Brunner Talking Green, Sounding Brown

In a release from last Friday, U.S. Senate hopeful Jennifer Brunner gave Ohioans additional perspective on the type of Senator she'll be if elected next year. Citing the rise in the state's unemployment rate from 9.7 to 10.2%, Brunner called on state and federal officials to step up plans to transform Ohio's economy into a leader in energy-efficiency and renewable energy.

Brunner released a policy statement for the second week in a row (as opposed to her rivals who have been silent on most issues since the beginning). In her release, she continues to position herself as the partner and political soulmate to Sherrod Brown. Given Brown's popularity, especially among progressives, it's not a bad approach. If you see Jennifer sporting denim shirts, or she starts calling Connie Schultz for wardrobe suggestions, you'll know the strategy is set. Lee Fisher's camp on the other hand, through its limited communications, seems to be trying to make Fisher a partner of President Obama. Both are good angles and should add more anxiety to an already conflicted Democratic base trying to figure out who to support.

From the Brunner release:

Brunner is supporting Senator Sherrod Brown’s proposal to increase bank funding for environmentally based businesses and said Ohio is well positioned to capitalize on the emerging green economy.“Toledo is already a national leader in solar energy. Wind technology holds great promise for Cleveland. Already, manufacturing facilities in Ohio are producing component parts for equipment that generates alternative forms of energy to reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil. The United States Treasury is and will be a strong component in stimulating the growth of jobs in these key areas of new manufacturing, and especially in Ohio.  But these emerging industries will be the subject of fierce competition among the states.  Ohio has to move quickly now with focused leadership that is free of partisan fights so that progress and cooperation between the political, advocacy and business sectors of our state and communities can flourish.  There is no magic bullet for creating jobs—it takes old fashioned cooperation and hard work—and that happens when strong political leadership never forgets we work for everyday Ohioans.  We have the tools necessary to move ahead; now we need the cooperation, resolve and leadership to keep our focus on Ohioans, who have shown the country time and time again, that our strong community values and hard work can move us forward” said Brunner.

Overall, the Brunner release doesn't say much more than we already know. What's important is that she and her campaign are taking positions and giving us clues about what might be the most important issues she'd be fighting for in the U.S. Senate. As the primary draws near, progressive groups and labor organizations will be looking to see which candidate will roll up their sleeves and fight for them on the Senate floor. With recent polls showing Brunner and top rival Lee Fisher virtually neck-and-neck, but both well ahead of Dick Cheney-protégé Rob Portman, these types of statements, no matter how obvious, back up the "I'm with you" talk the groups hear behind the scenes. They put the candidate front-and-center and give the groups the political cover they need to make key endorsements. While the fundraising has garnered most of the attention this year, those endorsements may end up being almost as valuable.