Extraordinary Americans In Cincinnati Last Night

Last night, while many were tricking-and-treating, I was privileged to be among a group of individuals who were present for the 2008 William J. Butler Human Rights Award Ceremony.  The Butler Medals, as the awards are known, are awarded through the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights at the UC College of Law.  My status as a former Urban Morgan fellow (Class of 2003) was enough to get me on the guest list.

This year's honorees were Lt. Col. Yvonne R. Bradley (USAF); Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights; and Thomas B. Wilner, managing partner of the International Trade and Global Relations Practice of Sherman & Sterling.

No doubt you're wondering:  what could three such seemingly disparate attorneys have in common?  The answer:  all three represented Guantanamo Bay detainees.  Lt. Col. Bradley was appointed counsel for Binyam Mohamed, who has consistenly claimed that he was the subject of torture and rendition.  Mr. Ratner has spearheaded CCR's efforts to restore the right of habeas corpus and has organized an army (700 strong) of private attorneys across the country to assist in the representation of Guantanamo detainees.  Mr. Wilner entered the fray in 2002, and was ultimately counsel of record in Rasul v. Bush and Boumediene v. Bush, the landmark cases in which the Supreme Court pushed back on the chief executive's efforts to eradicate "the great writ."

It was an honor not just to be present for the awards ceremony, but also to be among the guests there, many of whom are among the most august members of Cincinnati's legal community.  (I'll not be specific, as it feels a little too much like name-dropping.)  But being at last night's gathering made me proud to be an alumnus of UC Law and the Urban Morgan Institute and prouder still to be an attorney.  Hearing the awardees and the presenters speak reminded me of why I entered the legal profession and push me to be a better, more passionate lawyer and advocate.  

Earlier in the day, the three honorees participated in a panel discussion at the College of Law.  You can view it (well worth the time) on the web here.

Finally, a shout-out to the venue:  the Verdin Bell and Clock Museum on Reading Road.  I'd noticed the building before but didn't know what was there; it's  truly a gorgeous facility.

Dishonest?

Did the Pro-PR camp use Obama's image and implied endorsement dishonestly? I got one of the mailers and I thought the same thing.

Clancy Runs A Distasteful Campaign

I'd had no intention of expressing preferences in any of the local races (particularly any involving the courthouse), but I was infuriated by an ad Patricia Clancy ran earlier tonight.  Perhaps it's been running for some time, but I hadn't seen it before.  Clancy, a Republican, is running against Democratic candidate Martha Good for HamCo Clerk of Courts.

In the ad, Clancy suggests that Martha Good isn't qualified to be the Clerk of Courts.  (Good is, by the way, the only Democratic candidate endorsed by the Enquirer this year.)  Clancy's "evidence":  Good supposedly received negative evaluations from her students at Miami University.  The ad goes on to show college-aged actors saying mean things about Ms. Good.  (The ad is produced in such a way that one might get the impression that the actors are actual students giving testimonials.  They're not.)

How, I wondered, did the Clancy campaign get hold of the evaluations students submit to Miami at the end of the semester?  Those aren't generally made public (at least, not at most schools).  Then the fine print came:  the "evaluations" were culled from a website, "RateMyProfessors," where anonymous students can rate their profs.

The website has no safeguards to ensure that students have actually taken the class of the professor they choose to rate.  Frankly, you or I could create an account and "rate" any professor we wanted to.  And we all know that this kind of website tends to draw angry people; people with something good to say won't generally take the time to search out a website to say it.  And here's a measure of the seriousness of the website:  one of the ratings categories is "hotness."

This is a silly, specious attack ad.  County row office races are often difficult for people to follow intelligently, particularly in a presidential election year.  This is a time that these candidates should be telling us why they're best-suited for the office for which they're running.  Instead, Clancy has chosen to cull together quotes from anonymous (alleged) students at Miami U.  Ridiculous.

Sometimes people have a hard time finding a reason (besides party affiliation) to vote for someone in the races for the more obscure local offices.  But I think this negative, misleading ad will give plenty of folks grounds to vote against Patricia Clancy.  

If you're looking for a reason to vote for Martha, check out the Enquirer's endorsement.  By itself, Dr. Good's pledge to end the tradition of using the Clerk's office as a sanctuary for political patronage is enough to warrant filling in the box next to her name on Tuesday.  Add to it her background and experience with the court system (and her opponent's dearth of legal expertise or experience), and the choice should be clear.

Your Halloween Robo-Call

Courtesy of Jason Silverstein at McSweeney's

"Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama talks during movies. During a recent screening of The Dark Knight, Barack Obama irritated several pro-America patrons when he echoed the famous 'Why so serious?' line to his wife, Michelle, who hasn't always been proud of being an American, much like the Joker. He'll raise his voice over Heath Ledger's. And he'll raise your taxes. That's why I'm so serious, my friends, about your vote on November 4."

Obama Update

To update Griff's post:

The Enquirer is reporting that Senator Obama will address a rally to be held at Nippert Stadium on the campus of UC at 9:00 pm. According to an email that UC has sent to students, gates will open at 6:00.

I'll be waiting to see if our local stations broadcast the address live, as they did in 2004 when Bush made a campaign stop here just before the election.

Ain't that America, we're somethin' to see, baby

Ain't that America, the home of the free

What kind of person puts a sign like this up in front of their business (Salem Hardware in Mt. Washington)? Or hangs Senator Obama in effigy on the University of Kentucky campus? Or hangs Governor Palin in effigy in West Hollywood?

Let's just have an election before any more of our ugliness is unleashed. It's quite sad.

But apparently we are still fighting over where Senator Obama was born out in Warren County, so on we go . . . . . . And what clever nefarious people Senator Obama's grandparents must have been to put that birth announcement in the Honolulu newspaper after his birth in 1961 --- you see, they knew, as all clever radical sleepers must, that this newborn would one day run for President against someone born in Panama (Didn't the Senate feel it necessary to pass a sense of the Senate resolution declaring John McCain a "real American" even though he was born in Panama?). But damn, these folks are sneaky. (All those of you who are mouthing the idiocy of Corsi, Berg, and Savage on this point please explain the birth announcement for me.)

Does everyone have their tinfoil hat on today? It is Halloween, after all.

Just Four More Days ---- KNOW HOPE AND VANQUISH NUTTINESS

Be Safe Among The Ghouls And Goblins In Our Midst Tonight!

Obama in Cincinnati on Sunday?

The word I have gotten is that Obama will be doing a large event in Cincinnati on Sunday Night. Anyone have more information on that? Send me an email with the details and I'll post it.

UPDATE: I guess I need to check all of email, I have an email from the Obama media folks and they have this on the schedule for November 2nd:

CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH BARACK OBAMA
Cincinnati area, OH
Details TBA

As I get more, I'll let you know.

Down-Ticket Races

Most of the media's attention has been focused on the presidential election. I suspect most people have made their decision in that race by now. But maybe people haven't paid attention to state- and county-wide races yet. To the extent that's the case, I wanted to create a post that pulls together info on the candidates in those races. Be clear: I'm not endorsing anyone; I'm just providing links to the websites and a description of a candidate's current post or position, where I can find it easily. Apologies for the length of the post.

Ohio Attorney General:
Repubican Mike Crites (currently in private practice) is challenging incumbent Democrat Richard Cordray. Cordray Nancy Rogers was appointed to the seat following the resignation of Marc Dann, but is not running to hold it.

County Commissioner (2):
Republican Ed Rothenberg (running without his party's endorsement) is challenging incumbent Democrat Todd Portune.
Independent Chris Dole (a registered Democrat running without that party's endorsement, currently a Crosby Township trustee) and Republican Greg Hartmann (currently Clerk of Courts) are running for an open seat (left open by incumbent Pat DeWine).

Clerk of Courts:
Democrat Martha Good (currently a professor at Miami) and Republican Patricia Clancy (currently a county probation officer) are running for this seat (left open by incumbent Greg Hartmann).

County Recorder:
Democrat Wayne Coates (currently bailiff to Judge Ted Berry) is challenging incumbent Republican Rebecca Groppe.

County Treasurer:
Democrat Steve Brinker (an attorney in private practice) is challenging incumbent Republican Robert Goering, for whom I can't locate a campaign website).

Common Pleas Court Judge (Three Contested Seats):
Democratic-endorsed Norma Holt Davis (currently in private practice) and Republican-endorsed Pat DeWine (currently a county comissioner) are running for a six-year term in a seat that is being vacated by Judge David Davis, who is retiring at the end of the current term.

Democratic-endorsed Jerry Metz (in private practice) is challenging Republican-endorsed incumbent Judge Fred Nelson, for whom I can't locate a campaign website, for a fresh six-year term.

Democratic-endorsed incumbent Judge Jody Luebbers is being challenged by Republican-endorsed Municipal Court Judge Russell Mock for an unexpired term that ends January 1, 2011. This is a mid-term election for a seat initially held by Judge Dinkelacher, who retired from Common Pleas Court after being elected to the Court of Appeals. Alex Triantafilou was appointed to the seat by then-Governor Taft in 2006, but resigned to become HamCo GOP chair before being required to defend the seat in an election.

Update: Post revised slightly to correct a really silly error I made with respect to the AG race.

Early Voting

Today, I went to the Board of Elections and cast an absentee ballot. From start (getting in line near Eighth and Broadway) to finish (getting my "I Made A Difference" sticker), it took about an hour. (I went around 2:00.)

I like voting on Election Day at my precinct, and voted early only because I'm slated to be a poll observer and won't be able to get to my own polling place. I'm a little sad that I won't be able to walk into my polling place on Tuesday.

But one benefit of voting early was getting to chat with some of the candidates, who were working the line (beyond the 100-foot demarcation inside of which political activity is disallowed). The candidates I noticed: Commissioner Pat DeWine (running for Common Pleas Court); Wayne Coates (for County Recorder); and Jerry Metz (for Common Pleas Court). Lots of other candidates had surrogates passing out flyers. Oddly, none of the candidates for Ohio's Second District were present or had any campaign workers in the area. Perhaps they've decided that the campaign will be won or lost in Clermont County, and are ignoring the part of the district within Hamilton County.

The folks at the Board of Elections seemed well-organized and were extremely courteous and helpful.

Political Art at 9th and Vine

Here's some interesting political art up near the corner of 9th and Vine Street.

Less is Less

CityBeat is reporting that the Enquirer will be cutting staff by 10%. I assume based on the article that this is above and beyond the voluntary buyout packages offered earlier this year.

No word on what part of the paper will be affected. Previously, there was a report of centralization of certain back office functions, so this could be related to that reduction.

If more content staff is reduced, we will have no paper left. Arts coverage has suffered so massively. The Enquirer is turning into a local TV station in how it structures everything. The local content is vanishing and no return can be foreseen.

Breaking News

Blue Chip Young Republicans announced they have endorsed Republican Ed Rothenberg over Todd Portune for County Commissioner. I know this will come to a surprise to everyone in Cincinnati.

Fountain Square Broomball FAQ

The Fountain Square Broomball League sign-ups began yesterday, here are the details:


WHAT: Team registration for the 2009 Fountain Square Broomball League (FSBL), the third season for Broomball on Fountain Square.

WHEN: Sign ups begin Monday October 27 and close Friday November 14 at 5 pm

WHERE: Go to www.myfountainsquare.com to download the registration form. Registration forms will not be available until Oct. 27.

WHO CAN PLAY: Anyone over 18! The 2009 FSBL will include 32 teams: 16 Advanced and 16 Beginner. Teams can include up to 12 players. Six players are on the ice at a time and at least three must be women. The 32 teams will be selected by lottery and announced before Thanksgiving.

HOW LONG IS THE SEASON: Six weeks starting January 5. Games are played on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Championship games will be played for both Advanced and Beginner leagues on Wednesday, February 18.

WHAT IS BROOMBALL ANYWAY: Broomball combines elements of soccer and hockey. Players wear gym shoes, not skates, and use sticks with a small, broom-shaped head to pass the ball and score goals.

CAN I WATCH INSTEAD OF PLAY: Of course. It's free to watch the games, and adult beverages are available. Live announcers call each game and the Fountain Square video board becomes a giant TV with a scoreboard, time clock and live camera coverage.

Concert:Nova: Where the Wild Things Are

Just in time to give you a childhood smiley fright:
CONCERT:NOVA Season Two - Where the Wild Things Are is a collaborative project centered around NY composer Randall Woolf's electro-acoustic score and German graphic designer Till Lassmann.

Hear the kickoff season two concert and help us celebrate the opening of an interactive installation at the UnMuseum! After the concert, come upstairs to the reception to hang out with C:N, composer Randall Woolf and designer Till Lassmann!

Costumes encouraged - it's almost Halloween! Plus, you could win a prize if you come with the best costume - it's worth dressing up for a little gift from concert:nova!

Location: CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER
Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art
44 E. 6th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

7 pm performance
8:30 pm reception
$20 admission/$10 students & ETA members

More in the Enquirer

Vote for the Music CEAs

City Beat's CEAs are fast approaching, so voice your opinion on the best music in town. Something to notice, there are a ton of new GREAT Bands out there. Hell, the Heartless Bastards weren't even nominated, but there are still a ton more great musical acts. This really is a great music town. It is too bad not enough people experience it.

On November 23, they can! Be sure to hit the CEA show at the premier reopening of the Emery Theater. Tickets are on sale now!

Bootsy Ruby's News

Julie from wine me dine me (and Cincy Blog too!) has some inside news on the new Jeff Ruby/Bootsy Collins restaurant opening up in December on Walnut St.

Just Got Robo Polled By NBC 4 Columbus

I just got a robo-poll call from NBC 4 out of Columbus on the election. They asked about President, and the statewide races and issues. They also asked several demographic questions. Nothing out of the ordinary asked.

I'll see if I can figure out how many people are like me in Ohio! Well, at least how many have a land line and are home on Sunday afternoon.

Bush Trying to Suppress the Ohio Vote

What I find most troubling about instances of voter suppression is how people like George Bush believe that voter fraud is some wide spread problem. Well, it isn't. In 2004 claims went out that it was wide spread. Well, there was no proof of that and in fact the groups accused of it were exonerated.

This is a red herring for a GOP that is facing its worst defeat in over 30 years.

An Interesting Factoid With Ten Days To Go In This Long Campaign

For 80 years, all successful Republican presidential tickets have had either a Nixon or a Bush on the ticket. That would be since the election of Hoover / Curtis in 1928. Looks like McCain / Palin will not break this string, barring a miracle like some white female campaign worker being mugged by a 6'4" black guy who carves a "B" for Barack in her face, while chanting "Obama is a muslim, born in Kenya, and Bill Ayers is god" --- oh wait, they tried that yesterday but it was a fake --- reminder that if you are going to look in the mirror and carve a "B" for Barack in your face, take into account that the mirror will cause you to carve it backwards, unless you adjust for that. It should look like a B, not a
--- ooops, did it again.

Well, there is Jeb waiting in the wings --- Palin / Bush 2012.

How many people actually agree with Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage that Obama is really not in Hawaii visiting his dying grandmother, but is really there to destroy evidence that he was born in Kenya and not the US? (Wasn't John McCain born in Panama?) I am just trying to find out how large the tinfoil hat brigade really is.

Out Of Touch Enquirer

I really feel sorry for the Enquirer Editorial Board for this drivel. Did someone just go to the McCain website, take down the last two week's worth of talking points and re-write it? This just sounds like a McCain stump speech, right down to the "Joe the Plumber" bullshit.

The funniest thing is the equivalency game they play. To think that the sleaze that has poured out of the McCain campaign, directly out of the campaign, compares with a handful of extremists on the left is just nonsense. I would like to know how the Enquirer thinks Sarah Palin lying about Obama and the "palling around with terrorists" line compares with anything Obama or Biden have said about McCain or Palin. There is nothing that even approaches that level of sleaze/lies/distortion.