Ohio House Democrat trying to turn negative into positive
New York (CNN) - Ohio Democrat Steve Driehaus is trying to turn losing his party's financial support into a winning message.
The freshman House Democrat learned this week that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was pulling resources out of his re-election campaign, a sign national Democrats consider it a losing battle.
So Driehaus taped a web video asking voters for help, painting himself as an outsider who cast tough votes on issues he campaigned on, and whose party leaders abandoned him.
"I've had the guts to stand up for you. When it comes to the tough votes on health care, changing our economy, turning things around, and standing up to Wall Street, I've taken those votes because it was the right thing to do for the American people. Now the DCCC is walking away," says Driehaus.
The bare bones video shows Driehaus in shirt sleeves sitting in a near empty office, except for his campaign poster on the wall behind him.
"Go on line and make a contribution," says Driehaus, "send a message to the DCCC and all Americans that when we voted for change in 2008, we meant it."
Driehaus' Cincinnati area district has long been a conservative stronghold. He won the seat in the 2008 Democratic wave and now he's in a rematch against Republican Steve Chabot, who wants his old job back.
The DCCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Driehaus' in-your-face move, but a senior Democrat involved with national party strategy told CNN it was "smart politics" for Driehaus to use bad news from his party in Washington as a way to push himself as an outsider.
Tim Mulvey, Driehaus' campaign spokesman, tells CNN the campaign has raised about $600 dollars since putting the video on line Wednesday night.
"We're certainly not putting up the white flag," said Mulvey, "we are going to be working hard for the next three weeks."
He said that Driehaus' campaign believes it has enough money to continue to air its own ads on Cincinnati television through election day.
Both the Rothenberg Political Report and the Cook Political Report, two of the top non-partisan political handicappers, rate the race as "Lean Republican."
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Christine O'donnelll proved in the debate that she is knowledgeable and on top of the issues...and not anything the media wants to make out who she is.....She won hands down...Coons was alll speech and no answer...Empty head inside-out.!
CNN is taking a decidedly right tilt. More stuff on crazy stuff GOP and Tea Party make up. The name calling and down right ugliness and emptyheadedness of their Leaders. Report more on that please.
My only regret from moving out of Ohio's first district last year is that I won't be able to vote Driehaus out of office. I don't know of anyone who voted for him that is happy with their choice.
The DCCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Driehaus' in-your-face move, but a senior Democrat involved with national party strategy told CNN it was "smart politics" for Driehaus to use bad news from his party in Washington as a way to push himself as an outsider.
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The voters intend to make this DemocRAT the ultimate "outsider"! He'll be such an outsider he'll have to find another job!
Ohio has been losing jobs and people to the slowly diminishing manufacturing base for several years. The corruption at the state level has taken it's toll also. The republicans who want back in are riding a wave of disgruntled citizens who have a very short memory of what,s been happening there for the last 15 years or longer.
Just look at the voting record and what it produced. If you like the idea of Government controlled healthcare (and all that that entails), If you like the spending, the control over your food choices, higher energy costs, less manufacturing jobs, less energy, kickbacks for union bosses...., then vote for the same democrats that rubberstamped Obama's ideological agenda.
If not, vote for someone that will stand up for Americans.
go Driehaus!