Tag: Major John Boccieri

What an incredible Monday to be a part of the John Boccieri for U.S. Congress Campaign team. Yes, Politicos the game is officially on and Kirk Schuring wants every Democrat in Ohio’s Fighting 16th District to be at the Canton Greek Festival at 5 pm Friday and then to follow him on over to First Friday for a Hometown Welcome!

Sometimes, I have to sit a really ponder what goes through a politicians head to make them say some of the the things they say. This time the answer is easy…Kirk was “fluffing” for John McCain. Oh, what a great honor and opportunity to spew divisive hate language!

Read on for more details and don’t forget your popcorn and a cold one for the movie. You’ll want to watch it over and over again!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2008

CONTACT: Alex Goepfert, 614-207-1714 (cell)

Communications Director

Kirk’s Schuring’s YouTube Moment

Republican Congressional Candidate Kirk Schuring Slurs Canton Residents in Ugly, Partisan Rant

COLUMBUS – Standing before a crowd of fellow Republicans at a “John McCain for President Rally” on Thursday, Republican congressional candidate Kirk Schuring launched into an ugly, partisan rant attacking the residents of Canton, Ohio.

In a newly released video of the June 5th event at Ashland Corner Park, Schuring tells his partisan audience:

“So the other thing I know is that Ashland County has a rich history and tradition of rallying around Republicans, and I was telling people earlier where I come from we could never have a rally like this in the center of Canton. If we did we might be shot at, but not in Ashland and that’s what makes you so great.”

The clip is available here. The full video is available here

“It is appalling to witness Kirk Schuring speaking with such venom and disdain toward the very individuals he is seeking to represent in Congress,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Alex Goepfert. “Kirk Schuring’s ugly, divisive, hyper-partisan comments do a terrible disservice to the residents of Canton and to all OhioansKirk Schuring and his campaign were apparently rather proud of his remarks. The following day, Schuring touts the “warm welcome” he received at the event in an email to supporters.



Below is the text of that newsletter.

Schuring for Congress Newsletter

151 Days Until Victory!

June 6, 2008

>From Our Community, For Our Community…

This was a busy week on the campaign trail. Our organization has expanded and we’re excited about the level of enthusiasm we’ve seen at events throughout the week.

As our organization continues to build, we’ve seen some changes with campaign staff as well. This past Monday Staci Hansel started on the campaign as Political Director and today is Gavin Blair’s final on the campaign before he moves back to Columbus. We’re excited to have Staci on board and I’m thankful for the hard work Gavin put in these many months on my behalf!

On Thursday night I spoke in Ashland County at a rally for John McCain and received a very warm welcome from local community members. Thanks to hard working folks at the Ashland County GOP for putting on a fantastic event.

Don’t forget to come out and join me tonight in downtown Canton at the Greek Festival at 5pm. After the Greek fest I’ll be heading over to Canton’s First Friday event.Thanks again for your continued support!

Kirk Schuring

Oh, my! You are winning hearts there Senator and your endorsement from the Canton Repository. HAH!

Now, don’t fade on me yet fans. There’s more to this whole story.What does State Senator Major John Boccieri think about all this?

For Immediate Release

June 9, 2008

Contact: Ian Walton, 330-754-0534

The Politics of Division is Wrong for America!



Senator Boccieri issued the following statement today regarding the release of video footage of Sen. Kirk Schuring’s comments in Ashland County today:

::One more time just to jog your memory!::

“While my opponent comments publicly about hispreferred constituency, I would be proud to serve in the Congress on behalf of every man, woman, and child in the 16th District regardless of geography, age, race, gender, or religious affiliation.

“Senator Schuring’s partisan comments are the type of political ideology that is dividing our nation. At the end of the day the race for this seat, shouldn’t be about Democrats, Republicans or Independents, red states or blue states, conservatives or liberals, but about America. Our nation needs strong leadership to help turn around our failing economy, bring our troops home safely, honorably and soon, and move away from our dependence on foreign oil.

“As for my campaign, we will have rallies, town hall meetings, and events in every corner of this district, not only where it is politically comfortable, but in every region. It is important that we all come together to help change America.”

Thank you for setting the record straight, again, Major Boccieri! We have put up with enough hate-mongering, war-mongering, greed and discrimination to last a lifetime. The last person Ohio’s 16th Congressional District needs in Congress is Kirk Schuring.

“Go, Bo!”

Cross-posted from OH-16: John Boccieri for U.S. Congress:

The drumbeat about where Ohio State Senator Major John Bocceri lives started in the Democratic Primary Race for the United States House of Representative for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District. It was the only plank his Democratic Primary opponent could find to use against him and it didn’t stick. The Major won by nearly a 2-1 margin in all four counties of the 16th, Ashland, Medina, Stark and Wayne, in the March 4th Primary.

As if by some stroke of political genius, this drumbeat was supposed to stick through November as the big isssue. And, almost like a Rovellian tantric chant, it seems to keep popping up. John was actually hoping that “the carpetbagger” issue would remain a central theme to the campaign against him. The Major’s response to the issue has never changed:

“They are worried about where I lay my head down on the pillow at night, but I’m more worried about where people go to work in the morning.”

How historically hypocritical can they get? That would be a thing of beauty coming from a Republican opponent, but it seems the Democratic constituency in Ohio’s Fighting 16th are a more sophisticated voter than that!

So, without further adieu, thank you, GARY SCHERER of PERRY TOWNSHIP, you make this writer’s job so easy! He said:

But all that aside, let’s look at the final authority on this matter, the U.S. Constitution, which states in Article 1, Section 2, on the House of Representatives:

“No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years and been seven years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.”

As you can see, there is no requirement that a member of the House reside in the district he or she represents, only the state. And since Sen. Boccieri lives in Ohio – except when he has been called upon to serve in Iraq, which he has done numerous times – the residency issue appears to be a dead one.

Man, that just about makes me giddy! I swear I’ve already read that four or five times before I posted it. That draws on a huge distinction between the Democratic voter and the Republican voter in a generic comparison. It is this writer’s experience, Democratic voters tend to be logically issue driven and Republican voters tend to be passionately value driven. The smoke screen quietly drifts away into oblivion.

Over this past weekend, volunteers spread out across Ohio’s 16th Congressional District. Before it was over with they had knocked on some 500 doors talking to potential voters about State Senator Major John Bocccieri and the issues that are most important here; jobs and the economy, the War in Iraq, Health care, gas prices, the rising cost of groceries, and home heating/cooling prices.

In a bit of irony, the John Boccieri for U.S. Congress campaign won the “Most Patriotic” award for our entry in the Bethlehem Township parade. We had a decorated Ford truck and handed out flags. John walked in the parade with about five or six staff members and supporters. This is Ralph Regula’s home area. Pretty cool, indeed!

So, I sit here somewhat stymied after all of this exercise. A series of questions keep rolling through my mind. What do you want to debate Senator Schuring? The War in Iraq and The 100 year McCain Doctrine? The 21st Century GI Bill? Making immediate use of alternative energy solutions? Creating and keeping jobs in the 16th Congressional District? Health care for every child, woman or man in the 16th District? The outrageous cost of fuel at the pump? How about the Mortgage Crisis? Constitutionally funding our childrens education? It’s time to start speaking up; November 4th is closer than you think!

(HT: Ian & Chris)