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Friday, October 14, 2005

Full house beats inside straight

Astronaut John Glenn. (NASA photo/via the Associated Press)


Today's Ohio politics quiz:

Q: How many members of the Ohio General Assembly does it take to equal one John Glenn?
A: Considerably more than a quorum.

Mark Mallory spent much of the past week trotting out present and former members of the Ohio legislature, Democrat and Republican, to endorse his candidacy for Cincinnati mayor.

His poker hand included two former state senate presidents, Stanley Aronoff and Richard Finan, and a passel of current state legislators who serve with him in Columbus.

Not a bad hand, but his opponent, David Pepper, raked in the chips Thursday at the Rookwood Pottery restaurant in Mount Adams, where Glenn showed up to offer his support.

The former astronaut and four-term U.S. senator from Ohio has been out of office for a while, but there is still no more potent political name in the Buckeye State than the Democrat whom the late governor Jim Rhodes used to refer to as "The Spaceman.''

About 100 Pepper supporters crowded onto a balcony overlooking the old Rookwood kilns late Thursday afternoon for a glimpse of the senator, and perhaps a photo of themselves side-by-side with a genuine American hero. School kids clutched photographs and copies of Glenn's memoirs in hopes of an autograph. Glenn, of course, accommodated them all.

When was the last time you saw a school kid ask for a politician's autograph?

A word from John Glenn still means a lot to people in his home state, whether they are of the generation who remember him as a young astronaut hurtling through the earth's atmosphere in a flaming tin can in his Mercury days, or whether they are of a younger generation who recalls him as a 77-year-old being shot into earth orbit in the space shuttle Discovery seven years ago.

That is why a decidedly unpopular Republican governor, Bob Taft, turns to Glenn to save his bacon and be the principal spokesman for Taft's Issue 1, a $2 billion plan for job creation and road construction.

Before coming to Rookwood Thursday, Glenn shot some 30-second TV spots for the Issue 1 campaign that Ohioans will start seeing with great frequency very soon.

Imagine if it were Bob Taft's face on those commercials rather than John Glenn. Even the most fervent proponents say that, if that were the case, Iusse 1 would be doomed.

So there is little wonder that Pepper was beaming like a school kid at the Rookwood Thursday, apologizing to Glenn for praising him so effusively.

"I know you don't like having a fuss made over you,'' said the giddy mayoral contender. "But I have to.''

You'd be giddy, too, if you were in Pepper's shoes. He has something that most Ohio politicians, Democrat and Republican, from Conneaut to Cleves, would sell their first-born for -- the "Right Stuff'' stamp of approval.


State Sen. Mark Mallory picks up the endorsement of two powerful former presidents of the Ohio Senate: Dick Finan (left), and Stanley J. Aronoff (right). (Photo courtesy the Mallory campaign.)


15 Comments:

at 11:10 AM, October 14, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

David didn't have to sell his first born. Just the City of Cincinnati and our childrens future.

 
at 11:26 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Someone said...

I may be repeating myself, but it is disgusting, Gregory, the way you gush over your man while on the Gannett payroll as if the propaganda you spew could remotely have anything to do with news coverage of City Hall. Move over to the opinion page with Bronson.

Anyone thinking that all I do is gush over Mallory? Someone has to work for balance in the universe...

 
at 11:27 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Someone said...

Ooops! This one is that other guy, who hops on the Korte blog as an occasional tag-along!

Even worse!

The cult of Pepper propaganda on the Gannett payroll is spreading. I thought at least one reason for another contributor would be because their writing would differ in an easily recognizable manner!

So much for that theory!

 
at 11:42 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Nathaniel Livingston Jr. said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
at 11:45 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Nathaniel Livingston Jr. said...

John Glenn's endorsement did wonders for Congressman Paul Hackett's campaign.

Doooh!!!

That's right, Hackett lost.

 
at 11:54 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Yossarian said...

Dean - You really need a vacation. How can anyone say something bad about John Glenn? He is an American Hero. It's kinda hard NOT to gush about the guy.

I'll tell you what, go visit a friend (or maybe even both of them) and come back November 9th. I promise I will keep an eye on everything and make sure that "The Man" does not steal any elections for you.

 
at 11:56 AM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Yossarian said...

Nate - my offer goes for you too, but please feel free to stay away as long as you want.

Doooh!!

 
at 12:32 PM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Nathaniel Livingston Jr. said...

Yossarian

Seems like you need the vacation. You are seeing things!When did I write anything bad about John Glenn? I just pointed out that he endorsed Paul Hackett and Hackett lost! Does it hurt you to hear the truth?

 
at 12:47 PM, October 14, 2005 Blogger The Sour Kraut said...

Nate and Dean!

Convictions are a greater threat to truth than ignorance. .. Nietzsche


You all are sounding a bit silly. This is all about a mayor for the City of Cincinnati? Is it going to make any difference?

 
at 1:35 PM, October 14, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dean is right Howard-we expect this from Korte, but "et tu Brute"?
Glenn hasn't worked side by side with Pepper, the folks who endorsed Mallory have.

 
at 2:50 PM, October 14, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This blog is for "news, comments and observations" (as stated in the top right corner). They have as much right to their "comments and observations" as you do on your own blogs. This isn't the front page of the paper. Stick to your own biased blogs if you an't take the competition.

 
at 3:08 PM, October 14, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

More bias from No Reportee Korte "the Jayson Blair of Cincinnati". Dean is right, you should write over on the opinion page, since everything you write is filled with your opinion. You are failing the citizens of this city. If you want to support Pepper just be honest about it.

Dick Kwhoarte

 
at 7:48 PM, October 14, 2005 Blogger Someone said...

I think I will issue grievances loudly until Korte and co. land a spot on the opinion page where they belong!

 
at 12:04 AM, October 15, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This blog is for "news, comments and observations" (as stated in the top right corner).

Opinions are cheap, facts are expensive, therefore, we get no news here. We get propaganda, opinions and misquotes, interspersed with he said, she said. Korte needs to write for the National Enquirer.

 
at 6:49 PM, October 16, 2005 Blogger Someone said...

Peter,

What are you saying? I have been to a debate. In fact, I'm hosting one this coming Friday on WAIF (88.3FM) from 4-5pm.

Additionally, I have hosted blogger roundtables with both candidates, and spoken to them at several other public events.

So I was not at the same debate as you. I have had lots of face time with each candidate.

Do you have a point?

Love,

El Decano

 
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