Ohio Senate Race Watch

Sherrod Brown is becoming the most likely winner of a Democratic primary in the Ohio Senate Race. How unfortunate then, that he voted for the ANWR provision in the most recent House of Representatives vote. On background, the House Defense budget bill had ANWR oil drilling thrown in at the last minute (as a clear violation of budget procedure of course), and Democrats were put at risk of voting for ANWR or voting against money the troops need. It’s a pretty nasty thing to do that completely subverts democracy, but whatever, this is what politics is about.

I even understand a representative who is in a close race in a moderate state voting for it, especially when the real hope for defeat of ANWR lies in the Senate. But what disturbs me is his response given to the http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1135247827222690.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

>Cleveland Plains Dealer ‘Brown, asked why he didn’t make a protest vote against the military-ANWR bill, said, “I don’t do protest votes when soldiers’ lives are at stake.”’

I’m happy getting someone elected to balance Ohio’s representation, on moderate compromise votes, that’s great. But using the enemies rhetoric to rationalize it and provide more ammunition for attacking the Democrats who were willing to stand up to this abuse of power, is something I really rather not see in the Senate. Any Democrat who cringes whenever they see Joe Lieberman come on TV and bash anyone who questions the President, should keep a closer eye on Brown too.