Where's the National Media?

A man has died after being arrested by Dayton, Ohio Police. Where are the national headlines? No video, no cable news circus.

Bush Hurting: 43% Stay, 47% Go

I was amazed to read this FOX News poll that says 43% of those polled would reelect Bush to another term, while 47% would vote him out. The key news in these numbers is this element from the story:

Independents lean more toward making Bush a one-term president, as 49 percent would give him retirement and only 35 percent say another four years.

This poll was conducted on the 3rd and 4th of December, a week after Bush's visit to Iraq.

I am not amazed that this story was released on Friday, but it is on the Website's front page. I don't know how much it is being reported on the TV broadcast. It will be interesting to see how Chris Wallace reports this on his debut as host of FOX News Sunday on the FOX Network.

I have not heard exactly how else Chris Wallace will be featured on FOX News. I hope he is not kept only on the Sunday program and his used for all political coverage, much like Russert is used by NBC.

Amazing Fiction

If you want to most amazing "commentary" that I have read, check out this one from Kenya. I have never read a column so incredibly wrong and fill of falsehoods, misinformation, and what might be lies. The article is by AMBROSE MURUNGA of the newspaper the Daily Nation. This article reads like Mr. Murunga got an eleventh hand oral account of what happened, and did nothing to check the thousands of international news stories on the subject to get basic facts correct. He thinks Mr. Jones was "drunk" and that police "apparently made an offensive remark to the drunken man." The man somehow quotes Charlie Luken from an Enquirer article, but fails to read the part of the article that indicates the man was on drugs, not drunk.

The World Socialist Website had a similar level of fiction in Jerry Isaacs's article as well. This article to me has what could be called libel problems. What lies people tell. I am never more amazed when anyone (in this case socialists) cries for truth but in doing so gives us propaganda at its worst.

NPR Coverage of Jones Case

Mayor Charlie Luken was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered last night. The interview was fairly tame and bland at the same time. I found it very bothersome that one of the interviewer’s questions included the notion that "traces" or Cocaine and PCP were found in Mr. Jones’s body. The Coroner stated that Mr. Jones had "intoxicating levels" of both drugs in his body.

Hipster Friendly Radio Free Newport: We're All Racists

I see Michael at RFN thinks this is a "racist town run by Klan apologists." I guess I missed the memo that the "Klan" had a million local sympathizers. Or is it a million local members?

This town is run by right-wingers. This town is run by religious bigots. This town is run by anti-gay bigots. This town is run by cultural bigots (which everyone is in reality). This town is not run by racists. Most people are not racists. Michael sounds more racist than Peter Bronson. He says that the whites in the town (mostly "those" Catholic Germans) oppress minorities. I love hyperbole. I live and die by it in my blogging, but I can't stand to see this type of fiction played off as anything resembling credible.

Speaking as a liberal: it is not wrong to be of European decent. Western Civilization is not bad. We don't have a caste system in this city oppressing anyone. That would be a Marxist view that if you believe it would be true throughout the country, making this city no worse than anywhere else.

By the way, before anyone starts spewing off on what a liberal is, please don't go into the trite us vs. them construct of linear political ideologies.

Stumbling Out of the Gate

Chris Smitherman could not have had a worse first few days in office. His statements at this week's city council meeting really make him look like a rookie.

1. Thinking that he and city council were the "boss" of the Chief of Police was forgivable.

2. From the Enquirer: Smitherman demanded the manager obtain an "independent autopsy" and supply the autopsy report "today," as if a city manager and not the county coroner has authority to do autopsies. This is a sign of a ignorance and of cracking under his new found pressure of public office. Emotion seems to be getting the best of him, or he is vesting to much capital in pleasing what he thinks is his "black activist" voting base.

Is it Empiregate or Pettus-Browngate?

Who at city hall is responsible? The city manager is being criticized for altering audit reports involved in the investigation of city department. If this was Washington I would be calling for a Special Prosecutor. When the scandal touches the Mayor's office, the city manager, and member(s) of city council, no one can been seen as independent. I hope the FBI take a bigger role.

More from the Enquirer.