Josh Mandel: Not Ready for Prime-Time

Josh Mandel

Josh and Ilana Mandel

Ohio's Treasurer, Josh Mandel, has set a record. He is the first Ohio Treasurer to never attend a meeting of the Board of Deposits; he has missed 14 in a row. “Josh Mandel's complete and total neglect of his job as Treasurer is a constant reminder of how unfit he is for public office and his obsession with a promotion is evidence of just how little he cares about his obligation to Ohio's taxpayers,” said Justin Barasky, Ohio Democratic Party press secretary, in a statement. “There's not a Treasurer in America more willfully neglecting his responsibilities as a public servant and it's far past time for Josh Mandel to check his out of control political ambition at the door and start putting Ohioans first."

When campaigning for Ohio Treasurer, Mandel promised to serve out the full term as Treasurer, but within 83 days he was running for the U.S Seante against Senator Sherrod Brown.  [AP, 8/30/11]

His travels after the election have been a source of concern:

• Immediately after Josh Mandel took office, he started using leftover campaign funds from his Treasurer’s race to fly around the country to line up donors for his upcoming Senate race.  Federal law clearly states that state campaign funds can’t be used for federal campaign activity.

• Just days after registering with the FEC, donations started pouring in from cities Mandel had visited on the state campaign account’s dime.

• Mandel claimed that the out of state travel was for state business, but the trips never showed up on his official state schedule, a point that proves these early out of state trips were purely political.    ( Toledo Blade, June, 2011, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August, 2011, dscc, March1,2012)

Another matter of concern: Mandel submitted his personal financial disclosure form nearly eight months after it was due.  On November 4, 2011, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that  “Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012, on Friday released a copy of his delinquent personal financial disclosure report, a 47-page document showing his wife to be a millionaire with extensive investments held in a family trust.. Mandel's personal financial report was due to the Senate clerk on May 15, little more than a month after he signed candidacy papers on April 5. But he said the complexity and structure of his wife's finances presented questions he needed to resolve in order to file the form correctly."


Mandel married Ilana Shafran in Jerusalem in 2008. She is a self-employed fashion consultant and related to the Ratner family who control Forest City Enterprises. (Forest City owns the building in which the casino, Rock Ohio Ceasars, is located) She is worth from $1.9 to $7 million based on investments held in a family trust.


Prior to their marriage, Mandel, served in the U.S. Marine Reserves with a tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2007. He  began running for public office at age 25 winning a seat on Lyndhurst City Council, and he has been running for public office ever since. He received a B.A degree from Ohio State and a law degree from Case Western. He was elected to the Ohio House in 2006, but did not finish his second term in order to become Ohio Treasurer.

Mandel's conservative ideology has been questioned  because of his family's ties and financial contributions to liberal democtrats. Also, as an OSU student Mandel helped organize an Al Gore rally and is seen in a photo cheering for Al Gore. On another occasion he advocated domestic partnerships for gays. (Conservative Outlooks, Carol Greenberg, July 14,2011)


Described as a "cocky frat boy," Josh seems ill-prepared for the U.S. Senate. In an Atlantic interview with Molly Boll (3/5/2012) Mr. Mandel had no opinion on the following issues:
--contraception policy.
--Rush Limbaugh's labeling Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute." 
--a senate vote to allow employer to drop health insurance coverage for religious reasons.
--the President's rescue of the auto industry.
Perhaps, his contributors and handlers had not yet told him what his positions were going to be.


On the other hand, Josh was very clear about his support of Kasich's SB5 which would have stripped teachers, police, and firefighters of their rights to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions.  Josh informed us, "Well, I am supportive of Senate Bill 5..." Fortunately, Ohio voters soundly defeated it in the November, 2011, election. (ThinkProgressive, 11/4/2012)


And of course, following Mitt Romney and the other Republicans, Mandel opposed the President's efforts to bring back the American auto industry. He would have preferred to watch the industry go down the tubes.


Since his election to the Treasurer's office, Mandel has been accumulating a large war chest in his attempt to unseat Sherrod Brown, and he easily won the GOP primary on March 6, 2012. It has become quite clear that Josh ran for state office only as a stepping stone to the U.S. Senate, and with conservative Republicans across the country hoping to replace Sherrod Brown, Mandel is the recipent of large amounts out-of-state money.


Since Josh Mandel has shown he is incapable of handling his present job and is not able to take a stand on the issues of the day, why would the voters of Ohio choose to send him to the U.S. Senate? It appears Mr. Mandel is more interested in his own welfare and that of his financial backers rather than the "general welfare" as required by the U.S. Constitution.

Private Prisons in Ohio: a Dangerous Proposal

Governor Kasich came into office with his infamous "school bus" mentality -- either join me on the bus or get run over by it. Since Ohioans decisively defeated his anti-union legislation (SB5), the gov is no longer making references to the bus, but he and his Republican cronies in the legislature are continuing to push forward with the Koch Bros. inspired agenda of privatizing every thing in the state that is not nailed down.

In fact, right now the governor has on his desk a proposal from a corporation named the Corrections Corporation of America. They want to buy and operate the prisons in Ohio  - if the state agrees to keep the prisons at least 90% full. The proposal would allow the Corrections Corporation of America to profit from increased incarcerations. The whole concept of a corrections system is bastardized once the state incentivizes incarceration. The State of Ohio would be promising to incarcerate a fixed number of its citizens at any one time.  One would hope that the state's goal is to lower the number of inmates rather than be obligated to a private corporation to fulfill a quota.

The disaster of privatization came to light last year in Luzerne county Pennsylvania. Judge Mark Ciavarella was convicted of racketeering in connection with the "kids-for-cash" scheme. "A private prison developer was paying him while he sentenced thousands of juveniles to unwarranted jail time." (Anthony D. Romero,3/8/2012)

And then there is the whole issue of oversight. Who is going to have responsibility for prison conditions? Is the governor going to ask our judges to hand our citizens over to this private corporation and blindly trust that a for-profit prison will provide a decent and humane atmosphere? Let us not forget what drives a "for-profit" company, money and greed. Would the for-profit corporation fire the current prison employees? Would they hire non-union workers? Should private companies make money from incarceration? And what are they going to do differently to make a profit?

Democracy has run amuck when a country or a state incentivizes incarceration.

If you would like to share your concerns with the governor, his office's phone number is: 614-466-3555.

(For information on the Pennsylvania judge, cf. Christian Science Monitor, 8/11/2012)

Racism and Anti-Immigration Laws

John Tanton
"Anti-Immigrant Architect"

Apparently it has become quite common for politicians, be they governors or legislators,  to propose legislation written by some unknown person or organization promoting a particlar cause. The anti-labor legislation proposed by John Kasich (OH) and Scott Walker (WI) was drafted by background groups with ties to the Koch brothers.


Another agregious case is that of Arizona's "papers, please" anti-immigrant 2010 law (SB 1070). According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the law "was largely the result of years of groundwork by a network of groups launched by a man - retired Michigan ophthalmologist John Tanton - with longstanding ties to white supremacists." The actual legislation was the work of a lawyer (Kris Kobach) affiliated with Tanton's organization, Federation for Ammerican Immigration Reform (FAIR). SPLC identified FAIR as a hate group in 2007.


"John Tanton is the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement, according to Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC' Intelligence Project. "The organizations he founded have done more to inject fear and bigotry into the immigration debate than any other."


Beirich's research "showed that Tanton was at the heart of the white nationalist scene for decades. In a 1993 letter, Tanton wrote of his fears that "European-American society" was being threatened by non-white immigration. In another memo he warned of the coming "Latino onslaught."


And Arizona was just the beginning. Utah, Georgia, Alabama, and Indiana have passed SB 1070 style bills while six other states are considering similar bills. Federal judges have temporarily blocked elements of each state law until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the challenges to Arizona's law.


Most observers realize that racism plays a role in the anti-immigration debate, but didn't realize that white supremacists were writing the legislation that local politicians were approving. Perhaps it's time that,  when legislation is proposed, there be full disclosure as to the actual authors and contributors.


(Above quotations and more detail at: "SPLC Report," February, 2012)

Geek Squad to the Rescue

After years of experience dealing with computer "help centers" in India or wherever our computer companies have found people willing to work for less than minimal wages, I was amazed with my experience today with the Geek Squad at Best Buy.


Last spring after my previous HP computer bit the dust after only three years, I went to Best Buy and purchased a Toshiba laptop at a very attractive price. When the quite knowledgeable salesman suggested that I purchase the Geek Squad assistance package, I was ready. "What are you talking about" I asked. "Why would I buy this computer? Apparently you have no confidence in this or you would not try to sell me insurance. Why do I want a laptop that you are suggesting will need repairs within the first three years? "
      "It's my job," he said, "to make you aware of the possibilities. This is a good laptop and hopefully you will not have any problems for years."
      " I certainly would not buy it," I said,  "if I thought it was a piece of crap that I had to buy your insurance for."
      "No problem, sir. I was just mentioning what was available."


At that point, my wife, Sandy, cleared her throat and said, "Dear, maybe we should discuss this." Immediately, based on past experience, I'm thinking: Damn, she is going to talk me into signing up for the damn Geek Squad. Then she  recalled in great detail how I had spent the larger part of two days on the phone with HP technicians who were charging me for their help before they informed me that my computer was dead. Needless to say, before we left the Best Buy showroom, I had reluctantly and under duress purchased a Geek Squad contract


Yesterday, after I had unsuccessfully tried to download an anti-virus update,  I was unable to open my Quicken account and   turned the computer off. Today when I turned it on, I could not move the cursor and therefore was unable to do anything.


Swearing under my breath with visions of being without my laptop for 5 to 7 days, I loaded it up with the  accompanying paperwork and took it to the nearest Best Buy store located on Monroe St. in Toledo. The store was busy and I had to wait about ten minutes to talk to the first available geek. Actually Andrew did not fit my preconceived stereotype. He was an attractive young man with an athletic build and a pleasant personality. Frankly, I was expecting a couch potato with a pocket protector who refused to make eye contact.


Furthermore I expected Andrew to do some paper work, throw my laptop on the shelf, and inform me they would contact me after they had a chance to look at it, I was surprised when Andrew asked my permission to turn on the laptop at which point he began analyzing it right there on the counter. He soon informed me, "The good news is that's its not a hardware problem. Let me see what I can do about the software problem." He inserted a disc and began working his magic. After about fifteen minutes, he looked up and said, "Okay, you're back in business. Do you have any other issues I could help you with?" I was tempted to ask him to do something about my arthritic shoulder, but instead, I mentioned two other computer-related problems I was having with my anti-virus program. He solved both problems, and I was out of the door at no charge with my functioning laptop in less than an hour. 


I am still wary of purchasing service contracts for mechanical and electronic items, but in this case I am grateful Sandy "convinced" me.

Police and Their Toys

The City of Toledo Police Deapartment with the complicity Toledo City Council is purchasing $914,000 worth of security cameras to place around the city. These are the same people who earlier chose to spend $208,000 on nine Harley-Davidson motorcycles to reinstate a police motorcycle unit that had been discontinued in 2004 because of budgetary constraints.  Apparently, in 2012 the city has no budgetary constraints. We will have fewer police officers on the street in 2012, but we will have our police toys. Also, this is the same police department that needed a mounted police unit,  only to dismantle it a few years later.


Why stop with Harleys and cameras? Perhaps we could purchase a few drone aircraft to keep an eye on the city? And while we're at it, why not get us an aircraft carrier equipped with Blackhawk helicopters for the Maumee River?


As for the motorcycles,  it is interesting that Toledo is purchasing new Harleys while other departments across the country are eliminating motorcycle units. Why not purchase the used ones that are already equipped from the cities getting rid of them? Just a thought. Might cost significantly less. Then, in a few, years when we decide we don't need motorcycles, the loss would not be as significant.


As for the $914,000 cameras, it is more than just a matter of dollars and cents. Anyone who has read and understood George Orwell's 1984 can appreciate the concerns about Big Brother. Even ignoring the issues of privacy, the effectiveness of these cameras is highly suspect.


Defenders of these cameras suggest they are necessary in stopping and solving crime. However, a study of London's widespread use of CCTV cameras found that "for every 1,000 cameras installed, only one crime has been solved." The study also found that the cameras were useful in catching "just 8 of 269 suspected robberies." The report also found " that while cameras could have a marked effect on reducing vehicle crime, there was little evidence they prevented violent crime."


"Meta-analyses from the UK, along with preliminary findings from the US, indicate strongly that video

surveillance has little to no positive impact on crime." (ACLU)  

In addition, some police suspect that the presence of cameras simply moves crime from a camera area to a nearby area. Also, the London study  found that increasing street illumination was more effective than cameras in reducing illegal activities. Perhaps Toledo would get more bang for its  buck if it would replace burnt-out street lights and actually increase street lighting in high-crime areas. Ironically this city cannot keep the lights on one of its signature bridges lit, but wants to spend money on Harleys and cameras.


Personally, I can understand the police department's fascination with toys, but I don't purchase toys when I can't replace the light bulbs in my home.


P.S. Some one will point out that the city may be able to acquire a "grant" to cover the cost of these toys, as though a "grant' is manna from heaven. The last time I checked the "grant' is still taxpayers' money


(The London Report is from the August 14, 2002, Home Office Study. Other detail derived from The Toledo Blade.)

Can the Roberts' Court Have it Both Ways?

John Roberts, Jr.
Chief Justice of Supreme Court

Today (2/28/2012) the United States Supreme Court heard testimony in the Koibel vs. Royal Dutch Petroleum case. And, as expected, the conservative majority of Justice Roberts appeared to favor the argument that corporations do not have the same responsibility and culpability as individual persons. Please recall that these same five conservative judges ruled in Citizens United that "corporations are persons," as Mitt Romney contends, and as such are able to donate as much undisclosed money to political campaigns as they choose.

Big business and huge corporations have won the day. All their efforts to get these five conservative Republican judges seated have paid off. What a deal. They rule that corporations are persons so that they can pump millions and billions of dollars into the electoral process to influence elections, but on the other hand, corporations do not have the same responsibilities as persons in terms of human rights abuse.

And, then we are surprised that some people around the world question our concept of democracy.

Please be advised that I am presuming in this case, as in the past,  that, based on the comments of  the justices, the five conservative justices will side with the corporations. I can only hope that my presumption will be proven incorrect.

What is Richard Santorum About?

Straight and Narrow
Ricky Santorum

In response to the emailer who wanted to know why  I wrote about Romney, Gingrich, Perry, Cain and Rubio, but I ignored Ricky Santorum: I apologize. It never occurred to me that the Republican Party was so far out there that he would be a factor at this stage of the primaries. I am not sure whether that makes me an idiot or  that the Republicans are still searching for some one else other than Willy Mitt Romney. Whatever, I was wrong and Richard John Santorum  is a serious contender in this year's bizarre primary. That being the case, I must ask: "Who is this guy and what does he want?" (I will not comment on another Republican politician choosing not to use his given first name. I guess it is a Republican thing. Or maybe it's that they don't want to be a Dick.)


Richard Santorum, born in 1958,  is the son of an clinical psychologist who immigrated from Italy and an administrative nurse. (It would be interesting to know who the coal miners were that he claims.) He was born in Virginia and grew up in West Virginia and Butler County, PA. where he was known as "Rooster." (Don't know whether he wore Jim Tressel sweater vests back then.)  He attended Pennsylvania State (BA), the University of Pittsburgh (MBA) and received his law degree from Dickinson School of Law. He married in 1990 and fathered 8 children, one of which died shortly after birth.


As he is quick to remind you, Rick is a Roman Catholic and supports the church's stand on contraception, abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and cloning.. Since the church opposes capital punishment, he is reluctant to address that issue, but has indicated he has fears about people being wrongfully executed.


As an associate in a law firm, he successfully lobbied  for the World Wrestling Federation to deregulate pro wrestling, arguing it should be exempt from the federal anabolic steroid regulations since it was not a sport, but entertainment.


In 1990 he was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of "The Gang of Seven." He also served in the Senate for two terms. He lost his senate seat in 2006 by 18 percentage points,  perhaps because of his close ties with George W. Bush. "I agree with George W. Bush 98% of the time, but I say when I don't."


In 2002 he traveled to Rome to speak at a celebration honoring Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the controversial Opus Dei.. In 2004, he and his wife were invested as Knight and Dame of Magistral Grace of the Knights of Malta, a group with its origins in the First Crusade.


Mr. Santorum has espoused some unusual positions over the years, some of which sound more like that of a TV evangelist than that of a politician. In 2008 he lectured a college audience about the U.S. being under attack from Satan and has suggested that mainline Protestantism is "gone from the world of Christianity."


Mr. Santorum tells us that John F. Kennedy's famous speech about the separation of church and state made him "want to throw up." Apparently Rick would like to blow some big holes in the wall that separates the two, although he does not go so far as to advocate a total christian theocracy or persecution of non-Christians..


The Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal, according to Santorum,  occurred in Boston because it is "a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America." Quite convenient; shift the blame to geography and the liberals.


In spite of his Christian faith, he supports the use of torture. "I mean the fact that some of this information that we found out that led to Osama bin Laden came from these enhanced interrogation techniques." Unfortunately, the U.S. intelligence organizations point out that none of the information leading to bin Laden came from prisoners, not to mention, "interrogated" prisoners.


And, of course, Rick is a historian. "The idea that the Crusades and the fight of Christendom against Islam is somehow an aggression on our part is absolutely anti-historical." This is the same guy who now is talking about religious liberty, and he thinks attacking people because of their beliefs was the right thing to do.


He has an interesting take on history in the case of Iraq. "You know we have a game plan. We need to go out there and continue to fight this war on Islamic fascism." An inconvenient truth is that Iraq was a secular nation before we invaded. Now it is a country of religious sectarian conflicts.


Recently, Rick appears to be obsessed about sex and particularly gay sex. Gay marriage, he said, "threatens my marriage. It threatens all marriages. It threatens the values of this country." I am not sure how that works. Frankly, gay marriage does not threaten my marriage. Why does it threaten his? On another occasion, he compared gay marriage to bestiality. I certainly don't want to hear his explanation of that.


Even Homeland Security comes down to marriage and sex. "Isn't the ultimate Homeland Security standing up and defending marriage?" I don't get the connection, but that would cost much less than defending the country from real terrorists.


Of course, he considers climate change to be "junk science," wants to privatize Social Security, and thinks schools should  teach creationism.


On the campaign trail Santorum attacks President Obama on his energy and environmentalist policies referring to "radical environmentalists" and a "phony theology," but on his 2009 tax return, he claimed $3,151 for energy saving improvements to his home as a tax credit which resulted in a $945 savings on his taxes. Apparently it's easier to talk the talk than walk the walk.


Since he was voted out of the Senate, he has done well. He has been a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, commentator on Fox News, and a think-tank leader. When he left the senate in 2007 his income was $259,000 and in 2009 it was $1.1 million. He acquired a $2 million home in Great Falls, Virginia, for $0 and "no consideration" from a wealthy supporter, James Sack.


Mr Santorum claims to "home school" his children, but he charged Pennsylvania for their "cyber schooling." Apparently he considers cyber school the same as a parent actually teaching his children himself.


Writing of Rick Santorum's presidential bid, the conservative columnist for the Washington Post, George F. Will,  wrote: "Santorum is repelling people who want politics unmediated by theology." (2/24/2012)


Some think Rick is confused; he really doesn't want to be president; he wants to be either Pope or Grand Inquisitor.


( The above biographical material was derived from Wikipedia. The quotes, position statements and tax information have been previously published in a variety of media outlets.)

You Might be a TEApublican

While President Obama was preventing Bush's Great Recession from becoming the country's second Great Depression, the Republican party under the leadership of Mitch McConnell and John Boehner became the party of obstructionism with the stated goal of keeping the country from succeeding as long as Barack Obama is President -- a position contrary to their oath of office.

In contrast to the stagnation and obstructionism of the Republican establishment, the Tea Party came along with an agenda of its own, albeit, a regressive one. Although the Tea Party initially claimed not to be associated with existing parties, it soon became clear that it was taking over the Republican Party, perhaps because of a leadership vacuum.

The result is the TEApublicans, defined by a friend as: " Formerly reasonable Republicans who have drunk the "Kool Aid," or should I say,  the poison tea of the Tea Party."

You might be a TEApublican if:

1. you believe a zygote is a person.
2. you believe a corporation is a person.
3. you believe government should not regulate what happens in corporation board rooms, but should regulate what happens in people's bedrooms.
4. you purchased a copy of Going Rogue even though you didn't read it. Not to worry, Sarah Palin didn't read the whole thing either.
5. you believe a woman should undergo a vaginal ultrasound probe before she can have a legal abortion.
6. you believe democracy can survive without a system of free public education.
7. you were invited to go hunting with Dick Cheney, even though you were smart enough to turn down the invitation.
8. you favor adopting GOP-sponsored election procedures to keep citizens from voting.
9. you think that Catholic bishops are experts on healthy human sexuality.
10. you know the code words that appeal to racial fear and prejudice.

Also, you might be a TEApublican if:

11. you listen to Rush Limbaugh, watch Fox News and think you are an informed citizen.
12. when you go on vacation, you haul your dog on top of the car.
13. you explain that you like Michigan because it has the right-sized trees.
14. you would like to build a Berlin-like wall separating us from Mexico.
15. you think it is religious freedom for one church to dictate what kind of health care its women employees receive.
16. you agree with Santorum that the "right to privacy doesn't exist...in the U.S. Constitution."
17. you think sex is all about procreation.
18. you think congress should not remove the cap on Social Security payments, thus preventing any SS shortfalls.
19. you call it is a "subsidy" when wealthy agricultural and energy corporations receive billions of government money, but you call it "crippling welfare" when a working mother receives a few food stamps to feed her children.
20. you want your congress person to abdicate her/his responsibility and sign Grover Norquist's pledge to not raise taxes, come hell ot high water

If you find you are a TEApublican, you have my sympathy; but don't give up hope, there is a twelve-step program for that.

Kasich Twins Hold an Intervention with Dad

There was a time
I could do this.

The 69th Governor of Ohio, John Richard Kasich, was a "You Tube" phenomenon last week with his 100-minute State of the State" speech delivered in Stuebenville, Ohio. Since John does not want to be confined by the limitations of a written speech, he rambled on from topic to topic as his audience of attendance- required "guests" were nervously fidgeting in both amusement and bewilderment.


Having had experience as both a father and grandfather, I was  wondering whether the Kasich twin daughters, Emma and Reese, witnessed the spectacle. Even if they were back home doing their homework, they soon saw highlights of the speech as it spread around the internet. I'm just guessing here, but I suspect the eleven-year old girls may have made the following points with their dad:


1) "Dad, if you think our mom is a "hot wife," that's fine, but don't mention it in your 'State of the State' speech! Mom is mom, and we don't want our nerdy classmates referring to her as a 'hottie.'"


2) "Another thing, Dad, perhaps you need a speech writer. We've heard that all politicians have one. We like your free spirit, but our teachers tell us we need an introduction, body, and conclusion. It seems you missed that class when you were in school."


3) "Sometimes, Dad, you can be really funny, but it's not a good idea, in the State of the State speech, to make fun of someone who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. We really like Michael J. Fox, and it appeared you were making fun of him and people  like him. Also, the kids at school are asking whether you have  stopped shaking."


4. "And you have to ditch that crying thing. We know it's the thing Republican men do, but we are not comfortable seeing our dad on TV crying.  We can put up with it here in the house, but not on TV. And frankly, Dad, John Boehner does it so much better than you. His crying is almost believable."


5. "There's another issue, Dad. It's not too statesman-like to call the citizens of California "Whackadoodles." We don't want Governor Brown referring to us as "cornflakes." But anyway, we have a guy in our class who wants to know how to spell "wackadoodle." He thinks it's a shame Abraham Lincoln did not use the word in the Gettysburg Address.


6. "And that middle name thing. Preppy Republicans like former Governor Romney like to use their middle name rather than their first name. And in his case, Mitt is much better than Willy; but in your case, John is better than Richard. We really, really don't want our classmates referring to us as "Dick's kids" or other variations of that."


7. "Just so  you don't think we are too negative, we want you to know that we think it was a stroke of genius to give the "State of the State" speech in Stuebenville instead of the Capital. We were confident that our friends and classmates would never hear of it, but then you had to go big on You Tube and now we hear about it every day at school."


In the interest of transparency, you should know that I have never talked to Emma and Reese Kasich. In fact their parents have probably told them never to talk to people like me. Therefore, I can't be confident the intervention went exactly as described, but it is so damn plausible, I'm not discrediting it.


The test of any intervention is the results it produces. In the case of John Richard Kasich, it's too early to judge but for those of you who understand gambling, the Las Vegas odds are: "No Way In Hell."  Mr Kasich considers himself God's gift to the mankind and he is not going to take advice from his children.


Their father is involved in a three-way race for the honor of being "The Most Unpopular Governor in the USA," but he has serious competition from Rick Scott in Florida and Scott Walker in Wisconsin. The speech in Stuebenville may have sealed the deal John Richard Kasich.

What Jesus Said

from MoveOn.org

Christian churches claim to originate from the Man from Nazareth, but they tend to manipulate His simple and straightforward message by putting words into His mouth, based on their petty fears and prejudices.