From Newmax

Cleveland's leading newspaper has checked out a new article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claiming that Republicans "stole the 2004 presidential election in Ohio, and concluded that Kennedy's story is "nonsense."

In the June 15 issue of Rolling Stone, under the headline "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" Kennedy writes: "A review of the available data reveals that in Ohio alone, at least 357,000 voters, the overwhelming majority of them Democratic, were prevented from casting ballots or did not have their votes counted in 2004 -- more than enough to shift the results of an election decided by 118,601 votes.

Gotta like that.

Thanks to the Dayton Daily News

From the PD

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in May, down from 5.5 percent in April, the state said Tuesday.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in May was 312,000, down from 327,000 in April. The number of unemployed has decreased by 40,000 over the year from 352,000. The May unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.0 percent in May 2005.

Where is the headline that says Ohio's unemployment rate has dropped 12% in the last year from 6.0% to 5.3%?

A nice compare and contrast from the Cincinnati Enquirer columnist:

Ted Strickland is a likeable guy who has served 10 years in Congress without leaving any footprints in the carpet. According to most of the media, he is also Ohio's next governor.

Then again, according to the media, a "moderate" is a liberal who owns a gun -- such as Strickland. So from now until Halloween, Strickland will masquerade in news stories as a superhero moderate. Trick or treat.

His opponent Ken Blackwell is definitely not a moderate. He's a devout conservative Christian who pledges to finally give Ohio a Republican governor who is actually a Republican. And that means that from now until Halloween, the media will probably dress Blackwell in a scary Darth Vader "extremist" costume.

But facts are inconvenient things. And the fact is, Blackwell is no more extreme than most of Ohio. He's a Ronald Reagan conservative who believes gay marriage is wrong, Bill Cosby is right, the liberal welfare state has caused more poverty than racism, and abortion has killed more black people than lynchings.

And that's why a black Republican like Blackwell scares the cheese out of Democrats. A black Republican who peels away black votes threatens the Democratic Party the way the Ice Age threatened mastodons. While most Republicans are lucky to get 5 percent of black votes, Blackwell gets 30 percent in statewide elections - enough to beat Strickland.

The fact is, many black voters are far more conservative than the Democratic Party on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion. And rural voters may prefer a black governor to a white liberal who supports gay rights.

And Ted Strickland is a liberal.

The press makes a lot of his 92 percent National Rifle Association score in 2004. But Project Vote Smart's ratings of Strickland ricochet to the left.

The abortion lobby NARAL: 100 percent in 2004 (50 percent in 2005 when he began running for governor). The nuke-ban group Nuclear Age Peace Foundation: 100 percent. The oldest liberal lobbying group, Americans for Democratic Action: 95 percent in 2005. People for the American Way: 77 percent. NOW: 86 percent.

Project Vote Smart gives a nonpartisan listing of ratings by interest groups that track how often an office holder voted with the group's agenda, from zero (never) to 100 percent of the time.

"If you look at my record as a congressman, nearly everything I've done as a congressman is nearly identical, in terms of votes and positions I've taken to (Stephanie) Tubbs Jones, Sherrod Brown, Dennis Kucinich and Marcy Kaptur," Strickland told a Columbus newspaper, naming Ohio liberals from the Ted Kennedy/Jesse Jackson cell of his party.

Strickland also voted against a House resolution last week that supported the war on terrorism.

The more Ohio learns about Strickland, the more Ohio will learn to like Blackwell.

From The Plain Dealer:

Attention home buyers: The school district's taxmen are watching.

If you pay what the county considers your house to be worth, the district will leave you alone.

But fall in love with a home and overpay a little because you just have to have it? Prepare to pay more twice - once when the home is bought and again when the increased tax bill comes.

Though the county sets tax values for homes in three-year cycles, Rocky River has joined districts like Beachwood and Richmond Heights in hiring a lawyer to get a tax boost from recent sales.

Even vampires sleep during the day.

Damn!