House Speaker John Boehner, right, and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, exchange greetngs at the GOP headquarters in Boardman.
BOARDMAN
House Speaker John Boehner praised fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson for his dedication to seeking the repeal of the federal health-care law and working to get the economy moving in the right direction.
Boehner briefly spoke to about 100 people Thursday at the Mahoning County Republican Party’s headquarters in Boardman before attending a private fundraiser in Canfield for Johnson’s re-election campaign.
Boehner said that during the spring of 2010, he heard about Johnson, who was running for political office for the first time.
Johnson’s bid to defeat then-two-term Democratic incumbent Charlie Wilson “wasn’t quite on the radar screen,” he said.
Boehner said Johnson, of Marietta, R-6th, told him at an event in August 2010: “I want you to know something. I’m going to win.”
At that point, Boehner said, “I thought, ‘You know, this guy is serious.’”
A few days before the 2010 general election, Boehner campaigned for Johnson at the Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton.
During his five-minute speech Thursday at party headquarters, Boehner said the upcoming election will be a “referendum on the president’s policies regarding the economy, gas prices and energy, and Obamacare.”
Before Boehner spoke, Johnson told the crowd, “I can’t tell you how proud and honored I am to be your voice in Washington,” and how proud he was to have the speaker support him.
Johnson beat Wilson, of St. Clairsville, in 2010. The two will meet again in the November election.
“Obviously, the Republican establishment is worried; that’s why they’re sending in the big guns early,” said J.R. Starrett, Wilson’s campaign manager. “Bill Johnson is being rewarded for being a rubber stamp for Republicans in Washington.”
At GOP headquarters, Boehner said the President Barack Obama administration is overreaching in terms of rules and regulations that are making it difficult for the nation’s economy to grow faster.
“I’m just a regular guy with a big job,” Boehner said. “I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters. My dad owned a bar. I’m the last guy in the world who ought to be speaker of the House.”
The 11-term incumbent added, “Washington is too big, it spends too much and it’s too involved in our” lives.
The federal government needs to get “out of the way and let our employers and innovators and investors in America do what they do best,” Boehner said.
Tickets for the fundraiser were $10,000 for a table for six and a photo with Boehner, $2,500 for a couple with a photo, and $500 for a person with no picture.
The event was at the Canfield home of Michael Bruno, founder of a major fitness, and medical and health equipment company, and his wife, Yang Lin Qing.
Comments
Johnson will be a one term Tea Party congressman - he has done nothing, but say NO in his two years. Where are the jobs he promised and the economy fixes he promised? Another worthless Republican politician.
I'm surprised that the dems couldn't get John Boccierri to run against Johnson. he has a better narrative and perssonality than Wilson. Plus he's good at jumping districts to get elected.
@Union, he is helping with job creation, ask all the oil and gas people they'll show you their paychecks. Go to the courthouse basement and ask all the young examiners on their laptops making 80K. Now show me the Union jobs they are creating, yea that's right I mean uncreating.
Boehner & Johnson, the blind leading the blind.
Wilson/Obama, the do nothing duo (unless blaming someone else for everything counts)
@Utica, I hardly think Bill Johnson had any direct impact in creating the oil and gas jobs you claim. That would be like me saying Tim Ryan is responsible for creating oil and gas jobs in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
I hold Tim Ryan directly responsible for the stimulus money and jobs created at V&M Star steel and the utica shale jobs. The only thing boehner and johnson are responsible for is trying to get rid of contraceptive pills.
No wait, i think bill did something. Which part of the constitution did he take his turn reading?
Keep voting for those Dems. Things are in great shape aren't they. How's that deficit coming? Like that price of gasoline? Take a look at all the balanced budgets Obama has sent to congress? and Obamacare is just getting started! Yes, keep voting for those Dems. They have things well under control and balanced. Yep, we could use four more years of this direction.
Yep, brought the boys home from iraq, yep, killed bin laden, my neighbor still has a job at GM, my 401k is coming back, romneycare got enacted nationwide. Yep, ill be voting DEM this november.
think, how do you like those gas prices? You didn't answer that. How about that deficit? You didn't answer that. Spending O.K. for your taste? Everthing balanced to your approval? Thinks that 401 is good and strong and safe and steady? Didn't answer that did ya. You keep voting tor the dems think, they are doing just fine economically, aren't they think. How about that energy policy. Oh my are we in trouble. But you keep voting for 'em think. 25 trillion debt o.k. with you, think? Keep voting for 'em think. The dems have messed this country up so bad it may be beyond help anyway.
The congressmen should get a pay cut, or better yet, not paid at all. All these posts are pointing out whats wrong, and congress isnt doing their job. If we dont do OUR job, we dont get paid. I mean, all they do is make speechs bad mouthing the opposite party.