OH-07:Hillary Clinton endorses Neuhardt

Today Hillary Clinton endorsed Sharen Neuhardt for Congress in Ohio's 7th Congressional District.

Hillary had this to say:“The people of the 7th District have suffered for far too long under failed Republican policies. Sharen Neuhardt will be the freshest voice this District has heard since the Great Depression. She will also be the first woman to stand up and deliver new ideas that this District desperately needs. We cannot let this moment of tremendous change slip away."


“It is going to take hard work and determination to deliver the change the 7th District needs. But we know Sharen Neuhardt will do it and she’ll do it with a Democratic majority in Congress. Let’s move forward and elect Sharen so that we can begin to bring jobs back to the 7th District, provide basic, affordable health care to every person in the District, reduce the number of home foreclosures, and refuel the area with green jobs and green technology. To build on the future of this area, we must elect Sharen Neuhardt the next Congresswoman of the 7th Congressional District,” said Clinton.

Austria In the Pockets of Big Oil, Pharmaceutical and Big Banks

This year Big Oil has made record profits on the backs of Americans through outrageous prices at the pump. For decades in our country health care costs bankrupt seniors and families every day while the pharmaceutical companies fight every attempt to bring those costs down, and for 8 years the actions of the Big Banks pushing their cronies in Congress for less and less regulation has lead to record foreclosures and bringing the country to the brink of economic disaster. Steve Austria has decided to represent them rather then the voters of Ohio's 7th Congressional district.

These corporate special interests are trying to retain their control on Congress by trying to buy the 7th district. Steve Austria has accepted:

At least $111,000 from health care, pharmaceutical and insurance interests, including Pfizer, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Nationwide, and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors;

At least $53,000 from banking and finance interests, including American Banker’s Association, Sallie Mae, National City, and Bank of America; and

At least $36,400 from Big Oil and energy interests, including Marathon, ConocoPhillips, Ashland Oil, and American Gas Association.

The voters of the seventh district deserve a representative in Congress that represents their interests not the corporate special interests. This is why we need Sharen Neuhardt in Congress

OH-07:Dayton Daily News Endorses Neuhardt, Calls Austria Shameless

The Dayton Daily News has endorsed Sharen Neuhardt. Here are some highlights from their endorsement:

"Sen. Austria has not earned a major promotion. The 7th District should be looking for somebody better."

"He is not associated with any exceptional accomplishment in the Legislature. "

"If the voters of the 7th District choose Sen. Austria, they are settling for mediocrity [...]"

"The rookie is the better, bolder, more optimistic choice."

Read full endorsement

Also the Dayton Daily News had an editorial entitled "Austria's Attacks are Shameless" they wrote: "The issue arises because, in meetings and debates, Sen. Austria has accused Ms. Neuhardt of "harboring" an illegal immigrant and behaving unprofessionally as an "officer of the court." (She is a lawyer.) So you might yet see ugly TV commercials.

If Sen. Austria makes that move, he's engaging in gutter politics of the most despicable sort."

"This country's policy of providing asylum to people who face persecution — bureaucratic as the process is — speaks to our sense of humanity. Sen. Austria needs to display that same sense of decency."

Read full Editorial

OH-07: Steve Austria's Lies Exposed

OH-07:Video: Steve Austria lies about Rwandan refugee

Austria spews his lies and Sharen Smacks him down.



Keep this Cowardly Liar out of Congress
Beat the Coward Fund

OH-07: 7th District Debate Video

You can watch the entire debate between the candidates for the 7th Congressional District here.



WBNS 7TH District Debate

OH-07:Austria Shows He is a Cowardly Liar in Debate

This morning the debate of the candidates for Ohio's 7th Congressional District was taped. In that debate as Sharen talked about the economic issues that are affecting so many Ohioans, Steve Austria chose to once again spread lies and innuendo. He again used a victim of Rwandan genocide to attempt to score cheap political points.

He claimed the refugee was illegal, which court records have proven otherwise. He tried to make an innuendo concerning the refugee's social security card which was also obtained legally.

Sharen blasted Austria for this stunt and fought back with the truth. Austria was only able to keep repeating his lies and smears, hoping if he said it often enough the facts will change.

Be sure to watch the debate when it airs at 10pm on Tuesday on ONN. Channel 10 in Columbus will show it at 2:05 am on Wednesday, and ONN will replay it at 2pm October 19th and November 1.

Also help Sharen get her television ads on television and keeping the coward Steve Austria out of Congress.


Beat the Coward Fund

What Austria Doesn't Want You to Know

HE IS A REPUBLICAN!

Austria is running a television attack ad in the Columbus Market and no doubt other places. Like on his literature and most of his campaign materials he fails to mention one important fact, that he is a Republican.

In fact he is trying to imply he isn't. In the piece he criticizes Neuhardt for supporting the Economic Recovery Act, though neither Sharen or Austria actually voted for or against it since neither is in Congress yet. Sharen however did come out and take a stand in support of the package, Austria as usual tried to play both sides and now he claims he is against the act despite it was his President that brought the need for the act to Congress. In addition Austria's mentor Hobson voted for the measure both times. Incredibly Austria is showing that he is clueless as he is claiming the act didn't work. When anyone with a brain knows the features of the plan will take some time to implement. So clearly since none of it has taken effect yet, it hasn't worked, yet.

Austria also in his commercial is accusing Neuhardt of being "willing to bailout the fat cats." This is quite interesting since Austria's campaign has been funded by PACs with ties to Enron and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Some of his biggest contributors are banks and investment companies such as Citigroup, Huntington and Goldman Sachs. Who is in bed with the "fat cats?"

Austria once again shows he is nothing but a career politician with no regard for the truth. He wants to fool the voters to believe he is some populist when in fact he is part of the Good Ole Boy Republican Money Machine.

OH-07:Austria's Poll A Joke

The Austria campaign and Weapons of Mass Distraction is touting a poll that shows that he leads Sharen Neuhardt by 24%. Once again the Austria Campaign and their supporters are "factually challenged."

The Poll was commissioned not by an independent pollster but by the National Republican Campaign Committee. The polling firm used, the Tarrance Group describes itself as a "national Republican polling firm."

Here is the laugher, the sample size was 300. There are 300,000 active voters in the 7th district not counting the huge numbers of newly registered voters.

Finally there is no information on the question actually asked in the poll. This is information that all reputable pollsters provide. Since Austria doesn't even inform voters in his campaign literature that he is a Republican its unlikely that it was mentioned in the poll either.

Steve Austria actually said, ""I am, however, disappointed that my opponent has decided to go negative this week instead of talking about the issues."

This is the man that used Sharen's legal assistance for a victim of Rwandan genocide as a political smear.


The good news is lets hope the Republicans believe this poll and put their PAC money elsewhere.

Like McCain, Austria Depending on False Smears

It has been clear the last few weeks that the McCain campaign unable to defend their stance on the real issues affecting Americans primarily the state of the economy, that their only strategy left has been to resort to false smears and innuendo. The Austria Campaign is no different.

Steve Austria that has not offered a single new idea throughout his campaign and has tried to run repeating the word liberal as many times as possible, went into the dirt a few weeks ago spreading a false attack about Neuhardt harboring an illegal immigrant. This of course has been proven totally false by court documents that have been reported on this blog and widely on the internet and the media.

Despite being found to be totally false the Austria Campaign continues this attack by leaving their press release concerning this on the front page of their web site. Including the outright lie in the piece claiming they were first made aware of this by the Dayton Daily News, when the reality is they have been shopping this false story around for weeks and a Dayton Daily News reporter finally fell for it.

Austria has shown he has no integrity and is not fit to hold any elected office. We must work to make Sharen Neuhardt our representative in Congress.

Pickerington Obama Office Packed House for Debate

I watched the debate at the Pickerington Obama Headquarters tonight with a packed house of supporters. All the chairs will filled as were our stomachs with all the food brought in by the supporters for the night. Also in attendance was Karl K. Stalter who is the candidate for Fairfield County Commissioner as well as the Campaign Manager, Media Consultant and Finance Director for the Neuhardt for Congress Campaign.

There were a lot of laughs at many of McCain's factually challenged statements, as well as cheers at some of Obama's great points made throughout the debate. Overall this group left with a lot of smiles on their faces and with even more energy to hit the streets this weekend for Obama.

OH:07 Austria Sinks to New Low

Steve Austria and his cronies in a false attack reminiscent of the "fathered a black child" falsehood pulled on John McCain by Karl Rove in the 2000 South Carolina Primary, has sunk to a new low in his desperate attempt to gain this Congressional Seat.

Austria's cronies with the complicity of the Dayton Daily News, and the Springfield Sun-Times have run a story that Sharen Neuhardt is harboring an illegal alien.

This is a sick attack using a boy that has lived through hell as a Rwandan refugee.

Here is the true story. Ishema Umuhoza was an 11 year old boy when he was separated from his family as they were trying to flee Rwanda. His parents were diplomats with close ties to Rwanda's former President Habyalimana who was assassinated.

Ishema then spent the next 4 years in a refugee camp alone, where he met Cecile Ntawukulilyayo. She took him under her wing and posed as his Aunt telling him to never let anyone know who his parents were for his own safety.

When Ishema was 15 years old Cecile brought him to the United States still referring to the boy as her nephew. Cecile filed for asylum along with her own son and Ishema and it was denied. There was no testimony at this hearing concerning who Ishema's parents were or on the merits of his case and the likely of his persecution in Rwanda.

Ishema was young was not aware of his rights to appeal or even what his status was. Once he became more fluent in English and had become independent of Cecile he has since began legal proceedings to gain asylum. Ishema remains in this country under a stay issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Case No. 3:05CV164. He is therefor at this time in this country legally.

Sharen Neuhardt and her family have done a remarkably generous and moral thing by giving this young man who has lived through hell a place to stay while he fights to legally stay in this country.

The Austria cronies have falsely claimed she is harboring an illegal alien. This is blatantly false. They claim he has a long criminal record. Again completely false, his only record is for traffic violations and being drunk in public. I don't know about all of you but I have been picked up for speeding quite a few times in my life and when I was a young man like Ishema is, drunk in public happened more times then I want to remember.

Austria is scum to use Sharen's generosity to help a young man that faced genocide, that lost his parents, that was dragged to a new country were he didn't speak the language by the only woman he trusted, then to face a complicated legal and immigration system.

The Dayton Daily News and Springfield News-Sun to publish this story without checking into the facts, to refer to the young man as illegal with a long criminal record is irresponsible. This is not journalism in any way shape or form.

We must get the true story out. We must hold Austria responsible. We cannot have a man that shows such immoral tactics to hold any political office let alone be our Congressman. We must call out the Dayton Daily News and Springfield News-Sun for their irresponsibility in this matter.

This tactic of complete lies and distortions by Austria and his cronies is the lowest of the low.

source: Court Filings in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

OH:07 District no longer "Safe Republican"

CQ Politics that rates the congressional races around the country has changed the 7th congressional district in Ohio from a rating of "republican safe" to "republican likely."

Steve Austria the RepubOILcan candidate has run a lifeless campaign simply repeating old tired Republican talking points and offering nothing new. His problems caused by getting caught plagiarizing an op ed article in the Xenia newspaper and his newest problem with photographs showing military in uniform on his literature and website in violation of Department of Defense rules have not helped. I am sure their response to this news will be their ongoing whine of, but but Austira is handpicked by Hobson.

With the terrific campaign that Sharen Neuhardt is running along with the new fundraising boosts from the DCCC and Emily's List, this could be an upset in the making.

source:CQpolitics.com

OH-07:Neuhardt gains Emily's List Endorsement

It has been a good week for the Neuhardt for Congress Campaign. Last week they were added to the DCCC's Red to Blue List and now she has gained the endorsement of Emily's List.

Here is what they have to say about Sharen:

"As a lifelong resident of Ohio, Sharen Neuhardt understands and is dedicated to the concerns of Ohio’s 7th district. An accomplished lawyer, Neuhardt will work for fundamental and systemic improvements to health care and to develop new technologies for energy independence. Neuhardt sits on the Board of Trustees of Premier Community Health in Dayton, Ohio, a project that offers free mammograms, pap tests and other services to uninsured women. Neuhardt’s commitment to Ohio is apparent through her active involvement with local communities and farmers to preserve their agricultural heritage, and to protect family farms and agricultural land from development. Because of her leadership, experience, and dedication to her community, Sharen Neuhardt will make her a valuable voice for the working families she will represent in Congress."

The Momentum in the Ohio 7th is clearly with Sharen Neuhardt.

OH-07:Is Austria putting Military Personnel at Risk?

Steve Austria has used this photo both in literature and now on his web site. It Appears to show 3 Military Personnel in Uniform.




Department of Defense Directive 1344.10. Prohibits Military Personnel from appearing at campaign events or to be used in campaign literature while they are in uniform.

So either Austria has put these three men at risk within the military or the picture is fake.

I'm betting on fake.

OH-07:Sharen Nuehardt's Monday

Sharen Nuehardt candidate for Congress in the 7th district, did what needed to be done yesterday. She took a day off campaigning and got out and helped the community to clean up after the devestating windstorm.



Today, I am aware that volunteers and staff of the Obama campaign are spending their day cleaning up debris in the Lancaster area.

Ohio is under a state of emergency, it is impressive that Sharen, her staff and the Obama staff know where to put their priorities.

OH-07:The Annoited One Whines

Steve Austria's campaign in a panicked response to the DCCC adding the Ohio 7th to the Red To Blue List, has responded in typical fashion. They are repeating their statement that he was "hand picked" by Hobson. Then they claim this is a Republican district.

Well bad news for Austria. Despite the fact this district was clearly gerrymandered to make it a safe Republican district it no longer is. Ted Strickland won it by 22%, Sherrod Brown won it by 2%, Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district 32% to 24% and according to a recent poll voters in the 7th District self identify themselves as Democrats over Republicans 46-36%.

So whine all you want Mr Anointed one, Austria. Panic as you see the inflow of cash and staff and volunteers to Neuhardt's Campaign. Voter's will pick who our next Congressional representative is not Dennis Hobson.

OH-7:DNCC adds to Targeted List

Congressman Chris Van Hollen the Chair of the Red to Blue program of the DNCC has informed Sharen Neuhardt that the Ohio 7th District race has been added to the targeted list.

This is a reflection of the hard work of Sharen and her campaign along with increasing support and donations made by voters. This district held by Republicans since 1932 was once believed as unwinnable by the experts. So much for the experts.

Though this will help Sharen a great deal it can only be continued if the support directly to her campaign also continues on the same path.

Well done Sharen and staff, keep up the good work.

Donate to Neuhardt for Congress

OH 07:Video of Sharen On the Trail

Here is a video of Sharen Neuhardt on the campaign trail this past weekend. I wrote about my experiences riding with Sharen on part of this trip a few posts down.

Neuhardt for Congress

The Republicans make me laugh

Today I received an item in the mail from the National Republican Congressional Committee, addressed to me by name with the salutation: “Dear Republican Friend.” Umm apparently their awesome data base has some flaws.

Enclosed with this letter was something entitled “Ohio 7th Congressional District Survey.” It urges that I should be certain to “answer each question carefully and honestly.” (You'll realize why this is funny after you read the survey.) Ok so I read on. The following questions are the actual questions on the survey. The answers of course are my own.

1. Do you feel voters in the Ohio’s 7th District support making all of the Bush tax cuts permanent? “ Tax cut, what tax cut I didn’t get a tax cut.

2. Do you support the House Democrats “slow-bleed” strategy to “choke-off” funding for our troops in Iraq? leading to their withdrawal and perception of American defeat? Hmm no I’m for stopping the bleeding totally and ending an illegal criminal war. Interesting strategy though, regardless of the fact that democrats haven’t proposed it. Besides how can we be defeated. Bush said “Mission Accomplished” years ago, we already won.

3. Should Republicans continue fighting for full implementation of a ballistic missile defense system? Sure lets start the arms race all over again so we not only have terrorists to worry about but all the industrialized nations in the world who no longer trust us because of Bush's lies.

4. Do voters in Ohio’s 7th District agree with the Nancy Pelosi Democrat Majority’s decision to impose massive tax hikes on the American People? Wow, holy crap are there two Nancy Pelosi’s? I’m not sure what the “Democrat Majority” means but the Nancy Pelosi of the Democratic Party that is in the Majority, has never proposed any such thing.

5. Do you think that the House Republicans should continue to push for pro-growth policies that create jobs and oppose tax increases that would add a burden to working families and set back our economy? Oh they are doing such a bang up job helping the economy; sure I always wanted to see a depression to find out if the stories my Grandfather told are true.

6. Do you support Congressional Republicans’ efforts to decrease domestic government spending in order to reduce the national debt? Oh speaking of things in which they have done a GREAT job. Sure I always wanted to be able to be owned by China.

7. Do you support the Democrats efforts to give federal government bureaucrats complete control of your health care costs and choices? No I prefer the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies bleed me dry. They must think Ralph Nader is going to be President since he is the only one proposing single payer health care.

8. Should Republicans’ in Congress make expansion of Veteran’s benefits a priority? Well is about time they do, considering how “patriotic” they all are. But they better hurry cause the Democrats in Congress are way ahead of them on this one. It's understandable though, they got a head start while the Republicans were making sure their flag pins were straight and getting those yellow ribbons placed properly on their cars.

9. Do you support maintaining anti-terrorism laws that give law enforcement and intelligence agencies the far-reaching powers to track, detain and prosecute terrorists and their accomplices? Does this mean we are going to stop shredding the constitution and using fear as a political tool and actually go after Bin Laden and the terrorists?

10. Should Republicans in the House of Representatives make securing our nation’s borders and enforcing our nation’s immigration laws including combating the hiring of illegal workers and ending the catch and release policy a top priority? Top priority, umm no ending the war, stopping poverty, people losing their homes, health care all come way higher. Wait? I have to take my shoes off at the airport and Homeland security lets anyone cross the borders? Catch and release, hmmm how much are all the prisons going to cost to put all these immigrants in or do you just mean the immigrants of color. Are republicans trying to sell Lou Dobbs’ books too?

11. Do you think House Republicans should continue fighting for comprehensive education reform to ensure every child in America receives a first rate education? Ohhh wow, you mean the Republicans are going to push for actually educating our kids instead of teaching them how to pass a test?

12. Do you agree that winning back a Republican majority in the House of Representatives is essential to stopping the Nancy Pelosi Democrats from raising our taxes, destroying our economy and endangering our homeland? Heavens yes because a Democratic Majority might actually result in returning to a fiscally responsible government, restoring the damage to our economy, to make our country safer and restore our respect in the world.

13. Will you support our Party’s campaign to defeat the Pelosi Democrats and elect a Republican House Majority in 2008 by joining the NRCC with a generous financial contribution today? The computer says, "NAWWW"

Oh they follow up with a request that even if I can’t donate now could I send $11 to help pay for this survey. Let me see you send me totally false laughable propaganda and want me to pay for it? I'll ponder this for a moment.....ok done. Not a chance.

If there weren’t people who actually fall for this crap I’d laugh harder then I did.

Time to send at least $11 to Sharen Neuhardt’s campaign.