O'Connor Resigns

It is not a total shock, rumors that she wanted to quit have been out there for years, but no one expected she would quit now, with Rehnquist's health so bad and rumors of him quitting so numerous.

This opens up a can of rotten stinking worms that Justice O'Connor had been keeping the seal on. We are about to embark on what will be a horrible period of discourse in American politics. In the media, and if things turn ugly, in the streets, the rhetoric and nasty protests will reach new heights of vitriol.

People are going to go Brown Betty nutcakes over this and I for one really don't like debating abortion much. I am sure this post will attract some insane right-wing wackos who will be on the war path. I just hope it does not boil over. The hate, venom, and lost friendships that occurred for many over the 2004 election might just build into a down home blood feud.

This is the test though for Bush. If you want to see the real man, the person he picks will tell you who he is. If he picks another Scalia, then you can confirm is the theocrat he has hinted at being. If he picks another O'Connor, then I may actually start believing in Zeus or maybe Aphrodite.

Cops Cleared in Malone Case

If the issue surrounding how police handled the Malone case was over the police allowing the boy to go with an uncle, why was this made into a big deal by the County? I myself initially felt there would have been more fire with all of the smoke Suzanne Burke was blowing on the situation.

There is one new point brought out in the report:

Malone also was charged in 1991 with domestic violence after his mother said he choked and pushed her. That charge was dismissed after he completed a counseling program.

The sheriff's report listed a third report of domestic abuse, from October 2002. It did not provide any details, other than to say the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services did a 35-page risk assessment.

So we had a previous domestic abuse report in 2002? That adds a new wrinkle. Who made the report would be the most telling point for the situation. Details will likely never come out on what happened, but the 35-page risk assessment would be a good read for jurors in the Malone Case.

No Charter Candidate for Mayor

There will be at most 8 on the primary ballot for mayor of Cincinnati this September. The names are:

Yvette Barbara Baldwin, 48, of University Heights.

Sylvan Grisco, 83, of Madisonville.

Justin P. Jeffre, 32, of Clifton Heights.

State Sen. Mark L. Mallory, 43, of the West End.

Sandra Queen Noble, 49, of Walnut Hills.

Councilman David Pepper, 34, of Mount Adams.

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, 34, of Bond Hill.

Former Councilman Charlie Winburn, 54, of Mount Airy.

Tarbell was still thinking about it, but choose not to run. I think he wanted to make sure he stayed on council.

Side Note: The Enquirer has started a new blog on politics: check it out. So far it is all Greg Korte, I don't know who else will chime in on it.

Cincinnati teens on 1230 AM

An interesting idea from 1230 the Buzz.

Fountain Square Plan Back on Track

City Council overrode the Historic Conservation Board's veto of the project's plan to move the Fountain.

Odd Population Trend

I can't explain the first ring burbs losing population. Is Blue Ash Shrinking? Could it be a large number of people are stupidly only wanting brand new cookie cutter homes? Could it be minorities moving in and the white moving out again? (I hope this is not the case). Or is it just an anomaly?

UPDATE: In another article we get one answer:

That trend, Mallory argued, points to a problem Cincinnati shares with its closest neighbors: an older housing stock.

Mallory said he would de-emphasize the new houses being built at Citirama sites in favor of rehabilitating vacant buildings in a "block-by-block, street-by-street" approach.

Rehab is the way to go, but for some unknown reason, people want to live in a world like the Desperate Housewives. Don't people see that their lives suck living out in a world where you can't tell one house from the other?

Good

No charges will be filed for teen's abortion

This had witch hunt written all over it. Glad that it was resolved.