Cotton Says Clinton Running to Pardon Herself

CLEVELAND — Republican successes in Ohio mirror those of Republicans nationwide, a dominance that hopefully will extend to the state electing a Republican president and retaining Rob Portman, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told Ohio delegates to the Republican National Convention this morning during a blistering attack on Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration

Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, was among the featured speakers at the kickoff breakfast for delegation, the first day of the party’s nominating convention, during which they are expected to nominate Donald Trump for president.

Ohio remains the “quintessential swing state,” Cotton said. From the “outside looking in,” Ohio appears to be a “classic purple state,” but the GOP occupies its major state offices and has large majorities in both the state House and Senate.

Cotton remarked that the only mistake the state has made was not to send state Treasurer Josh Mandel to the U.S. Senate in 2012.

Similarly, over the past eight years the U.S. Senate has gone from 40 Republican senators to a majority with 54, and from 178 GOP members in the U.S. House of Representatives to 247, the most in 90 years. And, Cotton said, the party now holds majorities in two-thirds of the legislative chambers across the country, compared with one third in 2008.

Despite these gains, some Republicans say that the party needs “to show that we can govern” to not be “scary” and “we are the responsible grown-up adults.”

Democrats, Cotton said, chose between two socialists for their party’s nominee and picked the one who was “under FBI investigation.” Clinton, poised to accept her party’s nomination next week in Philadelphia, might be running for president so that she can pardon herself in January, he suggested.

Cotton assailed the Obama Administration, on issues ranging from the economy to immigration and health care. For example, while Democrats will focus on raising the minimum wage next week, Republicans “want to achieve the maximum wage” by growing the economy so that workers unhappy with what they are paid can get another higher-paying job.

On taxes, “we are taxed the moment you wake up,” he added.

On the Affordable Care Act, “Everything we said about Obamacare has come true,” he remarked. People are faced with a choice of getting less money for more coverage or being fined.

In terms of pubic safety, Cotton said Republicans will “always back the blue” and criticized the “racist cop-killers” who assassinated police officers. “We stand 100% with law enforcement,” he said.

America also finds itself in peril from global threats and adversaries such as the Islamic State, a danger that he laid at the doorstep of the current occupant of the White House.

There is “no doubt” the United States is less safe, he continued. “The reason is Barack Obama’s foreign policy is impotent,” and he has mishandled traditional adversaries like Russia and key allies such as Great Britain.

Cotton emphasized the need to retain Portman, who is being challenged by former Ohio Gov Ted Strickland.

Mandel echoed that sentiment in his remarks.

“While we definitely want to elect a Republican as the next president of the United States, what I’m focused on and a lot of my time politically is doing everything I can to help Rob Portman,” Mandel said. He urged delegates to “dig deep into that reservoir” whether in terms of time, money or calling friends on Portman‘s behalf.

“He has millions probably at this point tens of millions of dollars being spent against him from left-leaning organizations throughout the country,” he said. “They rise a lot of money on the coasts and they spend it here in the heartland.”

Members of the delegation also heard from former Cleveland Browns quarterback and Boardman native Bernie Kosar, who praised the involvement of younger politicians like Mandel entering the arena “with fresher ideas, with more innovative ideas.”

In his remarks to the delegation,Kosar told Cotton that he lost him “a little bit” for his “shot on the Browns.“ Cotton had joked earlier that the Browns didn’t appear likely to add another win for Cleveland this season, following the Cavaliers’ championship and a hoped-for title run by the Indians.

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A team of Business Journal reporters is on-site in downtown Cleveland for the Republican National Convention. Stay tuned to our website for updates throughout the day.

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