Monday, July 18, 2011

Cincy | Comments nixed on politician's resignation

The Cincinnati Enquirer continues its lackluster follow-up coverage of the high-profile drunk driving arrest of state Rep. Robert Mecklenborg. In its story last night, about the conservative lawmaker's no-duh resignation earlier in the day, the paper has disabled reader comments.

17 comments:

  1. Still refraining from mentioning the Viagra overdose. What's the issue?

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  2. Or that the "young woman" in the car was a stripper.

    So, Cincy colleagues, what holds more sway over the newspaper, the fact that he's a "family values" GOPer, or the fact that he's a "good" Catholic?

    This story intrigues me on so many levels.

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  3. Actually, the comments button is on for the latest story. Still, the Enquirer is letting a fabulous story slip away. Now that Mecklenborg has resigned, his news value is fading. Now is the time to do the investigative story on Mecklenborg's strip club habit. EVERY other newspaper in the country would have done it by now. This is Carolyn Washburn's first big test (on the journalism front. She flunked in her handling of layoffs.) She needs to tell Buchanan to stay out of the LIC. If Jim Borgman were still around, he would have run a hilarious cartoon of Mecklenborg driving a car cross-eyed with one hand on the stripper's lap and a bottle of Viagra between his legs.

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  4. Here's the lede from today's story on the Columbus Dispatch's website:

    An embattled Cincinnati-area state representative quit yesterday afternoon, caught up in controversy after being arrested for drunken driving in Indiana with a stripper in his car and Viagra in his system.

    By making his resignation effective Aug. 2, Robert Mecklenborg, R-Green Township, ensured himself that he will be paid for all of July; if he had quit this month, his legislative salary would have been prorated. He also gets a bit more from the state retirement system.

    And the Dispatch is allowing reader comments.

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  5. To clarify what 12:02 p.m. said, the comment button is on for the latest story, which is a milquetoast process story on Republicans lining up for Mecklenborg's seat.

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  6. Yes, Washburn flunked on the layoffs and she flunked on Mecklenborg. Unfortunately, it appears that readers in Cincinnati are in for heaping plates full of "Will a Woman Head P&G" and a lame story on Sen. Portman. How about finding out why this guy was driving a car with temporary tags from another state? Why not do a piece on his apparent addiction to "gentlemen's clubs?" Heck, former presidential candidates and governors have children out of illicit affairs and it's big news. A GOP mucky-muck with an adult entertainer, after midnight on Easter weekend with Viagra coursing through his system. I can tell you one think, he wasn't waiting for Christ to rise! Shame on you Carolyn!

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  7. Comments are allowed on the blog, but not on the article.

    Blog: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2011/07/18/republicans-lining-up-for-mecklenborg-seat/

    Article: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110717/NEWS0108/307180005

    I know that the Enquirer's practice of creating front page headlines for blog entries confuses a lot of people.

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  8. The Enquirer does a lot to confuse people.

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  9. Where's Larry Beaupre when you need a big story covered.

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  10. She's too thin-skinned and vindictive to confront in person, so how about it Ms. Washburn: Your entire newsroom is doubting your stewardship. Prove our doubts unfounded. Send your reporters to the strip club and to the stripper's home. Show us your commitment to watchdog journalism.

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  11. Washburn should be proud of the Enquirer. Right now, it features hard-hitting stories like this week's history column in the lead news spot, a fluff piece on five local events to check out and video of Nick Lachey's wedding. Damn fine, damn hard-hitting stuff.

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  12. Nick Lachey got married?

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  13. Well, that clears it up, 1:13 p.m. Thanks! Doesn't make sense to me to do it that way, however.

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  14. To 2:34 p.m., yes, he did! I expect to see that sort of coverage in the News of the World. Oh, wait. ...

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  15. BTW, you can comment on any story if you know anything about how the Saxotech URLs are constructed. Of course no one will see the comments, but still ...

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  16. As long as Mecklenborg is still in office, he's fair game to an investigation into his personal conduct. The Enquirer will have a one-day readership, single-copy sales spurt like it hasn't seen since Jerry Springer wrote a check to a prostitute.

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  17. Im sure Washburn will be getting another highly prized President's Ring for stellar local coverage. Time to bring her over to run Usa Today, where news is rountinely ignored, misjudged and underplayed.

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