COLUMBUS, OHIO - Today, in response to Governor John Kasich’s self-described speech on bipartisanship, Jerid Kurtz, a spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party, reminded the governor about his long record as a partisan bully:
“Ohio would be better off if Governor Kasich actually tried walking the walk on bipartisanship instead of talking the talk. This is the same governor who told Senate Democrats ‘I don’t need your people,’ who said get on my bus, or I’ll run you over, who passed the most partisan redistricting bill that Ohio has seen in decades, and who rammed Senate Bill 5 down the throats of Ohio’s firefighters, policemen, teachers, and working families without ANY bipartisan support.
“As Governor Kasich gets closer to re-election and watches his poll numbers hovering at or below 40 percent, I expect he will continue to try to get Ohio’s press to support his fantasy that he is anything less than a partisan bully.”
BACKGROUND
- Kasich Told Legislative Black Caucus “I Don’t Need Your People.” In a meeting with the Senate Democratic Caucus, Senator Nina Turner offered to help Governor John Kasich find qualified minorities for his administration. Kasich responded, “I don’t need your people.” [The Plain Dealer, 1/27/11]
- Kasich Said He Will “Run Over You.” John Kasich, while addressing a group of lobbyists after his election victory, said they need to get on “the bus. If you’re not on the bus, we’ll run over you with the bus […].” [Springfield News-Sun, 11/5/10]
- Kasich Signed Partisan Redistricting Legislation Into Law. John Kasich signed an extremely partisan redistricting bill into law, which was produced at a downtown Columbus hotel without the knowledge of Democratic lawmakers. [The Columbus Dispatch, 12/16/11]
- Kasich Signed SB 5, Which Passed with No Democratic Support. John Kasich signed into law SB 5, which severely curtails the collective bargaining rights of around 350,000 public employees. The bill passed without a single Democratic vote in both the Ohio House and Senate. [Dayton Daily News, 3/30/11; The Blade, 3/31/11]
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