Portman says he hasn’t sought Bush’s endorsement

YOUNGSTOWN — While Rob Portman, the leading Republican candidate for the 2010 U.S. Senate race, says, “You don’t turn away support,” he hasn’t sought it from former President George W. Bush, his ex-boss, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

In an interview today with The Vindicator, Portman said Bush and Cheney haven’t offered their support for his Senate bid and he hasn’t asked for it from either of them.

“I think endorsements are overrated, even the ones I’ve made,” he said.

Portman served as a U.S. House member in southwest Ohio from 1993 to 2005.

Portman resigned the seat in May 2005 becoming Bush’s United States trade representative. In May 2006, Portman became director of the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held till his resignation in June 2007.

Democrats have tried to tie Portman to Bush, whose popularity plummeted in polls towards the end of his presidential administration.

Portman said today that he’s “proud of my record” and said he has a long record of bipartisanship in Congress, including having 12 bills he sponsored signed into law by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

“My approach is to always focus on results,” he said. “It’s not about party politics.”

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com