Rob Bernard takes issue with Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo. I think Rob analysis is a bit to knee-jerk "themism." Calling Josh a "blame America first" follower is just ignorant. His opinions are very thoughtful and that of a moderate democrat. Additionally, how is it "blame America first" when you point out where the Bush Administration is going through the world with blinders on, even though he made policy statements during the campaign that he just gave up on? Saying that policy must change because of 9/11 is a convenient excuse allowing Bush to not have to admit that his policies would have been bad without 9/11.

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall has a valid and succinct analysis of Bush foreign policy.

Rumors of casino drawing mixed reactions
Guess who's State Senate District this falls in. You got it, State Senator Doug White, infamous for his "Jew them down" comment made last year. I wonder how his rural roots influenced his view on Native American Indian Tribes.

Officials hurry to expedite details
The learned their lesson. The police have handled this correctly so far. I hope the elected officials handle it well at all public meetings this week.

Text of police, emergency calls
I see this as good response to crime. The only criticism that will arise is the question as to how long before the called for an ambulance for the suspect. It would have not made a difference since one was called for the officer. I am sure the bigot brigade will take every little sentence out of context or claim this was edited, even though it was release extremely quickly. The bottom line with this case is that is has all of the earmarks of a justified use of force. It should be fully investigated, but I think the facts will support that initial conclusion.

Enquirer Editorial: Police shooting: City response
Straightforward and to the point. I hope everyone in the city shares this view.

The Enquirer Sees the Light!!!!!
The Enquirer starting today is publishing their Editorials & Letters to Editor as part of the their online edition. I applaud this move and I credit new editorial page editor David Wells, and new Editor in Chief Thomas Callinan. Let's just hope they keep the online edition free.

Friend Of Suspect Fatally Shot By Police Talks With 9News
Apparently his was not married. This friend seems to not be surprised at this and initially is not doubting police, illustrated by this quote:

"That's something you just don't do. You keep your hands off of people's stuff. If you wanted to purchase some things out there, you should have been able to buy them and waited until a later date to buy them, if you couldn't afford them right then and there."

This person indicates that the people around the situation will not be as gullible as the family of Tim Thomas was to become faux heroes of the community. This person seems sorry he is dead, but not all that surprised at what he was accused of doing.

AP Version: Burglary Suspect Killed in Cincinnati
The AP writer in here in Cincinnati must really be green. He/She repeatedly has gone to Nate Livingston for Quotes, but story I just posted previously, CBUF's Juleana Frierson was available for comment. Ms. Frierson is not someone I think has anyone's interest but her own, however she is not the opportunist Nate is, and her toned down comments, as compared to Nate's, is a sign the CBUF is not jumping to conclusions, yet.

Officer Shoots African-American Man; Group Wants Investigation
Well it appears that CBUF is taking a hard line, but at least they are not calling for his head, yet. I would say this is the minimum they could have done while still staying on the positive side of the situation, but they could slip back into riot incitement at any point.

Officer shoots, kills suspect
Details from the press conference. The preliminary view I would take is that the use of force was reasonable. I am sure that many in the black community will have a field day with this case. I hope the city is prepared for this and makes plans for all contingencies. This case will most likely not get the same outcry mainly because the person killed was 34 years old in stead of 20, and was an ex-convict having been released last July after serving 14 years for aggravated robbery. This police officer will be threaten by many ignorant racists, but hopefully he will not be vilified. I hope tomorrow that the CBUF makes a public statement holding judgment at minimum or supporting the police review at best. I expect the CJC and the bigot parade will be out streaming for blood. They would find guilt in a police officer for doing anything, so their opinion will hopefully be ignored.

Suspect Reported Dead
Ken Anderson, talk show host on 1230 the Buzz, has reported that the suspect in a robbery that was shot by police early this morning has died. He did not site his source for this information. Ken made the usual chest beating comments against the police, doing nothing to quell any potential anger that could spill into violence. He knows little facts of the less than 12-hour-old incident, but can rail against the police for it. We don't even know if the robbery suspect was black, but he can rail against the police. I wonder if he will keep this up if the person is not black.

UPDATE: WLW is reporting the incident "may" have turned deadly. A police press conference is still pending.

Police Officer Shoots Suspect
No detailed information has been released giving the condition of the suspect or the identity. Reports indicated the suspect was involved in a robbery of a business. The reaction will be interesting based on who the suspect is. If the person is black I would expect the usually reaction from the bigot brigade. If the person is not black, I expect little comment from anyone. Police are expected to give an update next hour. If the news reports it, I will try update the story. 1230 the Buzz maybe the best source this afternoon, biased as it may be, since the other news outlets will likely ignore the story until tonights news.

Freeper Overkill
In this List of Hollywood celebrities being boycotted by the whacko Freepers, actor Bradley Whitford of West Wing is listed twice at #15 and #80. I guess they hate him that much. Three Cheers for Bradley!

[Link Via TBOGG]

Anti UN bias at FOXNews?
Well Duh, but seriously, currently Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General is speaking live now at William & Mary and CNN and MSNBC are covering the event live, but not FOXnews. Annan was speaking on Iraq while getting an honorary degree. They additional kicker was that both CNN and MSNBC cut their coverage short. I guess they did not hear Anon support the war, so they were not hear what they wanted to hear, and went back to regular tabloid TV.

UPDATE: It appears the speech included a protestor who "heckled" Annan questioning why the UN was not pressuring Israel to disarm as vigorously as it was Baghdad. This AP wire story of the event did not report the disruption, but CNN did report it on air briefly. This Reuter's story included the reference to the heckler.

Shrine Temple too busy to host Farrakhan event
Darn, that is just too bad. {Insert sarcasm here} Another note: What kind of religion charges people to listen to their religious leader to speak? The article states they have "sold more than 500 tickets." I don't even think you have to pay to hear the TV evangelist Benny Hinn speak, he just gets his gullible followers to pay him money. I guess the NOI is not as good of a fundraiser.

Jazz festival may return to Cincinnati
The boycott aside, many don't want this to come back, and those many people aired those thoughts on 1230 the Buzz yesterday.

My lastest post to the Political State Report:

State Treasurer Hires Defense Attorneys

The Cincinnati Post is reporting that on Friday Joseph Deters, State of Ohio Treasurer, hired two Cincinnati area defense attorneys to assist in rebutting allegations Deters was involved in a cover-up of an alleged theft of money from the property room of the Hamilton County prosecutor's office. Deters was Hamilton County Prosecutor for 7 years prior to being elected Ohio Treasurer in 1998. Sources told the Post that Merlyn Shiverdecker and R. Scott Croswell III were hired by Deters, but none of the three would confirm the story.

The allegations include Joseph Deters and Jim Harper involvement in the cover-up of the theft of $2,700 from the missing from an evidence room in the persecutor’s office. Pete Marshall, a former employee of the prosecutor's office, was reportedly going to be charged in connection with the absent money, but to date has not been charged. Harper was a former assistant prosecutor under Deters and currently works for the Treasurer. Deters denied any role in the alleged cover-up and stated he did nothing at all wrong.

The main elements of the public actions in the alleged cover-up were reported by the Cincinnati Post as follows:

Investigators, Deters said, talked to him about a case in which a low-level drug dealer was arrested and had drugs and $1,700 in cash confiscated from him. That was the money that later was missing from the evidence room.

Deters admitted that he later had his office cut a $1,700 check from the Prosecutor's Law Enforcement Trust Fund to replace the missing money. The investigators did not mention the other $1,000 in missing funds, Deters said.

That happened in September 1998, when Deters was successfully campaigning to become Ohio treasurer, an office that handles and invests state money.

Harper, Deters said, issued a check to the City of Cincinnati, the legal owner of the confiscated money.

Deters was unsure why that check was cut, but he "guessed" it was because city officials -- "Those guys live and die on forfeiture money," he said -- wanted restitution in the case.

Xavier won't air Farrakhan talk
Why would XU even consider allowing what Tolerance.org calls a hate group on campus? This is a no brainier. The Nation of Islam is a hate group. Their "program" is nothing but a manifesto for black separatists. They want to prohibit intermarriage. They want black only schools teaching their religion funded by the government. I wonder if this will make the grade for George Bush's desired to fund religion.

Many in the black community want the Nation of Islam to be a city funded private police/security force in some neighborhoods. This would be illegal under anti-discrimination laws. I don't know of any non-black and/or non-Nation of Islam people working for the NOI Security group. I also doubt that any non-blacks living in neighborhoods where NOI Security was patrolling would be protected. If that the idea of justice in some quarters of the black community, I then have no question why crime is higher in many quarters of the black community.

Additional stories from: WLWT-NBC, WCPO-ABC, UPI, ABC (AP)

JazzFest packs up for Detroit
Nero fiddles a bit more while Rome burns a little more. The boycotters are jumping for joy that a festival that mostly blacks participation in is now leaving the city. This event made money for many different sectors of the back community. Small and medium size black owned businesses made money form this event, and the workers at the many downtown business who are largely black and minority made good wages during that weekend. Most non-blacks will really not miss this event. Most non-blacks do not go to the event. The only “mainstream” business sector that will feel the pain of losing the Jazz Fest is the hotels. The minority workers at those hotels who are now will be underemployed that weekend or just not hire will feel more pain than the hotel chains.

What is the sickest element to this whole situation is the pure glee the boycotters take in the misfortune of others. I think they might do themselves some good and see a shrink.

UPDATE: Perspective from Michigan

Jay Love – Week in Review on 1230 the Buzz Notes:

Jay Love took a bold step by indirectly referring to Kabaka Oba as a racist. He strongly chided the “Delegate” from the Black Fist for Oba’s recent comments on WLW-AM. Jay indicated that Oba mocked Black History Month, and felt this was especially bad while doing so on what Jay called a “Caucasian station” that he claims regularly mocks blacks. What a position to take: attack racist blacks while still attacking “whites.” I would consider this as an example of the Bill Clinton/Dick Morris triangulation method applied on a micro level. In this case it applies to gaining credibility and listeners instead of votes, but both stem from the same general human motivations.

“Give me liberty or give me death” was said by Patrick Henry, not Alexander Hamilton as Jay incorrectly indicated.

The caller “Lumpy” is considered to be a racist because he thinks that blacks have the same opportunity that he does. He used the same type of sarcasm, by saying whites are happy the Jazz fest is no more, as Jay does and he is labeled as a racist. “Lumpy” might be a cultural bigot, but he is not a racist. I think Jay and company need to stop using racism like a blanket label of all whites who oppose their views. If you are against quotas or “Affirmative Action”, you are not automatically a racist.

Jay is having a big day beating down the boycotters with another tongue lashing of the “Rebel Rouser.” More triangulation: beat down “Lumpy” and “Rebel Rouser” both in one day. Jay is playing both “sides” like a Stradivarius.

Jay indicated that the CBUF is working on documenting all incidents of police brutality. Why should I trust them? If these incidents are happening, then why are they not being reported? Why does the CBUF not start their own blog and report them unfiltered to the world?

“Harrison” said “Why does this boycott have to be so exact?” Could this be a better example what the boycott is all about and why will never end? “Harrison” illustrated a couple of popular notions in the black community: purpose through anger and revenge on “whites”. Jay said it best about “Harrison’s” comments: “some ideas should just die.”

The Nation of Islam, a known hate group, has no business being sanctioned by any mainstream educational institution by allowing its facilities to be used for a propaganda meeting for the group. Jay says this shows the school is failing be diverse, when the group itself is anti-Jewish. Most non-black Muslims see a large distinction between Islam and the Nation of Islam.

John Schlagetter was not able to raise the issue of Jay’s bigotry against homosexuals on the air, but it appears they talked about it either before the show or during the breaks. The Jazz festival issue kept the callers happy, so other issues did not get the play needed.

I will try to lay off Jay for a while, but the more his bigotry rises to surface, the more I will have to rebut the ignorance he professes.

Density of the Grey Matter (The Talk Radio Host as a Bigot)
Jay Love of 1230 the Buzz cleared up a few things today. He is against a "hate crimes" ordinance covering sexual preference. He thinks homosexuality is a "choice." He thinks Gays/Lesbians are not born homosexual. He stated, “Being a homosexual is deviant behavior.” Jay is obviously ignorant and a bigot. I have commented previously about his anti-gay stances, but he has let them loose today for all to hear. Jay is often a sensible person, but his clearly misinformed stances are signs of indoctrination from a bigoted community. Hypocrisy is a bigger issue for Jay to swallow. When is Jay going to call for the repeal of the provision of the "hate crimes" ordinance covering religion? Is Jay saying you are born with your religion? Most Christians believe you choose to believe in your religion, and they regularly try to convert people. Why is Jay contradicted? Answer: He fears a gay man hitting on him, so he can rationalize the inconsistency.

It might just be an act. Jay might just be playing the shock Jock radio talking head. He might be Jonesing for conflict, which I all to willingly give him. I guess my skepticism is just not paranoid leaning enough to see an ulterior motive. I think Jay is honestly stating his views on homosexuality. I am disappointed at his stance, but I am not surprised.

I wish his pigheaded stance on War was not so polarized. He railed against those who have labeled him a communist or a Saddam supporter, which are unfair labels. He in turn rails against anyone who does not think War is evil and must never be used. His warped Pacifism is befuddling. He claims America is basically an exporter of death and violence by using our military to defend our allies. While I am no fan of George Bush, Rumsfeld, or the Military, but they are not butchers. They are not evil. They generally are honest and are not trying to kill innocents.

I don’t trust Bush’s motives on his timing of War, but I don’t automatically think he is lying about everything. I respect Powell, and I don’t think he will knowingly lie. Making baseless claims that his information is not compelling is just being closed minded. Jay does not like what he hears, so he ignore the information. He cannot refute any of it, beyond doubting it. I just don’t understand how ginning up conflict for his radio programming in this manner can be viewed as entertaining.

Cincinnati Expands Hate-Crime Ordinance
The vote was 7-2. The usual suspects voted against it. The CCV and the bigot brigade will likely sue the city. I have to ask them the same question I asked Peter Bronson. If you don’t want special protection for gays, then why do you accept special treatment for the religious? If a “hate crime” based on religious bigotry is a valid motive to consider in punishment, then why not homosexuality? Under their twisted logic both are a matter of choice. Why are they not calling for the repeal of the entire ordinance 908-3? The answer appears simple to me. They are hypocrites and bigots. They want to oppress gays because of their religion’s “footnotes.” The CCV is a plague on the Cincinnati community, but a large number of citizens are being willing infected with their hateful fascist propaganda.

Blogarithms
If you can get past the picture of me and my dumb comments, then you can learn a bit about blogs. I will need to read the story a few hundred times before I can comment on it fully, but at first glance it is pretty good. Yes, that is really a picture of me, and neither City Beat or I am responsible if you turn to stone after viewing it.

Jay Love: A Mind of Stone
Jay Love of 1230 the Buzz seems to have his mind made up that George Bush is another Hitler and is out to destroy the "black man" like Nelson Mandela has indicated. That "black man" according Mr. Mandela includes Iraq’s Arabs. Jay must have been listening to "Reverend Shannon" a lot lately. His acceptance of conspiracy theories is quite surprising. I myself do not trust people, however I do not assume they are lying just because what they say supports their side of an issue and not mine.

Jay is against war. He is a pacifist, except when it comes to spanking his children. Using force on kids is ok, but using force on tyrants is not? Jay would be willing to call out the Army once a foreign government landed its troops on our shores. I guess Jay also would not want to do anything if the UK or Canada or any other ally was attacked.

Jay Love agrees with the current "Hate Crimes" ordinance covering race and religion, but did I hear him correctly that he is against it for homosexuals? So Jay is a hypocrite and a bigot, or just a hypocrite? I hope I heard that wrong, but I fear not.

Jay is also ignorant of history if he thought the Pulitzer Prize winning picture of Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner was the picture of an American killing a VC prisoner.

Korte: City Hall
Booth not to seek re-election? He might even resign early to allow a Democratic candidate to run as an incumbent. Booth has not been a great councilman, and his has not been the worst. If he goes I for one will not miss him, but if he can do good by keeping another Republican off council, I will not mind.

Council votes today on hate ordinance
This will pass, maybe 7-2, but at least five will support it. DeWine and Monzel's reactionary religion will most likely keep them from fairness. Separation of Church and State must be a pipedream for us secularists.

Bronson: Victims should all be equal
Peter admits the issue at hand here:

So why is City Council starting another culture war to make some victims feel more special?

The bottom line is that Peter and his fellow conservatives do not like homosexuals. Peter and friends, like the CCV, use their religion's minor references to persecute homosexuals. Peter and fellow fundamentalist Christians constantly cry about religious bigotry, even though they have as much religious bigotry as anyone else, if not more, yet Peter doesn’t have the courage to call for the City to ends its "Politically correct 'affirmative action' for some groups of crime victims" by revoking the current hate crime ordinance that gives "preferential" treatment to people based on their religion. Those without religion are fair game to be hated, or those religions not considered religions by pious politicians and self-righteous clergy. If Peter wants to avoid special treatment, then give up his special rights for the religious. Also, when Phil Burress moves back into the city, then his theocratic fascist hate group can sue the city. I for one prefer to keep the bigots out of the city, so Phil…stay in the burbs.

City "Hate Crimes" Ordinance Up for Revision
John Schlagetter's statement to today's City Council Law Committee meeting covering the proposed "Hate Crimes" ordinance. The Law Committee did vote to adopt a change in the "Hate Crimes" ordinance to include crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, disability or age. It goes to the full city Council on Wednesday. I would assume Pat Dewine voted against it, based on his political parties history of bigotry towards homosexuals, but I can't find a roll call of the vote.

Chris Anderson on the Broken Windows Theory. I think Charlie might be up to it, but I don't think he has the support to succeed. The police leadership are out for themselves, city council is out for themselves, the boycotters are out for themselves, business leaders are out for themselves, and of course the criminals are out for themselves. We all of these groups fighting for their own, how can anything happen for the rest of us?

City caught in another 'censorship' controversy
From this article it appears that one person has been able to get this play canceled. Majed Dabdoub sounds paranoid if he thinks his daughters are in danger from the play. The adults need to grow some balls, allow the play to go on, and stop the pussy footing around an oversensitive parent. These objections listed from the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations are an insult. The play is fiction. The play is not defaming any individual. If the play portrays the negatives of some generalized groups, that is just too bad. If this group had its way, no negative portrayal of anyone would be used in fiction, ever. No WWII war drama could be made. No Civil War movies. No crime stories. No drama at all. We would see nothing but the milquetoast Leave it Beaver, doing nothing to offend anyone. Get just a little bit of ego Mr. Dabdoub.

If Mr. Dabdoub does not like the play, he has the right to keep his kids from seeing it, but this moron has no more right to try and censor society than the moron trying to ban John Steinbeck. The WLWT article supports the notion that the campaign by Mr. Dabdoub is nothing more than one man's crusade. All Cincinnati needs now is for this to get on Bill O’Rielly’s FoxNews show. The New York Times piece is more than enough. Cincinnati does not nee another censorship attention getter to increase the bad reputation we have for censoring everything under the sun. Now these nuts spin this as something best left in a rubber room. I hope they do not increase the fringe nut cases already living in the city. I am surprised our own local Black Fist or Nation of Islam leaders have not muscled in the on the issue to spout their racist rhetoric. I hope I did not just jinx it.

Cranley pushes hate-crimes law
An election year brings out the best dog and pony shows money can buy, and John Cranley is the stable master esquire. I am all for equal rights for homosexuals, but I don't like a Johnny come lately making hay from the body of a dead man.

This issue is bringing in the bigots from out of town to make it a media circus.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., said Sunday that he plans to bring a group to Covington and Cincinnati Feb. 11 to protest ordinances dealing with protection for homosexuals.

This is the scumbag fundamentalist theocratic fascist that preaches hate and bigotry. I wonder how many locals will cheer him on. I also wonder how many local talk radio shows will have him on the air.

Taft plan resembles defeated opponent's
A Clintonian move if there ever was one on the part of Taft. I wonder if Kevin Holtsberry would care to revise and extend his remarks.

CJC Meltdown
Chris Anderson comments on the Meltdown of the CJC and the boycott. John Schlagetter is moving to a level of Comity. I guess shooting fish in a barrel over at the CJC website has become too monotonous.

Banning Of Mice and Men
It appears that local yokel Lloyd Caldwell is on a puritan tirade. He is upset over a few swear words in the classic John Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men. Hopefully the school board will ignore the ignoramus. When a man allows himself to be qutoed in the newspaper for saying

"Every page in this book except four, and that’s right at the beginning, has swear words of one nature or another —

and some of them are just dern right, down rotten filthy."

his judgment must be questioned and his lack of education must be evident. Erin O'Conner at Critical Mass had a few comments on the subject, and sugguests that Mr. Caldwell needs to study what the book is about, before objecting to the superfical level of the atmosphere, no matter how real it is.

CalPundit writes much the same ideas I had after reading Instapundit recently. The Blogosphere has been far to harsh and petty the last month or so. The pro-Iraq crowd has become as shrill and short; they make the transnationals look well thought and sincere. Glenn Reynolds is sounding more and more like a talk radio host, saying the most outlandish thing, just to get a rise out his audience. Now, if we combine talk radio with the printed word, don't we just get a tabloid?

Nate States the Obvious
In yet another email, Nate Livingston is off on a mindless and incomprehensible tangent. He writes:

Greg Flannery, John Schlagetter, Brian Griffin and other white liberals are no friend of the Cincinnati Boycott or the movement for justice and equality being waged in Cincinnati. We can never allow them to intimidate us. We can never allow them to bully us into backing away from our righteous position that African Americans are equal to white Americans.

Yes Nate, it is obvious I do not support your group's boycott or your "movement". I am not a white American. I am just an American. As along as you cannot understand that much, there will be end to your boycott, no end to your bigotry, and no end to your racism.

Columbia Lost: A Special Section of The Enquirer, WCPO-TV9, The Post and Cincinnati.Com
Excellent page and excellent local coverage from the Enquirer/Post/WCPO. I hope yesterday's call for local stories was worth it.

DeWine attacks police slowdown
Historians say only Nixon could go to China, so could only a Republican get police to get back into gear?

Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean
O, Columbia! the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free,
The shrine if each patriot's devotion,
A world offers homage to thee.
Thy mandates make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form stands in view;
Thy banners make tyranny tremble

When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!

The wine cup, the wine cup bring hither,
And fill you it true to the brim!
May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor the star of their glory grow dim!
May the service united ne'er sever,
But they to their colors prove true!
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.

If you can sing along with it and not tear up, you are stone cold and emotion free.

Hail Columbia
Hail Columbia, happy land!
Hail, ye heroes, heav'n-born band,
Who fought and bled in freedom's cause,
Who fought and bled in freedom's cause,
And when the storm of war was gone
Enjoy'd the peace your valor won.
Let independence be our boast,
Ever mindful what it cost;
Ever grateful for the prize,
Let its altar reach the skies.

Firm, united let us be,
Rallying round our liberty,
As a band of brothers joined,
Peace and safety we shall find.

MP3 from USAF Band with an alternate version.

John Glenn reacts to the Columbia Disaster.

Columbia Disaster
I remember the day vividly back on January 28th, 1986. I was in my 8th grade social studies class at Washington Junior High in Jamestown, New York. All day long most teachers keep their classes in the auditorium watching television coverage of the Challenger tragedy. To this day I hate watching the video of the Challenger exploding. Feeling the fear then as I do now is horrible and the pain of the families of the astronauts is unimaginable. Those feelings must be respected and the reason for the loss of Columbia must be investigated fully. However, now that another shuttle has been lost, I have but one thought. Space flight must continue. NASA went 3 years without launching a shuttle. That cannot happen again. The United States must continue with manned space flights, and must work towards new and brilliant goals. We must take this horrible event and the grief it will and has brought to the world and use it to build a new effort to go back to the Moon and on to Mars. Fear cannot be let to rule space exploration. The reaction after the Challenger disaster held back space exploration in an untold number of ways. We must not recoil into the shell of hyper-caution, and instead honor the 7 astronauts and all past space explorers by living the dreams of pushing the envelope and breaking out of confines of our planet and our star system. As a society we must understand the risks of exploration and not let the knee-jerk culture of fear to hold back the progress of knowledge. Humans must strive to better themselves. We must go where no one has gone before.

Seeking informationIf you have any connection to the space shuttle or if you have friends or relatives who live in the area where debris from the shuttle Columbia is falling in north Texas, please call the Enquirer's Metro desk at 768-8600 or send an e-mail to dfrench@enquirer.com.Did the Editor(s) actually approve this as a front page link? This rubs me as a bit crass.

John Schlagetter has posted emails from Nate and Amanda illustrating the bigotry and racism of the CJC. Here the CJC is attacking Greg Flannery of City Beat, one of the biggest boycott friendly members of the local media. Shooting one's self in the foot could not have a better example than the CJC's rantings. The highlight is the threat of violence implied in this quote:

He ain't nobody. He ain't done shit for us and never will. All he wants to do us school us on how he would like to see it done. And, of course, the method that he prescribes involves "persuading" the white man to "change his mind and his behavior". To hell with that. These muthafuckas can either be reasoned with or they can feel the pain. Fuck persuading anybody. And it goes without saying that this persuasion is naturally going to come with all kinds of personal sacrifice (financial, emotional, and physical) from us colored folk.

That quote was from Amanda. Yes, it shocked me too, but when you walk around with an anti-Semitic sign like this, anything could come out of your mouth.

Activists call for talks to resolve boycott
How can Luken talk to anyone with any boycott leaders when there is no clear director or group leading the boycott? The CBUF claims they lead the boycott and have defined the boycott as one covering the area of downtown below Central Parkway. The CJC, or rather what is left of it, claims the boycott includes the same area, plus a ban on all outsiders from coming into Cincinnati, but they also have enacted an "Artists of Conscious Campaign" trying to keep all artists/musicians/performers out of the entire Cincinnati region.

On Today’s (Friday’s) Sister Speak radio program on 1230 the Buzz the battle of dueling boycott groups occurred with the likes of Dwight Patton and Juleana Frierson calling in from the CBUF while Amanda Mayes, Monica Williams, and William Kirkland called in from the new and unimproved CJC. The two separate boycotts were declared in the statements from both groups. The fracture of the boycott is official. Luken has no way to negotiate with anyone. He can’t deal with two groups; the egos of the two groups are far too large for even Jimmy Carter to cope. Expecting Luken to do anything with these unfocused groups with hidden agendas is foolhardy and ill-conceived. Moving forward disregarding the boycott is the only path Luken can take. Extortion cannot be reward. An boycott as the means of a political power grab is a never ending process. The boycott will continue forever. To defeat its irrational goals we must make it irrelevant.

Double Standards
If a white person were to have a web page like this with the same type of rhetoric about blacks and race, then on a scale of 1 to 10, how racist would that person be? Is 11 to low?

Director Spike Lee Criticizes BET
Would this have anything to do with Ed Gordon of BET replacing Spike Lee as a lecturer at UC?

Chris Anderson on Legacies in Cincinnati Politics. Legacies smell of Frats to me. I am not a fan of Frats. I have to live with the often asked question most Miami University alums get: "so, what Frat were you in." Gamma Delta Iota baby! GDI todayI GDI tomorrow! GDI forever new! GDI through and through!

John Schlagetter asks the question that I asked back in September:

So why did Tavis Smiley get off easy without being targeted or boycotted when he was downtown promoting his new NPR show?

I even had pictures.

State of the City
A man living in a van down by the river knows that the state of the city of Cincinnati is Not Good.

Ted Turner Bio Information
This I did not know:

AGE_ 64. Born Nov. 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio

As CNN quickly debases itself down to the level of FOXNews, I hope the current turmoil does not totally ruin the chances for a turnaround of the network's slide to slime-news. I hope Ted can either buy back the network and mount a return to real news, or start a brand new all news channel that can shine on dial full of dull blather.

Fairly Unbalanced
Biology Professor Refuses to Recommend Students Who Don't Believe in Evolution
I wonder if FOXNews and the Liberty Legal Institute, a conservative group painted as a religious "freedom" group by the "fair and balanced" FOX, would cry foul if a Finance Professor denied a recommendation to a student who was an admitted communist? I would surmise, no.

Matt Weiler has some thoughts on the FOP Letter as well.

Police Slowdown?
Today's Enquirer is ripe with the text of a letter from Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police president, Roger Webster, to all members of the police union. WHAT A LOAD OF HORSESHIT!!!! Webster's diatribe borders on the maliciously criminal.

When responding in an emergency mode, remember do not drive overly fast, stop at all intersections and stop signs.

On one hand we have the threat of more riots from the bigoted boycotters if the city does not give in to their demands, and on the other side we have the threats of letting emergencies go without responding by the police if the city does not give in to their demands. I expect as much from the boycotters. Their use of extortion as a means of political change is obvious to a five year old, but as a citizen I do expect more from the police.

I cringe when I see a conservative playing hypocritical union games with threats of a slow down. What I find most disgusting is Webster's claim that City Council insulted every police officer. That is the spin only management could love. When he wrote this:

In a matter of hours, seven members of city council slapped each and every police officer in the city in the face and decided to not ratify the supervisors contract.

I wanted to slap his face. A foot patrolman hoofing it in Over-the-Rhine at -11 degrees should give a rat's ass that someone doesn't get a free promotion to assistant chief? There is no principle in that position; there is only the preservation of power. If the police want to turn over a new leaf, they cannot circle the wagons and try and keep outsiders from injecting new blood into their stale division. I wonder if Fangman would have pushed this? My guess is that he helped write it. If this is the idea of fulfilling duty for the police, then I guess we are heading for a world of shit. Pvt. Leonard 'Gomer Pyle' Lawrence might have been more to the point in the movie Full Metal Jacketwhen right before he blew out his brains he said: "I am... in a world... of shit."

Plan adds taxes to real estate purchases and cable TV charges
How does Taft Plan on administering these new taxes? Will local sales taxes automatically cover these new items or will a complicated mess occur in the service industry?

Chris Anderson finds a bias in the Cincinnati Enquirer's coverage of the conceal and carry gun legislation before the Ohio Assembly. I am not sure if the bias Chris believes exists is true, but the bias against abortion rights is something no one can deny, as I commented on previously.

On a concealed carry law: I find it pointless. If people have the need to quell their fears and intimidate others, strap a leg iron on and show the metal on your side. If people want to live like Wyatt Earp, they better look the part.

I think Zee at Spiced Sass can rest assured that anyone reading this post will not have any problem identifying the political leanings of the author. Ditto Head comes to mind, but reactionary sounds as applicable.

State of the Union Observations
We are going to war. Bush cannot declare victory if a coup takes place in Iraq installing a new dictator when he makes a statement like this:

And tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq: Your enemy is not surrounding your country your enemy is ruling your country. And the day he and his regime are removed from power will be the day of your liberation.

Anything short of a new western democracy in Iraq will be a Bush failure.

Schools will lose if taxes don't rise
Incentive to "sin?" The more we drink and smoke the more tax money will be available to the Schools! Party on Bob!

UPDATE: Chris Anderson adds some thoughts on the same issue.

Cincinnati boycott hits blacks hardest
Vice Mayor Alicia Reece deserves a kudos for getting the attention of the Washington Times. The "Moonie Times", as it is called, is a conservative newspaper with a small yet influential conservative audience. The article is fair, accurate, and generally unbiased. It could have had a quote from a boycott supporter, but they did not return the reporter's phone calls. The highlight of the article is the jab Alicia took at Spike Lee. I agree with her. If Mr. Lee really did care about the boycott, why did he not help UC by establishing a scholarship for poor blacks? I guess Mr. Lee's involvement in the boycott is only superficial or a defensive tactic to keep the boycotter's harassment to a minimum.

Chabot backs Bush, touts action in Iraq
Dog chases Cat, Deadhead smokes pot, and Fundamentalist damns homosexual, were the 3 runner up cliché headlines the Enquirer did not run today.

Cincinnati-Based Marine Reserve Unit Called Up
If this does not bring home the impending war with Iraq, little will.

mattweiler.net :: This doesn't make any sense
Matt's comments on the Spike Lee cancellation produced a trite response from Nate Livingston. Matt's retort was solid, direct, and poignant. If I see Matt this year at a Red's game, I will buy him a beer!

BoycottCincinnati.org Forum - Spike Lee Joins Cincinnati Boycott
Just in case Nate deletes my post or anyone questions it authenticity, here is what I posted on the website:

For the record, the "cincyblog" posting on this message board is not Brian Griffin from the Cincinnati Blog. Someone else, most likely Nate, has created that username for a purpose that can only be viewed as nefarious in nature. Please do not confuse the views of the username on this board called "cincyblog", with the views of Brian Griffin or Cincinnati Blog.

Additionally, the blog post credited to me is from my blog, but was not published with my permission. It would be both considerate and wise to at least include a link to said post to allow readers to see the original, allowing any potential editing or misquoting to be judged fairly. Thank You.

Brian Griffin

In case anyone is nitpicky, yes I did add a missing word to the above post, which was incorrectly left out because of my haste to post to the message board. May the grammar "gods" forgive me.

[Link via John Schlagetter]

Socialist organization meets despite interruption
And they loved every second of the attention they received.

Spike Lee cancels under pressure from boycott
UC's News Record reports on Spike Lee's cancellation and a letter sent by Nate Livingston to the News Record and Student Body President Darren Tolliver. This quote

"Your actions in attempting to convince artists and entertainers to break the boycott are disturbing to me," he continued.

could be construed as something more than a complaint. I wonder if the News Record will release the letter in full. Does the letter come across as blackmail? Does the letter imply or overtly state that unless the New Record and the UC Student Body President endorse the boycott and/or do the bidding of the boycotters, then the boycotters will then entice or intimidate those coming to perform, appear or work at UC. This would be the same spin and tactics allegedly used to put fear in the performers themselves, which is part of the reason they stayed away. Fear is not the tool of the honorable. Fear is the tool of thieves, scoundrels, and thugs.

Gangs of New York to Cincinnati?
What article on mobs and riots as they relate to the movie Gangs of New York could be complete without mentioning Cincinnati? It is only in passing, but the 2001 riots have, at least in this author's opinion, achieved an equal historical importance as the 1992 LA riots and the 1968 riots after MLK's assassination. It is far to soon to judge the importance of the 2001 riots, but that will not keep columnists from judging it prematurely, providing their opinion a more contemporary spin. Short-sheeting history is a common side effect of current-events writing, and I am as guilty as the next writer, but this article tries to connect some dots that are generations if not worlds apart.

Senate president took rural route to power
A puff piece if there ever was one. Did White's staff write this? This reeks of damage control and of weak rationalization. When does being from a rural county excuse boorish or bigoted behavior?

In case you don't remember Senator Doug White, review it here and here.

200 locals march against abortion
More evidence of the Enquirer's bias. How many stories can they run praising the efforts of anti-abortion protestors? If anyone wants to call the Enquirer "liberal" they might want to qualify that assessment. Just because the Enquirer does not proclaim the progressive income tax structure as a Stalinist plot does not mean they are not conservative. It just means they are not totally ignorant. The Enquirer caters to the large conservative base in this town. They know who their masters are and they, like FOXNews, tilt their coverage to what their readers want to read. This does not mean the Enquirer’s opinions are equivalent to the GOP or any other conservative movement, it just means they cover stories more often that conservatives want to hear.

BRONSON: Pushing life
Pushing Religious Propaganda is a better title for this trite fluff piece on the paleoconservative's 3rd rail of politics. That 3rd rail languishes only slightly behind the fear of taxes and a military spending fetish. Owning guns and being anti-homosexual rank 4th and 5th, but sometimes can create as much frothing at the mouth as number 3.

Pete's diatribe is nothing but the rantings of a closed minded religious chauvinist, bent on instilling his artificial religious dogma on the entire country. Bronson is a classic anti-gray person. He only sees things in a black and white, an affliction most conservatives and all extremists share. It would be nice if Pete could dance a little bit closer to the truth, instead of falling prey to his fear of rubbing up against her and panicking his preacher.

Spike Lee backs out of Feb. appearance at UC
Is this a boycott of downtown or is this a boycott of the entire city? It appears that the boycotters will take what ever gets them attention and what ever can harm someone. Spike Lee is a bandwagoner. He sees a boycott against "whites" and he joins in. What is odd here is that he seemed to change his mind. He agreed to appear at UC and knew fully of the boycott, but he now changes his mind.

I have two theories as to why he changed his mind. One is simple. He had to cancel for other reasons and choose to or was asked to claim it was to support the boycott. The other theory is that, like other people have alleged, he was warned that his appearance might cause more riots. That warning would logically come from one of the boycott groups and would by some be interpreted as a threat.

Most people in Cincinnati will not care about missing Spike Lee. I did not even know he was to appear in at UC. This does nothing but hurt Spike Lee fans and UC. If they boycotters want to prevent the visit of any and all famous black people that is not going to hurt most people. If they are going to do that, why are they not pushing the professional sports teams to comply? Why aren’t Griffey, Larkin, and Dillon front and center in line with the boycott? Why haven’t other city players refused to play here? Why are they black players on UC and XU still playing? Why doesn’t the boycott have a consistent boycott target? The answer is obvious. They boycott cherry picks who they can get to comply to their demands. They have but one plan: Gain power, seek revenge, and get rich.

UPDATE: Matt Weiler comments on Spike Lee's cancellation.

More than half of Ohio's military reservists summoned to duty
I am not sure how this compares with the rest of the country, but Ohio seems to be taking a hit from this military build up. It will cost private company's money while these solider are on duty, and they will all get their jobs back when they return along with retirement benefits as if they took no time off. Many police forces are reported to have been hit especially hard by this action. I don't think Bush has any assistance for local police or private business to help relieve the stress this deployment has on people back home, as well as the soldiers doing their duty.

Buzz Planning for the worst?
Is 1230 the Buzz planning for the worst by keeping this web page on its site? They have kept this page too, I assume, in case they ever change their minds or if they loose a pending lawsuit on appeal.

Talk show host Jerry Springer said he's considering a run for the U.S. Senate
This is not a new story. The rumor has been going around for a few years now. It would be one fun campaign, but it would be a huge mistake for the Democrats to waste a nomination on a ratings grab for a declining TV circus.

City Appoints Director For Review Panel
$96,000.00 a year. I hope he does something positive for that kind of salary. I also hope this is a full time job.

Developer missing with $184,000 in tax money
Council Man Pat Dewine wants answers from Luken? Luken may have some blame, but where was Dewine? He did vote against the loan, but why, as Finance Committee chairman, did he not oversee the project it he found it objectionable?

The story also incorrectly reported "Mayor Charlie Luken voted for the city loan to the theater project to help revitalize Over-the-Rhine." The Mayor, under the new strong Mayor form of city government, does not vote on measures before the council, as the minutes showing the approval of the loan indicates, but he can execute a veto.

Dueling abortion marches see urgency
This section seemed to a be a problem:

As is traditional, Mr. Bush broadcast a message to the anti-abortion rally, saying Americans "must protect the lives of innocent children waiting to be born."

As is traditional? It is not traditional for the President of the United States to Address an anti-abortion rally. It might be considered traditional for the President of the United States to address the side of the debate he supports.

Anti-abortion rally causes stir
With a GOP run House, Senate, White House, and Supreme Court, why is it a surprise that the Smithsonian Institution would be abused by a gang of Kentucky Republicans? The Smithsonian is not a place to play politics, but the anti-abortion protestors generally adhere to an "ends justifies the means" attitude about their cause. If any left-leaning group abused the Smithsonian like this, the White House and Congress would be calling for an investigation. Instead, the Smithsonian is left to fend for itself. This breakfast was sponsored by a Catholic Group. Did that group lie to the Smithsonian officials, or did they participants just take advantage without any warning? I am glad the Enquirer reported this story, but I wonder who else did? The problem with the Enquirer's story is that in an accompanying puff piece on anti-abortion protestors who went to D.C for the protests, the story reports that they were at the breakfast at the Smithsonian. Why didn't the reporters ask the participants about the political activities at the breakfast? Did the reporters go to the breakfast? I see a bias, but is it in the reporting or in the editing? Yesterday's Enquirer editorial on abortion sounded like a slightly less than an extreme position on abortion, but one still riddled with propaganda. I have to keep on reminding myself, you live in a right-wing town. They know not what they do.

Taft Smack!
Chris Anderson gives us a super insider look at Bob Taft's State of the State speech. His initial draft takes Taft down a peg or two. Chris better watch out, SNL might want to steal this bit. I know I busted a gut laughing while reading it. I wish more voters could have heard about Taft's plans before last November's election, but who ever heard about a politician telling his constituents his real plans before an election? If you really care, here is the final version of the speech.

John Schlagetter has cornered Nate Livingston's html programming fingerprints. I wonder if anyone still thinks the http://www.friendsofkarendewine.com website is really run by a disgruntled conservative. If they do, I think they might be waiting in line to buy season tickets for the Red's Riverfront Stadium season opener all alone.

Tri-State Blog Round Up
Chris Anderson on Denise Smith-Amos's column and Article XII.

John Schlagetter on the State of the City Address. On Problematic for the People Jon is asked "What Am I Contributing?"

Rob Bernard tries to make hay with Jack Nicholson's alleged anti-abortion stance. This statement is from National Review's the Corner and has no support listed, so I don't trust it, and it does not preclude the possibility that Jack is both anti-abortion and pro-choice.

Abortion: 30 Years after Roe v. Wade.
Abortion should be legal. The debate can rage for hours about the issue, but it should be legal. The details as how it should be legal are not set in stone. There is room for compromise in how it is legal. In my opinion very few limits, if any, should be made, but those are elements that States can regulate. Beyond that, it is the choice of the women and those she wishes to confer with and confide in.

The Local Media has shown a dichotomy in coverage. The Cincinnati Enquirer has an amazing bias against abortion. They run stories praising kids for skipping school to go protest in D.C., but don't ask the kids why they don't protest against the War, a reasonable question for those who claim to "defend life in all stages." The most amazing element to this is that the reporter, Maggie Downs, filed the story in D.C. Either she went along with the protestors, or she is based in the D.C. area.

The Post on the other hand ran a serious of stories that analyzed the local availability of abortion, the current legal standing of the issue with the US Supreme Court, and the status of the law nationally.

John Schlagetter also provides his thoughts on today's 30th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Marc at Chili Madness says Chicago was DAMN great, and no, he says he's not gay. It is on my list to see, along with Gangs of New York.

Sin taxes 1st in line to go up
You better drink up, its Last Call.

More than 800 to attend March for Life
This story got a little bit too much attention for my taste. Beyond the Enquirer WLWT-NBC, news updates from 700WLW, WXIX-FOX, and WKRC-CBS covered the local group heavily. I know I live in a right-wing strong hold, but these "marchers" are painted like good deeding children. I wonder how many of these kid's grades are influenced by their attendance? That is a good question for the Elder Administration, who authorized a group from their school to attend. The question I want answered is where were the so-called "right to lifers" during the anti-war protests this weekend? How do those who claim to fight for the life of all fail to fight for those who will undoubtedly die in a war? I realize that two trips in one week to D.C. is too much for anyone, but there was a rally last Saturday against the war which only had a couple hundred people. Where were these 800 people?

I myself am pro-choice on the abortion issue and I am fairly mixed on the potential war with Iraq, but I like to be consistent with my principles. That does not mean I don't have nuanced opinions on issue that seem to be similar, but I do keep to the big issues. If I were a "pro-lifer" I would not pick and choose which lives have value. If they want to protect the fetus, why not protect the humans too?

Hispanics largest U.S. minority
How does this effect race relations in this country? Will Hispanics be the hot political potato? Will the boycotters be glad? Well, that is obvious, no; they will call it a conspiracy against blacks and then call for stricter immigration enforcement. The real question that I think about is will there be increased problems between blacks and Hispanics? Some of the rhetoric from the fringe of the boycott suggests that there already is increased tension. I envision the Hispanic population in America blending in very easily, as it has been doing for over a hundred years now. It may take 10 to 20 years for the real influence of Hispanics to be felt on the political level of society throughout the country, but their influence will differ from that of any other minority living in America. Since I have a little Latin blood in me, I see this as a good occurrence for all.

John Schlagetter on the causes of crime.

Chris Anderson takes the Cincinnati Post to task for being lazy and relying on a flawed presentation of census data for a story that plays to the ills of Cincinnati unfairly.

Boycott Website Changes
Since the adult organizers of the CJC left the group, Nate and fellow ruffians have created a new website to promote their extortion of the city. On the website Nate is is asking for donations to be sent to his home address. I have to ask a question. Is it legal for Nate to accept donations on behalf of a nonprofit organization in this manner? Does Nate have a nonprofit corporation set up to accept donations? Since one of the members of the prior nonprofit pulled out, along with the person whose address was listed as its office address, is this entity legally still in existence to accept contributions on a non-tax basis? They use the CJC name on the new website, but is it theirs to use? These are questions I am just asking, I don't know the answers. I hope Nate and crew had Ken Lawson advise them before he accepts donations as his personal residence.

Gay man's slaying suspected hate crime
It is about time the Enquirer covered this story. Score 2 for Kathy Y. Wilson.

Protester wants Winkler disqualified from case
Mr. Summers might benefit from a long stay in an institution that can keep him from going over the edge.

Flyer Funny Business?
The Political Junkie brings up the coincidence that the Assistance City Manager's tenure in College at the University of Dayton overlapped with LaShawn Pettus-Brown. Mr. Pettus-Brown is currently wrapped in the Empire Theater scandal. Since UD's number of first year black students was 104 for 2002-2003 and 53 for 2001-2002, it is safe to assume that if the two men went to college there at the same time, they at least new of each other. This shared personal history in no way proves their possible friendship influenced the decision of the City to loan money to Mr. Pettus-Brown, but it raises a conflict of interest that should at a minimum be investigated by the City Manager, the Mayor, and City Council.

'Put the razor-wire back in our laws'
Attention Suburbs! Peter Bronson is joining the Boycott! He is trying to scare you to death about going into the City. The City is filled with "them," and if you don't keep "them" out of your neighborhoods, your crime will rise.

Peter, Why don't you just nuke the city? Why don't you just build a wall around the suburbs? Why are you playing along with the City Vs. the Suburbs battle? The Suburbs don't care about the City. They already have built barbwire fences trying to keep out "them." Peter is doing nothing but stomping on the City he seems to hate. He hates the people, except the "Christian" ones, he hates the government; he hates the larger number of liberals in the City. I hope Peter doesn't use Cincinnati as part of his return address when he mails out his Christmas cards, the embarrassment of not living in small rural conformist/homogenized crime free town must be gnawing at him.

My email to Pete covers one more problem with his column.

Subj: RE: Crime story (01/19/2003)
Date: 01/19/2003 11:02:47 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: CincyBlog@aol.com
To: pbronson@enquirer.com

Mr. Bronson,

You included Mt. Washington in your list of troubled neighborhoods?

"These are cries for help from ordinary people who are watching drug-crime cancer kill their neighborhoods. They came from Northside, Madisonville, Walnut Hills, Bond Hill, Mount Auburn, Over-the-Rhine, Mount Washington and College Hill - some of Cincinnati's oldest neighborhoods."

Well, I live there, and I don't agree with your pronouncement. I don't even know where you got that perception from? Could you have meant Camp Washington, maybe? You better tell your buddy Phil Heimlich that his neighborhood has some of "them" in it, so he can move.

Brian Griffin
Mt. Washington

When and if I get a response, I shall of course post it.

U.S. Troops Sharpen Skills in Afghanistan
Lt. Ryan Knight, from Cincinnati is quoted several times in the AP wire article.

Busloads Of Ohio Anti-War Protesters Head To D.C.
The main problem I have with these protests are the organizers. Sayrah Namaste is the local Cincinnati organizer for the protest held in Washington D. C. Today. On the website promoting local participation she links to the national organizing group A.N.S.W.E.R.. This is a loose coalition of every communist group in the country. Those groups are now largely made of radical unionists, religious groups (Islamic and Christian mostly), and extreme environmentalist groups, which is akin to a religion in the level of blind faith they live by.

These groups are playing on the pacifist and non-violence beliefs of many well-meaning local groups, but their goals are no different than Hamas. I think much of communism today is a hyper-religious communism. They give people what they want, a means to channel their emotions and provide a group to join. Identity is what troubles most people today. People don't know who they are and want to be told who they are and what they should do. Communists want them to be anti-capitalist and "pro-worker", a tired old myth. These groups are aligned or at least akin to the boycotters here in Cincinnati. Much like the boycott demands, A.N.S.W.E.R. ties racism, the red herring for modern progressive-populist politics, to everything. Money causes racism, war is racism, and white people are racism. Racism is that which causes non-whites to be non-white. A ludicrous statement, yet not far from their rantings. It is nothing different than the frame of reference used during the "red scare" of the 1950's. The media is letting it pass out of ignorance and self-interest. They are lazy and don’t do much research into who the are covering. They instead look for conflict that will create drama. Drama is what drives news coverage. If there is no Drama, then nothing is interesting, and therefore it gets no coverage. The public seems to be apathetic to all of this. It is nothing more than a game. To be honest, It basically is a real game. Who can spin the truth on the head of the pin the fastest without actually telling the truth? The participants whether on CSPAN or any media outlet or in any political office know what they say and do is a matter of perception, and is a calculated strategy to their sport. That is the game I watch. Who needs the NFL when the media/politics battles are on 24 hours a day?

As a side note, I have no problem with protesting. I am not supportive of this pending war, but I am not out right against it either. I am open to being honest about the use of military force. It is not a good thing, but a necessary thing. If Bush can make a case for why we need to go to war with Iraq, I will listen. Up to now, Bush has not made a credible or clear case. I just don’t think linking this War to every issue you have is going to solve anything. It is the same way the boycotter’s demands became a laundry list of every issue that could be linked to “them”. “Themism” as no ideological boundaries. All are infested and the wood is starting to crumble.

UPDATE: It appears that a Leslie Markworth from Cincinnati attended the protest and was quoted in the Vanguard of Nigeria saying: "I’m outraged and I have to do something about it." I just don't think she is really doing anything. Standing in a crowd yelling at nonsensical speeches from communists and their duped allies hardly seems like something worthwhile.

UPDATE2: Leslie Markworth got around at the rally. Islam Online quoted her as well in this section:

Demonstrator Leslie Markworth came to Washington in a group that took three buses from Cincinnati, Ohio.

"I'm outraged and I have to do something about it," she said.

"I would like to see Bush and his cronies postpone their decision to wage war on Iraq," Markworth said.

She and her friend Stephen Lavelle will travel 800 kilometers (500 miles) home overnight.

"I would like (Bush) to focus on real problems like the economy and unemployment," Lavelle said.

Her friend also from Cincinnati, Stephen Lavelle was mentioned in the Nigerian newspaper. Islam Online gave one really biased article, while the Vanguard's story was more factual.

UPDATE3: International R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E. takes on the problems with International A.N.S.W.E.R. as the organizers of today's march.

UC Law Students: Halt executions in Ohio
Students from the UC College of Law’s Urban Justice Institute issued a report Friday calling for a moratorium on executions until a commission can be formed to examine how the death penalty is administered in Ohio. There is no way in hell Bob Taft would do this, but this section from the Cincinnati Post's story seems disingenuous:

Taft's spokesman said the governor hadn't yet seen the UC study, but noted that Ohio's constitution prohibits the governor from issuing a death penalty moratorium.

It seems like they are taking covering under a faux shield from having to answer whether the death penalty is applied fairly in Ohio. Neither this section from the Ohio Constitution nor this Ohio Revised Code section would prevent the Governor from commuting anyone he saw fit to not execute in my layman's opinion.

That said, Taft is dependant on the far right of his party, who don't really like him much. He chose a pro-choice Lt. Gov. and has been slow to approve a law allowing anyone to carry a concealed gun anywhere in Ohio. Taft will obviously not do anything but execute those who get no legal reprieve from the courts.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer paints a harsher picture of Taft's reponse to the UC students. The article states:

Taft spokesman Orest Holubec said the governor rejected the students' report before even bothering to read it.

A very different take from Taft's hometown Cincinnati Post.

Downtown office buildings face higher vacancy rates
How does this compare to other cities? Does the 10 to 15 percent increase in unoccupied office space include only downtown or the entire city or is it the entire metro-region? This article leaves much out the details out to paint a one sided picture with no context. This is bad reporting in my opinion, it not only omits information, it has no real point and seems conjured up to fill a story glut.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger Coming to Cincinnati
The who's who of the CCV will certainly be in attendance in Norwood on the 20th for the Dr. Laura, hypocrite of America 2002, book signing. This will be the local theocratic fascist event of the year, please note it is a book signing, not a book burning. Please remind your neighborhood CCV member to leave their gasoline and matches at home.

Just to remind you, Laura Schlessinger is the women who regularly tells people how to live their lives on her radio “advice” show, while her own life would be fodder for the Jenny Jones or the Jerry Springer show. Her mother recently was found after lying dead about 2 months in her condo. Ms. Schlessinger blamed her mother for pushing away the family. Ms. Schlessinger I guess found it ok to shun her mother. I guess the "commandment" on honoring one's mother and father is subjective in her mind. When she tells children to do what their parents want, I wonder if they buy her advice, or if they just laugh at her hypocrisy. It is sad when anyone's parent dies, and how Ms. Schlessinger mother died, was horrible, but the way Laura Schlessinger has ignored the adage of "practice what you preach" is too much for me to lay off, especially when she will be visiting only a few miles from where I live. If hope her visit is short, useless, and she at least is subjected to a few protestors.

So Long Pat Barry, We Hardly New Thee
Well, Pat is and was a media veteran here in Cincinnati, but with the cancellation of his short run WKRC radio show, I will miss him being on the air. Pat was the only moderate voice from a current affairs talk radio show on Clear Channel’s stations here in town. Now we shall be treated to the rabid dog fascist stylings of Sean Hannity of FOXNews fame. Sean is one of the worst talk radio hosts in America. He is beyond being a shill for the GOP, he acts as their penis, while stuffing his trite GOP propaganda down his listener's throats. He is the walking poster boy for Conformist Republican Christians of America, Inc. Spinsanity had a great column on his slippery handling of facts and his nasty habit of myth perpetuation. Darryl Parks, local Clear Channel AM boss, is a man with only one purpose: get bigger ratings. He must feel threatened by the newly started ultra-right wing talk radio on WBOB. He seems to feel that he needs to shore up his programming, weed out any hint of "liberals," and pull back a conservative audience that does not like Gary Burbank's comedy and might be tempted by the moralizing of Michael Medved.

Local radio has taken one more step to oblivion, and another outlet for local discussion is gone. Now we get more of the same. The same topics, the same message, and the same propaganda. Soon FCC Chairman Michael Powel will be opening the gates to Clear Channel to own more, and local radio will be dead, except for what little local radio is on NPR. Local TV news is dead, local newspapers are holding on by a thread. I hope blogs catch on locally. Soon that may be the only means of public information and public discourse. Long live the Blog!