New Frontiers in Brazenness

There is a catalog of reasons why Josh "The Empty Suit" Mandel (you know this was going to be about him, didn't you?) should never come CLOSE to being Ohio's U.S. Senator. We've gone over them — and over and over. But just when you think you're done, he surprises you with his ability to be dishonest, unethical, and nasty in the most brazen way.

We noted recently that Mandel has been running ads hilariously attacking Sherrod Brown for his attendance record in the Senate — which is nearly flawless. Everything in the ad is just completely fabricated. Yes, you can do that. It's only the latest in a money barrage of lies against Sherrod that is racing toward $20 million.

Then on the heels of these ads, Mandel actually has the chutzpah — probably too mild a word — to blow of word at the treasurer's office again.

http://ohiodems.org/news/today-mandel-blows-off-work-again-to-raise-cash...

Here is what Mandel is doing today while being paid with your tax dollars and mine:

8:30 a.m. Breakfast fundraiser
12:00 p.m. Fundraising lunch w/ GOP party boss Senator Roy Blunt
4:30 p.m. Fundraising reception

Yes, what a dedicated public servant he is. He might as well be sticking his finger directly in our eye. This is a man with such contempt for honesty and for the public that it's shocking he's even managed to be running.

But outside of his own total lack of credentials for the job and his clear signals he won't even try to serve the people of Ohio, there's another reason not to vote for him. If he were to win based on a campaign of radically outspending his opponent in order to blatantly lie about him over and over — to destroy the reputation of a good public servant in order to win — it would set a standard for all campaigns in the future. Hey, it WORKED! That would dramatically increase the level of cynicism and disengagement from the system by the best people — those repelled by the politics of smear. And that would give more power to the ignorant, the bigoted, those driven by hatred and prejudice and prone to swallow lies. It would be a threat to our democracy and our country's future.

Don't let that happen.

www.sherrodbrown.com

In an editorial Sunday titled "There He Goes Again" which dismantles Mandel's claims about Sherrod's attendance and voting record, the Akron Beacon Journal said,

"Josh Mandel continues to push the frontier of campaign cynicism."

http://www.ohio.com/editorial/editorials/there-he-goes-again-1.335163

That's putting it mildly.

Update: Here's video of Joshie trying to pretend he's not the biggest job shirker in Ohio.