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Subscribe to RSSCOLUMBUS, OH -- Even though he is not yet on the Republican presidential ticket, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman already feels the burden of delivering his home state for presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.
"I already feel the pressure," Portman said when asked whether he felt he would be responsible for ensuring the Buckeye State is red this November if chosen as Romney's running mate. "I'm chairing the effort here in Ohio and again I'm feeling good about things because there is a just a lot of volunteers who are stepping forward. I haven't seen energy like this in past elections, presidential or otherwise... My focus is going to be Ohio. And I do believe that this year, Ohio could make the difference again."
The freshman Ohio senator was on hand at Romney's Ohio headquarters to mark the 1 millionth voter contact in the state. He made calls and spoke to volunteers who he believes will make the difference in this close battleground state.
"We're not a red state, we're not a blue state. We're a purple state. Ohio is a classic swing state. And I think at the end of the day, the difference is going to be grassroots," he said, later adding, "The leader of the free world is really determined by our state."
Portman is considered by many to be a leading contender for Republican vice presidential nominee. One reason is the presidential importance of his home state. Ohio GOP chairman Bob Bennett was quoted last week saying the senator would give Romney three to five points in the state if he were to join the ticket.
Asked if he agreed with that assessment, Portman said, "I don't know. What I do know is I'm going to work my heart out for him and help him, you know, and I'm going to be chairing the campaign here in Ohio."
While addressing volunteers, Portman picked up on Republicans' most recent attacks on President Barack Obama's recent "you didn't build that" comment. Portman said he has read the speech transcript three times, and does not think the president's words have been taken out of context.
"I've heard the media push back on that and some of them have questioned me and said 'Boy, it was taken out of context.' So today on the ride up from Cincinnati I looked at the speech again. I've now looked at it three time," he said. "And not only do I believe the president was speaking the truth and it's kind of a -- I think -- a view into his soul and his thinking."
"What the president was saying to these businesses is: 'You know what? You need to pay higher taxes because you didn't build it.' "
Portman will head to neighboring Pennsylvania on Monday to stump for Romney.
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I live in Ohio and I will not vote for Portman or Romney. Obama 2012. That's it.
I'm coming to the conclusion, based on Romney's incompetence throughout this campaign, that he simply HAD to be the dumb one among his Bain cronies.....and that they likely kept him around for the political advantage his father's reputation offered them. Mitt is just too dang Magoo to be a business whiz-kid.
Even Portman's endorsement has always seemed half-hearted.
In fact, the more I think about it....a SMART businessman would NEVER go into politics! Proof positive!
I also live in Ohio. I would like to know exactly how Portman has helped this state. I don't recall anything that he has done to bring jobs or to save current jobs. I have seen our other Senator, Sherrod Brown work hard in that area. He has not always been successful but at least he does something. I want numbers, what has he done? I also want numbers from Romney. How many jobs did he really create in this country and how many did he outsource? How much money did he borrow from the government to pay for the Olympics? What is he hiding by not showing his taxes? If he has nothing to hide, then what is he afraid of?
pibs - There are easy answers to your questions Portman was Director of Office and Management and Budget appointed in 2006 ny George Bush
Secondly Sherwood Brown is my hero and Rove's Pacts are throwing millions to defeat him
Thirdly - Willard has been running for President since 1999 - in order to be Governor of liberal Mass he went before the "powers that be" in the Mormon Church to lie and say he's pro-life - they gave him their dispensation - but he did manage to take all of the hard drives at his tenure there - why?
Fourth - He then went to head the Salt Lake Ciry Olympic Games - registered as a lobbyist to get money from the Federal Government and he suceeded big time $1.3 Billion dollars - the records of who got what has since been destroyed
Fifth - He has been getting a yearly salary or as he would say negotiated settlement from Bain of $5 Million a year
Sixth- On his provided 2010 Tax returns he neglected to provide one of the addendums which should be attached - showing all moneys in foreign investments - including Bermuda - which he is a part owner of Casualty Insurance Co - Cayman Islands? - and if penalties where given by closing the Swiss Bank Account
Seventh - He lists $76,000 as a business deduction on his Dressage Horse - co-owned with Bess Myers - which totaled would be a deduction of $152.000 per year - IRS regs allow these deduction for 7 years and at that time you must show a profit, that's $1,064,000 - now this is a mare more than seven years of age Brood mare? I think not - what then?
Fellow Ohioan: I couldn't agree with you more. I feel like Portman has been silent since he was elected, just sitting in Washington D.C. voting in lockstep with his Republican colleagues. Meanwhile, Sherrod Brown introduces and works on legislation to bring good jobs to Ohio and other states. When I lived in Elyria, Senator Brown was my representative in the House. I met him once, and he gave me a pin that had a canary in a cage on it. He told me that it showed that he stands with Ohio workers, just as canaries did when they were used for coal miners to detect dangerous gasses in the mines. Sherrod Brown works hard for Ohio workers, Rob Portman works hard for the Republican party.
Mitt Romney would have a better chance to win the election if, instead of Senator Bob Portman for his VP, he chose Actress Natalie Portman.
But Mitt will not choose Sen. Rob Portman anyway. And Mitt will not choose Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Paul Ryan, or Sen. John Thune.
You want to bet TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THAT!
I don't think McDonnell will get the nod. Too much of a hot-button for moderate women.
If Mitt had his way, he'd probably forego a VP pick entirely. After all, VP's are powerless in the Board Room when the Chairman is in attendance.
Well, Mitt has got to pick someone who doesn't make the party base think that the VP pick should really be at the top of the ticket instead of Romney.
Plus, he wants to win Virginia's electoral votes, and he will think that McDonnell can swing that for him.
Just wait and see. I am sure I have called this one correctly.
Bruce - The best choice for VP would be Ann Romney - she sure as hell can drive those jet skis - notice who was the passenger along for the ride - none other than Willard
She is one mean piece of work - and has the sneer to go along with it - and I thought Barbara Bush was tough
Barb, Federal Law says that the President and Vice President must be from two different states. Assuming Mitt and Ann do actually live together, that would disqualify her. It was funny to think about though! Thanks for the laugh!
Bruce, care to give a link on your claim that the VP must be from another state. As far as I know the only qualification for VP is that he/she must meet the same qualifications fro president.
dsb
,Technically the law does NOT require the Pres and VP be from different states. My mistake. But the electoral voting rules, as provided in The Twelfth Amendment (Amendment XII) to the United States Constitution, do make it disadvantageous for the ticket if both the Presidential and VP candidates are from the same state, as in the case of Bush/Cheney, to wit:In business, Mitt Romney's firms shipped jobs to Mexico, and China. (SEC 3/26/1993, 3/29/2002, Los Angeles Times 6/2/2000)
As Governor, Romney outsourced jobs to India. (The Boston Globe 5/1/12)
He had millions in a Swiss bank account (abc News 1/26/2012) in tax havens in Bermuda (Vanity Fair, August 2012) and in the Cayman Islands (abc News 1/18/2012).
Natalie Portman is voting for President Obama. And she is not involved with Ohio politics at all.
Its a chilling thought that the mormon cult would get any states at all, forget Romney he's only their puppet.
The Mormon cult will be picking the VP, Romney has very little to say about it.
I'm torn about the 'Mormon as cult' thing. Wish that I knew more.
Is it true that their founder raped his teenage housekeeper and when discovered by his wife hid behind the "God told me to do it" lie, and to keep this weakest of all possible defenses alive created an entire faith around the sin and took his perversion west to a territory where he could molest at will?
Please tell me it isn't so.
There are plenty of reasons not to vote for Willard without having to resort to attacking his religion.
Romney has a problem. The more people get to know him the less they like him. This man takes all sides of all issues. He stands for nothing. He should hide in a closet until the election.
Great another politician that does not read and only watches FOX news. Just what we need, the world run by C students.
A Vise President doesn't make a President if the President is a moron with no connection to the people he represents. Romney would still only represent himself and his 1%.
Willard isn't going to release his tax returns because the information contained in them is potentially more damaging to his campaign than the effect of his refusal to release them. For example, the average American cannot understand why Willard's effective tax rate is so much lower than that of someone who earns $60,000 or $70,000 per year. The average American cannot understand how Willard was able to amass tax-deferred IRAs in excess of $100 million, while they can only contribute $5,000 per year. The average American cannot understand why Willard gets to park much of his foreign earnings in offshore accounts, thus deferring the payment of U.S. income tax until those funds are transferred to accounts in the U.S.; this amounts to an interest-free loan to Willard from the rest of us taxpayers.
In short, there are special tax provisions for those who work in the private-equity world — they get to increase their wealth at the expense of the rest of us.
This is no different than any American who invests in a traditional mutual fund, 401K, etc.. As a matter of fact, you get to deduct all or a portion of contributions to that fund, depending on how much goes in. Then none of it is taxed until it's touched. Of course you can choose to have it taxed before it goes in if you wish (ala Roth), then it's your's scott free when you draw it. None of it has to go offshore. The only reason it does is because it earns more there than here. As long as the game is played with those rules, only a fool that could do so, wouldn't. Sorry man, Romney's looks pretty smart when it comes to HIS money. We could use a bit of that in Washington with OURS.
If that's true, which I doubt, polls are not reliable, then Ohioans are as stupid as Floridians who also elected a crook for Governor and we are suffering for it now.
According to my bookies, Tim Pawlenty has the best odds of being selected as Willard's running mate, followed by Rob Portman, Condoleezza Rice and Marco Rubio.
Yes sir while his lap dogs Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Rob Portman, Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are here in the States telling you how wonderful Mitt is, he is overseas in private secret funds raising meetings in London with the Libor banksters and now in Israeli with the very people and banks that want to do this to America.
Greek leaders agree bulk of austerity cuts-source
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/29/greece-crisis-idUSL6E8IS3S720120729
Different message behind closed doors? Team Romney breaks protocol and bans press from Israeli fundraiser.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/a-fund-raiser-behind-closed-doors/
http://www.thenation.com/blog/168975/romney-goes-gold-londons-libor-village#
If Romney wins we are literally handing over our country on a silver platter, to the top 1% and big banks that wants to do to America what they did to the rest of the world
Obama should select Mayor Bloomberg as VP, they would make a perfect pair of Nanny's
So Rob Portman says in complete correct context that " the President was speaking the truth." The GOP is full of liars and thieves and tax evaders that is why they nominated romney he is their leader in this regard. RELEASE THE TAX FORMS! ROMNEY IS A CROOK. He has stolen from the American people for long enough. He can go be the President of Switzerland or Bermuda or the Cayman Islands where they accept tax evasion as a way of life. If this Portman guy can't read correctly then he should be disqualified from the election because the statement was clearly taken out of context and to say otherwise is a romney(which the British now take to mean a lie and a whale of a lie is a mitt romney) Come on Portman quit telling romneys to everyone just so you can get on the ticket. Pretty sad that the GOP nominated a crook to run for the highest office in the land. ROMNEY IS A CROOK. Why didn't Ann Romney question the need for numerous off-shore accounts? My wife would want to know why I'm hiding money off-shore. She is a phony-baloney too.
There are a lot of intelligent, working middle class people in Ohio with strong values - good people who will see through the agendas - swinging Ohio to Romney would be easy as sailing the Titanic up a creek - now a Jeb Bush - much better shot !
Never going to happen. Obama owns Ohio. Obama owns PA, Obama owns 2012. End of Story. The media is trying to make this more interesting than it is. Sure it will be close in popular vote, so what.
Let me look at this one again so that my response is clear.....
"dwighthuth
Independants are easily swayed when big money is thrown their way."
Hello dwighthuth..
First, please learn how to spell Independent. As an Independent, I get no money for my vote. Yet, I'm tired of paying taxes to make up for the large number of social Democrat freeloaders who sit on their behinds and complain about the ones who pay taxes. The less taxpayers there are, the less freeloader money your rearend gets. Plain, simple economics. My vote has gone this way. John Kennedy(great), Nixon(not so good), Carter(not so good), Regan(Great), Bush(Great), Clinton(great), Bush (good). You also won't find me slamming OBAMA just because he's Democrat, he was simply too inexperienced to run the Country and all of his failed policies and actions have proved that, not to mention the simple "fact " that over 22% of Americans are currently out of work. It's not 8.5 % like the media would want you to believe. They simply don't count the remaining 13.5 because they have fallen off the number count because they have stopped getting unemployment money and are no longer counted. Ask the "no longer counted" 17% how they fell. So, as an independent. I vote who I feel is best for every American, not for the ones who kick back, rest on their behinds and vote for who will continue their free ride. By the way, most Democratsdo not live on the extreme left side of the room. My mother and father (still alive and both Democrats) will not be voting for OBAMA this year. Looks like my dad finally got tired of all the freeloaders he felt sorry for.
"The leader of the free world is really determined by our state."
How pompous!
When did my vote for who will be president fall in the hands of a state @!$%#ing governor?
My vote is my vote. The state does NOT choose who I will vote for.
So if this story, says, Ohio will hand the state over to the republicans, I have to sit here and go..What the @!$%# are you talking about. A single person in the state's legislature DOES NOT choose the entirety of the states vote.
Portman believes in no national health care but the voucher system so just die.This man is tooooooooooooooooo far right, and to top it off he worked on the deficit committee which did nothing,and failed when he was appointed by Bush that dropped our rating.That alone knowing bush hired him speaks for itself.Yah, he is the man. (smirk)