Jennifer was terrific yesterday in her hour-long appearance on the morning show "Sound of Ideas" with Dan Moulthrop, on WCPN Public radio in Cleveland. You can listen to the entire show online here. The following are some excerpts from a summary prepared by WCPN's Rick Jackson and published the station's web site:
[About pre-primary polling:]
“50% could still change their mind and 30% are still undecided, so we’re going to keep on doing what we do, which is taking our message directly to the voters.”
Brunner’s message, which she’s been delivering statewide from the back of a converted bus, is that she’ll fight past ‘big-money’ politics and take direct aim at the finance industry - pushing reform by a new set of regulators.
[On banking reform:]
“Banking reform needs to be done by people who have not taken money from - and won’t take money from - the banks and the PACs and the executives of the banks who got the TARP funds.”
Brunner tries to separate her key issues from those of her opponent, but insists that Fisher follows her lead when taking stands, so as not to appear ‘too different’ to party faithful.
[On her primary opponent's election record:]
“The last time he won an election was 20 years ago in 1990. He ran in ‘94, lost as an incumbent, lost in ‘98 for governor, and then when Governor Strickland put him on the ticket in 2006, that revived his statewide political career. But I have never lost an election.”
Jennifer continues her acclaimed Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs tomorrow (April 28th) with stop at the Hocking College Energy Institute in Logan, Ohio.
Hocking College was awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Economic Development Administration for the construction of this innovative learning facility near the Logan-Hocking Industrial Park in Hocking County. The Hocking College Energy Institute features green building design aspects and hands-on learning labs for students studying in the college’s energy programs such as alternative energy, fuel cells, and vehicular hybrids.
Click here to learn more about the Innovation Tour and to nominate businesses or projects in Ohio for inclusion in the tour.
With the election just a week away, lots of supporters have asked us how they can help in these last days before the primary election on May 4th. Here's what we need:
PHONE BANKING: We need lots of phone banking to get people to the polls, and not just in the evening, but during the day, too. You can sign up and get what you need to get going here. You can help people find their polling location by checking here for them.
YARD SIGNS AND COURAGE CARDS: You can make your own yard sign by going here and downloading our great "Rosie" mascot. We've known lots of people who've taken the image on a thumb drive to their local copy shop and turned it into a great yard sign. Yard signs can often be posted outside the flags near polling locations, and you can pass out Courage Cards outside the flags at polling locations of your choice.
A. Early voting is going on at your county board of elections daily through Friday, April 30th and again on Monday, May 3rd (no Saturday or Sunday voting). You can take people to the board of elections to vote early, individually or in groups. This will help them lock in their votes. For ID, they will need the last 4 digits of their social security number or their driver's license number, or a utility or bank statement with their name and voting address, a military ID, or a government document with their name and voting address.
B. On Election Day, polling places post a list of registered voters at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. showing who has requested an absentee ballot and who has voted already. You can be prepared by pulling down a list of registered voters from our database for the precinct(s) of your choice and making calls during Election Day to those who have not yet voted. If someone has requested an absentee ballot but not received or returned it or even changed their mind, they can vote on Election Day with a provisional ballot at the polling place. In person voting requires for ID a government issued photo or military ID, or utility or bank statement or other government document showing their name and voting address.
C. You can volunteer to drive people to the polls on Election Day (polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.--you must be in line by 7:30 p.m. to vote), and let people know about it ahead of time by putting a notice in your church bulletin for this Sunday, May 2nd. Give them a number to call and try to have a couple of lines open to receive calls or two numbers to call. Give them a definite time when you will pick them up, and remind them to bring ID. You'll need at least two people--one to staff the phone, and the other to drive, and you'll need a cell phone to communicate between the person on the phones and in the car(s).
We'll win this election one vote at a time, the old-fashioned, sure-fire way that counts on people before money--because government works best when it's focused on people ahead of money. Jennifer Brunner cleaned up Ohio's elections and made it possible for thousands more Ohioans to have their voices heard about their government. Imagine what she'll do for us in the U.S. Senate.
Thank you for your dedication and for helping other voters have their voices heard on primary Election Day May 4th. Help us win.
I've been traveling Ohio on our silver school bus that we bought on eBay and our supporters named "The Courage Express." What's it like? Well, it's a little bumpy, as school buses are, but it's one of the happiest times of this campaign.
We have mobile wi-fi on board, for one thing. And my amazing campaign staff has configured the bus like a first class section of a train with seats that face each other between table tops braced with wooden 2x2's.
When my friend Chris Stucke in Mandeville, Louisiana saw a picture of this shining silver beauty that my mother showed him, he counted the windows and declared, "That's a big bus!"
Chris is a bus driver in Louisiana who has kept a correspondence going between a school girl originally from Akron and me, so I take Chris' assessment as a supreme compliment.
More candidates should get to do what I'm doing--seeing people in their hometowns, listening to their stories and ideas and taking them to Congress with them. They've promised me after the primary that they'll bolt down a couple of recliners in the back and put speakers on the bus so we have nonstop tunes. Rick's already put together a great playlist.
As we continue our tour these next 8 days, keep a watch out for our bus, and if we're stopped, come say hi, and we'll show you how we're seeing the great people of Ohio.
Help Jennifer win a genuine platinum record in this online contest sponsored by Blue America.
Just make a contribution to Jennifer's campaign, no matter how small, at the contest's ActBlue page. If Jennifer's campaign gets the most donations of the five senate primary campaigns in the contest, she wins a genuine RIAA-certified Barenaked Ladies multi-platinum award for STUNT -- to auction or to give away to one of her donors.
It's easy and fun, you can contribute as little as one dollar, and it's for a great cause -- helping to elect a terrific U.S. Senator for Ohio.
The following is a letter to the editor by Jeremy Cannon, published in The Newark Advocate. Help Jennifer win the primary election by writing a letter supporting her to your own area newspapers; our online LTE tool makes it quick and easy!
On May 4, Ohioans have a chance to turn the page.
The 2010 Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate pits Lee Fisher against Jennifer Brunner. Fisher has been a staple in Ohio politics since the early 1980s. He's probably most famous for his five-point loss in the gubernatorial race of 1992.
With Brunner, we have found a politician of tomorrow, today: a smart, capable progressive who has run a grassroots campaign that has touched many people and excited voters, while Fisher runs a top-down campaign aimed at the party elite.
Jennifer Brunner has taken strong stances on issues important to Democratic voters. Brunner came out on a wide array of issues with particular force and finesse: the wars, trade, an urban agenda, health care, clean energy, gay rights, education, Social Security, health care, veterans, worker's rights and more.
Brunner is capable of exciting independents, moderates and liberals, while Fisher has not shown the ability to impress anyone but the Democratic Party elite. Brunner breaks with her party on issues of importance to all of us, and I am positive she would do so if we gave her the chance as a member of the U.S. Senate.
Vote Jennifer Brunner and help turn the page on May 4. Help select a candidate who will be our candidate and not the candidate of the Democratic Party elite.
Ever since I entered this campaign, there's been one subject that raises my ire more than any other--banks and financial institutions that got our money in late 2008 and early 2009. The subject has really bothered me, because I know how unfairly the American people have been treated by banks with the blessing and even neglect of Congress. "Watch them," I thought.
I know as a mother and wife, as former manager of a small law firm, as a former judge who approved or rejected foreclosure lawsuits, as the state record keeper for struggling small businesses and as a consumer, myself, that so much has been wrong in the financial services industry--and so do the American people. That's why they went ballistic when the gargantuan bonuses continued to be paid out to industry CEOs and top money managers even after they received taxpayer funds.
John Wellington Ennis interviewed Jennifer aboard The Courage Express just before its maiden voyage, with Rick and their dogs in the background. Ennis is working on a film about how our campaign finance system fosters corruption and what challenges are faced by reformers running for office.
Ever since I met Secretary Jennifer Brunner, I've been a fervent supporter. She is warm and personable, yet strong and commanding. The more I learn about her, the more I believe in her run for U.S. Senate--especially since the Democratic party told her to be a good girl and stay in her place as Secretary of State.
But now that I've been on the ground in Ohio, riding the Courage Express with Brunner around the state for three weeks, I am among thousands of supporters who are absolutely certain that she is the right choice for U.S. Senate. And not just the right choice--the necessary choice.
In a race where Brunner, the out-fundraised and Party-abandoned candidate, could have easily faded into the background, we're now seeing just the opposite. Despite relying purely on grassroots organizing, Brunner maintains a single-digit gap in the polls between her and Democratic challenger Lee Fisher--as well as against the potential Republican opponent, Rob Portman.
If Brunner can garner this much primary support without Party or financial backing, can you imagine what she'll do as the Democratic nominee?
Brunner has exactly what Americans are clamoring for on both sides of the aisle: integrity, transparency, and a fresh perspective. I.e., no Washington insiders. They want folks who will arrive on the Hill and show no fear in truly representing their constituents.
But both Brunner and Fisher claim to be just that candidate.
So who's right: the guy supported by the Party establishment, holding Galas and throwing money at the voters via TV ads, or the woman driving around the state in an old silver school bus, speaking one-on-one with the voters?
And let me remind you again that Brunner was repeatedly told to step aside by Party leaders. If anyone is a Washington outsider, it's her. If anyone is directly connected with the voters' concerns and priorities, it's her.
Kathy DiCristofaro, President of the Trumbull County Democratic Women's Caucus, has published an online petition that powerfully states the case for electing Jennifer as Ohio's first woman U.S. Senator. Please go read and sign the petition, and then send the link to your friends. Here is the tet of the petition, continued in the extended entry:
To: Ohio Voters
WOMEN FOR BRUNNER
ELECT SECRETARY OF STATE JENNIFER BRUNNER OHIO’S FIRST WOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE
NEW VOICE + NEW VIEW = BETTER IDEAS
We are a nation of diverse beliefs and heritages. Our system of government operates best when all of us are represented and involved in the process, yet we continue to allow ourselves to be undervalued and underrepresented.
We are best represented when the voices of diverse groups are heard and Ohio voters seek a more representative government. Women are fifty-one percent of the nation’s population, yet a minority in our government. Among the one hundred members of the United States Senate, a mere seventeen are women: only 17% representation! We need a new voice with a new vision to represent us.
Women have proved instrumental in cooperating and building bridges; we are multi-taskers and capable of handling multi-layered problems and situations. Women’s perspectives should be effectively incorporated at all levels of decision-making. The UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 recognized two platform strategies: First, “Take measures to ensure women's equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making” and second, “Increase women's capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership.”
The Jennifer Brunner for United States Senate candidacy represents diversity and a real choice for Ohioans in the Democratic primary election. The breadth of the support for Brunner shows that Ohioans desire a new brand of candidate with fresh ideas and approaches, especially amidst the challenges still faced by Ohio as a slow but steady national recovery begins to take hold.
It starts off early...campaign days always start off early and end late. And everyone who knows me knows I hate early! But nevertheless, its 8:00 am and the Courage Express is heading for the debate at the City Club in Cleveland. Jennifer has been on the road from Columbus and arrives with The Courage Express in Cleveland ready to do battle.
Walking into the Marriott is like walking into Rome's Coliseum. Cuyahoga County is supposed to be Fisher Territory after all. We're heartened by our fellow Brunner supporters ... men and women wearing Jennifer's Courage buttons and mingling with the few "undecideds" in the vast crowd. It's a pressure cooker atmosphere and many are "encouraged" to at least wear both candidate's buttons if they are sporting one of Jennifer's ... typical, and like I said ... pressure cooker politics in Cuyahoga County. But The Courage Express is parked out front of the hotel and all who arrive have to pass it by ... can't miss a big silver school bus with Rosie the Riveter pictures filling the windows!
Our gal does well in the debate ... Jennifer's answers are thoughtful and decisive; honest and what she's been saying throughout the campaign. Her steely request to be addressed with respect draws hisses from the Fisher supporters ... and cheers from us! If you can address the Governor with his title, why not the woman who refuses to give up and has dared stand against your quest for this seat? The woman who brought fair and honest elections back to Ohio? Is it because she's a woman and ingrained prejudices slip out under pressure ... or is it an intentional show of disrespect? I dwell on it because it's part of the underlying meanness of this campaign. That in your face, confrontational old style of politics so many of us hoped was left behind after 2008.
Today, I join the nation in mourning the loss of a true American legend, pioneer, and civil rights leader, Dr. Dorothy I. Height.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of this civil and women’s rights giant. Recognizing the interconnectedness of the struggle for women’s rights and the struggle for civil rights in 1944, Dr. Height joined the national staff of the YWCA. She served as President of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, which was widely acclaimed as “the female voice” of the civil rights movement. For 10 years, she served as National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she she developed leadership training programs and interracial and ecumenical education programs.
Serving as an advisor to Presidents from Eisenhower to Obama, she impacted national public policy ranging from desegregation of schools under Eisenhower to the appointment of African American women to government positions under Lyndon Johnson, to health care reform under President Obama. In 1993, Dr. Height was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, and in 2004, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush on behalf of the United States.
Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Height for her visionary leadership to make America better for everyone. Dr. Dorothy I. Height was a scholar, tireless activist, and pioneer for women’s and civil rights and though her presence will be missed, her impact will be felt for generations to come.
I'm wearing red today, because today is Equal Pay Day. This is the day designated each year to mark how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man made the previous year. Women working full-time and year-round currently earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, so today marks the day using 2009 figures that an average woman would finally earn what an average man made in 2009. In Ohio, this pay deficiency ($33,628 per year compared to $45,214) for women and their families in real terms means they could buy food for another two years or pay mortgage and utility payments for nine more months.
Ohio has never elected a woman to the U.S. Senate. Ohio has never seen one of its women even win a contested primary for the U.S. Senate--Republican or Democrat. Until now, no woman who holds statewide office has run for the U.S. Senate. Imagine, if Ohio elects a strong, tested woman to the U.S. Senate, how much better its people's voices will be heard on issues ranging from support for small businesses to national child care and elder care policies to strong banking regulation reform.
I am proud of the work of so many women leaders and organizations to protect women's rights and move women forward. And I am proud to have the endorsements of these nationally known women and progressive leaders: Gloria Steinem, Ellie Smeal, Kim Gandy, Alice Cohan, Dolores Huerta, Caroline Kennedy, Siobhan "Sam" Bennett and Darcy Burner. National and local women's organizations supporting my candidacy to be Ohio's next U.S. Senator include: Women's Campaign Forum, National Organization for Women PAC, National Women's Political Caucus, WomenCount PAC, Feminist Majority PAC, ElectWomen Magazine, and eight Democratic county women's caucuses from Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Clark, Lake, Muskingum, Fairfield, Shelby and Morgan Counties and the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus.
So, I'll wear red today for equal pay for women, for progress and fairness in the workplace for women and all who seek a better quality of life. I'll wear red today to show I'm thankful for women--our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who have blazed the trail before us so that we might tread it with courage and keep it fresh for those young women so full of promise who deserve the very best we have to give them. Let's start by giving them an Ohio woman in the Senate.
Jennifer was terrific yesterday in her hour-long appearance on the morning show "Sound of Ideas" with Dan Moulthrop, on WCPN Public radio in Cleveland. You can listen to the entire show online here. The following are some excerpts from a summary prepared by WCPN's Rick Jackson and published the station's web site:
Walking into the Marriott is like walking into Rome's Coliseum. Cuyahoga County is supposed to be Fisher Territory after all. We're heartened by our fellow Brunner supporters ... men and women wearing Jennifer's Courage buttons and mingling with the few "undecideds" in the vast crowd. It's a pressure cooker atmosphere and many are "encouraged" to at least wear both candidate's buttons if they are sporting one of Jennifer's ... typical, and like I said ... pressure cooker politics in Cuyahoga County. But The Courage Express is parked out front of the hotel and all who arrive have to pass it by ... can't miss a big silver school bus with Rosie the Riveter pictures filling the windows! 
Our gal does well in the debate ... Jennifer's answers are thoughtful and decisive; honest and what she's been saying throughout the campaign. Her steely request to be addressed with respect draws hisses from the Fisher supporters ... and cheers from us! If you can address the Governor with his title, why not the woman who refuses to give up and has dared stand against your quest for this seat? The woman who brought fair and honest elections back to Ohio? Is it because she's a woman and ingrained prejudices slip out under pressure ... or is it an intentional show of disrespect? I dwell on it because it's part of the underlying meanness of this campaign. That in your face, confrontational old style of politics so many of us hoped was left behind after 2008.
Today, I join the nation in mourning the loss of a true American legend, pioneer, and civil rights leader, Dr. Dorothy I. Height.
I'm wearing red today, because today is Equal Pay Day. This is the day designated each year to 
I am proud of the work of so many women leaders and organizations to protect women's rights and move women forward. And I am proud to have the endorsements of these nationally known women and progressive leaders: Gloria Steinem, Ellie Smeal, Kim Gandy, Alice Cohan, Dolores Huerta, Caroline Kennedy, Siobhan "Sam" Bennett and Darcy Burner. National and local women's organizations supporting my candidacy to be Ohio's next U.S. Senator include: Women's Campaign Forum, National Organization for Women PAC, National Women's Political Caucus, WomenCount PAC, Feminist Majority PAC, ElectWomen Magazine, and eight Democratic county women's caucuses from Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Clark, Lake, Muskingum, Fairfield, Shelby and Morgan Counties and the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus.