Again? Richard Cordray Caught Making Offensive Nazi Comparisons for the Second Time this Week

For the second time this week, Ohio Democrat gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray has been caught on video comparing Republicans to Nazis.

New video shows Cordray at a campaign event from earlier this month stating that the tone being set by the White House is “like Nazi Germany,” comparing the President of the United States and the White House to Nazis and the Holocaust.
 
Just days ago, The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote about a separate video
 showing Cordray equating local Republicans who refused to oppose Governor John Kasich’s policies to those who “collaborated with the Nazis.” Cordray has thus far refused to apologize for those comments.

After criticizing his opponents for using “ugly” rhetoric during the Ohio primaries, it’s Cordray who has now been caught twice in one week shamefully comparing Republicans to Nazis. Cordray continues to show a stunning lack of judgement by making a habit out of equating those he disagrees with politically to Nazis.

It’s time for Cordray to take responsibility for his actions and apologize for his offensive remarks.

The Washington Free Beacon reports:
 
“Another incident has arisen from earlier this month of Richard Cordray making a comparison between Republicans and those who committed atrocities during the Holocaust.

The comments from Cordray, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Ohio, came while speaking to supporters during a campaign stop on June 15 with the Licking County Democrats in Newark, Ohio.
 
‘I will say, that as I said, the tone that you set in government and leadership matters,’ Cordray said. ‘I mean, right now we have a tone being set by the White House, which is absolutely against everything I’ve understood for America. You know, trying to find people to scapegoat and blame? That’s like Nazi Germany.’
 
‘I mean, I don’t want to make too strong a point about it, and I don’t want to compare it to the Holocaust, but it is trying to find people that we can knock down and drag down and blame and say, ‘it’s their fault, not our fault,’’ Cordray said. ‘That never builds people up, to knock somebody else down. When our kids do it on the playground, we tell them, ‘stop that.’’
 
Cordray had previously compared Ohio Republicans to officials from Vichy France, who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. After the ‘Vichy Republicans’ comments were made public Monday, a spokesperson for Cordray said he ‘regrets’ having made the ‘inappropriate comparison.’ It’s clear, however, that the comparison was not an anomaly for the Democratic candidate.
 
Cordray, the former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is running against Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to succeed Gov. John Kasich (R.), who is ineligible for reelection because of term limits. Cordray has received strong support from outside Ohio, including from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), who helped create the CFPB.”

Richard Cordray Failed Ohio Families

As Ohio’s Attorney General, Richard Cordray failed Ohio families by allowing rape kits to go untested, letting rapists off the hook. 

“Due to Richard Cordray’s failure to prioritize Ohio rape victims, more than one thousand additional crimes, including rapes, were committed by offenders identified by Mike DeWine,” ORP spokesman Blaine Kelly said. “Richard Cordray likes to talk about looking out for families and the most vulnerable, but his record proves that he won’t follow through. Unlike Cordray, Mike DeWine has a record of protecting Ohio families and will continue to do so as Governor.”

Background

Under Cordray, Ohio had no statewide initiative to test all rape kits nor any means for local agencies to have these kits tested.

When Mike DeWine succeeded Cordray as Attorney General, he found a mountain of untested rape kits and demanded every kit be tested. DeWine launched the Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative, resulting in all 13,931 formerly shelved kits being tested

Statewide Results:

  • 300 offenders were linked to 1,127 Crimes, mostly rapes.
  • 8,648 DNA profiles were uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database.
  • 5,024 hits on a criminal profile or a match to another case as a result of the uploads.

Thanks to Mike DeWine, rape victims are receiving justice and Ohio’s model for clearing rape kit backlogs is a model for the nation.

Richard Cordray Refuses to Apologize for Comparing Republicans to Nazi Collaborators

It’s been two days since The Cincinnati Enquirer first reported on Richard Cordray’s offensive comments comparing Republicans to Nazi collaborators, but Cordray has refused to apologize, only claiming he “regrets” how his words were received.

Not a single Democrat candidate has spoken out against Cordray either. Does Sherrod Brown agree with this dangerous rhetoric? How about Steve Dettelbach, Kathleen Clyde, Zack Space or Rob Richardson? 

Is the Ohio Democratic Party content with its candidate for Governor equating the atrocities of the Nazis to a difference in opinion on policy decisions? 

The Republican Jewish Coalition said it best:

The escalation of anti-Republican rhetoric from Democrats like Maxine Waters has already led to nasty confrontations across the country. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had to receive a police escort to leave a theatre. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now receiving Secret Service protection after threats were made against her family. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was shouted out of a restaurant. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao were confronted by group men who were held back by security.  

Do Ohio Democrats support these types of confrontations? How far are they willing to go?

Richard Cordray’s irresponsible comments have the potential to cause more nasty confrontations here in Ohio. He must apologize, and Ohio Democrats must be better.


PX column: Why did Richard Cordray link some Ohio Republicans to Nazi collaborators?

6 Months Later – Tax Cuts are Working for Ohio Families

When Sherrod Brown stood on the Senate floor to proclaim that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was not a middle-class tax cut and that employers would not use their savings to create more jobs and invest in their employees, he made the wrong bet.

“When Sherrod Brown, Richard Cordray or any other Democrat candidate says that tax cuts are not working for Ohioans, they are lying,” ORP spokesman Blaine Kelly said. “Since the tax cuts were passed, Ohio’s jobless rate has fallen to a 17-year low, workers are seeing more money in their paychecks and Ohio companies are passing savings on to employees.”

On the 6th month anniversary of President Trump’s signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law:

Even Ohio Democratic Party employees are benefiting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Pence knocks Sherrod Brown in Ohio, boosts Renacci

The Hill

Vice President Pence went after Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and touted his Republican challenger during a speech in Ohio on Friday evening.

Speaking at an event in Columbus where the focus was on the GOP tax-cut plan signed in to law in December, Pence ripped Brown for calling the legislation a “scam” and joining with every Senate Democrat to oppose its passage.

“[The Democrats have] gone farther to the left than ever before. I mean, you need to only look at Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown to prove it,” Pence told the audience.

“I mean, the hardworking men and women of Ohio deserve to know, when it came time to cut your taxes, Sen. Sherrod Brown voted no,” he continued. 

“Sherrod Brown actually voted no because he called these historic tax cuts a ‘scam,’ ” Pence said. “The truth is, our tax cuts are delivering a middle-class miracle in Columbus and across Ohio. That’s the truth.”

During the speech, Pence also touted Rep. Jim Renacci (R), the Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate who won the Republican primary last month.

“I met Jim back when he was a businessman trying to be a congressman. And I love to tell people, I was for Jim Renacci before it was cool,” Pence told the crowd to laughs.

“He’s a leader who’s been standing shoulder to shoulder with President Trump and our entire administration every day,” Pence added.”We couldn’t have gotten the tax cuts done without his insight, without his counsel and without his support.”

DeWine Cleaned up Cordray’s Messes and Made Ohio a Model for the Nation

News broke today that the state of Washington is looking to Ohio as a model for clearing its rape kit backlog.

When Mike DeWine succeeded Richard Cordray as Ohio’s Attorney General, he found a mountain of untested rape kits. 

DeWine demanded every kit be tested and launched the Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative, resulting in all 13,931 formerly shelved kits being tested

Statewide Results:

  • 8,648: The number of DNA profiles uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database
  • 5,024: Total number of CODIS hits from uploaded DNA profiles
  • 1,127: The number of cases involving those 300 serial offenders

Thanks to Mike DeWine, rape victims are receiving justice and Ohio’s model for clearing rape kit backlogs is a model for the nation.


Washington looks to Ohio as model for clearing rape kit backlog

ORP Calls on Cordray to Take Position on Medicare for All

 

National Democrats campaigning for Richard Cordray are shifting their stances to support Bernie Sanders’ single payer healthcare plan. One week ago today, Nancy Pelosi said single payer health care should be evaluated if Democrats win the House in November.

“As the Democrat base grows louder in its calls for Medicare for all, Ohio voters deserve to know where Richard Cordray stands,” said Chairman Jane Timken. “Fixing healthcare is a top priority across the country, but significantly raising taxes on Ohio families to pay for the $32 trillion plan that Richard Cordray’s closest allies are pushing is not the answer.”

Democrat Attorney General candidate may face conflict in opioid suit

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s Democratic attorney general candidate is facing a potential conflict of interest that could affect his ability to prosecute the pharmaceutical industry in the state’s lawsuit over the opioid crisis if he is elected.

Former U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach has professional ties to a lawyer for one of five pharmaceutical companies sued by the state, a review by The Associated Press found.

Attorney Carole Rendon served as Dettelbach’s first assistant U.S. Attorney and briefly succeeded him when he resigned as U.S. Attorney in Cleveland. He later recruited her to his team at BakerHostetler, a law firm where health care industry cases are among his specialties.

Rendon represents Endo Pharmaceuticals in the lawsuit that Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine brought last year against five drugmakers.

The suit alleges the drug companies were complicit in causing Ohio’s addictions epidemic by intentionally misleading patients about the dangers of painkillers and promoting benefits of the drugs not backed by science.

It almost certainly would continue as one of the office’s highest priorities after DeWine leaves next year due to term limits. Dettelbach faces Republican State Auditor Dave Yost for the job in November in one of the nation’s most closely watched attorney general races.

Yet Dettelbach could be forced to recuse himself from the case if he’s been privy to inside information on Endo’s defense.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Dettelbach had to recuse himself from direct involvement in the years-long Cuyahoga County corruption probe when he was U.S. Attorney. That was because BakerHostetler, his then previous employer, represented a company implicated in the sweeping investigation, which ended in the convictions of more than 60 public officials, employees and contractors.

Former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery, a Republican, said if Dettelbach’s ties to Rendon or BakerHostetler prevent him from being involved in the office’s top case, it could present challenges for him.

“The duty of loyalty and confidentiality to clients and former clients is a cornerstone of the law,” she said, adding that Dettelbach could face a situation where “he would not be able to be engaged in practical decisions on the case or make comments to the public informing them of what the intent of the office was with regard to that case.”

Originally published by AP.

Republican Troy Balderson leads 12th Congressional District race, poll finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio–A new poll in the special-election race for Ohio’s 12th Congressional District indicates that Democrat Danny O’Connor has work to do if he hopes to upset Republican Troy Balderson.

Balderson, a state senator from Zanesville, holds a 10-point advantage (43 percent to 33 percent) over O’Connor, the Franklin County recorder, among potential voters in the Aug. 7 special election, according to a Monmouth University survey released Monday. The Central Ohio district has been vacant since Republican Pat Tiberi stepped down in January.

In addition, two voter models by Monmouth – based on a historical midterm turnout and a Democratic surge – also show Balderson ahead, though near the range of uncertainty. Given that 21 percent of voters are still undecided, this means there’s a chance O’Connor still might be ahead, but it’s likely that Balderson has the lead.

The Monmouth poll found Democrats in the 12th District aren’t as enthusiastic about the race as they have been in earlier special-election races, where Democratic candidates have either won or were competitive in red-leaning districts.

“Balderson seems to be doing reasonably well with core GOP voting blocs, but O’Connor is not running up the score in areas where he needs to over-perform in order to pull off the upset,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a statement.

The survey found 44 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans have a lot of interest in the race. Forty-five percent of both Democrats and Republicans say they have been following the race at least somewhat closely.

“Democrats seem to be more settled on a candidate than Republicans and O’Connor may have an opening to win over some of those undecided voters. But the real challenge may be motivation rather than persuasion,” Murray said.

Joe Manchik, the Green Party’s candidate in the race, polled at 1 percent.

O’Connor is ahead 43 percent to 33 percent in his home county of Franklin, which includes about a third of the district’s voters. But Balderson leads in the rest of the district, which covers Delaware, Licking, and parts of Marion, Muskingum, and Richland counties.

The poll was conducted by phone between June 7 and June 10 among 501 voters in the 12th district. The survey’s margin of error is +/- 4.4 percentage points for the full sample and +/- 5.1 percentage points for the two likely voter models.

Originally published on Cleveland.com

New Kathleen Clyde campaign slogan: I’ll break my oath of office!

After yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that Ohio’s law for removing inactive voters from the rolls is legal, Democrat candidate for Secretary of State Kathleen Clyde stated that she would not enforce the law if elected.

Clyde’s declaration that she would unilaterally halt Ohio’s process of maintaining clean voter rolls should send up red flags for voters. Not only would Clyde purposefully fail to uphold her oath of office if elected, she also would reverse more than 20 years of precedent set by both Republican and Democrat Secretaries of State. 

As reported by Cleveland.com, here is the process designated by Ohio law, that the Secretary of State follows to remove inactive voters from the rolls:

  • The state checks voter rolls against several databases, including the U.S. Postal Service’s national change of address database and state death records, to remove voters who have moved out of state or died.
  • An individual who doesn’t vote for two years is mailed a notice asking to confirm their registration. If the voter doesn’t respond to the notice, update his address or registration information or perform an election activity, such as voting or signing a state ballot measure petition within four years, the voter’s registration is canceled. 

Sound reasonable? The Supreme Court says yes. As Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion:

“The notice in question here warns recipients that unless they take the simple and easy step of mailing back the preaddressed, postage prepaid card — or take the equally easy step of updating their information online—their names may be removed from the voting rolls if they do not vote during the next four years.” 

“It was Congress’s judgment that a reasonable person with an interest in voting is not likely to ignore notice of this sort.”

Frank LaRose, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State, understands the importance of maintaining clean voter rolls as well:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision will allow the Secretary of State to continue carrying out his constitutional responsibility, in accordance with Ohio law, to maintain accurate voter rolls,” LaRose said. “By working with the bipartisan county boards of election we can balance the responsibility to maintain accurate voter rolls while still being fair to all voters.”

This November, Ohio voters have a choice between a candidate who has promised not to uphold their oath of office, and a candidate who will. The choice is clear; Frank LaRose is the right person to lead the Secretary of State’s office and ensure the integrity of Ohio’s elections.

Read the full Supreme Court decision here.