Sure, we've had Bill Hartung's trip to the big house, Tim Davis globe-trotting on the public dime, even the good old days of Judge Barbuto stalked down the street by Geraldo. All of that is just local color, though, compared to last week's big raid by hundreds of feds targeting two of the most prominent Democrats in northeast Ohio.
It's important to note Cuyahoga Auditor Frank Russo and Commissioner Dimora are wearing the Big D, since coverage of the Columbus shenanigans during the Taft Administration wore a Big R that was heavy enough to pull down the GOP's generations-long stranglehold on statewide offices. This is tit-for-tat coverage, and it shows all the posturing on which party is dirty is just marketing. Not surprisingly the GOP Chairman is calling for both to resign; not surprisingly we didn't hear the same call when it was the Republicans turn to twist two years ago.
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The Plain Dealer has excellent coverage in Sunday's edition, plus more coverage so you can get a real taste of the political Greek tragedy taking place south of Lakeside. My favorite in the Sunday wrap up: federal Judge Nugent, who spoke glowingly of Russo and Dimora as his friends, and standards for excellence in public service.
That was the Friday before Raid Monday; later in the week he wouldn't comment to the PD, noting he might get the case. Get the case? You've gotta be kidding me; what judge worth his salt who was on the record specifically spouting the virtues of two potential defendants would even suggest they would get the case? Note to the Judge: if ever you had grounds to recuse, your quotes in support of the pre-defendants should apply.
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On a side note: expected though still sad, the passing of former Akron U.S. Congressman John Seiberling. He's best remembered for his co-parenting of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but also remembered by the over-50 crowd for his Watergate Committee representation and standing up for Akron when Goodyear was under the gun from the British carpetbagger. (photo at left: Seiberling, right, with Morris Udall from National Park Service)
Seiberling was truly Akron royalty, the rarefied families such as Seiberling, O'Neil, Knight, Firestone and Goodrich who were more than just rich but were true empire builders or robber barons, depending on your point of view. Seiberling walked the walk before he even took his first step, born in the family home of Stan Hywet that now stands as tribute to our very own version of the Gilded Age. The federal courthouse in Akron is even named for him, albeit late in life by young Congressman Tim Ryan's efforts. His advocacy for the environment was recognized with a Presidential Citizens Medal Award during the final days of the Clinton Administration.
Those "glory days" make for good reading now but those days are long-gone; those cocktails and lunch meetings at Portage Country Club used to decide the direction Akron would take on the big issues but now the movers and shakers have a less global agenda. Seiberling was one of them by birth, but not by political philosophy and deeds. Anyone watching his work during the 1974 Watergate hearings on impeaching Richard Nixon can see that.
I live on a street named Seiberling, a few miles from the narrow national park that exists largely because of the vision of John F. and Ralph Regula. By the numbers it is one of America's most popular national parks, largely because it has more than 1.5 million people living in less than an hour's drive. It isn't a place people come to visit from far-away places, but that may grow as the word gets out of the ease of access and family-friendly recreation.
It may still remain a secret to plenty of northeast Ohioans who don't venture past Blossom Music Center, or just drive across the giant bridges spanning the Cuyahoga River valley to the north or the canal byways to the south. It is one of the "quality of life" jewels we sometimes take for granted thanks to the foresight of men whose persistence stands as their legacy.
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