Crowley Was Only Trying To Say .....

that the decision to parole - or not - convicted Cincinnati cop killer Roland Reaves should be left up to the Ohio Parole Board.

When Chris Monzel last week introduced a resolution to urge the parole authority to reject Reaves' request to get out early, David Crowley was the only one to vote against the idea (although Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell later said he had mixed feelings about his vote and had considered siding with Crowley).

Crowley didn't say he was in favor of letting Reaves out. He just said he wasn't in the best position to make the decision on whether Reaves - he shot Officer David Cole to death in 1974 - had been rehabilitated.

But colleague Jeff Berding blasted him after the meeting, questioning Crowley's morals and said the voted indicated a "warped value system."

Now, keep in mind Berding might be anti-Crowley lately, ever since Berding suspected his fellow Democrat of trying to push precinct leaders to vote against endorsing him for November. The party ultimately voted Berding onto the endorsement list anyway.

The two square off again today in Pete Bronson's column. Click here to read it.