Senator Rob Portman of Ohio announced that he would vote for DeVos but the Cleveland Plain-Dealer urges him to take a stand and vote no.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/02/sen_rob_portman_should_reject.html
“Sen. Rob Portman, who just got a huge vote of confidence from the people of Ohio for his re-election, now owes it to the citizens of this state to do the right thing and vote against Betsy DeVos for education secretary — even if it means crossing President Donald Trump, who nominated her.
“As became manifestly clear in DeVos’ confirmation hearing, she has no qualifications even remotely suited to the job.
“Portman has a rare opportunity to show that he will be an independent thinker, not a party hack, and to save the country from a terrible choice.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
He will vote for this POS and double speak to his people on why and get relected, same Sh*t different day. Corrupt politicians, all of them. Wake up people.
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Portman was the 5th highest paid of U.S. Senators. Huffpo reported he received more than $50,000 in campaign funds from the DeVos family.
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Rubio got $100,000
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You are absolutely correct! She bought her nomination and paid for her confirmation with donations to Republicans. “We the people” have overwhelmed the phone lines to these senators, but they vote with their pockets, not their constiuents.
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People are opening GoFundMe accounts to buy back our legislators. https://www.gofundme.com/buy-back-rob-portman
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The Plain Dealer endorsed Portman in the last election as did the normally Democratic leaning Akron Beacon Journal. Both cited his “independence” and “experience.” Here’s a copy of my letter to the editor to the ABJ that was printed on Nov. 2. You’ll get the gist of what both papers said about him (note the next to last paragraph):
Your Oct. 16 endorsement of Rob Portman for U.S. senator is more than baffling. You “share many views with Strickland,” yet claim that Portman’s “quality” will somehow justify “the broader contribution he will make.” All that is missing is the clicking of ruby slippers.
You cite a list that ought to disqualify Portman — the “careless letter to Iranian leaders,” being on the wrong side of immigration reform, pandering to coal interests and “blocking the highly qualified Merrick Garland.”
Let’s not even get into Portman’s long support of trade deals or his spineless waffling on Donald Trump.
You claim he has “run a smart tactical race” when, in fact, it has been built on a strategy of outright lies that cynically distort and deflect Strickland’s record.
You cite Portman’s “campaign money, the half-truths and cheap shots,” and somehow reason these as strikes against Strickland.
Your myopic claim of “surprising union support” ignores the fact that the vast majority of Ohio’s unions support Strickland, whose actual stances on issues would make a positive difference for working-class Americans.
Most laughable is your endorsement of Portman as someone who embodies “the required give and take and eventual compromise” that is required of a successful legislator, ignoring his record as a loyal foot soldier in Mitch McConnell’s army, ensuring perpetual gridlock.
Ted Strickland would represent the interests of a majority of Ohioans. Unlike Portman, he doesn’t need a contrived mirage pulled out of a political bag of tricks every six years to fool people like your editorial board.
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Good letter. Well written.
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Portman is the worst variety of politician. His empty rhetoric is deftly massaged PR.
While Ohio has the most drug-related deaths, Portman gets mileage out of his, obviously ineffective (if he’s actually doing anything) campaign against drug deaths. He gets mileage out of the human trafficking issue because voters oppose sex exploitation of the vulnerable. On the other hand, the exploitation of the 99%, by the richest 1%, is aided and abetted by Portman.
The failure of Ohio’s Democratic Party to distinguish itself from the scheme of Republican abuse, led to another term for Portman.
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Count me in on your criticism of the Ohio Democratic Party. I went to a fundraiser for Ed Fitzgerald, who was destroyed by Kasich, and never left a campaign event more furious. I’m still kicking myself for not demanding my money back.
But compared to Portman, Linda, wouldn’t you agree that Sherrod Brown looks pretty good? 🙂
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Looks? …..When votes mattered, did Brown take any chances in behalf of his constituencies? Or, is a blog commenter’s statement that Brown caved on every financial industry vote, correct?
You’re aware the Dayton Daily News posed the question, in the Strickland/ Portman Senate race, “Why isn’t Brown supporting his Democratic colleague?” (paraphrased)
Did Portman ask the U.S. Dept. of Ed. to release $71 mil. to privatize schools, like Brown did?
Brown’s talking points are crafted for votes and money. Is he different from other Republican lites?
If his words build opposition to Republicans, good. but, Ohioans deserve words accompanied with meaningful action.
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Did you not see my smiley face?
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a wink emoticon? sarcasm- tricky to communicate in writing.
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I am emoticon challenged. Among other things.
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Ohio newspapers got a lot less pro-reform as the years went by and the “results!” didn’t match the hype. The problems with market-based “solutions” became impossible to ignore in Ohio. Newspapers shamed the Ohio legislature into regulating charters. Nothing would have happened without them.
The Columbus Dispatch even occasionally breaks ranks with ed reform now, and they were flat-out cheerleaders for a decade.
It’s interesting how local news outlets are often much less enamored with ed reform than national news outlets. Weird disconnect there.
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Things are actually better for public school kids in Ohio than they were at the height of reform-mania (2009-10). The state education agency seems to have gotten the message and they do a lot less public school bashing and a lot more support.
Ohio was one of the first states to adopt the whole market-based roster of “reforms” so I wonder sometimes if other states will recognize it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as time goes on.
Reality eventually intrudes, despite very sophisticated marketing 🙂
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I think things are not better in Ohio given the proposed legislation from Repiublican Andrew Brenner. If passed, House Bill 628 would replace Ohio’s method of school funding with a voucher system–tax dollars “follow the child.” Elected school boards would be abolished.
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We need to keep our eye on that ball. Attaching things on bills at the dead of night votes is their modus operandi.
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Brenner’s bill is a prelude to vouchers and charters.
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Of/By/For “…like masters telling slaves they own the plantation. When the slaves believe it and start arguing about which of them have better positions in the house or the field, the master, slavery and capitalism is strengthened…”
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Even Eli Broad is against DeVos.
http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20170202/la-billionaire-eli-broad-opposes-trump-education-nominee
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I’ve had a crazy week including fighting a terrible cold. (I call it my “Trump Cold”. He’s literally made me sick.)
At one point on Tuesday I rolled down this big projector screen that comes out of the ceiling in my classroom. (All day long l go back and forth between using the screen and the white board behind it. The screen has been going up and down for 14 years.) Except, at that moment the screen broke, never to go back up into the ceiling again. Of course, students thought that was funny. And, it was funny….well, for a while..
So it’s been difficult to keep on top of everything. Though, of course, that’s the point that’s already been made on this blog. Trump wants to hit us with so much all at once….to knock us off balance.
It’s a smarmy, immoral, Know Nothing, anti-American values “shock and awe” campaign that’s being waged by a president on his own citizens -on us! And most people who work for a living just don’t have the spare hours to play these vicious games…..unlike DeVos and her wealthy ilk, who have HEAPS of time to sit back and try to move us around like pawns in their warped world view.
I’m glad I’ve been able to contact some of these Senators’ offices. At one point, I called Murkowski’s and went into this long rant about how Alaska is a cool place with cool people living there and how could such a cool state support a nitwit like DeVos. (After I got off the phone, my wife said that this was NOT one of my more coherent calls. True.)
But whatever we can do has got to help. And, it’s always a shot in the arm to see how people on this blog are fighting the good fight.
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Today, another day, when Portman’s mailboxes are full, or his phones won’t allow messages for his mailbox.
Of U.S. Senators, Portman received the 5th largest amount from the DeVos family, more than $50,000.
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
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