JOSH CLAIMS: He has discussed the important issues in this campaign, and introduced plans for what he’d do as a senator.

THE TRUTH: Josh Mandel has repeatedly refused to discuss key issues in this campaign because he’s not on the side of Ohio’s middle class.

1. Josh Mandel spent months refusing to even discuss the auto rescue until he finally revealed his opposition to it by calling Sen. Brown “un-American” for voting for it. To date he has refused to offer an alternative to it. [Dayton Daily News, 04/03/12]

2. Josh Mandel refused to discuss Sen. Brown’s bipartisan jobs bill to crack down on Chinese currency manipulation for months on end, until he recently revealed that he did not support it. He has since refused to offer an alternative to Sen. Brown’s bill. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 03/01/12]

3. Josh Mandel refused to support Sen. Brown’s bill to prevent interest rates on Federal Stafford Loans from doubling and increasing the burden of student loan debt for 382,000 Ohio students, and he would not offer a credible alternative. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/28/12]

The Mandel Campaign Has “Flat-Out Refused To Take A Position On Issues.”  In April 2012, The Youngstown Vindicator reported “Portman said he’s supporting Mandel because the latter has ‘better policies’ than Brown on issues such as tax relief, energy independence and trade. That’s interesting as Mandel and his campaign have been resistant to discuss the candidate’s policies in specifics, and in some cases, they have flat-out refused to take a position on issues. Maybe Mandel is telling Portman things he’s not yet told the rest of us.” [Youngstown Vindicator, 4/27/12]

“Mandel Has Taken Flak For Not Answering Press Questions On Specific Bills.”  In April 2012, The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote “Mandel has taken flak for not answering press questions on specific bills.”  [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/28/12]

Cleveland Plain Dealer:  Mandel Is “Known For His Reluctance To Voice Clear And Specific Thoughts On Current Issues.”  In August 2012, The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that Josh Mandel, is “Known for his reluctance to voice clear and specific thoughts on current issues.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/26/12]

Mandel Refused To Answer Questions About The Auto Bailout Because “I Wasn’t In The United States Senate Then.” In March 2012, The Findlay Courier reported “Mandel dodged when asked his view of the auto industry bailout, which arguably saved thousands of Ohio jobs.  ‘I wasn’t in the United States Senate then or the United States Congress … The campaign we’re running right now is forward looking, so I’m not going to pretend like I’m a D.C. politician,’ he said. ‘We’ll leave that to people like Sherrod Brown.’”  [Findlay Courier, 03/21/12]

Mandel Refused To Take A Stand On The Auto Bailout Because He Was Not In Washington When It Was Voted On.  In April 2012, The Dayton Daily News wrote “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel touted the importance of manufacturing during a Monday visit to the Dayton area, and received the endorsement of a national political action committee.”  The Daily News continued, “when asked if he agreed with the 2008-09 auto industry bailout, which impacts manufacturing, Mandel said he couldn’t say how he would have voted.  ‘I’m not going to pretend that I was there two or three years ago when they were voting on that,’ Mandel said.”  [Dayton Daily News, 04/03/12]

Mandel Refused To Take A Stand On Sen. Brown’s China Currency Legislation.  In March 2012, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported “Mandel previously refused to take a position on a foreign trade bill promoted by Brown and supported by small Ohio manufacturers as well as Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican and former White House trade ambassador. Brown’s bill would authorize economic sanctions against China if authorities found China manipulated its currency, providing its exports with an unfair pricing advantage. Some conservatives say punitive tariffs might start a trade war. On Thursday, Mandel did not say whether he supports the bill but said, ‘I think we need to approach China in a much more aggressive way. I think currency manipulation is an issue we definitely need to be discussing.’”  [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 03/01/12]

Mandel’s Communications Director Wouldn’t Say How Mandel Would Vote On Student Loan Bill – Only Described Mandel’s Position “Indirectly.”  In April 2012, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported “Mandel’s communications director, Travis Considine, described his boss’s position indirectly, getting in a jab at the Yale-educated Brown personally.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/28/12]