Ad Text:

The Facts:

ANNOUNCER:  "Meet Mr. Ineffective.  First Sherrod Brown mismanaged the Secretary of State's office.”

ONSCREEN: DRAMATIZATION.  Mismanaged the Secretary of State's Office.

FACT: Major Ohio Newspapers Discredited The Allegations of Mismanagement Against Sherrod Brown.

Allegations Called “Junk”, “Trumped-Up”, and “Officially Discredited”. The Dayton Daily News called the allegations against Sherrod Brown “junk,” “smut,” “sleazy,” “trumped-up charges,” and “officially discredited” [Dayton Daily News, 10/18/90; 11/9/90]

Akron Beacon Journal: “No Proof of Impropriety Found” The Akron Beacon Journal said that there was “no evidence of impropriety” for the charges against Brown. [Akron Beacon Journal, 9/2/90]

Dayton Daily News: Allegations Against Brown “Full of Baloney”. The Dayton Daily News rebuked the Columbus Dispatch. “The Columbus Dispatch happens to have been full of baloney”  [Dayton Daily News, 11/4/90]

FACT: Secretary of State Sherrod Brown Increased Voter Registration, Reformed Campaign Finance, Put Election Integrity Above Partisanship.

Sherrod Brown Took a Leadership Role in Increasing Voter Turnout. Mr. Brown has - in office - creatively focused on the voter-turnout problem, which needs attention." [Dayton Daily News,11/5/90]

Under Secretary of State Sherrod Brown, Increases in Voter Registration, “Most Intensive and Wide-Ranging in the Nation. “Ohio's burst of voter registration activity [is] probably the most intensive and wide-ranging in the nation…”  [The Washington Post, 5/6/84]

Ohio House Passed Brown’s Campaign Finance Reform Bill. The House, in an 86-10 vote, approved a measure authored by Ohio secretary of state Sherrod Brown that limits campaign contributions and spending.  [The Cincinnati Post 6/14/90]

Brown Put Integrity of Ohio Elections Above Partisanship; Ruled Against a Fellow Democrat. “With the election for governor less than a month away, Secretary of State Sherrod Brown dealt a blow to fellow Democrat Anthony Celebrezze Jr. on Tuesday: He referred three cases to the Ohio Elections Commission  suggesting that lawyers hired by Celebrezze laundered political donations through relatives and friends.”  [Dayton Daily News 10/10/90]

FACT: Ken Blackwell Used Secretary of State’s Office for Political Gain; DeWine Supports Him.

Toledo Blade Calls Secretary of State Ken Blackwell “Highly Partisan” and “Blindly Ambitious”. The Toledo Blade called Ken Blackwell “...the highly partisan and blindly ambitious” [Toledo Blade, 12/10/04]

DeWine, Blackwell Hold Joint Campaign Rally, Deliver Joint Message. On September 2, 2006, Senator DeWine joined Ken Blackwell for a joint rally in front of the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, OH. Speaking before Blackwell, DeWine called the gubernatorial candidate “my good friend”. The Cincinnati Enquirer Reported, “as the Blackwell and DeWine campaign buses converged, so, too, did the messages they delivered to about 100 supporters who gathered outside Lebanon's historic Golden Lamb restaurant”. [Senator DeWine’s Address to campaign supporters, Golden Lamb, Lebanon, OH, 9/2/06; Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/3/06]

FACT: DeWine’s Gutter-Style Politics Are the Most Recent Chapter in a Long History of Distorting Opponents’ Records, the Truth

DeWine Submitted to GOP Attack Dogs, Agreed to Campaign of Lies in Last-Ditch Attempt to Save His Career. “The flap over the accuracy of the GOP and DeWine campaign ads comes as he tries to ratchet up his attacks on Brown in a more personal manner. The push comes at the behest of national GOP officials, who are nervous that DeWine is losing a seat key to Republican hopes to hold their Senate majority.” The Dispatch reported today that national Republican leaders told DeWine “money is going to go away” if he did not "listen to [his] own people who are harder and stop listening to people who are softer” [Columbus Dispatch, 10/20/06 and 10/19/06]

DeWine Put Soldier At Risk in Campaign Ad. The Army found that an enlisted soldier’s appearance in uniform, in a DeWine ad “is counter to Defense Department directives and army policy.” [Stars and Stripes, 10/17/06]

DeWine’s Attack “Lacks Context.” “The incumbent senator's rap against the congressman from Avon, made to voters in a campaign commercial, may not be deserved, according to interviews with lawmakers involved at the time […] the criticism sorely lacks context, they say.” [Plain Dealer, 7/22/06]

DeWine Admits Ad on Bipartisanship Misleading. “In an interview after the ad was released, DeWine acknowledged the tax cuts didn't have significant bipartisan support. “It's true in one out of the three examples…” he said.” [Associated Press, 8/25/06]

DeWine Anti-Incumbent Ad Fails to Mention DeWine Is Incumbent. “A Republican TV ad in Ohio tries to deflect the increasing anti-incumbent sentiment from Sen. Mike DeWine…It doesn't mention DeWine, or the fact that he's served eight years in the House and 12 years in the Senate.” [Associated Press, 8/29/06]

DeWine Campaign Doctored Image of 9/11. “U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine's campaign doctored an image in a televised attack ad to make the World Trade Center appear to be burning, the senator admitted yesterday.” In an editorial entitled, “Tough to Airbrush This One Off,” the Plain Dealer writes that images of September 11th “are symbols with which one trifles only at great risk.  But trifle is just what DeWine's hired advertising company did when it produced - and the senator's campaign approved - a "graphical representation" (his spokesman's words) that showed smoke billowing from the wrong tower…his campaign produced a historically inaccurate portrayal of the transfiguring event of our time.” [Toledo Blade, 7/20/06; Plain Dealer, 7/21/06]

DeWine Aired Ad Accusing John Glenn of Supporting Communism. During his failed bid against American hero and astronaut Senator John Glenn an Ohio newspaper reported the DeWine campaign claiming, “…if Glenn had his way the Berlin Wall still would be standing and former Soviet republics still would be enslaved.” [Columbus Dispatch, 10/27/92]

FACT: Based on Past Campaign Tactics, the Dayton Daily News Twice Referred to DeWine as “Mud-Loving Mike DeWine”.

“John Glenn obvious pick over mud-loving Mike DeWine.” [Dayton Daily News, 10/21/92]

"He ran a thoroughly negative campaign, downplaying issue differences and emphasizing Glenn's longevity and ethics problems. This editorial page referred to DeWine then as the 'mud-loving Mike DeWine.'" [Dayton Daily News 4/13/94]

ANNOUNCER: “And his 14 years in Congress haven't been much better.”

FACT: Brown Has Been Leader on Key Legislation In Congress.

Brown Sponsored or Co-Sponsored 131 Bills that Became Law. Brown has sponsored 119 bills in his 14 years in the U.S. House, compared to 10 bills for DeWine in his eight years in the U.S. House. Of the bills that Brown either sponsored or co-sponsored, 131 became law.  [thomas.gov]

Ohio Newspapers Praised Brown’s Effectiveness. The Plain Dealer said, “[Brown’s] ability to work with others, including Republican members of Ohio's delegation, has paid off for northeast Ohio. He helped secure an Export Assistance Center in Cleveland for small and medium businesses and a veteran’s cemetery for the region. He helped organize seminars explaining how localities could take advantage of the Clinton administration’s funding for more beat police.” The Akron Beacon-Journal said, “He has been passionate in his opposition to trade agreements and in his support of lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Brown has been an effective voice on children's health issues and on speeding up the process for getting generic drugs to the market.” [Plain Dealer, 10/9/96; Akron Beacon-Journal, 10/18/04]

ANNOUNCER: “Brown's only passed 4 bills.  One renamed a federal building.  And 3 were to help Taiwan.  That's right: 3 bills to help Taiwan.”

SECRETARY (ACTOR): "Um, shouldn't we be helping Ohio?"

BROWN (ACTOR): "Nahhh."

ANNOUNCER:  "Sherrod Brown: A failed Congressman can't be an effective Senator."

MIKE DEWINE: "I'm Mike DeWine, and I approve this message."

FACT: When DeWine Was in the House, His Record Was Pathetic.  He Passed NO Bills He Sponsored!

DeWine Passed No Bills with His Name in Eight Years in the U.S. House. He sponsored only 10 bills in these eight years, none of which became law. However, he did attempt to pass a bill to declare “Courtesy is Contagious” Month.  DeWine should take heart that in 12 years in the majority, Representative Chabot passed 2 bills he sponsored.  [thomas.gov]

DeWine Only Introduced Ten Bills, Passed None.  “In the House, he [DeWine] introduced only 10 bills in eight years, a strikingly small number even for a member of the minority party.” [Plain Dealer, 4/10/94]

DeWine Not Unfamiliar with Bills that Rename Things.  “Of the 10 bills DeWine wrote between his freshman year in 1983 and his departure in 1990, six were "commemoratives" - bills designating special days or months.” One of these bills attempted to proclaim “Courtesy is Contagious Month.”  DeWine also sought to proclaim “National Tap Dance Day.”  [Plain Dealer 10/9/94; Columbus Dispatch, 10/17/94]

FACT: Sherrod Brown Is An Effective Leader.

Brown is “a Vociferous ‘Fair-Trade’ Advocate.” [Columbus Dispatch, 5/29/06]

Brown Led the Fight Against Bioterrorism. “Brown was a leading sponsor of the $2.96 billion bioterrorism bill. The bill included $1 billion to stockpile vaccines for emergencies and $100 million for food safety inspections.” [Columbus Dispatch, 12/16/01]

Brown Led Effort to Pass Legislation to Open Access to Generics.  Brown worked on a bicameral, bipartisan basis with Senator McCain (R-AZ) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) to pass key provisions to close loopholes in federal law that enabled brand-name drug companies to block consumer access to generic drugs. These provisions were signed into law as part of the Medicare Modernization Act on December 8, 2003. [HR 2491 and HR 1199, Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act of 2003]

Brown’s Accomplishments: Happy to Give Credit to Republicans as Long as His Work Gets Done.  "Brown, of Avon, has still managed to pass legislation by teaming with Republicans who agree with him on particular issues, like fighting bioterrorism, researching birth defects, reducing errors in hospitals and closing loopholes that let brand-name companies block generic drugs. Brown worked on the bills - but Republicans got credit because they set the agenda." [Plain Dealer 10/3/06]

Brown Named “Legislator of the Year” as Well as Getting Things Done for Ohioans.  "The American Public Health Association named Brown its "Legislator of the Year" in 2002 for his role in the generic drug bill, and other efforts, some blocked by Republicans, to improve food safety and finance state and local public health departments.  Brown has also been active in his district, working on regional efforts to clean up the Great Lakes and securing federal money for local projects including Northeast Ohio's first national veterans cemetery. He obtained nearly $16 million to design and build the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman." [Plain Dealer 10/3/06]

Experts Call Brown “Extraordinarily Effective.”  "Sherrod Brown has been extraordinarily effective in articulating helpful measures that would significantly improve the lives of children, seniors, people with disabilities and families generally," says Ron Pollack, executive director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan health care advocacy group Families USA." [Plain Dealer 10/3/06]