With Brown, Dems have a contender for U.S. Senate

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, could easily have prefaced his answers to questions about health care, energy, global trade, job creation and education with the self-serving phrase, "I told you so."
That's because during his seven terms in the House, Brown has consistently issued public warnings about the negative economic impact of Congress' refusal to deal with the ever-increasing cost of health care and prescription drugs, the nation's trade policies that have undermined America's manufacturing might, and the impending crisis with Social Security and Medicare.
But instead of patting himself on the back, Brown, former Ohio secretary of state and state representative, chose to provide Vindicator writers with thoughtful analyses of the problems confronting the nation, in general, and the state of Ohio, in particular, and to discuss solutions he has formulated during his long tenure in public office.
We endorse Brown for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate because we believe his presence on the general election ballot will ensure intelligent discussion on the issues with the Republican nominee.
While the May 2 Democratic primary is, in reality, a formality for Brown -- his opponent, Merrill S. Keiser, has never run for office and did not appear for a Vindicator endorsement interview -- the Republican primary features Sen. Mike DeWine, who is seeking a third six-year term, and two challengers, William G. Pierce of Maineville and David R. Smith of Mason.
The Vindicator's endorsement in the Republican race will appear in this space next week.
But regardless of who wins the GOP nomination, Brown intends to make Republican domination of the federal and state governments the issue in the fall campaign.
And, the veteran Democratic officeholder will attempt to turn the general election on one simple question that voters can ask the candidates: "Whose side are you on?"
The question is powerful in its simplicity because it can be applied to any of the issues the United States and Ohio must deal with today.
Key question
For instance, on fair trade, which Brown points out does not have a champion in the Senate, the question of "Whose side are you on?" goes to the heart of the debate raging in this country as the trade deficit continues to explode. This week's visit to the U.S. by Chinese President Hu Jintao again turns the spotlight on the fact that the U.S. trade deficit with China is now $202 billion.
The question also serves as a backdrop for the health care crisis, which not only affects the millions of Americans who do not have health insurance. As General Motors Corp.'s Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner has said publicly, the cost of providing health care to GM employees is a major factor in the price of its products. That, in turn, has put the company at a competitive disadvantage with foreign automobile manufacturers that are not required to absorb such costs.
In talking about health care, Brown said one of his goals is to convene a meeting of the CEOs of major American corporations to "figure out what we do about the delivery of health care in this country."
Such a summit is timely and necessary.
A general election campaign for U.S. Senate featuring Sherrod Brown as the Democratic nominee will ensure a lively debate on the issues that relate to the lives of Ohioans. We thus endorse his candidacy.