A Victory for America

Last night a momentous and historic health insurance reform bill finally passed. This occurred in a time where corporations and special interests make it almost impossible for the people to be heard, when the Supreme Court has basically turned over our Government to the Corporations this is an amazing feat.

When a political party and fake grass roots organisations funded by these corporate interests do anything to defeat the will of the people, through lies, distortions, millions of dollars in add campaigns and even Congressman telling bold faced lies on the floor of the House of Representatives all for political motives, for this bill to pass helping the American People is surprising.

This event proved that elections do matter. That when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in a landslide that the people were heard. It proves that leadership, and courage can indeed get the job done.

Of course this bill does not fix all the problems in Health Care but it is a major step. It gets 35 million people out of our pockets who now go to emergency rooms for care on our dime. It keeps us from being denied insurance or have our insurance cancelled because we get sick. It keeps our existing system in place for doctors and insurance plans that we like. For Americans on employer provided insurance it keeps the rates from exploding more and more, for those that make less then $85K on individually purchased insurance plans it lowers rates. It closes the donut hole for seniors on Medicare. It gives subsidies to help lower income buy insurance. It cuts no medicare benefits. And perhaps most importantly, unlike Republican bills in the past it is paid for, in fact over 20 years it lowers the deficit.

The lies and distortions will continue, but in a few months when Americans look back on this day, they will realise all the horror stories told by the right, were indeed lies. America and our Health Care will be on the road to great improvements for us, the Citizens of the United States that remains the greatest country on earth.

Thank you President Obama, thank you Democrats, thank you all that voted for them. No thanks to Zack Space who voted No.

It is time to stand up for ACORN

Today James O’Keefe the Right wing Criminal and Faux News Contributor that framed ACORN was caught trying to wire tap a Senators Office In New Orleans. This after numerous investigations into ACORN all of which cleared them and in fact showed that James O’Keefe had doctored the videos that FAUX news showed repeatedly as news on its airwaves.

What is sad is the criminal conspiracy of O’Keefe and Faux News led to congress taking unprecedented and unconstitutional action against ACORN preventing any Funding of projects they were involved in legally. Among those that fell for this fraud were Senator Sherrod Brown and Zack Space.

I demand that every Senator and Congressman that voted for this measure to publicly apologize to ACORN and that the measure they passed be overturned with new legislative action immediately. This McCarthy style political gotcha game should never have been allowed to happen. How little so many recall history.

Acorn Vindicated. Constitution Restored

Despite the briefly successful attempts by Faux News, Republicans with some Democrats to trash the Constitution of the United States with an illegal and immoral witch hunt of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, An independent prosecutor has completed his investigation and found no illegal activity by the organization or its employees. In fact it found that the widely distributed videos are edited and fudged to make things appear much worse then they were. This fraudulent attempt by Faux News in itself is criminal and at the least immoral. Once again it is proven that Faux news has no interest in fact and is not a news organization at all but rather an advocacy group that will say anything and do anything to push their agenda.

Full Report of Independent Investigation

In addition the McCarthy like action by Congress in an uniformed knee jerk reaction to this false reporting by Faux News has been enjoined by Judge Nina Gershon of the U.S District Court in Brooklyn New York. She found the action by Congress to be very likely an unconstitutional act and has granted a preliminary injection until the case can be fully heard.

It is quite clear the attacks on ACORN are false and motivated by the right and Fox News to stop an organization that has been a helpful factor in helping the urban poor and minorities maintain their rights to vote and own property. This is just as disgusting as the racially motivated attempts to keep minorities from voting that occurred prior to the civil rights act and the voting rights act not only in the south but throughout the country.

I expect this kind of behavior from Faux News and the Republicans but for Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman Zack Space to go along and vote with them on this unconstitutional act is disappointing at best.

The Judges Ruling

Wake up Congress 77% want Public Option

Despite the media coverage that has focused on the loudest if not the smartest town hall participants, once again a poll has found that a significant majority of Americans want a public option in health care reform.

The Survey USA polls shows 58% of American voters find the public option extremely important and another 19% find it quite important. that is 77% an overwhelming majority of voters who recognize a national need for a real public option in health care reform.

The United States is a representative republic we elect our Congressmen and Senators to vote in the best interest of its citizens. We elect them to get the facts and understand the background on every vote they make. What has been screamed at them at town halls is not fact, it is either misunderstandings or outright planned lies set out by those who will do anything to prevent Obama from succeeding despite what is best for the nation.

There were similar voices against civil rights reform, social security, and medicare. Yet those that voted for those things are heroes in American History. This is the chance for those in the Congress and Senate to once again be heroes.

The message we need to send to Zack Space, Steve Austria, Sherrod Brown and George Voinivich is: Doing nothing never goes down in history, achieving results does.

source: Survey USA poll

OH 18: GOP Candidates Appear at Extremist Rally

3 candidates for Congress in the 18th district yesterday appeared at a rally organized by Dave Daubenmire the Extremist who I reported yesterday is calling for the Violent Overthrow of the United States Government.

Fred Dailey of Mount Vernon, Jeanette Moll of Zanesville and Beau Bromberg of Newark all spoke at a Zanesville Rally at 6 pm. The very same day the organizer Daubenmire called for the violent overthrow of the government in his blog.

In a piece on his Salt of Life Ministries Blog on www.newswithviews.com Daubenmire said: "When the black-robed Taliban ruled that the government had the right to seize private property we should have stormed the Supreme Court and cleaned off the bench. It was our duty.

Every time it was discovered that one of our elected officials lied to the people they should have been tarred, feathered, and hung in the public square. It was our duty."

He goes on to say: "Sounds radical, eh? Well how about what these boys said. “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

The right liked to try to attempt to tie Barack Obama through very loose acquaintances with terrorists. Yet here at an actual rally organized by an extremist calling for violence against our government these Republican Candidates not only were there but were featured speakers.

OH 18: Jeanette Moll shows Troops Are not Important to her

In a press release yesterday candidate for the 18th Congressional District in Ohio, Jeanette Moll made it clear that concern about our troops and the real serious issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan are not important. In fact she claims Zack Space should instead listen to wacko Tea Party screamers like she has been listening to rather then checking on our troops in harms way.

She said this about Space's Trip to Afghanistan: "While other members of congress held town halls, Zack Space got as far away from you as he could get."

Thank goodness we have leaders in Congress that are dealing with real issues and showing concern about our troops over playing political games like Moll clearly does.

Jeanette spend all your time hanging out with nut job Coach Dave like you did yesterday or at another "tea Party" protest in Zoar this weekend who I still can't figure out why they are protesting the fact that 95% of Americans taxes were lowered this year? Meanwhile our Congressman will be working on real issues and supporting our troops.

OH 18: YO Coach did you sleep through the town hall

Congressman Zack Space held a Town hall meeting in Zanesville this morning yet, as I drove by his office self promoter Dave Daubenmire remain there plopped in his lawn chair protesting that he wanted a "town hall?"

Guess he missed it, enjoy the attention Dave, you sure are giving most of Zanesville a lot of laughs in the meantime.

OH 18: Jeanette Moll off to Embarrasing Start

Mark McCutchan who had volunteered to be a Co Chairman for Moll's campaign against Zack Space in the 18th district, very publicly and with good reason resigned. Her campaign that is nothing more then old tired GOP talking points being spewed by another puppet, similar to Steve Austria in the 7th District, went too far for McCutchan to stay on.

Her position in line with the GOP on ignoring climate change in lieu of supporting Big Oil and the Coal Companies was too much for him to take. I don't know why this is a surprise to him as her website could be that of almost any right wing, gun toting, gay hating, religious right puppet you see nightly on Faux News.

One thing for sure she will get the NRA endorsement, probably Lou Dobb's too since she apparently has issues with immigrants as well.

From reading her website, it seems her primary qualifications are she has a concealed carry permit and really likes to shoot ducks. Must be really smart ducks.

Regardless, McCutchan made this announcement in a letter to the editor of the Chillicothe Gazette, ouch Moll. Way to start.

source: Chillicothe Gazette

OH 18:Who is Coach Dave?

Faux News and the Right Wing Bloggers are jumping all over a story in the Zanesville Times Recorder about a man named Coach Dave Daubenmire who is holding a vigil outside Congressman Space's Zanesville Office.

A few facts about this "protest". First off Space has held a number of telephone town halls with thousands of the citizens in his district in the last few weeks. In addition Congressman Space has met with a number of citizens without an appointment as reported in the Zanesville Times Recorder. Finally Space has offered to meet with this man but Daubenmire refuses to do so unless its held in a public rally where he can grandstand.

Now a few facts about Daubenmire himself. A search of google gives you a great deal of scary facts about this man and his positions. His blog is full of gay hating propaganda. Here are a few highlights.

He once called for Dick Cheney to resign because his daughter is a lesbian.

He wrote a piece saying Joe McCarthy was right in his investigations of communists in the 50's

He came out in support of a suspended Ohio Teacher who among other things was being sued for allegedly branding 8th grade student's arm with a cross, using an electrical device.

He constantly claims he is being targeted by such "liberal" sources as Faux News, the Columbus Dispatch and the police for arresting his son on pornography charges for which he was convicted for.

As long as the right keeps pinning their hopes on men like this, they will alienate more and more Americans.

"The Whig party was once a powerful political force in our country, they were replaced. I wonder what will replace the Republican Party?" Fundamental Truths

Our Representative Democracy

Once again a situation has come up in our history that reminds us how much true vision the founders of our nation had. They set up our nation as a representative democracy which means that we elect representatives to make the decisions for us in Congress. We give them the responsibility to get and understand the actual facts and to work in our best interests.

The latest NBC poll shows why this remain so important for our nation. That poll clearly shows that a majority of voters are misinformed on what is and is not in the health care reform bills. They have been manipulated by lies and distortions about death panels, abortion, and government takeover. Luckily we do not make laws by referendum by the uniformed masses. We have a Senate and Congress of men and women we choose to understand the truth, the details and to vote accordingly.

It is true that the uniformed masses can make a lot of noise and put pressure on those representatives. Yet those very same representatives should know that if they are voting based on the facts and reality and that this bill will in fact help their constituents, that time will show their wisdom. They will also know when they go to bed at night, that they did what is right for their country.

Those that vote against their constituents interests, for either selfish political reasons, temporary popularity or for interests of lobbyists or big money donors and corporations, will eventually shown to be for what they are, ineffective representatives that have betrayed the citizens they represent.

It is time for representatives to take a position on health care reform that is based on the truth, that is based on what is right and what is needed and best for our nation. It is time for those representatives to also take note that the very same poll showed that when their constituents were shown a list of items that were actually in the bills, a majority was in favor of those features. It is the distortions and lies they are afraid of, not actual Health Care Reform.

Zack Space doing what is right will get you re-elected. George Voinovich doing so will give you a good legacy to retire on. Steve Austria though I have no hope you would do anything based on anything other then pure political motivation, there is always hope for once you would do what is best for your constituents.

GOP Health Care Reform Lie: Abortion

Once again those on the right and the GOP are playing political games to try to keep Americans from looking at the facts and their own self interests in the Health Care Debate. Their latest tactic was attempting a red herring amendment on Abortion.

Here are the facts. There is a 1976 Federal Law called the Hyde amendment that prohibits any Federal Funds to ever be used for abortions. To pass a law that requires otherwise would require a repeal of that amendment. There is no such repeal included in any version of the health care legislation. In fact because it is the law it was and it is a non issue, the word or any reference to abortion did not exist in any version of the bill. But it is now thanks to the GOP. They attempted to put an amendment in the bill which would not only restate needlessly the existing federal law but to prohibit any private insurance company to pay for abortions as well. (Talk about Federal Govt getting between you and your doctor) This amendment was defeated. There is now compromise language in this version of the bill which restates needlessy that no Federal funds would be used for abortion but also states that there is no prevention on private insurance on paying for the procedure.

Now why did the GOP to do this. So they could distort what the amendment actually was and trash congressmen like Ohio 18th district Congressman Zack Space for voting against it. If you want proof do a google search on Zack Space and Abortion and you will find right wing extremist blogs all over this distortion. They of course fail to mention that it is illegal for federal money to pay for abortions period.

This is similar to the red herring gay marriage law that was put on the ballot in Ohio in 2004. They put a law on the ballot to fire up the Christian Right over the gay marriage issue. The fact was the constitution of the State Of Ohio already prevented gay marriage, so this law was useless.

To me the most hypocritical of any group I have seen on the health care debate is the Family Research Council. This "Christian" Group is running and ad claiming the Health Care Reform bill will be paying for abortions. This is an outright lie. Since when is lying ok for a christian?

Why does the "Right" always resort to lies? Because when they debate based on fact, they lose.

OH 18: Space gets on Board, finally

18th district Congressman Zack Space after being one of the "blue dogs" blocking progress on Health Care Reform, finally got on board today and is supporting a compromise.

Good job to all that kept the pressure on the Congressman.

OH 18:Space Raises Contributions from Insurance Industy

Why is Ohio Congressmen Zack Space dragging his feet on health care despite the fact that 17% of the people in his district do not have health care? Perhaps its the over $200,000 in campaign donations he has raised from Health and Insurance Interests.

What every happened to his pledge not to take money from lobbyists.

Space and the Blue Dogs are betraying their voters and supporters on perhaps the most important issue facing Congress in Space's 2 1/2 years in office.

Unless he changes the path he is on soon, there will be no third term for Space.

source: The Public Campaign Action Fund

OH 18:Space blocking passage of health care

While the Republicans are spewing lies and distortions with only politics in mind. Democrats are working hard to finally pass the legislation that they have worked now for decades. But who is blocking them in the House Energy and Commerce Committee? Zack Space and the Blue Dog democrats.

There is no excuse for Space to be working against the people of his district who have seen their health care costs and prices sky rocket. There is no excuse for Space to delay Health Care reform that will help the rising number of unemployed in his district. Every day thousands are losing their health insurance and Zack Space has decided to block progress rather then get the legislation done that over 70% of the country clearly supports.

So who is Zack Space working for since its clearly not his constituents. Is it the the large hospital corporations that have taken over health care in the 18th district. Is it the Insurance companies that reported record profits this week?

We are watching you Zack Space, we expect you to be a Democrat not a Republican in blue clothing that only is concerned about the profits of the health corporations.

Health Care Rally in Zanesville Times Recorder

An article appeared in the Zanesville Times Recorder reporting on the Health Care Rally at Zack Space's Zanesville office that took place yesterday. I was quoted in that article. Here is what appeared in the newspaper.

A rally of about 10 people with Progress Ohio formed outside Space's office on Main Street.

One of them was Joe Ritchey Jr. of Zanesville.

"I want Space to know that as a self-employed resident with no health problems, I'm still paying 20 percent of my income for health insurance," Ritchey said. "I know people who are going bankrupt because they get sick and then have to pay hospital bills. There are people who have worked all their lives, did everything right, get sick and end up losing everything. We're having to make decisions on our health based on expense and that's wrong."

Ritchey said he knows Space is hearing a lot of opposition and was at the rally to remind him that his supporters were watching.

"We voted him in, and we're going to be the ones who decide whether to re-elect him or not," Ritchey said.

I was slightly misquoted in two places and I would like to correct them. First I said that 20% of my income was for health care expenses including insurance, not just insurance as reported. Secondly I specifically stated that we helped get Zack Space Elected rather than "We voted him in" as I though a supporter and donor to his campaign I am not a resident of the 18th district.

source: Zanesville Times Recorder "Supporters rally for Space, health-care reform"

OH 18:Citizens to Space, "Fix It Now!"

I attended a rally organized by ProgessOhio and Ohio Citizens for Health at the Office of Congressman Zack Space in Zanesville at lunch hour today. In attendance were citizens of various ages and income levels from several counties within and outside Ohio's 15th district.

To reporters from WHIZ and WOUB television and the Zanesville Times Recorder these citizens expressed their own personal stories for being there. The common thread was that health care is broken, that it must be fixed and we expect Congressman Space to support the House Bill on Health Care Reform.

We along with Mayor Butch Zwelling of Zanesville were invited into the Congressman's office to meet with a member of his staff. A packet of letters in support of Health Care Reform compiled by Progress Ohio were submitted to him and several citizens spoke.

It was made clear by the Citizens that Obama and Space were elected to office by people like those in attendance today to take action on Health Care. Our support for the Congressman was expressed as well as was desire to continue such support for him based on his votes on health care reform.

We were presented with a position paper by the Congressman's staffer that in short expresses a desire for health care reform but also aspects of the current bill that the Congressman seeks to improve.

Improvement is fine Congressman, but blocking action is not acceptable to any of us that were in attendance.

Because of the attendance and media coverage it was clearly a worthwhile effective event to promote health care reform.

OH-18: Dailey wants more profits for Big Oil

Fred Dailey showed that he is another RepubOILcan, wanting to increase the assets of big oil rather then actually requiring them to produce new supplies from the leases they hold within 68,000,000 acres of drillable area that they now hold idly on their balance sheets.

Yesterday Dailey said, . "Zack Space has done nothing to help Eastern Ohioans during this energy crisis. My approach includes drilling for oil off our coasts and in ANWR." Dailey also came out opposed to the "use it or lose it bill" which actually forces Big Oil to actually drill on the lands they currently lease, that could have an immediate impact on oil prices.

In short, more profits for big oil, no action to increase supply.

Zack Space proposes real solutions that do not have as their litmus test more profits for big oil.

OH-18 Space proposes solutions Dailey sucks up to Oil Companies

While Zack Space actively works to actually do something about gas prices, Fred Dailey marches in lockstep with the other RepubOILcans wanting to increase the assets of Big Oil. Zack Space was a co-sponser this week of a House bill that would have forced big oil to take their idle leases off their balance sheets and actually start producing oil from them.

A spokesman for Fred Dailey, Sean Bartley, called the bill “laughable because it does nothing to promote drilling.” Apparently Dailey and his campaign is clueless about what this bill was, considering it was all about forcing the companies to drill on the leases they currently hold.

It is not a suprise that Dailey takes this approach considering of the meager contributions he has been able to raise, his contributors include the Ohio Oil and Gas association and Knox Energy.

Once again its clear the Oil Companies and the RepubOILcans in their pocket don't actually want to produce more oil they just want to pad their profits with more leases on their balance sheets.

Space's 3 Pronged Approach on Oil Prices.

I listened in on a conference call town meeting last night on oil prices with Congressman Zack Space of the Ohio 18th.

He detailed a 3 pronged approach to expand domestic supply, reduce demand and to rectify problems in the oil market such as speculation, the lowering dollar and price gauging.

There were over 12,000 participants in this call and though various issues were discussed the primary focus was gas prices.

On the subject of drilling, Space commented that additional drilling must be part of it but it must be teamed with conservation and finding additional sources of energy. Space said, "Anyone that suggests all we do is drill and our problems just go away is misguided."

Other comments related to oil prices included a need for international leadership as the problem is a world wide issue that is effected by many factors outside the United States, as well as it will require bi partisan cooperation in this country.

Space also discussed a proposal for a rural commuters tax credit that would assist those living in the rural communities of places like eastern Ohio that have to commute 30 miles or more to their jobs.

There was discussion on the stress on food banks and Space mentioned that he as sought to increase funding for those organizations.

On other issues Space discussed the Renew Ohio project that strives to make Ohio part of the changes in industries and the economy rather then victims of it, by promoting job growth in technology and environmental and alternative energy.

There was also a question on the 2nd amendment. Space made it clear that he was a member of the NRA he supported the recent Supreme Court decision on the Washington DC gun ban. He stated that he felt gun ownership was a basic right and part of our culture and that law abiding citizens should not be restricted from owning guns. He said,"I am an advocate for rights of gun owners and will do so as long as I am here."

Space helps fix another Ney mess.

The City of Zanesville dodged a bullet today with the help of Congressman Zack Space. In 2006 a connector road costing 1.5 million dollars was built and opened by the city to connect State Routes 146 and 60. The funding for this was originally secured by Congressman Bob Ney as part of the Route 60 improvement project between Zanesville and Dresden.

When that project was cancelled Bob Ney and the Ohio Department of Transportation of the Taft Administration informed the City of Zanesville, that they could use those funds for the connector road. Turns out Ney never filed a reauthorization for the money.

A month after the road opened the city was informed that the Federal Highway Administration had withdrawn the money. Space worked with Federal officials, the city and ODOT director Jim Beasley to get this money reauthorized.

Space once again saw a problem and got it handled.