Details

The keyword to remember about Bush's speech on Iraq tomorrow is details. The media has that word all over the place when describing what he will be talking about. Will he break with tradition and get specific? I seriously doubt it. If we get anything more than "stay the course" I will be surprised. I believe though that if he does not start giving specifics on what his short and long term plans are on Iraq, he will be in trouble, even with many Republicans.

Bush can't just punt on Iraq until November. He has to survive a long hot summer of militant attacks. He must lay his cards out there. I predict he will try what used to be called a “limited, modified hang out.” He will say stuff that his supporters will eat up as detail, but in reality is only a small portion of what BushCo is planning to do in Iraq. That of course assumes they have any plans other than getting relected.

The speech tomorrow is nothing but a political rally disguised as Presidential address, but how will the media react? Is the bar set where reporters actually expect Bush to say something more than the usual "stay the course" and pat the military on the back dogma? I don't know if they will be suckers or not, but my feeling is that they might pounce if doesn't through them at something new to write about.

Why is Bush scared of making this a full fledged national address from the Oval Office? If he really was planning on a change to his policy would he not actually ask for network air time, which he has not, and start setting things up in a true Presidential forum, not a campaign forum? It is just a sign of the double talk from BushCo. They call themselves strong and decisive leaders, but they don’t really want to announce anything, just make people think they have, while not really changing anything. Is that the actions of anything more than a manipulator?

Typical Bronson

So, Peter gets a press release from a right-wing group claiming the "liberal" college campuses have too many liberal speakers. By too many they really mean any at all. Bronson really needs to get to colleges more, and talk to regular students. Don't just talk to the activists who call him and lobby him to write propaganda column for them, like this one.

If he spent an hour in any business class at any major university he would get, as amazing as it may be, Pro-capitalism dogma preached. Guess what, that is just fine with my, I sat through it myself. That is what business schools are meant to do, prepare students for American capitalism. I am "sorry" that the schools of arts and sciences don't preach the religious dogma Bronson wants them to, but that is not why they are about. They are about individual concepts of being human. They are about open ideas. They are not about bible thumping.

Wes Flinn has far more to say on this column, please have a read.

UPDATE: I wonder what Peter thinks of the horrible "liberals" at Hofstra University who booed E.L. Doctorow for making "Anti-Bush" remarks during a commencement address. What is most horrible is the Bronson likely would have been booing as well, even though he complains when others boo Bush Administration officials.

New Local Blog

Nick Spencer, former City Council Candidate has a new blog on Cincinnati politics and culture.

Dem Executive Director Cited for DUI

The Whistleblower NewsWire reports that Adam M. Rosenberg, the Executive Director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, was cited for DUI May 14th after a vehicle crash on I-71. I am surprised that this news has not made the papers. I am shocked that the local GOP is not all over this, if it indeed is the same person.

I guess this story might be put into the same category as Pat DeWine's divorce, which was barely reported on in the local press.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

COPS! is coming to Cincinnati. This opens up things up a bit. People will get to see life on the streets of the Nati. I am sure no matter what the overall result of the program, whether it is just the typical shirtless man arrested or a hatchet job on the CPD, people will be pissed about it.

I will put out a challenge. I challenge Nate Livingston or anyone from the Boycott B to get arrested by one of officers working with the TV crews. I would make sure to record that episode.

DeWine Staffer Fired Because of Blog

Sen. Mike Dewine has fired the low level staffer for using Senate computers to write a blog called "Washingtonienne." The identity of the staffer is not known, but Wonkeet identifies her as Jessica Cutler and had al alleged interview with her. In that interview Culter states that her blog posts were not fictional. I am still skeptical, very very skeptical on that.

If she was fired, then I expect someone in the media could identify who no longer works for DeWine that was working for him, and then get an interview that can be vetted outside of an Internet "gossip" blog.

Also, here is an alleged achieve of Washingtonienne, which is no longer online.

UPDATE: DDN has more.

Riverfront Classic Returns

The annual football game between traditionally black colleges will be played this year in Paul Brown Stadium. The only thing that I don't grasp is that it will be on the same weekend as a Reds home series with the Cubs, a home Bengals game, and Oktoberfest. That is a hell of a lot of people downtown. Parking will be non-existent. That might drive down attendance at all of the events.

On the other hand, what would be great is for people who go to the Classic to go to Oktoberfest as well, and for Oktoberfest goers to make it to the game or at least the Jamboree around it. I hope organizers from both events take advantage of that opportunity for cross-cultural experiences. That could go along way to starting what is lacking in this city: cultural integration.