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Democrat Ted Strickland says his run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Rob Portman will focus on expanding job and educational opportunities that he believes have been denied to average people by GOP policies in Washington and Ohio.

Strickland's formal announcement Wednesday led to escalating attacks on his record as Ohio's governor and at a liberal Washington think tank. His entry adds a formidable statewide name to what is expected to be one of the most watched and expensive of next year's Senate races.

The 73-year-old Strickland said his campaign will focus on going back to basics, such as creating living-wage jobs, investing in job-creating local infrastructure projects and making college accessible and affordable.

"The average family in Ohio understands that Washington and Wall Street are really doing very well while they are just struggling to keep their noses above water," he said in an Associated Press interview. "I want to go to the Senate and be a strong, outspoken, aggressive advocate for working people. I don't see Sen. Portman doing that. In fact, I think he's been rather passive."

Portman fired back that voting for Strickland in 2016 would represent a step backward for the state, which had heavy job losses during Strickland's time as governor, which ended with his defeat to Republican John Kasich in 2010.

"The coming months will give Ohioans an opportunity to contrast my vision for a better future for Ohio workers with his past tenure as governor when hundreds of thousands of jobs disappeared from our state," Portman said in a statement. "I'll continue fighting every day to expand opportunities for all Ohioans, working with both parties to reduce barriers to job growth and to create better paying jobs."

Portman, 59, was elected to Congress seven times and is a former White House budget chief and U.S. trade representative. He won the 2010 election with 57 percent of the vote and, as of December, reported $5.8 million on hand. He's already lined up endorsements from some 250 Republicans across the state, including Kasich and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner.

Some conservatives want to see Portman draw a primary opponent after he announced in 2013 that he now supports same-sex marriage.

Portman's campaign on Wednesday launched a website called "Retread Ted," which focuses on the negative economic news from Strickland's governorship. The Ohio Republican Party was also prepared for the announcement, activating a site called "Ted Failed Ohio."

Strickland, an ordained Methodist minister who spent a decade in Congress, defended his record as governor. He said the Ohio job losses came amid a deep recession that rocked not only Ohio but also the entire country, and the state's economy was in an upturn when he left office.

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Ohio's Strickland to Focus US Senate Bid on Opportunity

A Team Thanet approach for Manston Airport was recommended by Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Gilbert as he visited Broadstairs yesterday.

Speaking at The Pavilion, the MP for St Austell and Newquay called for a cross-party partnership on the issue and to never give up.

Russ Timpson (left) and Stephen Gilbert MP (right) at The Pavilion in Broadstairs.

Mr Gilbert said that a small regional airport had been created in Newquay because local authorities and MPs had pulled together and convinced the government of its importance.

He said: The airport at Newquay could have gone wrong a dozen times, so based on our experiences in Cornwall, my advice to you would be to never give up.

The MP claimed it had benefited the local economy to the tune of 30m and is now bidding to become the UKs first port for commercial trips into space.

Thanet South Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) Russ Timpson said he believed there are great aviation opportunities at Manston.

He pointed out that the airport could have a prosperous future with aircraft recycling and an aviation services apprenticeship scheme, as well as freight and passenger traffic.

There were also speeches from Thanet North Liberal Democrat PPC George Cunningham and Sue Girdler of TG Aviation, a company based at Manston until forced to re-locate to Lydd following the airports closure.

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Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Gilbert calls for cross-party partnership to never give up on Manston Airport.

In a speech on Liberal Democrat justice policy Nick Clegg will say that a rising prison population is a sign of "failure not success."

Nick will make the case that too manyabused and vulnerable women, drug addicts and people with mental health problems are currently locked up behind bars.

Nick will call for an evidence-based approach to do "what works" to cut crime, not just "to sound tough" or "play to the gallery."

In his speech, Nickwill cite a range of policies implemented by Liberal Democrats in Government to cut re-offending, halve the number of young offenders in custody and allow female offenders to be held in custody closer to their homes and families.

Nickwill also outline a number of Liberal Democrat proposals to reduce re-offending, divert people with drug and mental health problems away from the criminal justice system and reduce the number of women behind bars.

A full transcript of Nick's speech is below.

When a police officer investigates a crime, they examine the evidence.

When a prosecutor is building a case, they examine the evidence.

When a jury decides whether someone is innocent or guilty, they examine the evidence.

But when a politician bangs their fist on the lectern and announces that 'prison works' and that we need to lock up more and more people for more and more time, are they following the evidence?

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Nick Clegg's speech on Liberal Democrat justice policy

Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is callingfor fewer women offenders to be put behind bars.

In a speech on Liberal Democrat justice policy on Monday, Nick will describe the plight of thousands of abused and vulnerable women imprisoned in England and Wales as a "litany of despair."

He will highlight the huge proportion of female offenders who have suffered abuse, drug addiction and mental illness.

Two thirds of women prisoners admitted to committing their crimes so that they could get money to buy drugs, with many suffering from anxiety or depression.

Nick will say:

Nearly half of all women prisoners, and one in five men, have tried to kill themselves at some point in their lives.

Abused and vulnerable womencrammed like sardines into crowded prisons.

That is not proof that prison is working. Its a litany of despair.

Too often, for too many offenders, prison is not the answer.It is not the answer for every mother left sobbing in her cell."

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Nick Clegg calls for fewer women behind bars

About Gary Grack Democrat running for Erie City Council - Age: 52 - Occupation: Heavy equipment operator for National Fuel for the past 34 years. Also owns a private excavating business - Education: Tech Memorial High School graduate - Personal: Single; one adult daughter; one grandchild. - Running because: "I've always wanted to do this. It's the right time for me."

This is a 2004 contributed photo of Gary Grack, who is running for Erie City Council. CONTRIBUTED/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

Gary Grack, a lifelong Erie resident, has announced his candidacy for Erie City Council.

Grack, a registered Democrat, is a first-time candidate who said he is running because "I have determined that I can no longer talk about solutions. ... I must be part of the solution."

Grack, 52, will officially kick off his campaign today with an event at 10 a.m. at the Blasco Library, 160 E. Front St.

A heavy equipment operator at National Fuel, Grack has been a member of the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority's board of directors for the past eight years.

He said that public safety would be among his top priorities as a councilman, and he pledged to help Erie police officers and firefighters "receive the support they need to combat crime and keep our city safe. I will work to help these bureaus receive the support they need."

Three of City Council's seven seats will be on the ballot in the May 19 municipal primary and the Nov. 3 municipal election, including the one held by Democrat Jessica Horan-Kunco, who is barred by the city's three-term limit rule from running again.

The others are held by incumbent Democrats Bob E. Merski and Mel Witherspoon. Both plan to seek re-election.

Two other Democrats have also announced their candidacies: Sonya Arrington, 48, a local anti-violence advocate; and Rebecca Styn, 38, a former Erie County Council candidate and the senior sales manager at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel.

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Erie resident Grack announces City Council candidacy