A contribution from correspondent Justin Miller
LEBANON, Ohio - Rob Portman is running for U.S. Senate but not running away from President Bush.
In a one-on-one interview following his announcement at the landmark Golden Lamb hotel owned by his family, Portman (R) said he wouldn't discuss what specific disagreements he had with Bush while serving as the president's trade ambassador and budget director from 2005 to 2007.
"I had disagreements with him but I'm really not comfortable getting into them because one of the things I think is important as a cabinet member is to keep the confidences of the Oval Office," Portman said, adding that one of the "biggest challenges" in the administration was the fight to negotiate spending with taxes for a balanced budget.
The Portman-Bush line of attack started Monday with a shot from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. When asked how he would respond to the attack, Portman said he earned bipartisan credentials as a Cincinnati-area congressman for 12 years. Portman said he can work with a Barack Obama as he did with Bill Clinton, who signed into law 12 bills Portman wrote or co-signed.
"So I've worked with Democrats not just in Congress but with a Democratic administration. I know how to do it," he said.
Despite being the public face of trade in the Bush administration, Portman talked tough on the subject, saying he brought the first case against China over trade and was primarily responsible for enforcing U.S. trade law. Portman said worker retraining can help the unemployed who may blame trade for their lost jobs.Portman said he's had "mixed emotions" about spending less time with his family and more on the campaign trail, as evidenced by him choking on the matter during his speech.
"On the other hand, I have a passion for public service," he said. "Not to be too dramatic about it, I feel a sense of duty. Our country and our state are going through times right now. If I didn't stand up and be counted and try to make a difference, I would always wonder."
Portman's event drew local television coverage, which will help reintroduce himself to southwest Ohio voters whose memory of him may have become fuzzy since he left the House in 2005. He plans to hit Toledo and then Cleveland and Columbus tomorrow. In so far as Portman is known to rank-and-file Republicans it is from his role as emcee for John McCain's Ohio campaign stops last year.
At the same time he was stumping for McCain, Portman was building connections statewide with his "Ohio's Future" political action committee that donated to congressional and legislative candidates, as well as county republican parties and social conservative groups.
Portman's fundraising will be helped by the wealthy Cincinnati-area Lindler family and members of the John McCain and Bush finance teams, especially Mercer Reynolds. Last summer Portman single-handedly raised $100,000 for McCain's campaign. Portman may also be able to draw on contacts with Fortune 500 companies he worked with as an attorney with Squires, Sanders and Dempsey.
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