(Part 1 of this examination can be found here)
There is also a video on the truthaboutkasich site entitled John Kasich: Lehman Brothers Crisis Explained. The title should end with a question mark because it makes no sense. Just as in the copy on the site, John Kasich is tied to Lehman Brothers’ collapse even though as far as we know there is no evidence suggesting he had anything to do with it. Kasich worked there but was apparently involved in matters other than subprime mortgages.
After the video notes that Lehman’s CEO Dick Fuld recruited Kasich to join the firm, in a condescending tone the announcer says Kasich “explored running for president for a few months.” This is followed by the big one: “But when he dropped out, Kasich became the first candidate to endorse George Bush.” Somehow this just isn’t quite as shocking as it seems the producers of this hope. Perhaps they are unaware that Bush won the election, and the one after that. Apparently, many other Americans endorsed George Bush, too.
Following this breathless announcement, they drop another “bomb.” Kasich went to work for the Fox News Network. (Mind you, none of this has anything to do with Lehman Brothers.)
The video then repeats what’s in the site’s text about Kasich’s praise of Fuld, though it doesn’t mention these comments were made in 2001.
They return to the trials and tribulations of Lehman, noting that the company made a lot of money over the years and gave out a lot of bonuses. As acknowledged in the first installment about this anti-Kasich site, the video fairly notes that we don’t know how much Kasich made because he won’t release his tax returns. Now he might at one point but does it matter? Undoubtedly, he made great money there. But how does that have bearing on his run for Ohio governor anyway?
It goes on to say that Kasich’s going to take “what he learned in private business” to Columbus and that his “first idea is to totally eliminate (cue cliche meat cleaver animation) the state income tax. That means the state will have nearly 40 percent less revenue. So it will have to cut schools, health care, reduce police and fire and even close prisons or raise taxes on Ohio families. It’s all part of his recharge Ohio plan.”
The fact that a lot of these things are happening or being talked about anyway — with a possible tax increase — is lost here, perhaps because the current Ohio governor is a Democrat. But the implication that Kasich wants to just drop the income tax without a plan that would address the tax revenue loss is ridiculous.
It’s also convenient for Kasich’s detractors that they neglect to mention that several states do not have an income tax and most, if not all, are doing better than Ohio economically. Of course, this is the main impetus driving the examination of a measured move away from the state income tax.
Besides the conclusion that this political ad project is little different from most all the political ads that have preceded it from both parties, it’s also safe to conclude one other thing. If this is the best they can come up with, it’s going to be a tough battle for Kasich’s opponent.
