Negative Ads

Are negative mailers going to do anything for the candidates in the mayor's race? I got most of the mailings mentioned and more. I actually got 2 from Winburn in one day, someone needs to cross match one of their mailing lists. Reece seems quiet in all of this. Is she the stealth candidate who will emerge from the fray with one of the two top seats? I have pegged her in third place. The one poll out there puts her in a surprisingly close second. Next Tuesday I think will be a nail biter.

Fountain Square Revamp Coming

With a wise choice, the city and 3CDC waited until after Oktoberfest to begin the revamping of Fountain Square. It should be open again by Oktoberfest 2006, with luck.

Rudy and Charlie

National Blogs picked up on Rudy's endorsement of Winburn, TPM and Crooks and Liars both picked up on Winburn's born again only comment.

Is Giuliani on Crack?

No, Rudy is not on crack, as far as I know. Instead he is doing something minor to try and gain support for a Presidential bid in 2008. Winburn is not going to pull in any primary votes for Rudy, so I think Rudy has bad advisors. Did the Cincinnati FOP promise Rudy primary votes? What this does to moderate GOP voters is show that Rudy is not really paying attention, and is only supporting him because of internal party politics. It makes him look like a party hack.

Is there a Taft Curse?

Damn, can anyone around Bob Taft get a break? I mean, can't a man and his stripper companions be left alone?

Pardon Me

When there was the smallest hint of scandal, Bill Clinton was leveled for who he pardon. Today Peter Bronson mentions in passing without much more than a quip. I guess when you pardon 9 members of your staff, you are just about "changing the culture." I guess Peter wants a fundamentalist culture that not only is milquetoast, bland, and dull, he wants people who pardon people when they are accused of a crime. That is I guess the kind of culture where it is ok to break the law, well I guess the minor ones. If I use the conservative logic now, every kid in Kentucky will now be seeking pardons every time they either stay out past curfew or I don't know, speed.


"Everyone does it Dad, don't you want me to be like everyone else?"
"Yes son, I do, You are hereby pardoned."

Pepper Calls

News reports indicate that "someone" is faking campaign calls from David Pepper that make him sound racist.

What is unclear is this, from Korte eariler today:

CAMPAIGN CALLS: The Pepper campaign is disavowing a recorded phone call that asks registered voters to support Pepper as "the only white candidate in the Cincinnati mayor's race."

At a debate Tuesday night, Pepper said the calls were "dirty tricks politics" and promised to investigate who was behind them.

"This campaign is getting ugly quick, and this campaign is one of the ugliest things I've ever heard of," he said.

All three of his major rivals disclaimed responsibility and denounced the phone calls Tuesday.

Winburn denounced the tactic as "bigotry"; Mallory said the phone calls were illegal; and Reece said all the candidates shared a desire to debate the issues without "dirty tricks."

Michael Earl Patton, a Republican from Oakley, filed a complaint against Pepper with the Ohio Elections Commission on Tuesday, accusing Pepper of being behind the phone calls. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Nate has more and damns Pepper fairly quickly.

Shall we assume a "he who smelt it, dealt it" stance? If a Republican is pushing the complaint, then is it a reach to say that someone who would have known about the calls tipped him off or made sure he got one of the calls? Could he have sent them to himself? It smells like GOP dirty tricks to me. It could though be another Democrat doing it, but the only candidate who stands to gain significantly by hurting Pepper is Winburn. Reece and Mallory are going to win with those who will not vote for Pepper anyway.

I don't get how this call would have worked anyway for anyone. People who think Pepper is a racist already think he is one. It seems like it is just out there to occupy Pepper's time, and keep him on the defensive, which is what he has been on for a while now. He is not good on the defensive, and it shows on stage.