SCOTUS Nomination

Based on reports I have read, reproductive rights have taken a step back. The forces out to control the bodies of women have moved forward. Who gets this blame? Any social moderate who voted for Bush gets the blame in my book.

Have at it on this, but be nice.

Hackett Getting the Heavy Hitters

Carville and Cleland are a sign that Hackett's campaign is getting national Democrats attention.

Luck Be a Luken

Cincinnati Mayor Chaz Luken, I think Chaz for once may be appropriate, is considering a job pushing gambling at Ohio race tracks. He will not leave office for this, but come December 1st, Charlie maybe a lobbyist for a group seeking to get slot machines into horse racing tracks. I can see Luken in a Vegas style outfit belting out Dean Martin songs to Ohio lawmakers. I guess he can start working on the slogans: "What happens at the race track, stays at the race track." I think that just doesn't have that showgirl ring to it.

Hackett Getting Some Blogosphere Notice

A front page post on Daily Kos and big mentions (Here and Here) from Atrios today are surely going to make some people feel good over at the Hackett Campaign. I will be testing the waters on how well it is known or recieved while at Drinking Liberally at the Comet in Northside.

New Local Blogger

Please welcome Chris St. Charles of "War All The Time" to the blogroll. Chris is the new "Official Blog of Queen City Forum Magazine," since Wes Flinn is leaving town soon. I had a good conversation with both of them last night at Muz's in Mt. Lookout. Give him a read.

Taft GOP Scapegoat?

Will the Ohio GOP Mounted Police get their man? Will they find the right scapegoat to blame for all of the scandals, while not tainting any of the other candidates for governor who are part of Taft's administration? Will they through Bob Taft over the side to keep their obviously corrupt grip on power that has hurt this state? They are going to sure as hell try! Taft sure is not helping himself. He is now facing pressure from his hometown GOP newspaper.

Speaking of bad apples in the GOP, when do they dump Sam Malone? How long do you go on endorsing someone who beats his kid with a belt? Court documents look really bad. How do you get marks on a kid like that?

Bronson Wants to Have Winburn's Babies

Well Peter Bronson can provide free campaign advertising like nobody else can at the Enquirer. Could Peter be blushing under his thickly coarse and pale skin? Winburn will fight crime, I guess. How? Holding meetings? Praising police? I never knew the police needed to have their bellies scratched in order to catch criminals. I think one of Bronson propaganda messages is misplaced and can backfire:

He was not part of council during the riots. He was already gone when the Law and Public Safety Committee erupted in screaming chaos. He did not vote for a debilitating Collaborative Agreement that sapped budgets and demoralized the police. He didn't vote to betray council's promise to hire more cops.

Neither was Mark Mallory.

What is funniest is that Winburn really thinks the "recommendations" from his meeting could have stopped the riots. That shows he is either naive, out of touch, or just grasping for campaign propaganda. The riots where not a knee jerk reaction. They built up over time and needed only a spark to ignite. No level of talking was going to prevent the riots.

Killing the east side of OTR and Downtown with a new jail at Broadway Commons is not going to do anything for crime. Why didn't Winburn advocate moving the jail to Sharonville? We already transport prisoners around town all the time. Why not just use the downtown facility for processing and for court proceedings, then use a suburban location for longer term 'housing?' Build a campus with better security on land out in North County area. Hell, we could use eminent domain to build it!

Lemmie To Quit?

Korte is reporting that Valerie Lemmie is to announce her resignation as City Manager. I don't think her reign will be remembered for much good. The article does leave open the possibility that this is all rumor, but it sounds likely.

Ghiz not a Winburn Fan

Leslie Ghiz is not the only Cincinnati Republican who is not a big fan of Charlie Winburn. I think most would find him rather nutty and after he has defended Sam Malone hitting his kid with a belt, there are few who view him as a viable candidate. Could Justin Jeffre finish ahead of him?

Dirty Rove

I don't know whether or not Rove broke the law. Under this President he will never get convicted, unless we have tapes of the conversations. What can not be denied is that Rove is dirty. He played with the identity of the CIA agent. He was out to destroy Wilson. When then caught doing it, he and the White House lied about it. Is this unique to rove and this White House? Not the dirty part. Every WH seeks to smear their enemies. This time they smeared them by attacking a man's wife at the expense of possible security concerns.

Hearing the spin machine on this one will be especially funny. How Rove is being defending makes Clinton's "Meaning of is" defense look good.

Newport IMAX Forever Gone

With the projector gone, what is to become of the Imax theater space at Newport on the Levee?

The article makes the point that is it only good for an IMAX theater. Is that true? Can normal films be shown there? Would it be an interesting place for a bar/club? Would any of the seating be good for concerts or even live theater? I am honestly out in the dark on this one; I have never been to this or any IMAX type theater.

If they can't do anything with it, will they just gut it and start from scratch?

'Naked Man Falls From Hotel Window'

When you first read that headline you wonder where this may have happened. You think of a cheap hotel downtown or something near UC. Well, if thought is was out in Zeus's gift to the world, Mason, then you would be correct. I don't think will ever be going to Mason. It is just not safe. Naked men falling from windows? One might squish you or land on you car and break out your windows. That is just too much of risk to take for a fun day at the water park.

Kasich for Governor?

Will former Congressman John Kasich run for governor? An interesting quote from the Dispatch's story:

A source close to Kasich said the former Westerville congressman told him that if he were elected governor, "Heads would spin and cronyism would be ended. It would be a total do-over, and you can bet that Democrats would be involved in the government and in the solutions."

The same source in the article lists the chances that Kasich runs only at 25 to 30 percent. That couldn't be more of an in your face trial balloon if you just came out and said you will testing the waters by leaking something to the media.

Affirmative Action

This issue is difficult. Should we spend nearly a million dollars more to provide 35% minority/small business a break or go with the lowest bidder? What works better, giving a non-minority owned company a more expensive contract that provides 35% to be a combination of 35% of minority/small businesses, or to save money that could be spent on other programs in the city?

What are the implications of the court ruling from Nelson, declaring parts of the city ordinance unconstitutional?

People Don't Like Taft

You may say that is rather obvious, but only 17% approve of Gov. Bob Taft. That is not a typo, it says 17% on SurveyUSA's site. I don't think I have ever heard of a sitting politician, who was elected twice with fair ease, have that low of an approval rating. I feel sorry for the guy. It is not like he misled the public and sent us into war or something.

Thanks to HMS for the tip.

Rome's Burning

And Nero Peter's Fiddling. All Bronson can do is point at crime in OTR and say what a shame. He is perpetuating the myths and making more fools thinks that the city is like a war zone. It's not. No matter how many shootings go on, if you go downtown you will be safe. Fear is a weapon, defend against it by facing it.

Winburn: a Religious Bigot

If Charlie Winburn can't stand by his religious bigotry, exhibited in is 1989 quote, then what kind of bigot is he? He didn't retract what he wrote, he instead played victim. A pretend victim without anyone actually attacking him for holding religious beliefs, instead they are attacking him for believing only people from his religious sect should be in political office. I thought Charlie was straight shooter? If he believes that, say it, if it doesn't believe that, come out and say that. Spinning is what those trying camouflage something do, not someone being straight forward.

Reece's Aide Speaks

Well, he says he didn't shoot himself and didn't get shot on purpose for the campaign. What we still don't know why he did not come out and help police more, something which this article does not really touch on. That was the big issue Bronson's article brought up. I guess he though it was just a stray bullet and that he couldn't help. He could have tried, and Reece should have had the whole story before talking to Bronson. It makes it look ignorant and more concerned about media relations then helping her staffer do the right thing.

More Hackett v. Schmidt

Today we get more personal comparisons and we don't get much on where they stand on the issues. Is this Wilkinson's idea or his editor's? Where do they stand on the issues?

Guns, ok, that's an issue. A bad one to choose since both are gun right supporters. Hackett, the ranking gun user in the race, can't get the nod from the NRA, but Schmidt the 'pro-life' candidate gets credit for voting for NRA's bills, which allow people to carry around life taking machines.

Finally, how does this make you the overall women's winner?

Over the past month, Schmidt ran in three "Cinergy Challenge" races - the Run for the Poor 5K, the Jim Sauls Winning Track 5K and the Beat the Heat 5K, finishing fourth, second and fifth respectively.

Her performance was good enough for her to be named the overall women's winner in the Cinergy Challenge.

fourth, second and fifth gets you first? I assume she was the top woman in each race? I have never heard of any of these races either, but we'll that part pass.

Portune For Ohio AG or Senator?

Will Todd Portune be running for Ohio Attorney General or even more importantly for U. S. Senator? The state party reportedly has discussed running for both offices with him.

All three Hamilton County Commissioners are itching to move up. DeWine's hopes were dashed, and his only other outlet might be running for mayor in 4 years.

Can Portune win either? No one thought he could become a HC Commissioner in this Republican County. He could win either one, with the right support and right funding. He is one hell of a politician.