And it hasn't all been on foot.  Although Bill's Brigade...from Solon to Mentor to Stow, Geneva and Conneaut...has actually knocked on 7,322 doors...the "new media" based on the "old techniques" has a surprise in store for the Congressman from Virginia.  My manager Mark Ditz from the old school teamed up with my field director Tyler Allchin from the new wave....and what a stew they have come up with.   All the consultants in Washington and all the talking heads in New York are now coming to realize what we have known for six months.  Early voting has hit Ohio like a runaway freight train. 

Want some numbers to savor over the weekend?  Here goes.  You heard this directly from your candidate.  And I am right.  There will be 250,000 votes cast in this congressional race.  And a full 100,000 of those votes do not belong to any organized party.  Not even the Democratic party!  And guess what.  Of those 100,000  independent voters...over 28,000 of them have already gotten their ballots by mail.  And along with their ballot, they have received an O'Neill brochure proclaiming "Made In America" is the pathway out of the recession.

Where does this message come from?  The heart.  Think about it.   We are talking about our money here.  And if the government is going to buy their way out of the recession, they really have no need to stimulate the Chinese economy.  Buy American, put American factories back to work, and let the free economy take over.  It worked for the first 200 years...why not now.

Last word.  If I don't see you this week....thanks.  It's been a great journey. 

Bill

At a public meeting last week a person in the audience decided to challenge my Made In America stance.  And the question went something like this:  "Judge, what if the wind mill parts are not available from an American supplier?  Surely you would not hold up the whole project, would?"  And my response probably defines the difference between myself and others who use Made In America as a slogan.  Yes.  Yes, I would hold up the entire project until American parts could be found.  And the reasoning is simple.  If you create a demand, the supply will follow.  We have empty factories, unemployed workers, and a stalled economy.  That is no time to be stimulating the Chinese economy.

This issue has actually made door-to-door campaigning fun.  I simply go to the door and say "I'm Bill O'Neill, I'm the Democrat running for Congress, and I believe 'Made In America' should be the law of the land!"  And then the conversation just begins to roll and it is all good.  In Mentor ( Thursdays) Solong(Wednesdays) and Stow (Saturdays) the team is out and the message is ringing from roof-tops.

Oh, and did I mention?  We sent that message to 7,300 independent early voters yesterday.  Postage wasn't cheap, but the opportunity to reach that many voters with such a crisp message was truly cool.  Hey, send me $4.40 and I will send the message out ten more times today!

Bill O'Neill, RN

The O'Neill for Congress message is clear.  If the government is going to spend our money....THEY MUST INSIST....that anything bought with stimulus funds be MADE IN AMERICA.  Last week we delivered that message to 400 households.  This week we are going to double that number.  Join us.

Want to canvass with the team...or with your own team in your own neighborhood?  Call  Tyler.   330 208 0815

Also on the horizon is our campaign headqarters grand opening. On July 5, after the annual Independence Day parade in Stow, the O'Neill headquarters, 3404 Kent Rd, will be holding a free hamburger and hotdog cookout. Everyone is invited.

Speaking at the cookout will be State Rep. Mike Moran, State Senate Candidate Frank Comunale, State Auditor Candidate David Pepper, and Bill O'Neill. The event will be a fun time and a good chance to hear what these candidates will do to better Northeast Ohio.

Also on the horizon is our campaign headquarters grand opening. On July 5, after the annual Independence Day parade in Stow, the O’Neill headquarters, 3404 Kent Rd, will be holding a free hamburger and hotdog cookout. Everyone is invited.

Speaking at the cookout will be State Rep. Mike Moran, State Senate Candidate Frank Comunale, State Auditor Candidate David Pepper, and Bill O’Neill. The event will be a fun time and a good chance to hear what these candidates will do to better Northeast Ohio.

“Dilly-dallying by the House meant that the Senate went on holiday without acting at all on a measure that at least would have renewed the prior extensions. The result of all of this: About 39,000 Ohioans have lost their unemployment benefits and another 100,000 may be without help by the end of this month.

The main reason that Congress is balking at extending the safety net is one we would normally applaud: a sudden outbreak of concern about the nation's ballooning deficit and debt. But suddenly slamming the door on millions of needy Americans is penny-wise, pound-foolish and cruel at a time when the economy simply cannot reabsorb them. “

At a time when people are going through long periods of unemployment, incumbent Steve LaTourette has put politics over people. The incumbent has voted to raise the debt ceiling on three separate occasions previously and against limiting spending. When it came time for protecting Northeastern Ohio’s struggling families, politics has trumped common sense.

Extending aid to the unemployment provides $1.64 in economic stimulus for every dollar spent according to Moody’s Economy.com. The Congressional Budget Office has cited the extension of benefits as one the most cost efficient and effective forms of economic stimulus.