Bush Hurting: 43% Stay, 47% Go

I was amazed to read this FOX News poll that says 43% of those polled would reelect Bush to another term, while 47% would vote him out. The key news in these numbers is this element from the story:

Independents lean more toward making Bush a one-term president, as 49 percent would give him retirement and only 35 percent say another four years.

This poll was conducted on the 3rd and 4th of December, a week after Bush's visit to Iraq.

I am not amazed that this story was released on Friday, but it is on the Website's front page. I don't know how much it is being reported on the TV broadcast. It will be interesting to see how Chris Wallace reports this on his debut as host of FOX News Sunday on the FOX Network.

I have not heard exactly how else Chris Wallace will be featured on FOX News. I hope he is not kept only on the Sunday program and his used for all political coverage, much like Russert is used by NBC.

Amazing Fiction

If you want to most amazing "commentary" that I have read, check out this one from Kenya. I have never read a column so incredibly wrong and fill of falsehoods, misinformation, and what might be lies. The article is by AMBROSE MURUNGA of the newspaper the Daily Nation. This article reads like Mr. Murunga got an eleventh hand oral account of what happened, and did nothing to check the thousands of international news stories on the subject to get basic facts correct. He thinks Mr. Jones was "drunk" and that police "apparently made an offensive remark to the drunken man." The man somehow quotes Charlie Luken from an Enquirer article, but fails to read the part of the article that indicates the man was on drugs, not drunk.

The World Socialist Website had a similar level of fiction in Jerry Isaacs's article as well. This article to me has what could be called libel problems. What lies people tell. I am never more amazed when anyone (in this case socialists) cries for truth but in doing so gives us propaganda at its worst.

NPR Coverage of Jones Case

Mayor Charlie Luken was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered last night. The interview was fairly tame and bland at the same time. I found it very bothersome that one of the interviewer’s questions included the notion that "traces" or Cocaine and PCP were found in Mr. Jones’s body. The Coroner stated that Mr. Jones had "intoxicating levels" of both drugs in his body.

Hipster Friendly Radio Free Newport: We're All Racists

I see Michael at RFN thinks this is a "racist town run by Klan apologists." I guess I missed the memo that the "Klan" had a million local sympathizers. Or is it a million local members?

This town is run by right-wingers. This town is run by religious bigots. This town is run by anti-gay bigots. This town is run by cultural bigots (which everyone is in reality). This town is not run by racists. Most people are not racists. Michael sounds more racist than Peter Bronson. He says that the whites in the town (mostly "those" Catholic Germans) oppress minorities. I love hyperbole. I live and die by it in my blogging, but I can't stand to see this type of fiction played off as anything resembling credible.

Speaking as a liberal: it is not wrong to be of European decent. Western Civilization is not bad. We don't have a caste system in this city oppressing anyone. That would be a Marxist view that if you believe it would be true throughout the country, making this city no worse than anywhere else.

By the way, before anyone starts spewing off on what a liberal is, please don't go into the trite us vs. them construct of linear political ideologies.

Stumbling Out of the Gate

Chris Smitherman could not have had a worse first few days in office. His statements at this week's city council meeting really make him look like a rookie.

1. Thinking that he and city council were the "boss" of the Chief of Police was forgivable.

2. From the Enquirer: Smitherman demanded the manager obtain an "independent autopsy" and supply the autopsy report "today," as if a city manager and not the county coroner has authority to do autopsies. This is a sign of a ignorance and of cracking under his new found pressure of public office. Emotion seems to be getting the best of him, or he is vesting to much capital in pleasing what he thinks is his "black activist" voting base.

Is it Empiregate or Pettus-Browngate?

Who at city hall is responsible? The city manager is being criticized for altering audit reports involved in the investigation of city department. If this was Washington I would be calling for a Special Prosecutor. When the scandal touches the Mayor's office, the city manager, and member(s) of city council, no one can been seen as independent. I hope the FBI take a bigger role.

More from the Enquirer.

Talk Radio Part of the Problem, or a Symptom of It?

The Post has a story on what is pretending to be programming on local talk radio here in town. The story states what to any listener is the obvious, the Buzz and WLW are the polar opposites on this issue.

I have been listening to both this week. I usually have on WLW in the morning and the Buzz in the afternoon. This week I have had to turn off the Buzz out of frustration on many occasions. WLW's callers are in general right wing. They have had a whole lot of prejudicial and bigoted callers. There have been very few, if any racist views spouted on the air.

At the Buzz is has been much more of a hate fest. The level of anger towards whites feels to me to be palpable. The only thing topping that is the level of misinformation and ignorance as to what the facts are. Lincoln Ware brought this up:

"I try to put out a true fact and it looks like I'm siding with police and many of my callers don't like that," Ware said. "It's frustrating because some people just don't want to hear the true facts."

In the story a nighttime WEBN host was mentioned as crossing the line when talking to some callers. I have no idea what was said, but WEBN has a large percentage of rabid fans who are, or the lack of a better phrase, "poor white trash." I can apply stereotypes and guess at the idiocy let on the air.

Bill Cunningham gets the award for being a slime ball. He made many horrid "fat" jokes that was totally disrespectful.

Bill Cunningham Being Protested

The Enquirer is reporting that the "Concerned Citizens for Justice" will be protesting outside WLW studios in Mt. Adams today between 1:00PM and 3:00PM today. I am torn on this one. The protestors are idiots for giving Cunningham attention, and their motives are at best sketchy. Cunningham is a slimy media whore, who would sell his wife's dildo for ratings.

There will likely be at most a dozen protestors in the rain, if that.

MIAMI 49, BG 27

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

MAC Champions 2003

Coverage: ESPN, FOX, and WaPo.

Jones Funeral Set for Saturday

The Enquirer is reporting the funeral for Nathaniel Jones is set for Saturday when the "wake is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, with services to immediately follow at Allen Temple Worship Center, 7030 Reading Road."

The Enquirer also has a page of reactions for readers across the country on the Jones incident.

Cunningham & Lawson on FOX News

Here is the transcript of last night's Hannity & Combs show segment with Bill Cunningham of 700WLW and Ken Lawson, attorney for the Jones family. It reads like an Abbott and Costello routine.

[From comments]

Number 66

We now have 1 more homicide than last year with the shooting death of a woman found in Pleasant Ridge early this morning.

Media Round Up for Thursday

There are almost too many stories to link to, but I will try to locate more commentary on the subject of the Nathaniel Jones Death. The news stories are mostly the same now, beyond the pontifications of lawyers and "activists."

FontPage Magazine has your typical conservative viewpoint.

Rantophilia comments on Peter Bronson's latest column.

Newsday has an analysis of the media coverage which agrees with mine:

Experts who study broadcast news doubted the story would have captured the national spotlight without the video taken by a stationary camera on the dashboard of a police cruiser.

"This has been a one-day story for the evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC," said Andrew Tyndall, publisher of the Tyndall Report, which monitors the Big Three networks. "But you absolutely have to have video for this sort of story to get national attention."

We have some more conservative views from the Nation Review Online.

The Dayton Daily News also provides a first hand news story.

Also, comments from Greg Mann.

UPDATE: Delaware County Daily Times (PA) editorial.

Damon Lynch III Reappears

Damon Lynch has been relatively quiet in this mess, but he has spoken out to the media and is calling for a " change at the top of the police force," which means the firing or resignation of Police Chief Tom Streicher. He could however mean Mayor Charlie Luken, and he might be looking to face off against Luken in 2005.

3 Blind Mice?

What makes Reece, Cole, and Smitherman think that getting information sooner will do any good, beyond helping out their image in the “black community?” Councilman Chris Smitherman sounds like he is still campaigning with comments like this:

"I want to make it very clear that I am a newly elected official, and I will not tolerate, ever, insubordination," Smitherman told the chief. "I am one of the members of the board of directors of the City of Cincinnati. Last time I looked at it, I am Chief Streicher's boss."

I don't really know what Smitherman is thinking, but he does not manage the police. The City Manager oversees the police, and the City Manager reports to the Mayor. Mr. Smitherman and the rest of City Council are not the boss of the Mayor. The citizens of Cincinnati are however the boss of City Council and the Mayor. We don't tolerate insubordination either. The police don't tolerate it either, unless the FOP president does it on TV.

Morning Show Accounting

I think I heard this morning that some of the Jones family appeared on some of the network morning shows today, likely with Ken Lawson. How many does that make? I think the police chief was on the Today Show Tuesday. Have the morning shows had someone on every day so far this week?

Cunningham and Lawson on Hannity and Combs?

I missed what surely was great TV. Great in the sense that a car wreck is "great." Rob Bernard has the details.

Appearances

CinWeekly needs to rethink who the choose to interview on some subjects. Who they choose makes them look bad. In this story on "Interview terror" the reporter uses Sharon Potts, a senior associate recruiter for Convergys, as the source on methods about having good interviews. Now, why is Sharon Potts bad? Well, there is nothing wrong with her particularly, the real problem is whom she works for: Convergys. What's the big deal you may ask? Well, you must not remember the biggest election issue, the infamous Convergys deal, worth $52.2 of tax payer's money. Part of that was a promise to add 275 more jobs downtown. Convergys has yet to add those jobs, and has instead laid off at least 40.

CinWeekly looks bad here because the Enquirer was supporting the deal, to the point of holding off on a column with mild criticism until after the deal was passed. What does this CinWeekly story do? Well, it makes the reader very aware that Convergys is interviewing, which must mean they are hiring. If they are hiring that must mean they are living up to the agreement with the city. I am sure the PR folks at Convergys sure hope that what people come away with from the article.

Potts gave some interesting advice in the story:

She also suggests researching a company's history before interviewing and preparing three or four questions to ask an employer about the company to show your interest. Potts warns it would be wise to avoid sounding like a know-it-all, however.

I would suggest that if you interview with Convergys, don't ask them about the $52.2 million dollar deal and surely don't ask how many of those 275 jobs are really going to just be transfers out of Norwood and into downtown.

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece: Get Over the Whine!

Alicia Reece is pissed SHE was not given information about the Jones death before the media got it. SHE sent this Memo around earlier today and at the Council Meeting today SHE came down heavy on the City Manager and the Police Chief because SHE was out of the loop. SHE needs to be informed about what was going on. SHE had to field "calls from civil rights leaders, African American elected officials, and other leaders from all over the country, " and SHE did not have the information SHE needed to inform those that called HER.

I am so pleased to see a Vice-Mayor so concerned about police issues that SHE wrote this memo. After all everyone knows what an important person SHE is in this city and how SHE adds to debate of council. What on Earth would we do without HER.

SHE sure knows how to drive someone to tears too.

Ken Lawson: Jerk

Lawyers are known as the scum of the earth. That has always been an overstatement. I work for a lawyer, I know several lawyers personally. I hate to see scummy actions or statements from Lawyers to prove the stereotype. Ken Lawson has given me one such statement to prove to me, that he is a jerk and among the scummiest lawyers not only in Cincinnati, but I think the country. From the New York Times:

A lawyer for Mr. Jones' family, Kenneth L. Lawson, said the coroner probably called the death a homicide "because he knew we would be getting that body examined by our own coroner and we would keep him honest."

Right Kenny, the coroner is so concerned about you getting paid, that gave you the PR headline you need to help push the settlement amount over a million dollars. The more national headlines the "Law Dog" can get, the more pressure he can put on the city to settle. I wonder if Ken had place a call to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, offering to book them plane tickets to Cincinnati.

If either of those men come here, I wonder if Nate Livingston will protest their appearances.