Economics Professor Listed As “Endorsing” Shane Osborn: “Shane Osborn’s campaign never asked me to endorse their candidate and I don’t appreciate that his campaign is claiming I did.” 

Washington, DC - The Club for Growth PAC released a statement from Professor Gary Wolfram in response to Shane Osborn’s statement that he had “endorsed” his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, Shane Osborn released a list of 54 economists that had “endorsed” his candidacy: 

“Shane Osborn’s campaign never asked me to endorse their candidate and I don’t appreciate that his campaign is claiming I did,” said Gary Woflram, the William Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale College. “I don’t take a position on primary campaigns and I want to make it clear that I’m not endorsing Shane Osborn or any candidate for the United States Senate.” 

“It’s pretty sad to lie about your support, but it’s part of a pattern when it comes to Shane Osborn and his dishonest campaign for the Senate,” added Club for Growth Spokesman Barney Keller. “Yesterday we learned that Shane Osborn wasn’t telling the truth about his role in managing the state pension fund, and now we find out he’s trying to trick economics professors into endorsing him.” 

Below is a copy of the email received by Professor Wolfram asking for an “endorsement” of Shane Osborn’s “embrace of President Reagan’s vision,” not of his candidacy: 

From: J. Carter Sent: Saturday, May 3, 2014 4:33 PM To: J. Carter Subject: President Reagan's Economic Bill of Rights 

Dear Fellow Economist, 

Yesterday a candidate for the U.S. Senate, former Nebraska state treasurer Shane Osborn, called for the enactment of President Ronald Reagan's proposed Economic Bill of Rights.  In doing so, he embraced the president's call for the protection of four fundamental economic freedoms: the freedom to work, the freedom to enjoy the fruits of one's labor, the freedom to own and control one's property, and the freedom to participate in a free market. Those freedoms are under assault today as never before. 

We are asking you to join us and other economists by signing the following statement in support of Shane's embrace of President Reagan's vision. Some of the other people, including non-economists, who have already signed the statement include Jim Miller (Director, Office of Management and Budget, 1985-88), Jim Burnley (Secretary of Transportation, 1987-89), Steve Entin (Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Treasury, 1981-88), and Earl Grinols (Senior Staff Economist, Council of Economic Advisers, 1987-88). 

Would you be willing to sign the following statement as well? 

The Statement: Shane Osborn, former state treasurer of Nebraska and a leading candidate for the Republican nomination for Senate, has called for enactment of President Ronald Reagan's Economic Bill of Rights. Unveiled 27 years ago, the proposal sought to protect four fundamental economic freedoms: the freedom to work, the freedom to enjoy the fruits of one's labor, the freedom to own and control one's property, and the freedom to participate in a free market. Those freedoms are under assault today as never before. As such, Shane Osborn's embrace of Ronald Reagan's vision is a welcome return to an economic philosophy that is sound, moral, and currently in short supply in our nation's capital. 

If you would like to sign this statement, please reply to this email with the message: I will sign the statement. My title is ________ and my affiliation is _______. Your title and affiliation are for identification purposes only. 

For more information about the proposed Economic Bill of Rights, you can read Shane Osborn's statement here: http://www.shaneosborn.com/securing-americas-economic-freedom/.  You can also read President Reagan's original July 3, 1987 speech here: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1987/070387a.htm. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Best,

Jim Carter 

P.S. If you are not an economist, please disregard this email. I apologize for having contacted you by mistake.