The Katie Couric of Cincinnati
John Kiesewetter provides us with a fluffy profile of Sheila Gray, morning co-anchor of WXIX-TV's morning news program. John provides a nice profile of Mrs. Gray, which for a TV reporter is not out of the ordinary. He does mention her husband, Ric Robinson, and summarized his career, but John left out Mr. Robinson's horrible run as early afternoon talk radio host on WLW-AM. Ric was a horrible host. Now, I have a low opinion of most talk radio hosts, but Ric was the worst WLW has put on as a regular host that I ever heard. He lasted several months, but Bill Cunningham was moved to the afternoons, which, I hate to admit, was an improvement.

All in all Sheila is a light, bubbly person, who like Katie Couric can be very very annoying. She does what she does well. Morning shows are just infotainment now a days, but it is good that her show is local. It provides local people more opportunity to reach the local audience directly. Katie Couric can't do that. As long as people understand what they are watching is mostly entertainment, mixed with some news, then I hope 19 in the Morning continues providing live locally based content as long as Raycom finds it profitable.

Dennis Miller: Latest Horse's Ass
When did Dennis Miller loose all credibility? Is he a born again Christian now too? He once was a good comic who was on the rational side of the society, but now he has drunk the kool-aide.

I have no problem with people being conservatives, but Dennis Miller used to see all politicians as bullshit artists. Somehow Bush is not a bullshiter? I know that hardcore conservatives worship Bush, so they buy into his propaganda, but Miller had some credibility with a pox on both your houses attitude, trusting no one. How can Miller, a smart man, trust Bush? I do not get it.

His career is now toast. It is one thing to give money to the GOP, or even openly support socially moderate Republicans, but to shill for the right wing's messiah is the kiss of death in Hollywood. I don't see Miller as winning over the hard-core GOP crowd either. He was hated by the Budweiser crowd on Monday Night Football, so I don't see the hardcore Freeper crowd coming out in droves now that Dennis is Bush's toast master. I guess he will have to scrap the Ambrose Bierce and Immanuel Kant jokes, and stick with the "death to Democrats" crowd pleasers. That's the news, and I am outta here!


UPDATE: Andrew Cline at Rhetorica.net comments on Miller's addition to the campaign.

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.