Smitherman's Challenge

The first time I saw and heard Chris Smitherman was in summer 2003 at Sawyer Point. He was one of several unknown candidates stumping and answering questions for anyone willing to stop and listen. Leslie Ghiz, Nick Spencer, and Brian Garry were also there.

I remember being impressed with Smitherman and Spencer and not at all with Ghiz.

Smitherman came off as a genuinely good guy, a down-to-earth person with an almost nerdy interest in local issues balanced with youthful vigor and idealism.

Spencer was very well informed and seemed to have clear ideas about every issue that came up.

Ghiz ("rhymes with 'gee whiz'!") did nothing but recite anecdotes and chirp standard GOP talking points over and over. Sometimes they weren't even relevant to what was being discussed. She came off as someone who just moved into the city, didn't know anything about it, and picked up a pamphlet from the GOP office to decide her platform. Think of a less frightening and slightly more intelligent Jean Schmidt.

In the years since that forum, all 3 of these politicos have had varying degrees of success, but all 3 have lost credibility. Spencer, despite his huge personal commitment to the city, has a personality that rubbed too many people the wrong way. Ghiz's personality isn't much better. One day she's a lawyer, the next she's a petulant brat.

But perhaps most disappointing is Smitherman. The man who first seemed like anything but an ideologue has become just that: self-serving egomaniac who will say and do anything to get ahead. He could have chosen the path of Tyrone Yates, Eric Kearney, Catherine Barrett, or Mark Mallory. But he chose the easy way. The way of Jesse and Al, exploiting ignorance and racism to gain credibility through infamy.

As long as there is ignorance and racism there will be opportunities for those who would exploit them. And as long as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Chris Smitherman can continue to convince black Americans that they are helpless victims of oppressive white society, they will be able to further their own egos at the expense of people who deserve better.

That's Smitherman's challenge.

Whether Smitherman gets elected or not is irrelevant. The only thing he will do for black Cincinnatians is to help them re-elect him. He will come and go, and Cincinnati will still be two cities, one black, one white.

Bush to America: Law is for Suckers

Law School Reject Makes Another Legal Decision.

"I respect the jury's verdict," wrote Bush after ignoring the verdict completely.

"But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend 30 months in prison."

It's good to be the king.

A Peep of Sanity on MSNBC

MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski refuses to report on Paris Hilton:



Good for her. But I gotta ask, what the hell did she think she'd be reporting in a job with the corporate media?

(h/t Ickmusic)

Clark St. Blog Literary Recommendation

Picasso at the L'Apin Agile is a play by Steve Martin. Yes, that Steve Martin. The Jerk. The Man with Two Brains. The philosophy major and art collector.

The premise: Picasso and Einstein, young and on the cusp of greatness, meet at a bar in Paris. They see the world in different ways.

If you appreciate Steve Martin's unique comedic style, you'll like the play. And you don't have to take my word for it... Wes liked it, too (and he was lucky enough to see a performance).

Monzel Tries to Win Some Easy Points

Chris Monzel, once again displaying the same faux courage that only his talk-radio-listening supporters would applaud, proposed this week that Council rollback property taxes below the rate of property valuation.

Oh, my! You really went out on a limb there, didn't you, Mr. Monzel! Shall we erect a statue in honor of your courageous stance against property taxes?

"...it's not our money, it belongs to the taxpayers," said Monzel the Wise. Good point. Kind of like his council salary, which I presume he will return to the taxpayers. It's not his, after all.

Monzel's pathetic attempt to win easy points is about as impressive as, well, just about everything else Republicans have come up with over the past several years. What will he bravely propose next? Supporting the troops? Honoring Jesus? Women's suffrage?

If Monzel had assiduously studied tax policy and proposed a restructuring that would be more sensible for the city and individual homeowners in the future, that would be one thing. But this is just a lowbrow attempt to win favor with easily impressed voters. It's one step away from a Jeff Foxworthy joke.

And let's not overlook the benefit to corporate landlords. Is it really that hard to imagine that Monzel got a call from the real estate arm of PNC and Western Southern? They stand to gain millions in tax benefits. He cuts their taxes, they return the favor around election time. It's a classic corporate-Republican play: build a bakery for corporations and toss a few breadcrumbs to quiet the people. I'd be very interested if the Beacon or CityBeat can uncover a paper trail connecting Monzel's proposal with large landowners.

Cornhole Makes Front Page of Wall St. Journal

From today's WSJ:

The game, best known as cornhole but also called Bags or Baggo, has become a craze in recent years at bars, tailgate parties and church picnics in the Midwest. It's particularly popular in Cincinnati, where folks say it originiated more than 50 years ago as a backyard diversion, and has more recently grown popular in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee.

Know a bar/restaurant with a cornhole setup? Leave it in the comments.

I've Been Slimed!

No, not slimed... what's the word? Ah, yes, TAGGED.

Eight random facts about myself:

1. My mother was born in Asia, my father and sister were born in Africa, and I was born in N. America.

2. I spoke Swahili when I was a tyke. My family still uses the word "pili pili" to describe something that is spicy hot and not temperature hot.

3. I threw a good slider in high school.

4. I have excellent hand-eye coordination except for high-flying objects. As a result, I sucked at outfield, typically a pretty easy position. I had a bit of trouble with football kicks and tennis lobs, too.

5. Babies and animals always seem to like me.

6. I like watching cats being cats. They do funny things.

7. My all-time favorite show is probably M*A*S*H.

8. I appreciate people with artistic & musical talent, partly because I have so little.

Civil War? What? Where?

Iraqi vs. Iraqi...

Iraqi authorities have issued an arrest warrant against the Sunni culture minister and raided his home on Tuesday after he was accused of ordering an assassination attempt against a secular Sunni politician more than two years ago...

Now hold on there, you crazy liberals. Just because one Iraqi government official plots an assassination of another Iraqi official does not mean there is internal strife, much less civil war. This is not a sign that the war (our war, not the civil war, which, again, does not exist) is going badly. Rather, it is a sign that we should bomb Iran, as sensible neocon pundits recommend.

Again, there is no civil war. It's all Al Qaeda.

Bong Hits 4 SCOTUS? (UPDATED!)

In yet another 5-4 decision, SCOTUS has ruled against Alaskan high school tippler Joseph Frederick for his "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" sign. Here's a good review of the case.

As I understand it, the court ruled that his sign constituted a promotion for illegal substances and therefore did not qualify as free speech.

Let's be honest here. This case had nothing to do with free speech, drugs, or school authority over student behavior. This case was about the word "Jesus". Would there have been a case if the the word "Jesus" was replaced with, say, "Peace", "Buddha", or "Jerry Garcia"?

And why isn't it salient that Frederick was (a) not on school grounds, and (b) not at a school event? Can school principals suspend students for nutty conduct anywhere around town?

And I can't help but wonder how Kenneth Starr fits into all this. He represented the school principal, who was the defendant. Did the principal choose Starr? Did she pay his fee? If not, who did?

Legal experts say that this case is not that significant because the circumstances are so unique. They say cases about what students can write in the school newspapers and what they can say in assembly are more significant.

But looking beyond the trees of legality to see the forest of general society, isn't this case really about a young person's right to act like a damn fool? Isn't that what SCOTUS ruled against? Does anyone really think that, ten years from now, Frederick will still be standing around holding up silly banners?

No, that is something that immature adolescents do. When Frederick grows up he'll be a working stiff paying his bills and learning how to manage his finances. Isn't that what happened to the rest of us?

SCOTUS did not make a legal decision in Morse v. Frederick. They made a cultural decision, one that set parameters for what can be said within the framework of a Christian nation.

Insignificant? It's anything but.

UPDATE: According to the NYTimes, this WAS a school sponsored function. This basically changes everything. It's true Frederick was just being an idiot, but the principal was justified in taking action. The fact that Frederick decided to literally make a federal case out of it reinforces the notion that he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. The principal really had no choice but to take the case further with appeals. Frederick dug his own grave and now he has to lie in it.

And he did pay the price; his actions led to his father losing his job (which is itself another case now) and Frederick dropped out of college. On the plus side, he has plenty of time to smoke pot and think about going to law school for Jesus.

The Case for Fred Thompson

A peek into how 50% of America decides who should be President...

"He's majestic. He's a soft, safe place to be and that could be Fred's ticket. Women love a soft place to lay and a strong pair of hands to hold us," ex-girlfriend country music singer Lorrie Morgan told the Sunday Times.

Republican fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher, said he would defeat Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton because of his appeal to "traditional women who will like the Southern gentleman in him"...