July 2006

One issue that will weigh in on Ohio voter's minds this election season is jobs. Ohio has lost an enormous amount of jobs to outsourcing and the two Senate candidates, Mike DeWine and Sherrod Brown have very differing views of free trade:

Akron businessman John Johnston might have had enough. Six years ago, the registered Republican, who is involved with two separate steel distribution and processing ventures, voted for Sen. Mike DeWine.

This time, Johnston is leaning toward voting for DeWine’s Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Avon. If so, the switch will result mainly from Brown’s vocal criticism of a series of freetrade agreements approved by Congress and supported by DeWine.

"A lot of the products that used to be made here now are made overseas," Johnston said. "Nobody is against trade. It’s all about what is fair.

"Pretty much everybody we compete against is subsidized in one form or another, especially with what you see in China," Johnston said, adding he thinks China and other countries also gain an advantage through currency manipulation. "It is about jobs. Where (Brown’s) trade policies stand is where this country needs to go for the future."

Blackwell has finally done one thing somewhat right. He has removed some of his duties over seeing elections here in Ohio:

In his push to become the next governor of Ohio, Ken Blackwell has handed some of his secretary of state duties over to his chief deputy.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Assistant Secretary of State Monty Lobb has been directing county election boards and breaking tie votes among county officials.

Blackwell's spokesman says the Republican nominee for governor is permitted by law to hand off those duties and is still responsible for every decision made by his office.

The president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials says Blackwell's leadership is especially needed this year because of changes to state election law.

The U.N. Security Council finally has passed a resolution on Iran's nuclear ambitions:

The U.N. Security Council passed a weakened resolution Monday giving Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.

Because of Russian and Chinese demands, the text is weaker than earlier drafts, which would have made the threat of sanctions immediate. The draft now essentially requires the council to hold more discussions before it considers sanctions.

The draft passed by a vote of 14-1. Qatar, which represents Arab states on the council, cast the lone dissenting vote.

It will be interesting to hear Iran's response now.

If we are tritely facing "world war 3", then this should indicate the battle lines that are being drawn. All of this has occurred over the last week.

1. Putin plan to shut out US oil giants

President Vladimir Putin is set to keep US oil companies out of a lucrative gas field in the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between Moscow and Washington.

The Russian leader is expected to favour Norwegian companies and reject bids by America's Chevron and ConocoPhillips after failing to secure backing from the United States for his country's attempt to join the World Trade Organisation.

The tit-for-tat snub will be a blow to US companies scrambling for access to Russia's huge gas reserves at a time of high energy prices. It comes after Putin failed to resolve differences with US President George Bush over trade and human rights at the G8 conference in St Petersburg last week.

2. Russia defies U.S. with Venezuela arms deal

Russia said Thursday it had sold 24 aircraft and 53 helicopters to Venezuela, defying the United States, which has urged Moscow to halt arms sales to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Russia's arms export chief, speaking as Chavez met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, said the aircraft deal was part of a long-term package of arms contracts with Venezuela that was worth more than $3 billion.

Chavez is a vocal critic of what he calls U.S. imperialism. Washington considers him a dangerous radical and had urged Russia to rethink the weapons sale. It bans its own producers from selling weapons to Venezuela.

3. Chavez invites Iranian investment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged Iran to increase investment in his country's oil and gas assets. Visiting Tehran as part of a foreign tour, Mr Chavez also pledged Venezuela would "stand by Iran at any time and under any condition".

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described Mr Chavez as a "brother and trench mate".

Venezuela and Iran are close allies, both members of the Opec oil-producing cartel and fierce critics of the US.

I wonder if Hannity will accuse the New York Times of "torturing" Lieberman now:

Mr. Lamont, a wealthy businessman from Greenwich, seems smart and moderate, and he showed spine in challenging the senator while other Democrats groused privately. He does not have his opponent’s grasp of policy yet. But this primary is not about Mr. Lieberman’s legislative record. Instead it has become a referendum on his warped version of bipartisanship, in which the never-ending war on terror becomes an excuse for silence and inaction. We endorse Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary for Senate in Connecticut.

The entire editorial lays out great reasons to support Lamont and also shows what Lieberman has done to his party, his constituents and his country.