Portman's Got The Big Money People. So I Sent Ted $10.

I saw too many attack ads today.

One was from the Fighting For Ohio Fund, a single-candidate PAC working for the reelection of Sen. Robbie Portman.  They're running a particularly sleazy ad showing a grainy video of challenger Ted Strickland saying, "My record is mixed and spotty, and I can be criticized for that."  The voice-over then unjustly rips the former Ohio governor for the economic malaise of the Great Recession.

The video snippet is way out of context.  Strickland was speaking about how he changed his views on gun rights and gun control, not his economic record.  This ad is pants-on-fire bullshit!

Big contributors to the Fighting For Ohio Fund include the Carl Lindner family (Chiquita Brands, Great American Insurance, United Dairy Farmers, and former owners of the Reds) and the Bob Castellini family (Castellini Group produce distributors, and the current owners of the Reds -- the wretched, last-place Reds.)

There was one from Freedom Partners Action Fund.   That's one of the Koch brothers PAC's for down-ballot Republicans.  (Need I say more?)  They specialize in blaming Democrats for the Great Recession caused by GOP greed-is-good policies.  "Keith," the owner of an Ohio tool & die company recalls the collapse and says, "Ted Strickland must have been doing something wrong."   Whatever it was, Keith's company actually expanded, acquired another company, and posted quarter-by-quarter growth during the Strickland administration.  For a nominal consideration, Keith managed to forget those facts.

And while checking news feeds on my phone during lunch, I experienced ad placements encouraging me to "Thank Sen. Portman for protecting your rights," and "Thank Sen. Portman for denying a Senate hearing to Merrick Garland."   The fine print revealed these demands for gratitude came from NSSF.org, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.  It's the firearms industry trade association, joined at the hip to the NRA.  Are they really worried about the rights of, say, target shooters?  No?  Oh, I see.  Those rights.  Then yes, let's thank Robbie for being a boot-licking toady to the gun violence industry.  Yay, free enterprise!


These are slick ads for stupid people.  I can't compete with Robbie's money men.  I sent $10 to Ted Strickland's campaign.