This story "Angry Spain ousts leaders" is listed in the "Local News" section of the Enquirer. I think someone made a small mistake.
UPDATE: This is a relevant local story on the Spain Train Bombings.
Monday, March 15, 2004
Guts
When you are running against Steve Chabot supporting Gay Marriage would seem like a political problem. Greg Harris, Democratic candidate running against Chabot,has "come out" with his support of Gay Marriage. Here in Cincinnati this takes big courage, especially in the heavily conservative Catholic Ohio 1st. The GOP will make huge hay out of this, painting Harris as the anti-Christ, devil, "liberal elitist" out to "force" his pro-gay views on the West side. It is amazing how fear is used in politics. Everyone does it, but when it is done with "hate," it takes on an increasingly bad flavor in my mouth. Chabot will win. He would have won with or without Gay Marriage, but now he will use this to march in step with the Burress's and Bronsons of the world.
Ohio, Ohio, Ohio Update
Ohio is still the focus of a political onslaught of activities. The Dayton Daily News reports on the GOP's efforts to use their Ohio delegation to push for Bush. Rob Portman is seen as key to rallying the GOP middle to get out and vote. Will Portman have any effect? Portman is not a polarizing congressman. He is not a Steve Chabot who puts himself in the middle of every hot button issue, Gay Marriage just being the latest.
If the GOP takes a Portman attitude it will be competitive in Ohio and could win with some room to spare. If Steve Chabot's methods are implored, then they can kiss off winning the state, outside of this area of course.
All of this speculation is moot if the job situation does not improve. If Ohio still has 6% unemployment come September-October, I think the GOP can kiss Ohio and the election goodbye. A simplistic analysis, but I think the main bottom line that will turn things either way. Ohio is becoming the key for the GOP. It is still not the “be all” for the Dems. Florida is the key for Kerry.
If the GOP takes a Portman attitude it will be competitive in Ohio and could win with some room to spare. If Steve Chabot's methods are implored, then they can kiss off winning the state, outside of this area of course.
All of this speculation is moot if the job situation does not improve. If Ohio still has 6% unemployment come September-October, I think the GOP can kiss Ohio and the election goodbye. A simplistic analysis, but I think the main bottom line that will turn things either way. Ohio is becoming the key for the GOP. It is still not the “be all” for the Dems. Florida is the key for Kerry.
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Axis of Evil
Would the title "A Call to Arms" or "United Against Heretics" sound better? Reading Peter Bronson's latest column, which calls for evangelical Catholics and evangelical Protestants to join forces, I could not help but hear the old hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" in my head. Peter's column sounds like a beer hall appeal to a rival yet similar gang of thugs fight the same culture war. I was just amaze at how Bronson pushed the framing of the culture war:
What I read in this column is Bronson asking the question: "Come on conservative Christians, lets get on the same team and stamp out everyone who does not submit to our culture, our way off life, and our God." Now, does Bronson come right out and say that? Of course not. I am using some hyperbole here. I have to ask all of the conservatives out there, how can you not read that column and not think that Bronson's goal with it is to gain allies in a culture war. This is a means to paper over religious differences to further the goal of establishing a religious cultural on the society. I think what will be debatable is the means Bronson or those he quote plan on using. What I see as the means are through the use of the government, and thus by "force." Imposition of religious doctrine through government is theocracy.
I am sure I will get grief from some of my conservative and/or evangelical readers for being paranoid or over use of hyperbole, but honestly can say that Bronson?s column provides evidence to support that there is a movement out there to clamp down on people?s rights to free expression and an effort to keep homosexuals and those who don?t prescribe to an evangelical religious litmus test.
My reasons for this stem in part for the group Bronson refers to, Promise Keepers. The rhetoric from their website about their 2004 road show is either really disturbing or really over the top hyperbole:
Is this a declaration of outright war? No, it is not. Is this something that makes me nervous? Hell yes. Why would it make me nervous? Well, when people of various religions get together to denounce people for not conforming to their religion and vowing to working towards codifying their religion into law, well, that makes me just a bit nervous, especially in this town where I am sure I would be one of the first heathens locked up if Phil Burress is made Hamilton County Führer.
UPDATE: This letter to the Enquirer makes me want to scream, but also seems to point towards yet another example of a quest for theocracy:
Another speaker will be Richard John Neuhaus, one of the brightest Catholic commentators on culture and religion, and editor of First Things, a monthly that aims "to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society.''Most of what you read there is not directly from the mind of Bronson, but I think he agrees with Neuhaus completely.
That mission is hotly contested in the cultural wars. And Neuhaus is in the front lines.
Take this statement that many people intuitively "know,'' but few dare to say: "Churchgoers are, or lean toward, the Republicans, while non-churchgoers, the nonreligious and the explicitly antireligious are overwhelmingly Democrats.''
Neuhaus also lists the issues that divide America like barbed wire: "abortion, faith-based initiatives, the impossibility of same-sex marriage, parental choice in education, and the belief that God intends the world to be free, toward which end the U.S. is morally obliged to play a part, even the leading part.''
What I read in this column is Bronson asking the question: "Come on conservative Christians, lets get on the same team and stamp out everyone who does not submit to our culture, our way off life, and our God." Now, does Bronson come right out and say that? Of course not. I am using some hyperbole here. I have to ask all of the conservatives out there, how can you not read that column and not think that Bronson's goal with it is to gain allies in a culture war. This is a means to paper over religious differences to further the goal of establishing a religious cultural on the society. I think what will be debatable is the means Bronson or those he quote plan on using. What I see as the means are through the use of the government, and thus by "force." Imposition of religious doctrine through government is theocracy.
I am sure I will get grief from some of my conservative and/or evangelical readers for being paranoid or over use of hyperbole, but honestly can say that Bronson?s column provides evidence to support that there is a movement out there to clamp down on people?s rights to free expression and an effort to keep homosexuals and those who don?t prescribe to an evangelical religious litmus test.
My reasons for this stem in part for the group Bronson refers to, Promise Keepers. The rhetoric from their website about their 2004 road show is either really disturbing or really over the top hyperbole:
In UPRISING: The Revolution of a Man's Soul, Promise Keepers boldly invites you to join the revolution. Find your true purpose and destiny in the pursuit of the passion and character of God. Be a part of a revolution that changes a life of imitation and mediocrity into one of passion and character...a radical revolt that will forever change the world! Register today!I think they chose poor language in describing things as an uprising. It has notions of violence and war, something that I thought Christianity was supposed to be against.
Is this a declaration of outright war? No, it is not. Is this something that makes me nervous? Hell yes. Why would it make me nervous? Well, when people of various religions get together to denounce people for not conforming to their religion and vowing to working towards codifying their religion into law, well, that makes me just a bit nervous, especially in this town where I am sure I would be one of the first heathens locked up if Phil Burress is made Hamilton County Führer.
UPDATE: This letter to the Enquirer makes me want to scream, but also seems to point towards yet another example of a quest for theocracy:
Church-birth control ruling is profanityViolations of any commandments are something that I hope no government sponsored court ever worries about.
Regarding the article "Court to charity: Offer birth-control coverage" (March 2), the California Supreme Court ruling that Roman Catholic charities must pay for birth-control coverage insurance for employees is sinful violation of religious freedom. It is profanity.
To claim God and religion can be separated from education philosophy, civic life or from government is not only atheistic secularism, it is blasphemy. It violates both the First and Second Commandments, along with the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution.
It would also be sinful for church officials to pay for such evil insurance.
Robert J. Conlon, Loveland
Why We Fight the Culture Wars
It has occurred to me that with all of the recent talk about religion in government, gay marriage, abortion, etc, that there has to be some kind of underlying cause or enabler of the culture wars. Why do people feel threatened? I think the reasons fall at what I would call the nationalization of American Culture. What that means is the changes over the last 50 years, post WWII mostly, where regional differences in everything has been shrinking and doing it fast, relatively speaking for a country's culture.
What I mean by culture really falls into what we consume. The biggest influence there is obviously what media we consume and even how we do it. The media has followed suit with almost all other industries into national corporate entities whose market reaches the entire country.
The nationwide reach of industries is what makes life everywhere more the same every day. Back when I was a kid you could go on vacation just a few states away and things were different. Different TV stations, different restaurants, different foods in the grocery stores, different actual grocery stores. Instead we now have the same things and I think the conservatives, more specifically the evangelical religious conservatives feel they are in regions of the country where the power structure of those corporations does not live. Their motivation then is to cut out the middleman and go for government control of certain aspects of their desired culture. That is where the theocracy comes to fruition. What it reminds me of is the communist movement. The problem with the communists is that they want their system of government/economics imposed on everyone. That is exactly what theocracy seeks to do. That is why this is a culture ?war,? but also something getting to look more like a civil war.
Ok, I am starting to sound apocalyptic, but maybe I am just prophetic instead. Maybe a power struggle is starting. It is not like I am the only person saying such things. We hear chicken-littles all the time talk about the Patriot Act and police states and my eyes roll. I see the Patriot Act as an infringement of our rights, but not an extreme one that is out to create a police state. When I add the Patriot Act with the ?Army? forming to serve in the Culture wars, then I start to think otherwise. Springer is getting the boot all of the sudden from WLWT. Howard Stern, WEBN, and Bubba the Love Sponge all getting grief. Are we headed to something worse than just a war of words?
What I mean by culture really falls into what we consume. The biggest influence there is obviously what media we consume and even how we do it. The media has followed suit with almost all other industries into national corporate entities whose market reaches the entire country.
The nationwide reach of industries is what makes life everywhere more the same every day. Back when I was a kid you could go on vacation just a few states away and things were different. Different TV stations, different restaurants, different foods in the grocery stores, different actual grocery stores. Instead we now have the same things and I think the conservatives, more specifically the evangelical religious conservatives feel they are in regions of the country where the power structure of those corporations does not live. Their motivation then is to cut out the middleman and go for government control of certain aspects of their desired culture. That is where the theocracy comes to fruition. What it reminds me of is the communist movement. The problem with the communists is that they want their system of government/economics imposed on everyone. That is exactly what theocracy seeks to do. That is why this is a culture ?war,? but also something getting to look more like a civil war.
Ok, I am starting to sound apocalyptic, but maybe I am just prophetic instead. Maybe a power struggle is starting. It is not like I am the only person saying such things. We hear chicken-littles all the time talk about the Patriot Act and police states and my eyes roll. I see the Patriot Act as an infringement of our rights, but not an extreme one that is out to create a police state. When I add the Patriot Act with the ?Army? forming to serve in the Culture wars, then I start to think otherwise. Springer is getting the boot all of the sudden from WLWT. Howard Stern, WEBN, and Bubba the Love Sponge all getting grief. Are we headed to something worse than just a war of words?
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Artspike in Trouble
Arie Vandenberg at ArtSpike Magazine has issued an email talking about the magazine and issuing a response to a CityBeat article from Steve Ramos where some less than flattering comments were made regarding Arie. Ramos article publicized the news that ArtSpike has ceased publication. Vandenberg states on his site as well as in the email that he hopes Artspike will be back:
CityBeat has written before on Arie and ArtSpike: 2002 and 2000.
XRay Magazine also provides coverage.
Dear ArtSpike readers & supporters,The future of the website is unknown. Since costs are much lower to maintain the site, it is likely it will continue.
As you may or may not know, ArtSpike Magazine is now looking for investment partners and an equity business partner who is strong in sales and marketing in order to continue publication of the magazine. If you're in the position to invest or partner with me to help continue the progress we've made, you can move on to the bullet points I've outlined about our background and business potential. I look forward to hearing from you.
And this week Steve Ramos of CityBeat, after hearing that we might be in trouble, decided to write a short article on us. But after reading it, one which he prepared by interviewing me two separate times for about 30 minutes a piece, as well as 1 more follow up call, I have to wonder what he was smoking besides American Spirit cigarettes when he wrote it. I do understand why he wrote it. Controversy moves papers, and CB knows that if people are talking about it then they are exactly where they want to be - in the public mind. But at what price to its subjects?
To friends who know me, Steve's assertions that I'm a "playboy publisher" don't even pass the laugh test. Comments like, "knows every young female waitress in town... but that doesn't stop him from being a player... Vandenberg's life as the playboy publisher... past glories of wine, women and a pocket of notoriety" are bizarre and cheap. It's like telling a guy who rents an efficiency apartment in Clifton that, "It must be nice living in Indian Hill." Fact is, I'm more likely to be at home programming till 3am than out partying at a local club.
This is certainly not the first time CB has written what amounts to an editorial slap-in-the-face about the local scene, where they inevitably pump their subject(s) for advertising dollars with one hand and sucker punch them with the other. This has been an unfortunate trend of CB but maybe that's what happens when you're the "only" big alt paper for too many years.
It's a shame that out of everything we discussed about the business, so many of the 685 words were wasted. So in the interest of our readers, supporters and detractors, I'm going outline some of the facts that Steve must have deemed unfit for print:
- First issue of ArtSpike came out in June of 2002. Until March of 2003, we haven't missed 1 issue since the paper started.
- I published the first issue of ArtSpike within 6 weeks of its inception as an arts media entity.
- As a founder will where many "hats" in a business, my main responsibility was as CFO, General Manager, Webmaster and computer tech.
- Melissa Huelsman came on board as Editor in Chief in Sept. 2003, and has done a fantastic job assembling a great writing staff and managing stories.
- ArtSpike will *not* be receiving the Empowerment Zone loan. The amount slated for request was 60k, which was to be used to increase circulation and hire a full time sales associate to build our client base to where it needs to be. These two areas are critical to its success.
- I have extremely detailed financial forecasts that point out where we've been and where we could go as a company if it's supported properly.
- I've invested 40k+ of my own money to start up the company. Taking the aforementioned loan into account, my *personal* dept burden would have simply been too high to be manageable.
- Since we started, we have never had a competent Marketing & Sales manger on board. This is unfortunate but resulted in poor sales and us being in the position we are in today.
- Throughout the last year, we have trained several sales teams to sell advertising, but they were not effective because of lack of experience and expertise in the field.
- Despite this hurtle, we were starting to pickup advertising at a steady pace throughout 2003 until our part time sales associate left. Ad retention took a downward slope from there and unfortunately never recovered.
- We have developed a great following and readership, and it's a disappointment to everyone involved that ArtSpike may have seen its last issue.
- Of the many arts based institutions in Cincinnati, there are a few that stand out as supporting ArtSpike with their advertising dollar. The Playhouse in the Park, The Cincinnati Ballet, The Cincinnati Opera. It's sad I can't mention more that that, but there you have it for "major" arts institutions supporting alternative arts media.
- We also had a growing roster of commercial ad clients which were pleased with our ads and level of service. To all of our advertising clients: Thank you for supporting alternative arts media!
- It's no secret that we did have a relatively low circulation rate. We printed between 8000-9000 papers per run, which in newspaper "circulation" terms works out to be about 25,000. For a small paper, that's still pretty impressive.
- If ArtSpike is to survive, we are going to need a board of investors who 1) believe in the paper as a potent forum for arts and culture and 2) its potential as a sound business investment.
- Another thing ArtSpike needs is a professional sales manager to do nothing but sell for
ArtSpike.
- We have a great foundation to build upon, including the whole staff who worked to produce the paper.
You know that old saying: It's better to try and fail than to not try at all. I had a vision that Cincinnati could have a great arts based newspaper and I went for it! In many ways, I don't believe I failed. I, along with a many people involved in ArtSpike, did our best to build a great magazine literally from scratch. I hope that even if ArtSpike becomes history, that someone will learn from what we did right and what we did wrong, and launch an arts magazine that has long term success.
If you are an investor or arts patron and would like to discuss being either an equity business partner or an investor, please contact me at arie@artspike.org, 513-751-9729 (office) or 513-***-**** (home). I would love to discuss the possibilities of taking ArtSpike to the next level.
CityBeat has written before on Arie and ArtSpike: 2002 and 2000.
XRay Magazine also provides coverage.
Friday, March 12, 2004
Freedom To Be Like Me
Maggie Downs must have drugged all of the editors to get this story on the front page of the Enquirer about a local lesbian couple who went to San Francisco and became one of the last homosexuals couples to be married before the California Supreme Court ordered a stop to such marriage while they hear the case pending on Gay Marriage.
The Enquirer is not known to push "Gay issues," especially on the front page, so this is a bit of a coup. I am pleased to see that the Enquirer is starting up a panel of local homosexuals. In an email sent I got a copy of what the Enquirer is asking for:
The Enquirer is not known to push "Gay issues," especially on the front page, so this is a bit of a coup. I am pleased to see that the Enquirer is starting up a panel of local homosexuals. In an email sent I got a copy of what the Enquirer is asking for:
The Enquirer is putting together a panel of local people who are gay or lesbian. We have several goals:This is a big change in approach for this old gray paper, especially in the face of increased anti-homosexual attitudes locally and through out the country. With the CCV, and the Enquirer’s own Peter Bronson, making a push against all things relating to liberal freedoms, I actually salute the efforts of the Enquirer. I will hate to see the fallout. I also fear the couple will be threatened. I hope if they are that incident also makes the front page of the paper.
1. We want to hear from local gays and lesbians about issues affecting them here in Cincinnati, and how we might better cover those issues, and be sensitive in our stories, headlines, etc.
2. We hope that such a gathering would help gays and lesbians better understand the newspaper, and how its editors make decisions.
3. Ultimately, we would like to produce a story about what it's like to be gay and live in Cincinnati in 2004.
We're hoping to hear from "everyday" people, gays and lesbians who have jobs and families and go to church and movies and sporting events and dine out with friends just like anybody else in the city.
We hope to meet the first time at the Enquirer building downtown sometime the week of March 22. It likely would be an evening meeting, on a day that works best for those who participate. The meeting will last 90 minutes to two hours and we likely would convene again in April, but that will be decided later.
Members of the group must be willing to speak on the record, and have their photos taken. We hope to use this group as both a source of ideas, and as a sounding board for our coverage of issues affecting gays and lesbians.
Opps
The person who claimed that a 17-year-old robbed was "lying." The teenager then took shots a police and hit a bystander while handcuffed in police custody. The person claiming to have been robbed actually was alleged trying to buy drugs for the teenager, but got "fake" drugs, thus she claimed to have been robbed. She is now being charged.
What an idiot. What kind of moron calls the police when they get ripped off making an ILLEGAL purchase?
This is the same situation that caused City Beat reporter Stephanie Dunlap to be barred from a police briefing.
What an idiot. What kind of moron calls the police when they get ripped off making an ILLEGAL purchase?
This is the same situation that caused City Beat reporter Stephanie Dunlap to be barred from a police briefing.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Stephen Hill Fired From WCPO
But you have to read about it on WLWT's website. All you get from WCPO is this statement.
If Bush Goes First
The GOP is demanding an apology from John Kerry for his offhand remarks that his Republican opponents are "...most crooked....lying group of people I've ever seen."
Ok, that is way over the top. When Bush apologizes for manipulating the country on the reason for war, or just apologize for claiming that WMD stock piles were in Iraq, then I might worry about what Kerry said that happened to be picked up on a live mic. Did Bush apologize for referring to a reporter as a "major league asshole?" I don't think he did, so this is just a political gambit the media is seizing on. Yes, the liberal media; CNN is pumping up a non-issue on Kerry. I am just shocked!!!!! Oh, wait, I am not. That happened all the time with Gore, so why should CNN change now.
Ok, that is way over the top. When Bush apologizes for manipulating the country on the reason for war, or just apologize for claiming that WMD stock piles were in Iraq, then I might worry about what Kerry said that happened to be picked up on a live mic. Did Bush apologize for referring to a reporter as a "major league asshole?" I don't think he did, so this is just a political gambit the media is seizing on. Yes, the liberal media; CNN is pumping up a non-issue on Kerry. I am just shocked!!!!! Oh, wait, I am not. That happened all the time with Gore, so why should CNN change now.
Scapegoat
Is this part of the campaign to blame the CIA for no WMD's? I think Jim Bunning needs to read the Salon article Covington Jim blogged about. It sounds like "sexed up" WMD smoking gun and a glaring claim of incompetence in the DOD's Office of Special Plans, an intelligence PR group that filtered information for various Pentagon and WH officials, which according the article gave the running talking points on Iraq used by many in the Administration.
No City Beat Mention?
Korte did not cover the Police Chief barring City Beat's Stephanie Dunlap from a briefing. Maybe next week?
Meanwhile Stephanie has written her own story on the incident. It is a great column. My only criticism is that she is a reporter and this is a column, not a "news story." This situation however is really unique and the Post story provides the "objective" view of the situation well. Getting her side of the story is both valid and news worthy.
Meanwhile Stephanie has written her own story on the incident. It is a great column. My only criticism is that she is a reporter and this is a column, not a "news story." This situation however is really unique and the Post story provides the "objective" view of the situation well. Getting her side of the story is both valid and news worthy.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Mountie First Class Smitherman in Action
Councilman Chris Smitherman is claiming that a company he hired confirms a cop used the "N" word five years ago.
I still would like to know from Councilman Smitherman, why they hell is he making this an issue? I can respect you for your single-minded persistence in this, though laugh at it as well, but I don't see the value. Guess what I know. There are bigots and racists on the police force. There are bigots and racists on the staff of 1230 the Buzz too. What exactly are you going to changed by making an issue out of someone saying a word or not 5 years ago? Dudley Doright always gets his man.
Smitherman said he sought the outside analysis because he felt the city had dropped the ball on the investigation. He said he gave a copy of Sebring's transcript to City Manager Valerie Lemmie.Fangman denies it was the "N" word as does the former officer, but well, of course they would deny it.
How Butler used the word, he says, shows a philosophy of policing some communities differently, Smitherman said.
Not everything's about racism, he said. "But this is."
I still would like to know from Councilman Smitherman, why they hell is he making this an issue? I can respect you for your single-minded persistence in this, though laugh at it as well, but I don't see the value. Guess what I know. There are bigots and racists on the police force. There are bigots and racists on the staff of 1230 the Buzz too. What exactly are you going to changed by making an issue out of someone saying a word or not 5 years ago? Dudley Doright always gets his man.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Have You No Shame?
The GOP is trying to link John Kerry to North Korea. Yes, I said the GOP. The link about is the website for the Republican National Committee, the good old RNC, THE national party.
How can anyone take this bunch of quacks seriously with a "why do you beat your wife" type headline of "JOHN KERRY: INTERNATIONAL
MAN OF MYSTERY III Communist North Korea Is Only Government On Record Supporting John Kerry." Damn it, there are eight months to do; this is really an even election right now. Anyone can win, and you would think the GOP would want to do it on their ideas, not this kind of National Enquirer ploy that I don't even think Matt Drudge would print.
[Via TPM]
How can anyone take this bunch of quacks seriously with a "why do you beat your wife" type headline of "JOHN KERRY: INTERNATIONAL
MAN OF MYSTERY III Communist North Korea Is Only Government On Record Supporting John Kerry." Damn it, there are eight months to do; this is really an even election right now. Anyone can win, and you would think the GOP would want to do it on their ideas, not this kind of National Enquirer ploy that I don't even think Matt Drudge would print.
[Via TPM]
The Chief's Enemies List
Dick Nixon would be proud of the treatment the Chief of Cincinnati Police gave one local newspaper reporter. City Beat's Stephanie Dunlap was barred Saturday from a police briefing regarding a 17 year-old suspect who allegedly shot a bystander while handcuffed in police custody just after being arrested on robbery charges.
How stupid can the police chief be? Ok, don't answer that, but seriously consider the ego it takes to value punishing a newspaper for writing a story questioning the practices of the police over the negative media attention that punishment will make big all by itself. I applaud the Post for writing this story. I wonder if the Enquirer will have the balls to write the story. I hope this at least makes Korte's column next week, if not tomorrow.
According to what Stephanie overheard from the Public Information Officer just after she took back the sticker ID needed to enter the briefing, this was the Chief's idea of "meeting challenges, critics head on." It sounds like he would rather keep some of the media outlets from reporting the news, especially news where police officers likely really screwed up and almost killed an innocent civilian. It might have been nice for City Beat to get the chance to report on the incident with the same briefing as the rest of the local media outlets. They would surely have been more critical of the police, and the chief can?t handle that. The truth hurts, and this appears to be a pain-adverse police department.
Oh and what will likely make the Chief really feel the pain, LaTonya Springs, chief of staff for Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, was denied entrance to the briefing. Tomorrow's city council meeting should be interesting if he is going to testify.
I will also be very offended if I am not included on the police Chief?s Enemies list.
How stupid can the police chief be? Ok, don't answer that, but seriously consider the ego it takes to value punishing a newspaper for writing a story questioning the practices of the police over the negative media attention that punishment will make big all by itself. I applaud the Post for writing this story. I wonder if the Enquirer will have the balls to write the story. I hope this at least makes Korte's column next week, if not tomorrow.
According to what Stephanie overheard from the Public Information Officer just after she took back the sticker ID needed to enter the briefing, this was the Chief's idea of "meeting challenges, critics head on." It sounds like he would rather keep some of the media outlets from reporting the news, especially news where police officers likely really screwed up and almost killed an innocent civilian. It might have been nice for City Beat to get the chance to report on the incident with the same briefing as the rest of the local media outlets. They would surely have been more critical of the police, and the chief can?t handle that. The truth hurts, and this appears to be a pain-adverse police department.
Oh and what will likely make the Chief really feel the pain, LaTonya Springs, chief of staff for Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, was denied entrance to the briefing. Tomorrow's city council meeting should be interesting if he is going to testify.
I will also be very offended if I am not included on the police Chief?s Enemies list.
Glass Houses
Bush is attacking Kerry on Intelligence. Now, is it wise for Bush to bring up intelligence funding when he MANAGED THE INTELLIGENCE ON THE TWO WORST INTELLIGENCE FAILURES IN AMERICAN HISTORY? It is kind of moot if we lowered the intelligence budget when you don't manager what you have correctly. If Bush was to claim that Kerry would be bad for run the intelligence, then I have to wonder how much worse could anyone be that what happened under Bush's watch. He led us into war on intelligence he knew was not complete.
That is the rub folks. That is the lie. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, the masters of Intelligence in the government today, all said they knew we had WMD and Rummy actual said we Knew where they were in Iraq. Guess what, he did not know, and it is laughable to say that he was simply mistaken. He and Bush, and everyone else who was fully briefed, knew that they did not have concrete proof on WMD in Iraq. All they had was unreliable Iraqi defectors spun by the Iraqi Diaspora and the unresolved accounting problems from the UN. If you can't account for something, that does not mean they ever existed to begin with. It is now clear that the UN inspections cleared out all of the WMD Iraq had. Everything else was bull. Now we seem to want to Blame Clinton for not knowing, but Bush invades the country and the GOP screams in glee to finally quell their blood lust for a Muslim hide to sink their teeth into.
Ugh. I can't wait to read the responses. Clinton red herrings are not going to do it fellas.
That is the rub folks. That is the lie. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, the masters of Intelligence in the government today, all said they knew we had WMD and Rummy actual said we Knew where they were in Iraq. Guess what, he did not know, and it is laughable to say that he was simply mistaken. He and Bush, and everyone else who was fully briefed, knew that they did not have concrete proof on WMD in Iraq. All they had was unreliable Iraqi defectors spun by the Iraqi Diaspora and the unresolved accounting problems from the UN. If you can't account for something, that does not mean they ever existed to begin with. It is now clear that the UN inspections cleared out all of the WMD Iraq had. Everything else was bull. Now we seem to want to Blame Clinton for not knowing, but Bush invades the country and the GOP screams in glee to finally quell their blood lust for a Muslim hide to sink their teeth into.
Ugh. I can't wait to read the responses. Clinton red herrings are not going to do it fellas.
Anti-War Protest
On the 20th all of the local anti-war groups are planning a Fountain Square Rally. I may go. I don't like protests, but I like watching who goes, what they say, and how many fringe groups try and use this an opportunity to either make trouble or promote their unrelated issues.
This time I wonder what kind of counter protest will occur. I want to gauge how angry the counter folks are. It is an indicator of the local mood as to how angry the pro-war folks are about a protest against the rally. If the Talk radio folks get wind of this, it could get ugly.
This time I wonder what kind of counter protest will occur. I want to gauge how angry the counter folks are. It is an indicator of the local mood as to how angry the pro-war folks are about a protest against the rally. If the Talk radio folks get wind of this, it could get ugly.
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