by on 11.30.2009
U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner today called for America to set a timetable for "bringing our troops home from Afghanistan as soon as possible" and she questioned the cost and course of an expanded war.
Her comments come on the eve of President Obama's scheduled address to the nation in which he is expected to call for deployment of 30,000 or more additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
While praising the performance of America's all-volunteer military and acknowledging the complexity of the task facing the President, Brunner said the impact of continuing the status quo is simply unacceptable.
"As the cost to American and Ohioans' lives increases, billions are spent each month on the conflict in Afghanistan, ballooning our national debt and diverting resources we desperately need here at home," she wrote in a posting today at Huffington Post and DailyKos.
"So far, of the 4,367 military deaths in Iraq and 928 military deaths in Afghanistan, Ohio has sacrificed more than 200 lives in military deaths and $33 billion to fund wars on these fronts--priceless loss to Ohio's future and $33 billion from a state with unemployment exceeding 10 percent. Looking just at the dollars, had we invested these funds, Ohio could have funded roughly 6 million Pell Grants, or hired a half million elementary school teachers or provided completely free health care for one year for every woman, man and child in the state."
Source: Press release
by on 11.19.2009
By Molly Alarcon, Contributing Columnist
. . .
Ask your female friends if they’ve considered running for a position of power on campus. Ask them to do so. Jennifer Brunner, the Ohio Secretary of State (who I hope will be the next U.S. Senator from Ohio) is an active proponent of women running for public office. As someone with a lot of experience in this department, she believes that a lot of what determines whether or not a woman will run for office is whether or not she is asked by the powers that be. Let’s be honest: A lot of leadership positions in student groups here are handed down. Sure, elections may occur, but for the most part, there is an informal process through which the outgoing leader implicitly or explicitly designates his or her successor. This is probably less true for eating clubs and USG, but it would still make a difference if these officeholders encouraged women to replace them.
. . .
Source: The Daily Princetonian
by on 11.17.2009
. . .
Democrats had their own intraparty fight the other week over abortion coverage in the health care bill, and the battle lines were decidedly gender-based. The fight to include restrictions in the House bill was led by two men, Bart Stupak of Michigan and Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, while two women, Diana DeGette of Colorado and Louise Slaughter of New York, are now leading the charge to strip the abortion restrictions from the final bill. Furthermore, two women, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, were the first Senate candidates to say they'd vote against a Senate bill that included restrictions on abortion coverage.
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Source: National Journal
by on 11.12.2009
. . . Brunner saw a five-point bounce in her head-to-head primary matchup with Fisher since September. That is significant movement. On the other hand, Lee technically lost two points that could be dismissed as statistical "noise" except that he also an eight-point slide in his favorability numbers since September. His unfavorability number is up by two, and more voters now say they don’t know enough about Fisher to form an opinion about him than they did back in September!
Where did Brunner’s bounce come from? Previously undecided registered Democratic voters. Although 51% of registered Democrats are still undecided, that four points less than felt that way in September, that accounts for most of Brunner’s bounce. As registered Democrats have starting to come off that fence, they are heavily breaking for Brunner.
At a time when voters clearly want to vote against the Establishment whom they blame for the continued economic problems, Lee Fisher is absolutely the wrong candidate at the wrong time.
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Source: Plunderbund
by on 11.11.2009
MOMocrats are happy to welcome back guest poster Ohio Secretary of State and Senate Candidate Jennifer Brunner as she comments about the Stu-Pitts action in the House and the untenable effect it has on women's right to access legal health care. She sent this official statement, which we are running in its entirety:
Ohio Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner today called the House passage of a last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform an insult to Ohio women and an assault on the right to privacy -- and strongly urged the Senate to protect a woman's right to choose. Brunner said that while passage of the health care reform bill is on balance a positive step, it is critically important that America not allow the anti-choice forces to achieve through Congressional statute what the courts have repeatedly refused - the elimination of a woman's right to choose.
. . .
"By voting yesterday to block women from essential reproductive health care services, the anti-choice obstructionists in Congress have abandoned Ohio women and would legislate a woman's constitutional right to choose ineffective at best," Brunner said. "The final health care bill must not only guarantee each Ohioan's right to the health care they need when they need it, it also must also provide access to reproductive health services for all, regardless of income level and regardless of whether or not they receive government subsidized care," Brunner added. "Universal health care is based on the principle that health care should be equally accessible to all citizens. Universal health care does not allow income to determine who gets care and services, and who does not. The Stupak-Pitts amendment violates this basic tenet."
Source: Momocrats.com
by on 11.10.2009
In a climate that has become exponentially more explosive for the Democratic party around women's reproductive freedom in the last couple of days, Jennifer Brunner has issued a statement supporting those of us who are fed up with being told that women can always be put last, that our rights can be horse-traded away "for the greater good."
. . .
It's essential that we as Democratic women speak out for our rights and NOT be quiet, and Jennifer is doing that.
Source: Ohio Daily
by on 11.10.2009
The first woman to serve Ohio as secretary of state spoke at the University of Akron's Martin Center Thursday on behalf of the Akron Press Club.
Among other things, Jennifer Brunner has served as a Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge and was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Brunner approached the podium as the audience members finished their lunches.
"I like to get things done," she told the audience.
She said that she believes it is a normal tendency for people to think change will happen without their individual participation in it.
"We have a lot of ingrained ideas that will eventually have to change," she said.
Brunner explained that, as secretary of state, she traveled a lot and had the opportunity to meet and talk to many people in their own environments.
"I have come to the conclusion that we live in a wonderful state," she said of Ohio.
"It's not only beautiful geographically, but we have very special people in the state of Ohio."
She also mentioned its diversity, noting that she grew up in a largely agricultural part of the state.
"When I come to Akron, I am constantly amazed by the innovation," Brunner said.
"People like the convenience of a city, but they also like small town values. A medium-size city allows that to happen," she said of Akron.
She said that Akron's strong partnership between city and county officials gives the city the ability to "roll with some of the economic punches."
She explained that, over time, the pieces and parts for a clean economy have been starting to come together in Ohio.
Brunner said that while she enjoyed being a judge, it didn't allow her to express her own political opinions.
"When you're a judge, you really can't say too much one way or the other about strong feelings that you may have about something because it could actually affect the perception of the people that come in front of you about how objective you would be," she said.
She said that as a hopeful senate contender, she wants to make the kind of change that ultimately improves peoples' lives.
"I look forward to a very spirited campaign."
"In Ohio, we really like underdogs," Brunner said.
"I'm probably really not an underdog in this race, but if that's the way some people want to view it, I'd gladly take on that title."
She then explained to the audience an e-mail that was recently sent out "from her dog."
Brunner said that she adopted a rescue dog and, in the e-mail, related what her dog went through before being adopted to what Ohioans are currently going through.
She admitted that it may have been considered "unsenatorial," but added with a chuckle that she is very pragmatic.
Before wrapping up her speech and taking questions, Brunner commented on a group of people she recently spoke with.
"Last night, I was speaking to a very large group of Ohio State University young democrats and I was really struck and very pleasantly amazed at the intensity, depth and knowledge of the questions," she said.
She believes the paper ballot system of voting is the best.
She thinks there is a limited number of machines, causing longer lines. She also noted that the machines are subject to break down, unlike the paper ballots.
One man raised his hand for the microphone to inform Brunner of the faith he has in her.
"It's very obvious that you're doing a very great job being secretary of state. Keep gong; you're doing the right thing," he said, as the audience members smiled and nodded their head
Brunner thanked him and continued answering questions.
"What I've learned over time is, whether you're trying to fight poverty or whether you're trying to grow businesses and jobs in the area, it's not just about money, it's about people," she said.
Brunner explained that since being a judge, she has found that if, as an elected official, someone decides to do what they think is right, even if it means they might not get elected, they usually end up getting elected.
"Really, what people want is someone who will be square with them … who will have enough courage to tell the truth, even though they know that not everybody may agree with them. At least the voters will know what they see is what they get," she said.
Source: The Buchtelite
by on 11.09.2009
Ohio Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner today called the House passage of a last-minute anti-choice amendment to health reform an insult to Ohio women and an assault on the right to privacy -- and strongly urged the Senate to protect a woman's right to choose. Brunner said that while passage of the health care reform bill is on balance a positive step, it is critically important that America not allow the anti-choice forces to achieve through Congressional statute what the courts have repeatedly refused - the elimination of a woman's right to choose.
The amendment, offered by anti-choice Reps. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joe Pitts (R-PA), was adopted late Saturday by a vote of 240-194. The Stupak-Pitts amendment makes it virtually impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new system to offer abortion coverage to women - even if they pay for it with their own funds. The Stupak-Pitts amendment would leave Ohio women worse off than they are today by denying them the right to use their own money to purchase an insurance plan with abortion coverage in the new health system - a policy far more far-reaching than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortions since 1977. Presently, more than 85 percent of private-insurance plans cover abortion services.
"By voting yesterday to block women from essential reproductive health care services, the anti-choice obstructionists in Congress have abandoned Ohio women and would legislate a woman's constitutional right to choose ineffective at best," Brunner said. "The final health care bill must not only guarantee each Ohioan's right to the health care they need when they need it, it also must also provide access to reproductive health services for all, regardless of income level and regardless of whether or not they receive government subsidized care," Brunner added. "Universal health care is based on the principle that health care should be equally accessible to all citizens. Universal health care does not allow income to determine who gets care and services, and who does not. The Stupak-Pitts amendment violates this basic tenet."
Source: Press Release
by on 11.06.2009
Jennifer Brunner is Ohio's first female secretary of state.
Now she wants to be the first woman to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
Brunner, who spoke Thursday at the Akron Press Club, said many women urged her to enter the Senate race.
"They were saying, 'You have to do this,'" said Brunner, a Democrat. "It was a question of timing."
* * *
If elected to the Senate, Brunner said she would work with state and local office holders and push for Ohio to get its fair share of federal money.
Brunner said she isn't concerned about Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, the other Democratic Senate candidate, getting endorsements from prominent state and local politicians, including Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and Summit County Executive Russ Pry.
"In the end, it's the people who will vote," she said.
Brunner has had some fun with her underdog status, including sending out a campaign e-mail from her dog.
"I'm pragmatic — that made money," she said, getting chuckles from the audience.
After her speech, Brunner talked to a University of Akron political science class and visited with a Students for Brunner group supporting her Senate bid.
Brunner, who has several student groups at universities across the state, is glad to see young people energized. She thinks this enthusiasm has carried over from President Barack Obama's campaign.
"I want to see them stay involved," she said.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal
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