Ohio Talking Points

By now, anyone interested in Ohio politics is probably aware of Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's latest effort to disenfranchise voters. (If not, go here or here for more.) But there are two developments worth noting.

First, the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) is actively looking for anyone who actually has been disenfranchised:

"If any Ohio citizens has information indicating a voter registration application has been denied because of inadequate paper weight, please notify the Ohio Democratic Party immediately. We stand ready to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that voter registration applications correctly completed by eligible voters are accepted." (ODP's full statement is below.)

Second, America Coming Together (ACT) has launched a petition drive against Blackwell.

Here's the ODP press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 28, 2004

Statement from Ohio Democratic Party Chair Dennis L. White

Regarding 80-Pound Voter Registration Card Directive

All or part of the following statement can be attributed to Dennis L. White, Ohio Democratic Party Chair.

"I am shocked and appalled by the latest directive from Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell that calls for the disregarding any voter registration form not filed on 80-pound weight paper. This is an antiquated rule and an unnecessary barrier to voter registration efforts going on in Ohio.

"If any Ohio citizens has information indicating a voter registration application has been denied because of inadequate paper weight, please notify the Ohio Democratic Party immediately. We stand ready to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that voter registration applications correctly completed by eligible voters are accepted.

"Please call Dan Trevas at (614) 229-4149 or email dan@ohiodems.org if your applications have been denied.

-30-

And here's ACT's petition:

Desperation and 80 Pound Paper Stock in Ohio

With only a few days left before the registration deadline here in Ohio, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is trying re-instate selective voting. His controls on the voting process will prohibit thousands of Ohioans from voting in the upcoming election.

He will not allow people to cast votes on provisional ballots if they go to the incorrect polling place, even if the voter is not at fault!

Citing an arcane ruling that requires voter registration cards be printed on 80 pound stock paper, Blackwell is threatening to void registrations submitted on a lighter weight paper, demanding they re-apply. There is no time to reapply and thousands of voters could be left off the rolls.

This is not only unethical, it's illegal. The 14th Amendment grants every citizen the right to vote--regardless of race, gender, creed--or polling location or paper stock.

Republicans in Ohio are scared--with good reason--ACT's Get-Out-the-Vote effort is working --in Ohio we're out-registering Republicans by 10 to 1.

Sign the petition, and then sign up to volunteer with ACT in a swing state. Be part of the winning strategy.

By now, anyone interested in Ohio politics is probably aware of Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's latest effort to disenfranchise voters. (If not, go here or here for more.) But there are two developments worth noting.

First, the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) is actively looking for anyone who actually has been disenfranchised:

“If any Ohio citizens has information indicating a voter registration application has been denied because of inadequate paper weight, please notify the Ohio Democratic Party immediately. We stand ready to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that voter registration applications correctly completed by eligible voters are accepted." (ODP's full statement is below.)

Second, America Coming Together (ACT) has launched a petition drive against Blackwell.

Here's the ODP press release:


And here's ACT's petition:

LATEST MEDIA CORPS ASSIGNMENT:

See http://www.johnkerry.com/mediacorps for details.

Monday John Kerry slammed George Bush for his "colossal failures of judgment" in the war in Iraq: In Iraq, this administration has consistently over promised and underperformed. This policy has been plagued by a lack of planning, an absence of candor, arrogance, and outright incompetence. And the president has held no one accountable, not even himself.

What are the consequences of Bush's misjudgments? What does Bush's Iraq look like now, months after Bush's declaration of "Mission Accomplished"?

• Americans are dying, and the number is increasing. Forty-two Americans died in Iraq in June -- the month before the handover. Fifty-four died in July, 66 died in August, and 54 soldiers have already died in September.


• More than 1,100 Americans were wounded in Iraq in August -- more than in any other month since invasion.


• Our soldiers are fighting a growing insurgency in an ever widening war zone. In March, insurgents attacked American forces in 700 separate assaults. In August, they initiated 2,700 attacks -- a 400% increase.


• Falluja, Ramadi, Samarra, and even parts of Baghdad, are now "no go zones" and breeding grounds for terrorists who plot and launch attacks against American soldiers.


• Violence against Iraqi civilians is on the rise from bombings to kidnappings to intimidations.
  Unemployment in Iraq is more than 50 percent.


• Basic living conditions are deteriorating. Residents of Baghdad are suffering electricity blackouts lasting up to 14 hours a day. Raw sewage fills the streets.


• The world is a much more dangerous place today because the president was wrong in the way he prepared for and waged war in Iraq.

George Bush has finally agreed to debate John Kerry on foreign policy next Thursday, September 30. We need you to prepare independents and swing voters in key states by making them aware of the real situation on the ground in Iraq. Bring those up to date who haven't been following the news so that they'll make the right decision on November 2.

Please write letters to the editor of local and state newspapers describing the increasing dangers facing American soldiers and Iraqi citizens.

Here's the one I just sent (and which the Cleveland Plain-Dealer is considering):

Bush Not Facing Reality

To the Editor:

The laughably optimistic Iraqi minister of (dis)information is back. But now he’s in the White House.

Months ago, the CIA projected three futures for Iraq: bad, awful, and worst. Things have only gone downhill since then. In August, our troops faced 87 attacks per day, the worst monthly average since “Mission Accomplished.” The death toll is steadily rising, augmented by daily beheadings of kidnapped civilians.

Our troops know how bad things have gotten. One Marine told the Christian Science Monitor recently “We shouldn’t be here.” Another said he was “thinking about throwing his medals over the White House wall.”

Congress knows what’s happening. As Republican Senator Chuck Hagel said “Right now, we are not winning. Things are getting worse.”

But George W. Bush remains in his own little make-believe world where Iraq and Afghanistan are “on the path to democracy and freedom,” as he told the U.N. Never mind that Iraq could easily erupt into civil war and the Taliban are back in power outside of Kabul.

Bush was on the pep squad at Andover and Yale. But it’s time he put away his pom-poms. The U.S. doesn’t need a cheerleader. We need a real leader. We need John Kerry.

Sincerely,

J.B. Lawton III

I've lauded Tom Terez of AnotherRepublicanforKerry.com in the past, but it's time to do it again. Tom has put together a memo on effective message strategies that's terrific.

Kos isn't the only one who's hooked on the work of George Lakoff, Tom's right there, too.

Tom's 7-point summary is below. Check it out and use it for your letters to newspapers and in your conversations with undecided voters.



SUMMARY

1. Early stages of the campaign gave prominence to John Kerry's Vietnam biography. The swiftboat attack ads, followed by stories and charges regarding George Bush's Guard service, have sadly made Kerry's war service more of a campaign liability than a strength. The solution? Pivot away from Vietnam and maintain a tight focus on the past four years and the next four years. Click here for detail

2. Bush-Cheney have been able to define the context for this election by emphasizing that “9/11 changed everything”; If this context continues to dominate, Bush-Cheney win. To create a context that favors Kerry-Edwards, it is crucial to elevate in people's minds the momentous nature of this election. People need to hear time and again that their vote represents an important responsibility and an opportunity to make history. As this message gets through, people will become more thoughtful and critical of the Bush administration's past four years, more cautious about the next four years, and more receptive to an alternative to George Bush. Click here for detail

3. Emphasize the sharp contrast in character between George Bush and John Kerry. In terms of working style, Bush makes loud pronouncements that stretch the truth (think aircraft carrier), while Kerry is quietly effective and marks accomplishment with dignified humility. Bush is a son of privilege and part of a political dynasty, while Kerry is a lifelong fighter who has taken on some of America's toughest foes regardless of the political consequences. Bush has led a divisive and venomous campaign aimed at suppressing the vote, while Kerry has maintained a positive message that offers practical solutions and real hope. Click here for detail

4. Tell the story of John Kerry's lifetime record as a leader who has repeatedly taken on tough foes on behalf of everyday people. All the details of Kerry's biography fit this powerful theme: his early work as a prosecutor against organized crime, his 14 trips to Vietnam to uncover the truth about POWs/MIAs, his determination to root out corruption at the politically entangled Bank of Credit and Commerce International despite protests from both political parties, his leadership in taking on corporate polluters and safeguarding our environment, his commitment to fiscal responsibility, etc. Click here for detail

5. Continue to expose the Bush record as four years of awful results, but instead of merely citing statistics, provide a context that explains why the results are so bad. .. Click here for detail

There are two main reasons:

5A. George Bush has handed control over to the extreme conservative think tanks. These groups have been busy during the past four years experimenting with the American system and our most important American programs and institutions -- with disastrous results. .. Click here for detail

5B. George Bush has a gambler's tendency to take high-stakes risks -- and his biggest rolls of the dice have produced some of the biggest losses this nation has ever seen. Click here for detail

6. Make America aware that four more years of George Bush will mean even more control by the extreme conservative think tanks, a new round of think-tank experiments, and more high-stakes gambles. This has dangerous implications for Social Security, Medicare, ongoing war, and our homeland security. .. Click here for detail

7. Explain John Kerry's plans by way of a distinct contrast: While George Bush would bring more think-tank experiments and more risky rolls of the dice, John Kerry has put together smart, practical plans that will strengthen our economy, secure our homeland, reknit the country into one America, and put the American Dream within everyone's reach. Click here for detail

LATEST MEDIA CORPS ASSIGNMENT:

George Bush's failed health care policies have taken our country in the wrong direction. Since Bush took office, families are paying a record 64 percent more on health insurance premiums. Deductibles have increased by nearly two-thirds and prescription drug co-pays have increased by more than 50 percent.

Write letters to the editors of your local and state newspapers telling your community that Bush's record of failure on health care speaks for itself. When you write, please emphasize how important it is to you that Americans have access to affordable health care. Think about your own experiences - Do you worry about the cost of a doctor's visit or prescription drugs? Do you and your family have health insurance?

Looking for the emails of newspapers? Check out the list at OhioTalkingPoints.com or use Congress.org.

Once you've written a letter, post it on the Big Board. Click the "New Thread" button

Writing points on health care are below. Please pick only 1-2 points to use in your letter.

New evidence of Bush's record of failure on health care:

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FACTS

• Since 2000, family health care premiums have increased by $3,412 - a 64 percent increase.
• Premiums increased nearly five times faster than worker's earnings this year.
• Deductibles have increased by nearly two-thirds and prescription drug co-pays have increased by more than 50 percent.
• Forty-one percent of firms say they are likely to increase premium costs for their employees in the next two years.

*All statistics are from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Employee Health Benefits Survey 2004

OHIO HEALTH CARE FACTS

• $2,704 Estimated Total Family Premium Increase. In Ohio, the total family premium for health insurance has increased by $2,704 to $9,300. [2000 MEPS Data from the Agency for Healthcare Quality Research projected forward using KFF National Premium Increase]
• Health Care Premiums Increased Four Times Faster than Workers’ Earnings Last Year. Health care premiums increased by 13.9% last year while workers’ earnings increased by only 3.1%. This is the fifth year in a row that premiums outpaced earnings. [Kaiser Family Foundation, “Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace, 2004 Update”]
• The Average Annual Health Care Premium Increase More than Doubled Under Bush. From 2000 to 2003, the rate of health care premium increase more than doubled. From 1998-2000 the rate of increase was 5.3% and from 2000-2003 that rate was 12.7%. [Kaiser Family Foundation, “Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace, 2004 Update”]
• 96,000 Ohioans have lost their health insurance coverage. Since 2000, 96,000 people in Ohio have lost their health insurance coverage. [US Census, Current Population Survey, 2000, 2002]
• 1,344,000 Ohioans do not have health insurance. There are 1,344,000 people in Ohio who do not have health insurance. [US Census, Current Population Survey, 2002]
• 239,000 Children Do Not Have Health Insurance Coverage. There are 239,000 children in Ohio that do not have health insurance coverage. [US Census, Children With Health Insurance: 2001, August, 2003]

GEORGE BUSH’S PLAN FALLS FLAT

• Only 73,008 More Insured Under Bush Plan. According to George Bush’s plan, only 73,008 more people will be covered in Ohio. [Kenneth Thorpe, “Proposals for Covering the Uninsured and Reducing Health Care Costs from President Bush and Senator Kerry,” 5/5/04]

JOHN KERRY WILL LOWER COSTS AND EXPAND COVERAGE

• $1,000 Reduction in Health Care Costs. Under John Kerry’s health care plan, families will save up to 10% or $1,000 in health care costs.
• 812,210 More People Will Be Covered Under Kerry’s Plan. By implementing John Kerry’s health care plan, 812,210 more people in Ohio will be provided health insurance coverage.
• 227,050 More Children Will Be Covered Under Kerry’s Plan. By implementing John Kerry’s health care plan, 227,050 more children in Ohio will be provided health insurance coverage.

Links to additional points:

OhioTalkingPoints.com
Center for American Progress -- Health care and seniors
Ohio for Kerry/Edwards -- Ohio's health insurance crisis
Kerry campaign rebuttal of latest Bush ad attacking Kerry on Medicare vote
Issues page from Kerry campaign, includes links to more talking points/headlines
Ohio fact sheet on Medicare -- .pdf file)

Not surprisingly, every major paper in Ohio today leads off with a story on Kerry's speech in Cincinnati. Akron Beacon Journal: "Kerry blasts Bush on Iraq." Cincinnati Enquirer: "Iraq war costs us at home, Kerry says in new tactic." Columbus Dispatch: "Kerry blasts Bush on Iraq war." Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Campaign battle on Iraq heats up." Dayton Daily News: "Kerry: Bush rushed into war." Toledo Blade: "Kerry takes offensive over Iraq."

Several have editorials on the subject. The Cincinnati Enquirer, for instance, observes: "Kerry position in sharper focus." More importantly, the Enquirer closes by inviting readers to respond:

Are we better equipped to fight terrorism than we were on Sept. 11?" Send your responses to letters@enquirer.com; fax to (513) 768-8410; or mail to Letters, Enquirer Editorial Page, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Why not email the Enquirer a response? After you've done so, tweak it and send it along to the papers above. (It's easy, just click on the paper's name. I've got 'em hyperlinked.)

Looking for talking points?

• The Kerry campaign has a 10-page .pdf file called "Cincinnati Bungles: Bush Misled U.S. into War Based On False Evidence." That file quotes and refutes the arguments Bush made two years ago at a speech given at the same location in Cincinnati.
• The American Progress Action Fund has some great articles: "Over 1,000 U.S. Troops Killed and Still No Plan for Iraq" and "An Indefensible Homeland Security Record"
• Or just cite one of the Democratic Party's list of Bush lies. (Incidentally, ere's the full text of Bush's original Cincinnati speech.)

Ten Bush lies, 1,000 American deaths

More than 1,000 American men and women are now dead as a result of George W. Bush's flagrant, calculated lies "justifying" the war in Iraq.

John Kerry's speech in Cincinnati today outlined just how badly that decision has hurt America. Let's revisit another Cincinnati speech — the one George W. Bush gave on Oct. 7, 2002 — just as Congress was deciding whether to give Bush authorization to attack Iraq. Here are the ten lies that jump-started the wrong war—one that has killed 1000 Americans.

1. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction.

Bush: "[Iraq] possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons.

FACT: David Kay said no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction existed in Iraq. Kay said Bush should give up "delusional" hope that WMD will be found. [Kay Testimony, 9-11 Commission, 1/28/04; Reuters, 7/28/04]

2. Bush lied about an Iraq/Al Qaeda relationship.

Bush: "We know that Iraq and Al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade."

FACT: The 9/11 Commission Report said no "collaborative operational relationship" existed between Iraq and Al Qaeda, while the Senate Intelligence Committee report found no "established, formal" relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda. [9/11 Commission Final Report, 7/22/04; LATimes, 7/10/04]

FACT: A national security expert called conflation of Iraq and Al Qaeda a "strategic error of the first order." [Dr. Jeffrey Record (professor, Air Force's Air War College), "Bounding the Global War on Terror," December 2003, Army Strategic Studies Institute]

3. Bush suggested Iraq might have nuclear weapons and was planning to attack the U.S.

Bush: "Knowing these realities, America must not ignor the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."

FACT: The Senate Intelligence Committee reported that previous U.S. intelligence estimates said Iraq did not have nuclear weapons. [Senate Intelligence Committee Report, Conclusion #27; Wash Post, 7/10/04]

4. Bush claimed Iraqi scientists were reconstituting nuclear weapons.

Bush: "The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program."

FACT: Scientists were working on non-nuclear projects. [Washington Post, 8/10/03]

FACT: Saddam's scientist said Saddam gave up weapons in 1991. [AFP, 8/12/04]

5. Bush claimed Iraq was using aluminum tubes to produce weapons.

Bush: "Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons."

FACT: Senate Intelligence report found aluminum tubes were not being used to reconstitute nuclear weapons. [LATimes, 7/10/04]

FACT: No evidence that Iraq's nuclear program was being reconstituted. [CEIP: "WMD In Iraq," 1/2004]

6. Bush claimed Iraq was developing unmanned aerial vehicles to attack the U.S.

Bush: “We’ve also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical and biological weapons across broad areas. We’re concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVs for missions targeting the United States.”

FACT: Air Force was never convinced Iraq had effective drones. [Wall Street Journal, 9/10/03]

FACT: United Nations chief weapons inspector concluded that no evidence of unmanned aerial program existed. [Wash Post, 9/5/04]

7. Bush promised to plan for war and build a real coalition.

Bush: If we have to act, we will take every precaution that is possible. We will plan carefully.
We will act with the full power of the United States military. We will act with allies at our side and we will prevail.”

FACT: The U.S. is carrying the burden in Iraq — nearly 90 percent of the troops there are American. [Washington Post, 6/20/04; AP, 9/6/04; Brookings Institution, "Iraq Index," Updated 8/16/04]

FACT: Officials admit Bush administration never had a concrete plan for post-war Iraq. [Newsweek, 7/21/03; Knight Ridder , 7/12/03]

FACT: Secret Joint Chiefs Report: Pentagon planners were not given enough time to consider reconstruction in post-war Iraq. [Washington Times, 9/3/03, emphasis added]

FACT: Bush is losing coalition forces in Iraq. Eight countries are planning to or have already withdrawn troops from the coalition in Iraq. In all, nearly 3,000 troops have pulled out or planning to pull out of Iraq this month. [AP, 8/13/04]

FACT: The Pentagon ignored early State Department predictions of postwar problems. [New York Times, 10/19/03]

FACT: Bush admits that he miscalculated the conditions in post-war Iraq. [New York Times, 8/27/04]

8. Bush said going to war with Iraq was crucial to the war on terror.

Bush: Some have argued that confronting the threat from Iraq could detract from the war against terror. To the contrary, confronting the threat posed by Iraq is crucial to winning the war on terror.”

FACT: The war in Iraq has hurt the war on terror. Former Bush counterterrorism coordinator Richard Clarke believes that by going to war in Iraq, "we delivered to Al Qaeda the greatest recruitment propaganda imaginable." [Newsweek, 4/12/04; Clarke 9/11 Commission Testimony, 3/24/04]

FACT: Al Qaeda Is Regenerating. "For the past several months, the president has claimed that much of Al Qaeda's leadership has been killed or captured; the new evidence suggests that the organization is regenerating and bringing in new blood." [New York Times, 8/10/04]

FACT: A national security expert said the war on terror was "strategically unfocused… promises much more than it can deliver, and threatens to dissipate scarce U.S. military and other means over too many ends." [Dr. Jeffrey Record (professor, Air Force's Air War College), "Bounding the Global War on Terror," December 2003, Army Strategic Studies Institute]

FACT: Troops were diverted from Bin Laden hunt to Iraq. [USA Today, 3/29/04, KnightRidder/Tribune News Service 9/5/03]

FACT: Franks told Graham that resources were being diverted to Iraq 14 months before the invasion. [AP, 9/5/04]

9. Bush said the Congressional vote on Iraq would not necessarily lead to war.

Bush: "Approving this [Congressional] resolution [authorizing war] does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable."

FACT: Bush mischaracterized Kerry's vote. [Bush remarks, 9/1/04]

10. Bush claimed Iraq possessed long-range missiles that could threaten Americans living in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and other nations.

Bush: "Iraq possesses ballistic missiles with a likely range of hundreds of miles – far enough to strike Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and other nations – in a region where more than 135,000 American civilians and service members live and work.”

FACT: Inspectors Findings Disprove Bush Claims "Inspectors have found that the Al Samoud-2 missiles can travel less than 200 miles — not far enough to hit the targets Bush named. Iraq has not accounted for 14 medium-range Scud missiles from the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but the administration has not presented any evidence that they still exist." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]

http://www.johnkerry.com/mediacorps

The Republican Party predictably turned to using September 11 and the politics of fear and attack this week in an attempt to re-characterize the Bush presidency as less extreme. Thursday night, President Bush did his best to mask his "compassionate conservative" agenda in an attempt to appeal to Independents and moderates.

Don't let the voters (especially the undecided ones) in your community be fooled. Write letters to the editors of your local and state newspapers about Bush's record of repeated failures on the important issues -- education, health care, the economy and jobs, and foreign policy.

Writing points on education, health care, the economy and jobs, and foreign policy are below. Please pick only 1-2 points to use in your letter.

The Bush-Cheney Record: Four Years of Failing the Middle-Class

The Bush Economy: Fewer Jobs, Smaller Paychecks
Under George Bush, the American economy has lost 1.8 million private sector jobs.
Under George Bush, the Administration has supported tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.
Under George Bush, family income has declined by $1,500 a year.
Under George Bush, jobs are shifting to industries that pay $9,160 less than jobs in contracting industries and are less likely to provide health insurance.

The Bush Health Care Plan: High Costs
Under the Bush administration, health insurance premiums have gone up by 50 percent.
The Bush administration has prohibited American patients from buying cheaper prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.
The Bush prescription drug plan helps drug companies increase their profits, instead of helping America's seniors.

The Bush Education Plan: Leaving Schools Behind
George Bush failed to provide the resources necessary for schools to meet the new requirements of The No Child Left Behind Act . As a result, schools are being punished, but not supported.
George Bush is slamming the doors of colleges shut at a time when college is more important than ever. Over the last three years, tuition at a public university has increased by a record 35% -- over $1,200.
George Bush has not adequately funded the development of sound tests and has failed to address schools' reliance on the fill-in-the-bubble exercises that undercut true learning.

Bush's Foreign Policy: World View
George Bush has rushed us to war in Iraq without a plan to win the peace, a decision that has cost Americans 90% of both the casualties and the cost.
George Bush supports a loner foreign policy that weakens the war against terror. Now, he says we can't win that war.
The Bush administration shortchanged our troops on body armor and benefits but rewarded Cheney's former company, Halliburton, with a contract worth billions for the reconstruction of Iraq.