Chabot In Panic Mode?

Bringing in the big gun Dick Cheney for a fundraiser is as big a sign as you can get that you are in need of help.

News that Chabot's opponent John Cranley is running even with him in the Democrat's internal polls must be a cause for fear in the GOP camp. The Cranley Camp reports the following poll results:

In just five months, John Cranley has gained 9 points on his opponent -- making it a dead heat.

July 2006 Poll
Cranley 45%
Chabot 45%
Undecided 10%

March 2006 Poll
Cranley 40%
Chabot 49%
Undecided 11%

Both the July and March polls were conducted by Anzalone-Liszt Research and paid for by Cranley for Congress. In March, Cranley for Congress released its results. Attached is a memo provided by Anzalone-Liszt comparing the two polls.

Note: Neither Chabot, nor the National Republican Congressional Committee has ever released the results of their extensive polling. (Roll Call, 7/31/06)

The reason you know it's bad for the GOP occurred when Chabot is pictured on a walking tour of Over-the-Rhine with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in both the Enquirer and the Post. I wonder when the last time Chabot has been in OTR? He was no where to be found when the riots were going on, so unless there's a photo op or someway to gain some vote, then Steve hasn't had much reason to do anything for or even visit OTR, until now.

I will be waiting for Chabot to make crime his big issue and attack Cranley for the City's crime issues. At the same time he'll try and make the people of Ross and Harrison fear a violent crime problem that doesn't affect them at all.

It's politics 101, but it's still disgusting.

"The Heimlich Remover"

David Pepper's poll has him leading Phil Heimlich in the race for County Commissioner. According to the Post's article Pepper is showing an increase is his numbers from a prior internal poll to now. Moving from a 33% to 33% dead heat to a 42% to 37% slight lead is a positive step for Pepper.

Heimlich is currently hanging his hopes on a plan that most likely makes him the only Republican up for reelection in Ohio who is advocating raising taxes. That is likely to piss off the Conservatives more than any of his other stances would turn of liberals.

Clark Street Blog Best of Cincinnati

Westender over at Clark Street Blog picks the Best of Cincinnati. Food and Drink are the topics of choice. The only topic missing is the bar with the best beer selection. The Beer Cellar and Mulligan’s have some of the biggest selections out there, and Nicholson's downtown has a very unique selection. Allyn's and the Comet need a mention for their selection of bottles.

Lack of Trust

The GOP is scrambling to find any loophole to prevent state Sen. Joy Padgett from being disqualified to run for the House seat Bob Ney vacated. Trust in the system drops to a rock bottom floor when you read this:

"But Bob Bennett, the state party chairman, said he didn't believe the law applied to her, and said he would seek a formal ruling from the secretary of state."

Ken Blackwell's record on voting laws and how he interprets them are not known as impartial by anyone not a Republican.

Is Larry Gross Really Rick Hines in Drag?

The negativism Larry Gross is putting out rivals that of Rick Hines, whose anti-Cincinnati diatribes are well known. Yes, Redfish closed. It was never a great place, but restaurants close.

When a new restaurant opens up there, which Arn Bortz of Towne Properties stated, later this fall, will Larry champion it?

Heartless Bastards New Album

The Enquirer - Bastards pen mellow follow-up

Sucking Up To Si Leis

In what pretends to be a column this week, Peter Bronson profiles the Queensgate county jail. It is almost on cue that Peter whips out a column that seeks to provide support for the efforts of Si Leis to get a new jail built. The fact that it will be built on the backs of the poor under Phil Heimlich's poor tax efforts don't play into anything that Bronson or Leis care about.

What is strange is that the Hell-hole Bronson describes is what I thought conservatives wanted jails to be, places that sucked and you never wanted to go back to.

Jazz Fest Problems?

I caught only a few minutes of Ken Lawson's radio show this morning on 1230 the Buzz, but if I heard him correctly he seemed to be fishing for callers to tell of any discrimination at hotels during the Macy's Music Festival last weekend. I believe Ken Lawson stated their may be lawsuits in the works claiming such.

Can anyone confirm what I heard or that there were indeed any problems of discrimination with hotels or restaurants during the festival?

I don't trust much of anything Ken Lawson says, so he may very well be fishing for a nice juicy cut of a settlement.

Country Music Festival Cancelled

In what will be leaving fans with the taste of burnt rubber in their mouths, the Kentucky Speedway announcedcancellation of the Summer Night Jam country music concert. The announced reason was because of "routing and production issues," which could mean the truck hauling the stage equipment broke down, but you would think that if it were that simple another truck could be found giving them enough time before the event (24 plus hours) to get their stuff here.

Speculation in the article, as well on radio reports, indicate that slow ticket sales could have been a factor in the cancellation.

In most instances I remember if a performer can't go on because of health or equipment problems, they come right out and say so directly. Here they are tight liped, which leads to the speculation on why.

Is country music losing appeal either in this region or nationally in general? Or do these acts just not have a big enough fan base?

MidPoint Venue Background

Rick Bird gives a of the background into the venue planning for the Midpoint music festival.

Alchemize Moves to Northside

I am very pleased with the news about Alchemize.

Jailhouse Blues

City Beat's Kevin Osborne sings us the blues about the myths being put forth by the those trying to spin Hamilton County Voters into thinking their plans for a new jail will benefit the masses. The main spinner is Commissioner Phil Heimlich and his plan for a "Poor Tax" where he raises the sales tax, and lowers some of the property taxes, hurts the poor more than any other group. Kevin wisely reports that the tax plan does help the middle class much either, with how the property tax cut is structured.

One of Kevin's myth busting efforts must be repeated:

Fact No. 1: Although some offenders are being released early, including 266 inmates last year alone, all are non-violent offenders, statistics show. No murderer, rapist or even anyone convicted of assault has been let go early due to a lack of space.

If you listened to the cries of some, you would think every criminal picked up is just turned away after they get fingerprinted. A new jail is needed, but why is not what some are trying to spin.

In St. Louis

I am in St. Louis on business this week, so, couple that with my long recovery from Blues Fest, and my lite blogging becomes more explainable.

Downtown St. Louis is nice. There was a Baseball game last night and things were hopping pretty well. The Arch gets a good crowd, but when it is 100 degrees outside, you feel it on your way up to the top of the Arch in the tiny little elevator/Tram cars.

The Sheriff's in Town

Street cleaning is taking place in OTR, both with a broom and with the patrol car.

No Locals at Jazz Fest?

I was working the Cincy Blues Fest this weekend, so I did not at the Jazz Fest, now called the Macy's Music Festival, but were locals missing from the event?

We had a ton of stuff going on along the river, so that may have kept people away from the concert at PBS, but is that was is keeping people away?

The Cincy Blues Fest did great, and was filled with mostly local people, so I don't know why Macy's didn't get the locals in.

I must say that if anyone is upset that 20,000 people came to town and were the majority at the concert, then I think they need to rethink their priorities. The region, and the City, did great. Music Fusion demonstrated that we are a vibrant city with a rich cultural, largely musical, tradition.

Help WAIF

On Monday July 31st from 5:30 -8:00 p.m. at Simone’s in Walnut Hills, the Urbanists will host a discussion about the future of WAIF (88.3) community radio. WAIF could be a huge asset to everyone in Cincinnati’s urban core, connecting us to each other and the key issues of the day. Your input is critical to maximizing the possibilities of WAIF, so please come out and get connected to others committed to building inclusive relationships in Cincinnati through community radio..

Simone’s will offer free appetizers, with a cash bar. The program will start at 6 pm.

FBI: Aggressively Fighting Terrorism!

Well, not so much.

The Death of Covington

I will be the first to JOKE about "the death of Covington." The closing of Jillian's doesn't make or break Covington, nor MainStrass, since Jillian's wasn't even really part of that part of town anyway. It is a surprise to most, I would guess. It is newsworthy.

This will not inspire anyone else to start writing or venting about the death of Covington, and that is funny. If this was in Downtown Cincinnati, we would read and hear about the troubles of the area, not the troubles of the business itself.

Gutter Republicans

Sleazy ultra conservatives never cease to amaze me. This guy was willing to make stuff up about his political opponent. That is called a lie, where I come from. That would a violation of one of 10 Commandments. Funny, this guy represents a group who wants the 10 Commandments put in our schools. Ironic?

Eminent Domain Loses in Norwood

Huge news on the property rights front, but bad news for Norwood. Will the green field with three houses remain empty?

Will the City survive this financially? Will Norwood consider being annexed by the City of Cincinnati?