CLAIMS

FACTS

Announcer:  “What is 37-year politician Sherrod Brown hiding behind with his negative ads?”

On Screen: What is 37-year politician Sherrod Brown hiding?

Announcer: “Brown bailed out Wall Street, gave huge bonuses to executives…

On Screen: Brown bailed out Wall Street.  H.R. 1, Record vote 64, 2/13/09

On Screen: Brown gave huge bonuses to executives New York Times,3/18/09

Article Mandel Cites Does Not Mention Sen. Brown.  The New York Times article that Mandel’s ad cites does not mention Sen. Brown. [New York Times, 3/18/09]

Feb. 2010:  Sen. Brown Proposed A 50% Tax On Bonuses Paid To Executives At Businesses That Received Bailout Money.  In February 2010, The Dayton Daily News wrote “A year ago, news came of incredible million-dollar bonuses being paid to AIG executives in the wake of that company’s collapse and the federal bailout. Within a few days, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a 90-percent tax on the bonuses.”  The Daily News continued, “Now Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has a calmer proposal that goes in the same direction. It would impose a 50-percent tax on bonuses over $25,000 paid in 2010 to executives at businesses that received bailout money.”  [Dayton Daily News, 2/18/10]

Brown Introduced Legislation To Tax Wall Street Bonuses To Firms Receiving TARP Funds And Use Revenue To Support Small Business Loans.  In February 2010, The Hill reported “Brown wants to impose a 50 percent tax on executive bonuses at firms that received aid under the $700 billion financial bailout package. The tax would fall on bonuses in excess of $25,000. Brown’s legislation would use the revenue to support loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA).” [The Hill, 2/11/10; S. 3007, 2/11/10]

Announcer:  “Sent billions of tax dollars to foreign countries…”

On Screen: Brown sent billions of our tax dollars to foreign countries. The Washington Times, 9/9/10

Sen. Brown Isn’t Even Mentioned In The Washington Times In The Entire Month of September 2010.  Mandel cites a September 9, 2010 piece in the Washington Times, but a simple Nexis search for September 2010 and Sen. Brown yields no results.  [Nexis Search]

Mandel Ad Shows The Flags of Panama, China, and South Korea – All Trade Agreements Sen. Brown Voted AGAINST.  In Mandel’s ad, the flags of Panama, China and South Korea flash on the screen during the claim Sen. Brown “sent billions of our tax dollars to foreign countries.”  Sen. Brown voted against Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China in 2000 and in 2011 Sen. Brown voted against free trade agreements with Panama and South Korea.  In October 2011, the Marietta Times reported “In the teleconference, he said such agreements are against the national interest, undermining ‘Buy American’ policies and costing the country more jobs than they create.” [Marietta Times via the News and Sentinel, 10/13/11; House Vote 228, 5/24/00; Vote 161, 10/12/11; Senate Vote 162, 10/12/11]

PolitiFact: Mandel’s Claim On Brown and Jobs To China “Just Not Accurate,” “Ridiculous,” And “Pants On Fire.”  In March 2012, PolitiFact Ohio But to steal a competitor’s theme, you’ve got to be right. We find Mandel’s claim was overly broad; dead wrong in the case of his most concrete backup examples and, overall, just not accurate. It was bold. It was audacious. But put under a microscope, it turned out to be ridiculous, which is a requirement for heating up the Truth-O-Meter. Pants on Fire!” [PolitiFact Ohio, 3/20/12]

Brown Voted Against Amendment To Strike The “Buy American” Provision In Stimulus Package Authored By Mandel Supporter Sen. McCain.  In February 2009, Senator Brown voted against a McCain, R-Ariz., amendment no. 279 to the Reid, D-Nev., substitute amendment no. 98. The McCain amendment would strike the “Buy American” provision in the bill, which would require that only U.S.-made manufactured goods and materials be used in projects funded by the bill. [CQ; Vote 44, 2/4/09]

Announcer:  “…and cast the deciding vote on the government takeover of health care.”

Brown cast deciding vote on government takeover of healthcare. H.R. 3590, Record Vote #396, 12/24/09

PolitiFact Called “Government Takeover Of Health Care” 2010’s Lie of the Year.  In December 2010, PolitiFact reported “PolitiFact editors and reporters have chosen ‘government takeover of health care’ as the 2010 Lie of the Year.’”  PolitiFact went on to note “The phrase is simply not true.” [PolitiFact, 12/16/10]

PolitiFact: Health Care Reform “Relies Largely On The Existing System” of Employers Providing Coverage Through Private Companies.  In December 2010, Politifact wrote “PolitiFact reporters have studied the 906-page bill and interviewed independent health care experts. We have concluded it is inaccurate to call the plan a government takeover because it relies largely on the existing system of health coverage provided by employers.” [PolitiFact, 12/16/10]

Announcer:  “Time for a change?”  Marine veteran Josh Mandel earned the highest credit ratings as state treasurer.  He cut the budget and protected tax dollars.  Josh Mandel.

On Screen: “Time for a change?

Josh Mandel Marine Veteran.

Josh Mandel Highest Credit Ratings

Josh Mandel Cut the Budget

Josh Mandel Protected Tax Dollars

**Note: Mandel’s Ad Does Not Cite A Single Accomplishment He Highlights**

Mandel Touted STAR Ohio Rating Even Though It Was The Same Rating The Fund Had Received For The Previous 16 Years. In October 2011, PolitiFact reported “The STAR Ohio fund did, in fact, receive the highest rating possible, as Mandel’s email claimed. But the rating already had been in place for 16 years. It did not improve under Mandel, as a reasonable person might assume from his email.” [PolitiFact, 10/27/11]

Mandel’s Office Budget “Climbed” Nearly $3 Million From FY 2011.  In April 2012, the Dayton Daily News reported that “Mandel’s overall budget climbed to $41 million for fiscal year 2012, up from $38.3 million in fiscal year 2011 and $38.98 million in fiscal year 2010, according to the Legislative Service Commission.” [Dayton Daily News, 4/1/12]

Cleveland Plain Dealer:  “If, Between Anti-Brown Campaign Stunts, Mandel Finds Time To Stop By The Office He Was Elected To Run,” He Might Recall That “Minding The Store Is A Must.”  In an April 2012 editorial, The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that at the state treasury “minding the store is a must. Periodically — before the Civil War, before World War I, late in the 1920s, in 1970 and early in the 1980s — something at Ohio’s treasury goes very wrong. And even when the treasurer is personally blameless, that’s whom voters blame. If, between anti-Brown campaign stunts, Mandel finds time to stop by the office he was elected to run, he might care to recall that fact.”  [Cleveland Plain Dealer, Editorial, 4/15/12]