JOSH CLAIMS: Sherrod Brown is against fracking and sides with Washington bureaucrats and fringe environmentalists.

THE TRUTH: Sherrod Brown supports responsible shale development and the jobs that it will create.

1. Josh Mandel’s claim that Sherrod Brown “has chosen to side with Washington bureaucrats and fringe extremists” was rated “Pants on Fire” and called “ridiculous” by a nonpartisan fact check organization. [Politifact, 12/7/11]

2. Sherrod Brown expressed enthusiasm for the jobs that will be created by shale development. [Akron Beacon Journal, 1/7/12]

3. Sherrod Brown organized a jobs fair with a leading shale developer to connect Ohioans with opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry. [Canton Repository, 4/5/12]

4. Sherrod Brown had led the fight to ensure the jobs in the fracking industry go to Ohioans, rather than out-of-state workers.  [WKBN, 01/24/12]

Sen. Brown:  When It Comes To Fracking, “It’s A Lot Of Jobs.  It’s A Lot Of Prosperity.”  “U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown described himself as neither pro- nor anti-fracking, though he said he does have concerns about the controversial procedure for removing oil and natural gas … ‘I think it’s going to happen,’ he told an audience of about 200 at a luncheon at the University of Akron’s Martin Center. ‘It’s a lot of jobs. It’s a lot of prosperity. But it’s also our drinking water and it’s also the issue of waste disposal.’”  [Akron Beacon Journal, ellipses added, 1/7/12]

Brown Organized A Job Fair With Chesapeake Energy For Oil And Natural Gas Job Opportunities.  In April 2012, the Canton Repository reported “More than 1,200 people looking for an opportunity lined up Thursday morning inside and outside University Center at Kent State University Stark Campus for a job fair organized by Chesapeake and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.” [Canton Repository, 4/5/12]

Politifact: Mandel’s Claim That Sen. Brown “Has Chosen To Side With Washington Bureacrats And Fringe Extremists” Was “Ridiculous” Rhetoric And “Pants On Fire!” In December 2011, Politifact reported,  “Anne Carey, supervisor of the Wayne National Forest, was concerned about fracking”s impact on the Wayne National Forest. She recommended that the forest be removed from the Dec. 7 federal auction until there could be further review … In an interview, Brown said he supported Carey’s decision, noting that numerous local officials had concerns about fracking in the area.  Mandel then criticized Brown.  In a Dec. 2, 2011, column Mandel wrote in The Wall Street Journal, the treasurer said: ‘Adding to the public outrage here is the position taken by Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who this week announced his support of the federal government’s job-killing decision. Even though the vilification of Ohio’s abundant coal, oil and gas disproportionately hurts jobs and energy prices here, Mr. Brown has chosen to side with Washington bureaucrats and fringe extremists in the attacks on our natural resources.’  PolitiFact Ohio decided to look at the last part of his claim; that Brown has chosen to side with bureaucrats and fringe extremists.”  Politifact concluded:  “when rhetoric gets ridiculous — when a public official running for office implies that an Ohio mayor, county commissioners, a major university president and a federal forest supervisor are fringe extremists — PolitiFact Ohio has one rating for it: Pants on Fire!”  [Politifact, 12/7/11]

Sen. Brown:  “The Jobs That Fracking Creates Need To Be People From Mahoning And Columbiana … And Our Region, Not People Coming In From Texas And Oklahoma.”  “From steel, to cars, and now natural gas, the Mahoning Valley is known to be a manufacturing hotspot … Brown wants President Obama to recognize the importance of manufacturing not just in Ohio, but across the country. And that could include our recent time in the spotlight when it comes to fracking.  ‘The jobs that fracking creates need to be people from Mahoning and Columbiana and Trumbull and Carroll counties and our region, not people coming in from Texas and Oklahoma for these jobs, so I’m excited about the potential job growth,’ Brown said.”  [WKBN, ellipses added, 01/24/12]