Speaker of the House John Boehner and his Real Recovery Road Rally made a stop at the Niles Victory Center in the Great East Plaza on Sunday, urging voters to support the Republican ticket on Election Day.
Just two days before the country decides between Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, Boehner made his argument for the challenger.
"We gave the president four years," the Republican told the assembled crowd of about 250. "The president made a lot of promises four years ago and guess what? He didn't fulfill any of them."
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Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner speaks Sunday at the Niles Victory Center in the Great East Plaza. Boehner, who is traveling the state to ramp up enthusiasm for the Republican ticket, spoke about the unemployment rate and gasoline prices.
Boehner specifically targeted the deficit, unemployment rate and gas prices.
"He said that he would reduce unemployment and here we have 23 million Americans still looking for a job," Boehner said. "He said that he would cut the deficit in half, but he has run up $5 trillion more debt and we've got trillion dollar deficits for as far as we can see.
According to Boehner, the price of gasoline has doubled since he took office in 2008.
"It was $1.81 a gallon when he took office and now it's $3.80 a gallon," he said. "We're simply paying too much for gas."
Another of the issues broached by Boehner included the controversial debate over Marcellus shale drilling and the sale of land for its mineral rights. The crowd responded with jeers as Boehner over the controversial issue.
"The president has really gone after coal, oil, gas and you know what's going to happen here. His EPA and 20 other agencies are trying to find some way to regulate fracking in America," Boehner said. "You know what that means, don't you? That means they are going to try to shut down oil and gas on private lands. They've already done it on public lands."
David Betras, Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, refuted the claims made by Boehner.
"The president has nothing to do with gas prices and John Boehner knows that," Betras said during a phone interview Sunday night. "The Republicans are in desperation mode and they are just throwing everything at the president, hoping something will stick.
"Gas prices are up because there is high demand in India and China. I guess they will blame the hurricane on President Obama next."
In addition, the unemployment rate is recovering as a result of Obama's policies according to Betras.
"It is inching its way back to where it should be," he said. "We are in this condition because of the policies of John Boehner. When you support 'trickle down' economics and it doesn't trickle down, but goes to the rich, you ruin the middle class."
Boehner, who represents the 8th District around Dayton, is crossing the state to get out the Republican vote for Election Day and excite the party's base. Political pundits and experts are pointing to Ohio as the key state in the presidential race.
"Americans are looking for more jobs and more freedom," Boehner said. "It's as simple as that. But, our job is to make sure the opportunities that were available to all of us are available to our kids and our grandkids.
"That means we have to change direction and that means we need Mitt Romney, (his running mate) Paul Ryan and their plan to get our economy going again and get the American people back to work."
Also on hand at the event were Republican congressional candidates David Joyce of Geauga County, Marisha Agana of Howland, Pat Paridon of McDonald, and U.S. Senate candidate (and Ohio treasurer) Josh Mandel.
"I would submit to you tonight, the Barack Obamas and Sherrod Browns of the world, when it comes to the exploration of natural resources, these folks aren't on the wrong side of just the issue," Mandel said. "They are on the wrong side of history. I think history will show us, we should be mining all the coal and drilling for all the gas we can."
Betras denied Obama has any intention of interfering with the selling of private land for fracking.
"There is simply no truth to that," Betras said. "The president supports the rights of companies to drill and he always has. They are grasping at straws."