Enquirer Weekend Memos
Let it be known for ever that Linda Cagnetti, Enquirer Editorial Board Member, does not support the right to choose:

"As long as abortion on demand is legal, the more informed everybody is about it, the better. Women making this 'choice' especially need to know everything that's known. "

Ms. Cagnetti supports the recent efforts of Norma McCorvey to try and restart the Roe v. Wade case. McCorvey was the "Roe" of that case, seeking an abortion. She has since become the poster woman of the fanatical anti-abortion movement. There is nothing to debate, at least rationally, about abortion. The positions are well known. What Ms. Cagnetti seeks to do is to put the issue in the media and then have the propagandists do their job. That is not debate, that is verbal mud wrestling.

Sticks Nix Blix Fix
Most people in middle America of the conservative persuasion have a low opinion of U.N. inspector Hans Blix. The Cincinnati Post, on the other hand, thinks Blix was not the fool the Bush Administration and its supporters supposed he was.

A Steak for a Break?
Did Jeff Ruby try to bribe police officers into dropping charges or overlooking actions by his son Brandon? WCPO reports that a reporter from the Enquirer has a source or sources inside the police department stating that Ruby offered police officer(s) with gift certificates to his restaurants in exchange for dropping the charges against his son. Lincoln Ware of 1230 the Buzz stated on his radio program that the Enquirer reporter indicated that Ruby offered 2 detectives the gift certificates. No information on the names of reporter's or the detectives/officers in question.

The big oddity that caught my eye was that Ruby and the FOP held what appeared to have given a joint press conference to deny these allegations. Why would the FOP get involved? Is Jeff Ruby a big FOP booster? My only speculation is that the officers in question did accept the gift certificates for reduced charges, but not a full walk. Why would Ruby hold a press conference when WCPO indicates, "Ruby has filed a complaint against the officers." If Ruby has filed a complaint against any officer, why is the FOP helping him?

Kudos goes out to WCPO's web reporters for adding this caveat to the story:

Disclosure: The Enquirer is the television and Internet partner of WCPO.

In the world of media consolidation and partnerships, it is good to see some honesty prevails to help uphold the ethical standards journalism.

Brownshirts Love Art Too
Not only do local police have a thing for porn, but Steve Ramos reports in CityBeat about the police raid on the Semantics Gallery. Police were out looking for a Rave, to bust, and found a group of artists and art lovers drinking beer. What a crime. What kind of artist drinks beer? If they had been drinking wine, we would never have read about this. If the police don't waste man power on keeping the arts community in line with their stereotypical drink of choice, who will?

Corporate Blackmail Works
The Cincinnati Post reports that City Council has approved a deal to build a $15 million dollar parking garage for use by Kroger's downtown HQ. Kroger had, in so many words, threatened to leave downtown if their parking problems were not solved. I guess their ploy worked.

Playing Chicken with Concealed-Carry
It looks like the all or nothing gun rights lobby wants to keep the issue alive to raise money and go for a special rights bill for concealed gun carriers. Punt now, and hope to elect more right wing crazies to the Ohio Senate or Governor's Mansion.

Cincinnati's Worst Racist/Bigot
No, it is not the police Chief, nor anyone in the Police Department. It is not the Mayor, who is gets a bad rap from "activists." The worst racist/bigot is not even white. There are several local racists who are as bad in their beliefs, but they not as much of a concern because they are not taken seriously by anyone. The worst racist/bigot in Cincinnati wrote the following letter to the editors of City Beat:Gay Play Should Be Condemned
The gay community in Cincinnati wants special rights and wants to be accepted as a new race. A lot of people say, "OK, that's cool, to each his own. It's about tolerance -- if you tolerate my lifestyle, I'll tolerate yours. Hey, that's equal and equal is cool."

But with the play Corpus Christi, the gays have gone too damn far (The Play's a Protest, Too, issue of June 18-24). I can't tolerate this shit -- excuse my French -- portraying Jesus and the disciples as gay. I'll have you know that Jesus is a black man, and He sho' ain't gay!

The nerve of those assholes organizing that play. It should be condemned by Christians and Muslims alike. I condemn it as a black militant, and that's why there's been a protest every day of the play's run.

Who will they portray as gay next? Will it be Moses, David, Solomon or Mary the mother of Jesus, or will it be Dr. Martin Luther King?

The gays have gone too far, and they can kiss my ass. No, I take that back -- they might enjoy that. We will not tolerate the Anti-Christ.


-- Gen. Kabaka Oba, The Black FistKabaka Oba is the worst racist/bigot in Cincinnati because he can write this letter, but feel little heat for his views from other blacks, especially those in the black community seeking "social justice." I think Oba is considered a joke privately by nearly everyone in the city, but he makes great video for the media, great audio for radio, and great copy for the newspaper, so he is only condemned by the likes of Peter Bronson, Mike McConnell, and yours truely. You will notice 2 of the 3 are conservatives and only 1 (me) is a liberal. That is a sorry example for an ideology that claims to be the leader in fighting bigotry and racism. Jay Love recently began openly chastising Oba, but others on his radio station still give him airtime without rebuke. Other media outlets have allowed Oba to stand out as an activist, but when the KKK comes to town they are reported as evil incarnate. We have someone as bad as the KKK in our media weekly, but he is treated with legitimacy that allows his messages of hate to grow.

Newest and Youngest Charterite?
Mike Goldman, Charter Committee President, greeted Nick Spenser as the most recently Charter-endorsed Candidate for Cincinnati City Council with this comment reported in Greg Korte's Inside City Hall column:

"He's extremely young, there's no doubt about that."

The quote did go on to praise Nick's campaign organization, but the opening blurb is hardly a great moniker for Nick to wear. Will Charter get more than one person on council this year? I don't think Nick has the money or the reach to win a seat, but a good campaign could pave the way for him to move up the Cincinnati political ladder into a good job and eventual political office.

A Little Problem to Overcome
Woe is the UC basketball program. Yet another Huggins player has his day in criminal court. This time NBA prospect Donald Little has pled guilty to assault, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. All of this just 2 days before the NBA draft. Little, who is 25 (a bit old for a senior), may have to take any contract put before to him, and be thankful for it. The crime victim is reportedly suing Little for 1 million dollars. That is a big chunk of change, even for a professional basketball player. He is lucky he pled to a lesser crime. He was charged with kidnapping and felonious assault. Councilman David Pepper's kidnappers got around 8 years for their crime, and Pepper was not injured. Little should serve his time, and get out of Dodge, and be glad that he will still get paid to play a game.

Rest of the coverage: Post, WCPO, WLWT, and WKRC.

The Preacher Who Cried Wolf
The Rev. Damon Lynch III is crying racism in Forest Park. His son, Lynch IV, got a speeding ticket. That's right, a speeding ticket. He was not shot. He was not assaulted. He was not threatened with physical harm. He was asked to exit his car, and it was then searched. Jay Love, of 1230 the Buzz, said on his radio show today that Rev. Lynch was crying wolf. Jay Love lives in Forest Park. Jay Love knows of no one who has been racially profiled by the Forest Park police. Damon Lynch III is "pimping" his son for a payday. More than one caller on Jay Love's show asked if Damon Lynch would be protesting the next time someone else's child was stop by police in Mason or Blue Ash. I would expect Lynch to sit on his hands, unless he can grab some free money, or at least a little free publicity.

All Deliberate Speed has full coverage of several of today's SCOTUS decisions.

Trent Lott No-Show
Trent Lott was missing from Senator Mike DeWine Ice Cream Social yesterday, but that did not keep the Boycott B from protesting in full force, all 5 of them. The Dayton Daily News covered the event and talked with the protestors. A "Nathaniel Lewis" was quoted “We tried to get here earlier, but there was a lot of traffic,” trying to explain their late arrival to the event. I am not sure if "Nathaniel Lewis" is Nate Livingston's new nom de plume or if the reporter has bad hearing. The event was nothing special, and without Trent Lott, DeWine saves a little face. I wonder if Lott did not show, or if DeWine asked him not to show. We will never know that. I wonder if the Boycott B gang was able to all fit into one car or since they all are leaders of there own little "groups" they each drove separately. Nothing about them surprises me anymore.

Walnut Hills High School
WCPO's I-Team has a follow-up their story from last month where they claimed the Principal, Marvin Koenig, was not operating admission standards according to Cincinnati Public Schools policy. The new report brings up fresh allegations about grade changing by the Principal, another violation of policy. Reporter Stephen Hill also brought forth the charge that one student got into the highly regarding Walnut Hills High School in part to a financial donation the student’s family allegedly made to a new building addition at the school. According to the I-Team, CPS Administration officials may release more information on these allegations as soon as this week.

I do not know what to make of this incident. This is, after all local TV news. The issues appear to be singular actions. No evidence of wide spread violations was provided. Only a handful of occurrences were aired, so any violations reported are small and in any reasonable school system are understandable. Rules are not absolute. Sometimes things change for reasons that may make more sense than the dramatic I-Team music would lead you to believe. This issue of the possible quid pro quo is a serious question that if proven true should cost someone their job.

DONALD at All Deliberate Speed has added me to his blogroll, for which I thank him. I have to correct one thing about his comments. I live on the east side of Cincinnati, not the west. I don't fit in with the "stereotypical west sider." I am to the left of most of the City of Cincinnati in political terms, far to the left on social issues. I agree with him that Cincinnati is an important gauge of opinion in the Country. Cincinnati is basically the Mecca of mainstream Conservatism. We have our share of freakish reactionary conservatives, but most of them are Bush style Conservatives. I am not a fan of Bush at all, and most of his policies I find horrible, but Bush is not a reactionary. That does not mean he is not dangerous, just not as dangerous as the Free Republic crowd.

Calling All Local Bloggers!
I am compiling a list of local blogs from the Greater Cincinnati Metro area. I will eventually have a page of links listing all of the blogs categorized by category. If you are a blogger out there, please send me an email, or add a comment, with your blog address, email address, and a general description of what kind of blog you write. I will be happy to include anyone who may not think they are in the official Cincinnati area, so don't be bashful. Also, don't hold back. If you want people to read your blog, you have to promote it. If anyone wants to suggest another blog, please send that along too. I am not trying to create a master list of blogs, just those from the Cincinnati, Tri-state, or even greater Ohio area.

Enquirer's Concealed-Carry Coverage
The Editorial Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer has gone all out in coverage of the concealed-carry law that is slated to become law. Their editorial on it is a cheerleading call to action to try and reconcile the two bills passed in each in respective chamber. I will never know why people want this so much. Why do people feel the need to carry around a gun? How many people will ever have to draw their gun? I hope the number is small. If you never draw your pistol, why did you need it? I think the answer is that you are afraid. That is reasonable. We are all fearful of something, but most of us not to the point that we feel the need to carry around a deadly weapon.

The paper provides a good summary of the law passed by the senate, which has the governor's support. The Enquirer also provide two oddly opposing views on the subject. From Chuck Klein they get an extremist gun nut's point of view. Chuck is pissed that the Senate law tries to protect children. He wants an open shooting range so much that he is not even willing to compromise on the law and agree to a simple restriction involving children and guns in cars. Toby Hoover provides the safetly prospective in opposing the law all together. I agree with Mr. Hoover on his stance on the law and I think that carrying around guns on our streets does nothing but increase the ego of the gun carrier. If there is a reasonable need for an individual to carry a gun on their person, I am open to laws allowing people to carry a gun. Reason could be as part of the their job, like deliver persons who are targets of robbers or people who have been threatened with physical harm or have specific types of restraining orders issued for protection.

The Cleveland Suburban newspaper The Morning Journal had an interesting editorial on Friday. They raised this point in their title:

"State lawmakers in Columbus can't manage to help more Ohioans carry a college degree, but they're hard at work to help Ohioans carry concealed weapons. How stupid. "

Indeed.

Riot News Coverage
During the 2001 riots here in Cincinnati, with the exception of the on the spot coverage of 1230 the Buzz, local news media stayed well behind police lines, limiting coverage of the most intense periods of the actions. If you listened to first hand testimony or listened to the police scanners, you hear a war zone. The decriptions from a reporter for the Herald Palladium about the recent riots in Benton Harbor, Michigan confirms what the local press may have faced if they had ventured deep into the riots back in April of 2001. Some limited stories of bottles and bricks hitting news vans were reported, but nothing compared to what reporter Kim Strode went through just trying to report the story. As a side note the Herald Palladium, the local St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Michigan newspaper, has an interesting editorial about the police officer involved in the chase that instigated the riots.

Last Gasp or New Future for the Post?
The Cincinnati Post reports on itself today indicated they are consolidating their news rooms into the downtown Cincinnati location. From a business perspective, I wonder why this was not done years ago. I understand that Northern Kentucky residents was local coverage, and the Kentucky Post does an ok job of providing that, but being just over the border is a superficial element, that was only a symbolic tradition. I hope this buys E. W. Scripps some time to stabilize the paper. Rumor has the Cincinnati Post closing down once the Joint printing agreement with the Enquirer expires, keeping the Kentucky Post alive, but focused almost exclusively on Kentucky. If the FCC rules on ownership of newspapers and local TV stations stays in place, could the Post be sold to someone like Clear Channel? A news room connecting WLW, WKRC-TV and a new Cincinnati Post would be a conservative's dream. Would it bring new competition against an Enquirer/WCPO-TV alliance or just homogenize 3 news organizations into one? It is nothing but speculation, but is it plausible?

HERE IS Stonewall-Cincinnati's take on the Van Kuiken Removal from the Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church for marrying gays and lesbians. Small critique: this document needs a date published listed.

Bush Says Iraqi Weapons Sites Were Looted
So let me get this straight. Bush is now admitting that we know the weapons were looted? WTF? So the oil fields were more important to protect, than the WMD? We sent special teams to secure the oil fields, but no special teams in to protect the WMD sites? Do people have barrels of VX in their basements right now? How secure is that? This sounds like the worst attempt at spinning I have ever head. Bush did not even have to the balls to say in a more covered speech, he choose the routinely meaningless weekly radio address. This did not even make the 11:00 AM CNN or MSNBC top stories. Mike Tyson's arrest made it, but not Bush on the alleged looting of WMD. Nice, folks, nice. I guess Harry Potter was just to "big" of story to cover last night, so all of the reporters are sleeping when Bush breaks news.