Radio Blast From The Past

I'm out of town attending the Northwest Broadcast News Association's annual meeting, part of the Midwest Journalism Convention in Minneapolis with RTNDA, AP broadcasters in Minnesota and SPJ members from a six state region on hand. Just in time I get a nice reminder of the impact radio news has -- even the stuff I can't believe made it on the air.
Growing up in Medina in the 70's was a great time for radio; as a high schooler with a driver's license you were either a WMMS or WGCL listener, surfing off what was left of WIXY.

And then there was the Big 8:



As a professional I guess I should cringe when listening to these newscasts but I've got to admit I thought CKLW's news was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard. We didn't listen to the station for the music...it was 20-20 News that had me sitting at the feet of Byron MacGregor and his news department. Later, trips as an adult to Detroit helped confirm for me the pictures painted by those words screaming along the Lake Erie shoreline weren't show biz, even if the delivery was.
Outrageous? Absolutely, but MAN what a blast listening to those guys!

Is Being Anti-Hillary Anti-Woman?

I've been giving this more thought than normal (memo to my more-youthful-by-the-day pal Diana: hold chuckle here, please) after today's media maelstrom following Hillary Clinton's "mis-speak" about a trip to Bosnia a dozen years ago. In the event you missed it -- YouTube's loaded chock-full of reports and clip postings from the CBS News coverage since the network dug up it's original footage to show the Senator's memory had a few holes in it. Of course, in today's computer age, that means everyone has video -- including this posting.



Why this comes to mind today is the conversation I had with some friends and fellow professionals in the communications business as we met the other night, performing our duties as screening judges for scholarships awarded to aspiring journalists. Among those present: two dudes and three ladies. My friend Sarah feels a loss by Clinton means a huge setback for the chances of a woman ever becoming President, which spurred a quick debate.

Is it really anti-woman to be anti-Hillary?

Sarah argues Hillary has to overcome the voters who won't vote for a woman, no matter who she is. I argue the decision in 2008 has as much, if not more, to do with Clinton's position as such a polarizing political force and that her candidacy actually clears the way for other women to succeed. Would voter reaction be just as swift and negative, for example, to an Elizabeth Dole (who can argue more executive experience at the cabinet level and while CEO of the Red Cross?) or a Kay Bailey Hutchinson among the Republicans? What about high-profile campaigning Governors Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) or the five other women top state executives who merged politics with experience as a CEO to win?
Switch the argument to race and chief executives of color show an even wider margin in terms of representation, a far wider chasm in representative politics than the gender gap.

Characterizing a no vote for Hillary as one solely based on chauvinism is a dangerous thing; is the parallel then to demand the litmus test for women in power needs to be this line in the sand of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for President? By this reckoning voters of African-American heritage are traitors for not voting for Obama; the same can be held true for Hispanic-Americans not holding bigger sway for Richardson. Does that mean McCain wins the United Kingdom roots by default? By this logic winning an election truly is a numbers game where only more seasoned (read: elderly) white candidates should win since that is the biggest block of voters heading to the polls. Where does this end?

The hope should be that each candidate -- all candidates -- are weighed not by gender, race, religion or age but because we think she or he will do the best job, as defined by what we think most important when we step into the booth.

Earlier Clinton family campaigns rode to victory on the strategy "it's the economy, stupid." Modern campaigns should take a page from that strategy and admit "it's the person, dummy" that build the foundation for what voters consider worthy of filling in the circle on Election Day.

Klinger v Arshinoff: Mano et Mano

The die may be cast with plenty of debate ahead in the hallways of Cuyahoga Falls City Hall as Carol Klinger, at-large GOP member of City Council will face-off as the standard bearer for the New Summit Republicans in their bid to depose Alex Arshinkoff as chairman of the county party.

The primary election March 4th only set the table for more moves by both sides; Arshinkoff says he picked up the majority of contested seats among the 470-or so Central Committee members but the group backed by State Senator Kevin Coughlin claims a secret ballot will show their support runs much deeper so long as voter choices won't be public knowledge.

In the middle of all this: Cuyahoga Falls, ground zero for Summit County's GOP. It's not Hudson, Bath Township, Twinsburg or Green that play big (although new Board of Elections member Don Varian is from Bath). The Falls is where the heavy lifting comes to play, complete with Arshinkoff loyalist Mayor Don Robart now in the position of working against one of his own City Council allies in Klinger. Add Coughlin as a Falls resident to the mix and you really get a sense of how this battle is more like a siblings war then a simple neighborhood brawl.

Still waiting to hear on when the local party moves beyond the certifications from the Board of Elections and sets a date for the full Central Committee to meet and vote.

A TV News Geek's Dream

Now THIS is what I call cool. My friend Andrew Finlayson is the VP of News at WFLD-TV, the Fox station in Chicago. While there on a visit last fall he told me about a project they were working on called LiveNewsCameras.com, giving web users the opportunity to see the news from dozens, if not hundreds, of streaming sources thanks to the ability to pull in satellite feeds and video web streams.



This idea of a web aggregator is not new; satellite and cable systems basically provide the same service, but what makes this unique is it is web-based and allows users to watch the mundane to the sublime. From Al Jazeera (which has a technically proficient stream that loads quickly, even seeing the scrolling news updates in Arabic going from left to right as opposed to our version of right to left) to boats sitting in the bay on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.

This is the new cable...

Well, I Swear!

We're posting some of the segments available from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's videotaped deposition in the Summit County GOP lawsuit challenging her decision to boot Alex Arshinkoff from the Board of Elections -- and, as reported, local Democrat boss Wayne Jones figures prominently.

This is old news to folks following at home on this blog, our reporting on AkronNewsNow.com, the Akron Beacon Journal and Eric Mansfield's reporting on WKYC (as well as his own blog) in what is becoming the best thing since Lost for local political junkies but now the actual video chunks are available.

As detailed earlier, Summit County Democrat Finance Chairman Jones figures prominently not only in the decision making process Brunner used to depose Arshinkoff and deny the Republican Party their hand-picked replacement (Brian Daley of Hudson) but also her choice to pick Bath Township attorney Don Varian to represent the local GOP on the Board of Elections. Jones, for his part, is unapologetic about his efforts to get Arshinkoff and Daley blacklisted -- even telling reporter Tina Kaufmann he'd like to see Arshinkoff and rival Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their ongoing struggle for control of the local party apparatus.

What will be interesting to watch is the feedback Brunner gets from all of this; after all, her Republican predecessor Ken Blackwell only suspended Jones from serving on the Board of Elections a few years ago after a ham-handed attempt by Jones and friends to use a trumped-up political committee operating out of a Cuyahoga Falls post office box to buy media time. Now one would think that kind of thing would be enough to trigger more questions from a Secretary of State looking into the conduct of the contentious Summit County Board of Elections -- one might even opine that the political infighting on Grant Street would be enough to trigger a sweep 'em all out mentality similar to Brunner's call to replace the entire Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, but this time apparently only the GOP gets that level of scrutiny.

A GOP source who claims to have discussed the suspension at the time tells me Blackwell didn't want to impose the ultimate sanction on Jones because he felt that would be overstepping his bounds over the wishes of local political organizations charged with electing their own representatives to serve on the board. Despite the frequent criticism Blackwell earned while in the state's top Elections Office, it bears noting he did understand more about due process than what Brunner's office apparently felt was necessary before giving long-time Jones rival Arshinkoff the boot and blowing off Daley's selection as irrelevant without as much as an open hearing for both to address and rebut the charges contained in the package of clippings hand-carried to her office by a subordinate.

This may very well have unintended consequences: Arshinkoff is getting exactly the kind of support he needs because he's now under the gun of what appears to be unfair and partisan administration of executive power from Columbus. Brunner is now forced to openly testify she doesn't need to define what "competent" is after applying the tar and feathers to two duly-elected representatives of the opposite party. Jones comes off looking like a brute, something even the most rough-and-tumble political leader should try to avoid when running roughshod over his rivals.

These things have a way of stacking the deck and refocusing the debate on the process, not necessarily the substance of any discussion on whether Arshinkoff and Daley are fit to serve. The central questions Jones wanted answered seem to be lost in the swirl of Roman Empire-esque intrigue worthy of Nero without the wine and fiddling.

More From The Mud Pits...

A clarification and update this evening on the route the "anonymous" material targeting Alex Arshinkoff took from the law offices of Wayne Jones in Akron to the Columbus offices of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Brunner's videotaped deposition was released today on DVD; at over a gig of data it is unlikely we will post the entire piece but we are working on pulling excerpts.

An update on our report last Friday: the Secretary's man in Summit County is James Hardy. He was deposed last week and noted he dropped off the envelope after picking it up from the Jones office at Roetzel and Andress. In an email today, Hardy (also an Akron School Board member) offers additional insight and a correction to our report:

"One correction: I knew the package was about Arshinkoff, I just didn't read it. And I didn't read it on purpose. Craig probably heard me wrong and I don't blame him, when he called me I was still a little flustered from my deposition. I don't normally get deposed everyday.

But I knew as soon as I got in the car to go to Wayne's office that this probably had to do with Alex. But, it's my job to send information up and send information down the food chain, and that's what I did in this situation. But I didn't want you to read my deposition and say, "Hey, James said he didn't know the package was about Alex?"

In fact, I did the same thing for Alex a couple months before. Alex was having a hard time getting Senator Coughlin's campaign finance reports from our office and so I received a phone call from Angela McMillen, the Ex. Director of the Summit GOP, and asked if I could meet her for lunch. I did, and was more than happy to get the bureaucracy working for them so they could get the info they wanted. They were very happy with my services then (I still have the emails praising me), but I doubt they feel the same way now:)"

James added his own emoticon at the end; he's always been a straight shooter since we first met just ahead of his race for the school board. It's good to see he still has a sense of humour, even after going through the deposition mill.

I've gotten other interesting responses to this story, not all in the form to share (I'm always amazed by how some have such a dominating command of at least four letters of the English language) but would like to add at no time have I ever claimed there was any law broken. In fact, my previous post on playing hardball deals with the political strategies, not any legal liability. I don't believe there's anything illegal about using the shadows of "anonymous" to plant a pitchfork in the back of one's political rivals. I do think the folks doing the pitching, however, should face the consequences when people find out what they've done.

Does this mean Alex is a lock to retain his post as Chairman of the Summit County GOP? The conventional wisdom must be that any interference from the opposition such as Wayne's actions ought to help, especially in an environment where it pays to be paranoid. Critics of Arshinkoff's rule offer a grudging admiration of how this plays to his advantage, telling me they marvel at his ability to re-focus the debate away from their questions and attacks on his performance.

What is interesting is the political junkies here in Summit County are getting a rare, more open look at the kind of back-stabbing that goes on as the players in the game pitch hardball; it's the world we pretend is the poison of Washington politics right here at home.

Pigs In Mud

The phrase "play hardball" isn't just about America's unique game; it denotes the winner-take-all mentality and whatever it takes to win mindset we voters love in our sports teams but say we don't want from our elected leaders -- but the results speak differently.

Supporters of Presidential candidates employ a constant mantra of apologies and resignation for ill-tempered, foolish outbursts designed to grab 20 seconds of air time; the candidates themselves play political pinball evading denunciation of the nonsense that erupts from the lips of friends and family, trying not to give aid to their enemies while spanking the exuberance of their allies.

A powerful state's Governor fades into exile after investigators of money-laundering hit the mother lode of sex, money and power -- even to the point of wiretapping the bedroom and phone calls of lovers. We've learned nothing from the kill 'em all impeachment pain of ten years ago. Everyone loses, but the powers-that-be continue to think as long as they lose less they win.

The latest chapter in the Summit County "Elephant Wars" battle between Alex Arshinkoff and Kevin Coughlin has now officially turned into a three-ring circus; a menage a trois of local political heavyweights that now includes Democrat Party boss Wayne Jones, thanks to his behind-the-scenes no-longer "anonymous" sniping at Arshinkoff. Both AkronNewsNow.com and the Akron Beacon Journal have provided quite a chronicle of the spectacle, a not normally seen view of what happens behind closed doors on an unfortunately fairly routine basis.

I was reminded of all this when going over some of our recent coverage, of all things, from Winter Haven and the Indians getting ready for the 2008 campaign. Manager Eric Wedge -- now with two children, a Manager of the Year award tucked in his belt and that oh-so-close season last year says he tells his players the game "Isn't your life; it's not your wife."

This is not to say Wedge doesn't want to win; it's pretty apparent he wants to bring that World Series gold to fans and a community spending far too much time as the butt of jokes from outsiders. It is a reflection of a man who's come to terms with the things that really matter in life and the journey it takes to get there. Former Indians third baseman and now Mahoning Valley Scrappers Manager Travis Fryman tells a similar tale of how the game almost destroyed his marriage, his family, and the life he worked so hard to build. Only when he realized the destructive power of such single-minded pursuit was he able to turn things around and save the people closest to him.

I admire Wedge, Fryman, and the entire Indians organization for their pursuit of a championship while keeping an eye on the core values they believe will get them to the promised land. The mindset clearly filters from the top office to the players, even down to the folks who keep the machinery of baseball's business rolling in the background, away from our view.

What does it say about Summit County's level of discourse when the whispering campaigns of political abuse, campaign shenanigans and even sexual preference (and that brush doesn't just paint one side, I must add) leak out as "evidence" placed in "anonymous" Manila folders hand-delivered by a state employee from a party boss's law office to the state official? When Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, ultimately charged with determining what "competent" means, can hold such "evidence" in higher regard without the due process of holding hearings in the open before tossing aside the wishes of the citizens who elected their duly-appointed representatives?

This entire case speaks of Gulag-type kangaroo courts employed by Soviet-style tyrants; should Ohio's business of managing elections and political parties really come down to which side does a better job of Khmer Rouge-style slash and burn attacks or is our expectation that, once elected, our public officials do the people's business with dignity and responsibility without the stench of the partisanship that got them to the dance? At what point do the bricks really start flying toward the glass houses these holders of our public trust live behind, and do we as an electorate really want to see that kind of game? When it's our game being played don't we hold the way it is conducted as high as the results?

"It's not your life; it's not your wife," says a leader of men we cheer for to bring honor and a championship back to Northeast Ohio in a game designed for boys. There have been enough attempts, especially in the past nine months, to use sleazy, shadowy attacks behind the curtain of "anonymous" as if that somehow make the attackers clean in Summit County's game designed by old men.

It doesn't.

Wayne's World, Party On!

In my last blog I asked if Jennifer Brunner was hiding anything with repeated attempts to block making her deposition in the Summit County GOP's lawsuit against her public -- the answer is, maybe she should have.

This is not exactly a pretty sight; the Democrat Ohio Secretary of State explaining the advice she was getting from the Summit County Democratic Party finance boss on how to blow out the Republican Party Chairman from the local board of elections. This could turn into a real mess and a real headache for Brunner, who to date as managed to avoid the uber partisan label that helped tag Ken Blackwell into a think-tank gig rather than the Governor's Mansion. The transcript reads less than favorable; when the video gets out it'll be worse, especially as fodder for the next statewide election when Brunner will have to better explain why four Republicans were bad enough elections officials in Ohio's 88 counties but no Democrats?

Our story details just some of the issues arising from the transcript of Brunner's deposition, as well as a key part of the story which had been missing: who dropped off the "mystery package" from Mr. Anonymous that led so quickly to Arshinkoff's unseating? It now appears it was Brunner's man in Akron, local school board member James Hardy, who told us he did indeed deliver a package (he says he didn't know what was inside) from Wayne Jones to the Secretary of State's office in Columbus. From law office to Elections Officer, hand-delivery; great service if you can get it, and in this case local Democrats targeting local Republicans got the gold standard.

The most honest individuals in this case of a political knife-fight are the two who all of this really centers around: Arshinkoff says they're trying to ruin him (they are) and Jones proudly says yes he did want his bitter rival out and even hopes Arshinkoff and GOP challenger Kevin Coughlin "kill each other" in their fight for control of the Summit Republican Party.

This latest round of blasting away may have some unintended consequences; for Brunner, it casts a shadow on her ability to remain impartial and above the fray. For Arshinkoff, it may be just the ticket to alert Republican Central Committee members that the barbarians at the gate should be turned away and in turn his leadership retained at the top of the local party. This strengthens his charges that putting him in the cross hairs has been nothing but a Jones-inspired scheme to hold real control over both parties.

There's an old adage: if it waddles like a duck, smells like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's a duck.

Quack.

Is She Hiding Something?

The ruling yesterday by the Ohio Supreme Court denying the third bid by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to slip out of having her decision yanking Alex Arshinkoff off the Summit County Board of Elections speaks volumes -- even though the state's top elections officer wants to remain remarkably quiet.

The latest is the videotaped deposition by the Secretary where she has to answer questions from her detractors, namely Arshinkoff and the Summit County GOP on just what led her to take the unique position of removing him from the Board. Just what in particular did he do to warrant this action? Arshinkoff has many detractors, most objecting to what they say is his heavy-handed use of power (or abuse of power depending on your perspective) but any decision to tell any local party their choice can't serve must be followed up by a clear, public disclosure of what the issues were.

Arshinkoff, no stranger to the machinations of hardball politics given his history of trying to build patronage jobs loyal to GOP office holders, says his woes lie at the feet of nemesis Wayne Jones (also no stranger, one must add, to hardball politics) and the alleged conspiracy of state Democrat and local Democrat banding together to control Summit County's Republican Party.

Now I'm not saying Arshinkoff is right; but I am a firm believer in the observation that"...just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Does it strike anyone, honestly, as a stretch to think that Jones and other Democrat power-brokers would take advantage of more friendly ears in Columbus to rid themselves of a more-often-than-not over-the-top pain in the neck like Alex? From a political power building perspective, it absolutely makes sense they would work hard to minimize their opponent's impact and power base and clear the way for their slate of candidates (and issues and cronies) to do better at the ballot box and in the halls of government. That's not corruption; it's politics, played by adults who fully understand the stakes involved and what it may take to win.

Hopefully, now that the Ohio Supreme Court has decided yet again that sunshine pokes it's rays even into the Secretary of State's decisions, we'll get an honest and clear review of just what's in that file that caused Brunner to pull the trigger on Arshinkoff and the party's properly-elected representative to replace him.

Questions we'd like to see answered:

• Just what did she say in her deposition? We'd like to hear and see ourselves, not only the tape but a transcript as well;
• What role did local Democrats and State Senator Kevin Coughlin's camp play in desposing Alex from his empire, if any? They are clearly stakeholders in this fight -- Democrats in ridding themselves of a bitter rival, the New Republicans to benefit from Arshinkoff's diminished stature;
• Does that anti-Alex file include letters from Arshinkoff critics speaking for themselves or does it resemble more a Google search of newspaper articles? Example: should an opposite-party Secretary of State really base such a decision on the controversial Free Times article alleging trolling in Highland Square, or was her investigation more substantive than a collection of clippings?

The honeymoon on Brunner should be long past on forcing the process out in the open, much as it was when she explained her reasoning for replacing the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. In that case, she was able to make a clear and compelling case that their mismanagment put the state's largest block of voters at a disadvantage and hurt the system we need the most confidence in; but in the Arshinkoff case using as an excuse an abrasive and sometimes abusive personality should require more than just saying he's a jerk and other elected officials don't like him.

Can anyone imagine Republican Ken Blackwell getting away with removing duly-elected Democrat local party representatives from local political boards because they weren't liked? Just how long would those howls of indignation have lasted?

Death Penalty, GOP Wars and The Don's War Chest

The verdict is in from the jury: life in prison for Cameron Williams, no parole for 30 years the recommendation after more than a full day of deliberations. Despite the yapping from the pundits following the Bobby Cutts, Jr. case the decision to levy the ultimate is something no juror takes as an easy decision. A prominent member of local media, I am told, served as a member of the jury and it will be interesting to note his thoughts on the process behind the closed doors of the jury room once some of the dust settles.

- - -

There's a move afoot by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to put under lock and key her videotaped deposition in the ongoing fight over her decision to yank Alex Arshinkoff from the Summit County Board of Elections -- and deny the local GOP's choice as a successor, Brian Daley. Why? Shouldn't the voters who still have decisions to make in this ongoing saga get a more complete understanding of how she made her decisions, by what prompting, and with what evidence? The file on Arshinkoff ought to be displayed in public view as well so the people deciding his fate as chairman of the Summit County GOP -- those hundreds and hundreds of local Central Committee members -- gain a perspective on how their representative lost the post and why their choice to replace him didn't make the grade according to Brunner. Seeing her deposition and the tale told under oath may shed more light on whether charges of Democrat cronyism and intrigue between Akron Democrat bosses and the Statehouse hold water or are just hot air in a political fight to the death on the other side of the aisle.

- - -

The pain in Mayor Plusquellic's keester -- besides this blogger and others who attract his ire from time to time -- has most consistently been the American Friends Service Committee, which today unveiled a report charging the Mayor's 2007 re-election effort set a record for ignoring the campaign spending "reforms" Akron voters clearly put on the books. Here's a spreadsheet from the AFSC -- you'll need Excel or Open Office Calc to read it -- of the folks with deep pockets the group charges exceeded the $300 limit. I asked AFSC's Greg Coleridge about his definition of "fundraising season", since the Mayor's supporters have split those hairs in the past by insisting there are two seasons: primary and general election:

"The original law (Subsection B) titled “Fundraising Season” says that candidates for Mayor and Council can only raise funds for an election or re-election from December 1 prior to a General Election to the Thursday preceding the General Election. That’s one season. The limits established by the law (Subsection D) were $300 for mayor and at-large council and $100 for ward council. We believe when you add these 2 together, a candidate can only raise $300 or $100 maximum from any stipulated source (i.e. person, PAC, party and campaign committee, but not company) since the “season” encompasses both the primary and general elections. Hope this is clearer than mud."

The Mayor's office was quick to weigh in -- after all, this is becoming a routine with every city election:

"Every time there’s a campaign, Mr. Coleridge sings the same tune. Our law director has said repeatedly that Akron’s Code of Ordinances specifies that the campaign contribution limit is $300 per person, per election. That means per primary and per general election. In 2007, I was a candidate in both. The U.S. District Court found that the ‘fundraising season’ was unconstitutional. Coleridge agreed and stipulated in that court that it was unconstitutional, yet he continues to misrepresent and whine about this after every election."

I've always believed there are two election seasons, so a check for $600 ought to be legal when covering the two periods. To be fair, any candidate running for Mayor should err on the side of caution and get two checks -- one for the primary, one for the general, each for $300 -- if they want to make that argument, but then Greg is right on the money in one aspect: this stuff is all clearer than mud, and a great example of what happens when politicians and lawyers write laws covering themselves. Should have had a bricklayer do it -- at least it would stand up.

Post updated 5:29pm with Plusquellic response

Tuesdays With Alex

Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff did something he usually never does today: a sit-down with reporters, an actual, honest-to-God news conference to talk about the counting from his vantage point of Central Committee members who will decide the direction of the party.

This is the election that keeps on giving; members of the Central Committee will be the ones to elect the local GOP Executive Committee, which in turn elects the Chairman. That's the way it's been for the better part of three decades with Arshinkoff at the helm, either as the saviour of the local Republican effort or the devil taking the local party down (depending on your point of view.)

Just about a third of the more than 450 committee posts were contested in last Tuesday's primary election and Alex says his side picked up 87; he says rival State Senator Kevin Coughlin's troops took 72 with four still ties. No decision on when the Central Committee as a whole meets, says Arshinkoff, until the primary numbers are certified by the Summit County Board of Elections. When I spoke with Coughlin last Wednesday he expected such a meeting could come as early as the end of March but much depends on final counting at the BOE. Nice to see both sides agree on something here.

AkronNewsNow's Tina Kaufmann has posted her story here, complete with audio from Arshinkoff and Coughlin reaction. However, we can note a couple of things to watch for:

• Just how much of a battle can we expect over the four ties?
• Arshinkoff says a handful (seven) committee positions could actually be claimed by both sides as supporters -- folks on the Alex-Kevin fence;
• Just what will the rules be in the actual voting? Coughlin indicated he thinks he will pick up quiet support from members if they cast secret ballots.

All interesting issues to consider ahead of the next round in what we've been calling the "Elephant Wars" in this classic struggle for control of the party that realistically doesn't stand a chance of achieving dominant wins with half the county (Akron) still 9-1 in the blue but the suburbs more to the purple or red.

Summit County is important to state Republicans because it's one of those gateway counties; to the north lies the Democrat Fortress of Solitude in Cleveland, to the south the GOP's promised land of rolling hills, farms, and subdivisions. When Coughlin talks about how Summit GOP candidates should do better he's talking about the suburban races the Republicans actually have a chance of winning; when Arshinkoff talks about staying competitive he's really talking about keeping the Democrats at no more than 60-65% which means a Republican candidate has a chance when the 'burbs and rural areas start to kick in.

At least, that's been the model that worked for the past three decades -- maybe this year will be different with the first election since 1952 to feature a Presidential ticket led by candidates with virtually zero true government executive experience. Even in the Reagan v Mondale, Bush 41 v Dukakis and Clinton 2 v Dole races at least one of the candidates had a clue on what holding the big office really means -- statewide or nationally.

This election, though, is different. No clear decision on who has more real experience, no matter how many times Hillary's red phone rings at three in the morning and McCain draws on his heroic history. I get a sense from listening to supporters (and detractors) that this election has more to do with who the heart says to vote for instead of the brain, and that may be enough to short-circuit the traditional wisdom of how to build a winner in Ohio -- and make no mistake we've earned our role as a microcosm for the rest of the country. It is also why the 35% solution for the GOP in Summit County may be a strategy outdated by the unique nature of candidates we're expecting to choose based on whether they uplift, repulse, or follow despite core value misgivings.

Election Watching From Florida

Personal note to my pal Diana Keough in Atlanta: I know, I know...no posts post-election? Hold on a minute, there's a good reason -- sort of.

The reason is I've been workin' here in Winter Haven field producing WAKR's Ray Horner Show during Wahoo Week. We had the honor (thanks to the Indians) to call yesterday's 4-1 Cleveland-Atlanta spring game, unfortunately a near-no hitter broken up by Danny Sandoval with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Here's the call as Danny got the hit we were waiting for.

at right: The only reason I'm puffin' away on a Rocky Patel Sungrown puro is to chase away the mosquitos swarming the tent before the sun rises along the banks of Lake Lulu at the ballpark.

Kids, don't try the dangerous behavior at home...these things are best left to the professionals.

Our game broadcast was great fun, with Indians VP Bobby DiBiasio, Akron Beacon Journal Indians beat reporter Sheldon Ocker and Indians Network producer extraordinaire Jim Rosenhaus joining us for the coverage.

Wednesday was also hectic with WAKR's post-election coverage earlier that morning, with live interviews including County Executive Russ Pry, State Senator Kevin Coughlin, school officials from Stow, Coventry and Barberton as well as KSU's Steven Hook and UA's John Green. The Summit County GOP battle between Coughlin and Alex Arshinkoff (the "elephant wars") continue with the next 30-45 days critical in determining the direction the local party takes after the anti-Alex faction scored impressive wins in contested central committee races.

More later...back to slappin' skeeters...

Political Suck-Up

Tick Tick Tick...only hours, really, as the campaigns try to convince us they are our only hope. I'd normally says this is what separates the men from the boys but that's a tad bit outdated...

Chelsea brings a busload of Hillaristas to the University of Akron campus to showcase the "Women for Change Tour", all the big guns they can muster for that one last push in what is geographically the center of the Northeast Ohio war for the Democratic Presidential Nomination (DPN). It'll be interesting to see the contrast from Obama's six-thousand strong standing-in-the-cold crowd a week ago at the convention center named after Akron's most illustrious First Amendment journalist. Will it showcase his best appearance to win the hearts and minds on a campaign built on our jobs and wallets?

Bill Clinton came through the area today as part of the DPN push for Hillary; the campaign won't admit it but it is clear to the naked eye his contribution has been better relegated to smaller, more intimate events -- or they just wanted to avoid any repeat of South Carolina or that quickie quote ABC's Charlie Gibson pointed out a week ago, telling Hillary supporters Obama hasn't really been part of anything good in the recent past. Today the FFH (future or former First Husband based on how the vote turns out Tuesday) visited Wayne County and New Philadelphia as part of his tour along Routes 224 and 30 through the Heart of it All; four days to go and the best the ex-President gets is south of the voter-heavy snowbelt? What a difference three months make since those snows of Iowa...

Obama is holding another Town Hall meeting, of all places in Parma, a city with a rick history of not seeing there really isn't a difference between black and white on so many levels. It is a hotbed of Democrat politics (to be a Republican in Parma is living in Seven Hills) and Hillary's best support has some from older Democrats, according to some of the demographic analysis of Ohio voters we've seen. Will he outdraw the First Daughter and FFH?

Best voting bribe so far: Eat'n Park is offering free coffee to anyone sporting an "I voted" sticker Tuesday. A voting stub will work, too if you remember to ask for one.

Back Home -- And Voting

Yes, it's been an extended hiatus away from the blog keypad for yours truly, as my friend Diana Keough in Atlanta (formerly The Plain Dealer) so kindly reminded me over pasta and salad during lunch last week. Those newspaper people -- deadlines, always deadlines! I must note, however, that Southern living agrees with her; she looks younger!

Random thoughts:

- I took advantage of the early voting in Summit County today (it would be cheating to say who) but one thing struck me as potentially confusing for some: when you cast your votes for your favorite Presidential candidate, note you are choosing delegates to the national convention. It isn't exactly rocket science to figure it out but I wouldn't be surprised if some were distracted because they're just looking for a "vote for this candidate for President" line instead of choosing delegates to the convention.

- that said, what a Godsend early voting is! At last report over the weekend 15,000 were expected with 10 days to go and folks at the Board of Elections (all smiles and helpful, by the way-- good job!) told me they figure the crush will really be on when the weather gets better and more people figure out they can do their duty today without worrying about a week from now.

- flying into Atlanta last week I was struck by all the empty truck shipping depots on the arrival into the airport runway zone, but of course the rest of Atlanta seems like an orgasm of construction cranes, highway expansion and economic development. How unlike Northeast Ohio.

- three days away from the phone where every surrogate, public interest group or soul with an opinion has been calling to pitch their piece of wisdom on WAKR. It is a wonderful reminder of how incredibly narcissistic one must be to run for office, or at least their campaigns. That old practice of making sure there was a slave in Caesar's carriage whispering how fame and fortune are fleeting should be required personnel for any candidate.

- speaking of why you aren't hearing the former Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Development of Underwater Resources on the air waxing poetic about Hillary/Barack/John/Mike, it's been our practice to require candidates to actually speak for themselves first before we open the floodgates to all those well-meaning folks who want to speak on their behalf. This has worked well in limiting the "spin" on our station to real voters with an opinion rather than the professional campaign apparatus. In 2004 John Kerry was the only candidate to speak with us; maybe that's why the others just send invitations to these canned photo ops posing as a campaign voters can use.

- watching all the fervor of this week's TV ads (and hearing them on the radio as well) reminds me how wimpy we've become as a nation when it comes to truly hardball politics; Hillary goes off on Barack because he says she loved NAFTA once but now scorns it because she's running for President this time (instead of her husband, who followed up Bush 41's lead and got NAFTA passed way back before it became organized labor's rallying cry.) This is hardball? This stuff draws tears, sharp breaths, and angry fist-shaking? Too bad Andrew Jackson's not around to recount suffering bigamy charges, Grover Cleveland's to recount smears over his alleged illegitimate child, or even Ohio's Warren Harding to discuss the Shadow of Blooming Grove whispered racial lineage to show 'em some real dirty politics.

What's really counting for me on this eve of what we hope will be the final Democratic Presidential Debate: the YouTube vote. Obama Girl's got it running away, more than six million views to Hot4Hill's less than 1.3 million.



Here's what you've been missing from the pro-Hillary video:



And with that I figure Diana will be glad the next time I go two weeks without a post.

Justice

The pundits will now move on, the center ring slowly emptying outside the Stark County Courthouse as the snaking cables from live trucks are rolled back into their hiding places, ready to unfurl at a courthouse or crime scene to be named later. Bobby Cutts, Jr. is guilty.


The questions most of us will ask the jury will likely center on just what
they talked about during their 27 hours of deliberations -- about half as long as the total testimony they heard inside Judge Charles Brown's courtroom. How did they decide against finding for aggravated murder in Count One, the murder of Jessie Davis? Was is Bobby's tears or did they find plausible attorney Fernando Mack's opinion that the death was a horrible accident, the intersection of a powerful elbow and soft tissue?

What plays loudest in the follow-up to the State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is the apparent view of jurors forged by what seems to have been a lifetime behind closed doors, a dozen people charged with deciding life or death: the adults in this tragic play were held to a different standard than the one player who never had a voice to speak her side. Baby Chloe's only story could be told through the evidence, gruesome photographs simply too graphic to show on TV or the web. It was in consideration of her, two weeks shy of entering this world, that the jury found murder was more than just murder, it was enough to call aggravated and now triggers the next step.

The gag order continues for the lawyers and family members; no commenting, please, despite the calls coming in from New York to feed the media hunger when tonight's viewing audiences watch the evening after Nancy shared tragedy of school killings, OJ's girlfriend and other cases with her babies in the studio to spend some of Valentine's Day with mom. The so-called penalty phase will determine the measure of justice for Bobby Cutts, to be spelled out by the still promise of his unborn daughter.

Pimping For The Truth

A sad day indeed as reporters walk on eggshells and contemplate acting as robots watching the news unfold because political campaigns are much better at using words to cynically manipulate the press. The issue: just when does "pimping" come into play?

I ask this question as Chelsea Clinton is scheduled to take a stage and podium (and likely a microphone, too) to campaign for Mom at the University of Akron. We've all seen the hue and uproar stemming from MSNBC's David Shuster unfortunate slip of the tongue in describing the use of Chelsea to make support phone calls to fat cats as "pimping", and Hillary's camp wrapping themselves in the flag of protective political motherhood to protest such a term being used to describe young Chelsea. It was a fine display of a political protection order, cowing the Ohio media lest we lose the 18th debate between Hillary and Obama. Leave my little girl alone!

At 28.

Double standard here because the Clintonistas are much better at bullying the debate than others? After all, most of us had a snicker or two at Billy Carter's beer belly in the 70s, Mama Carter's occasional pronouncements, the derring-do of Bush 41's progeny (including now-43) and Roger Clinton's occasional snorts with the law. The media, for the most part, leaves the children of Presidents alone with a few exceptions (such as boozy Bush daughters employing the typical rites of passage that come with college life; Chelsea herself had a few run-ins along those lines as well with the British tabloids) but for the most part the rule has been under 18, keep it clean.

Happier days in the big house


But Chelsea's not 12 anymore, the age when Dad moved the family to 1600 Pennsylvania; she's not in college anymore, as the Bush twins were; she's earning her own living, making her own way, and stumping for Mom like there's no tomorrow.


Except when she's treated like an adult, and then it's hands-off my daughter!

Just what IS the definition of pimping for political purposes? Let's be honest: these candidates and their families know full-well what comes with putting everyone on the platter for public consumption during the obligatory "we are family" moments. Spouses and children are part of the display, part of the show, part of the sell to convince voters that O, and H, and J, and B are all regular folk with regular family lives.

But they aren't. Your kids, most likely, aren't part of the process when you make a presentation to your boss or board of directors. Unless I miss my guess most kids aren't calling big donors and appearing on candidates behalf at fundraisers and business events. Families take pains to keep those worlds separate, and for good reason: this is rough trade, asking for our votes. We expect campaigners to talk with us, answer questions, and make the case on why we should vote for Mom or Dad.

John Kerry's kids did it four years ago; the Kennedy's do it so much we take it for granted; the Bush nieces and nephews and grandkids do it on camera during national conventions; McCain's daughter has a running blog that drives his buttoned-up campaign staff crazy.

It's time to acknowledge a truth in this campaign: Chelsea isn't a teenager anymore, she's just like us: an adult, pushing a product, trying to get us to love that product enough to vote for her March 4th.

Welcome to politics, where one puts another on display to gain a benefit. To sell or not to sell, still the question.

Not A Good Night's Rest

The jury heads home for the night -- as long as you consider home a hotel paid for by the State, a location where they've set up dinner for everyone at the same time. No side trips to the Bell for a quick burrito, no slipping out to Rockne's even for a Firestone salad.

Chris Keppler has an excellent sidebar posted on AkronNewsNow on what it's like for the men and women making up the jury hearing the murder case against Bobby Cutts, Jr. It's no picnic and it is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives regardless of what their verdict is.

Right now the decision is of guilt or innocence; the jury could accept the manslaughter charge, it could find aggravated murder or it could even acquit; these things are never the guarantees the pundits expect them to be. How many times have you turned on those programs and gotten an earful of "wow, what a surprise!" from the experts?

Tina Kaufmann was clearly exhausted after all the adrenalin of courtroom coverage the past seven days; last night she was on Fox with Greta, tonight she's on CNN Headline with Nancy. Eric Mansfield tells me MSNBC has been calling him as well and I know Phil Trexler's phone has been also ringing off the hook at the Akron Beacon Journal during his coverage of the story. I believe the local reporters have done a credible and responsible job reporting what's been happening in the courtroom, and note the public interest in this case hasn't hijacked the coverage to the point where we've seen a Judge Ito moment (or a Cochran or Clark moment from the lawyers, either) and justice seems to have been served well by the broadcast and webcast coverage of the trial. Even the usual suspects have been keeping their eyes on the ball and presenting the story in fairly straightforward terms and tone.

Another day of deliberations start bright and early for the jury and given tonight's forecast they can at least be thankful someone else is taking care of their ride into work tomorrow morning.

Will Tears Work?

In a stunning reversal of strategy the defense team for Bobby Cutts, Jr. put their client on the stand to plead his own case to the jury considering the capital murder case against him.

Fernando Mack's thoughts may have been the testimony in the prosecution's case may have been so damning last week that the defense had only once chance to keep Cutts out of the death chamber, and that was to make the jury feel sorry for him. After five straight days of graphic testimony and images surely seared in the brains of the jury will this afternoon's tears be enough to put the benefit of a death-row doubt in their hearts?

Cutts painted a confusing picture of Jessie's last night on earth, complete with another woman and claims he accidentally killed her when his elbow caught her in the throat. He could barely answer questions during the defense testimony without breaking down and crying but now that the prosecution is asking questions he's noticeably guarded in responding to the State. As a cynic I question the changing mood, but also admit he may simply be emotionally drained at this point after two hours before the cross examination begins.

If it was the decision of the defense team to put Cutts on the stand -- what a risky move. Just about any defense attorney you speak with will note the absolute worst thing most defendants can do is open their mouths, especially with the chance for prosecutors to take aim and come after their target and that's exactly what is happening now with a question on whether Cutts had a cold because prosecution lawyers really didn't see any tears. That may be enough to plant the seed in a wavering juror's mind to question what he or she has just witnessed as to whether it was sincere and the truth. If no, the strategy backfires in the worst possible way but then many question whether Cutts has anything to lose.

Ethics Question: When Is It Enough?

Quite a bit of discussion this morning in the newsroom on the graphic testimony from Dr. Lisa Kohler, the Summit County Medical Examiner, on the condition of Jessie Marie Davis' body when it was discovered after nine days of exposure. This is coverage you will not hear on our radio stations, and that's our choice.

The audio from today's testimony in Stark County Common Pleas Court in The State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is very specific and not at all atypical of what any Medical Examiner or Coroner would testify to on the condition of a body and resulting autopsy procedure; anyone who's watching any of the CSI programs can figure that out. The difference is real versus Hollywood, and whether it really matters that those of following the Cutts case through broadcast reports (radio and television) should hear this testimony.

We will not use the graphic, disturbing autopsy audio on our broadcast reports. This material (condition of organs, viewing of Jessie's unborn child, etc.) doesn't leave much to the imagination and for the purposes of the official court record that's a good thing. For the purposes of reporting the case to the general public outside the courtroom, however, I'm not sure it is appropriate.

The testimony, while necessary for the jury, can be paraphrased for the sake of an audience that doesn't have the ability to control whether or not they hear or see it. If you are monitoring the case through online reports, you are in control of listening; when you are in the car a "...this graphic audio may be disturbing..." with a two-second warning to hit the switch offers little if in fact no choice at all for the listener.

The key issue in Kohler's testimony is not the condition of the body; we get that. If you don't, wait until summer and perform your own experiment by leaving dinner outside for nine days. The key issue is just why it has been so difficult for the experts to pinpoint the exact cause of death, and those questions can be answered in a fashion that doesn't require us to have advanced medical degrees or a lust for the excessively disturbing. It's a criminal trial, not another episode of the SAW movies.

Bottom line: if you want to hear it, you choose to click on the link; if you are in the car, washing the dishes, or listening at work we don't need to invade your space with the nitty-gritty. The content depends on the context it is presented in this case, and our judgment is to err on the side of the listener.

That difference of control is paramount.

Akron's New World of Politics

Everybody has an opinion. Why not share it?

The experiment continues on Ohio.com's The Point political blog which raises questions on just what the role of blogging is and what should it be this election cycle? Even though half of the team is operating under editorial restrictions because of "old media" ethical considerations, just when does the "new media" part kick in?

Mind you, I freely admit on my blog I hate the term "new media"...because I don't consider blogging "new" by any stretch, and much of what's new comes out of "old media", AKA mainstream media. The field of commenting on politics is hardly new; Thomas Paine figured it out hundreds of years ago. Thank Gutenberg for the first giant leap toward making the media the business we can all share in.

The only thing remotely fresh here is the use of a new platform (the Web) in spreading the ideas and words to a broader audience.

LINK to the AkronNewsNow blog with audio of this morning's interview

When we were setting up this morning's interview segments with Ben Keeler and Kyle Kutuchief on WAKR's Ray Horner Show part of the fun was the ongoing discussion with both Ben and Kyle on just what's going on here; do we consider the Web and projects such as The Point and even Cleveland.com's defunct Wide Open competitors?

My response: no. As noted before, you don't add to a discussion by subtracting voices and ideas. Adding alternate viewpoints to the political mix in Akron can only be healthy, especially given the one-party rule of the City and what looks increasingly like one-party rule of the County as well with the exception of a handful of offices.

What I find fascinating is the simple power of blogs to stimulate thinking; even with the restrictions posed by Ben's candidacy for the Summit GOP Central Committee, Alex Arshinkoff's objections and Ohio.com's ground rules after the flap he's still able to articulate his views on his own website The Keeler Report; Kyle certainly has the same opportunity to handle his opinions both on Ohio.com as well as his own independent website The Chief Source he administers with six others. It's the free flow of information that drives the American political process, and what the web had clearly done is to take the flow from the fingers of the few and expanded the reach more democratically.

It powers Senator Kevin Coughlin's attempt to unseat Arshinkoff with his New Summit Republicans site, allowing him and his supporters greater reach. Arshinkoff supporters have the same opportunity with their Keep Summit County Republicans Strong site but now instead of limiting the debate to those who can finance the printing presses and broadcast transmitters anyone can utilize the technology to make a difference, no matter what their perspective may be.

Sitting On The 50

While Nature Girl and I sit on the couch watching the Super Bowl -- she's scanning cookbooks, I'm surfing the Internet and both of us are thinking: we should send Rupert Murdoch a nice note thanking the network for scotching any political ads the rest of the nation's 20+ states with primary and caucus votes coming up next week are likely watching.

The rest of our conversation in this spousal communication:

- What's the difference between a sack and a knockdown? Sack is when you still have the ball; knockdown is when they want to make you pay for getting rid of it a half-second earlier.

- Go online and see why the Danika Patrick video was too much for Fox to run! It isn't because of anything -- or lack thereof -- when she unzips her jacket. It has to do with the beavers the other models are showing and yes, I mean beavers (see the photo, left) in context with Ms. Patrick's observations on the charms of GoDaddy.com.


You might also want to take a moment to check out the director's cut of the White Light GoDaddy commercial as well; I'm over 50 but must admit those ads make me feel like 14 was worth it.

- Nature Girl's favorite commercial in the first half: when the Budweiser dog helps Hank the Horse reclaim his rightful place leading the Clydesdales hauling beer over America.

- Nature Girl's least favorite commercial in the first half: the Doritos ad where the guy sets a mousetrap and snacks on chips while waiting, only to have a man-sized mouse come out of the hole and beat the snot out of him. "Too violent," she says, but she didn't seem to think watching Tom Brady go down under a pile of Giants was too violent. She did like the GoDaddy beaver commercial, however, because they are cute.

- Where's Jerrod the Subway Guy, she wants to know? What kind of Super Bowl ads are these?

- I really liked the $40,000 commercial for the University of Akron; it was cool watching Luis Proenza toss around lightning bolts like he was auditioning for a Highlander sequel.

- FINALLY a halftime show worth a damn. The sound was a bit hollow -- and Tom Petty looks a bit too much like Gregg Allman with that beard for my taste -- but at least we didn't have to worry about middle fingers (Kid Rock) and Tom's jacket coming off.

Feeding The Habit

The litany of "thanks to me" releases are making their way into the newsroom as anyone who's anyone in Congress (the House, at least) trumpets their support of the economic stimulus package. Maybe this should also be called the "feeding the crack addict more crack" bill.

I know it's probably un-American to say this but this rush to give taxpayers $600 of their own money -- borrowed from their own tax refunds next year -- is exactly one of the reasons why the perception of the economy is trouble, trouble, and more trouble.

Just why are we tanking? The subprime mortgage crisis is a big reason, say the experts, with a half-million Americans losing their homes to foreclosure and more to come in 2008. What we're paying lip service to is that banks didn't do their jobs making sure the loans were repayable and the borrowers (that'd be us, folks) didn't quite grasp the American Dream actually had to be paid back. The lenders were the crack dealers and the consumers were the crack addicts.


Whatever happened to "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is?" or is that just the postscript on Better Business Bureau news releases?

The answer from Washington doesn't really ding the lenders and the scores of high-paid subprime geniuses who likely cashed in on huge bonuses during the greed-glory years, although the sinking stock prices are a nice reminder that stockholders still hold the bag. The answer isn't a call for a financial come-to-Jesus for consumers to wake up and realize adults do have to pay attention to the fine print and you really shouldn't expect to get something for nothing. The solution marked bipartisan: borrow from next year's taxes so people think they're getting a gift this year. You are likely excited at the prospect of hundreds of dollars by summer but as that check lands in the mailbox remember it's your money, so a couple of ideas ahead of the splurge:

YES, America is now a consumer and service economy but the health and welfare of Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sears and Macy's really isn't more important than your own economic health. Instead of making the plasma screen your top priority (thereby increasing the trade deficit) how about making your personal deficit a higher priority and paying down some debt? Not sexy, not as much fun but a better way to improve your personal finances in the long run.

SURE, consumer spending is important to jump start the economy but consider for a moment going to the grocery store, paying utility bills, making needed home improvements to improve the value of your home and maybe even taking those college classes you've thought of but couldn't afford are also "consumer spending", but a far better investment in you than in Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba.

SPENDING isn't a bad thing as long as you use smart think; would you buy that big-ticket item if you didn't get the $600 bucks and more importantly is it a question of want or is it a question of need? We've gotten to the point where American society is being defined by what we're buying instead of what we're doing and that's a step toward the Pax Americana signaling the beginning of the demise of the U.S. era.

It won't be a sudden overnight event; it'll take time, and the slide will be in cents rather than dollars until we wake up and find the banks all run by someone else overseas. Buy into the dealer's argument that we need the drug to keep the neighborhood alive and the only one who prospers is the dealer, and even then without the customers in the long run he won't have much of a future. Blowing our own money in a gigantic consumer spending orgasm this summer is a down payment not on a stronger economy but just a momentary fix until the next pangs of hunger strike.

Do Bloggers Get A First Too?

Here it is Monday and we still can't get "The Point" -- at least today, but it IS coming back, so what's the point? It's the First Amendment.

The editors down on Exchange and South Main now say they will restore The Point, the political blog on Ohio.com's new politics website that's been on hiatus since it was yanked off the web after Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff launched complaints that blogger Ben Keeler shouldn't be able to make his point since he (Keeler) is a candidate for the county GOP Central Committee on the slate that wants to give Arshinkoff the heave-ho. Thanks for getting open debate opened up again.


This may sound very confusing but in reality it's pretty simple: just how willing is the media to extend the First Amendment to those who contribute political content online, and what unique power to stifle debate should politicians have?

Arshinkoff's argument (we can only surmise since Alex isn't talking for himself, as usual) is that Keeler is biased since he's openly running on the New Summit Republicans platform to make a change in the county GOP. That bias is no surprise since Keeler made the point openly and honestly in his own blog from Day One. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished because Keeler was shut down, according to management's original posting, after Arshinkoff complained.

Their point is that someone might argue paying the bloggers might constitute support from the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com despite the frequent disclaimers posted all over the blog posts and site on how neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are responsible.

What is interesting is how this hasn't really surfaced beyond a couple dozen blog notes, this one included, in questioning why a media organization (in this case the Beacon Journal, owner of Ohio.com) didn't use the occasion to respectfully remind Alex of Keeler's right to his own opinion and political views as not only a blogger but also as a candidate, and encourage Arshinkoff to use the occasion to respond or challenge Keeler directly.

In their own terms of use the new political feature on Ohio.com notes it doesn't "...control, and is not responsible for, any Content made available through the Site by members." Doesn't Keeler's opinion and the thoughts of fellow bloggers and responses fall into that category? The Point's very own disclaimer also makes it clear Keeler and opposing view blogger Kyle Kutuchief have their own opinions and neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are tied to any opinions or endorsements.

Alex Arshinkoff is absolutely right to note Keeler's bias (just as Keeler did himself) as a matter of his personal opinion, but using the complaint to pull the blog is the absolute wrong decision by the folks at Ohio.com, which should be commended for encouraging open debate and discussion on public issues and setting up a site devoted to politics.

Critics of the way things are done in Summit County often talk about how we in the media fail to illuminate the shortcomings of the elected and powerful, relegating the real decision making to power lunches at the Portage Country Club or downtown restaurants known as political watering holes. Anyone taking in a tasty bite at Bricco can attest to the movers and shakers who meet over a plate (full disclosure: me included) to talk strategy. This decision only reinforces and gives credence to that criticism.

I'm glad the posting will start up, sometime next week according to the update. In the meantime how about not losing sight of the fact that the real point is to generate enough heat to shed light on the way the people's business is decided?

(First Amendment image from www.reedexpo.com; it's a t-shirt from booksellers promoting the First Amendment and you can buy it for $25 bucks through this link.)

Political Math 101

We've become so desperate to bend over backwards on what's "fair" that we've forgotten the central issue in politics is the exchange of ideas -- and to let the chips fall where they may.

The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com went through this exercise recently when it took down it's political blog exchange when it was revealed one of the bloggers supported candidates with their wallet; now the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com are in the middle of it.

The ABJ's efforts should be commended; building a website to encourage political debate is a good thing. Providing commentary from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints is exactly the point, and those who opine shouldn't be disqualified from doing so because they take their politics personally, even to the point of working as candidates.

If Ben Keeler feels strongly enough to take not only an editorial stand on the web but also to put his time, money and effort into that passion -- and is honest and transparent to his readers -- isn't that the greater good of the political debate?

There's a big irony here in that Keeler and the Ohio.com blog are placed on hiatus because Alex complained to the editors behind the scene while the blogger in question was open about his stand.

The political debate in Akron isn't helped by shutting down the conversation between opposing parties. The editors at the Beacon Journal should realize the chairman of the county party, his supporters and his opponents should (and can) speak up for themselves, just as Keeler does.

Consider this political free speech math: you can't add to the debate by subtracting voices.

Ohio's Worst Case Political News

Geez, this took it's own sweet time.

The Plain Dealer reports that Dennis Kucinich has ended the months of white-hot speculation (OK, so I admit to a teeny bit of sarcasm) and confirmed he's dropping out of the race, considering his next steps and desires to remain in Congress. The breaking news on cleveland.com's entry by Mark Naymik includes audio of Kucinich.

Which of these things did we NOT think was coming?

So far the race for the district house seat has been dominated by Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman's funny jabs at the Kucinich travel record, namely he's off talking about the rest of America far more than he's at home working on behalf of Cleveland and the western suburbs. Dennis faces multiple challengers in the primary and the next six weeks are likely to be highly entertaining as he strives to re-establish his roots with his core, which given the politics of the district isn't likely to be too much of a stretch.

As a former West Park resident who used to engage in spirited discussion with my neighbors on the merits of Dennis (they've long since passed away, thank God, and don't have to witness this spectacle), it has always fascinated me how much loyalty the Boy Mayor continued to generate; the most-often reason to support him didn't have a thing to do with his political stand but had everything to do with his reputation as a guy who didn't swallow the party line from anyone.

I guess tilting at windmills still works in some neighborhoods.

Welcome back, Dennis. Sorry to say this ends northeast Ohio's position as a presidential punk'd tag line but at least we have another political car wreck to watch closer to home.

We've All Been There

There's been plenty said today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day but by far the funniest clip on such a somber occasion is the New York Post piece catching former President Bill Clinton snoozing away during a chuch service in the Big Apple.

Headline: "Bill Has A Dream".

You've GOT to watch this one...even though it takes awhile to settle down and properly buffer.

To be fair Bill's not the young man he used to be -- but the shot of him waking up to check his watch is worth an extra snicker. Just how these candidates (and former candidates) manage to NOT do this more often is a constant wonder to me; at the very least it should be considered cruel and unusual punishment to put anyone who's had to sit through a State of the Union from these guys to endure a speech from anyone without a proper nap.

Thanks to the NY Post for the photo, too.

Sorry Dan, You're Off-Base

This is very inside media baseball but does anyone besides me wonder why this kind of stuff is news?

From Romenesko, a widely-read media columnist at the Poynter Institute comes word of this interview published in the Sacramento Bee with NPR's Daniel Schorr:

"I'm glad I'm not 20 years younger," says NPR's Schorr
Sacramento Bee
"In my day, as a newspaper man, radio man and television man, I had the feeling I was telling people something they wouldn't otherwise know," says 91-year-old Daniel Schorr. "That's no longer true. I'm glad I'm not 20 years younger, because I'd be very discouraged. ...At my age, I look at [the media landscape] and say, 'Boy, I'm glad that's for other people.' I couldn't stand what's going on today."
Posted at 9:09:51 AM

Now I don't have any quibble with Daniel Schorr's ability to express his opinions; he's had a wonderful career of doing so extending beyond broadcast and print, but this is exactly the type of "when I was your age I walked 20 miles barefoot to school -- uphills both ways!" stuff that drives anybody younger than the speaker crazy.

Now I'm not going to speak for Schorr but I can imagine that when he was in his 20s, during the heyday of network radio and the rise of Edward R. Murrow and broadcast journalism's real birth during World War II, there were many grizzled newspaper veterans who scoffed at the media landscape then and noted how glad that funky thing in the box with wires was "for other people."

Hey, we're those other people!

Journalism's still important and the fact the "media" is accessed by more people, at more times, in more places than ever before in history is exciting. We're seeing the demise of the top-down editor driven brand of The Front Page make way for democracy in the truest sense of the word: voters and non-voters alike search for and find the stories they are interested in, and communicate with each other using social networks and other means the architects of big-media business models could hardly imagine a decade ago.

Musical link: this is like Frank Sinatra in the 40s (just look at those girls!); Elvis in the 50s(those hips are the sign of the devil!); The Beatles in the 60s(that hair!); The Bee Gees in the 70s (disco? You're kidding, right?); The Clash (those damn kids again); Run DMC (hip-hop?) and every other style trendsetter that set teeth chattering in any head with a touch of gray.

Get over it. It's the natural progression; how about less whining about how horrible things are now compared to the way things were and more faith in the generation next in line?

The Magic of Get Go

Nature Girl and I went hunting for cheap gas today (she's not a big football fan) and hit upon a true miracle of marketing: Giant Eagle's "Get-Go" convenience stores and the possibility of huge growth for the Pittsburgh-based grocery store chain.

Besides getting cash off based on grocery purchases they also have car washes called "Wet Go"; what a concept! Just imagine the potential for expansion!

- add an Internet cafe called "Net Go";
- why not slots and wagering for "Bet Go";
- looking for loans? There's always "Debt Go";
- let's not forget a travel agency: "Jet Go";
- opera fans can get their tickets through "Met Go";
- dog grooming has a home with "Pet Go";
- once Fido's trimmed a doctor's visit is a quick stop at "Vet Go";
- check out the guitar shrink at "Fret Go".

Of course, if none of these ideas ever work out there's always: "Let Go", which may be the final word but I'm sure you have some I've missed...feel free to add.

Elephant Wars Heat Up

We're set new lows in the battle for control of Summit County's GOP; now we may see more hardball as both sides ramp up for the March central committee elections.

When's the last time you saw THAT in a lead?

I spoke with State Senator Kevin Coughlin, who called to ask me about a conversation with long-time county chairman Alex Arshinkoff. I reported last August on a Saturday morning call when I asked about some of the charges Coughlin and the New Summit Republicans leveled at the current GOP leadership. Of particular interest was Alex's comment on why he didn't field a candidate to challenge Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, then-running against fellow Democrat Joe Finley with clear sailing ahead in the general election.

I thought Alex's point was well-taken, that he didn't push a Republican challenge because Akron would benefit with Plusquellic in a position of influence with Columbus statehouse executive offices under Democrat control and a strong likelihood the White House would see a change in power as well. That bit of honesty may cost Arshinkoff, however.

Coughlin wanted to let me know the report -- in addition to similar comments made to others -- could form a basis of a challenge to remove Arshinkoff from the county executive committee.

Here's how it would work: the anti-Alex camp believes he violated the county party's by-laws, as filed with the Secretary of State's office, over language that calls for members to get the boot for supporting candidates who don't have the party's official stamp. That would certainly be Plusquellic, and in an ironic twist they say it's exactly the same strategy used by Alex years ago to have former Fairlawn Mayor Pete Kostoff removed (for supporting Wayne Jones' bid to unseat Republican incumbent Don Robart in the hotly-contested Cuyahoga Falls Mayor's race) from the GOP Executive Committee.

Following along? In a nutshell the charge is that by giving Plusquellic a free pass -- and even telling me the reason shows support -- should be enough to remove Arshinkoff from office.

The New Summit Republicans lawyers will huddle over the weekend to decide strategy; they may ask Arshinkoff to step down for violating his own rules, something Alex would certainly reject. The next step would be to take the case in front of a judge (after all, the by-laws are mandated by state law) or even ask Ohio's top elections official, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, to order Arshinkoff removed.

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All of this hasn't even risen to boil level yet; the undercurrent of story commenting on the Akron Beacon Journal (through Topix) has been particularly personal and vile, aided no doubt by the ability to log-in and post anonymously or even using someone else's name. Eric Mansfield reports on a particularly graphic and nasty YouTube video making the rounds that drags up sexual orientation, martial fidelity and other mud (I agree with one commenter on YouTube: this one looks like it came out of Democrat quarters...) and both sides are already flying with charges and counter-charges of dirty tricks, fake mailings, vicious personal email attacks under false names and far worse.

- - -

The circus-like atmosphere of this challenge to Arshinkoff's authority -- coming from Coughlin -- is just scratching the surface. What may be lost in this is an honest discussion the party should be having: what's the definition of success for the GOP in Summit County, at what cost and with what face? Arshinkoff is a powerful force in local and state politics aided by his longevity, his amazing fundraising ability and his take-no-prisoners strategy in past races. But he's had some episodes of Nero-like excess, such as threatening those who dare question his leadership; that includes blasting local judge, the United Way (was Mother Theresa busy that weekend?), this week's public shouting match with fellow Board of Elections member Jones and other bizarre personal incidents that lead even his supporters to shake their heads. Coughlin has been one of the region's more consistent GOP names and performers despite the tag he's a little too ambitious; he's managed to put together his own faction within the local GOP that can ignore the bluster from the Arshinkoff wing and win without their help.

A dangerous thing, such independence from the county machine. Sheriff Drew Alexander is unusual in that he stands above that fray, seemingly immune to the entreaties and barbs from either side, the truly non-partisan public official. Coughlin could have taken that route, let Alex play in his own sandbox, but he tells me he can't stand what's happened to the local party and it needs to change to grow, prosper, and win.

- - -

The New Summit Republicans appear, on paper at least, to fall short of their goal but expect them to go head-to-head with Arshinkoff loyalists on filings for the central committee. A real key to this fight will be whether Alex is confident enough in his own game to allow the committee members an honest shot at deciding this contest, without manipulating meetings and the process, with a secret ballot in voting for the executive committee (and, by proxy, the chairman's job). Not surprisingly, his critics say that's the one thing he should be most afraid of because without the power to identify and punish he won't survive an honest accounting. That power play will come after the March primary vote with those hundreds of committee positions on the line.

Ted's Death Row Test

I was struck by the depth of consideration Governor Ted Strickland gave John Spirko, the Death Row inmate who has big-city help in trying to overturn his execution sentence for the murder of western Ohio postmaster Betty Jane Mottinger in 1982.

I think it's important to make sure her name is included in the first paragraph of this story rather than as an afterthought.

Rather than rubber-stamping an expected politically correct call to give Spirko a pass the Governor fully explains just why it'll be life in prison for a killer rather than the needle.

“John Spirko was convicted, by a jury, of a heinous murder. At times, when he wasn’t denying having committed the murder, he appears to have admitted doing so. Ohio and federal trial, appellate and supreme courts reviewed his conviction and upheld it. Alibi claims and claims regarding evidentiary weaknesses, including more recently developed theories and interpretations of evidence, were considered by those courts and rejected. In addition, Governor Taft and I granted Mr. Spirko, collectively, seven reprieves to allow for the analysis of DNA related to the case. Once completed, these DNA tests neither exonerated Mr. Spirko nor implicated him or anyone else.

The Ohio Parole Board twice unanimously recommended against clemency for Mr. Spirko. Most recently, in 2005, six members of the Board recommended against clemency and three recommended that Mr. Spirko be allowed time to exhaust newly developed legal theories in the courts. Mr. Spirko was ultimately allowed that opportunity and his claims were rejected. Mr. Spirko’s claims that his own lies led to his conviction for an offense that he did not commit are unpersuasive in the face of the judicial scrutiny this case has received. Nonetheless, I have concluded that the lack of physical evidence linking him to the murder, as well as the slim residual doubt about his responsibility for the murder that arises from careful scrutiny of the case record and revelations about the case over the past 20 years, makes the imposition of the death penalty inappropriate in this case.

In making this determination, my staff and I conducted a thorough review of the judicial decisions associated with this matter, the Adult Parole Authority’s reports and recommendations, letters received in the Office of the Governor and by the parole board, the arguments and exhibits presented at the Parole Board hearing, the arguments presented by Mr. Spirko’s counsel in favor of clemency, recordings of various interviews, relevant photographs, newspaper analyses of this matter and Mr. Spirko’s institutional mental health records.

Based on this review, I have decided to commute Mr. Spirko’s sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.”

Here's the Governor's official order in the Spirko case:

Warrant of Commutation of Sentence

John Spirko, Jr., #A171-433 was convicted of the crime of Aggravated Murder with a Death Penalty Specification and sentenced by the Van Wert County Common Pleas Court to death.

Mr. Spirko is currently incarcerated in the custody of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and is scheduled to be executed on January 24, 2008.

I find that Mr. Spirko’s claim that his own lies led to his conviction for an offense that he did not commit is unpersuasive in the face of the judicial scrutiny this case has received.

I also find that the lack of physical evidence linking Mr. Spirko to the above-mentioned murder, combined with the slim residual doubt about his responsibility for the murder arising from a careful scrutiny of the case record and revelations about the case over the past 20 years, makes the imposition of the death penalty in this case inappropriate.

Accordingly, I direct that the sentence of death of John Spirko be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

I signed this Warrant of Commutation on January 9, 2008, in Columbus, Ohio.

It's noteworthy the Governor's commutation order so strongly considers the DNA evidence as neither clearing nor implicating Spirko, something missing from most of the media coverage (notably the Plain Dealer) which centers on the evidence not linking Spirko to the murder of Mottinger, whose body was found in a Findlay area soybean field six weeks after she was kidnapped, without noting it doesn't really clear him, either.

It is interesting to note Spirko escapes the death chamber because we think he did the deed but we're not sure enough to allow the sentence to be carried out.

The Governor's reasoning is plainly and clearly expressed and while it may not be a full endorsement of withholding lethal injection for any prisoner (it is important to note there have been a pair of executions in Ohio under Strickland's term: James Filiaggi and James Newton) it comes at the time when the U.S. Supreme Court weighs arguments on whether lethal injection poses "cruel and unusual punishment" enough to order different methods or procedures to be used.

Does Ohio Matter?

Sitting here watching the New Hampshire results:

- listening to the McCain supporters chant "Michigan, Michigan" will anyone be chanting for Ohio in March? We're two months away and in just a month "Super Duper Tuesday" may very well signal this whole thing is over with California and New York's rich plums still to be plundered;

- I'm struck by just how much everybody loves New Hampshire and I'm wondering just how many return as President (or otherwise) for a vacation? Do any of these professional-class politicians spend a day or two on a color tour in the fall without asking someone for a vote?

- With all the discussion on experience v change this popped in my mind: if you buy the argument the Clinton camp is making then shouldn't you be supportive of the son of a two-term Vice President and one-term President, the guy who was elected Governor of one of the nation's most populous and growing states, the fellow with degrees not only from Harvard but also Yale? If being the spouse with a ringside seat means you're more experienced than the candidate with more time spent actually serving in elected office then what's the weight of the second generation who actually served as a state's executive?

- with just about half of the precincts reporting from the Granite State it's a close race between Hillary and Obama...so did the softer, choking-back-tears work? Polls showed she was ten points down before "the moment" and voters may well decide she's human, too and the exit polling has women coming out for Clinton as they were supposed to in Iowa but the voting is still being tallied without big counts coming in from college-age voters;

- on CNN the pundits are really couching their conventional wisdom by saying even if she wins she loses because she had a big lead...but also she should be seen as a winner because she was ten points down 36 hours ago.

On to Michigan! On to South Carolina! Will there be a reason to vote in a presidential primary here in March?