even though he was unopposed in the primary.
Fundraising is a tangible measure of support for a race, and it’s big news when a challenger is consistently out-raising an incumbent. It shows that voters are ready to make change happen and finally end the era of back-room deals and no-bid contracts.
This is a winnable race, but we still have a long way to go – and we’re counting on you to help!
What’s a Congressman to do, when the only legislation he’s passed during five years on the job renamed a Dayton park, when he votes as a right-wing partisan 87% of the time, and if he has a 30% rating with veterans groups? Especially when he’s being challenged by a strong candidate, in a now-blue district that went 55% for Ted Strickland?
Well, he could just make something up. Unless of course, the Chairman of Ways and Means catches him!
What’s a Congressman to do, when the only legislation he’s passed during five years on the job renamed a Dayton park, when he votes as a right-wing partisan 87% of the time, and if he has a 30% rating with veterans groups? Especially when he’s being challenged by a strong candidate, in a now-blue district that went 55% for Ted Strickland?
Well, he could just make something up. Unless of course, the Chairman of Ways and Means catches him!
Democrats say questions he raised about Delphi worker eligibility for tax rebates were unfounded.
By Lynn Hulsey Staff Writer Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Democrats are accusing U.S. Rep. Mike Turner of needlessly worrying former Delphi workers.
At issue are questions Turner raised about the workers' eligibility for economic stimulus rebates after he'd already voted for the bill that ensured the workers would get the money.
On Monday, March 31, Turner, R-Centerville, denied he misled anyone. He said he was responding to concerns from constituents and trying to change the bill to get rebate checks into workers' hands more quickly.
However, J. Jioni Palmer, spokesman for the House Ways and Means committee, said Turner sent no legislative language to the committee prior to final approval by Congress.
Turner's Third District Democratic opponent, Washington Twp. businesswoman Jane Mitakides, accused Turner of trying to create the "illusion of working for the people of this district."
"The notion that these rebates were at risk and then somehow salvaged was absolutely misleading," said Mitakides. "It's the legislative equivalent of turning in someone else's homework and taking credit for it."
[…]
On Feb. 1, a day after Turner voted for the House bill, he announced he'd sent a letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., and three other House and Senate leaders in response to concerns by former Delphi workers.
"I am writing to request that clarifying language be added to the Economic Stimulus package that ensures tax rebates will be given to workers" displaced by foreign trade, wrote Turner. He said workers' buyout payments should not count as income.
[…]
The next day Rangel wrote to Turner and said Turner's Feb. 1 letter was unnecessary because the problem "did not exist in the legislation that passed the House" with Turner's support.
"I'm hopeful that the misunderstanding did not cause alarm among Delphi workers who may have questioned their rebate eligibility," Rangel wrote.
[…]
Mike Turner did nothing but try to gain political points from a controversy he created. He voted for the bill before he had problems with it, yet offered no legislative language – because none was necessary. Maybe the Congressman from the Ohio 3rd needs a little lesson in the legislative process? May I suggest the following?
Today, President Bush will be in the Dayton area, less than a week after US service member deaths in Iraq reached the grim milestone of 4,000. Bush will speak about the “global war on terror” at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, no doubt using this solemn moment to conflate the GWOT with the war in Iraq.
From there, he will honor the memory of our fallen soldiers by shaking hands and cracking jokes at a $10,000 per person private reception co-sponsored by a major outsourcer of jobs and a convicted money launderer. $1,000 gets you a seat at the luncheon. The fundraiser is for the Ohio GOP’s Victory ’08 coordinated campaign in support of John McCain and Ohio’s Republican congressional candidates, ostensibly helping Mike Turner. And why not? Turner has been a reliable ally in the House, voting for the failed Bush agenda 87% of the time. He has even voted against expanding benefits for our veterans, earning a grade C from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Let’s send a message to the President and Mike Turner by contributing to his opponent, Jane Mitakides. Jane is ready to bring the kind of change that the people of the Ohio 3rd and the nation at-large are seeking – ending an irresponsible war, fixing a broken economy, and restoring America to its pre-Bush greatness. Jane recently endorsed the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, putting her in the company of some of the best Democratic challengers in the nation, like Darcy Burner and Donna Edwards.
This morning, Jane spoke at a press conference with the Ohio Democratic Party about how Bush’s policies have maligned our nation – news to those that can pay $10,000 to take a photo with the President – and met with some anti-war protesters.
(Full disclosure: I am the New Media/Voter Outreach Director for Jane’s campaign)
Today, Jane Mitakides, Democratic challenger in OH-03, proudly endorsed the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, adding her to a list of leading Democratic candidates that are standing up to move the country forward.
The Responsible Plan fills the void of leadership in Washington, yet relies only on common sense solutions, basing its objectives on Iraq Study Group recommendations and legislation currently in the hopper. Perhaps it is a measure of how bad things have gotten when “respect the Constitution,” “fund veterans care,” and “stop torture” are ideas that cannot get traction in DC.
The American people are ahead of the politicians on these issues, and they want change. They know that Iraq is not only a cause of many of our ills, but a symptom of even larger ones. Luckily, the people will soon be able to exercise their most basic right, and vote for candidates that truly represent them: Jane Mitakides is one of those candidates.
