Dems Call Portman Ad Flip-Flop
Dems are pouncing on ex-Rep. Rob Portman's new TV ad out today.
"There's a new energy tax coming our way from Washington that's a job-killer for Ohio called cap and trade," Portman says in the ad. He tells voters that it could cost the state 100,000 more jobs.
But to Democrats, that's a flip-flop. Portman authored a weekly column as a House member, and on April 19, '96, he entitled one entry, "Protecting The Environment Into The Next Century."
The line buried in the column that made Dem operatives giddy reads: "Private sector incentives, such as permitting companies to trade discharge outputs, can both reduce pollution and costs. If we can harness the power of market incentives, we'll do more with less."
Ohio Dem Party spokeswoman Haley Morris said, "Cong. Portman is running from the 20 years he spent in Washington pushing trade policies that outsourced Ohio jobs. Just like the Big Bank Bailout, Congressman Portman was for Cap and Trade before he was against it. The only thing Ohioans learn about Congressman Portman from this ad is that his positions go whichever way the wind blows."
But, shot back Portman spokeswoman Jessica Towhey: "The Democrats' cap-and-trade energy tax is no different from the Democrats' big government healthcare bill. Rob Portman has always called for a cleaner environment and a better healthcare system, unfortunately, Democrats in Washington and Columbus have endorsed job- killing policies that will hurt Ohio families at a time when we need to be focused on job creation."
At the same time, Portman has been out-hustling and out-fundraising his Dem opponent, LG Lee Fisher. The latest example was over the holiday weekend, when Portman and his wife fanned out through the northeastern Ohio, the most populous and Dem area of the state -- and Fisher's base.
On Friday, Fisher hit a fair in Marion County, which is just north of Columbus. Meanwhile, Portman's campaign toured "Red, White and Boom" a festival and parade in Columbus that attracted about half a million people.
Over the following 2 days, Fisher stopped by the Northland and Westerville parades. Meanwhile, the Portmans invaded Fisher's home territory and base in Lake, Cuyahoga and Medina Counties by walking in parades in West Park, Berea, Lakewood, West Lake, Medina, Chippewa Lake and Parma Jaycees.
Portman's no stranger to heavy parade-walking: After he was first elected to the House in the early '90s, he walked through the Independence Day parade in the City of Montgomery in his district twice.
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