Response to Gov. Strickland's State of the State Address

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine issued the following statement today regarding Gov. Ted Strickland's State of the State address:

"The state of our state is not unyielding, it's unemployed.  This is a governor who said four years ago that he had a plan to turn around Ohio's economy.  During that time, we've lost more than 355,000 jobs and hit double-digit unemployment rates.  Clearly, if he has a plan, it's not working.

RELATED STORY - Watch John Kasich's Response to Strickland's State of the State Address 

He tried to claim credit for Republican tax cuts, when he actually raised taxes by nearly $1 billion.  He tried to claim credit for job creation, when his only jobs program was created by his predecessor nearly a decade ago.  He tried to claim credit for fixing school funding, when he cut school funding for the first time in two decades.  He tried to take credit for Ohio's export jobs, when the only thing he's done is export jobs.  The list of hypocrisies in this speech is endless.

The bottom is falling out of this administration.  Ted Strickland is trailing in the polls.  More Ohioans disapprove than approve of his performance.  The problem is leadership.  He spends all of his time accusing everyone else of spilling the milk instead of taking the lead on cleaning it up.  Ohioans are tired of the blame game.  They want leadership, and they will only get it by ending the most dysfunctional administration the history of this state."