Pelosi SHOULD step aside; Republican sweep in Ohio; Tax Cuts

It's a pleasure to be back and writing you all again. In this edition of the "The Liberal Approach" we are going to look at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reign, and a bold call for her to step down as the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives. We are also going to take a look at the Republican wave that swept across Ohio on November 2nd and what kind of impact some of the newly elected Republican statewide officials will have on Ohio. We will also take a brief look at the issue of whether or not the Bush tax cuts should be extended, and for who they should be extended for.

First up, we have Speaker Pelosi. She has been one of the most productive Speakers in the history of the United States(something most Republicans can't argue with). She made history by becoming the first woman to earn such a high ranking position. I, as most liberals, are thankful for her service to this country and for pushing for progressive ideals. She fought hard for health care reform, Wall Street reform, the stimulus package, among other things. One might ask at this point: "Well, then why should she go?". Here comes my rationale for this. The reality we face today is vastly different than what we faced two years ago. Pelosi has become a villain to the right, who spent $65 million in attack ads featuring her. While I'm not saying we should cower to Republicans, we should definitely look for a fresh liberal face to lead the party. The idea of her remaining as the Democratic leader hurts our electoral prospects in 2012. Thats the reality we face today. Through no fault of hers really, we got our clocks cleaned in the US House, and I whole heartedly believe it's time for her to step aside and give someone else a shot.

November 2nd was a rough day for the Ohio Democratic Party and their statewide ticket. The Republicans swept every major office in Ohio. They won the US Senate race handedly, took back the Ohio House, and increased their majority in the Ohio Senate, and handedly won both Ohio Supreme Court races. The impact of this could be felt for years to come. Lets take a look at which of the newly elected Republicans will have the most impact.

**Governor-elect, John Kasich,  defeated incumbent Governor Ted Strickland by the slimmest margin of any of the major statewide races in Ohio. In any typical year, that wouldn't necessarily give him a mandate. But with the Ohio House and Senate comfortably in the hands of Republicans, anything Kasich wants, he'll probably get. This man's plan is too phase out the Ohio income tax, which needless to say, will cost Ohio thousands of jobs and make our communities less safe. In believing that Ohio "should be run like a business" (his words, not mine), it's quite obvious who will benefit from that, and hint: It's not the middle or working class. Lastly, for those college aged students who sat home on election day, thinking your vote won't matter, you are in for a rude awakening. Prepare for our tuitons' to start rising by double digit percentage points over the next few years. The era of an affordable college education in Ohio is over.

**Attorney General-elect, Mike Dewine(yes, the former Senator who got stomped by Senator Sherrod Brown in 2006), is now in charge of "protecting" Ohioans. This scares me. First off, Dewine plans on joining the lawsuit against "ObamaCare". The impact this could have on Ohio families is severe. If successful, we could go back to insurance companies denying your children coverage because of a pre-existing condition, more families will be forced to decide between sending their child to college or paying for their cancer treatment, families will go bankrupt, college graduates will be dropped from their parents plans, and well, by now, you get the point. Dewine also has a history of siding with Wall Street, while alienating those on Main Street. Attorney General, Richard Cordray, protected  Ohio, took criminals off the streets. saved Ohio pension holders millions of dollars, realized the good that will come from the health care reform bill & kept Ohio out of the lawsuit against it.  As one can see, Dewine is going to stand with Wall Street and the insurance companies, all while helping Governor-elect Kasich destroy Ohio jobs and make our streets less safe.

**I could go on and on about how the newly elected Republicans are going to destory this state(Husted, Mandel, Yost, etc.), but the biggest blow to Ohio comes in way of the what the next Apportionment Board is going to look like. Let me give some background to those who are scratching their heads and asking, "What is the apportionment board?". The Apportionment Board is the administrative body that draws the single-member districts of the Ohio House and Senate every ten years after the federal census. Republicans have controlled the Ohio Apportionment Board since 1991, and 2011 will be no different. The board is made up of the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, and one member each from the majority and minority parties respectfully. Republicans control 4 of the 5 seats again, and with that, here comes more gerrymandered districts. Given the recent election results, and with Republicans now in control of the board once again, the electoral prospects of Ohio Democrats is going to be hindered for years to come. And sadly, there's not much Democrats can do about it.

Now onto news that fires me up, as I'm sure it does most of you other liberals, we finish this segment of "The Liberal Approach" discussing the Bush tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of the year. There is now serious speculation going around, speculation that President Obama might actually favor extending ALL of the Bush tax cuts, including the cuts for richest 2%, in defense of making sure the middle/working class cuts are extended as well. Mr. President, this is not what you promised the past two years, and even during your campaign. Force the Republicans to filibuster middle/working class tax cuts in defense of the rich. This is a winning issue for you. The American public is on your side. Let the Republicans sit up there and explain why adding billions of dollars to the deficit is good for the country, even though they just campaigned on the contrary. End the cuts for the millionaires and billionaires. Let the tax rate go back to 39% for them, which is what it was in the 90's when we saw a budget surplus and 22 million jobs created. You have the votes in the House and Senate, either extend the cuts for the working/middle class, and let the tax cuts for the upper 2% expire, all while knocking off billions from the deficit, or cave, and let the rich and the Republicans win once again. And if you make the wrong choice on this and continue to bow down to the Republicans and corporations, don't be surprised if we(your liberal base)goes shopping for new candidate come 2012.

Thats it for this time. Stay tuned for the next installment of "The Liberal Approach".