I'm not from Ohio, so it's not up to me who gets to crush that no good punk Mike DeWine in the general. However, using the "career politician" canard against Brown is utterly bogus and it makes me want to hurl everytime I see it. Yes, many politicians have no backbone and are willing to say anything. Sherrod Brown is not one of these. He's got the record to prove it.
So maybe instead of saying "Sherrod Brown has been in politics for 30 years" we could say "Sherrod Brown has been busting his ass for the causes we care about for most of his adult life." Because that's the fact. He's clearly not afraid to take stands.
The issues that come up the most around here seem to be as follows (most of this is gleaned from
VoteSmart):
War in Iraq: Voted against the Iraq War Resolution.
Choice: Perfect 100% from NARAL/Pro Choice America.
Environment: Good ratings across the board including 100% from the American Wilderness Coalition and Defenders of Wildlife Action, along with 95% from the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club endorsement.
Labor: This has been pretty much Brown's calling card. One hundred percent from the AFL-CIO and 93% from the UAW. Also led the fight against CAFTA in the House.
In general the National Journal considers Sherrod Brown to be among the most liberal 15% of Representatives. It's clear to me that before someone blasts Brown for being in politics for 30 years, she should at least consider what he's been trying to do. He's the kind of guy who got into politics for the right reasons, and hasn't been corrupted.