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Monday, October 17, 2005

Smitherman mum on Black Fist support

Councilman Christopher Smitherman declined to comment today on his involvement with the leader of a black separatist group indicted Friday on charges of witness intimidation and retaliation.

"I have no comment on any of that," Smitherman said between committee meetings at City Hall. "I am here to make public policy."

Smitherman attended the initial court appearance of Kabaka Oba, the Black Fist leader known for urging the death of Jews and police officers in protests at City Hall and on Fountain Square, and put a word in for Oba with Judge Kendal Coes.

In 2003, shortly before he was sworn in, Smitherman told the Enquirer he would keep an open door to such activists -- but also hold them to the same standard he would anyone else:
While other city officials shun boycott activists like Kabaka Oba and Nathaniel Livingston Jr., Smitherman has gone out of his way to meet with them - even spending 15 minutes talking to them at an Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce meeting last week.

"You can't dehumanize people. You can't say their constituency is irrelevant," he said. "But believe me, I'm going to hold people accountable. I won't put up with people who come to City Council and cuss people out, no matter who they are."


12 Comments:

at 2:06 PM, October 17, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kendall Coes reported to the Enquirer that Smitherman asked for no favors on behalf on Oba, but was just there for support.

Good for Smitherman...Standing up for ALL citizens of Cincinnati.

I would like to know when Wendell Walker (a Pepper endorser and was a member of the Pepper Camp)was indicted (Indicted for molesting a 14 year old boy, why wasn't the Enquirer question David Pepper for comment.

Again there seems to be a double standard as to how news is reported.

Has the Enquirer even covered thefact that the Pepper campaign was endorsed by this pedophile.

Why is reporting associations between Mallory, Smitherman and the community different from Pepper's associations to certain people in the community?

 
at 2:41 PM, October 17, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Smitherman is open minded enough to support the right of the black protestors to speak and be heard. The enquirer and their clerks pretend to provide coverage while they try to marginalize this issue.

This is like the Bush administration and their position on the war; "Anybody that disagrees is wrong and we are right". All the while granting no bid contracts and back room sweet heart deals worth billions to their cronies. Resembles City politics.

Smitherman at least has the courage to stand up for citizens. Has anybody else in city government done that?

 
at 5:53 PM, October 17, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Greg, I am not a fan of the tactics that Oba uses or his rhetoric, but there seems to be more to the arrest and the things that led up to it that are questionable.

I don't have the same problem that you do with Smitherman showing him support for the same reason I support what he is doing on council...he is willing to stand up for what he feels is right versus what might be popular. I might not always agree with what he does (and I tend to agree more than disagree) but at least he is consistent with his actions.

And Peter...as I said on Nate's blog...I don't think he is as big of fan of Rucker as you are.

 
at 6:36 PM, October 17, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

With the persistent undercurrent of racism in Cincinnati politics, why is anyone showing support and/or accepting support from the indicted K. Oba?

Oba and his activist surrogates (a generous euphemism for these racist psychopaths) are notorious for anti-semitic expressions.

Mark Mallory is overdue for a disclaimer, while impetuous Chris Smitherman, again, is acting without forethought.

It's quite ironic how the usual voices (bloggers) of racism and inequity have given Oba a pass.

 
at 9:44 AM, October 18, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a witness to the conversation between Mr. Korte and Councilman Smitherman yesterday,Mr. Korte has place untruths in this story.

Yesterday, when Mr. Korte asked councilman Smitherman about Kabaka Oba (and that was all he asked about), the councilman stated I will no longer feild questions by you, because you are always asking all this black people white people stuff.

The councilman further stated that to date, you have never quoted me accurately. I spend 90 percent of my time trying to deal with the financial issues and other issues that deal with the people of Cincinnati, and you find time to spin that into black people white people.

Mr. Korte...as a person who was a witness, I am appalled to see what you put in print versus what I heard for myself yesterday at city hall.

 
at 12:55 PM, October 18, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

In January of 2004, The Enquirer printed on 1-24-05 this story...
Smitherman splits city in first weeks.

But the odd thing was (as I have copies of both) the stories were different.

The paper I bought from a Downtown
gas station was written for the Eastsiders, a conservative story demonstrating some truths.

But the one my sister brought home from the Westside of town where she is a teacher at Western Hills High School, was so racilly biased and racially inflammatory, you could see it was done strictly for the purpose of driving the city apart right on racial lines where councilman Smitherman is concerned.

I have never known any major media source to do something so deceiving, but the Enquirer did.

Good for the councilman...fight back by calling them on the carpet for the non-sense.

 
at 12:57 PM, October 18, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mallory hasn't ducked any issue. It David Pepper who everytime he is asked a question he can't or doesn't want to answer decides to side step the issues, and pull a rabbit out of the hat or a race card off the deck.

 
at 10:56 PM, October 18, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

What makes accepting the endorsement of a group that excludes blacks, and makes racially divisve statements regarding African-Americans any more acceptable.

David Pepper accepted and endorsement from Westwood Concern, and that is the racially divisve group of which I speak.

David Pepper brought race into this. The Senator could have done the same, but has not. He could have brought up endorsements by two racially divisive groups who endorsed David Pepper. Westwood Concern and the ever unpopular FOP lead by Keith Fangman.

 
at 11:28 PM, October 18, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

KKKorte never seems to get the news right. I think you would do better writing for a tabloid...since you enjoy making stories up.

 
at 5:59 AM, October 19, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Directly after the Berry, Jr./Coes face off at The Urban League last night, David Pepper stated that on 10-6-05 Kabaka Oba was indedd at a candidates forum at the Bell Event Center In Pendleton.

He is the fourth person from the event to disclose this information to the public.

 
at 11:17 PM, October 20, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Endorsement Touted by David Pepper at his Website
Candace Tubbs aka Candice Tubbs
President, Society for the Advancement of Reforming Felons

David informs himself of community issues by learning from the inside. If he doesn't understand something about youth culture, he'll speak directly with the youth. I can appreciate that.
Candace Tubbs http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9509854
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9002562
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9002529-B
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9603431
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9511249
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9403550
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9407017
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9503425
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 9509298-A
http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?casenumber=B 0102345

 
at 9:20 PM, October 23, 2005 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why is nobody questioning what Bernadette Watson - Mayor Luken's Chief of Staff was doing theere as well.

Korte is very familiar with her, yet omits the fact that she as well was there.

Councilman Smitherman is a great councilman, and real people. Considering the the Councilman and 15-20 other council candidates and both Mayoral candiates are witnesses to Mr. Oba's whereabouts
at the time in question, maybe the councilman thought they might call for a witness. But in either case he was there for Kabaka same as he has been for the rest of the citizens when they have needed him, and for that he has my vote.

 
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