Wanted to bring you up to date on Sherrod Brown in Ohio. It’s heartening that they’re pouring Citizens Bucks into this election, and it keeps getting worse for Brown’s opponent, Josh Mandel:
Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leads his Republican challenger state treasurer Josh Mandel by 16 points, 50 percent to 34 percent, in the latest Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday morning. This the biggest Quinnipiac has given to Brown in months. In May, they showed Brown with just a six point lead; in March, the poll gave Brown a ten point lead. Mandel has the upper hand when it comes to money, with outside groups having already spend over $8 million attacking Brown
Eight million dollars, wholly devoted to attacking Sherrod Brown. Mandel has gotten a lot of negative press in Ohio, some of which has been pretty funny, like this:
The Mandel campaign declined multiple requests for interviews and failed to respond to written questions for this story. After a speech in Toledo on Thursday night, Mr. Mandel avoided a Blade reporter and rushed out of the building through a service entrance.
His running away there was related to whether or not one of his campaign donors used “conduits” to make donations to his campaign, which is illegal, but that’s just his most recent problem. There are others.
For example, he often doesn’t show up for work:
Senate candidate and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel showed up on Monday for his job running the Buckeye State’s Board of Deposit meeting for the first time in 15 months.
He made it in to work that one time. Just give him his bonus already, would you?
And the ads his wealthy backers are running are just chock-full of lies:
Meet Josh Mandel, the GOP challenger to Ohio Dem Senator Sherrod Brown. National right wing groups have spent huge money targeting him, and the race could be pivotal to Dem hopes of holding the Senate.
Mandel has been pilloried by Politifact for excessive lying about Brown, particularly with regard to his “pants on fire” claim that Brown is one of the politicians most responsible for Ohio jobs moving to China.
But in a confrontational interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mandel attacked Politifact as politically motived, insisted his claims are true, and went on to offer a remarkable response. Mandel said he was under no obligation to back up his own assertions, and confidently predicted he’d continue repeating them “again and again” with no repurcussions:
Consider his response in an interview last week when asked again to identify a single Ohio job that went to China because of a decisive vote by Brown.
“If that’s the level of specificity you’re looking for, you’re the reporters — you go do the grunt work,” said Mandel, who lives in Beachwood. “Any reporter who doesn’t believe Sherrod Brown is responsible for jobs going to China is simply out of touch.”
We are told constantly that the billionaires investing in buying these politicians are absolute geniuses, and we all should cower at the mere mention of their names. This investment seems to be underperforming.
We are having a local event for Senator Brown (and others) here on June 30th. The tickets are 20 dollars. It’s a picnic. If I manage to show up (which looks iffy right this second) I’ll take pictures.
Kristine
Adding my name to the chorus, but thanks for these reports, Kay.
Glad to hear that Brown is doing well. May it continue.
And may the Rs shovel many more millions down that rathole, all for naught.
General Stuck
I gotta think, the timing is all wrong for the wingnuts to spread their wings with CU. In a bad economy the public mostly blames on greedy business guys and gals. Throwing around billions on cheesy political attack ads may not have the same effect as it would in the year 2000 election. While attempting to turn Mitt Romney into some kind of overpaid social worker. That’s a big shit sandwich right now, no matter the price tag.
Kay
@General Stuck:
That’s great. Is that what they’re doing? Dear God. What a nightmare. “Please don’t help me, really, I’m FINE”.
Ash Can
Thanks for the report, Kay. Good news — in this case, a mendacious asshole getting his just deserts — is always welcome.
JPL
John Galt would be so proud!
D0n Camillo
You don’t have to be smart to be wealthy in the US, just lucky and connected. About the only good thing about CU, is that some of these dipshits are actually spending some of their own money in the US economy.
BGinCHI
Brave, brave Sir Dickhead, he ran away!
BGinCHI
Bold Prediction of the Day:
If SCOTUS overturns ACA, we are going to have a deluge of reporting on what is in the actual law and how it is affecting individuals. This will be impossible for the GOP to counter once they’ve exhausted the “VICTORY!” dances.
All the money in the world won’t help them if people start learning what is in that law and how we can attack the deficit and HC all at once.
A boy can dream.
shortstop
I was happy when I saw this poll earlier today. I’m even happier reading these tasty tidbits. Thanks, kay.
BTW, whatever happened to the reports of Mandel hiring all his old college drinking buddies? Am I remembering that right?
Martin
It’s 8 million dollars. Adelsen makes that much every two hours. Median household income in the US is ~$50K, or about $6 an hour for every hour in the year.
That $8 million investment is the equivalent to the average person ‘investing’ $12 in something.
And that’s just ONE of the GOP billionaires…
The Dangerman
WaPo reportedly not retracting:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/06/washpost-will-not-redact-outsourcing-story-127466.html
Thanks for keeping the story in the news, TeamRomney!
ETA: Upon further review, the level of arrogant assholery it takes to request a story retraction and not bringing the goods to get it done is breathtaking.
gf120581
I can’t take Mandel seriously as a candidate for one very simple reason; the guy looks like he’s all of 15 years old. In his official photo he looks like a kid dressed up for church. I can’t take a political candidate seriously when he looks like he still needs his mom to get into R-rated movies.
But also, the fact that he apparently is completely neglecting his current job (once in 15 months?!) makes him look like an Ohio version of Mitt; the state treasurer’s job is just an asset to be exploited and discarded to get another job, just like Mitt did with the MA governorship.
japa21
These Republicans are all clones.
Martin
@gf120581:
Ok, who hits up their mom to go to R rated movies?
Ash Can
@BGinCHI: It would certainly give the newsies the “horserace” aspect they so crave — “The highest court in the land spikes the ACA, but did they do the right thing?” Maybe I’m just basking in the glow of the WaPo telling Romney to go eat shit and bark at the moon, but I think it’s plausible.
(ETA a missing article)
Calouste
@gf120581:
That’s why the GOP is more and more looking like the party of Feudalism. Elected positions are not jobs to be done, they are sinecures to be held while jockying for a position at the Court.
Lev
I just donated another $35 to Brown this week. Figure it’s one of the better places to park my cash this year.
Interesting that you should chime in on the theme of megabucks backfiring, Kay, since I offered commentary on it on my humble blog too, in the context of backlash against Tea Party-dominated legislatures. Apparently Michiganders are going to crush Republican state reps this year, which might account for the suicidal move of theirs on abortion. If they’re going to lose, why not just do what stuff you can while you can?
BGinCHI
@Ash Can: Yeah, if he really wears them out, and the money is flowing to him and drowning out their “place” in the conversation, perhaps the newspapers will have to — gasp — report some real news.
I know, eternal fucking optimist over here.
Gus
@BGinCHI: Why would that get reported after the fact when it wasn’t reported before?
kay
@shortstop:
You are. I thought OH Democrats were playing politics with, um, politics, but they filed a FOIA request for the resumes and he actually had to turn them over.
They all “appeared” magically, after months of him saying he didn’t have them.
They should play politics more often.
Jebediah
Perhaps Politfact didn’t notice that Mandel is a Republican.
MattR
Is birther logic infecting the rest of the Republican party? Or is this the new Republican logic and birthers were just the first to employ it?
gbear
I hope the billionaires respond to the continual failure of Mandel by sinking additional multiple millions of dollars on this loser.
kay
@Lev:
Link to it. I would like to read that.
BGinCHI
@Gus: Because they’ll finally have to report on something instead of nothing. Actually, there is no guarantee they’ll do this, of course, but I’m just wondering whether so much attention will goad them into seeing a need for facts and a deeper understanding of what’s there.
They did it for Bain and outsourcing, so why not this?
scav
@Calouste: Feudalism worked a sight better than this lot when in its prime, being comprised of both rights and responsibilities on both ends of the bargain. Not saying it was an even deal, but it wasn’t necessarily as crap as some of the stuff these lot are attempting to pull.
ReflectedSky
While the point made above that 8 million is cuppa joe to the billionaires, it’s still true they’re doing this in races all over the country. It may add up to real money — ideally, real money foolishly spent.
I’ve been feeling quite grim about what’s coming. But it heartens me to remember that these guys are not, in fact, all that bright. Yes, the conservative movement as a whole has strategized and executed its way into a strong position. But a lot of that hinges on discipline and ruthlessness, not qualities that require accurate analysis, among other cognitive functions that the conservative movement and the oligarchy seem to lack.
I’m just dropping this in here because it’s related and awesome. I have got to read Hayes’ book: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/chris-hayes-brilliant-iron-law-of.html
Bulworth
If the board of depositors would maybe pull themeselves up by their bootstraps they wouldn’t need their director to attend meetings now would they?
comrade scott's agenda of rage
This reinforces something we saw in CA: no amount of money can make a truly shitty candidate overcome their inherent shittiness.
Yes, money helps but methinks it helps more on ballot issues rather than candidates.
Yunno, silk purse out of a sow’s ear and all that.
It’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
MattR
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage:
Conservatives look at the truth of your first statement, but rather than reaching the conclusion of your second statement they use this as proof that money has no influence in elections so there is no for campiagn finance reform.
kay
@Bulworth:
There’s a really funny clip where an Ohio reporter corrects him on the amount of money he (allegedly) oversees. She’s just so smug. He accepts the correction, which is truly frightening. He has no idea.
We could tell him anything: “$2.3 trillion” “$47.95” Whatever.
SiubhanDuinne
Apologies for the O/T and double apologies if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but Georgia Congresscritter DINO John Barrow — who already said he’s going to be too busy to bother attending the Dem Convention — announced today that he’s voting to hold AG Holder in contempt.
What a coward. Why the bloody hell don’t these people just change party affiliation to the R side and be done with it. I’m sick of them all, Barrow and Manchin and McCaskill and the lot.
Again, sorry to veer off topic, especially without having read any threads since early this morning. We’ve just gone through the latest round of job cuts at work and while I am personally okay, a lot of friends and colleagues are losing their jobs or having to compete again to retain them. Rough day.
kay
@SiubhanDuinne:
He’s afraid of the gun lobby. They cooked it up to get their voters out in an election year, and now he’s capitulating to a threat.
Ted Strickland kissed their ass in Ohio and they did not one thing to help him. It’s a fools game for Democrats, the NRA.
Ralph Spoilsport
Mandel Donors via http://www.plunderbund.com/2012/06/18/as-josh-mandel-slips-in-the-polls-how-long-until-his-big-donors-abandon-him/
Bonus: and this is Kasich just being a dkhd
http://www.plunderbund.com/2012/06/20/lay-off-the-qb-jackson-didnt-appoint-himself-to-the-state-board/
Maude
@SiubhanDuinne:
I wish we could turn them into little toads.
Ralph Spoilsport
@shortstop:
Right here: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/treasurer-mandel-under-scrutiny-for-hiring-practices-1353196.html
Horrendo Slapp (formerly Jimperson Zibb, Duncan Dönitz, Otto Graf von Pfmidtnöchtler-Pízsmőgy, Mumphrey, et al.)
If there’s one thing that drives me nuts it’s when somebody in a debate–or in this case a political campaign, which is, essentially, a long, drawn out debate–makes some claim, often an outlandish one like this one, and then, when asked for proof, they say, “Hey, you look it up, it isn’t my job to dour homework!”. No, asshole, it is your fucking job to make your case. You make a claim, it’s up to you to back it up, not somebody else. Dick.
Chat Noir
Thanks again for the updates on the ground in Ohio, Kay. I donate what I can to Sherrod Brown even though I don’t live in Ohio. He comes across as a good person who is all about good governance — a statesman in the mold of Carl Levin.
gogol's wife
Thanks for cheering me up somewhat about CU. We did see in CT when Linda McMahon ran that all her money did was put her on TV all the time so people could really get to hate her. (She’s trying again this year.) But it’s still a disgusting distortion of the democratic process. I’m just praying that its effects are not as ruinous as I fear.
The Moar You Know
He is assuredly correct on that. However, that being said, running away from reporters pisses them off – after all, they’re on your side! – and his campaign is displaying signs of coming apart at the seams.
That being said, what an awful job of Dem messaging. Brown ought to be pulling 73%.
BGinCHI
@The Moar You Know: Have you been to Cincinnati?
Roger Moore
@Lev:
I think this accounts for a whole lot of what’s been going on in the upper Midwest for the past two years. The wingnuts know there’s no guarantee they’ll have this kind of control over the government again any time soon, so they’re trying to ram through everything they can think of while they’re still in control. It’s a reasonable strategy, and one I wish the Democrats would follow once in a while. I guess it’s easier when you have strong leadership that gives you a bunch of bills to rubber stamp, rather than trying to follow the traditional legislative process.
SiubhanDuinne
@Maude: Blue Toad Democrats?
Villago Delenda Est
@scav:
These assholes want all the privileges of feudal lords without any of the obligations.
For example, military service, which Sir Mittens and his spawn have pointedly avoided.
bemused
OT but I’m really enjoying Al Sharpton tripping up Mica on Fast and Furious. Go Al.
The Populist
@Villago Delenda Est:
Yes, a lord was expected to fight in battles and they did.
Martin
@Villago Delenda Est: Dude, are you suggesting that a conservative going to France is less traumatic to the soul as some poor kid being dropped off on some unnamed mountain in Afghanistan?
I don’t think you appreciate the hardships that your betters endure on your behalf.
Omnes Omnibus
@Martin:
All that cafe au lait and wine just beckoning to him…. The horror.
Linda Featheringill
@MattR: #22
“said Mandel, who lives in Beachwood”
Because I live in this general area, I understand the implications of that statement. It takes money to live in Beachwood.
But what does that have to do with the story?
Maybe the RW has a point about the “librul press”?
jayackroyd
No they’re not saying the billionaires are geniuses as much as they’re saying the voters are idiots, and will vote for whomever their teevee tells them to vote for if the teevee tells them so enough times.
It’s hard to know–so many falsehoods are part of our routine discourse. (I was talking to a security guard the other night. His union has been without a contract for nearly two years, but he told me that we need big corporations because they are job creators.) But I do think the idea that all it takes is slinging a whole lot of mud constitutes a strategy is misplaced.
rikyrah
kay,
1. I love these reports.
2. I always wanna know how Senator Brown is doing.
3. I am very heartened by these latest poll results. I know how much outside money is going against Brown.
Nutella
@Linda Featheringill:
It looks like the usual local newspaper habit of identifying locals by their address.
debbie
Last week in central Ohio, they were playing a tape of a Mandel radio interview in St. Louis. He called Sherrod Brown a hypocrite many times and kept referring to his “history” of domestic violence, saying he was confident that women would never vote for Brown if they knew the truth.
Hope there’s a response to this. As stupid as it sounds, this is how Swiftboating got its start.
Kay
@debbie:
Well, I would disagree on that as an effective political strategy. Mandel is enough of a sleaze and a liar to get national attention, so it’s not that he wouldn’t do it, but I think false accusations of domestic violence cross a line. This isn’t like when Mandel was accusing all AA elected officials of being secret Muslim terrorists. Brown is a sitting US Senator and that’s an explosive charge. That will backfire, big time.
Lurking Canadian
@Martin: Wait. Adelson has an annual income of 35 Billion dollars?