The Ohio “miracle” that has brought low unemployment and even introduced Obamacare under a Republican governor is really a “myth” hiding an economy and public destroyed by the GOP and Tea Party, according to the Rolling Stone in a long article assailed as “activism.”
In a story titled “Where the Tea Party Rules,” the state and district represented by Rep. Jim Jordan, a leader of House conservatives, is described as an economic nightmare, but the blame isn’t put on President Obama but Tea Party politics and leaders like Jordan.
And now Jordan’s team and fans of the district and cities like Lima are pushing back at the article posted on the Stone’s website Monday. “Obama is a historic success” is another headline on the website.
“Blaming the Tea Party is just a liberal tactic. It’s not journalism – it’s activism,” said Jordan’s spokesman Darin Miller.
Quoting many critics of Jordan and Republican Gov. John Kasich, the article portrays Ohio and Lima as failures, quite different from a similarly long story in Tuesday’s Washington Post which points out the successes under GOP control that have some talking about a Kasich presidential bid.
“Lima, Ohio, has been struggling for decades – and the GOP’s radical policies are making it even worse,” said the Stone, citing employment issues and years of industry shutdowns under presidents including Bill Clinton.
One Lima cheerleader told Secrets that the story ignored Ford’s recent decision to open an engine plant, a booming college student population and a budding retail and restaurant hub. “Yes, we do have high speed internet,” he mocked. “It’s just awful out here!”
But it was the Stone’s assault on the popular Jordan that is drawing the most attention.
The paper mocks everything from his clothing — yellow tie, short sleeved shirt — to his choice of music. “He is decidedly uncool — his favorite musician is Brad Paisley,” the paper reveals. The Stone took a swipe at Paisley’s teaming with rapper LL Cool J last year for their song “Accidental Racist.”
And he’s a “devout Christian” who sleeps in his office and eats lunch out of a Tupperware container.
Finally, he’s a pain in the side of another Ohio Republican, House Speaker John Boehner.
“The article tried to have it both ways, assailing Jordan for being a thorn in the side of the Republican establishment and for being beholden to Republican interests,” said Miller. “The fact is, Jordan fights for taxpayers against both big government and big special interests. He’s worked with conservatives to cut wasteful federal spending, and he’s worked with liberals like Rep. Dennis Kucinich against bank bailouts and the federal reserve,” he added.
“Frankly, if big federal spending solved problems, wouldn’t our problems have been solved a long time ago? The fact is, Ohio’s unemployment rate is better than the national average. And the unemployment rate in Allen County is just 5 percent,” said Miller.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
