The Pullins Report (TPR)

Carly's Must Watch Demon Sheep Video

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:47:00 GMT

I've gotta confess, I love Carly for California's new web video:

Vulnerable Statehouse Democrats Commit Political Suicide

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:21:00 GMT

With news that the President is backing off on cap and tax climate control legislation (HT Third Base Politics), what should a first term, vulnerable Ohio House Democrat running for re-election in a previously held Republican seat do? Yep, you guessed it. Sign onto a letter endorsing cap and tax legislation! Copy is here.

Marian Harris, Mike Moran, Matt Patten, and Raymond Pryor are all first term legislators that are holding seats formerly held by Republicans less than 2 years ago. Ted Celeste also signed the letter. Celeste is in his 2nd term but Republicans held this seat less than 4 years ago.

Denise Driehaus is also a first term D in a GOP leaning seat. But she took over for her brother Steve when he was elected to Congress.

I bet one term Speaker Armond Budish is fit to be tied. Even his trusty lieutenant and caucus campaign chairman Jay Goyal signed the letter. How politically stupid can someone get?

Below is a video of Ohio Coal Association President Mike Carey testifying in Congress about the impact of cap and tax on Ohio jobs:

This Morning's Political Update

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:42:00 GMT

Dave Yost was endorsed for State Auditor by the Ohio Republican Party last night. Matt Naugle did an excellent job live tweeting the event.

My friend Todd Hanks has withdrawn from a race for Delaware County Commissioner. His reason, internet based threats against his children. Boy, have I been there before.

Last night, GOP State Chairman Kevin DeWine stated that GOP State Committee Members have received threats of physical harm concerning their endorsement of Dave Yost. That is sad.

If you are unhappy with the leadership of the Ohio Republican Party it is very easy to do something about it. Running for State Committee only requires a petition with the signatures of just five voters and there is no filing fee. If you don't like the endorsements, quit protesting, quit making stupid threats, and run for party office.

BTW, I'm supporting Dave Yost for State Auditor. Here's his new campaign video:

Bob Gibbs Puts a Smackdown on Congressman Zack Space

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:54:00 GMT

This campaign cycle is getting fun. Here's the Bob Gibbs presser:

For Immediate Release
January 29, 2010

Contact: Matt Borges
614-204-1050

Bob Gibbs Slams Zack Space For Yet Another Flip-Flop

This time Space joins Coal Caucus after voting for Cap and Trade

(Lakeville, Ohio) – Ohio State Senator and candidate for Congress Bob Gibbs today reacted to news reports that Zack Space joined a Congressional “Coal Caucus” after Space had previously voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. That bill, also known as “Cap and Trade” is unquestionably harmful to Ohio’s Coal industry, the heart of which is located in the 18th District, which Space now represents.

“This is another example of Zack Space voting one way, and then campaigning another,” said Gibbs. “He can pay whatever lip service he wants to the men and women of our district who see their livelihoods flying out the window because of Nancy Pelosi’s agenda, which Zack Space has seen fit to rubber stamp, but when it was time to stand up for Ohio jobs with his actual vote in Congress, once again he flat-out blew it,” Gibbs added.

Space had also recently announced that he would vote against the Senate version of Health Care Reform, after initially voting for the House measure. His newfound resistance to Health Care emerged just a few days after Republican Scott Brown surprisingly won his bid in the special election for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, campaigning mainly against the Nationalized Health Care plan.

The Cap and Trade Bill will increase energy costs and send jobs overseas. “By its very definition is designed to drive jobs out of coal country,” said Matt Borges, spokesman for the Bob Gibbs campaign. “Ohio jobs were not taken into consideration in this bill, so you’d expect Ohio’s representatives to stand up against the bill and vote ‘no’. But Zack Space didn’t. Now he wants to be part of a group that opposes the very bill he voted for. I’ve heard of trying to have it both ways, but this is ridiculous.”

The Coal Caucus was formed in part by Republican Shelly Moore-Capito of West Virginia, who was specifically critical of the Cap and Trade bill’s harmful impact on her state’s economy. Fellow West Virginia Congressman, Democrat Alan Mollohan also joined the caucus, stating the obvious negative impact of the bill on his district, much of which borders Ohio. Mollohan was quoted in today’s Wheeling News-Register, saying Cap and Trade bill “threatened West Virginia's interests and did not envision a realistic role for coal in the coming decades,” and saying, “unfortunately, that bill was passed by the House,” of the vote , while standing up for his district in a rebuke of his party’s leadership. Moore-Capito, needless to say, voted against the bill too.

-30-

State Rep. Margaret Ann Ruhl (R) - HUGE, EPIC, FAIL

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:29:00 GMT

I always thought that my former State Representative Thom Collier was about the worst it could get. Seems I was wrong.

Incumbent State Representative Margaret Ann Ruhl (R) - Mount Vernon, today filed her campaign finance report showing that in the past 6 months she has raised a total of $4,100.00. Of course $800.00 of that was from herself, so lets call it $3,300.00.

That's $550.00 per month. $137.50 per week. $18.34 per day. Should could have done better shaking a can or selling pencils in front of the Riffe Tower.

Even in the minority, Margaret Ann should be able to raise a minimum of $50,000 per year. Over a two year election cycle that would enable her to transfer $75-80,000 or more to the Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee to be used to pick up a seat or two in weaker districts.

I'm thinking maybe I'll run. How could I possibly do any worse?

Josh Mandel Dominates Fundraising in State Treasurer's Race

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:14:00 GMT

My friend Josh Mandel reports over $2 million on hand for his race for State Treasurer. That other guy, that the Governor appointed, has just under $650,000 on hand.

WOW.

Political Consultant Matt Parker Running Another Race into the Ground

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:50:00 GMT

In this case, its Ohio State Senate candidate David Daniels. Here are the numbers:

$35,794.10 Cash Brought Forward

$38,515.00 Total Contributions Received

$39,592.93 Total Expenditures Made

$35,047.96 Cash On Hand

$23,437.00 Paid to Matthew D. Parker & Associates LLC for Campaign Consulting

Meanwhile, his primary opponent Clyde Evans only spent a little over $6,000 in consultants and has over $130,000 cash on hand. Anyone else see a pattern here?

The Conservative Case for Rail

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:22:00 GMT

With today's announcement of stimulus funding for the first phase of Ohio passenger rail, I thought it would be interesting to revisit the conservative arguments for train travel. The person profiled in this article, William Lind, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Last year he co-wrote a book on the subject with the late Paul Weyrich.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Another idea that’s pervasive is that public transportation is subsidized but the gas tax fully pays for highways.
That’s a powerful argument the libertarians make to conservatives, and it’s bunk. The current dominance of roads is due to massive subsidization by government which through most of the twentieth century competed with privately owned, privately operated railways including streetcar systems that had to pay taxes. Every conservative understands very quickly what happens when you tax one mode and subsidize the other. The taxed mode disappears and the subsidized mode becomes dominant. Nothing about our current imbalance in transportation is a free market outcome. Not in the slightest.

The notion that the gas tax covers all highway expenses is a notion that will send any state Governor into fits of laughter. The highways require enormous support, local state and federal, that goes well beyond what gas taxes bring in. So it’s not a question of a subsidized mode versus an unsubsidized mode.

Read the full article here.

24 in 24: Wait til you read this...

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:46:00 GMT

From an email from my good friend Josh Mandel:

| | |

One thing I’ve learned in the 67,084 miles I’ve traveled throughout Ohio is that people are tired of greedy, unethical politicians who use our tax dollars for their own selfish gain.

If you consider yourself one of these people, then help fight back today!

I'm launching a grassroots fundraising effort to raise $24,000 in 24 hours to help combat my opponent’s recent actions, which are some of the most egregious violations of the public trust I have ever seen. You can read about it below.

Your contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or even more will help me send a message to my opponent and the political establishment that the days of “politics as usual” are over, that integrity matters, and that working hard and sticking to your principles will pay off. Please click here to help me send your message today!

Here's what we are up against...

Nine months ago, my opponent was appointed chairman of the Ohio Complete Count Committee (Ohio Census Committee). Even though his position as State Treasurer has nothing to do with the Census, he was still appointed to this position – and many people wondered why?

Well, we just found out why.

A recent Cleveland Plain Dealer article revealed that my opponent plans to appear in television and radio public service announcements promoting the Census – even though he’ll be on the ballot only months later! Simply put, this is a blatant abuse of OUR tax dollars and it degrades the integrity of the Census in an attempt to increase his own name recognition for political gain.

There is only one way for me to level the playing field – with your support.

And if you thought this abuse was bad enough, just yesterday a national investigative reporter published this story on Townhall.com revealing an even broader pattern of tax dollar abuse and political games by my opponent.

All the while, our state’s bond rating has dropped and the state faces a nearly-insurmountable structural budget deficit. Now more than ever, we need leaders with fiscal discipline and integrity to right the ship.

While I have been campaigning the old fashioned way, through hard work, sweat and 67,084 miles traveled throughout the state, our opponent is using OUR tax dollars for HIS political gain. Now is the time we must stand up for fiscal discipline, integrity and new leadership in our state.

I'm sincerely grateful for your past generosity, but as I learn more about what I am facing, I realize that I need your help again today.

Please help me in my effort to raise $24,000 online in the next 24 hours. Please visit my website and donate today to send our opponent the message that fiscal responsibility, hard work and integrity is what will prevail in 2010!

Thank you for your support.

Josh

Obama Clearly Mistaken on Foreign Corporate Influence on Elections

scott@pullinsreport.com (Scott Pullins) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:14:00 GMT

Chief Justice Alito was correct to mouth the words, "not true", when the President made his irresponsible and incorrect statement last night concerning the campaign finance ruling. As the ruling clearly indicated and history clearly shows us, corporations were freely spending money on elections up until the post-Watergate campaign finance reforms of the 1970's.

Part of that campaign finance reform outlawed contributions by both foreign nationals and foreign corporations. The recent Citizens United case does not overturn the prohibition on either foreign nationals or foreign corporations spending money on campaigns. It was illegal before the decision, it was illegal during consideration of the decision, and it is still illegal today after the decision.

President Obama is first and foremost a lawyer. He has an ethical obligation and a moral duty to tell the truth. This is especially true when he is addressing the nation on an issue of law and vital public importance.

A lawyer shall not engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation;

- Rule 8.4(a)4 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct

A lawyer shall not make a statement the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge, adjudicative officer, public legal officer, or of a candidate for election or appointment to judicial or legal office.

- Rule 8.2(a) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct

Watch the video and tell me what you think.