Dog bites man; Democrats fight each other

Fans of the WWF, roller derby, rugby, and other less-than-gentle sports may want to stop by the Hamilton County Democratic Party executive committee meeting at the Norwood Community Center Wednesday night, where the fur will surely be flying.

That's when the party will make its final endorsements - or non-endorsements - for the May 2 primary; and, based on the recommendations that will be made by the party's candidate screening committees, there are likely to be some fireworks.

According to Tim Burke, the county party chairman, the screening committee that interviewed county candidates will endorse David Pepper, the would-be mayor, over former Forest Park mayor Stephanie Dumas in the county commissioner's race.

That is pretty much a no-brainer, but some of the other endorsement recommendations are anything but.

They include:

- A dual endorsement of both Eric Kearney and Catherine Barrett for the state senate. Kearney was appointed to the seat when Mark Mallory became mayor; Barrett, a state representative who is term-limted out this year, thought she deserved the promotion. Supporters of either one are unlikely to be happy with a split-the-baby decision.

- No endorsement at all in the race for Barrett's open Ohio House seat, where the mayor's brother, Dale Mallory, faces a serious challenger from former county recorder Eve Bolton. The legislative candidate screeening committee is going to recommend a wide open primary, with no candidate receiving the party blessing. Update! But Burke sent a letter to members of the executive committee urging them to reject the screeening committee's no-endorsement advice and give the party endorsement to Mallory.

- The 2nd Congressional District race, where there are five Democrats running. But the screening committee will recommend endorsing only two of them - Victoria Wulsin, the Indian Hill doctor who finished second to Paul Hackett in last year's special primary; and Gaby Downey, a Milford High School civics teacher and former Miami University basketball star who is running for office for the first time. If that happens, the other three are not likely to be happy campers- the mighty Thor Jacobs, who has raised a considerable amount of money and actually has paid campaign staffers; Jim Parker of Pike County, who has burned up so much gasoline criss-crossing the seven-county district that drilling for oil in ANWR may become absolutely necessary, and Jeff Sinnard, the stay-at-home dad who nonetheless shows up wherever two or more Democrats are gathered.

The fun starts at 7 p.m. Bring a helmet.