by Jennifer on 02.08.2010
Wall Street just doesn't get it. Last week insurance giant AIG announced that it would be paying out $100 million in bonuses—after America’s taxpayers bailed it out to the tune of at least $180 billion! Americans are simmering and ready to brew over.
Here in Ohio, people are hurting like they haven’t hurt since the great depression of the 1930’s. Last week a gentleman in Cleveland asked me what I thought the difference between a recession and a depression was. I know he saw little difference, and frankly it was hard to draw the line for him in his situation.
Over the course of my campaign, I have listened to heart-wrenching stories about families facing financial ruin who have lost their health insurance and now cannot afford to pay medical bills for their children’s special health needs. And I have seen small business owners struggling—and in some cases having to shut their doors completely, because they cannot get credit to keep their businesses going (even when they have purchase orders in hand). Meanwhile, Wall Street and the nation's large financial institutions are picking up right where they left off as if the biggest taxpayer funded bailout of our country’s history was just a “blip” on the radar screen. I’ve got news for them.
The party’s over.
The fact of the matter is, major banking regulation reform is needed—to make sure that never again will our citizens face the record foreclosures and loss of their homes that they have in the last 3 years, to make sure that never again will small businesses and medium-sized businesses like auto parts suppliers be denied credit that they need to keep and create jobs, and to make sure that hedging is not going on in our financial institutions that have callously trampled our trust to satisfy executive compensation packages while guaranteeing shareholder returns.
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by Jeff on 02.06.2010
Thanks to everyone for your birthday greetings on Jennifer's online card. Here are some of the messges posted so far:
"We are excited in Washington County to have such an admirable candidate for our Senate seat. We are getting busy and hope to make many calls in the next week. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and get some time to really celebrate. MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY!!!!!!"
- Jane C.
"I wish you the very best today and during this campaign season. Lets hope we can finally have a woman Senator from Ohio. Let's turn the tide here with electing a woman and again have 2 Democratic Senators representing Ohio in the Senate."
- Vanessa B.
"Happy Birthday, Jennifer. Today is my daughter's birthday, too. She happens to be 18 today. Boy, that makes me feel old. I want to let you know that I really appriciate having a leader like you that is truly looking out for the interests of ALL Ohioans. You have my support. Have a great day!"
- Tammy S.
"Hi Jennifer, Wishing you a very happy birthday! Today is a lovely day to celebrate a birthday... I know because is today mine too. 
I live in Colorado now and am registered to vote here (and was proudly a part of turning our state blue two years ago!). But I will always feel that Ohio is my home and I am happy to support you as a candidate. I have been reading the material you send and am inspired by your message. Here is my message for you: I am hopeful the dems come in strong in the coming election, but mostly I am hopeful that we truly can find a way to work across the aisle to actually make some change happen. Our divided government has really been disheartening and disillusioning to me and I hope this can change in 2010."
- Sara L.
"Happy Birthday! Keep up the fight for our future. You are doing great!"
- Robert S.
"I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I wish you well on your bid for the Senate seat that I cannot wait for Senator Voionovich to vacate. We need someone who will fight for us and not special interest groups. I want someone who will work with Senator Sherrod Brown to get us healthcare reform and jobs. Contrary to Republican retoric they are linked and can both be accomplished. Good luck to you Jennifer."
- Pam G.
"Happy Birthday, Jennifer! You're the best - keep up the good work for us and for Ohio. We're all behind you! Best Wishes"
- Gayle Morrison
"It's great to see someone running for office that I actually believe in! Keep up the great work! Best of wishes & happy birthday!"
- Beth B.
"Happy Birthday! It is refreshing to see someone working so hard for Ohioans, rather than special interests. I appreciate what you are doing and support you in your campaign for Senate. We need more people like you in Washington!"
- Heather S.
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by Rick on 02.05.2010
My wife doesn't know that I'm sending out this note, and let's keep this quiet as a surprise for her! You see, today is Jennifer's birthday, and I'd like to ask you to help celebrate it with us.
Jennifer doesn't make a big fuss about her birthdays, but they are very, very special to me. We spent her 21st birthday together, back when we were just starting out. Money was too tight for much of a celebration in those student days. I bought her a drink that night, but I abstained because we couldn't afford two drinks!
We've shared a lot of birthdays since then, and I'm not always sure what to get her for a present. But this year I have an idea that I'm sure she'll just love. I'm asking you, Jennifer's supporters, to sign a special online birthday card with your own birthday message. After you sign the card, you can give Jennifer a surprise present by providing the email addresses of five friends, neighbors, relatives or coworkers who would like to hear about Jennifer's campaign, and -- for the finishing touch -- you may make a special birthday contribution of $20.10.
There's nothing that I could buy for Jennifer that would be as meaningful to her as this show of support from you!
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by Jennifer on 02.02.2010
While today 16 counties are conducting special elections in various parts of Ohio, three months from Thursday, all of our counties will be holding the state's 2010 primary election, on May 4, 2010.
We know that our strength to compete in the general election is seldom questioned, as recent polls have shown. Our task for the next three months is to get past worn out and damaging ways of thinking and behaving that have kept good candidates from running or from being able to compete.
I would be more excited about candidates who reach new heights of fundraising if I knew they were doing it the way we are--working with everyday Ohioans and not big moneyed interests. But looking at the record-shattering amounts they publicize, I know they are walking lock-step with interests that don't have what's good for Ohioans foremost in their minds.
That's why I'm writing you. This past weekend, we kicked off our phonebanking push. Hundreds of volunteers have begun making telephone calls to thousands of Ohio Democratic voters. They are helping us build on our already strong base of supporters. The support is heartening.
But to win we need hundreds more of you to volunteer. It's easy and fun, and you can even make calls from home using your own phone. We have the instructions and the call lists. Make as few or as many as you'd like. Just try it for starters and we think you'll want to do more. You can challenge your friends to a competition or even have a phonebanking party. You can sign up using our online form or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Many are concerned about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that now allows corporations to be treated like persons to freely spend money to advertise in partisan campaigns. That's why it's more important than ever for our individual voices to be made strong by a campaign that empowers us to fight for the kitchen table issues that strengthen our families and communities.
I want to prove with our campaign that good government can come about when good people from all walks of life come together, person-to-person, and make it happen. That's the strength of our democracy.
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by Jeff on 01.29.2010
Looking for a way to help the people around you get to know Ohio's next Senator better? Now you can download and print your own Jennifer Brunner campaign literature.
First, click on the photograph at right to download our two-sided full-color campaign card as a .pdf file. Second, print the two pages of this file back-to-back on cardstock or heavy photo paper using the high quality setting on your color printer. Then cut each sheet into three cards, and hand them out to anyone you meet!
You can also print out the information on the "About Jennifer" page on this website. Click here to download the .pdf file, then print it in color or black-and-white on your printer.
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by Jennifer on 01.28.2010
President Obama tonight spoke directly to Ohio's middle-class families who are tired and frustrated by Washington's failure to take action for real changes for them and their families in these times of great economic stress. The President acknowledged the loss of 7 million jobs due to this recession. He stressed the importance of health care reform to shore up government’s efforts to help U.S. businesses create more jobs. No amount of bickering in Congress or TV ads backed by insurance companies will erase the hardship that families, seniors, veterans and young people face when shut out of health care that should simply be a basic right.
We must not give up.
The State of the Union is still fragile and vulnerable as it affects those still without jobs, families facing foreclosure, small businesses fighting for credit, and veterans and seniors struggling to maintain their health and dignity. The partisan rancor in Washington must stop. The playing field must be leveled for families and middle class Americans so that large banks and moneyed interests do not own our politicians and our lives.
We need new priorities in our democratic government that focus on families and small businesses, not on mega-companies that export jobs overseas or that continue to gorge on the convoluted financial schemes of Wall Street’s moneyed interests. I applaud the President for recognizing that government must have the courage to make the tough decisions that will help stabilize the lives of everyday families.
Let’s stay involved and help make the President's speech the catalyst to holding members of Congress accountable, no matter their political affiliation. We must hold our lawmakers accountable for working for the good of the American people and not the extension of a political career.
The President recognized that our nation’s recovery and renewal will come through government policy that encourages small business creation and growth and our nation becoming a world leader in clean energy production. In Ohio we are already making progress to develop the infrastructure we need to convert our manufacturing base to clean energy production, so we not only preserve our precious resources but create sustainable jobs to spur our nation’s recovery.
Like the President, I believe in you, and I will fight to make our government worthy of its remarkable and resilient people. That’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.
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by Jennifer on 01.25.2010
Last night I was on Facebook accounts and read a message from a friend from the Cincinnati local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He said to me:
“. . . the lack of jobs is taking its toll. In Cincinnati we (the IBEW) have approximately 600 electricians unemployed and 3000 unemployed across Ohio with nothing in sight or out of town.”
Even though the recession is officially over, we’re still waiting for the jobs to return. Right now, unemployment in Ohio is at 10.9% for December, and this doesn’t reflect the additional numbers of people who have given up or are not looking for a job but still don’t have one.
In December, Congress approved yet another extension in unemployment benefits for those still without work and looking.
Now is a tumultuous time. Many are struggling or upset with where we are as a country. That’s why, in part, we have the outgrowth of groups like “tea party” members who are siding with neither Republicans nor Democrats. Many party regulars shake their heads, but maybe out of unbiased human respect we should look deeper into their passions and see what drives their and others’ dissatisfaction.
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by Jennifer on 01.20.2010
After months of building a campaign that starts and ends with you, I filed my petitions this morning for the United State Senate in Ohio. Hundreds of volunteers have been walking door-to-door talking to their friends and neighbors about our campaign, collecting signatures, and building the kind of field operation we need to win this race - in the primary and the general elections.
I love Ohio; I love its people; and Rick and I love campaigning - because we get to meet you, often one-on-one.
But that's not the way the Washington insiders have wanted me to be in this campaign. I tried to play their game-which was mostly sitting in a call room to raise money from wealthy and powerful people. When I turned my back on that, the insiders' game plan against us was to get us out of the race by choking off funds. I knew that was wrong. You knew that was wrong. And together, we overcame these obstacles.
I listened to you and learned what you cared about, were concerned about, held sacred and wanted someone to fight for. Now, according to the latest indendent poll numbers, our real grassroots campaign with a bold progressive message is showing how we can win.
A Rasmussen Reports poll in Ohio shows our campaign has bumped up 7 points and is now running in a statistical dead-heat with former President Bush's Trade Representative, Rob Portman (43% to 40%). I will continue to be clear and unapologetic about my stands on the issues at the center of our lives, because I have listened to you. A weaker stance that equivocates means a weaker showing. And the same poll proves it, showing Portman with a solid seven-point lead over my Democratic primary opponent.
You have demonstrated that a candidate does not have to enter a "Senate-Seat-for-Sale Sweepstakes" to get your support. In fact, you and others like you are showing that candidates who stand on their values win. As the results in Massachusetts demonstrate, candidates who retreat from their values and depend on money and endorsements slide. Candidates who courageously talk about progressive values centered on people and their lives connect to voters who want to be listened to.
This poll shows exactly what our campaign has known all along - taking the issues directly to people has allowed them to see we will stand up for their interests. Those people now say that we are best positioned to defeat Rob Portman in the fall.
You have made the difference for us. We've got a strong foothold now, but there's still a mountain to climb. We're filed, but there's still a campaign to be run.
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by Jennifer on 01.18.2010
Sometimes when you see things side-by-side it really helps you better understand your priorities in life. That experience just happened to me over the weekend, and I want to tell you about it.
I got back late Friday night, after a terrific event in Twinsburg.
Dog tired, I walked into the kitchen, poured a glass of juice, and started reading the paper. The first story was a tragedy - the aftermath of the horrible earthquake in Haiti. Tuesday's earthquake was the worst natural disaster to hit that country in more than 200 years. As news coverage unfolds, the extent of the loss and damage is almost overwhelming.
Then I read the story about candidates publicizing their campaign prowess, one crowing about his new total and another criticizing it as "anemic." They've even been scrambling to outdo each other to help raise money in the Massachusetts special election for former Senator Ted Kennedy's seat.
President Obama has said it's time to put politics aside and help Haiti. It's notable that even former Pres. George W. Bush has said that now is not the time to focus on politics; it's time to focus on helping people. Today is the perfect day to do that.
Last month, when I asked you to make a charitable contribution to those in need for the holidays, the response was overwhelming. Thousands of Ohioans took proactive steps to help others. Together we raised awareness and money for those in real need - and I'm proud of that. Let's keep that going.
With the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday being celebrated Monday, let's redouble our efforts for Haiti in his honor. I just had my staff post a new link on my website, www.jenniferbrunner.com that you can click on to donate directly to the new Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Contributing to this fund will give you the peace of mind that your dollars to aid Haiti will be well-spent and targeted to the organizations that are providing the most immediate assistance to alleviate Haitian suffering. Think of it as doing your part on the national Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
You'll be helping Haiti and at the same time casting your support for the bipartisan cooperation of two former presidents, something we could all stand to see more of these days.
Continued in the extended entry
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by Jennifer on 01.14.2010
I'm dashing off this quick note to you to urge you to be what we Americans are known for--generous--not for me, but for Haiti.
According to UPI, the death toll from Haiti's 7.0 magnitude earthquake Tuesday is at least 100,000 and could be several times that, according to Haitian officials in Port-au-Prince, a city of 2 million which is virtually flattened.
Haiti, part of an island and reachable only by plane or boat, is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. People are injured and thirsty with little available potable water. The quake's survivors are at great risk.
A good place to give is Doctors Without Borders. (DWB is on the ground in Haiti now.) You can also give to Oxfam America and The Jewish Federations of North America.
Huffington Post has a broad list of other organizations as well.
Thanks for caring,
P.S. - Read more here.
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by Jennifer on 01.11.2010
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My Husband Rick and I Canvassing
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Yesterday Rick and I joined hundreds of volunteers who have been canvassing across Ohio in the past weeks. They have been knocking on doors and recruiting supporters for our grassroots campaign for a new U.S. Senator from Ohio who will speak up and stand up for the concerns we hold at the center of our lives. I'm talking about concerns like good living wage jobs, health care for all of us, affordable child care, good education, respect for the environment and for civil and human rights.
Ohioans from all walks of life are coming together to take a stand for a campaign that is about them. You can help them by sponsoring a canvasser with a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or whatever you can afford.
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Canvassers Shane McGee
and Samantha Pribish
in Trumbull County |
When I met with our Columbus group yesterday, I was impressed by their diversity--a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves, students from The Ohio State University, a lawyer in private practice, a labor organizer, service workers and so many more. This is the kind of campaign that ignites a candidacy and propels it to victory--not for me, but for you.
Yes, it was cold yesterday, with temperatures hovering around fifteen frosty degrees. But when one of our volunteers was asked why she would brave the cold to do this, she told the new supporter that the reason she was out in the cold was because she believed in our campaign and what this kind of campaign means for Ohio. That absolutely warms my heart.
Our volunteers have spirit and commitment. With a little help from supporters like you, they can keep our grassroots outreach and recruitment going strong. Please help them with a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or whatever you can afford. Your contribution will help pay for clipboards, campaign literature, pens, sweatshirts, and hot chocolate and coffee. With your help, our volunteers can continue "taking it to the streets" over the next critical months before the May 4, 2010 primary election.
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Canvasser Meetup
in Franklin County |
Whether it's in Trumbull County or Lucas County, in Cleveland or Marietta or Cincinnati, or your town or area, our supporters know that this campaign is about them, their families and their neighbors. They know we can win this election without the conventional establishment trappings, and especially without the influence of special interest dollars. They know that the decisions made in Congress do affect their lives, and they want a woman in the Senate who is committed to their interests.
Together we can help Ohioans have a stake in a better future. But first we need the help of people like you. Won't you help us by sponsoring a canvasser today?
Sincerely,
Jennifer Brunner
P.S. - The willingness of our volunteers to step forward and make our statewide canvass a success has been inspiring. You can still join us for canvassing in your area this coming weekend by registering online or emailing (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Take a look at some photos from this past weekend.
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by David on 01.06.2010
This weekend our grassroots campaign swings into high gear as we "take it to the streets" to talk to friends and neighbors about a new kind of campaign to elect a new kind of U.S. Senator. Now Ohioans from all walks of life can get behind a proven Ohio leader who will fight for our state's working families and stand up for them for fairness, equality and respect.
Our opponents in this race are supported by moneyed interests, many of whom profited handsomely as we slid into the worst recession since the Great Depression, pushing the middle class further and further down the economic ladder. Jennifer understands that it will take all of us working together, one person at a time, to change our government. She believes in you, and that's why she's running.
Please join our volunteers from all across the State of Ohio, for a Brunner Statewide Canvass on Saturday, January 9th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and Sunday, January 10th, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. We will be meeting up at locations around the state. Please click here or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to sign up to join the canvass closest to you.
Jennifer wants to prove that a campaign built first and foremost on people, not money, can succeed. Because she knows that when she wins with people like you, she can govern from the center of people's lives, not the edges of moneyed power. She knows this is not the establishment way, yet she pushes on for a new way. She wants people from all over Ohio to have a stake in their government and that's why she's willing to put it all on the line to fight for them in the U.S. Senate.
You can help her show them that when we change the way we campaign, we change our government. You can help her show them that it's about you and me, our families, our friends and our neighbors. With the help of supporters like you we can spread the word about our campaign and continue to build our grassroots network as we march ahead to victory in the coming months.
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by Jennifer on 01.01.2010
Thanks to you, we've surpassed our goal of 500 new online supporters in the past week. Yesterday alone, more than 200 of you went online and supported our campaign with amounts from $5 all the way to $250. In the process, you made our Senate campaign the number 1 "Hot Page" on ActBlue. You are fantastic!
Here are some of the great new supporters who've joined us:
* a medical technologist from Marietta who contributed $25,
* a pharmacist from Westerville who contributed $100,
* a substitute teacher from Cincinnati who contributed $15,
* a farmer from Bellefontaine who contributed $10, and
* a retired auto worker in Swanton who contributed $20.
This is how we change our government, one person at a time. This is how we are the difference. Thanks for what you've done. I can't wait to work for you in the U.S. Senate. Wishing you and yours the happiest of new years.
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by Jennifer on 12.31.2009
This week, you may have read messages from my husband, Rick, and from my campaign manager, David Dettman, telling you about our ambitious goal of 500 new contributors to our campaign by the end of the year (that is--midnight tonight).
I'm delighted to tell you that the response has been overwhelming! Over the past few days, 367 people have joined our campaign by donating here. The timing could not be better. We must file our December 31st report shortly, and we are just 133 people short of our goal of 500 new donors. I need your help. Now is the time to step up, and here's why:
* You can count on me to continue to speak out and work to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq.
* You can count on me not to back down in keeping women's health issues at the forefront, including a woman's right to choose.
* You can count on me to be outspoken and tenacious in the fight for civil and human rights for all of our citizens, especially LGBT citizens, and to carry on the fight for them to marry under the law and raise and nurture their own families.
* You can count on me to fight hard to protect consumers and small businesses with fairness and common sense.
* You can count on me to make government a force for good to help businesses and communities work together for jobs that will make Ohio the cradle of our country's renaissance in clean and renewable energy and biomedical advances.
I have great hope for Ohio, and I believe you do, too. I am willing to do more than hope, though, and I believe you are, too. I'll continue to put myself on the line for a better Ohio and for the kind of campaign we all can be proud of--not bound by or beholden to special interests that squelches real change for greed and at any cost. Ohioans--and Americans--are a generous people, and I believe in them. I will fight for them every day I'm in the Senate.
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by David on 12.30.2009
I want to talk plainly with you about Jennifer Brunner's Senate race: there is a path to a win, and it requires serious grassroots support.
In order for us to win, we must show Ohioans from every walk of life that our campaign for the United States Senate is about the issues at the center of their lives--like good, living-wage jobs, health care for all of us, affordable child care, good education, respect for the environment and human rights. We have to talk about the things that will make our families happier and healthier and allow more of us to participate in meaningful ways in shaping our future.
We've seen the influence of irresponsible and greedy corporate interests and their Washington power brokers in the financial meltdown and more recently in the health care debate--and it's hurting our country. People have stopped believing in the proposition that government can be a force for good because too few in Washington are talking about things that really matter. Lobbyists, corporate interests, and political consultants have created a self-perpetuating system in which elected officials are so beholden to those who fund their campaigns that they can no longer see what's really important. So many people have become disillusioned--with government, with the media, even with people genuinely trying to make a difference, that they have turned off and tuned out.
They thought they could believe in 2008, but the power brokers keep pushing--and they're wearing us all down--almost.
The great thing about the American spirit is that it is indefatigable--it doesn't give up--that's what made us great, what created the American dream. And none of us wants to give that up. There's still hope that maybe someone, and then maybe some more, will come along who understand that government can be a force for good, if only our leaders have the courage to work for it. Jennifer Brunner is that kind of leader because she understands what public service really means, and that's why I work for her.
I work for Jennifer Brunner because she is a leader, not a follower. She's a fighter, not a poll-tested politician. When it came time to speak up for the rights of all Ohioans to marry, she spoke up early and forcefully. She made national news when she asserted that she would oppose any health care reform package that would restrict a woman's freedom of choice. And Jennifer came out with strong and clear arguments against the latest surge in Afghanistan declaring that it was time to bring our troops home.
Continued in the extended entry
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