During a speech before Ashtabula County Republicans in March 2009, Kasich talked about the need to “break the back of organized labor in the schools,” according to the Ashtabula Star Beacon. He did not back away from that quote last week, saying as he pushes ideas to change schools he has often clashed with teachers unions, who have “smeared my record and distorted it.”
What a difference two years makes:
Gov. John Kasich and fellow Republicans William Batchelder, Ohio House speaker from Medina, and Senate President Tom Niehaus of New Richmond, offered today to revise the controversial collective bargaining law, known as Senate Bill 5, if public unions will drop their campaign to repeal the bill on the November ballot.
We Are Ohio, the coalition of unions behind the repeal effort, has rejected earlier back-channel efforts by some Republicans to strike a deal, citing the GOP-controlled legislature’s unwillingness to compromise when the bill was written.
Following a press conference by Kasich, We Are Ohio issued the following statement rejecting a call for a compromise.
“We’re glad that Governor Kasich and the other politicians who passed SB 5 are finally admitting this is a flawed bill,” said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. “Just like the bill was flawed, this approach to a compromise is flawed as well. Our message is clear. These same politicians who passed this law could repeal it and not thwart the will of the people. They should either repeal the entire bill or support our efforts and encourage a no vote on Issue 2.
Kasich completely enchanted Ohio media with his tough-talking swaggering style. They were running around starry-eyed in love. Bold! Brave! It didn’t matter what he said, as long as he said it in the most abrasive and insulting manner possible.
Eventually, of course, he had to actually govern a state where he didn’t win a plurality of votes, and that poor showing was with the enthusiastic backing of his former colleagues at Fox News and Rupert Murdoch.
boss bitch
Everyone loves an asshole until….
debbie
We Are Ohio also pointed out that Kasich announced his new position to the media before he contacted them. So much for honest motives.
Jamey
Fuck compromise. Keep the initiative on the ballot to get out the Liberal Democratic vote on Election Day.
Phyllis
Glad to see the We Are Ohio folks aren’t falling for the Lucy and the football schtick.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@debbie: Nothing honest about King John, though it’s nice to see him rattled a bit.
Gex
@debbie: Wow. Just like the NFL owners had a press conference about an offer, gave the players a deadline, and then didn’t send them the contract for quite some time as pressure from fans and media started piling up on the players.
Our Galtian overlords are assholes and wouldn’t know fair play if it bit them in the ass.
craigie
They should agree to revise it, if he first resigns.
kay
@craigie:
I think they should pull the whole bill, then debate a new one for the next coupla years, at which time the whole issue will drop off the table, because it was never about the budget anyway.
Problem solved.
JCT
This is just hilarious — good luck with that, John you asshole.
Frankly, I think the repeal of SB5 is, in many ways a bigger story than what is going on in Wisconsin. If it is successful, this should truly energize the opposition in time for 2012.
Awesome all the way.
James E. Powell
I am assuming that Kasich & Co have read polls that show the state rejecting their bold plan for the future. I am frankly surprised. What I learned about the good voters of my beloved home state from forty-four years living there, with three of them spent working in the Ohio House, never gave me much basis for hope.
The only response should be repeal the whole thing, then we can talk.
craigie
@kay:
That’s all very sensible. But I just like to see bad people cry.
kay
@craigie:
The OHIO GOP put a repeal of the health care law on the ballot. It doesn’t matter in any real sense, a state can’t repeal federal law, but that’s a potential area of negotiations.
They’d have to buck their Mighty Tea Party Masters, so they won’t do it, but it’s a nice bluff-caller.
quannlace
Wow, maybe that old cliche about bullies is right; they’re all cowards at heart when confronted. Just don’t turn your back on ’em.
debbie
2a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)):
I think he’s more than a bit rattled. The video of his announcement showed a lot of fast blinking and looking around. My hope is that he’s square in the headlights of the Ohio voter.
HyperIon
This must make you feel pretty good, huh, Kay?
gf120581
Given that the ballot initiative looks headed toward a convincing victory and that Kasich has an approval rating in the low 30s and dropping, there is no reason to play ball with the sniveling little weasel. Let him twist in the wind and await his fate.
Kasich’s pleading is akin to a little kid pleading his parents not to spank him as punishment and insisting that they just sit down and talk about it.
kay
@HyperIon:
I don’t know.
We’re having a giant outdoor rally/meal Saturday around SB5 repeal. It’s been “planned” since June. I invited a hundred people.
I never considered that they would concede, actually. I’m a little surprised.
VidaLoca
Oh yeah. Fuck, yeah. Pull this little shit-weasel down and then beat him and all his friends like a bunch of rented mules.
kay
@HyperIon:
I’m going boldly forward with the sheet cake for the party, which is about as far as I thought ahead :)
VidaLoca
@kay:
Holy crap. This isn’t in your back yard, is it?
Hey, if you get any good videos, post ’em. I’ll pass them along to people in We Are Wisconsin.
Linda
Bwahahahaha. And more Bwahaha.
His swagger was even bigger than that. Right after the election, his bit was “get on the bus, or we’ll run you over.” He painted the public unions as the bad boys of the pension issues in Ohio, even though losses in financial instruments have been most of the problem. And who sold those products to the state? One of the folks was … John Kasich, when he worked for Lehman Brothers in their Columbus office, not because he was a financial wizard, but a connected pol. Those instruments took a hit for $480 million. It’s like Ohio hired an arsonist for fire chief.
jnfr
I heard about this tonight on MSNBC and I am thrilled for you, Kay, and for the whole universe. I very much hope no one gives in and the referendum goes forward. I was born in Toledo, and I thank you all for your hard work on this.
kay
@VidaLoca:
No. It’s at the fairgrounds. They have a covered area w/tables. We’ve used it before. We usually get half of invitees to show up to these things, although this time we ran it in the newspaper, so we’ll see if anyone new shows up.
This is a conservative area and most of these people will know each other, if only slightly. We don’t have a secret handshake, but it’s pretty damn close to that. I think the political minority status tends to drive people (who maybe have nothing else in common) together, like circling the wagons :)
rikyrah
F— Kasich
let him squirm
debg
Kay, when I saw this story on TPM, I cheered for you and for We Are Ohio. Great work building up the pressure! Stay strong (I know you will).
VidaLoca
@kay:
One of the things that will be most interesting to see, going forward, is the extent to which heretofore conservative people start to realize that they’ve essentially been sold out by the opportunism of the people they’ve chosen as leaders.
Just want to add that I thoroughly enjoy your posts. Keep up the good work, and thanks for all you do!
Jeffro
Melissa F was on MSNBC tonight and basically told the GOP, “Why should we talk with you now? We’re going to get this whole thing repealed in just a bit, so sit back and have a nice cup of STFU, Gov”.
Basically.
LOVED IT.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I think Kasich and his fellow party cronies bit off a bit more than they could chew with this meal, and this is just now dawning on them. The last thing they want is a total rejection of their plan to decimate unions. It would expose exactly how wrong they were on the issue and how much the public is against it. They probably didn’t expect the backlash and now it’s all coming home to them.
Typical Republican ‘planning’, none. They just go out and do it, hoping they can steamroll any opposition into the ground, not expecting any repercussions.
Grind them into pulp Ohio.
Gus
Wait a minute. He didn’t win a plurality of votes, but he’s governor? Now there’s some voter fraud.
Trinity
F the lot of ’em! Don’t back down Ohio! Full repeal or nothing.
Paul in KY
I wouldn’t believe Kasich as far as I could throw him (unless it was off a tall bridge).
I say ‘onward to repeal & fuck John Kasich’!
mbirchmeier
How would he be elected if he didn’t get a plurality? Do you perhaps mean he didn’t get a majority?