Bush Needs $incinnati
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports:

"Of the top 20 most lucrative ZIP codes for Bush's 2000 campaign, three were in Cincinnati. The one that provided the most money was 45243 - Indian Hill, the verdant home of the Tristate's elite. "

One would think this kind of support would bring more federal dollars back to this area, but it doesn't. Because this area is so one party dominated, none of the local congressman, Chabot and Portman, need to bring home the bacon. The GOP does not have to do anything to get their man elected in this reigon, beyond putting a name on the ballot, airing a few commericals, and making the Democrat look like a baby killing communist. I think GOP City Councilman Chris Monzel might be taking a page from that playbook. I expect his West Sider ploy to come up after Council's summer recess.

New Gen X Enquirer Columnist
I am guessing at Maggie Downs' age based on references in her first Enquirer column yesterday. I applaud a younger voice in the Enquirer. A vast majority of Enquirer columnists are well over 40 years old, leaving their perspective on society rooted before the rise of MTV or the personal computer. My only other comments on Maggie dealt with a story she wrote back in January for the Enquirer. My comments were not well received by at least one friend or co-worker of hers. I enjoyed her light take on Cincinnati. I look forward to reading her takes on Cincinnati culture. I hope she checks out XRAY Magazine to locate some of that culture.

Bronson's Sex Obsession
It seems like every other column from Peter Bronson lately has been about sex in one way or another. He is on a porn crusade one day, and today he is worried about "sex-offenders" living in OTR.

Enquirer Responds to FOP Charges
Well, not directly, but via a small article in their Tristate A.M. Report.

Police group says it wants reporter fired

The Fraternal Order of Police demanded the firing of a Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Friday over allegations regarding local restaurateur Jeff Ruby.

The reporter, acting on a tip, had asked Ruby if he offered free meals to police investigating his son.

But Ruby never made the offer, he and the FOP said in a joint news conference Friday. FOP Vice President Keith Fangman alleged that the reporter fabricated the tip to get Ruby to comment on charges against his son.

Brandon Ruby, 19, was indicted June 10 on charges of aggravated rioting and attempted arson in connection with a Cinco de Mayo party near the University of Cincinnati that got out of control.

Enquirer Editor Tom Callinan said: "A reporter asked some questions about some rumors we had heard. But there didn't appear to be anything to the story, so we dropped it."

So the Enquirer stands by their reporter, and presumably will not fire Robert Anglen. He was doing his job and asking about a rumor. The Enquirer did not report the rumor, the FOP reported the rumor. Ruby's image has been damaged, not by the press, but by the police. I am torn by the placement of this story in the newspaper. I would have made it a bigger story; one standing alone, but keeping it low key is an interesting PR choice. I think this will put an end to the story. Fangman got his TV coverage. Ruby got is reputation as a less than honest person reinforced, and the Enquirer is slightly embarrassed. A good news day for Cincinnati.

War in Iraq
Oliver Willis provides a link to AlterNet's 10 Appalling Lies We Were Told About Iraq. Sex, lies, and WMD, what a combo. Billmon has found the king of all revisionist Historians.

A Steak for a Break II
WCPO has an updated story with an interview with Jeff Ruby. Also, the video of the press conference is here. This whole story makes no sense. Why they hell did the FOP get involved? Why did they call the press conference? The Enquirer did not even print a story on the topic. It appears Fangman has the need to stick it to the reporter alleged to be involved, Robert Anglen. According to Fangman the reporter was interviewed by the Internal investigation. Fangman is full of shit here. There is no reason to hold a press conference, except to tar the local press. Fangman has some kind of personal grudge against this reporter, his "unnamed" sources, and the entire Enquirer. Fangman must not like it when he reads stories with like these:
Police review themselves when citizens complain
Profiling settlement approved Don't shoot the messenger on that one, Fangman.
Angry crowd demands answers
Police, fire chief selection questioned
Initial findings may not support officer's actions
Feds study police practices
I guess anyone reporting anything negative about the Cincinnati Police gets attacked by the FOP. Fangman disgusts me. He lays it on thick with is weepy odes to his "fallen" detectives, that NO ONE WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IF HE HAD NOT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE.


It will be interesting to the Enquirer's reaction to this. Their comment as relayed in the WCPO story reads:

The Enquirer never published anything about what the FOP and Ruby claim happened and they released this statement saying the "reporter asked some questions and we determined there was no story...that was the end of it."

I have to laugh at one big point. What I guess happened here was that the report had a guess what might have happened and tried to fish out a response. He may have been on to something, but it was surely covered up by now. This tactic is what police and prosecutors do all the time. The lie and manipulate suspects into reacting and making a mistake. The reporter did the same thing. Anglen does not deserve to be fired for doing what police do every day. He may need to question his instincts or in case he was right, he better learn how to get his sources to be firmer, before going in to get the reaction quote from subject of his reporting.

Enquirer Weekend Memos
Let it be known for ever that Linda Cagnetti, Enquirer Editorial Board Member, does not support the right to choose:

"As long as abortion on demand is legal, the more informed everybody is about it, the better. Women making this 'choice' especially need to know everything that's known. "

Ms. Cagnetti supports the recent efforts of Norma McCorvey to try and restart the Roe v. Wade case. McCorvey was the "Roe" of that case, seeking an abortion. She has since become the poster woman of the fanatical anti-abortion movement. There is nothing to debate, at least rationally, about abortion. The positions are well known. What Ms. Cagnetti seeks to do is to put the issue in the media and then have the propagandists do their job. That is not debate, that is verbal mud wrestling.