Incendiary Advice

To many constituents of Ohio's 13th Congressional District, where Sherrod Brown has served tirelessly for over six terms, he is a local hero whose fight against CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) is the stuff of legends.

He's the guy who swore to pay for his own health insurance and forego the great governmental coverage until Congress passed a universal health care package. They didn't. He kept paying for 13 years.

He's the man who, according to an In These Times article:

"Inspired by a biography of John Quincy Adams that described his practice of reading letters of constituents opposed to slavery, Brown took to the House floor nearly every night to read letters from constituents opposing the war. As the war has dragged on, he voted for some supplemental funding, but repeatedly called for a fuller accounting by the administration of both the mistakes leading up to the war and the billions of dollars that continue to be unaccounted for. He’s currently a co-sponsor of a bi-partisan bill calling for the president to present a plan for withdrawal by December 31 and to begin removing troops by next October."

He's the only government official who has ever responded to my personal letters. An insightful two page letter from Brown about the failures of FEMA and solutions he'd like to see implemented hangs proudly on my refrigerator.

It's right next to the handwritten thank you letter he sent for published letters to the editor written during last year's presidential election. Unsolicited. And I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut he has no recollection that I volunteered for his campaign in the early 90's.

Speaking of, he's the only local politician for whom I'd still freely beat the pavement and brave the elements.

Granted, his Democratic opponent, Paul Hackett, is an interesting and intelligent challenger. I've followed his early path in politics and read his Daily Kos blog postings.

But he's untested and unproven in government - and a bold outlook simply doesn't beat Brown's decades of dedication and tireless work on behalf of Ohioans.

Who is Sherrod Brown? He's the guy who deserves to be our next Senator.

To read more about Brown, click the link above or read this archived Scene Magazine article.

Sherrod Brown