Sen. Sherrod Brown will endorse Obama

Sherrod has been speaking out very strongly on trade and job protection issues in the last couple of days, sending Dems a message that he's continuing to take a firm line on protecting US jobs. Obama should be paying attention. Brown will be holding him accountable.

Ohio just found its losing about 10,000 jobs this week, which makes the fantasy of Obama picking Strickland as a VP all the more silly. Strickland stuck with Clinton and and Brown stayed neutral for so long because they're deadly serious about trade reform and they apparently didn't feel Obama was strong enough on the issue. They're both also very knowledgeable on health care reform and will be watching Obama closely on that issue, too.







http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/05/sherrod-brown-endorses-ob_n_105519.html

His history in Chicago after the mills closed will lead him to do the right thing there.

and they know more about where Obama stands on the issue than we do.

If I was an elected official who had endorsed Senator Clinton I'd be nervous too. There will be no reprisals for any of them after the primary as soon as they understand that they will be fine.

Only Strickland.

but it was pretty obvious who he privately supported.

and Sherrod was very upfront with the fact that he wouldn't endorse until there was a nominee.
it didn't have anything to do with issues.

but keep stirring that pot.

Our country is circling the drain. Supporters singing songs, chanting and playing silly games with the campaign isn't going to help Obama win.

Obama has a really difficult race ahead of him and a his ability to win the votes he needs will depend on pocketbook issues. The voters he needs to convince aren't going to be satisfied with warm and fuzzy happy talk about jobs and health care. Get used to talking issues and putting Obama's positions under a microscope.

March, right before our Primary:
Don't expect Sherrod Brown to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama Wednesday, regardless of who wins tonight's Ohio primary.
Sen. Brown, a first-term Democrat from Lorain County, said he'd prefer to wait until June or July to formally announce his endorsement. Brown said, "I think not endorsing actually helped me. It helped me talk about issues. It helped me continue to work with both campaigns and both candidates."
http://www.whiotv.com/news/15490464/detail.html?rss=day&psp=news

today:
“It has been my great pleasure to know and work with Senator Obama. It is my distinct honor to endorse him for president. I have long been impressed by his commitment to working families and our nation’s underserved communities. He is a visionary leader and fierce advocate for change. Senator Obama knows, like so many Ohio families, that Washington has for too long been held in a death-grip of greed by powerful lobbyists. He knows that the failed policies of the Bush administration betrayed our middle class and devastated communities large and small. And he knows that we must rebuild our middle class if we are to thrive as a nation.”
http://www.ohiodems.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=mhLRKZPCLmF&b=3673981&ct=5442511

I heard him speak on the subject in March. His big issue is trade. anti-nafta, always has been. He chose to stay neutral.

Maybe you need to read it again.

Brown gave Clinton advice on campaigning in Ohio during the primary. She won with big support from organized labor, who is also very close to Brown. Prior to bringing his campaign to Ohio, Obama scrubbed his web site of all the references to globalization and put in more populist wording on trade issues. It didn't help. He lost.

He's going to have to win the faith of those voters if he wants to win Ohio. He's not going to be able to spin jobs and trade policy here and Strickland and Brown have no doubt already told him that.

Brown didn't endorse Clinton (sorry) because he said he wouldn't endorse anyone till there was a nominee.
there isn't some conspiracy here. My county--suburb of the largest city in Ohio went for Obama.
our primary was the week of "shame on you Barrack Obama" and "nafta gate". Hill won mostly on dishonest claims.
Nafta hurt Ohio, we're the second hardest hit state in terms of loss of manufacturing jobs.
that doesn't mean McCain will automatically win it. sorry.
I plan on volunteering for our candidate to take back Ohio.

I didn't say he endorsed Clinton.

Do you think Obama will support Brown's trade bill? He says Obama's aides are aware of it, but haven't commented.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1212654744175770.xml&coll=2

Link to Fact Sheet (scroll down)

http://michaud.house.gov/article.asp?id=617

apologetic that Brown didn't endorse your candidate...it wasn't saying that you were wrong.

IIRC, he announced it shortly after taking office when he won his senate seat, before many of the candidates had even announced.

He did give Hillary advice and campaigned with her during Ohio primary. Not so Obama.

The man knows where everybody stands on trade issues. He's not easily fooled, but he's fair and a good Dem who supports his party.

Anyway, it doesn't matter now since primaries are over. At least Brown cares about party unity and supporting the nominee. I'm sure we can both agree that's important.

met with her a couple of times. He's also very close friends with Ted Strickland.

"Brown, flanked by labor leaders including Teamsters President James Hoffa, said the bill proves that he and other leading trade critics aren't against trade but rather, that they're serious about changing the rules governing it.

The legislation would forbid negotiations on new trade deals until the government conducts a detailed review of all existing trade pacts, and recommends changes to ensure they meet tougher standards to protect U.S. workers and consumers.

The government would have two years to complete the review - meaning that new trade agreements could be stalled for years if the legislation were enacted. Brown acknowledged at a Capitol Hill news con ference that the legislation has no chance of passing this year, saying it is designed to influence the next administration."






http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1212654744175770.xml&coll=2

Political Candidates Receiving Contributions/Support in the '06 Election Cycle from
TED STRICKLAND FOR CONGRESS

CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM Senate Democrat NY -- P $2,000 11/30/2005

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/ted-strickland-for-congress.asp?cycle=06


Political Action Committees Supporting
Hillary Rodham Clinton
for the US Senate
in the '06 Election Cycle

TED STRICKLAND FOR CONGRESS -- P $2,000 11/30/2005

http://www.campaignmoney.com/committee.asp?candidateid=S0NY00188&cycle=06&cnt=140&amt=251005&cname=Hillary+Rodham+Clinton


There is more out there....just a sampling.

As for Strickland, I did phone banking for him in Cuyahoga County (Bluest of the Blue) and MANY people didn't care to hear about him until I was instructed on telling people that he was a former pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church....then people listened. He won the vote at 80%, but has recently slipped into the 50's as of late.

Unity is finally in sight. :patriot:

Lots of work to do before November.

I know we're not supposed to take anything for granted, but I'm feeling great about the Dems' chances. It's really a question of how much damage Bush has done to the Republican Party, and McCain has been effectively defined as the third term for Bush. The economy isn't getting better, gas prices are going up, and Bush is now contemplating bombing Iran. Ron Paul supporters aren't happy, Bob Barr will be a thorn in the Republicans' side, and McCain can't appeal to independents without pissing off conservatives.

Why go through the motions of this sham election and just give the presidency to the Dems already. :rofl:

You are good in my book OzarkDem.