by on 05.31.2009
By Jessica Wehrman, Dayton Daily News, May 31, 2009 - The 2010 election to replace retiring Republican Sen. George Voinovich is a little less than 18 months away. We haven’t a clue who the Democratic candidate in that race will be. But have no doubt: The race is on. As evidence, check out the heavy influx of press releases from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last week on Rob Portman: Beginning on Friday, May 22, the DSCC sent out a steady stream of e-mails jabbing at the likely Republican nominee. … It also indicates that while Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Fisher are among the Democrats duking it out to see who will face Portman, the DSCC is trying to make sure that Portman doesn’t enter the general election in too strong a position.
Source: Dayton Daily News
by on 05.31.2009
The Columbus Dispatch, May 31, 2009 - Jennifer Brunner says that if she's elected to the U.S. Senate next year, one of her priorities will be to toughen the just-passed credit-card bill to limit interest rates consumers can be charged.
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by on 05.30.2009
By Ron Selak, Jr., Warren Tribune Chronicle -- Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, chasing her opponent Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in campaign contributions in the U.S. Senate race, said being behind now isn't high on her list of concerns as she focuses on the 2010 election. ''At the first turn of the Kentucky Derby, you don't predict who the winner is,'' Brunner said. ''It's going to be a long race.'' The Democrat expects the dollars to continue to flow in steadily and more rapidly - like they have in past races - until at the end, she'll be neck and neck with Fisher.
Source: Warren Tribune Chronicle
by on 05.30.2009
By David Skolnick, Youngstown -- In a Friday interview with The Vindicator, Brunner said, “My experience growing up here in Ohio and working in public service from many different vantage points leaves me in a position to believe that I can be of help to my state at a time when public-minded people are desperately needed.” Brunner made the comments after speaking at a Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber event at the Byzantine Center at the Grove in Youngstown. . . . When asked by The Vindicator if there’s anything she could reasonably foresee that would get her out of the Senate race, Brunner said, “No. Nothing." As for the potential of a divisive primary, Brunner said, “I’ve emphasized to any opponent in the primary the need for us to focus on our messages and to rely on the strength of our messages so that we emerge from the primary stronger and not a party divided.”
Source: The Vindicator (Youngstown)
by on 05.29.2009
By George, Nelson, Youngstown, Ohio -- The success of early voting in Ohio is a key factor behind Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s desire to see the return of paper ballots. During last year’s presidential election, 30% of Ohio voters cast ballots early, a higher percentage than the 25% Brunner projected, and that figure was even higher in places such as Franklin County, where 45% voted before Election Day. “People really like it,” she said. “Some people like it in person and some people vote early by mail. I think that’s here to stay.” . . . Brunner also recalled being presented the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award last year, which she keeps in a case in her office. “It sits there as a reminder about doing what is right and doing what you know in your conscience needs to be done, even if you have to go against the wisdom of popular belief,” she said. Writing her acceptance speech, she said, caused her to reflect on what public service means to her. “It‘s not about creating a legacy. It‘s not even about making a difference,” she said. It‘s about doing the best you can to make your community better for that period of time that you‘ve been given and trusting that what you did will have a ripple effect that will pass on to others that you may not even see, but knowing that you’re doing the very best that you can.” Explaining her decision to enter the Senate race, Brunner said she understood from her reading of Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage that sometimes senators are called on to make difficult decisions and stand against the tide of public opinion “and do what they know will protect the system for the longevity of our country.”
by on 05.29.2009
Fresh off a call for an interest rate cap on credit cards, U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner is urging Congress to support President Barack Obama’s call for a financial watchdog panel to protect consumers.
“Creating regulatory oversight specifically for the benefit of consumers is overdue,’’ Brunner said. “Economic recovery measures that strengthen the middle class are the fastest and most enduring method to return our country to prosperity; financial institutions that have contributed to middle class turbulence, yet benefited from tax dollars and government support, must be made to account for their future actions to ensure a lasting economic recovery and real change.’’
While some have expressed concerns that a new commission would create additional layers of government regulation or undermine authority of existing regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Brunner believes that government agencies at the very least must collaborate on common concerns, especially for strengthening consumer protections while regulating financial institutions and their practices. Whether it is a new commission or a task force requiring government collaboration, tax dollars can be saved while protecting a broad swath of consumers, who are largely middle class.
“The truth is consumer protections have not been pursued or adequately monitored by the government agencies that are in place now. It is time to rethink old practices and move in a direction that helps Americans who are trying to act responsibly, to change old spending habits and to take care of their families,” Brunner said.
As proof that today’s practices need improvement, Brunner noted that the SEC failed to detect money manager Bernard Madoff’s destructive pyramid scheme, despite red flags raised by outsiders over the course of a decade.
The new commission as proposed by the President would regulate credit cards, mortgages and mutual funds – products now regulated by multiple federal agencies.
“Whether it’s a new agency or a task force, accountability should be overseen and guaranteed in one place so that consumers can have confidence that their tax dollars are spent wisely,’’ she said. “Unscrupulous and unchecked financial system practices have clogged the gears of what was once a booming economy. Many consumers were encouraged to participate in financial practices that they were ill prepared for, and as the economy downspin progressed, financial institutions engaged in more desperate and uneven tactics that further tightened the noose—on our economy and on the middle class, placing this country in an epic economic downturn. This is an opportunity to do something that should have been done in the first place and that just makes sense,” said Brunner.
Brunner’s comments echo concerns raised by Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard University law professor who chairs the Congressional Oversight Panel for the government's financial rescue initiative.
In a 2007 article, Warren wrote, "It is impossible to buy a toaster that has a one-in-five chance of bursting into flames and burning down your house. But it is possible to refinance an existing home with a mortgage that has the same one-in-five chance of putting the family out on the street.’’
Brunner’s call for the financial watchdog is the latest in a series of proposals designed to enhance protections for consumers who use financial to expand their opportunities. Earlier this week, she called for a cap on the interest rate that credit card companies can legally charge.
Source: Press release
by on 05.28.2009
By Anthony Fossaceca, Ohio Daily, May 28, 2009 - Well, not really. In one of the first displays of honest-to-goodness campaign creativity (other than policy releases and fundraising items), the Brunner campaign today invited its supporters to host a "Brunner Barbeque" on June 28th. Let me be the first to say how much I love this.
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by on 05.27.2009
By Peter Hamby, CNN Political Ticker, May 27, 2009 - With President Obama's nomination of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to sit on the Supreme Court, both Democrats and Republicans see an opportunity to rally their respective bases. Now, at least one Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat in 2010 is seizing on the chance to score points with liberals and party activists — the kind of people who vote in Democratic primaries — by pledging to "to help lead the fight for the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor." Ohio Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner, seeking an edge in what's expected to be tough primary contest against Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, sent an e-mail to supporters on Wednesday asking them to thank President Obama for nominating Sotomayor and commit themselves to help her confirmation succeed.
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by on 05.26.2009
By Anthony Fossaceca, Ohio Daily, May 26, 2009 - In a release from last Friday, U.S. Senate hopeful Jennifer Brunner gave Ohioans additional perspective on the type of Senator she'll be if elected next year. Citing the rise in the state's unemployment rate from 9.7 to 10.2%, Brunner called on state and federal officials to step up plans to transform Ohio's economy into a leader in energy-efficiency and renewable energy.
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by on 05.26.2009
By Dave Harding, ProgressOhio, May 26th, 2009 - U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner continues to roll out populist, pro-consumer policy statements, calling today for a cap on the interest rates that credit card companies can legally charge customers.Brunner praised the recent passage of federal legislation, known as the “Credit Cardholder Bill of Rights,” pushed by President Barack Obama. It will limit sudden hikes in credit card interest rates, but Brunner said more work is needed.
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by on 05.26.2009
By Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 26, 2009 - U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner shouldn't expect any big checks from the banking industry. Brunner, who trails fellow Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate Lee Fisher in the money race, wants to cap the interest rates banks can charge on credit cards.
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by on 05.22.2009
By LIsa Renee Ward, Glass City Jungle, May 22, 2009 - This in via e-mail from the Brunner for U.S. Senate campaign: U.S. Senate Candidate Jennifer Brunner Pushes for More Green Businesses in Ohio to Spur Job Growth.
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by on 05.20.2009
In a letter to Ohio Democratic Party activists, Ohio Secretary of State and US Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner affirmed her commitment to running for the US Senate and stated in response to partisan speculation that “under no circumstances” would she consider running for or accepting an appointment to any other state or federal office. This announcement comes as the campaign continues to roll out endorsements by progressive and labor groups and make the case for Brunner’s electability in next year’s general election against likely GOP nominee Rob Portman.
Source: Press Release
by on 05.19.2009
By Jessica Wehrmann, Dayton Daily News, May 19, 2009 - First, Sen. Sherrod Brown sent out an angry statement reacting to reports that GM was considering exporting cars from China. Now, a handful of other Democrats in the Ohio delegation - as well as Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who’s running for the U.S. Senate - are piping in. In the U.S. House, Reps. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Twp., Tim Ryan, D-Niles and John Boccieri, D-Alliance, wrote a letter to the CEOs of GM and Chrysler complaining about a GM plan calling for a 98 percent increase in the number of vehicles imported from Mexico, Japan and China and Chrysler’s decision to close plants around the nation.
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by on 05.19.2009
Ohio Daily Blog, May 19, 2009 - Ohio Democratic Congressional Representatives Betty Sutton and Tim Ryan today joined John Boccieri, Sherrod Brown and Jennifer Brunner in blasting the U.S. automakers for a series of moves and decisions made over the last few days, especially GM's plans to increase imports from Mexico and overseas. Their statement pretty much sums it up...
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