Candidate focuses on jobs and Valley

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The Democratic candidate is airing a TV commercial in the Youngstown market.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, was to meet today with workers who lost their jobs at the Denman Tire plant in Leavittsburg to discuss plans to bring jobs back to the Mahoning Valley.

Brown's campaign began airing a television commercial Monday on Youngstown stations focusing on trade agreements that eliminated American jobs.

It is the first time the Democrat is running a TV ad in this area for the Senate race, said Ben LaBolt, his campaign spokesman.

About the commercial

In the commercial, Brown criticizes U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, the Republican incumbent seeking re-election, although he only calls him "my opponent," for supporting "trade agreements that cost us" manufacturing jobs.

DeWine voted for the Central America Free Trade Agreement and permanent normalized trade relations with China and supports the North America Free Trade Agreement. Brown voted against CAFTA, NAFTA and the trade relations status for China.

Ohio has lost more than 195,000 manufacturing jobs since 2001, and Brown said more than 52,000 are because of NAFTA alone.

In the commercial, Brown says as a senator he'd judge all trade agreements by this standard: "Are they fair and do they put Americans first?"

DeWine recently told The Vindicator that Ohio doubled its exports because of NAFTA, and CAFTA, passed this year, is already a success.

Brown will be joined today by laid-off Denman workers and union officials. Denman, a tire manufacturer in Leavittsburg, laid off about 50 of its 250 workers in May.

The other side

DeWine is running his second television commercial on Youngstown stations. The ads began last week.

In the commercial, DeWine said he "voted for two of the largest tax cuts in history, helping millions of Americans," and "during 14 years in Washington, Congressman Brown voted repeatedly for higher taxes."

Brian Seitchik, DeWine's campaign spokesman, said Brown is attempting to "mislead voters" by claiming he voted for tax relief 33 times. Of that number, 28 were for amendments that failed or for bills that never became public law, Seitchik said.

Seitchik also said if Brown had his way, "Ohio would be walled off from the world around."

skolnick@vindy.com

Tuesday, September 12, 2006