Call John Boccieri and Tell Him to Support Health Care or You Won't Support Him

The Columbus Dispatch ran a story yesterday that said that Congressman John Boccieri is now "undecided" on whether to vote for the Senate healthcare bill when it comes back to the House. If you live in the 16TH Congressional District, and want healthcare reform, now is the time to make sure that Bocceri hears from you. The numbers to call are:

Boccieri District Office

300 W Tuscarawas St.
Suite 716
Canton, OH 44702
(330) 489-4414
(800)826-9015

Boccieri DC Office

1516 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3876

As always, be police and civil, but let the staffer know that you are willing to consider not voting in the Congressional race if Bocceri votes against healthcare reform.

Boccieri Leads in SurveyUSA Poll

SurveyUSA did a automated poll on September 19 through September 21 of likely voters in the 16th Congressional District in Ohio. In that poll, State Senator John Boccieri led his Republican opponent, State Representative Kurt Schuring, by a 8 point margin. The internals of the poll showed that while the two candidates were tied among male voters, Boccieri led by 15 points among female voters. Boccieri also led among three of the four age groups broken out in the poll. The only age group that Schuring led was in the 35-49 age group. The economy was picked as the most important issue by 54% of the respondents with health care as the second most important issue by 10% of the respondents. A newspaper article about the poll can be read here.

Akron Beacon Journal Calls Conservative Group Out Over Lying, Anti-Boccieri Ad

Freedom's Watch, a right-wing organization out of D.C., is pouring money into a radio ad accusing State Senator John Boccieri of doing nothing to lower gasoline prices. The ad accuses Boccieri of being "all talk and no action" regarding high gasoline prices. As an editorial in yesterday's Beacon Journal makes clear, however, this ad is a bunch of typical conservative lies.

Here is the editorial:

Freedom's Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative lobbying group, is blasting John Boccieri on gas prices. In radio ads across the 16th U.S. House District, the group accuses the Democratic congressional candidate and state senator from Alliance of being ''all talk and no action'' when it comes to alleviating pain at the pump.

The ad is outrageous, a stunning misrepresentation of political reality even by the increasingly loose standards of political advertising. Boccieri was elected to the Ohio House in 2000. Republicans were in the majority. They still are. Boccieri was elected to the Ohio Senate in 2006. Republicans were and remain the majority party, leaving legislative Democrats little opportunity to advance proposals.

Kirk Schuring, the Republican candidate in the race, has called for outside groups to stay out of the campaign. No wonder. Schuring, a state senator from Jackson Township, has been in the legislature the past 15 years. Since 1995, he has been in the majority, his party holding the governor's office for most his time at the Statehouse.

The ad also makes an issue of the state's gas tax, suggesting that ''lawmakers like John Boccieri could save our families 28 cents a gallon this summer by repealing the Ohio gas tax.'' Ludicrous, again. A 2003 gas tax increase (under the Republicans, with Schuring's vote) enjoyed widespread bipartisan support because it financed much-needed road construction and repair. Boccieri, unwisely, voted no.

So the charges levied by Freedom's Watch against Boccieri more aptly apply to Schuring, if they apply at all to state government. Kirk Schuring needs to say more loudly: Freedom's Watch, take a hike!

So here we have a group attacking a Democrat for not doing something, lowering the gasoline tax, when, in actuality he voted against the tax in the first place. Meanwhile, the group lays off Schuring, who, in reality, supported the gas tax that the group wants repealed. Yep, typical conservative lies.

Congressman Regula Backs Five of Six Dem Bills in 110th Congress

Congressman Ralph Regula, (OH-R), representing the 16th Ohio Congressional District supported five of the first six Democratic bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. He supported adopting the 9-11 Commission recommendations; allowing stem-cell research; increasing the minimum wage; cutting the interest on student loans; and for negotiation with drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. He voted against the Democratic energy bill.

There are a couple of explanations for Regula's support of these bills. One is that Regula is a moderate to conservative Republican and found these bills philosophically compatible with his views. The other is that he is getting ready to run for re-election in 2008 and wants to make sure he goes toward the center in case he gets a viable Democratic opponent. Or, of course, his reasons for voting for these bills is a mixture of both. In any event, however, Democrats in Ohio's 16th Congressional District should not be assuming that Regula is not running in 08.