Looks like Obama campaign thinks it might be Portman, too

[bigtree]

Last edited Thu Aug 9, 2012, 02:53 PM - Edit history (1)

. . . I predicted Portman for Romney's VP choice about two weeks ago. Looks like the campaign is already highlighting Portman's record in an effort to define him in advance of whatever role he's going to play for Romney's presidential bid. Portman is in Colorado today shadowing the President with a 'bus tour' and whatever criticism he can get reporters to listen to.

This article today outlines the campaign's response . . .


Obama campaign website seeking Portman stories

CINCINNATI -- President Barack Obama's Ohio campaign is urging people to tell stories about Rob Portman's "real record," with the Ohio Republican senator thought to be among the leading contenders to become Mitt Romney's running mate.

An appeal circulating this week states Ohioans should tell what they think Americans "need to know" about Portman. There is a website form for submitting Portman stories. A similar effort is under way by Obama's campaign in Florida. Sen. Marco Rubio also is often cited as a potential VP candidate, and the campaign there asks Floridians to share the "good, bad and ugly" on the senator.

Emails from Obama state director Greg Schultz and online messages to Ohioans about Portman say "If and when Romney does select him, we need to be able to tell the full story about his record." They offer some prompts, saying the former Bush administration official has been part of policies that hurt middle-class families and the U.S. economy.

"It's our responsibility to make sure he isn't elevated to a position where he can do it again, this time, as vice president," the Obama campaign states.

read more: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/viewart/20120809/NEWS01/208090302/Obama-campaign-website-seeking-Portman-stories?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage


from Greg Schultz, Ohio State Director at the Obama campaign blog: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/vice-president-rob-portman?source=read-more

Vice President Rob Portman

Very soon, we'll know if Mitt Romney is choosing Ohio's Senator Rob Portman as his running mate.

Which means there's work to be done.

While Portman's name has been floating around as a potential pick for Romney for a while now, most Americans don't know anything about him.

If and when Romney does select him, we need to be able to tell the full story about his record on Day One, which could very well be in the next few days.

Share what you think Americans need to know about Senator Portman, and why a Romney-Portman administration would be terrible for middle-class families.

Rob Portman has been an Ohio senator for two years now, but the most damning pieces of his record involve choices he made as a senior member of the Bush-Cheney administration and conservative congressman, the consequences of which still reverberate on a national scale. As one of the architects of the top-down Bush budget, Portman practically invented the policies that punished middle-class families while exploding the deficit, and crashing our economy.

We need to make sure he isn't elevated to a position where he can do it again, this time, as vice president.

Let's make sure we're ready.

related:















http://my.democrats.org/page/content/robportman

[Motown_Johnny]

1. W.'s "Trade Czar" That alone is a huge winner.

This really might be fun.

[democrat_patriot]

8. Every Dem will refer to Portman as "George W. Bush's Former Trade Czar" BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

"One of W's economic advisors"

I can't see it being Portman - unless it's a guaranteed OH winner.

[Motown_Johnny]

24. They all have fatal flaws. I am betting it is Portman

Paul Ryan is a land mine just waiting to explode and Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have fixed the bridge that collapsed in MN before it collapsed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. Very interesting. And wow, that pic is the first pic that TRULY needs a caption

contest. The look on Bush's face is priceless. Like Portman is telling him there really were zero WMDs

[Ninga]

3. This calls for a letter to the editor because a preempetive strike can't hurt. N/t

[BeyondGeography]

4. Just hit him with a broad Bush

[ananda]

5. Bring it on!

nt

[Berlum]

6. The Repubbies want to remind America of the Bush Reign of FAIL?

Ummmmm hmmmmm.....?

[Patiod]

7. But Republicans love Bush - he'll highlight their convention like Clinton did with ours

Oh, wait.......

[nc4bo]

9. I realize most Americans are only interested in the recent past but

you have to wonder just how much of someone's past experience influences what they do in later years. There's nothing horrible that sticks out, just a politician's history.

Who IS Rob Portman anyway?

On a personal note, he has very close ties to the Bush & Cheney Families http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/mary-cheney-donates-to-anti-gay-senate-hopeful?directory=100011; and the Romney/Cheney/Portman connection: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/24/1111098/-Dick-Cheney-Picked-Romney-s-Vice-President.

Portman came from HUGE lobbying roots: Patton Boggs, LLP then Squire Sanders and Dempsey. He also worked as a U.S. Trade Representative under #43.

Omitted from his Wiki entry:

For 2 years in the 80's, he worked at Patton Boggs.

http://www.pattonboggs.com/about/overview/

For more than 40 years, Patton Boggs has maintained a reputation for cutting-edge advocacy by working closely with Congress and regulatory agencies in Washington, litigating in courts across the country, and negotiating business transactions around the world. Our partners include women and men with extensive backgrounds in government service with strong ties to both major political parties, as well as top-flight litigators and individuals with a keen understanding of business and finance.

Patton Boggs began as an international law firm concentrating in global business and trade in 1962. While we have maintained our strong concentration in international and trade law, we have evolved beyond our roots to become a full-service firm with a national presence in every major area of legal representation. We were among the first law firms to recognize that all three branches of government could serve as forums in which to achieve client goals, enabling us to emerge as the nation’s leading public policy law firm, and we have developed our extensive business law capabilities into the firm’s largest practice area.

The Wikipedia entry which points to Patton Boggs, "about us" page contains a quote from what must be an old version. If that is the case, I can see why they've updated/modified the language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton_Boggs

The firm was founded in 1962 by James R. Patton, Jr. and joined soon after by George Blow and then Thomas Hale Boggs, Jr. It has "participated in the formation of every major multilateral trade agreement considered by Congress."[1] Boggs joined the firm in 1966 after serving as an economist for the Joint Executive Committee and in the executive office of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

It's a little amusing, to me, that the details of his previous employment are completely omitted. He was a lobbyist, no shame in that

From his Wikipedia entry they are proud about:

From 1993 to 2005, Portman served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 2nd congressional district

A close associate of the Bush family,[6] Portman served in the first Bush Administration as White House Counsel and then as the president's chief lobbyist.[4] He returned to serve in two federal cabinet-level positions under President George W. Bush, from May 2005 to May 2006, as U.S. Trade Representative and from May 2006 to June 2007 as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).[3]

In 11/07 he with Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, the same thing, omitted. Why?:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rob-portman-to-join-squire-sanders--dempsey-llp-58806362.html

CINCINNATI, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Rob Portman, who recently left the President's cabinet as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will join global law firm Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. as part
of the firm's transactional and international trade practice. Prior to OMB, he served as United States Trade Representative (USTR), and for 12 years as U.S. Congressman from Ohio's Second Congressional District. Before his election to Congress, Portman practiced international and business law as a partner in a Cincinnati law firm. Portman will be based in Squire Sanders' Cincinnati office, but will also maintain a presence in other offices, including the firm's Washington DC office.

This new position at Squire Sanders will allow Portman to live in his hometown of Cincinnati and to stay involved with his community while working on national and international issues. Squire Sanders has a thriving Cincinnati office and, with 30 offices in 14 countries, an exceptional national and international platform.

He seems to specialize in "free" trade on an international scale.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rob-portman-to-join-squire-sanders--dempsey-llp-58806362.html

My mama always told me it's the quiet ones you gotta watch.

[elleng]

13. I don't see a big 'get' in discussing/listing the law and lobbying firms and he's worked with/in,

and Hale Boggs was a DEMOCRAT, after all.

Biggest problem for me is his OHIO connection, and I do have concerns about that.

[nc4bo]

15. Ok, it's personal

It bothers the hell out of me that people like this, have so many ties to 1%ers, can be so easily elected into political positions with help from those same 1%ers. They have the influence to create the legislation that benefits even more 1%ers. Who represents us?

They work in the field, make connections, get elected to office, make more connections, get the ear of our politicians, get to write the laws in their favor, to benefit other wealthy people and corporations.

Outsourcing, low wage jobs, little or no benefits offered by employers, little to no hopes of even having a retirement plan.

It's their world, not ours and all they care about is accumulating more $$$$ and buying more influence and preying on those who are part of the "you people" caste.

That's what bugs the hell out of me.

[nc4bo]

16. The 1%ers have a union. Their unions are the Patton Bogg's, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey's

of the world. The Portman's, Bush's, Sheldon's, Koch Brothers have the 1% union of the elite on their side.

The influence contaminates our entire political system, Democrats and Republicans. Party doesn't matter to them, only the money that can be made matters.

At the same time, they destroy the unions of the 99% and use a variety of propaganda to influence voters against our unions. They created the wedges that keep us hating each other, dividing us and weakening people power.

It's so far gone I don't think there's an easy way out.

[Starry Messenger]

23. +1000

And thank you for all the links. Marking to read later.

[flamingdem]

10. Time to remember Bush

Bush Bush Bush and some more Bush

[WI_DEM]

11. everybody thinks it will be Portman--which is why I don't think it will be

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. I thought it was going to be Portman, now I'm not so sure.

The way the Romney campaign has been turning out, I can't help thinking he won't bring enough to the game.

However, if not him, who? There's not a person on the short list who doesn't have a disproportionate amount of flaws vs the gains they'd bring.

[elleng]

14. Unfortunately he may bring OHIO to the game, QUITE enough for them, imo.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. That's a definite maybe. I've seen no poll where he brings more than 1pt to the ticket in Ohio.

Some even have him taking a point away from the ticket in Ohio.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

17. I disagree. Robme absolutely needs Ohio. No Republicans has even won without Ohio.

Last edited Thu Aug 9, 2012, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Portman scares me. I can see how people may be duped by his mild-mannered demeanor. He's a likeable person, which brings balance to a ticket where Robme is not likeable.

He's a trade "czar." Unless the Obama camp hits hard at the outsourcing issue, that may not hurt Portman.

His ties to Bush, his lobbying efforts...you'd think that people would care and take notice. However, I don't see how the Corporate Media holds him accountable. Team Obama will have to do the work.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. From the polls I've seen, he only added 1 point.

There's even a PPP poll which has his addition to the ticket as -1.

I've no idea if this is a reflection on how they feel about their senator, or if it's more a reflection of how they feel about Romney. If pressed to guess, I'd say it's the latter.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

25. I hope you're right. I really do!! :)

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. The main upside for us- of a Portman candidacy

is that he could very well depress the crazies.

[morningfog]

21. Which points to the only risk of a non-Portman pick.

IMO, if they get desperate to change the story, like McCain did, they may go crazy--Paul Ryan.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

22. In which case

Romney's still screwed. The base will love him but his Budget plan would scare off moderates/indies/seniors. Romney's screwed any which way. He can't appeal to the moderates/indies without alienating the Tea Party and he can't appeal to the Tea Party without alienating the moderates/indies.

[Thrill]

26. They probably take Pawlenty

Two former Governors who are hated in their own state

[amandabeech]

27. Minnesota would be a gigantic stretch for Rmoney.

Ohio, not so much. Southern Ohio, where Portman is from, is closer to Kentucky in mentality than it is to Cleveland, which is more the other big midwestern deindustrializing cities.

I hope that Cleveland emerges, btw, and I wish them all the luck I can. They have a nice lakefront to work with and a relatively mild climate for their latitude. And no, the Cuyahoga River doesn't erupt in flames every year.

That said, Portman did win a state-wide race, and he is reported to project a pleasant, low-key Midwestern personality. Notice I said project. He may seem more human than Rmoney, and may help to humanize the Mittster, who is a Michigan native, although an aberrant one. That may help not only in Ohio, but also in western and central Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and maybe Minnesota, although I doubt it for MN.

Pawlenty, based in Minnesota, comes across as more shrill to me, a native Michigoose, and he would not be able to humanize the Mittster in Ohio.

I hope that Mitt takes Pawlenty over Portman. I pray for Ryan, the nasty killer of SS and Medicare. Portman would like to kill Med., but he may seem nicer about it than Ryan.