When I voted and spoke out against sending our young men and women to Iraq, I took the heat, I stood my ground. And many of you joined me.
Night after night, in the tradition of John Quincy Adams, I stayed after session and read aloud on the House floor dozens of letters from Ohio mothers and fathers, husbands and wives of soldiers and Marines in Iraq, dozens of letters from Ohioans who questioned the wisdom of this war.
Now I want to be their voice in the United States Senate.
And because I chose sides years ago, I will make a prediction: America?s largest drug companies will pour a million, two million, maybe three million dollars into our state to try to defeat me.
And, because I have fought for lower energy prices, this country?s largest oil companies will pour in another million dollars or two million dollars to try to defeat me.
Out-of-state insurance HMOs. Out-of-state pharmaceutical firms. Out-of-state tobacco companies. Out of state oil interests.
Well, here's what I have to say to all these out-of-state interests: Get out of our state. You've done enough damage.
Let me say something about Mike DeWine who has been our senator for 11 years. He is a decent man. Senator DeWine has tried to create an image of supposed independence from the hard edges of the Republican Party, the self-interest and greed of the 21st century Republican Party?telling us that he is no George Bush, that he is different from Bob Taft.
But too often, when called upon by George Bush, Mike DeWine has done his partisan duty. When George Bush said, Let?s make war on Iraq, Mike DeWine said, I?m right behind you, Mr President.
When George Bush said, Let?s privatize Social Security, Mike DeWine said, I?m with you, Mr. President; in fact, I already have a bill to help you do it.
When George Bush said, We need a trade bill with Central America so American business can outsource more Ohio jobs, Mike DeWine was one of its chief cheerleaders.
Mike DeWine has chosen sides. And, on issues that matter to Ohioans, Mike DeWine is on the wrong side.
Just two weeks ago, Congress passed a budget?of course in the middle of the night, of course with the roll held open for far too long, of course with Republican members changing their votes under the cover of darkness.
A budget is a moral document. A government budget, just like a family budget, reflects its values. This budget had it all wrong.
Cuts in Medicaid which will hurt our elderly living in nursing homes and hurt small children whose parents have full-time jobs. Cuts in student loans which will hurt our middle class families who are struggling to reach their dreams for their kids. Cuts in food stamps which will hurt the poorest families in our country. . . . All to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent of people in our nation.
That is the 21st century Republican version of family values. Those are not our family values.
Night after night, in the tradition of John Quincy Adams, I stayed after session and read aloud on the House floor dozens of letters from Ohio mothers and fathers, husbands and wives of soldiers and Marines in Iraq, dozens of letters from Ohioans who questioned the wisdom of this war.
Now I want to be their voice in the United States Senate.
And because I chose sides years ago, I will make a prediction: America?s largest drug companies will pour a million, two million, maybe three million dollars into our state to try to defeat me.
And, because I have fought for lower energy prices, this country?s largest oil companies will pour in another million dollars or two million dollars to try to defeat me.
Out-of-state insurance HMOs. Out-of-state pharmaceutical firms. Out-of-state tobacco companies. Out of state oil interests.
Well, here's what I have to say to all these out-of-state interests: Get out of our state. You've done enough damage.
Let me say something about Mike DeWine who has been our senator for 11 years. He is a decent man. Senator DeWine has tried to create an image of supposed independence from the hard edges of the Republican Party, the self-interest and greed of the 21st century Republican Party?telling us that he is no George Bush, that he is different from Bob Taft.
But too often, when called upon by George Bush, Mike DeWine has done his partisan duty. When George Bush said, Let?s make war on Iraq, Mike DeWine said, I?m right behind you, Mr President.
When George Bush said, Let?s privatize Social Security, Mike DeWine said, I?m with you, Mr. President; in fact, I already have a bill to help you do it.
When George Bush said, We need a trade bill with Central America so American business can outsource more Ohio jobs, Mike DeWine was one of its chief cheerleaders.
Mike DeWine has chosen sides. And, on issues that matter to Ohioans, Mike DeWine is on the wrong side.
Just two weeks ago, Congress passed a budget?of course in the middle of the night, of course with the roll held open for far too long, of course with Republican members changing their votes under the cover of darkness.
A budget is a moral document. A government budget, just like a family budget, reflects its values. This budget had it all wrong.
Cuts in Medicaid which will hurt our elderly living in nursing homes and hurt small children whose parents have full-time jobs. Cuts in student loans which will hurt our middle class families who are struggling to reach their dreams for their kids. Cuts in food stamps which will hurt the poorest families in our country. . . . All to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent of people in our nation.
That is the 21st century Republican version of family values. Those are not our family values.
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