Dems Web ad highlights McCain's involvment with Wilimington DHL - OPENERS - Ohio Politics Blog by The Plain Dealer
Dems Web ad highlights McCain's involvment with Wilimington DHL
Posted by Christine Jindra/The Plain Dealer August 07, 2008 11:39AM
Categories:
Democratic Party,
McCain,
Presidential candidates
The above Ohio Democrate Web Web ad: "Stand Up" criticizes John McCain's involvement in trying to protect jobs at the DHL-Airborne facility in Wilmington, Ohio.
The Ohio Democratic Party released a Web ad today that contrasts John McCain's aggressive personal intervention in the Senate on behalf of a foreign shipping company with what it says is his unwillingness to intervene just as aggressively with DHL as 8,000 Ohio jobs hang in the balance .
The ad features video of McCain's exchange in early July with a woman at a town hall in Portsmouth, Ohio and reporting from The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.
The Democratic Party noted that on the eve of McCain's visit today to DHL-Airborne Express in Wilmington, Stephen Koff, The Plain Dealer's Washington Bureau chief,
reported that McCain's campaign manager and longtime friend Rick Davis lobbied on behalf of DHL to overcome Congressional opposition to allowing a foreign company to take over Airborne, and that McCain himself intervened to ensure that the deal went through.
The story on Tuesday said that filings in the Senate show Davis' lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, was hired to help both companies deal with Congress, where objections over DHL's foreign ownership arose. Davis and a partner earned their firm $185,000 for the DHL-Airborne Express work that year, records show.
Previous stories: •
Brown to McCain: Send your manager to Germany for DHL help. (Aug. 6)
•
McCain had role in original Wilmington DHL deal (Aug. 5)
•
Obama, McCain showing interest in fate of Wilmington (July 29)
•
"Wilmington air park a symbol of what's at stake in 2008 presidential election" (with video, July 26)
They earned $405,000 more from Deutsche Post for work on other issues in 2004 and 2005, after the deal passed Congress.
When DHL and its German owner, Deutsche Post World Net, acquired the Wilmington operations, the merger resulted in expansion, not retraction of jobs. "At the time of the merger, no one anticipated an impact on jobs in Wilmington," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said.
Asked to respond to the Democratic video, McCain spokesman Paul Lindsay said this afternoon, "John McCain is meeting with the community in Wilmington today to hear their concerns, not Barack Obama."
Several other Republicans in the last day have weighed in in support of McCain's efforts to help Wilmington.
Congressman Mike Turner of Dayton issued a statement saying:
"John McCain's visit to Wilmington shows that the possible next President of the United States takes the issue of the proposed DHL/UPS plan and the job losses that would follow very seriously.
" ....Our local, state, and federal leaders have worked together on a bipartisan basis to respond to DHL's plan and we look forward to working with Senator McCain" and ... his "stated support for the Ohio Delegation'sefforts to make certain the transaction is reviewed by several federal and state agencies for any potential violations of applicable law."
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich last night issued a lengthy statement :
I am pleased that my good friend John McCain is coming to Southwest Ohio to discuss the possible DHL hub closure in Wilmington. His concern for the region and the dramatic impact the proposed closure will have demonstrates what we in Ohio have known: that closure of this facility would be devastating to Wilmington and the entire region.
"The attention the DHL proposal has drawn by both Presidential campaigns serves to confirm the urgency of this situation this is one of the worst job catastrophes that any community in this nation is facing. This is not just a local issue, but has an international dimension because many of us believe that in order for us to have a positive impact we aregoing to need some involvement by the German government. I commend the Mayor of Wilmington, the Clinton County Commissioners, Governor Strickland and other state and regional leaders who have been working to save these 8,000 plus jobs since the announcement in May.
"John McCain recognizes that providing assistance to the workers and families in the region must have a dual-track approach. He supports the efforts by the Mayor, County Commissioners, Governor and the entire Ohio delegation to keep these jobs in the region. At the same time, he has also supported state and federal efforts to ensure that worker and
community assistance efforts are mustered in preparation for the potential loss of thousands of jobs in the Wilmington area.
"I will continue to work with the entire Ohio Congressional Delegation to support all efforts to assist the workers in the Wilmington area and save this facility."
In the meantime, The Justice Departmentis looking to see if there are antitrust implications in the matter, which involves plans by DHL Express to close its air hub outside of Wilmington. DHL wants to use a rival, United Parcel Service, in Louisville, Kentucky, to fly its packages city-to-city.
DHL, owned by the German Deutsche Post, maintains there are no anti-competitive issues in the deal. Although it would stop its own air hub operations outside Wilmington, between Columbus and Cincinnati, DHL would not get out of the delivery business. Instead, it would use UPS for one phase of delivery --air -- but still pick up and deliver its packages by truck and van.
This is the script for the Web ad, "Standup."
Woman: I hope that you're aware, I'm sure you are aware that DHL is closing that airpark in Wilmington. We will lose 8,600 jobs. Will you call for Senate hearings to investigate the DHL-UPS joint venture? (Editor's note: The woman is Mary Houghtaling, of Wilmington, who drove to a McCain campaign appearance in Portsmouth last month to ask the senator for help.)
McCain: I have been briefed, and read about this situation.
CHRYON: "McCain and his campaign manager, Rick Davis, played roles in the fate of DHL Express and its Ohio air park as far back as 2003." Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/6/2008
McCain: I've got to look you in the eye and give you some straight talk; I don't know if I can stop it or not. Or if it will be stopped it. So I have to tell you that. Some straight talk.
CHRYON: "Those jobs are on the chopping block because Sen. McCain and his campaign were involved in a deal that resulted in control of those positions being shifted to a foreign corporation." - Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO
McCain: In fact, some more straight talk: I doubt it.
CHRYON: The firm of Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager earned $185,000 lobbying for foreign ownership, and $405,000 after the deal passed Congress. Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/6/2008
CHRYON: Tell John McCain it's time to stop the same old Washington politics and stand up for Ohio jobs.