WAIF Falling Apart

The Dean (Jason Haap) is not the ideal person to compare to, but in what is becoming a WAIF meltdown, he comes across as the sane one.

Half of a Story

And now here’s half…of the story. The anti-abortion side gets their propaganda published for free in the newspaper. Where is the pro-choice side of the issue getting free ink space? This story has in it only references to Steve Chabot and women who testified against the right for women being allow to control their own bodies. What about congress members who support the rights granted under Roe v. Wade? Did they not appear at the committee meeting? Did they not question these witnesses? Can you at least get mention of who else has or will be testifying on the other side of the issue? Apparently we can’t have that.

Please know that what one of the women referenced in the article does is fill women's heads with anti-abortion propaganda, and is called hero by the newspaper for doing this. Being called "hero", as the second puff piece does, may be fine for the extreme right-wing conservative audience, but for those looking for truth, not propaganda, it leaves the taste of ”yellow human interest journalism." That would be soft touch yellow journalism that crusades in what one would call a subliminal manner.

Has the newspaper ever profiled a local Planned Parenthood staff member as a "hero"? I would guess no for two reasons: 1)bias and 2) the fact that most Planned Parenthood staff members are forced to live in fear from the darkside of the anti-abortion movement, and don't want to have the negative attention they would be hit with from the zealots.

One Big Pissing Contest

This sounds like our elected officials don't play well with others. What are they really fighting over? Control?

Si Leis

I have to call it out: Si Leis is kind of consistent. Si billed who he could bill, namely DeWine who is not his political buddy, instead of the President.

When Bush had his Great American Ball Park rally back in 2004, I don't remember a story of Leis billing the Bush campaign for security, so Leis only grandstands when he can poke at someone he doesn't like or is not his candidate of choice.

CAM Upgrade

The Cincinnati Art Museum plans a massive upgrade of its facilities, including a sculpture garden and new parking garage.

A few die hard art students and others are not please with the plan to raise the old art academy, which move to OTR last year. If the CAM is going to grow and increase the value of art in the community, how can it not take on a plan like this. Art needs include the preservation of the past, but it must break new ground.

See the art museum for yourself tonight at One World Wednesday. This month the country is Ireland. Great beer and music awaits. It starts at 5:30 PM. $8 or free for CAM Members. Yes, I am a member and it pays to join!

WOXY Prom

An effort to help out WOXY gain subscribers takes places as a re-prom but is also called Dot Com Prom. It takes place this Saturday Night at alchemize, 1122 Walnut street. Dig out your best duds, buy a corsage, and make like a wall flower in hopes of help great local Internet radio station WOXY.

Newport Moving Ahead

Newport appears to have a huge development plan in the making. With the Levee in a slump, will this work or not?

What is lost in the article, although given a first sentence mention, and will be sure to gain the ire of many is this:

With the demolition of Newport's riverfront housing projects now under way, the battle among developers for what could be the biggest redevelopment project in the city's history is about to begin.

...

The city is under a fairly tight deadline because demolition recently began on the site's public housing, which consists of 31 buildings totaling 200 apartments. The site is expected to be cleared by June.

If this were to happen in OTR, we would have protests, lawsuits, and TV Cameras. The demolition has already begun. 200 apartments of people are already displaced, not to return to the site, unless they gain wealth beyond their prior means.

What is keeping this from happening in OTR at this point? Is it happening at all in OTR, and not getting any more attention?

Post Will Die

It has been a clear and obvious fact to most, but the Cincinnati Post will die once their JOA with Gannett ends. I find it very unlikely that it will do anything other than being a Northern Kentucky newspaper, whether daily or not is the question.

Via Nick Spencer

Mardi Gras

Anyone Go to Mardi Gras over the weekend? Was it fun? Wild? Tame? Filled with lots of open containers and open bras?

It Must Be Simple

For Bronson, movies, TV, and art can't be complicated. It is easy to brand "Narnia" as "Christian," but it is as Christian as "Platoon."

I give Bronson for one thing, he saw the movie he is criticizing, namely "Brokeback Mountain." He attacks other movies with one phrase labels. I don't think he saw "Good Night and Good Luck." I think Bronson would like it. Anyone claiming to be a Journalist of any stripe should adore that movie. It speaks for Freedom of the Press more than any movie last year.

Asking the Right Questions

The abortion debate has been heating up lately, and I have not been one to shy away from it, which is actually not normal for me. Anyway...

Via Atrios we steered to what gets at the more honest questions that people have to face over this issue. From Oliver Willis:

This will be an intriguing question that should be asked in the 2008 election: Do you support the imprisonment of doctors for up to five years for the alleged “crime” of performing an abortion, as South Dakota’s legislature demands?

This question is not one of the questions at the core of the abortion debate, but covers the real life consequence lawmakers and crusaders have when they pass laws, without thinking about what they are doing, instead of only thinking about how many votes the might get for what they are doing.

The follow-up question I would ask is "do you support the imprisonment of women for up to fives years for the alleged 'crime' having an abortion?" Then you can ask is it a crime to conspire to assist in the alleged 'crime' of having or performing an abortion, which would entail the imprisonment for such a crime. Both bring the issue down to what happens if you make abortions illegal. What punishment should people be forced with when they are making personal decisions that shouldn’t be the business of the state?

Bottom line here is the distinction in the abortion debate that gets lost: being against abortion and being for laws banning it and/or making it a crime.

The polling on this is what I think goes back and forth in the debate, all over how the questions are phrased: do you support abortion? Well, no, I don't want people to have to have abortions, so, no. Do I support a legal ban on abortion? Hell no! People should have the right to control their own bodies.

The other big question that doesn't get asked or answered is "If you want to end Abortions, why don't you support the prevention of abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies through use of contraception?"

This then gets us back into the cycle of the core debate, which I agree with others gets very tiresome and pointless. That debate is coming back as a battle, and those seeking to outlaw abortion appear to be willing to anything to outlaw it. That battle will be met with more opposition than I think they expect. The over-reach will be ever-present with actions of the likes of Tom Brinkman, who is of the mindset to force all to act at the whims of those who share his basic religious beliefs. To them there are no questions to ask, just orders to follow.

Fluffy Profile of Ghiz

Council Person Leslie Ghiz is profiled, very briefly, in the Community Press this weeek.

The profile is at best a human interest story at worst its the typical type of non-hard hitting journalism that is the Community Press.

WLW on XM

John Kiesewetter is reporting that 700 WLW-AM will begin broadcasting on XM Salellite Radio channel 173.

Is this a deal Clear Channel has with XM with other CC stations or just WLW? Will this drive WLW even farther away from local radio, and more towards crap. I understand and concur that it already has a large level of crap, but their news coverage has the only really live breaking news coverage of most issues through-out the city. If I fear something big happened in town, I am turning on the radio, not TV. Well, that is unless it is during a Red's game.

Banks Back and Forth

First Cranley and Heimlich said there was a deal, but the Mayor says it getting closer, but its not there yet. Ok, someone messed up and spoke without consulting with the rest of council or commission.

Bush In Town

First I wonder if Si Leis is billing Bush for security? The President got free reign on our highways, so it certainly cost a bunch. The visit was purely political, so I hoped someone other than the government paid for hauling Bush's political team around.

Anyone rich enough to attend the event care to share any of the "speech" Bush made? Did he vamp on about DeWine or did he spew more trite propaganda?

Protesters were out in force, but kept at more than an arm's lenght.

Yea Umm?

Regular or Decafe?

Add your Open Thread goodness here:

West End Division

I would appear that things are getting a wee bit personal in the battle over CityLink. It is odd to want to ouster a community council president because he supports a project that for now won't happen. It sounds like personal conflict is made ripe from opportunity for action. Dale Mallory has enemies on the council, and they appear willing to act.

Where's the Balance

There is not any retort from anyone on the other side of the issue discussed in this article. Other than one sentence, there is no balance to counter weigh the claims of Steve Chabot. Yes, this is about abortion and your can bet there are plenty of people willing to go on record on this hot button issue. When Chabot is allowed to make a quoted claim about the law, outside speculation on the court policy, it should be required to get a quote to counter his undocumented claims that really have no bearing on the point of the article.

Step One

Step one in the effort to control women's bodies begins outlawing of IDX and D&E procedures. My estimation is that this the Federal banning such procedures will be rule constitutional, even without a health provision. It will be a 5 to 4 decision. Reproductive rights are now hanging by a thread. The 2008 election will likely decide for a generation what kind of society we shall live in, a right wing theocracy, or a democracy where individual/personal freedoms outweigh the religious conviction of others.

Hackett Should Quiet Down

From worrying about dirty tricks to making a fool out of one's self on national cable TV, Hackett needs to go back to his law practice. Chris Mathews cheaply goaded him with the Bush 'coke' question, which Hackett butchered. I like Hackett. I would have love him being my congressman, and I was not opposed to him being Senator, but he looks so very bad right now. It is true that he got screwed over because he didn't have a big enough war chest, but his lack of political experience is starting to show, and likely would have meant DeWine would have crushed him come November.