No fruit throwing

Cliff Radel reports from Green Township

From a debate held at the Western Hills Country Club this morning at a breakfast meeting of the Western Economic council. It is the third in a series of five scheduled exchanges between Rep. Steve Chabot, the incumbent Republican representing Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, and Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley, his Democratic challenger.


Before the debate began, Bob Polewski, president of the council of West-Side boosters, jokingly asked the standing room only audience to observe the following rules:

“No booing. No hissing. And certainly, no fruit throwing.”

During the debate, Chabot and Cranley politely disagreed as they exchanged views about government spending, eminent domain and Hamilton County’s doctor shortage.

Both candidates avoided directly answering a question about receiving campaign contributions from sectors of the public housing industry.

Chabot invoked the “liberal” word and used the phrase “left-wing” three times each to describe Cranley.

The councilman stressed early and often how Chabot’s conservative values had changed while in Washington. Cranley repeatedly noted “it’s time for a change.”