So, why isn't this Presidential candidate being raked over the coals for actually pursuing, and advertising the endorsement of a preacher who compares the Catholic Church to Hitler and wants a "Holy war" with Iran? Why is it that McCain gets away with a few denouncements, and YouTube clips of Hagee aren't played over and over on CNN?
Can you say "media double-standard?"
[Frank Rich: The All-White Elephant in the Room - New York Times]
[From Marc Dann admits to affair with staff member - OPENERS - Ohio Politics Blog by The Plain Dealer]
Resign already, and let someone with integrity run the AG's office.
Many of these are missing the ownership angle, probably because the Dispatch doesn't actively disclose it.
Mark Tatge's Journalism 411 Blog at E.W. Scripps (makes me proud to have dropped out of OhioU!)
Some Random person at owujour350.blogspot.com (Ohio Wesleyan Journalism 350?) with a protected blog
Ben Marrison, editor of the Columbus Dispatch wrote in his column this weekend that the Dispatch knew in advance of Skybus' announcement that they were going to close immediately last Friday. As it turns out the Dispatch knew far enough in advance that they were able to place a reporter on the last outbound plane, knowing full well that the people on the plane who weren't flying home were going to be stranded.
Now, if this weren't bad enough, a subsidiary of Dispatch Printing Co. is an investor in the airline, a fact that the Dispatch simply got tired pointing out in their online content (electrons are costly, you know) and buried in this remote corner of their site.
The Dispatch, faced with this conflict of interest, took the easy road, writing softball stories on the airline, and even letting one of their business writers write a blog about airline travel. Through the process of the Skybus collapse, CEO resignation, COO resignation and all, it didn't seem like they were doing much hard work on reporting the state of the airline. Even afterward, their coverage sheds little light on what went wrong.
Strangely, they chose not to send the airline blogger on the mission to Florida, and have her blog her adventures purchasing tickets back to CMH.
Now, Marrison is posting some reader reactions to his Sunday column and the Dispatch's reporting in his blog. Of course, none of the hand-picked reactions deal with the fact that the Dispatch's parent company holds a financial interest in Skybus. Marrison keeps his focus on the Dispatch's upstanding decision to respect their anonymous source's insistence on a 9:30PM embargo on the story.
Too bad, so sad for the Dispatch though, as other local news sources broke the news long before the Dispatch was allowed. Hell, I got an email from my mom while sitting in DTW and Twittered it ~40min before the Dispatch's embargo was lifted.
The real question that I want to see answered by Marrison is whether their source had any connection to Wolfe Enterprises or the Dispatch Printing Company, and why on earth they agreed to let this story rot? Had they done harder work on covering Skybus they would have developed sources like those the TV stations obviously picked up to scoop the Dispatch.
UPDATE: Whomever is linking me from the protected blog at owujour350.blogspot.com, common courtesy demands that you open up for your link targets.
Well, in addition to voting today, which was pretty quick despite a constant crowd I went on a 45min odyssey to try to get a Hillary Clinton yard signs for myself, my Mom and my next-door neighbor.
After some quick searching, I was able to find HC's Ohio Headquarters on the south side of Downtown Columbus. Unfortunately, it wasn't really that easy to spot in the quick-moving traffic on 4th St., so I had to circle a few times to get there. Once I noticed all of the signs in the window and a clutch of young people taking a smoke break on the curb, all was well. Now, find a place to park during the no-parking 4-6PM window. No fun that.
The mood inside was busy. The place was crawling with 20-somethings running to and fro with Blackberries, but not less then five of them asked me if I needed anything. Too bad though, the one thing that I needed wasn't to be had. They were out of yard signs, or that's what they said initially. In the middle of the discussion I was having with a volunteer though, an obviously paid staffer stepped up and told us that they did have signs, but that they were being held for polling places and volunteers. He suggested that Mom could volunteer and get a sign.
So, no dice. I did leave our street addresses on a list for yard signs though, so we'll see if the Obama signs that Molly planted in my yard and Mom's yard are joined by Hillary signs.
The Google News editor robot hasn't had a sense of humor for a long time.
Via De Magno Opere, Deb Pryce is among those in the Republican minority who are suddenly free to 'vote their conscience.'.
Last year, Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio) was a powerful member of the Republican leadership, responsible for uniting her fractious colleagues behind a single message. After narrowly escaping defeat in November, the swing-district Republican bolted from her party's leadership last year. Last week, she virtually bolted from the party.
With just one exception, Pryce sided with the new Democratic majority on every major bill and rule change that came to a vote in the past two weeks, even voting against her party on a procedural vote, a move considered heretical in the years of GOP control.
Add this to the Dispatch reporting that Paula Brooks has formed a 527, apparently to seek federal office.
Two more years Deb. Make it count......
The Vatican last week demonstrated how serious it is about clergy that abuse children that it reinstated a priest from the Diocese of Cincinnati because his victims took too long to complain:
The Vatican's Congregation for Clergy found that Kiffmeyer should not have been penalized because people waited too long to complain about his alleged misconduct.
Under church law, people have a five-year time limit for making such allegations, the archdiocese said.
"After a number of years, it can be very difficult to establish the truth," said Dan Andriacco, spokesman for the archdiocese.
Protecting God's Children indeed.
The Ohio Supreme Court's disciplanary panel saw the former legal council to the Republican Ohio House majority leader as unrepentent and recommended that his law license be indefinately suspended (which means he can apply for reinstatement in two years).
Strangely, he's still not listed as a sex offender.
In contrast to the lame blogging by my local, internet-challenged, newspaper the Columbus Dispatch, we have the Cincinnati Enquirer, which has a great selection of blogs, including my favorite by Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Jim Borgman.
It's a blast to look at Borgman's sketches and outtakes, and the blog gives him the freedom to publish briliant posts like this one, his response to the question BorgBlog: "How Come You Never Criticize Democrats During Sex Scandals?".
Tim, at peoplehavethepower.org is miffed that the Ohio Legisature's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved the rules for Ohio's first-in-the-nation "Civil Registry" of sex offenders, and I think that he's missing a key point.
The registry allows prosecutors, judges, and in some cases victims to have an offender placed on the Registry, and effectively treated like a registered sex offender. This concept came out of the Ohio Legislature's unprecedented capitulation to the Catholic Church earlier this year when they refused to lift the statute of limitations on sexual molestation lawsuits, so that victims intimidated into silence by the Church could sue.
While I agree that the registry's no-conviction standard is wrong (and probably unconstitutional), it does give victims a chance to correct wrongs visited on them by weasel prosecutors who make backroom deals to keep undeserving criminals off of the sex offendor rolls.
Continue reading "Ohio's "Civil Registry" of sex offenders, an answer for the naked photographer?" »
Here's a nice scoop by the UAPA. They caught an entry on Ken Blackwell's weblog documenting Blackwell's speech to the TOP SEKRIT group the Council on National Policy. Sounds like a fun group. Members cannot acknowledge membership, and Tim LaHaye was their first president.
Send lawyers, guns and money.
The quick answer: Probaby, but not today.
Today's Columbus Dispatch (search my archives for a login if you need) featured a brief letter to the editor pointing out that Ohio HB 591, was an attempt to make it illegal for municipalities to offer broadband or wireless internet.
I did a little checking, and the issue seems to have been rather thoroughly covered. MuniWireless has this story on the introduction of the bill which draws some conclusions about its intent that are pretty much refuted by Harold Field at Wetmachine.
I can easily see how Muniwireless came to their conclusions though. Community broadband/wireless has been under attack by the telecom giants, most notably with the recent bill written by Verizon and passed and signed in Pennsylvania banning municipalities from offering free internet service. Muniwireless also has a story about a piece of model legislation from the right-wing policy shop the American Legislative Exchange Council. This model language, called Municipal Telecommunications Private Industry Safeguards Act" would kill existing wireless projects like those in Dayton and probably kill proposed projects like the one in Dublin Ohio. I'm even wondering if it would kill the free wireless at the Columbus airport, as the airport authority is a joint city and county operation.
We'll see what the new year brings.
ecto says I'm listening to Rock N' Roll Suicide from the album "The Life Aquatic" by Seu Jorge
Wait times in polling places close to me are in the 3+ hour range, but spirits are high and things are friendly. Rumors have lines in minority/poor areas of Columbus (notably Linden) at 5 hours.
At 7:30, Ohio law states that no voters may get in line. Everyone in line at 7:30 votes. At 3-5 hours, some key precincts are not going to be reporting until very late.
The DNC filed at 5:50PM to keep the polls open.
The above story has been updated to show that the court has ordered Franklin and Knox counties to provide paper ballots to anyone in line who wants them to speed up the voting. This doesn't extend the hours, but helps get people done faster.
Be sure to read the last paragraph of the above article.
Photo by Jay LaPrete of the Associated Press.
Well, two hours later we're done. The line was at least an hour longer when we left than it was when we got there at 10AM.
Everyone was in a good mood. The first provisional ballot candidate was behind us. It is kind of nice to live in a high-turnout, very organized precinct.
We're down at the Funeral Home now, hanging out with Grandpa because he didn't have anyone to yell at.
We've made it to the polls. Even though it is off-peak, the line is between an hour and an hour and a half.
The kids and Jane have found a place to sit down, and we've got cash for the bake sale. We're chatting with our neighbors.
More later.
Just got a call from my dad. One of my Mom's coworkers was challenged at the polling place on the basis that a test mailing by the Republican National Committee in Washington was returned undeliverable. She was allowed to file a provisional ballot, but was told that it would be counted "only if they need to."
This is going to get worse before it gets better.
We're heading out.
Just got a call from my dad, who lives across the street and votes in the same precinct. He and my mom went to the polls at 6:40AM and waited in line for an hour.
Went to bed to early. A panel of the 6th Circuit overturned the stay on the challengers.
It immediately goes to the Supreme Court. Justice John Paul Stevens, to be exact.
The Republicans are keeping up their line of BS that they are there, in mostly minority neighborhoods with mostly white, suburban challengers, "to prevent voter fraud." In a beautiful moment for voting rights and democracy, the head of the state Republican party implied that people newly registered to vote, were "ringers."
The Columbus Dispatch has the presidential race in Ohio at a dead heat.
The same poll has Bush's wrong track and disapproval numbers above 50%.
The state is crawling with GOTV volunteers.
Voter turnout in Ohio is projected to be above 80%
Other than voting, I'll be sitting it out. Jane's still not up to a full day on her own.
I won't sleep well tonight.
ecto says I'm listening to Sins of My Father from the album "Real Gone" by Tom Waits
Not only did I have an out-of-town union canvasser say that this was the easiest street he'd ever worked, but I got to entertain him with our local bozo's sign display. He's the third person I've sent up the street to get their photographic souvenir from Ohio, the edjumacashon state. This guy has had this sign up for most of the year, and still seems proud of his lack of spelling skills. He's got to have figured out by now, as he has four or five other signs in his yard that are spelled correctly. Of course, this is the same guy who didn't get his letter to the editor published in the local paper, so he hand delivered it to everyone on the street.
Just on counting signs, the street leans 5-1 Kerry.
The real reason I decided to regale you with reasons that I love my neighborhood, is that the skaterats who live over by our old house have decided to apply their well-honed carpentry skills to seige machines!
I'm tellin' ya. There's nothing more comforting than finding a working catapult in a neighbor's driveway. I'm going to have to see if they take pumpkin donations.
ecto says I'm listening to Straight To Hell from the album "Combat Rock" by The Clash
I tried to leave this in LawDork's comments, but his commenting engine is limited to 1000 characters.
LawDork's take on the Other Paper story, included this:
My thought on this is that so long as being gay has a stigma attached to it, there will be under-reporting of relevant gay-related news because of a reporting or institutional newspaper fear of overplaying a "gay angle."
Conversely, if* Preisse's sexual orientation really has nothing to do with his job, or simply isn't relevant to whatever topic the reporter is writing up, one could make the editorial decision that writing it up would simply be "outing" Preisse deliberately. The Dispatch, being the only paper in town has a pretty cozy relationship with most of the local politicians, I would dare say more so with the Republicans. If they didn't like Preisse, they would have probably outed him long ago, in a similar, seemingly inadvertent way, but timed differently (like right before his election by the R Central Committee.)
That said, outing is a pretty belligerent thing to do and subject to much debate, even inside the gay community. The Dispatch and The Other Paper are going to stay pretty far away from a deliberate outing. The story was about an openly gay politician and if Preisse says he's openly gay, then hey, it's relevant to the story.
I think in this case, Preisse's orientation was simply a case of "doesn't matter" rather than stigma-based underreporting.
Now that I've been thinking about it more, since this story ran on Sunday, a much higher circulation day I wonder if the Dispatch might be telegraphing their take on the marriage/benefits amendment debate. If nothing else, it helps to blunt any controversy that amendment opponents would create out of Hudson's appointment.
* a pretty big if.
UPDATE: See the preivous post for a link to the text of the Other Paper article.
As Ohio has become the pivotal swing state in the 04 Presidential election, all kinds of interesting stories are showing up about State and County-level Ohio Politics.
Today, the Columbus Dispatch, in a stunning and quite uncharacteristic moment of internet awareness, pulls a story right out of the blogsphere, reporting that Grover Norquist forgot to have everyone turn off their recorders before he said that Ohio's Governor, Bob Taft was an "idiot" who "should be taken out and horsewhipped."
Want to hear him say it? So did I. Here you go:
The second story this week was that the Dispatch either finally put in print the open secret that Franklin County Republican Party Chairman Doug Preisse is gay, or accidentally outed him. In a throwaway sentence deep in a story about Columbus' first openly-gay City Council Member Mary Jo Hudson, the D quoted Preisse and followed it with a simple "who is gay." It raised my eyebrows, but I let it slide, figuring, hey, this is Columbus.
The Other Paper did not, putting Preisse on its cover under the head "He's GOP and he's GAY." Debate rages over the whole outing vs. open secret thing, but this sure as hell makes me feel a bit more comfortable about the timing of appointing Hudson, one of the leaders of the opposition to the anti same-sex marriage and non-spousal benefits amendment here in Ohio to the council seat.
ecto says I'm listening to Hyperactive! from the album Aliens Ate My Buick by Thomas Dolby
UPDATE: Threw up a text file of the OtherPaper article.
I've said it before, but places like PoliticalWire are bringing it up again, so it bears repeating:
Pg. 144 of Powell's book..
Kos has the speech. One part really stands out:
As I've traveled the country, I've met many workers and small business owners who have told me they are worried they cannot afford health care. More than half of the uninsured are small business employees and their families. In a new term, we must allow small firms to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big companies. We will offer a tax credit to encourage small businesses and their employees to set up health savings accounts, and provide direct help for low-income Americans to purchase them. These accounts give workers the security of insurance against major illness, the opportunity to save tax-free for routine health expenses, and the freedom of knowing you can take your account with you whenever you change jobs. And we will provide low-income Americans with better access to health care: In a new term, I will ensure every poor county in America has a community or rural health center.
Are you kidding? Medical savings accounts will insure against major illness? Tell me how. Americans have nearly no ability to save, and the concept of a "tax-free" medical savings account is well beyond the understanding and, even more importantly, the means of the people who need healthcare the most. Even if one were to save in such a plan, you'd have to save for years to react to something as simple as a heart attack or a car accident. And even then, you'd would be billed book rates by the hospital, rather than the discounted rates the insurance companies negotiate. As an example our midwives just had a doula accompany a woman to a hospital for a birth. The nurses used two cans of Dermoplast. The bill for just the two cans of Dermoplast: Over $500USD!!! The second can was still almost half full! They gave it to her to take home. Now her insurance company will pay much less than that, perhaps a price approaching the sub-$10 cost of a can, but what do you think that someone with a medical savings account would have to pay?
Secondly, small companies can already join in co-ops to purchase health insurance, and the costs are still crippling them, if they even choose to offer insurance.
Ahargggggg!!!!!!!!! This is not a solution, nor even an honest accounting of the problem.
In other news BoingBoing is aggregating nyc.indymedia.org reports that the NYPD are going to use a ear-splitting non-lethal sound canon tonight.
May you live in interesting times.
ecto says I'm listening to I'll Fly Away from the album O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Alison Krauss/Gillian Welch
Looks like they're marrying in Oregon. The Multnomah County attorney says that it is constitutional. According to The Advocate, Oregon's constitution defines marriage quite succinctly as
"civil contract entered into in person by males at least 17 years of age and females at least 17 years of age"
Section 20. Equality of privileges and immunities of citizens. No law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.—which, seems to rule out any DOMA-type law out there.
Maybe we'll see a challenge of the federal "Heterosexuals are More Specialer than You" before the year is out...
Via Mindy at The Mommy Blog, another of what are now thousands of touching marriage stories from San Francisco.
ecto says I'm listening to Friend of the Devil from the album Deadicated by Lyle Lovett
Molly speculates that these are the people that Shrub is aiming for by putting discrimination back in the Constitution. The lady on the left shouted at Molly while she took the pictures "show them to all your fag dyke friends!" So, well, here you go.
--Taken earlier today outside the San Francisco City Hall.
ecto says I'm listening to Old England from the album The Best Of The Waterboys - '81 - '90 by The Waterboys
After listening to Daniel Schorr's amazing commentary in this afternoon's All Things Considered, I just had too look up the quote he used from General Colon Powell's book pointing out the gross injustice of the various forms of avoiding military service in Vietnam.
You don't even have to listen to the commentary to get the gist of this, from p. 144 of Powell's book.
ecto says I'm listening to Wrap It Up from the album The Best of Sam & Dave by Sam & Dave
Well, here they are, with California State Assemblyman Mark Leno getting married again. (Molly says, this means that Suz is her second wife)
And here is their License and Certificate of Marriage. You'll notice that Molly had a mild epileptic fit when she was asked to sign her name.
Many thanks to Snowball, Jo and Pam the Beancounter for their kind words for my baby sister and their links. Tina over at EYV also has a nice bit on the historical significance of the first couple that was married yesterday
ecto says I'm listening to It Was the Night from the album Black Snake Diamond Role by Robyn Hitchcock
On September 22, 2001, with their families among the first people to get on planes after the attacks of Septermber 11, Mary Suzanna Adams and Mary Eileen O'Shaughnessy got married at a Unitarian Church overlooking San Francisco Bay, in Berkley, CA.
Today, Molly and Suzanna were married again, this time at the San Francisco City Hall, by California State Assemblyman Mark Leno. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom decided to openly defy California's ban on same-sex marriages today and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Because of the threat of an injunction, those who were wed on the spot got certified copies of their licenses right then, instead of waiting the normal 10 days.
Jane, the kids and I went across the street to sit with my Mom by a speaker phone listening to Molly and Suzanna exchange vows over Molly's cell phone. Here's the audio I recorded with my Clié from the speaker phone.
Molly is going to email me pictures sometime tomorrow, and photograph their marriage license and certificate tonight when they get home.
ecto says I'm listening to Here I Am from the album Lyle Lovett and his Large Band by Lyle Lovett
(Apologies to Pastor Martin Niemöeller)
Via Eat Your Vegetables: Proof that that one of the Bush administration's domestic policy goals is to bury the Bill of Rights and turn the US into a police state. Hopefully our nation's collective shame and anger over such behavior in the past will be unleashed by this story, otherwise even the most harmless of groups will be forced underground.
In what may be the first subpoena of its kind since the Communist-hunting days of the 1950s, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists.
Unbelievable. Why does John Ashcroft hate America and freedom?
ecto says I'm listening to Penelope's Angles from the album Luxor by Robyn Hitchcock
In the grand scheme of things, the blog is rather low priority. Don't have time for this but, hey.
Cool new Bluetooth Update from Apple. Now I can use my Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headsets with the iMac and iChat. Must begin campaign to move my sisters to iChat/AIM, that way Molly and I can be equal to the other kids.
Jane is borderline sick, which she hates. School is eating her up, and she isn't sleeping well. So I kicked her out of the house! Well, I convinced her to pack up some schoolwork, some tea and a book and go camp out at her mothers for Friday night and most of Saturday. Wish I could give her more, but I think that the rest will help.
In the meantime, the kids and I are going to have Pizza, Beer and Movie night. Joey is already making a list of Batman movies, and insisting that he gets to drink his root beer from the bottle!
Meeting at work on Monday turned out to be nothing. I had bad intel.
This blog isn't about my work, but damn sometimes I wish I had one of those anonymous blogs so it could be.
If I have to spend another week averaging 4 hours a day in the car, I'm getting the damn iPod. I had to listen the Christian financial investment radio show earlier this week.
eBay progress goes slowly. Damn scammer ruined an auction for me and put me another week from getting the cash for my old cell phone.
Snowball has an airport question hanging out there that I can't answer. Mark? Chris? It sounds simple, but I've never played with an Airport.
Anne's story of what her inlaws did to her family takes me back to a certain incident with surprise ear piercings.
Ooops! The North Broadway and High project just tanked. Looks like nothing is going to happen. Maybe Colleen and Adam's neighbors and everyone else who wants the 'Ville to be much more swanky can just move their SUV-driving asses to Grandview which, BTW, they can't afford.
Going to Arizona week after next for training. Better not be 50 degrees and raining.
Aparently, our draconian "Defense" of Marriage Act, is okay with the citizens of Ohio because Fox News is so popular. No, really, that's what one of our moron state senators actually said to Ohio Public Radio.
Heading to bed, talk amongst yourselves....
ecto says I'm listening to They Don't Call Them Chihuahuas Anymore from the album Sport Fishin’ by Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet
Hey, remember that American Family Association gay marriage poll? (Thanks again to Jen)
Well, Wired is reporting that the AFA isn't going to take the results to Capitol Hill as promised, because "against their wishes" the poll escaped into that wild internet place.
"We made the decision early on not to do that," Smith admitted, "because of how, as I say, the homosexual activists around the country have done their number on it."
My heart weeps for them. I for one am going to send the results in a nice letter to my congresswoman.
But before that, I'm going to keep an overdue promise to my baby sister and help set off a TypePad Google bomb for her non-proffit, the California Safe Schools Coalition.
ecto says I'm listening to She, Luisa from the album Lucky Seven Mixx on the Fly Live From Studio A WCBE vol. 7 by David Mead
Via Jen, the American Family Association is running a poll on gay marriage. Go and vote your conscience!
It seems like the good guys won a battle in what is still going to be a long hard fight to regain our freedoms as Americans today. A court held that US citizens cannot be arrested in the US and removed from our judiciary system by being named "enemy combatants."
Emily at robotminion agrees, The West Wing now sucks. (Although she's a little harsh on Sorkin, who I'm sure is moving on to another project. Don't forget, he dumped Sports Night cold too.)
Back to more Bravo re-runs
Good news for us 'Villebillies! The evil Kroger grocery empire has been beaten out by the (maybe) not quite so evil Giant Eagle grocery empire in the bankruptcy court auction for a number of Columbus Big Bear stores, including our south Clintonville store. They also got the German Village store, but interestingly, there is no mention of the Graceland mega-store. More bad news for Graceland.
For those of you who can log into the utterly worthless Columbus Dispatch site (motto: Certainly not worth $4.95/mo) they have a story here. For those of you who can't log in, don't feel left out.
Also, via CalPundit, I've found another reason to hate Kroger: It seems that since their Ralph's chain isn't being picketed in southern California, they are sharing proffits with the grocery chains that are being picketed, in a mutual-aid agreement. According to The Cincinnati Business Courier and The Merc California's attorney general is looking into the matter.
Okay, who the hell replaced West Wing with fricking ER? If I wanted to plodding, meaningless dialog and roughly ten minutes an hour of dead silence as people wistfully stare out of windows or some such nonsense, I'd watch ER. I don't want to watch ER, I want to watch West Wing.
Sheesh!!! Anyone know what Aaron Sorkin's next project is? I'm going to run out of Bravo reruns soon.
Here you go folks your very own George W. Bush Air National Guard Action Figure.
Via Michael, Springer won't run. Damn shame too as the Ohio party needs the kick in the ass.
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