Schmidt Earns Endorsement of Ohio Right to Life PAC

Brad Wenstrup says he is the true pro life conservative. Yet, he gave taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, an organization accused of covering up child rape. Not very conservative, pro life, or pro family to me. But, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has shown and earned high scores on these issues as well as endorsements. Ohio Right to Life PAC has endorsed Jean Schmidt:

Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has been endorsed in the March 6 Republican primary election by the Ohio Right to Life Political Action Committee.

"The 2012 congressional elections will determine the pro-life balance of power in Washington D.C.," Mike Gonidakis said on behalf of the Ohio Right to Life PAC. "As pro-life Ohioans, it is our responsibility to support these endorsed candidates. Too many pro-life initiatives have been stalled by our pro-abortion president. ... We are asking all Ohioans to consider the unique opportunity we have before us to transform our federal government in order to place women's health and the lives of their unborn children as a top priority."

Congresswoman Schmidt, a Clermont County Republican who represents Ohio's Second District, was endorsed earlier this month by the Cincinnati Right to Life PAC, which also is dedicated to ending abortion.
"It is an honor to be recognized for leading the legislative fight to protect the lives of unborn babies," said Congresswoman Schmidt, who is chairwoman of the Congressional Pro-Life Women's Caucus.

During the last session of the U.S. House, Congresswoman Schmidt co-sponsored and voted for a bill to repeal Obamacare. The president's health-care measure could open the door for taxpayer money to go to abortion providers. Congresswoman Schmidt also co-sponsored and voted for the Protect Life Act, which would amend Obamacare to prevent federal funds from supporting health-care plans that include abortion coverage. In addition, Congresswoman Schmidt recently co-sponsored and voted for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.

Congresswoman Schmidt previously served four years as a lawmaker in the Ohio General Assembly, where she was instrumental in ensuring that Planned Parenthood didn't receive funding from the state. "I oppose local, state, or federal taxpayer dollars going to Planned Parenthood for any reason - because such money frees up resources that can be used to promote and perform abortions," Congresswoman Schmidt said.

Congresswoman Schmidt was president of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati in 2005, when she became the first woman elected to represent Southern Ohio in Congress.

Schmidt Scores High in Another Rating

Family Research Council Action and CitizenLink recently released their Vote Scorecard for the first session of the 112th Congress. FRC Action and CitizenLink scored numerous votes that were detrimental to the family. The new Scorecard details how members of Congress voted on pro-life and pro-family issues. In all, eight Senators and 46 Representatives had 100 percent, "True Blue" voting records in the scorecard.


FRC Action seeks to fortify the traditional foundations of civil society through efforts to educate, inform and influence elected officials in support of the country's historic ideals of equality under the law, and the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on which the nation was founded.

View the Congress's Member's voting record for 112th Congress

CURRENT CONGRESS MEMBERS FROM OHIO

Senators:

Rob Portman (R) - 71%

Sherrod Brown (D) - 0%

Representatives:

Steve Chabot (R) OH-1 - 100%

Jean Schmidt (R) OH-2 - 100%

Michael Turner (R) OH-3 - 90%

Jim Jordan (R) OH-4 - 100%

Robert Latta (R) OH-5 - 90%

Bill Johnson (R) OH-6 - 90%

Steve Austria (R) OH-7 - 90%

John Boehner (R) OH-8 - 100%

Marcy Kaptur (D) OH-9 - 20%

Dennis Kucinich (D) OH-10 - 10%

Marcia Fudge (D) OH-11 - 10%

Pat Tiberi (R) OH-12 - 90%

Betty Sutton (D) OH-13 - 10%

Steven LaTourette (R) OH-14 - 90%

Steve Stivers (R) OH-15 - 90%

James Renacci (R) OH-16 - 90%

Timothy Ryan (D) OH-17 - 10%

Bob Gibbs (R) OH-18 - 80%

Jean Schmidt scored 100% on pro family and pro life. Brad Wenstrup gave money to Planned Parenthood as a member of the Board of Health and lost a grant the board had had for 30 years.....Who's better on conservative life and family issues? The evidence is clear....

Sidenote: Also says quite a bit about the supposed Conservative golden boy Jr. Senator from Ohio.....

Dovilla Applauds Committee Passage of Public Corruption Legislation

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) applauded the committee passage of House Bill 323.

House Bill 323, sponsored by Representatives Dovilla and Anielski, will add the felony offenses of extortion and perjury to the list of crimes which will result in the forfeiture of retirement benefits or termination of disability benefits in the event an individual serving in a position of public trust is convicted.

“Like most residents of Cuyahoga County, I have been angered by the pervasive corruption permitted to occur at all levels of government in our county,” said Dovilla. “It is well past time to hold public officials accountable and demand transparency in the administration of our public offices. The hard-working taxpayers of this county should not be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring indicted politicians such as Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo enjoy taxpayer-subsidized golden parachutes into retirement after squandering hundreds of thousands of dollars – limited taxpayer funds which could have gone to support our schools, public safety officers, and communities.”

House Bill 323 is currently waiting to be scheduled for a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Dennis the Menace Update: Ohio Supreme Court Says, YOU LOSE!

Dennis "the Menace" Varnau has lost his final battle (unless he wants to go to the US Supreme Court) regarding his quixotic and egotistical war against Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger. They have denied his appeal and whining...so the issue is finally done. More to come, but here is the initial story found online at newsdemocrat.com:

Varnau had initially filed a protest in 2008 against Wenninger's candidacy for sheriff when the two ran against each other in the November elections. In February of 2009, following a victory from Wenninger, Varnau filed a complaint in the court of appeals for a writ of quo warrant to oust Wenninger from office and to place Varnau in his stead, claiming he was the only qualified candidate for sheriff in the 2008 election. Varnau claimed Wenninger was not qualified since he initially took office in 2000.

Last year, the Ohio Court of Appeals decided that Wenninger's candidacy for sheriff in 2000 is irrelevant, and that due to serving as sheriff, Wenninger was qualified to run in 2008. On Jan. 18, Varnau filed an appeal asserting that the court of appeals erred in denying the writ of quo warranto. The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed with the appeal, according to court documents, stating that for Wenninger's qualifications to be debated, the issue should have been presented during his first term as sheriff.

More to follow...the Brown County Press story in print (not yet up online...grrr)gave more detail and had this gem..."Varnau did not return phone calls and could not be reached for comment." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAH!

Look, I have no personal affection or bias toward Dwayne Wenninger. Yes, we are both Republicans, but I don't know the man beyond a few interactions over the years and by his record. Some good, some bad. But what I do know is that justice is finally served in that this egotistical elitist has been told that he cannot circumvent the will of the people retroactively and cannot be crowned sheriff. Guess Dennis and his cult will have to go hunt for the man in the grassy knoll or the book of secrets or Bigfoot.....

Matt, I think this calls for some dancing Snoopys:





Oh yeah, and this too:

Schmidt Earns Manufacturing Honor

Sources close to me found this story, and felt like sharing...continuing to set the record straight regarding Jean Schmidt....

National Association of Manufactures ( NAM ) and Siemens Honor Congresswoman Jean Schmidt for Supporting a Pro-Manufacturing Agenda
Rep. Jean Schmidt Demonstrates Leadership and Support for Economic Growth and Job Creation

Ohio Congresswoman Jean Schmidt (R-OH) received the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition of her consistent support of manufacturers and their employees across the United States . The Award was presented last year, in recognition of her record in the 111th Congress, at an event sponsored by NAM member Siemens at its plant in Norwood, Ohio.

“On behalf of Siemens and our employees, I thank Congresswoman Schmidt for championing the causes that will help manufacturers thrive in Ohio and across the United States,” said Mark Cooksey, motor segment general manager, Drive Technologies Division, Siemens Industry, Inc. “We’re fortunate to have Jean Schmidt in our corner, advocating policies that will enable us to grow through innovation, job creation and sustainability efforts to stay ahead of global competition.”

“Congresswoman Schmidt supports common-sense policies that will enable manufacturers to create and maintain good high-paying jobs in Ohio and throughout America ,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “A vibrant manufacturing base is vital to getting our economy turned around and ensuring quality of life for all Americans. It is critical to have lawmakers like Congresswoman Schmidt whose actions consistently match their words when it comes to a pro-manufacturing agenda for economic growth and job creation.”

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States , representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing has a presence in every single congressional district providing good, high-paying jobs.

The only thing I see about Brad Wenstrup's stewardship comes from a previous story regarding the Cincinnati Board of Health (you know, the board Brad serves on where he approves of giving money to Planned Parenthood and losing a grant the board held for 30 years:

State officials said the city was such a “poor” steward of the funds "there is not a way I could justify using taxpayer dollars to put money back in to the hands of the Cincinnati Health Department to do these programs," said William McHugh, the Ohio Department of Health's division of prevention chief.

Seems like someone is being a good steward and conservative...and someone is giving Planned Parenthood money...the same Planned Parenthood that stands accused of covering up child rape....

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Ohio House 66th District-Owens Gets FOP Lodge 112 Endorsement

Nick Owens, one of four Republicans running for the Ohio General Assembly House district 66 seat, received an important endorsement. From the release:

January 26, 2012

Batavia Township – Last evening, the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Valley Lodge 112 held a special meeting of their general membership to vote on political endorsements for the upcoming March 6th primary election. The Ohio Valley Lodge 112 endorsed candidate Nick Owens for the 66th district of the Ohio House of Representatives. Nick Owens was the only candidate the Ohio Valley Lodge 112 chose to endorse for the Republican primary election for the 66th district of the Ohio House of Representatives.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Valley Lodge 112 endorsement in my race for the Ohio House of Representatives. It is essential the Ohio General Assembly have members that respect the voice of our Nation’s sworn law enforcement officers,” stated Republican candidate Nick Owens.

“Everyday our personal liberties and freedoms are protected by the selfless actions of law enforcement officers who preserve the rule of law in our local communities, state, and Nation. If elected as a member of the Ohio Legislature, I will always fight to protect the due process and equal protection rights of our sworn law enforcement officers,” concluded Nick Owens in his FOP endorsement announcement.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the world’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 325,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges. The Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Valley Lodge 112 serves eastern Hamilton County, all of Clermont County, and western Brown County.

Rep. Schmidt on State of the Union

Release:

The president’s State of the Union address on January 24 gave me an opportunity to remind him of the plight of the people of Pike County, which has the highest unemployment rate in Ohio at 14.3 percent. The national unemployment rate is 8.5 percent.

As he passed me on his way to the podium in the House Chamber, I urged the president to please keep working to help private industry create jobs through the American Centrifuge project.

“You know we will,” he said.

The project would support creating nearly 4,000 jobs in Ohio.

Jobs are one of my top priorities, but this project is also important to our national defense. The American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon would provide the uranium needed to supply tritium, which is a key component of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and must be replenished regularly.

The project is also extremely important to U.S. efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. If we are to persuade other nations to not enrich uranium, we must be able to provide it in a way limited to peaceful purposes.

The American Centrifuge project would utilize the only U.S.-developed and owned uranium enrichment technology. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I cringe at the notion that we might end up dependent on some other country to supply us. It could handcuff our foreign policy, weaken our military posture, and put at risk American business interests worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed a $300 million research, development, and demonstration program that could lead to a loan guarantee needed to bring this technology to fruition.

Right now, the entire country is worried about jobs and the economy. Everyone, it seems, knows someone who has been laid off, had work hours cut, lost their home, or is thinking about filing for bankruptcy.

This reminds me of the state that our Union was in 32 years ago, when Ronald Reagan was running for the presidency. At that time, our economy was in the tank from high unemployment, runaway inflation, and interest rates that nobody could afford.

People back then wondered whether the country was in a recession or had slipped into a depression. Reagan crystallized an answer in just a handful of words: “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.”

As President Obama was leaving after his speech, he passed by me again.

Don’t forget about those jobs in Southern Ohio, I said.

“I haven’t,” he said.

And neither will I.

Sen. Portman On Obama Administration’s Delayed Budget

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Budget Committee and former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, today issued the following response to news that President Obama will delay the release of his FY ’13 budget proposal:

“It has now been 999 days since Senate Democrats have passed a budget, and in that time, Washington's debt has increased by a whopping $4 trillion. A budget is desperately needed to get America's fiscal house in order. Last year, President Obama's budget was so fiscally irresponsible that even he disavowed it. He actually asked for a mulligan, but even on his second try he failed to provide a detailed path forward to address America's pending fiscal crisis.

“I'm incredibly concerned that, with a record national debt now equal to 100% of our GDP, the President is unable to put forward a plan to address Washington's out of control debt and deficits. If I were advising President Obama, I'd recommend less time campaigning and more time spent addressing the impending fiscal crisis. We need a budget with a responsible spending restraint and pro-growth reforms and we need it now.”

GUEST COLUMN: "Changes to BWC Will Benefit Ohio’s Workers"

St. Rep. Louis Terhar

By State Rep. Louis Terhar

In our effort to reduce the costs of running the government and spending tax dollars more wisely, the Ohio House has devoted a lot of its time working with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. This collaboration has resulted in many positive changes to the bureau, which will lighten the burden on taxpayers, while still providing the vital services that it has been committed to during its 100 years of operation.

One priority of the BWC was to find ways to lower its cost. Facing difficult economic times for the past few years, all state agencies have had to do the same—they do not have much of a choice. However, a serious effort must be made to cut spending without gutting the services that people depend on. By lowering the average base rates by merely four percent, the BWC will save Ohio’s private employers $65 million in premiums. Also, by reducing public employer rates by five percent, local governments will save about $22 million per year.

It is important to understand that lowering costs for local governments also benefits private citizens and taxpayers. Greater economic freedom for local municipalities translates into added economic freedom for the individuals funding such programs, giving them more opportunity to support community businesses and spend money as they prefer. This is true of all public spending, and the progress made by the BWC in the past year should be a role model for all other state agencies.

Another valuable initiative is the implementation of the Destination: Excellence program. The goal of this measure is to improve return-to-work rates—that is, to help workers get back on the job more quickly. Employers will be rewarded for constructing risk management plans focusing on safety and prevention. This will clearly benefit workers as well because it places more emphasis on the safety and well being of employees.

Similarly, the Wellness Grant Program awards companies as much as $15,000 to initiate policies focused on maintaining employee health. This includes helping employers deal with health problems such as obesity and other chronic diseases, all of which can contribute to work-related injuries and slow recovery times.

The focus of the Ohio House of Representatives over the past year has been to make government more accountable to taxpayers, and that effort will only intensify in the coming year. It is easy to talk about cutting spending and increasing efficiency, but the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation provides real examples of how these ideas are being put into practice. These changes do not simply provide relief to local governments’ budgets, but also help to improve the health and safety of Ohio’s workforce.

Owens Requests ODOT Director Wray To Visit US 68 and SR 32 Interchange

Release:

Batavia Township – Today, Nick Owens sent a letter to Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jerry Wray requesting that he visit with local leaders to learn about the failing highway interchange of United States Route 68 and State Route 32 located in the Village of Mt. Orab, Brown County.

“I am fully aware of the difficulties Ohio faces in funding transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state. Additionally, I am realistic that these vital improvements to U.S. 68 and S.R. 32 interchange cannot be funded and completed overnight, but as a state we must respond proactively instead of reactively. Unfortunately, many times government improvements to infrastructure do not come until lives are lost,” Nick Owens wrote in his letter to ODOT Director Wray.

“The highway interchange of U.S. 68 and S.R. 32 is at the crossroads of economic growth for the Village of Mt. Orab, Brown County and all of Southwest Ohio. We must make the modernization of this interchange a top priority for our government leaders in Columbus,” stated Nick Owens in his press release announcing his invitation to ODOT Director Wray.

“It is my hope through a visit by ODOT Director Wray we can begin to accelerate the conversation on fixing this vital interchange so that further business expansion in the Mt. Orab area is not stifled due to lack of roadway capacity,” further stated Nick Owens.

Nick Owens is one of the Republican Candidates for the 66th House District, along with Brown County Treasurer Doug Green and Bethel resident Rick Herron.

Schmidt MEA CULPA

When WMD makes an error, we admit it. In posting two stories, both regarding Jean Schmidt, WE AT WMD erronously reported that these were endorsements. This is not accurate. As soon as they were published, we noticed the error and corrected it. The Americans for Prosperity and the Campaign for Working Families posts were in fact score cards, not endorsements. We apologize for any confusion.....

Schmidt Earns 100% rating from Americans For Prosperity

Brad Wenstrup uses George Soros backed organizations to vet candidates....I use actual conservative groups. Jean Schmidt scores a 100% rating from Americans for Prosperity....

Americans for Prosperity, the premier free market grassroots organization committed to smaller government and free enterprise, just released its congressional key vote scorecard summarizing how Members of Congress voted on the most important economic issues in the first session of the 112th Congress.

The scorecard included critical votes on such issues as the repeal of President Obama’s new health care law, preempting EPA’s purported authority to regulate greenhouse gases, the Ryan budget framework, ending ethanol subsidies, several Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval to overturn new regulations and the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills.


For a complete list of votes that were scored in the first session and how each Member of Congress performed on each vote, visit: www.AmericansforProsperity.org/Scorecard.

Members of Congress with A+ Grade (100%) for the First Session of the 112th Congress



U.S. Senators (5)

Tom Coburn, Mike Crapo, Orrin Hatch, Marco Rubio, Ron Johnson

U.S. Representatives (39)

Todd Akin, Justin Amash, Mo Brooks, Ann Marie Buerkle, Dan Burton, Steve Chabot,

Tom Graves, Andy Harris, Wally Herger, Tim Huelskamp, Bill Huizenga, Jim Jordan,

Kenny Marchant. Mick Mulvaney, Randy Neugebauer, Mike Pence, Benjamin Quayle,

Reid Ribble, Jason Chaffetz, Raul Labrador, Jean Schmidt, Mike Coffman, Jeff Flake,

John Fleming, Trent Franks, Scott Garrett, Trey Gowdy, Doug Lamborn, Jeff Landry,

Cynthia Lummis, Tom McClintock, Patrick McHenry, Donald Manzullo, Dave Schweikert,

Steve Southerland, Marlin Stutzman, Tim Walberg, Joe Walsh, Joe Wilson

So, again, I ask: how will Wenstrup better this score if elected? The only thing I see him doing is mismanaging Board of health so bad the state removes a 30 year old grant...and giving taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood...Doesn't sound more conservative to me.....

Note: This is NOT an endorsement, but a score card rating....

Jean Schmidt Earns 100% Rating from the Campaign for Working Families

From the release:

Rep. Jean Schmidt represents the interests and

values of America’s traditional families



Campaign for Working Families -- 2011 Congressional Scorecard



"Campaign for Working Families is a non-partisan political action committee (PAC) dedicated to electing pro-family, pro-life and pro-free enterprise candidates to public offices. Gary Bauer formed CWF in 1996 to represent the interests and values of America's traditional families in the political arena."



Campaign for Working Families takes the guesswork out of identifying the “true conservatives” from the pretenders.



Federal Pro-Family Votes for Congress - 112th Congress, Combined Sessions



Rep. Jean Schmidt Vote Score: 100%



YES: Repealing ObamaCare

YES: Reducing Spending to 2008 Levels

YES: Cut Funding for National Endowment for the Arts

YES: Defund Obama’s Policy Czars

YES: Defund National Public Radio

YES: Block EPA Global Warming Regulations

YES: Defund ObamaCare

YES: Defund Planned Parenthood

YES: Ryan Budget

YES: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

YES: Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Drilling Ban

YES: Try Foreign Terrorists in Military Tribunals

YES: Defending Traditional Marriage

YES: Cut, Cap and Balance Act

YES: North American-Made Energy Security Act

YES: Disapproval of Obama’s Increasing The Debt Limit

YES: Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

Exit question: How will supposed "solid pro life Conservative (who gave tax dollars to Planned Parenthood)"Brad Wenstrup better this score?

OH-02: Jean Schmidt Endorsed by Cincinnati Right to LIfe PAC

Hmmmm.....COAST used to agree with Cincinnati Right to Life opposing funding to Planned Parenthood in the amount of $26,000...before their boy Brad Wenstrup "supposed pro life solid conservative" voted to give Planned Parenthood $80,000+. Unlike COAST, Cinnnati Right to Life PAC stayed true to its Pro Life values, choosing principle over convenience:

Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has been endorsed in the March 6 Republican primary election by the Cincinnati Right to Life Political Action Committee, which is dedicated to ending abortion and preventing euthanasia.

The endorsement "is a vote of confidence in your commitment to protect innocent human beings from conception to natural death through legislation and personal action," Jack Hart, president of the organization, wrote in a Jan. 18 letter to Congresswoman Schmidt. "We wish you success in this election so that together we can ensure the right to life for the vulnerable at every age and every stage."

Congresswoman Schmidt, a Clermont County Republican who represents Ohio's Second District, said she was grateful to be recognized for her leadership on pro-life issues and legislation. "I will continue the legislative fight to protect the lives of both unborn babies and the elderly," said Congresswoman Schmidt, who is chairwoman of the Congressional Pro-Life Women's Caucus.

During the last session of the U.S. House, Congresswoman Schmidt co-sponsored a bill to repeal Obamacare. The president's health-care measure could open the door for taxpayer money to go to abortion providers, and Obamacare also could reduce medical treatment options for seniors. Congresswoman Schmidt and other Republicans in the House voted to repeal Obamacare, but the legislation remains stranded in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Congresswoman Schmidt also co-sponsored and voted for the Protect Life Act, which recently passed in the House. It would amend Obamacare to prevent federal funds from supporting health-care plans that include abortion coverage. In addition, Congresswoman Schmidt recently co-sponsored and voted for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which was approved by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate.

Congresswoman Schmidt previously served four years as a lawmaker in the Ohio General Assembly, where she was instrumental in ensuring that Planned Parenthood didn't receive funding from the state. "I oppose local, state, or federal taxpayer dollars going to Planned Parenthood for any reason - because such money frees up resources that can be used to promote and perform abortions," Congresswoman Schmidt said.

Congresswoman Schmidt was president of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati in 2005, when she became the first woman elected to represent Southern Ohio in Congress. She has been married for 35 years to the same man, Peter Schmidt, and is a loving mother and grandmother.

But, Brad Wenstrup's the real pro life conservative, right? Even though he voted to give money to Planned Parenthood....Um...NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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GUEST COLUMN: "Don’t Know Much About History?"

John Stufflebeem

Why the Next Generation Carrier Fleet Requires 5th Generation Aircraft
By John Stufflebeem

In the White House complex today there are eight-hundred pound bronze lanterns in the four corners of the ornate Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the offices of the White House staff. Inscribed on the "War and Peace" lantern is the Latin adage "Si vis pacem, para bellum"—or, "If you wish for peace, prepare for war"—admonishing the then-Secretary of the Navy and all subsequent presidents of their responsibilities in this historical imperative. Preparing for the future including deterring and, when necessary, fighting and winning inevitable war is a core responsibility of our National Command Authorities as executed through our nation's military services.

At the highest level, the Commander in Chief must have at his, or her, disposal decisive military power to implement foreign policy that ensures our national interests remain secure. Naval officers, sailors, and aviators of the U.S. Navy are tasked to deploy that power that comes with extremely difficult duties. We can all be proud of the uniformity of purpose with which they tackle these demands in executing their missions. As a country and service—and as commanding officers—we must make sure that the men and women who serve have adequate tools they need to complete their missions and get home safely.

For much of the 20th century, the United States naval strategy has revolved around projecting U.S. power through the forward presence of our Naval Fleet and specifically aircraft carriers. U.S. carrier dominance is largely responsible for our control of the seas and hence creating and maintaining our geopolitical leadership. But this position cannot be taken for granted, by lawmakers or naval officers. As the next generation Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier comes online mid-decade, we must be conscious of the fact that an aircraft carrier, however advanced, is only as potent as its weapon system.

A modern U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN) with a life expectancy of at least fifty years is only as good as the power it projects whether in combat or deterrence through its weapon system—the carrier Airwing and the men, women and aircraft that make it up. However, the Airwing of the future is under attack witness - the current call in some quarters to scrap the F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant (CV). This type of clarion call is traditional following periods of war such as World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam and again as we are witnessing today. But it also follows a flawed and shortsighted strategy to achieve short-term economic gains or cater to parochial interests that, based on history, will have to be made up later at higher costs and possibly lives while depriving our Navy men and women of the best military technology available.

As China and Russia continue to evolve their next generation capable aircraft, we need to evolve our carrier-based aircraft. The F-35C is the only realistic choice to populate the decks of our carriers to maintain control of the seas, the commons, and the global hot spots as well as establish a realistic deterrence of our potential adversaries. It is not going too far to say that the bulk of the U.S. Navy’s future strategic and operational plans would fall apart without full deployment of the F-35C.

While the world is becoming more interdependent or globalized, potential adversaries are developing their capabilities to deny access to all others for their hegemonic agendas. Having the capability to assure access helps the globalized world advance and ensure peace. Our nation has the technological edge, the economic means, and the leadership will to develop and deploy this 5th generation fighter for years to come for just this rationale—but it is threatened from within much to the hope of our competitors.

The F-35C is envisioned by Navy leaders to complement the other aircraft in the Airwing, to include the F/A-18 E/F. But many fail to realize that the F-35C, with its data exchange and interoperability capabilities, will make the entire Carrier Strike Group (CSG) more capable, effective and lethal. Using similar methods in exercises like Red Flag, the F-22 Raptor made both air and ground units more effective by providing enhanced situational awareness of the battlespace; so will the F-35 provide better maritime awareness to the CSG including both Airwing assets as well as surface forces. The F-35C will make the CSG a better, more capable fighting centerpiece of American military power and force for good around the globe.

For those who ignore the rising capabilities of our competitors and potential adversaries, they condemn our fighting men and women to longer, more difficult missions by being less effective and less survivable. If we deploy without 5th generation fighters on our carriers, we will simply make the CSG, CVNs and Airwings irrelevant, throwing our operational plans into chaos and putting aviators and aircraft in situations where they could be outmatched sometime in the future.

With the rise of China, a newly assertive Russia, rogue states from Iran to North Korea and unconventional battlespaces growing in prevalence, the U.S. Navy must have the capabilities to meet and match a multiplicity of diverse commitments. This can only be accomplished if our carrier fleet is equipped with a 5th generation carrier-based fighter: the F-35C.

Those Who Ignore History—Old Lessons for a New Generation

There are few historical examples as profound as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to demonstrate how failure to grasp movements in military technologies can play a decisive role in world-historical events. While tactically successful, Japan’s naval assault was a strategically limited victory. By focusing on the destruction of what they felt was the heart of the United States’ Pacific Fleet—the eight battleships at Pearl Harbor— and luck having it, by conducting the attack while the fleet’s three aircraft carriers were absent, the Japanese made a strategic miscalculation.

Their strategic objective was simple, if difficult: cripple the U.S. Navy in the Pacific sufficiently to delay its being decisively brought to bear before the Japanese could achieve victory. To do so, they sought to disable and destroy the United States’ battleships: the most potent vessel of the immediately previous naval epoch. In making this choice, the Japanese assured that they would not achieve their overarching strategic goal.

The Japanese, like those promoting the continued use of older technologies in our current carrier fleet, did not recognize that important changes had occurred in naval technology. Like many at the time, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s leadership was passionately devoted to Alfred Thayer Mahan and The Influence of Seapower Upon History, 1660 – 1783. With its focus on decisive battles between fleets of heavily armed and armored battleships, Mahan’s signature treatise proved to be a poor strategic guide for the Japanese to pursue in the 20th Century.

Aircraft technology came of age in the 20th Century. Carrier-based aircraft were poised to transform naval strategy from a focus on heavily armed battleships to more lightly armed, but more versatile, aircraft carriers: a new generation of naval technology. Because carrier-based aircraft can strike the enemy hundreds of miles from their carrier base—and with lower probability of warning—aircraft carriers would become the most potent vessels of the War in the Pacific. The three aircraft carriers that survived the Pearl Harbor attack would become the critical element of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and would play perhaps the most prominent role in Imperial Japan’s ultimate defeat.

The Japanese were not wrong to focus on battleships—they simply failed to appreciate the importance of the aircraft carrier in a war they started that would eventually be conducted against them across the great expanse of the Pacific Ocean. For hundreds of years, the battleship and its predecessor vessels played a central role for the navies of nations and empires, with the late-nineteenth century British Royal Navy as exemplar of this model. At the same time, the Japanese valued carriers, but saw their role as limited to just the kind of surprise attack they undertook at Pearl Harbor. Eventually, the Imperial Japanese Navy would come to embrace the power of the aircraft carrier, as demonstrated by their carrier-focused strategy at the Battle of Midway. But not before it was too late.

Of course, history abounds with other such examples. The French were decimated by the English longbow in the 100 Years War, especially at Agincourt, and the stirrup followed in a long line of equine military advancements—the chariot, the saddle—that gave armies massive advantages over their foes in their day. None of these equestrian advancements were of much use when traditional horse cavalry came up against mechanized cavalry during World War I. Less than three decades later, far superior German tanks made quick work of the more numerous, but not nearly as technologically advanced, French tanks. The U.S. faced a similar situation in the air during the Korean War—when the North Koreans introduced the MiG-15, it easily overpowered U.S. propeller planes, forcing us to develop and deploy our own jet, the F-80. Clinging to past technology simply because it is fully matured is a guaranteed path to operational irrelevance just as preparing to fight the last war is folly to prevail in future ones. We should not and cannot repeat these kinds of mistakes today. In an increasingly complicated and interconnected world, the consequences of doing so could be disastrous.


The F-35C and the Future of Naval Aviation

The three variants of the F-35—Conventional Take Off & Landing (CTOL), Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL), and Carrier Variant (CV)—will provide the US Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and our allied partners the broadest spectrum of warfighting capabilities, addressing both land-based and maritime applications. The F-35 delivers the latest multi-role fighter technology bringing unprecedented levels of low observability, net-centric capability and integrated sensor fusion combined with enhanced sustainment logistics to both US and allied warfighters. F-35 will represent a generational advance to the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps replacing 25-30 year old F-16, F-18, A-10, F-117, and AV-8 fighter aircraft currently flying at significantly higher than forecast utilization rates due to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Internationally, F-35 will constitute the backbone of NATO, ASEAN, and several non-aligned coalition armed forces for the next 35-40 years.

The inherent capabilities and open architecture system of the F-35 will allow it to expand beyond the traditional roles of carrier fighter aircraft. Older generation fighters are essentially consumers of information from intelligence assets whereas the F-35 will be a critical provider of information in the network centric environment. It will be able to go where other aircraft cannot, and due to its inherent joint and coalition interoperability, the F-35 will be an invaluable Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform. F-35 pilots operating together will have shared/common situational awareness, vastly improving interoperability between our US services as well as with our international partners.

These capabilities will allow the CSG to maintain the freedom to operate in blue water and systematically approach the littorals while countering threat anti-access capabilities in 2020 and beyond. It greatly enhances CSG situational awareness by conducting stand-in ISR and will provides robust stand-in electronic attack.

In order to take full advantage these new capabilities, the DoN needs to remain on course with an investment strategy that integrates the F-35 into the fleet in sufficient numbers as quickly as possible. Other fleet assets such as the E-2D, Aegis, Super Hornet and BAMS should be carefully integrated with the F-35 up front.

The Future
As historian and statesman, Winston Churchill, advised us then and now—"those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." In the not too distant future, the U. S. Navy will face significant challenges by China and other emerging regional powers. The CSG will be forced to operate further away from operational objectives due to robust threat anti-access and area denial capabilities. Sufficient numbers of the F-35 with its 5th generation capabilities should be integrated into the carrier air wings as quickly as possible. The F-35 will provide a significant contribution to restoring the CSG’s ability to operate effectively in the presents of advance threats. The CSG will remain at the forefront of protecting U.S. interests in contested regions and preserving the access to the littorals and global maritime commons. This will ensure that the relevancy of the carrier will be preserved and maintained for decades to come.

John Stufflebeem is a retired Navy fighter pilot who commanded at every tactical and operational level in combat including U.S. 6th Fleet. He is now an independent consultant in crisis communications in Alexandria, Virginia.

Chairman Kevin DeWine's Statement on Ohio's Unemployment Numbers

Release:

COLUMBUS - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine release the following statement regarding the announcement of Ohio's new unemployment numbers:

"Today's jobs announcement further indicates the steady economic progress our state is making under the leadership of Governor John Kasich and our Republican-led General Assembly," Chairman DeWine stated.

"The pro-growth initiatives spearheaded by JobsOhio and our Republican leadership continue to bear results which outpace national averages, and stand in stark contrast to the deficit-spending, high-tax policies championed by Barack Obama. While there remains plenty of work to be done, it is clear that Governor Kasich's determination and laser-focus on creating jobs is moving our state in the right direction."

Speaker Batchelder Releases Statement Regarding Ohio’s Unemployment

Release:

COLUMBUS—Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) today released the following statement regarding the announcement of the drop in Ohio’s unemployment to 8.1 percent:

“Eighteen months ago, Ohio was at a crossroads, facing over 10 percent unemployment for more than a full year, some of the highest Ohio had seen in decades. Today, it was announced that our state’s unemployment rate continued to drop and is now at 8.1 percent.

“As I have said before, House Republicans have been working every single day to ensure Ohio’s economy gets back on the right track and we are starting to show real, tangible signs of improvement. Job creation has always been our number-one priority and our work from this session is truly bearing fruit.

“Governor Kasich has shown a great willingness to think outside the box—starting with JobsOhio—and make the difficult but necessary decisions in order to ensure the long-term financial stability of our state. I applaud Governor Kasich for his leadership and for never losing sight of his vision of a new day for Ohio.”

Congressman Bob Gibbs Proud to Announce Service Academy Nominations

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Gibbs (OH-18) has announced the 11 students from the 18th District of Ohio received his nomination for appointments to the U.S. Service Academies:

“The U.S. Service Academies provide our country’s students with the opportunity to serve our nation and be schooled in the leadership and responsibility required to shine in the American military,” Congressman Gibbs said. “The privilege of recommending some of the best and brightest among Ohio’s youth for admission to the U.S. Service Academies is one of my most rewarding responsibilities. I am proud to nominate them and wish them all the best in the years ahead.”

Nominees were selected after a rigorous application process where factors such as academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, leadership skills, physical aptitude, character and motivation were taken into consideration. Congressman Gibbs was aided in the process by his non-partisan Academy Advisory Board made up of distinguished Ohioans who have graduated from the service academies or have years of military experience and leadership.

Congressman Gibbs’ nomination does not guarantee admission to a service academy as the academies’ respective admissions boards decide who is offered appointment, and ultimately admitted. Several individuals have been nominated to multiple academies; if they receive appointment offers from more than one academy, the student will decide which to attend.

The following is a list of nominees and their high schools:

· Colin Harding of Byesville attends Meadowbrook High School and has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.

· Brendan Walburn of Hebron attends Lakewood High School and has been nominated to the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).

· Guy Staley of Cadiz attends Harrison Central and has been nominated to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

· Bradley Suciu of Zanesville attends Zanesville High School and has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

· Jeffrey Suciu of Zanesville attends Zanesville High School and has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).

· William Teater of Mt. Vernon attends Mt. Vernon High School has been nominated to the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).

· Dominic Sicilian of Hebron attends Granville High School has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.

· Samuel Miller of Mt. Vernon attends Mt. Vernon High School has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy (West Point).

· Samuel Hiltner of Newark (Home Schooled) has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.

· Rebecca Chamberlin of Millersburg attends West Holmes has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

· Chad Walker of Dennison attends Claymont High School has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Speaker Batchelder Releases Statement about 87th, 98th District Appointments

Release:

COLUMBUS—Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) today released the following statement regarding the currently vacant 87th and 98th House district seats, formerly held by Republican Representatives John Carey and Richard Hollington:

“As the Speaker of the House, it is of the utmost importance to me that each House district has appropriate representation and that every Ohioan has a means to make his or her voice heard in Columbus. However, we are also in a situation that gives Ohioans themselves the opportunity to help us choose the appointees to succeed Representatives Carey and Hollington in the Ohio House during this General Assembly.

“Given the fact that multiple Republican candidates have filed for these offices prior to the March primary, voting for which begins in less than two weeks, we feel it would be most prudent given this timeline for the residents of the 87th and 98th districts to decide for themselves who their representatives will be. The Republican Caucus has decided to honor the outcome of the March primary for these two districts and ultimately appoint the winner of each race. We believe waiting until the results of the primary election will give the people of the 87th and 98th districts the most influence over their representation and ensure that their voices are being heard.

However, I also believe it is of the utmost importance that the constituents of these two House districts have a voice during the next few months of what promises to be a busy legislative session before the March primary. Therefore, I have been in contact with local officials in these individual House districts about the possibility of appointing someone to fill these seats until mid-March, so the voices of the constituents in the 87th and 98th House Districts can continue to be uninterrupted.”

Speaker Batchelder intends to make an announcement as details become available in the coming days about any potential appointments to the vacated seats.

GUEST COLUMN: "New Year Brings a New Approach to Business in Ohio"

By State Senator Frank LaRose

With 2012 underway, lawmakers have returned to Columbus committed to building on the recovery and reform measures of 2011. Last year saw new, innovative approaches to job creation and a renewed effort to put the ‘Open for Business’ sign back on Ohio 's front door. While Ohio has embarked on a road to recovery, many challenges remain. I embrace the hard work that is needed as we all strive together, to rebuild our great state.

Ohio’s small business people and entrepreneurs know all too well that bureaucratic red tape and over-regulation have been main culprits in driving jobs away from the Buckeye State in recent years. Far too many of our communities have taken the hit as families have moved away in order to find work and gain greater financial security. Clearly, something needed to be done.

To return prosperity to Ohio we must get control over run-away government regulations, but this does not mean that a laissez-faire regulatory system is what Ohio needs. History has taught us the import role government must play to protect working people, minority groups, our natural environment and the other interests of a civil society. We all recognize that there must be rules of the road to protect against those unscrupulous operators who would allow self interest to trump civic virtue. But what we can’t allow is cumbersome, unnecessary and overly complex regulations to continue to make Ohio a place unfriendly to business growth.

What we need is balance. We need a thoughtful approach to government regulation which considers a cost-benefit analysis before acting. Last year we took action passing Senate Bill 2 with broad bi-partisan support.

With the passage of Senate Bill 2, we empowered the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) with new authority to shut down bureaucratic overreach and stand up for common sense. I was recently given the responsibility of leading this critical committee as its new chairman. In this capacity, I will work with my fellow committee members and a very capable team of analysts to review every rule proposed by Ohio 's various state agencies.

As an oversight authority created decades ago, JCARR's charge has long been to evaluate the impact of any proposed regulations and to ensure that they do not go beyond an agency's intended authority. However, due to its limited scope and authority, JCARR has sometimes been powerless to prevent the implementation of burdensome regulations that have contributed to jobs and capital exiting the state. All that changed recently.

The recent legislative action provided our committee with a "fifth prong" that will allow us to recommend the invalidation of any rules deemed as negatively affecting business in the State of Ohio . Under the change, agencies now must file a "business impact analysis" for any proposed regulation that will affect Ohio ’s job creators. The newly-established Common Sense Initiative Office (CSIO) will assist in evaluating the roughly 9,000 rules that come before JCARR on an annual basis.

Though the rule review process often proves too technical and dry to garner much attention, the purpose of this recent change is simple in that it will allow Ohio to grow jobs, expand sustainable industries, and prosper through the elimination of unnecessary and nonsensical government regulations.

As Chairman, I am working with my fellow committee members to put Ohio back to work by restoring commonsense to government rules and regulations.

Quality, well-paying jobs empower working Ohioans and allow families to live the American dream. This is the notion that inspired me to run for office in the first place. The solution to Ohio 's problems is better, smarter government, and in some cases, less government. That is what this new approach does. Ohio has always been a great place to live and raise a family. We can once again make it a great place to work and start a business!

Butler County Prosecutor WRONG on Castle Doctrine

If this is what the Republican Party of Butler County thinks is an okay position for the Prosecutor to have, then maybe it is a good thing I got out. This is NOT okay:

“While your home is and should be respected as your castle, the use of deadly force must actually be used in self-defense and not just because someone has unlawfully entered your castle.”

Uh, Mike, that's kind of the WHOLE POINT of the Castle Doctrine law. If someone illegally enters your home and threatens you, you have the right to shoot them. Just being there is a threat.

Kasich to Give State of the State Speech Feb. 7

Release:

COLUMBUS – Today Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich announced that he will deliver the annual State of the State address on Feb. 7 at Wells Academy in Steubenville.

Wells Academy is the highest-ranking public elementary school in Ohio, measured by test results, and part of Steubenville City Schools. It is consistently viewed as one of the best, most innovative elementary schools in Ohio.

Ohio governors deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly; therefore the General Assembly will pass a Joint Resolution enabling it to convene for the day at Wells Academy, which shares its building and auditorium with Steubenville High School.

Ted Strickland's Solyndra...And Biden Visited This Plant, too!

How about that Green Revolution, eh? How about the greatest Governor since ...well, anyone, Ted Strickland?

Seems Teddy didn't know much about choosing winners and losers, either. From the Toledo Blade:

Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC laid off about 40 people indefinitely at the beginning of January until changes to its production line are completed, a company official said Monday.

Michael Cicak, the company's chief executive officer and chairman of the board, would not say when the changes would be completed or when the laid-off employees could return to work.

"We have some technical people in here improving the efficiency of the assembly line," Mr. Cicak said, adding that the Perrysburg-based facility still has about 30 employees.

He said Willard & Kelsey has a little more than 80 employees when it's fully functional.

The start-up company has been plagued by a series of production and staffing delays since it was formed in 2008. It has received millions of dollars in government loans and tax breaks and has been toured by high-profile officials such as Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

Mr. Cicak said last week that the facility was to reopen Monday after a period of adjusting its inventory. A voice mail message on the company's main phone line said the same thing.

Only 15 cars were in the parking lot at 1:30 p.m. Monday. The office was devoid of activity, and the rows of desks were empty.

A tour of the production line and the changes being made to it were not made available to The Blade. As of early 2011, the company had received a $5 million research and development loan from the Ohio Department of Development, a $10 million loan from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, a $3.3 million job creation tax credit, and a $701,000 grant to provide training for 50 current and 250 new workers.

Attempts to reach state officials were unsuccessful because Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

Mr. Cicak previously has made sweeping claims for how many people the 262,000-square-foot plant along State Rt. 25 could employ. In February, 2011, the company said it planned to have 250 employees by the end of 2011. At the same time, Mr. Cicak said the company could produce 600 to 700 jobs in the next to two years and up to 4,000 in five or six years.

That was yesterday. Today, state officials are looking over what has to be labelled as another one of Strickland's Follies:

State officials said Tuesday they will visit Willard & Kelsey Solar Group next month to check on the status of the Perrysburg company, which recently laid off about half its work force.

The company, which is partially funded by millions of dollars in state loans and grants, has reduced its payments on two loans provided by the state.

The start-up company has failed to live up to the production and staffing goals that its executive leadership set when it was formed in 2008. It laid off 40 employees this month.

In addition to the state loans, the company was conditionally approved for more than $3 million in state tax breaks, but it has not generated enough jobs to become eligible for those breaks, said Daryl Hennessy, assistant chief of the business services division at the state Department of Development.

“They created some jobs in their annual report but not at the level they said they were going to,” Mr. Hennessy said.

The company employs a little more than 80 people when it’s fully operational, said Michael Cicak, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. The company is privately held and does not release its financial information.

Mr. Cicak said Willard & Kelsey laid off employees because the company’s only assembly line is undergoing changes to produce more efficient solar panels.

Funding for that assembly line initially came from a $5 million loan from the state Office of Air Quality Development Authority. Officials from that department are arranging an inspection of the assembly line in February to ensure that money was well spent, said Todd Nein, interim executive director of the Office of Air Quality Development Authority.
The $5 million is part of a $10 million loan that was partially disbursed in July, 2010. The rest of that money is set aside for the construction of a second assembly line, Mr. Nein said.

The first part of the loan has a two-year repayment plan, and Willard & Kelsey has been making payments on it, Mr. Nein said. Those payments recently were reduced and the state is working with the company to defer payments or create a longer payment schedule, he added.

Mr. Nein said the state has confidence in the company because its executives have experience with First Solar, one of the largest solar companies in the country.

The company also has reduced its payments on a $5 million loan from the Ohio Department of Development. It is paying about $7,800 a month on the interest of the loan, Mr. Hennessy said. That loan has a five-year timetable for repayment.

Mr. Cicak said he’s looking into various financial options to fund the company’s operations.

“No, I’m not closing,” he said Tuesday. “I’m going to try and work my way out of it.”

The company also received a rapid outreach grant for $500,000 from the Department of Development in 2008. That money was slated for job creation and retention, Mr. Hennessy said.

So, Ted Strickland bought into the Green Revolution lie. He gave loans to this fly by night startup that has yet to bear any real fruit, and appears to be taking a Solyndra type nosedive. But, Ted Strickland was a great governor, right? Maybe, if Tom Blumer gets on the case, we could call him, like Newt Calls Obama's presidency, the best food stamp governor ever.....

Congressman Latta Statement on SOPA and PIPA

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) issued the following statement regarding Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA):

“SOPA and Protect IP Act are well-intentioned proposals that attempt to address online piracy concerns; however, in their current form the legislation goes too far. The proposals can present damaging ramifications to free speech, global cybersecurity and Internet functionality. At this time, I do not support SOPA and Protect IP Act in their current form, and I hope further committee hearing will be held to resolve these concerns.

COAST Chooses Hypocrisy over Values in Helping Wenstrup Raise Cash

COASTers host fundraiser to help Dr. Brad Wenstrup's congressional campaign

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When so-called “liberal” democrats voted to approve funding of Planned Parenthood to the tune of $26,000, COAST said it was a “misuse of tax funds”. But when Brad Wenstrup voted to give Planned Parenthood $85,000 of tax funds, you didn’t hear a peep out of Chris Finney’s group COAST. Instead they turned a blind eye to the misuse of taxpayer funds. The COAST motto seems to be: Do as we say, not as we do.

Despite a claimed fiscal crisis, on Monday of this week liberal democrats Todd Portune and David Pepper voted to approve funding of Planned Parenthood to the tune of $26,255. COAST joined Cincinnati Right to Life and Citizens for Community Values in e-mailing their members against this misuse of tax funds. An outcry from more than 1,500 residents nearly closed down business in the County administrative offices with calls and e-mails.

Posted by COAST at 10/24/2008 07:01:00 AM

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The Cincinnati Board of Health voted unanimously to give a sub-grant of up to $85,000 to the Planned Parenthood abortion business in the area, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. This is the same abortion business that was caught covering up a case of sexual abuse of a minor. The members of the Board of Health present at the time of the meeting approving the funding were Joyce Kinley, Dr. Jeff Lange, Dr. Wael Safi, Dr. Richard Schwen, Dr. Donna Shambley-Ebron and Dr. Brad Wenstrup.

So, COAST is supporting the guy who gave money to Planned Parenthood on the Board of Health, even though they called the allocation a waste of taxpayer dollars? They are supporting and raising money for the guy who so mismanaged the board of health a gratn in place for 30 years was removed?

Funny, I thought COAST was about conservative values and fiscal responsibility. It seems in OH-2 it is all about hating Jean Schmidt....Is it because she is successful? Is it because she is a woman? Or both? Or is it just because they beat COAST favorite Tom Brinkman and it is vendetta time?

Whichever way, don't support their spending candidate. Whichever way, how can you believe they stand for what they claim to, when they support a candidate who was such a poor steward of tax dollars?

Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Encourage Growth of Agricultural Businesse

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representatives Robert Sprague (R-Findlay) and Brian Hill (R-Zanesville) recently introduced legislation to modify the Agricultural Linked Deposit Program, which supports Ohio’s agricultural community by permitting the Ohio Treasurer of State to invest in eligible lending institutions that then lend money to an eligible agricultural business at a reduced interest rate.

Specifically, House Bill 415 will increase the maximum amount that the treasurer may invest in agricultural linked deposits from $125 million to $165 million. It also would increase the maximum amount that can be loaned from $100,000 per application to $150,000 per application.

These increased amounts are recommended by the Treasurer of State due to the growth of the state’s investment portfolio and will serve to boost Ohio’s agricultural community.

"The Treasurer of State's Ag-Link Deposit Program enables our state to provide low-interest working capital loans that help farmers and the agricultural community,” said Representative Sprague. “This bill will update the program to keep up with the rising cost of farm inputs, and the new limits will ensure the program is relevant in future years."

“This pro-jobs legislation is needed to help address the needs of the agriculture industry, a crucial component of Ohio’s economy,” Representative Hill said. “By increasing the maximum low-interest loan amount to $150,000 per applicant, farmers will be able to increase investment in their businesses. This translates to more jobs for Ohioans and will grow the economy.”

Reps. Sprague and Hill unveiled the legislation at a press conference with State Senator Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City)—who sponsored the companion legislation, Senate Bill 281—and representatives from the Ohio Treasurer of State’s office and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

“With this legislation, the State of Ohio can continue to build upon the already 40,000 farmers that this program has helped over the past 25 years,” said Senator Beagle. “The dollars that are loaned through the Agricultural Linked Deposit Program become direct investment in communities across Ohio through purchasing of equipment, feed, supplies, and seeds.”

“Ag-LINK seasonal startup loans can help farmers invest in much needed supplies like feed, seed, fertilizer and fuel that are crucial to a successful business. Ohio farmers deal with enough red tape, and that's why we have streamlined and improved the program over the years,” said Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, whose office administers the Ag-LINK program. “This legislation will help codify some of these important changes going forward, which should make it easier for more Ohio farmers to take advantage of Ag-LINK.”

"Expansion of the Ag-LINK program has long been supported by the Ohio Farm Bureau and our farmer members,” said Beth Vanderkooi, Director of State Policy for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “We appreciate the leadership of Representatives Sprague and Hill, Senator Beagle and Treasurer Mandel in helping to make the program more accessible to Ohio's farmers. We look forward to working with legislative leadership and stand with our colleagues in agriculture in urging swift passage of H.B. 415 and S.B. 281."

Ohio House Republicans Outline Priorities, Initiatives for 2012

Release:

COLUMBUS—On the heels of a successful first half of the General Assembly that saw the passage of more than 90 bills that address issues from regulatory reform and the creation of JobsOhio to prescription drug abuse, Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and members of the House Republican Caucus today unveiled their legislative priorities for 2012 at a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse.

“It was not too long ago that this state faced an $8 billion budget hole that was created when the former administration wrote short-term checks with disappearing ink,” said Speaker Batchelder. “In 2011, this caucus faced one of the greatest challenges ever put onto the plate of a legislature—deciding whether to fill an enormous deficit by either reducing state spending or by raising taxes on every family in Ohio. We defied the skeptics; we filled this deficit without raising taxes, we kept vital services intact and protected our state’s most vulnerable. The second half of the General Assembly will be focused on building upon this strong foundation that we have worked so hard for and bringing about a brighter, more prosperous Ohio in a number of ways.”

The priorities outlined by House Republicans include a close analysis, fact finding, and making recommendations for revising Ohio’s school funding formula, which in 1997 was deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. Despite the court ruling, Ohio’s school funding system has not undergone any transformative changes that have wholly fixed the root of the problem. To address this issue, House Republicans announced that they will initiate comprehensive, bipartisan hearings on both the funding formula and student achievement, which will be led by Representative Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) throughout the duration of 2012.

“The goal of these discussions will be to figure out how we can make our schools and students more successful in a cost-efficient manner for Ohio’s taxpayers,” said Rep. Amstutz. “We want to create a new model of achievement and accountability that will benefit all of Ohio’s students and give those from disadvantaged geographic regions an equal chance to succeed. We will work diligently on legislation to incorporate the findings into practice and place Ohio’s schools back on track with an equitable and fair funding formula. The goal of any legislation implemented is to create an equitable funding formula and to develop a more accurate measure of success and achievement for our students.”

The House Republican Caucus also laid out a proposal to implement the recommendations of the JobsOhio report through the creation of the Development Services Agency. The proposal will complete the transition to a lean, streamlined public/private partnership free of the cumbersome bureaucracy that characterized Ohio’s economic efforts in the past. Additionally, the caucus discussed strategies for implementing the findings of the Ohio Workforce Development Study Committee, specifically focusing on helping career tech schools and community colleges to prepare a ready workforce, as well as training Ohioans for imminent shale and energy jobs.

“We continue to strive to get unemployment down, help Ohioans find work, and create new opportunities for Ohio well into the future,” said Speaker Batchelder. “We have maintained a focus on jobs throughout 2011—from passing several tax credits to encourage economic investment and job retention, to exploring our energy potential that could create hundreds of thousands of jobs— and Ohioans can expect that we will continue this focus into 2012 and beyond.”

The caucus has also revealed plans to reform the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, building upon existing reforms to go further in assisting injured workers while identifying other cost-saving possibilities.

Other legislative items that the House Republican Caucus intends to address include:

The Great Lakes Compact
Casino and gaming laws
Healthcare exchange
Laws pertaining to exotic animals

“We have tackled the issues that are most important to the people of this state, and we will continue to do so for as long as we have the privilege of leading this House,” said Speaker Batchelder. “There is much time and energy that we must be prepared to invest in order to revive the state of Ohio, and we are ready to do the work necessary in order to breathe new life into this state and be able to compete nationally. We’ve come a long way, but we have much, much farther to go—we are just getting started.”

Duvelius Endorsed by Sheriff Sims and Most County Officials

Release:

The elected officials of Warren County have spoken, and spoken loudly, to endorse the candidacy of Chief Magistrate Carolyn Duvelius for Common Pleas Judge. The vast majority of County-wide elected officials, and a large number of local officials, are endorsing Duvelius. Endorsements include County Sheriff Larry Sims, County Commissioners Pat South and Tom Ariss, County Auditor Nick Nelson, County Treasurer Jim Aumann, County Recorder Beth Deckard, County Coroner Russell Uptegrove, County Engineer Neil Tunison and State Representative Ron Maag.

“The outpouring of support is humbling,” Chief Magistrate Duvelius told friends and supporters at a recent event. “To have the conservative leaders of Warren County unite to support my candidacy is an honor. I will continue to work hard to earn their confidence and make them proud.”

In addition to the support of the County wide officials, Duvelius has received the endorsements of local officials across the County. Lebanon Mayor Amy Brewer and former Mason Mayor Don Prince are just a few of the growing list of public figures to come out in support of Duvelius.

“This is not about politics; this is about what is best for keeping the people of Warren County safe. Carolyn Duvelius is the best choice,” said Warren County Sheriff Larry Sims.

“I worked in Law Enforcement for over 50 years and know the importance of our Judges. We need Carolyn Duvelius,” said former Sheriff and current County Commissioner Tom Ariss.

ORP Civil War Heats Up Again

The Cincinnati Enquirer has a long piece about the Ohio Republican Party Civil War that is worth a read if you have some time. You can catch that here.

A few take-a-ways...

The list of Team Kasich possible replacements: Bouncin' Bob McEwen, Doug Priesse, and Rex Elsass.

There is a three-way race for the 7th District. Team Kasich has a candidate (Rebecca Heimlich), DeWine has a candidate (Jean Raga), and the Tea Party has a candidate (Maggi Cook)

What doesn't make sense is the challenge in the 4th District where incumbents Tim Evans and Bea Lyons are solid conservatives being challenged by Team Kasich's Anderson Family (Richard and Patricia).

Honestly, when it comes to chairman, I have no preference. With the names mentioned above as my choice, I'd just as soon stick with the devil we know: Kevin DeWine.

As for the Central Committee races, the 7th could go any way in a free-for-all; and the 4th already has two very good people representing Butler County Republicans.

All of this has the potential for weakening Governor Kasich at a time when he dare not show weakness.

But shame on the chairman for airing the dirty laundry in public when the focus should be on Obama and Brown. If he were to stay on message and do his job professionally, he wouldn't have to worry about the jesters in the courtyard.

Schmidt Endorsed by Buckeye Firearms

From the Release:

Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has been endorsed for re-election by the Buckeye Firearms Association, which describes itself as a grassroots political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense and hunting.
Congresswoman Schmidt, a Clermont County resident who is running in the March 6 Republican primary election to retain her seat in Ohio’s Second District, said she was grateful to be recognized for her leadership on gun issues.
“I grew up on a farm and learned to shoot a gun at an early age,” Congresswoman Schmidt said. “In addition to being licensed in Ohio to carry a concealed handgun, I’ve participated in a tactical-defense training class.”
Joseph L. Eaton, Southwest Ohio region leader of the Buckeye Firearms Association, commended Congresswoman Schmidt for her longtime support of the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“For many years, you have been a good friend of Ohio’s gun owners,” Eaton wrote in an endorsement letter recently received by Congresswoman Schmidt. “Having completed formal training, qualified for and obtained your Ohio concealed handgun license, we know that you personally understand the challenges all gun owners face.”
Before becoming the first woman elected to represent Southern Ohio in the U.S. House, Congresswoman Schmidt was a lawmaker in the Ohio General Assembly. There, she fought for passage of legislation to allow Ohioans the right to carry concealed weapons.
“Each year since your election to the United States Congress (in 2005), your unwavering support of the Second Amendment has continued,” Eaton noted. The “Buckeye Firearms Association has kept careful track of your firearm-related votes and of your record of co-sponsoring pro-gun owner bills, and we continue to be impressed.
“Due to your past accomplishments and your continued passionate support of our Second Amendment rights, we are pleased to extend to you the endorsement of the Buckeye Firearms Association"

Is The Dream Dead? MLK, Sistah Souljah, and Our Future

Martin Luther King, Jr., has always been a heavy influence in my life. This may shock the liberal establishment and liberal bloggers. From a young age, I was exposed to the words of Dr. King and I took them to heart. Despite being from rural SW Ohio, where indeed sometimes there are racial jokes, I was an outsider. I believed in the dream Dr. King articulated so well and so beautifully:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

I looked at people for the content of their character. I didn't worry about skin color. One of my first friends in kindergarten was a boy named Chris, who was the only black kid in our class. I didn't care what color he was.

As Dr. King spoke those words, his dream was already in motion. More and more schools were giving up on the segregationist myth and coming together, black and white. People were going to similar businesses. It was slow, but it was happening. The economic status of the African American was getting better. As more African Americans moved to the industrial upper North, things continued to get better. Far from perfect, but it was getting better. A generation had seen African Americans and White Americans play sports together in baseball, basketball, and football. The dream was becoming more and more a reality. The black family was a bedrock of stability and social instruction. Things were progressing.

I always believed in content of character over color. Always. And where is the status of Dr. King's dream today? Sadly, with what I see in our culture today, the Dream is dying on the vine. Color and ethnicity are being trumped over character and shared values. Color and tribe are being used to divide us, especially at a time in our nation when we should and need to be together.

The Sistah Souljah garbage at Cincinnati Public Library is just a small part of the problem. There has been a huge shift in our culture and in the dynamic of the black community. Where once we were about coming together and being color blind, now we seem to be overly color sensitive. And it is spawning a backlash. Don't get me wrong. Martin's dream was not about giving up identity or being proud of one's race or background. Rather, it was about respecting that; but at the same time, looking past the paradigms of color and getting to the essence of each other. We don't seem to do that much anymore. Let me give you some examples, both political and personal.

Steve Cohen was a Jewish liberal Democrat from Tennessee. When I mean liberal, I mean flaming liberal. When he went to Congress, he was the sole primary sponsor of a Congressional apology to black America, pledging the House to rectify the "lingering misdeeds committed against African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow." He promised his mostly black constituents that he would seek membership in the Black Congressional Caucus. What happened to his membership?

Nothing. He got slapped in the face. And, no other white congressman representing minority districts have ever been invited to join. All who dared to apply, like Pete Stark of CA, were rejected. Tell me, how does this get to the essence of judging based on content of character? Leaders said it is "critical" that the Black Caucus remain "exclusively African-American." 6o years ago George Wallace was saying something similar about schools in his state staying exclusively white. And, to really bring something to light, this caucus, with its racial profiling and discrimination, conducts its business on federal offices on government grounds where there is supposed to be no discrimination based on race.

It seems, sadly, that those who cried out 50 years ago for judgment based on character now want to turn back the clock and engage in segregation that THEY control. This flies in the very face of what Dr. King was preaching to us from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Even in the press and media, we have an ethnic Balkanization. Look at the Democratic primary in 2008. Even though Barack Obama is black (though some in the black community said he was not authentic, like Al Sharpton and writers at the LA Times coining the phrase Barack the Magic Negro), how else beside tribal politics do you explain how blacks came out 9:1 for Obama vs. the wife of the man Toni Morrison called our "first black President?" BET announced it would carry Obama's acceptance speech at the convention, but didn't carry the GOP acceptance speech or convention. Isn't that a bit discriminatory? What happened to judging on ideas vs. color? Then we have UNITY.

UNITY: Journalists of Color, is an organization of journalists who say the media needs more people of color. I would say media needs more journalists instead of partisans, regardless of color. In 2004, W was booed soundly at their convention. In 2004, Kerry receieved a standing ovation. In 2008, McCain didn't show and what happened when Obama came to speak, as the featured speaker no less, at the last day of the convention? The roof was blown off. UNITY is composed of four groups--an Asian group, a Hispanic group, a Native American group, and a black group. They aim to get more minorities in top media management. This is a worthy goal...but what about qualifications over color? Not so much. They have a goal called Ten by 2010. This goal is a demand that US news organizations elevate to senior management positions in the newsroom at least one journalist of color and "provide customized training to help prepare them." The chosen journalist may be Asian, African American, Native American, or Histpanic. However, to echo the past, no Irish need apply. Or Polish. Or Italian. Or German. Or Jewish. Or English. What about their qualifications? Nowhere do they talk about the person being qualified to run the newsroom or be in management. Just that they be of color. IS this MLK's dream in action? Where is content of character?

President Obama rewarded his ovation by UNITY with the appointment of a diversity czar Mark Lloyd, who praised the repressive Hugo Chavez regime with what he was doing with his media in Venezuela. He also said that white journalists had to step down to open up positions for people of color:

There is nothing more difficult than this because we have really truly, good white people in important positions, and...there are a limited number of those positions. And unless we are conscious of the need to have more people of color, gays, other people in those positions, we will not change the problem. But we;re in a position where you have to say who is going to step down so someone else can have power."

Half a century ago, Martin Luther King envisioned a day when his children would be judged "not by the color of their skin but the content of their character." And not just in journalism, but in important public sector jobs like police and fire, people are demanding the hiring and promotion of people based on the color of their skin. Jim Crow is back. Only the color of the beneficiaries and the color of the victims have been reversed. Call it James White.

In my own experience, some friends and I decided to try a new eatery in Fairfield, Ohio. Previously it had been a pizzeria and now was under new ownership and had been remodeled with a new name and such. Since it had a convenient location, we decided to drop in. It reminded me of the scene in Animal House where the Delta Tau Chi boys stop in the bar to see Otis Day and the Knights...We were about the only "white folk" at the place. And everyone was staring.....like, "why are you here, don't you have Olive Garden to go to?" We waited for 15 minutes. No one came to seat us or talked to us, even as the hostess stared from the doorway to the kitchen. Is this any different than a diner having a "whites only" sign?

Remember our liberal friend Congressman Cohen? In 2008, he faced an African American primary challenger in Nikki Tinker. Tinker featured the uber-liberal Cohen in an ad next to a hooded Klansman. Given what we discussed before, this seems strange. What had Cohen done? He refused the removing of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest's gravesite and statue from a Memphis park. Forrest had at one time been a founder of the KKK but later repudiated the Klan:

Forrest dissolved the first incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan in 1869, although many local groups continued their activities for several years.[47]

Forrest testified before the Congressional investigation on Klan activities on June 27, 1871. Forrest denied membership, but his individual role in the KKK was beyond the scope of the investigating committee which wrote:

When it is considered that the origin, designs, mysteries, and ritual of the order are made secrets; that the assumption of its regalia or the revelation of any of its secrets, even by an expelled member, or of its purposes by a member, will be visited by ‘the extreme penalty of the law,’ the difficulty of procuring testimony upon this point may be appreciated, and the denials of the purposes, of membership in, and even the existence of the order, should all be considered in the light of these provisions. This contrast might be pursued further, but our design is not to connect General Forrest with this order, (the reader may form his own conclusion upon this question,) but to trace its development, and from its acts and consequences gather the designs which are locked up under such penalties.”[48]

The committee also noted, "The natural tendency of all such organizations is to violence and crime; hence it was that General Forrest and other men of influence in the state, by the exercise of their moral power, induced them to disband.”[49]

In 1875, Forrest demonstrated that his personal sentiments on the issue of race now differed from that of the Klan, when he was invited to give a speech before an organization of black Southerners advocating racial reconciliation, called the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association. At this, his last public appearance, he made what the New York Times described as a "friendly speech"[9] during which, when offered a bouquet of flowers by a black woman, he accepted them as a token of reconciliation between the races and espoused a radically progressive (for the time) agenda of equality and harmony between black and white Americans.[50]

Anyhow, he was attacked and jeered. Anti Semitic fliers came out asking why does Steve Cohen and Jews hate Jesus. Cohen won the primary and won election, but it wasn't over. In 2009, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton decided to take on Cohen, and it became very dirty. Cohen was besmirched as not thinking much of blacks,a nd playing the "black community. Herenton's campaign manager, one Sidney Chism said, "this seat was set aside for people who look like me (Chism is black)...It wasn't set aside for a Jew or a Christian. It was set aside so that blacks could have representation." They did have representation, from a very liberal democrat. It became so ugly that Obama himself had to step in and endorse Cohen, who then cruised to victory. Then there is the tale of Chris Bell....

Chris Bell's congressional district was remade into a mostly African American district. Bell's democratic colleagues in the Black Caucus contributed to his African American primary opponent.

What many forget is that in the original civil rights movement that Martin Luther Kind championed, whites and blacks, Christians and Jews, stood together. Well, once it became an industry, whites and Jews were shown the door.

However, blacks and Jews had an alliance and fought together at one time. From the book Broken Alliance:

Blacks and Jews were brought together by intersecting agendas. Jews, emerging from the catastrophe of the Second World War, their recent past shaped by their experience of anti-Semitism in the United States and the legacy of Eastern European socialism, latched onto a political agenda which, they believed, would ensure their success in America: Society should not make distinctions based on race or religion. That was good for blacks -- but it was good for Jews, too. Blacks, readying in the 1950's for yet another assault on segregation, emboldened by the Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs. Board of Education abolishing segregated schools, were willing to reach out and work with white allies. They accepted the help of Jews as people who could make a difference. There was genuine love and cooperation in the civil rights movement, but for some blacks and Jews, the main motivation was not an alliance but success. The alliance was a means to an end, not an end in itself. (p. 268) At a time when the cause of black rights was far from popular, Jewish givers gave tens of thousands of dollars to keep the NAACP on its feet. In 1930, the onset of the Depression threatened the NAACP's future. William Rosenwald, son of Julius Rosenwald, the founder of Sears, Roebuck, offered to donate $1,000 annually for three years if four others agreed to match the gift. Four did, three of them Jews -- Herbert Lehman and Felix Warburg, financiers, and Harold Guinzburg, head of the Viking Press -- and one non-Jew, Edsel Ford. (pp. 30-31)

In the summer of 1964, over half the white students heading south to engage in "civil rights" work were Jewish (p. 19). Kaufman adds:

Jews wrote most of the checks that bankrolled the fights of Martin Luther King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; and the Freedom Rides of James Farmer and CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality). Ever since the early years of the NAACP more than fifty years before, with a Jewish president and, a few years later, a black national organizer, leading Jews on the board of directors, and a vocal black membership, blacks and Jews were linked in the fight to end racial discrimination. (p. 19)

An examination of the top leadership of the civil rights organizations in the 1960's shows that where there was a black-white alliance for civil rights, it was often a black-Jewish alliance. In addition to Jack Greenberg, director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, who is profiled in the book, Kaufman points out that:

[Martin Luther] King's top white adviser was Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer whom the FBI believed was a communist agent but whom King relied on to handle his finances, edit his books, and give counsel during some of the crucial crises facing the movement The president of the NAACP and one of King's top contributors was Kivie Kaplan, a retired Boston businessman who -- personally and through friends -- gave hundreds of thousands of dollars, often after a hurried phone call from King or one of his lieutenants. Over at CORE, James Farmer's top fund-raiser and a key speech writer was Marvin Rich, later succeeded by another Jewish civil rights advocate, Alan Gartner. Jews made up more than half the white lawyers who went south to defend the civil rights protesters. They made up half to three-quarter of the contributors to civil rights organizations, even to the more radical organizations, like SNCC. (pp. 85-86)

However, no one acknowledges these contributions much today. In fact, the modern NAACP tried to cover it up:

It is a sad state of affairs that Henry Moskowitz, Ph.D., one of the original co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has been excluded from the list of prominent "People" under the History heading of the new NAACP Website. Of all the founders of the NAACP, it is only Dr. Moskowitz (1879-1936) which is missing, leaving a gaping hole in the history of the organization.

Dr. Henry Moskowitz was a Romanian-born Jew that was involved with social work in New York City during the early 20th century. He was active in city politics under the administration of New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchel; and he was the Associate Leader of the New York Society for Ethical Culture which often looked out for the rights of new immigrants on New York City's Lower East Side. He is credited as being one of the original founders of the NAACP which was created in a tiny New York apartment on February 12, 1909.

While Dr. Moskowitz' name is fleetingly mentioned in small print on a non-primary page of the NAACP Website, it is a sad commentary that the organization has not added him, his background information, his photo, and his name to the list of prominent people in their encyclopedic alphabetical index, which includes past and present NAACP leaders. Of all the NAACP founders, only Dr. Moskowitz, one of the original eight, has been marginalized from the history portion of the official NAACP Website.

Further, and even more interesting to note, is that other early NAACP supporters and founders included: Lillian Wald, Rabbi Emil G. Hirsh, and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, all of them are missing from the NAACP Website where past leaders and prominent persons are listed. Who is listed? People such as such as Harry Belafonte, Rodney King, Oprah Winfrey and President Obama are included.

Does this sound like the future where blacks and whites could hold hands and sing together, where color doesn't matter but character does? We are turning our children and our institutions into the very thing Dr. King fought against: purveyors and continuators of racial stereotyping and division.

As we have seen liberals eat their own when color is factored in. The late Geraldine Ferraro was practically excommunicated for saying race played a role in Obama beating Hillary. Bill Clinton was maligned even, "the first black President" said that Obama was inconsistent and that winning SC was no big deal since Jesse Jackson had won it twice. Hillary was dubbed racist for her now infamous 3am phone call ad. Yet all these things were relevant, but sloughed off with charges of racism.

However, even so-called conservatives have given prey to racial identity politics. Colin Powell turned his back on his friend and fellow veteran John McCain and endorsed Obama. Powell never even denied that race played a big factor in his decision. I mean, what else was there about this freshman senator with ZERO legislative accomplishments to transform America--other than he would be black?

While in part a testament to Dr. King's dream that would show that one day a black man could indeed be president; Obama is not a really a testament to Dr. King's dream of unity and character over race. Rather it is a repudiation of that dream for a dream of Race as an industry, race as the unifier, rather than character and shared values.

Even though affirmative action and the Great Society were meant to help equalize the situation between races, it has only served to sever ties in the black community. Unwed births are up. Abortions are up. Education achievement is down. The soft bigotry of low expectation (you can't do it alone, let the government lift you up) has replaced the "just give me the opportunity and I will run with it" attitude of Jackie Robinson, Maya Rudolph, the Tuskegee Airmen, and so many others. That generation, which did the most to set the stage for a "post racial America" would probably be shocked at how today, the roles have reversed. The programs with "good intentions" have led to generations of learned helplessness and poverty. Instead of we can do it...it has become "give it to us."

At the turn of the last century, Branch Rickey was a baseball coach for a college. One of his players, a black man, was refused lodging at the team hotel. The young man went to his room (once the team left the hotel and went to another)and Rickey found him clawing at his skin, saying, "if only I were white" and crying. Rickey, of course, helped with the integration of baseball with Jackie Robinson. Today, Larry King is talking about how his kid wishes he were black. White is out, black is in. Why can't we just be who we are and let good character be in? Why does it have to continue to predicate on race when most Americans indeed have a nonracial mindset? Because those who benefit from the race industry don't want it to end...and I think Dr. King would find this sad.

Yes, I know, Martin was for Affirmative action, even if his Dream didn't say so...but would he be pleased at what it and the Great Society have wrought? Would he be pleased with Sistah Souljah? I would like to think not. I would like to think he would have seen what is going on and would say, "this is not right."

Yes, Dr. King wasn't perfect. His words at the Lincoln Memorial did not always match what he said elsewhere. But, like Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence, the words indeed of a slaveowner, those words had beneficial consequences of inspiring people the world over to freedom and respect for fellow man. Whether he truly meant those words on the Memorial of hand in handedness, those words have inspired some, and whether he intended it or not, have many of us working for a truly color blind society. That society, that place in the Shining City on the Hill where black and white and yellow and brown sing together, will not be brought to reality with laws seeking to balance the scales for past injustice. The past is the past. Let us move forward in the spirit of those words on the Lincoln Memorial that day. We can do nothing to fix the sins of the past. All we can do is repent and move on. Just as our generation on the white side has no idea about being slaveowners or segregation experienced, in many cases, neither do those in African American circles, unless by choice. Trying to balance the scales of justice due to past wrongs only offsets the present and future into a different kind of injustice. Instead, let us say, never again, embrace each other, and celebrate our unity in equality, rather than continue to seek out new ways to divide and stratify. All should have equity of opportunity, without regard to race, but never equity of outcome. If one man a slave or discriminated, we all are.

So, in conclusion, Is the Dream dead? No, the Dream doesn't die. Yet. Its stewards have been irresponsible, and bad decisions meant to help have yet to be fixed. The soft bigotry of those decisions still is not addressed. The Dream isn't dead, but neither is it as advanced as it should be.