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Josh Mandel, Ohio Tea Party Favorite, Calls Sherrod Brown 'Un-American' For Auto Bailout Support

Tea Party Favorite's 'Un-American' Slam Called 'Wildly Out Of Touch'
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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel speaks during an interview before a round table discussion at the Country Inn Restaurant, Thursday, July 5, 2012, in Georgetown, Ohio. Mandel, hoping to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, said Thursday the federal health care overhaul is a pivotal issue in their campaign. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Ohio Democrats are characterizing Republican Senate nominee Josh Mandel as "wildly out of touch" following comments in which he called Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D) support for the auto industry bailout "un-American."

Mandel made the comment during an appearance by both candidates before the Columbus Dispatch editorial board. Mandel claimed that Brown's vote cost Ohio auto industry workers their pension benefits, charges which Brown denied.

The Columbus Dispatch reports:

“I don’t toss around the word un-American very often — it’s a dangerous word to use. But stripping ... Delphi employees of their pensions with that vote — that is un-American,” Mandel said during a sit-down with Brown and editors and reporters of The Dispatch.

“While Josh was running for treasurer in 2009 and 2010, I guess he missed how this auto industry was going to implode,” Brown replied. “And to say that my votes closed plants or that my votes caused Delphi workers to lose their pensions or that my votes caused other tragedies and devastations in the auto industry is peculiar when all four auto companies in Ohio and almost the entire supply chain ... wanted this because they knew the auto industry might implode.”

Mandel, the Ohio state treasurer, did not give specifics on how he would have addressed the auto bailout if he was a senator, the Dispatch reported. Earlier this month, Mandel did not answer questions about his position on the auto industry bailout.

The Ohio Democratic Party attacked Mandel for the statement Monday.

"After ducking the issue for more than a year, Josh Mandel's wildly out of touch assault on the auto rescue that helped to protect nearly 850,000 Ohio jobs is a slap in the face to middle class families across our state. While Senator Sherrod Brown fought to rescue the American auto industry, it's now clear that Josh Mandel wouldn't have lifted a finger to help save those jobs," party spokesman Andrew Zucker said in a statement. "Just last week General Motors announced a $220 million investment in the Lordstown and Parma plants, an investment that likely would not have happened if politicians like Josh were in the U.S. Senate. Josh Mandel continues to paint a clear picture to Ohio voters that he is a politician who can't be trusted and won't fight for the middle class."

Mandel's spokesman, Travis Considine, did not respond to a call from The Huffington Post seeking comment.

The auto fight comes as Mandel is facing the possibility of a lawsuit by American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC, for refusing to release treasurer's office records requested by the group. American Bridge's attorney's informed Seth Metcalf, general counsel for the treasurer's office, that the office was not following the spirit of Ohio's records law by not responding to the group's two requests made in June for the resumes of staffers hired by Mandel.

The treasurer's office did release the resumes to the state Democratic Party in June following nine records requests. Several of those request were originally denied, with the office saying they did not have the resumes and answering one by releasing the entire state payroll instead of the requested resumes.

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Before You Go

Tea Party Statements
'2nd Amendment Remedies'(01 of06)
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During Nevada's 2010 Senate election, an audio clip surfaced of Sharron Angle raising "Second Amendment remedies" as a viable solution to take when "government becomes out of control."The Tea Party-backed hopeful ultimately proved unsuccessful in her campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (credit:Getty)
'I Do Not Wear High Heels'(02 of06)
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Ken Buck, a Tea Party-backed contender who ultimately fell short in his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in Colorado, made headlines in 2010 when he quipped that people should vote for him "because I do not wear high heels."
'I Am Not A Witch'(03 of06)
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Christine O'Donnell captured headlines in 2010 with a now-infamous campaign ad in which she tells voters, "I'm not a witch." She says, "I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you."O'Donnell was defeated in her campaign for Senate in Delaware by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons. (credit:Getty)
Scientists For Creationism?(04 of06)
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Rep. Michele Bachmann said in October of 2006, "There are hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design." (credit:AP)
Democrats = Communists?(05 of06)
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HuffPost's Jen Bendery reported in April of this year:
As many as 80 House Democrats are communists, according to Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.).West warned constituents at a Tuesday town hall event that he's "heard" that dozens of his Democratic colleagues in the House are members of the Communist Party, the Palm Beach Post reported. There are currently 190 House Democrats.West spokeswoman Angela Melvin later defended West's comments -- and clarified to whom West was referring."The Congressman was referring to the 76 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The Communist Party has publicly referred to the Progressive Caucus as its allies. The Progressive Caucus speaks for itself. These individuals certainly aren't proponents of free markets or individual economic freedom," Melvin said in a statement to The Huffington Post.
 (credit:AP)
Welfare Prison Dorms?(06 of06)
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The AP reported in August of 2010 on then-New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino:
Throughout his campaign, Paladino has criticized New York's rich menu of social service benefits, which he says encourages [undocumented] immigrants and needy people to live in the state. He has promised a 20 percent reduction in the state budget and a 10 percent income tax cut if elected.Asked at the meeting how he would achieve those savings, Paladino laid out several plans that included converting underused state prisons into centers that would house welfare recipients. There, they would do work for the state - "military service, in some cases park service, in other cases public works service," he said - while prison guards would be retrained to work as counselors."Instead of handing out the welfare checks, we'll teach people how to earn their check. We'll teach them personal hygiene ... the personal things they don't get when they come from dysfunctional homes," Paladino said....Paladino told The Associated Press the dormitory living would be voluntary, not mandatory, and would give welfare recipients an opportunity to take public, state-sponsored jobs far from home."These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of cities," Paladino he said.He also defended his hygiene remarks, saying he had trained inner-city troops in the Army and knows their needs."You have to teach them basic things - taking care of themselves, physical fitness. In their dysfunctional environment, they never learned these things," he said.
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