Progress Ohio - next stop on the Marc Dann Crony Express
Fri, May 9, 2008
Brian Rothenberg at Progress Ohio recently, and inexplicably, has been defending Marc Dann. Why? Let’s look at Progress Ohio’s board, i.e., the people who sign Rothenberg’s paycheck.
The signature on Rothenberg’s paycheck is probably Jeff Rusnak, who is treasurer of Progress Ohio’s board, which at one point was listed on Progress Ohio’s website, but is now gone, and captured conveniently by BlogNetNews. Rusnak was formerly a senior VP at Burges & Burges in Cleveland, and is now at M&R Consulting - which of course lists Progress Ohio as a client.
Jeff Rusnak, Cleveland Office Director, has consulted on more than 100 successful campaigns over the course of his career and has provided strategic guidance for nonprofits, corporations, foundations and candidates (including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland) on communications, ballot initiatives, organizational development, public affairs and marketing needs…He also helped launch several independent expenditure organizations that have played a critical role in turning Ohio around.
That would mean Progress Ohio. Rusnak is a Youngstown native and long time crony of Marc Dann. While he was at Burges & Burges, Rusnak worked with all the main characters in the Dann drama. Rusnak consulted on Dann’s early runs for state senate. Dann hired Rusnak to consult on Mary Boyle’s campaign for US Senate. Rusnak hired Leo Jennings to work for Tom Sawyer’s futile 2002 congressional primary (which I’ve written about extensively). Rusnak moves Leo Jennings from campaign to campaign. Rusnak consulted for Ben Espy in 2006.
Thus, the treasurer of Progress Ohio, who controls the money at Progress Ohio, is a Marc Dann crony, business associate, good buddy, Leo Jennings’ employment agency, and Dann apologist, who knows all there is to know about Marc Dann, from the tip of Marc Dann’s iceberg all the way to the worst of the worst that no one will even dare blog about. Remember THAT name, Marc? I’m sure you do.
That makes every defense of Marc Dann from Progress Ohio completely without merit. Progress Ohio is basically a Marc Dann spin shop. Which also brings into question the very nature of Progress Ohio as an organization.
I’d stay tuned to Progress Ohio very closely if I were ODP. Maybe they already are. Marc Dann sure is.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Tags: ben espy, brian rothenberg, burges and burges, jeff rusnak, jessica utovich, leo jennings, marc dann
May 9th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I’d say check with Plunderbund’s Eric and see what he knows…isn’t (or wasn’t) he attached to ProgressOH in some capacity?
May 9th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Attached? LOL. I like to think of it a bit differently. Here’s what I know. I met Jeff a couple times during the startup phase of ProgressOhio. I didn’t really know his role, but he was helping out in some capacity and he was very nice and helpful to me. Seemed like a good guy. He helped me out huge one day when I was struggling with a video project - basically put me in touch with someone more knowledgeable than I at the time about video editing. I never knew of any treasurer role and my checks certainly were not signed by him. I saw his role when I was there as more of an advisory thing. I’m not sure now because I’m not privy to much that goes on there besides continuing to argue with Rothenberg over Browns/Steelers.
I’m not sure I’d call PO a spin shop for Marc Dann. It may be that since all statewide Dems have come out calling for resignation and impeachment that it would be too partisan - or seem too partisan - an issue to wade into. Would I like it if they joined us in a call for Dann to resign? I would. Have I suggested such? I have. That they aren’t doesn’t mean they are necessarily spinning for Marc Dann though.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Jeff Rusnak is not the Treasurer of ProgressOhio’s Board, nor does he sign our paychecks or “control the money at ProgressOhio” as you assert.
I have been at ProgressOhio since January of 2007 having been recommended by Eric Vessels as his replacement when he moved on to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in business. During my tenure, Mr Rusnak has never attempted to influence the subject matter or content that I or any ProgressOhio employee chooses to post on the ProgressOhio Blog. You’re conjecture that he does assert control or influence upon our content on any topic is simply put completely wrong.
ProgressOhio employees have never posted any “defense of Marc Dann” nor have we posted within the content that we create any favorable “spin” of the Dann circumstance.
As referenced in Brian’s post today “Shadows On High: Caught in the Zipper, Dann Dann Dann!”, through our news and blog feeds we have featured and linked to on our front page every article written in the top 5 Ohio newspapers political sections as well as featured and linked to every post from all the political blogs carried on Blog Net News Ohio (whether they be liberal or conservative)regarding the Attorney General and his current situation. In fact, no other source has offered such complete coverage of the ongoing Dann news and opinion from around the state.
Given these facts, your accusation that ProgressOhio is a “spin shop for Marc Dann” has absolutely no basis in the truth.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
so what is Rusnak’s role in Progress Ohio, Dave? do tell.