DID MEAN JEAN JUST THROW AWAY THE ELECTION? SHE WANTS TO TURN HER DISTRICT INTO A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP?

An awful lot of candidates have been telling me that they plan to solve some of the employment problems in their districts with the use of alternative energy technologies. Jerry McNerney, David Roth and Steve Porter have done quite a lot of work on wind and solar power ideas and other candidates are looking into similar ideas. But Mean Jean Schmidt must have been drunk or on a meth bender when she came up with a jobs proposal that no one in their right mind would ever even think of, let alone talk about. She wants to import nuclear waste into southwest Ohio.

When has to wonder what people in the Piketon area must have thought on Sunday when they woke up and read the Cincinnati Enquirer, which was reporting Schmidt's interest in importing nuclear waste from around the world and storing it near their town in the eastern part of the district. And the kook in the district next door, Steven Chabot (OH-01), currently down 9 points in the polls and sinking rapidly, is backing Mean Jean's psycho babbling.

The two crazy, irresponsible Republican congressmen are being challenged by two of the most impressive congressional candidates the Democrats have fielded against incumbents: Joe Cranley and Victoria Wulsin. They're holding a joint press conference today, offering voters a clear choice on this life-and-death matter. The heart of Chabot's and Mean Jean's loony proposal is to give private corporations-- like the ones that have been bribing these two crooks all along-- the power to make decisions that should be left to citizens and their representatives (local government). The dangers of this type of radical legislation were crystallized on Monday when the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Mean Jean supports an effort to store nuclear waste shipments from around the world at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in southern Ohio. Such a plan would not only bring nuclear waste to Portsmouth, but would put the radioactive material on roads, bridges and highways across Ohio threatening the health and safety of communities. With the broad leverage given by the Chabot bill to developers, this kind of radioactive dump could be put on the fast and easy track for placement in any town in Ohio.

Victoria Wulsin, a public health specialist had an immediate and strong reaction. "We can create good jobs without importing nuclear waste. We should cut taxes for small businesses that create jobs here at home. We should invest in renewable energy development and make Ohio that energy capital of America. And we should expand college loans so Americans can compete in the global economy. But we should never import nuclear waste into our backyard... As a public health doctor, I understand the long-term consequences of storing nuclear waste in our community. I oppose a nuclear waste dump in Piketon, and I am shocked that Jean supports this proposal."


UPDATE; BYE-BYE MEAN JEAN-- NEW POLLING IS IN AND JEAN IS OUT

Although the Republican machine in southwest Ohio is infamous for ballot box stuffing and electronic vote stealing, a new poll released by SUSA today shows that Victoria Wulsin is on her way to replacing Mean Jean Schmidt as the congressmember from OH-02.

In an election for US House of Representatives in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District today, 11/1/06, Democrat Victoria Wulsin comes from behind and appears to just squeak by incumbent Republican Jean Schmidt in the campaign's final days, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WCPO-TV Cincinnati. 6 days to the 11/7/06 election, Wulsin gets 48%, Schmidt gets 45%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released 10/17/06, Wulsin has gained 8 points; Schmidt has lost 3. Schmidt had led by 8, now trails by 3, an 11-point swing to the Democrat. Republicans support Schmidt 5:1. Democrats support Wulsin 15:1. Independents favor Wulsin, 55% to 35%. Those Independent voters provide Wulsin's margin of victory. If they do not turn out on Election Day, Schmidt wins. In the past 6 weeks, voter enthusiasm has increased in this District. In 3 polls, the percentage of Likely Voters in SurveyUSA's turnout model, as a percentage of Registered voters, has increased steadily. The Republican advantage among likely voters has fluctuated: it was 18 points six weeks ago, 24 points two weeks ago, 12 points now. The increase in turnout in the last 2 weeks comes mostly from Democrats, boosting Wulsin into the lead. Among male voters, Schmidt had led by 15, now trails by 2. Among females, the number of undecided voters has dropped from 16% to 11% to today 6%. Those voters have gone slightly, but measurably, to Wulsin, who had trailed by 3 among women but now leads by 4. The contest is tied among voters age 35+. Wulsin's gains are concentrated among younger voters. Wulsin had trailed by 10 in this group, now leads by 22, a 32-point swing. Of those likely voters who approve of President George W. Bush's performance in office, 86% vote for Schmidt. Of those who disapprove of Bush, 84% vote for Wulsin. President Bush's Job Approval among Likely Voters in OH2 is 44%. Schmidt was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2005.