Bronson's Worst

Peter Bronson cannot not get any worse than this hack job on Dan Rather. I know I bash Bronson on nearly everything he writes, but this is just a brand spanking new low of lows. Bronson was Lazy. He did nothing but rehash the conservative spin on Dan Rather and call it a new column. I am tired of bashing Bronson, I will admit it. I am sure that the conservative commenters will come out with the same old drivel and bash me. I don't read and rebut Bronson because I like to, I do it because I believe someone in this town must. The Enquirer does not allow any local liberal columnists to state a regular opinion on political issues. So, I speak my piece so at least I can personally vent a little disdain that builds each day when liberal opinions in this town are muffled by the media and the PTB.

I laugh when conservatives want to paint Dan Rather as a biased liberal. This is a guy who has charged off in more wars than most all of the conservative journalists combined have been to, either as a solider or as reporters. The man was in Iraq before and after the invasion, while Bronson was back home bitching about Bill Clinton getting a better book deal than he got.

If you want to attack Rather for messing up, ok. That’s fine. He screwed up. What I don't hear Bronson or another critic say is "WAS THE STORY WRONG?" Answer: No. Bush did get light duty and preferential treatment while in the TANG. Anyone who doubts that is really living in a kool-aid filled world. Was it political bias that influenced Rather? No, I believe it was ego. Rather's biggest flaw is his big ego. He has a monster size one, but tries to get people to think he is a country boy. Compare this to Peter Jennings who has a huge ego and a level of arrogance befitting an anchor and does nothing to dispute that fact. Rather wanted to get a big story, and let his judgment lax. He should have waited to make the case, even if he lost the scoop.

When it comes to bias in news I had to laugh more when Bronson wrote this:

Rather's melodramatic, grandiose farewell on Wednesday night brought to mind a quote by Emerson: "The louder he spoke of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons." Rather has been a brave risk-taker. But he's just another loud trumpet in the media marching band who began to think he wrote the music.

This reminds me of FOX News. This is the outfit who because they are so 'fair and balanced' and practice 'real journalism' that they have tell their viewers that at least 10 times an hour.

Finally, I again must laugh at Bronson’s pure ignorance when it comes to the Internet. He writes this:

Google found 12,500 hits for "Nixon stonewalling." For Rather, the count was 14,700. Talk about your irony - the comparison looks tighter than skin on a green apple. There's even a Web site called "Rathergate." What goes around comes around.

Bronson needs to understand something about the Internet. All of history is not on it. The fact that Rather got a couple thousand more references than Nixon says more about Nixon than it does Rather. Rather's actions were recent and people writing about him are rabid with hate towards him for honestly an unknown reason. I mean I would think they would be after Jennings; he is from Canada after all. Nixon on the other hand is being writing about 30 years after he was out of town on a rail. Those writing today are every Tom, Dick, and Harry on a blog, just like me. If we had blogs back in 1972 through 1974, then Nixon would have been impeached well before the fall of 1974, which is where things were headed before Nixon resigned.

If Bronson wants to also compare apples to apples, he might want to have every newspaper from 1948 to 1991 archived online, and then search again. I think Peter might find a few more references to Nixon's stonewalling. I mean Peter if you are going to attack a man for using bad documents by using bad documentation yourself, then you'll look like a pole cat who just was run over by a flatbed pick-up truck on its way to El Paso to deliver a cup of Irony to old Doc Shut-the-Fuck-Up.

Kicking a horse when its down is quickly becoming Bronson's MO. If rebutting Bronson's hack writing becomes mine, then so be it.

Sinn Fein Leader in Cincinnati

Gerry Adams, leader of the political wing of IRA, is starting his American visit in Cincinnati. I know we have a sizeable Irish population, with the large number of Irish bars in town as one indication (and I know them all well), but I would have guessed Adams would have gone to Boston or New York instead.

The Flypaper Theory: May we call them fascists NOW?

The Flypaper Theory asks May we call them fascists NOW? Answer: Yes.

Merger Mania Hits Public Radio

Out of left field the local public radio station WGUC is acquiring WVXU. Are we witnessing the death of public radio in Cincinnati? No place I have ever been in the entire country has had anything like the public radio stations we have here in the Cincinnati Area: WGUC, WNKU, WMUB, and WVXU. Merger two of them together, cutting staff, and altering programming is likely going to be negative for the city. This does reduce competition. Now, when you are talking competition it does not have the same meaning for commercial radio as it does for public radio. They compete for donations, but in the case here, once they get what they need, then don't have to keep on fighting for every dollar. I believe both stations had a solid complementary situation and shared NPR's gem news programs fairly with Morning Edition on WVXU and ATC on WGUC. Because of this both stations had news teams. WVXU appeared to have a bigger staff and was putting more effort into news and news gathering.

The only opportunity I can see from this combination that will have a lasting effect, outside of financial stability under the combined structure, is a new and better funded news team that serves both stations and provides local news coverage that can rival WLW and all of the broadcast TV channels for serious news coverage. It can take the form in how they fill in local news breaks on Morning Edition and ATC as well as specialized news forum shows or even a weekly local ATC/Morning Edition type magazine show.

I most strongly hope that they do not significantly alter WVXU's programming. The local programs must stay. They must keep the BBC on overnights. The most critical thing is keep the old time radio shows going. They are so unique and so valuable to the society. What I would not be sad to see go are some of the nationally syndicated music programs they air, like Audio Synchronies. I am sure there are fans of this out there, but I do not see the value in airing it as often as they do. The fan base maybe huge, but I don't know who or where they are. The locally based Jazz shows should be carried on. Jazz on the radio is about as rare as Classical on the radio, if not more rare.

The place I hope they choose to cut are on repeats. I love the NPR programs Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and Prairie Home Companion. I don't need to hear them twice on the same weekend.

Reduced control of media is a negative no matter how it is spun. In this case I generally have trust and dare I say 'faith' that WGUC will not destroy a great radio station and a great concept. Time will tell if I am misplacing that trust.

Mayoral Forum

We had no surprises and no stumbles at a forum include all Democratic mayoral candidates. All of the candidates did well and had ideas. All of them gloss over many of their ideas, which in this type of event is all that usually happens. What I found missing was any solutions to our huge problems in race relations and community police relations. Not until asked by an audience member did anyone directly address those issues. The audience was friendly, but this race will have internal foes that will be coming with big teeth attacks later in the year.

Oddest element of the night, Jim Tarbell sat about three seats away from me. Why was he there? He is a Charterite, and a faithful one. Was he simply sizing up the potential competition?

Hypocrite Bronson (Duh)

As usual Bronson attacks Democrats for use their church for political purposes. Why doesn't Peter mention how often conservatives are hit up for money will at a pot luck dinner at his church. Oh, sure, they don't get up in the pulpit and do it, they will not openly break the law. They just pass over lists of members to fund raisers for Bush and pass out "voting guides" that do everything but paint little horns on the pictures of Democrats.

I would like Bronson also to talk about allegations of the use of county offices, property, and political position by Republicans to raise money and gain votes all on the tax payer's dime. How many staffers were told, in so many words, to appear and campaign for certain county officer holders who were also their boss?

3 Cincinnati Priests Suspended

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati suspended 3 priests priests because of allegations of sexual abuse from the 1970's and 1980's. The three include the chaplain for Children's Hospital Medical Center.