Tag: OH-16

• IL-Sen: Today’s the day for Mark Kirk’s official entry into the Senate race, despite the fact that everyone and his dog already knows he’s running. He got one unwelcome piece of news over the weekend, though: a primary challenge, from retired state trial court judge Don Lowery, from Pope County downstate. Apparenty the unknown Lowery doesn’t pose as much of an obstacle as state GOP chair Andy McKenna would have, as Kirk didn’t storm out of the race this time.

• NV-Sen: The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s newest poll finds that John Ensign’s numbers continue to slip. His approval rating is 31%, down from 39% last month (post-scandal, but before news of his parental payoff) and from 53% pre-scandal. Only 34% think he should resign, though.

• NH-Sen: Businessman Fred Tausch launched a subtle attack against likely GOP primary opponent Kelly Ayotte over the weekend, accusing “the governor, the attorney general, and legislature” of putting the state on the path toward an income tax.

• NY-Sen-B: Ooops. Rep. Carolyn Maloney was caught using the N-word in an interview with City Hall News. She was quoting someone secondhand, but still sounds bad out of context.

• NC-Sen: Guess who’s a member of the Run, Elaine, Run! Facebook group that’s trying to get Elaine Marshall to run for Senate? Elaine Marshall! Now I don’t know if that’s a tea leaf that she’s interested or just a friending-someone-to-be-polite situation, but it’s interesting. (H/t possumtracker1991.)

• NJ-Gov: The New York Times reports that Jon Corzine, in the wake of a costly divorce and a big hit to his portfolio, is having raise campaign funds from contributors like a mere mortal. His goal is $15 million from donors, on top of no more than $25 million of his own money. (That’s compared to the $60 million he spent on his 2000 Senate race.)

• NM-Gov: Dona Ana County DA Susana Martinez, who we mentioned last week, went ahead and just full-on into the GOP primary for the open governor’s race in New Mexico, skipping the exploratory phase. Meanwhile, investment advisor and National Guard brigadier general Greg Zanetti, who for most of the was the only declared GOP candidate although without seemingly getting much traction, dropped out of the race, citing family concerns.

• PA-Gov: Auditor Jack Wagner confirmed on Friday in a TV interview that he’ll run for Governor in 2010. A formal announcement will come later, he says, but he’s still the first Democrat to sort-of-kind-of pull the trigger.

• NH-01: Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta has had a nose for bad news in the last few weeks, although “unpaid sewer bills” doesn’t sound quite as bad as “bar brawl…” y’know, unless you’re running as the “fiscal responsibility” candidate. For the second time, Guinta has failed to stay current on the sewer taxes on an apartment building he owns in Manchester (while, at the same time, he can afford to shore up his weak fundraising with a $20,000 personal loan).

• NY-23: This is poorly sourced and slightly incoherent, but a local GOP blog is reporting that Democratic state Sen. Darrel Aubertine did, in fact, get in the race for the NY-23 special election to replace Rep. John McHugh. (UPDATE: The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that the Democratic county chairs in the district have extended their deadline for candidates to express their interest in the race to Thursday, July 23rd at 5pm. Reading the tea leaves, it seems that the county chairs are eager to give the nomination to Aubertine, if he wants it.)

• OH-16: Buried deep in a story about friendly local teabaggers protesting Rep. John Boccieri’s cap-and-trade vote are the names of a couple potential GOP candidates in the 16th, a race that has escaped much of any scrutiny so far. Named are former Canton mayor Janet Creighton and businessman Jim Renacci, who owns the Columbus arena football franchise.

• KY-Lt. Gov: It’s never to early to start thinking about 2011. Steve Beshear chose his running mate for his re-election campaign (as current LG Dan Mongiardo won’t run again, as he plans on being Senator at that point); he’ll run with 20-year Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson.

The Alliance for Retired Americans says John Boccieri is the best choice to succeed retiring Rep. Ralph Regula in the race for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.

The organization, which has nearly 271,000 members in Ohio and represents over 3.5 million seniors across America, wrote in their endorsement that Boccieri’s “election to the House of Representatives will enhance the quality of life for older Americans.”

The Alliance cited:

“Boccieri’s leadership on issues such as fighting Social Security privatization and strengthening the Social Security and Medicare systems… In addition, our members can support your candidacy because of your belief in the need to provide more affordable health care for older Americans, to create a Medicare drug program that benefits seniors, not insurance and drug companies, as well as the need for stronger retirement and pension security, and quality long term and nursing home care.”

Boccieri thanked the group for its endorsement and reiterated his commitment to standing up for seniors.

“If you’ve worked hard, played by the rules, and given back to your community your entire life, you deserve your pension benefits, affordable health care, and financial security in retirement. That’s the dream that has made America strong, and that’s the promise that I will fight for in Congress.”

Boccieri has a strong record of supporting seniors in the state legislature and has committed to use his voice in Congress to address the plight of local retirees like those from Republic Technologies who have been denied much of their promised pension benefits.

In stark contrast, when Republic Technologies retirees invited State Sen. Kirk Schuring to an October 11 meeting about their pension struggles, Schuring never showed up. And this Tuesday, the editors of the Akron Beacon Journal noted that Schuring has expressed “willingness to consider privatizing a portion of Social Security” if elected to Congress.

In 2001, Schuring cast the only Ohio House vote against creating the Golden Buckeye discount prescription drug program [“Legislation Would Give Seniors Drug Discount,” Dayton Daily News, 6/6/01], and more recently voted to raise the retirement age and strip half a billion dollars from state pension funds. [127 SB 148]

Hot off the wire:

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E – C00011114

  FEC-369170 Form F24 – filed 10/15/2008 – 24 HOUR NOTICE

  1. Opposes Candidate: KIRK SCHURING

       Office Sought: House of Representatives, Ohio District 16

       Payee: ADELSTEIN LISTON

       Date Expended = 10/13/2008      Amount Expended = $485900.00

       Purpose: Media Buy- TV Ads (OH)

  2. Opposes Candidate: KIRK SCHURING

       Office Sought: House of Representatives, Ohio District 16

       Payee: ADELSTEIN LISTON

       Date Expended = 10/13/2008      Amount Expended = $8500.00

       Purpose: Production Costs(OH)

With the DCCC and now AFSCME spending delivering a nearly $1.8 million moneynuke to Schuring in the past few weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised if the NRCC decided not to even bother with this one.

SSP currently rates this race as Lean Democratic.

SSP has changed its ratings of four House races today. Here’s what we did:

AZ-03 (Shadegg): Likely Republican to Lean Republican

Despite consistently strong fundraising for Democrat Bob Lord since he entered this race in early 2007, it was hard to see GOP Rep. John Shadegg as an especially ripe target in this R+6 Phoenix-area district.

But Democrats have caught Shadegg off-guard in recent weeks, with both the Lord campaign and the DCCC hitting Shadegg on the airwaves with a series of negative ads (the DCCC alone spending $700K on the race so far). Shadegg has been slow to respond, drawing some ire from DC Republicans who say that he hasn’t taken his race seriously enough.

On top of that, Shadegg has endured several days worth of bad press after he misused the image of a WWII veteran in one of his campaign ads — a blunder that drew an awkward and not totally sincere apology from Shadegg, followed by another blistering response. A recent poll of this race by Anzalone Liszt showed a dead heat, and while that might be optimistic (Research 2000 seems to think so), this race has to be considered in play now.

FL-16 (Mahoney): Lean Democratic to Lean Republican

Hoo boy. After taking the seat of GOP creep Mark Foley in 2006 on a platform of family values, Democrat Tim Mahoney is now caught in an explosive sex and ethics scandal of his own.

Mahoney hasn’t had the smoothest of first terms; he started off with a thud when he said: “Very candidly, this isn’t the greatest job I’ve had.” He also declined to endorse Obama, and infamously said that: “I don’t owe the party anything… If anybody owes anybody anything, it’s Nancy Pelosi who owes a debt to me.” Mahoney may have thought he was providing some needed distance between himself and his party in an R+2 district with such comments, but they only succeeded in making him seem irritable and weird.

For a while it seemed like he’d get away with these behavioral defects, but with the recent leaking of lurid details of a sex scandal with a one-time staffer, a deal to keep her quiet, and audio recordings of a profanity-laced phone call, Mahoney is going to be hard-pressed to wipe off this kind of toxic sludge from himself before November.

IN-09 (Hill): Lean Democratic to Likely Democratic

After three contentious races, the fourth Hill-Sodrel match-up is lacking the energy that it used to have in past years, and this seems to benefit the incumbent.

Sodrel has posted lackluster fundraising numbers all year, and has run a less visible campaign than in previous cycles. A recent SurveyUSA poll gives Hill a 15-point edge, and Research 2000 posted similar results in recent days.

And if there was any doubt that Sodrel needs to shake this race up, a recent plea to include lie detectors at an upcoming debate from Sodrel’s allies seems to be enough to confirm some level of desperation here.

It doesn’t look like we’ll see a comeback from the ‘stache this time.

OH-16 (Open): Tossup to Lean Democratic

Democrats were always high on the chances of John Boccieri, a state senator and Air Force vet who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. While this district does have a Republican lean, it’s been trending in the Democratic direction as of late, and Democrats have put themselves in a good position to pick up this open seat.

Two recent polls (one from Research 2000 and another from SurveyUSA) have given Boccieri 10 and 8-point leads, respectively, but the biggest advantage that Dems have racked up here is in the brute force column. The DCCC has already spent over $1 million defining Schuring in a negative light, while the NRCC is apparently in retreat, cutting back their $820K ad reservation in this district by $320K. When (or if?) that money kicks in, it may be too little, too late to erase the big head start that Boccieri has amassed in this race.

Research 2000 for Daily Kos (9/30-10/1, likely voters):

John Boccieri (D): 48

Kirk Schuring (R): 38

Other: 4

(MoE: ±5%)

Now that’s a result that I can believe in, my friends, and it strongly corroborates a recent SUSA poll showing Boccieri ahead by 49-41.

This Canton-based district has been drifting Democratic in recent cycles, going from an 11-point Bush margin in 2000 to a 54-46 Bush result four years later. This poll finds that the trend is continuing, showing Obama leading McCain by 49-46 (SUSA pegged McCain leading by two in mid-September).

While it’s too early to pop the champagne corks just yet, it’s hard not to feel good about this race.

The DCCC has filed nearly $1.6 million in media buys in support of House Democratic candidates tonight. Here’s the damage:

This is on top of $1.4 million in media buys filed in 15 other districts yesterday. Tonight marks the first time that the DCCC has spent money on TV ads in LA-06, NJ-03, NM-02, NV-03, and WI-08.

For more details on these and other expenditures, please consult SSP’s Independent Expenditure Tracker.

Blocked predatory lending crackdown, wants more giveaways to Wall Street

A devastating week for the U.S. financial sector has underscored the danger of congressional candidate Kirk Schuring’s economic policies for working families in the 16th Congressional District and across America.

Democratic candidate John Boccieri said today:

“Kirk Schuring’s economic philosophy is as bankrupt as Lehman Brothers. He is not offering the change that middle class families need to bounce back from this economic crisis.”

Schuring is staking his campaign on the same failed policies that caused the crisis by constantly siding with Wall Street over Main Street. His policy stances will actually worsen the impact of economic instability for middle class families.

FACT: Schuring blocked crackdowns on predatory lenders in the state legislature. In 2001, he helped push through a sham reform bill supported by predatory lenders in order to prevent Ohio’s local communities from regulating out-of-control predatory mortgage loans. HB 386; “Home Security,” The Columbus Dispatch, 9/21/05

FACT: Schuring’s top economic priority is giving more tax breaks to the Wall Street firms that created this financial mess. Corporate tax giveaways are the very first item in Schuring’s “jobs plan” – but he has not proposed a single tax cut directed at the middle class. www.schuringforcongress.com/issues, accessed 9/24/08

FACT: Schuring’s response to the crisis focuses only on helping Wall Street. In an interview on WHBC this morning, Schuring did not once call for direct assistance to the innocent homeowners at the heart of this crisis.

FACT: While Schuring claims to oppose out-of-control spending in Washington, he insists on an open-ended commitment to spending $5,000 per second in Iraq, which has already led to the largest budget deficit in American history, forced the government to borrow billions from nations like China, and left us with limited resources to stabilize our struggling economy. “16th District Notebook,” The Canton Repository, 9/21/08

FACT: Schuring has said “I think everything should be on the table” when it comes to Social Security. “Kirk Schuring on Social Security/Medicare,” accessed 9/24/08 Schuring’s Republican allies in Washington have been trying for years to turn Social Security over to Wall Street, and Schuring’s stunningly anti-senior record in the state legislature makes clear that he can’t be trusted to look out for older Americans in Congress. “Boccieri Calls for Protecting Social Security on 73rd Anniversary“

Let the facts speak for themselves; Kirk Schuring’s policy positions are not what the working families of Ohio’s 16th Congressional District need in the United States Congress.

Roll Call has commissioned SurveyUSA to conduct polls in Ohio’s top four congressional races (I wish they would’ve polled OH-07 also, but I’ll take what I can get), and they’ve just released the results. Let’s take a look (9/19-21, likely voters):

OH-01:

Steve Driehaus (D): 44

Steve Chabot (R-inc): 46

Other: 6

(MoE: ±3.9%)

OH-02:

Victoria Wulsin (D): 40

Jean Schmidt (R-inc) 48

Other: 10

(MoE: ±3.9%)

OH-15 (8/2-4 in parens):

Mary Jo Kilroy (D): 47 (47)

Steve Stivers (R): 42 (44)

Don Eckhart (I): 5 (7)

Mark Noble (L): 3

(MoE: ±4%)

OH-16:

John Boccieri (D): 49

Kirk Schuring (R): 41

(MoE: ±4%)

Decent looking numbers for Mary Jo Kilroy and especially John Boccieri. It looks like the DCCC’s unanswered $850,000 spent in these two districts is making an impact.

Also looking good is Steve Driehaus, who could be poised to capitalize on Barack Obama’s organization in this district. The Cincinnati-based 1st CD is 28% African-American, and Driehaus’ hopes will rest in part on a strong turnout by these voters: if African-Americans make up only 26% of the vote on election day, Chabot’s lead grows to 47-44, but if the black turnout pushes to 30%, the race is tied at 45-45.

Roll Call also polled the Presidential race in three of the four districts (why they left off the extremely swingin’ OH-15, I have no idea):

• OH-01: Obama 52%, McCain 43% (Kerry 49%, Bush 51%)
  

• OH-02: Obama 39%, McCain 58% (Kerry 36%, Bush 64%)
  

• OH-16: Obama 46%, McCain 48% (Kerry 46%, Bush 54%)

Interesting that we’re seeing a sizable Obama improvement in these three CD-based polls, but most of the recent statewide polling shows McCain with a small edge. Vic Wulsin’s gonna have a tough time leaping over that red wall, but we can take heart in that Mean Jean is still clearly damaged goods, as she lags behind McCain by a full 10%. A conservative-leaning independent, businessman David Kirkorian, is also in the race and was recently endorsed by the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police. He could be a factor in November.

Boccieri Breaking News:

John is Just 15 Votes from the Final Round – Vote Now!

From the Akron Beacon Journal:

VP candidate draws 2,500 in Canton

“…Gov. Ted Strickland and state Sen. John Boccieri, the Democratic candidate for the Canton-based 16th Congressional District, introduced Biden to the Canton crowd, with the three of them locking hands in a victory pose. Strickland called Boccieri one of his ”closest personal friends.”

Boccieri, D-Alliance, told the audience: ”It is time we elect change. That is why we need Barack Obama and Joe Biden. ”

Boccieri said Biden is from a middle-class family and is a ”tough, smart and realistic leader.”

Read the full article…

There’s more…

John only needs 15 more votes by midnight on Saturday to advance to the final round in 21st Century Democrats online contest!

If you haven’t voted, please vote now. If you have, please urge all your friends to vote, too.

Again, the winners of this contest will receive an additional staff member for their campaigns. That extra organizer could lead to dozens of extra volunteers, thousands more phone calls and door-knocks, and a winning margin of votes on Election Day.

The deadline for Round 1 voting is midnight on Saturday. Please vote ASAP!

Thanks for Your Support,

Team Boccieri

Boccieri Vows to Tackle Pension Problems

After meeting on Thursday with local retirees from Republic Technologies International (RTI) who have been battling for years to secure the pensions they were promised, State Sen. John Boccieri affirmed his commitment to fight for a resolution to their struggle as a member of the U.S. Congress.

Boccieri also promised to attend a major public meeting about these pension problems on Saturday, October 11. Other elected officials, candidates, and members of the press have also been invited.

State Senator John Boccieri said:

“It’s criminal that you would work your whole life, pay into a pension plan, and then get almost nothing because bad trade policies or irresponsible executives bankrupt your company. This issue requires a strong and loud voice in Congress to ensure that laws protecting pensions are enforced and are strengthened to protect workers.”

For years, thousands of local workers and retirees from RTI have been struggling with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the government agency that takes over a company’s pension plan if it declares bankruptcy to ensure that employees still receive pension benefits.

Despite this intent, many workers see their pensions dramatically reduced when the PBGC takes over from a bankrupt company, due to funding problems and complex laws governing how the agency makes payments.

In the case of RTI, the situation was made worse by extended legal battles over the amounts owed by the PBGC to affected workers, which have now resulted in the agency demanding that retirees pay back pension “overpayments” as large as $60- or $70,000.

Individuals at Thursday’s meetings also expressed frustrations with the PBGC’s lack of responsiveness and consistency in addressing their concerns. “You ask the same question three times and get three different answers,” one retiree said. Others said that PBGC had miscalculated benefits, confused the benefits owed by RTI and previous companies operating the same facilities, and awarded, reduced or revoked benefits arbitrarily.(emphasis added)

Boccieri’s initial proposals to address these concerns include:

Working directly with the PBGC, as well as with Senator Sherrod Brown, the Steelworkers Union, and others who have taken the lead on these issues, to push for swift, fair solutions;

Creating a “Pension Protection Caucus” in Congress that would bring together legislators from all of the districts and states affected by these pension problems to seek resolutions;

Increasing enforcement of pension protection laws to ensure that both corporations and the PBGC are honoring their obligations to workers;

Passing legislative improvements to current law, such as measures to give workers’ pensions fairer treatment in bankruptcy proceedings and prevent retirees from having to repay PBGC when it takes years to recalculate pension payments;

Improving the responsiveness and transparency of the PBGC in its dealings with pension recipients;

Ensuring that improvements in enforcement and legislation are retroactive in order to address the plight of RTI employees.

Once again, Senator Major John Boccieri is first on the issues that most affect the voters of Ohio’s 16th Congressional District!