[LOSER]
TONY FISCHER: This young, firsttime candidate for Cincinnati City Council spent the summer defying the mayor and stumping for a pledge not to layoff police officers as part of planned budget cuts at City Hall. A council majority backed the mayor and won cuts from the police union without the pledge. For all Fischer’s work, he almost lost the Democratic Party’s backing for his maverick-y move and he still didn’t receive the police union’s endorsement. Some lessons are difficult to learn, indeed.
[???]
CHARTER COMMITTEE: Cincinnati’s de facto third political party recently lost its executive director, Jeff Cramerding, who left to become a full-time political consultant. He hasn’t been replaced, and with the group’s two incumbent City Council members — Chris Bortz and Roxanne Qualls — often on the opposite sides of most issues, it appears this Queen City institution is struggling for direction and a new identity. Formed in the 1920s to overturn the corrupt political machine of Boss Cox, it’s unclear if Charter can continue to play a relevant role in the 21st Century.
[WINNER]
GOLDEN LION LOUNGE: One week after we reported that this longtime mainstay in Clifton’s Gaslight District closed due to problems with its electrical system, owners managed to resolve the issue and reopened the bar. Thanks go to Blue Wisp co-owner Jack Brand, who is buying this landmark. The turnabout surely warms the hearts of many gay people, college hipsters and nearby residents who appreciate the ambience of this funky and friendly LGBT hole-in-the-wall. We hope to see our favorite old bartenders back where they belong.
[LOSER]
JOHN BOEHNER: The West Chester Republican, who serves as house minority leader, is finally being taken to task for his distortions about health reform efforts in Washington. The Democratic National Committee recently launched the “Call ‘Em Out” campaign against Boehner for stating that reform would result in a government takeover of health care, cuts in Medicare benefits and federal funding of abortion — even though these lies have been debunked by non-partisan fact checks. Apparently, honesty isn’t a family value.