If you don't control your mind, someone else will."
-John Allston


Wheels Coming Off White House As Bush-Cheney Indictments Pending
ABC News, usually a neo-con mouthpiece, is now confirming, through George Stephanopolis, that reliable sources claim Bush-Cheney indictments are coming down from the Valerie Plame grand jury probe.6 Oct 2005
By Greg Szymanski

The wheels are coming off the Bush administration, but it matters little since the problems facing America go much deeper. The Arctic Beacon reported months ago about the impending indictments against Bush and Cheney, receiving criticism in some circles over the use of “credible sources” surrounding Special Prosecutor’s Patrick Fitzgerald’s grand jury investigation.

Now ABC news agents, who usually follow the neo-con party line, reported last Sunday through George Stephanopolis, “reliable sources” reveal indictments against Bush and Cheney are pending.

But even with Bush and Cheney gone, the cancer in our government remains since the entire executive, judicial and legislative branches needs to ‘picked clean’ so that fair-minded men can again take back the country.

However, it can’t be denied that Bush and Cheney are a good start and if the cat’s really finally out of the bag, let’s hope they are good “mousers,” efficient at getting all the rats out of Washington, including the Clinton’s, McCain and Kerry.

There are simply bigger fish to fry then the “Three Stooges,” adding Condaleeza Rice in for good measure. And, of course, for added political pleasure, don’t forget Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, two scoundrels that probably should be horsewhipped first before being booted out of Washington.

Regarding the secrecy surrounding the Fitzgerald inquiry, observers speculate ABC leaked the information in order to prepare America for upcoming political chaos, but then again chaos has been the rule not the exception since Bush, nicknamed “Your Stupidity” not Your Majesty, was illegally appointed King of the neo-cons in 2000 by the black robed marauders posing as jurists at the Supreme Court.

One person following the indictments from the outset, Sherman Skolnick of Chicago, nicknamed the “judge buster” for putting more jurists behind bars then any American alive and also putting away a former Illinois governor and federal court judge, had a particularly ominous view about the impending high-level indictments.

“I think our government will be discredited and swept away because this stooge and scapegoat, George W., supervised b y his father on behalf of the Queen of England and the Anglo-American aristocracy, has controlled what is going on in the United States,” said Skolnick after Stephanopolis commented last Sunday on his morning ABC talk show.

“I’m very concerned that they may in the very near future create some kind of earthquake scenario with the White House then claiming there’s an emergency situation meriting martial law.”

Skolnick also feared the political bombshell could also reverberate in Wall Street, causing a stock market crash making the great depression look like a day at the beach. Looking at historical precedent, Skolnick added:

“I think by the third week of October we may have another historical event, October has historically been seen as ‘crash month.’”

Months ago the U.S. attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois refused to comment to the Arctic Beacon on whether an indictment was pending or not, saying at the time any questions on the status of the grand jury investigating were off limits.

And this week the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued its “hush hush” position on the staus of the Bush Cheney indictments, saying again any questions were not going to be answered.

In December 2003, Fitzgerald was named Special Counsel to investigate the alleged disclosure of the identity of who leaked information in the Valerie Plame case, but the present grand jury probe has expanded to include the wide-reaching crime allegations as new information surfaced.

Although the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago is staying silent, it is well known that Fitzgerald is digging deep into an assortment of serious improprieties among many Bush administration figures based, in part, on subpoenaed testimony provided by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Besides Fitzgerald’s probe into Bush administration lies relating to the war in Iraq and the CIA- Plame leaks, he is also looking into a huge drug money laundering operation involving both the Clinton and Bush administrations with ties reaching all the way to Arkansas.

Fitzgerald began serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in September, 2001. He was initially appointed on an interim basis by former Attorney General John Ashcroft before being nominated by President Bush.

The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by unanimous consent in October 2001. In December 2003, he was named Special Counsel to investigate the CIA-Valerie Plame case.


Everything you need to know about what a Neo-Conservative is ...and how they will DESTROY America for Republicans and Democrats alike.

The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) is a Neo-Conservative organization that almost nobody in America has heard of.

This is a major problem considering their own documents reveal they intend to use OUR military to create a "Unipolar World" that they will control.

Even more alarming, members of this Neo-Conservative group hold some of the most powerful positions in the American government. ...and yet most who have voted for them don't even know the core Neo-Conservative philosophies. Most have been fooled into thinking they've voted "Republican."

*** Vice President Dick Cheney is a founding member of PNAC, along with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is the ideological father of the group.

The PNAC Statement of Principles is signed by Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, as well as by Eliot Abrams, Jeb Bush, Bush's special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, and many others. William Kristol, famed conservative writer for the Weekly Standard, is also a co-founder of the group. The Weekly Standard is owned by Ruppert Murdoch, who also owns international media giant Fox News.


Project for a New American Century (PNAC) and some of its aims.

PNAC's "Rebuilding America's Defenses" report outlines plans (and ideologies) that have been in the making for decades. In "Rebuilding America's Defenses," PNAC outlines what is required of America to bring about the global empire they seek to create and control.

Most ominously this PNAC document describes four "Core Missions" for the American military, one of which is for American forces to "fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous wars."

To be Clear,PNAC is NOT suggesting that America should be "prepared" to fight these wars. What they are saying is, we MUST fight these wars by whatever means necessary. They're not talking about going to war against those who have attacked or clearly plan to attack us; they are talking about demonstrating American Military dominance for all the world to see.

In order to gain additional strategic leverage the report speaks of a need to "Secure and Expand the zones of democratic peace" in the middle east. Maybe that is why Saddam was tied to 911 (wrong) then tied to the Anthrax attacks (wrong) then tied to Al Qaeda (no) then posed a "Grave and Dangerous Threat" (NO, and just months before 911, Powell and Rice both said he was NOT a threat! CLICK HERE to hear it out of their own mouths)

When in doubt, justify taking a position on the chess board as a humanitarian effort. "We're liberating them."

Keep in mind, the NeoCons knew their plans for running America and the WORLD would be a hard sell. Perhaps that is why the document specifically says a "New Pearl Harbor" event would help speed things along. How convenient they got JUST THAT less than a year after taking power in the form of 911.

In addition, the authors might have seen the truly "free press" nature of the internet as a threat to their agenda, as they also included: "Control the International Commons of cyberspace" in their battle plan. Well think about it... Where would YOU have gained access to this documented information if not HERE? The mainstream media sure hasn't touched on any of it.

Who Wins at our expense?

Sadly America, Iraq is just the beginning. After the war, permanent bases will be established under the guise of defending the oil and the peace in the Middle East. The nations in that region however will see this for what it really is: A jump-off point for American forces to easily attack and invade other nations in the region. Unlike the American people, the nations in the Middle East are well aware of what is going on. They've undoubtedly read the Neo-Conservative's plans, laid out in no uncertain terms in the their own PNAC report.

Unfortunately, the American people anxiously awaiting some sort of exit plan, after America secures Iraq, will see too late that there will be no "exit." The only "Plan" is for more of the same. This never ending "war on terror" is the perfect vehicle to expand and consolidate power. It is the means by which their "Pax Americana" will be created.

The defense contractors who feed on American tax revenue will see TRILLIONS of dollars pour in as they arm the new American empire. The corporations that own the news media will sell this eternal war on terror at a profit, as "terror" sends their ratings through the roof. Those within the administration who believe every regional opponent to Israel must be laid to waste will have their dreams fulfilled. The PNAC men who wish for a global "freedom at gunpoint" will see their plans unfold.

Restrictions on our liberties will tighten further in the name of "keeping us safe." Terrorist attacks and recruiting will skyrocket as a result of "pre-emptive" aggression against the world. Oddly enough, an increase in "terror" will only make it easier for the NeoCons to further their aims. ...It will justify increasing their military aggression, as well as justify their oppression of those at home who challenge them.

NowTHINK about that for a minute. ...They actually have MORE TO GAIN if they FAILto protect us!
Don't think so? Look no further than 9/11.

9/11 consisted of a series of "defense failures" that defy ALL LOGIC and yet many of the most troubling questions about "how" certain things were allowed to happen were ignored. Those who were responsible for the failures were not held accountable! ...And the administration that oversaw the WORST "goof" in government history??? They were REWARDED with MORE power, MORE money, MORE control, and a perfect opportunity to move forward with the plans they had made years earlier. ...Isn't that type of arrangement called a "Conflict of Interest?"

And Let's Face it Folks: When they promised Congress they would "Only use war as a last resort" they spoke the FIRST and most deceptive statement of all. ...War wasn't the "last" option on the table...it was the ONLY option. If they couldn't move forward with their "Unipolar" plans following something like 9/11, they'd be hard pressed to move them forward at all. (Information referenced from an article posted at http://truthout.org/docs_02/022203A.htm)

To View a New Documentary on "PNAC" CLICK HERE

You can view or download the Full PNAC "Rebuilding America's Defenses" report HERE.

Real Republicans, take note: There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between "Conservative Republican Values" and "NeoConservative Values."

Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor protecting our civil liberties - Truly American NeoConservatives: See our civil liberties as an unnecessary restriction on government power.
Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor a smaller, less intrusive government- Truly AmericanNeoConservatives: Are Willing to spend money (and expand government reach) without restraint, provided it helps them further their agenda.
Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor Fiscal Responsibility and reducing taxes - GOOD FOR AMERICANeoConservatives: Fool the public into thinking a "tax cut" (Paid for with PRINTED MONEY) is actually beneficial. -hiding the fact that it amounts to little more than a loan that the taxpayer (or their children) will have to repay WITH INTEREST.

****Side Note on current fiscal policy: Tax cuts on PRINTED MONEY are NOT tax cuts! It is like me saying I'm going to give you $1,000, but then I secretly add a 1,500 debt to your mortgage. ...Eventually, that money is going to have to be paid with interest and it is going to be TAXES that pays it. To say nothing of the additional spending that has been passed on printed money by this administration-to say nothing of how that further reduces the value of the dollars in your pocket! If these were "democrats" in office, they would have (rightfully) been raked over coals by now!

Recently, I was asked by somebody on a message board: "What is your urgent concern?" My reply:

"What is my "urgent concern?" Regain control of OUR GOVERNMENT. Then clean up the mess in Iraq best we can. (Not reward those who created that mess (and others) with additional opportunity to do more of the same.) Then DRASTICALLY DECREASE the size and reach of government in our lives. As far as foreign policy goes, George W. hooked me good with his original plans for America. I seem to remember him speaking of a more "humble foreign policy" that steered clear of "Nation Building" and focused on building a "stronger, more united and free America." Sign me up for that plan.

The bottom line is this administration CLAIMS to be "Conservative Republican" when it clearly is NOT. In making this claim, it gains the UNEARNED support of a FIERCELY LOYAL group of Republican Voters... Voters who expect certain core values to be upheld: SMALLER Government, Fiscal Responsibility, STRONG protection of Civil Liberties, etc.

As soon as we STOP thinking of this as a "Republican Administration" and start reading up on what the NeoCon agenda is, (and see how this administration has shamelessly manipulated good Americans to further that agenda) the outrage comes quick."

Suggested Reading: (Also see the STL Store)

Worse Than Watergate is just one book that reveals plenty of legitimate concerns regarding the "Bush/Cheney" vision for America. -it isn't the "America" any self-respecting Republican would ever support.
The New Pearl Harbor by David Ray Griffin. For any who think some in our government might have actually LET the 911 attacks happen, this book brings up mounds of supporting evidence. For instance:
How exactly is it that the STRATEGIC MILITARY COMMAND CENTER of the United States of America (The Pentagon) was unable to defend itself against a 757? ...the most HEAVILY defended building on this PLANET, was unable to stop a HUGE (150,000 pound) airplane traveling at just 500 Miles per hour, even after it had already been established (for more than an hour) that planes were being hijacked, slammed into buildings, and one was heading that way. If not under those circumstances, under WHAT circumstances COULD the building be defended? ...and how come nobody was held accountable for such a catastrophic failure?
The Northwoods document proves that high ranking officials in our government have openly conspired to PROVOKE and ALLOW attacks against the US to happen in order to justify attacking another country. EVEN WORSE, the document suggests our own government could carry out the attacks itself (to be blamed on the target country) or completely manufacture an attack (to be blamed on the target country.)
READ THAT AGAIN! The Northwoods document PROVES that high ranking officials in OUR OWN GOVERNMENT have conspired to allow and / or actually carry out attacks against US targets in order to justify attacking another country.
This document is available at the National Security Archive (George Washington University website). It took 40 years and the Freedom of Information Act to get it released. -Start reading on page 10 for the unbelievable truth regarding how far some in power are willing to go to get what they want. And then ask yourself, are you prepared to support this in an AMERICAN government?
IMAGINE THIS News Story America-and then imagine it was our OWN government that conspired to make it so.

Cuba shoots down an American Airliner killing all onboard (Mainly students on vacation)The US government announced today that Cuba shot down a civilian airliner in an unprovoked act of aggression against the USA. Congressmen Deceito of Washington went on the record, saying: "We MUST take action immediately if we ever plan on having safety in the skies." He went on to say:"Any failure to act decisively and immediately will be perceived as weakness around the world. Failing to respond to this heinous act would be akin to America saying: It's OK to shoot our planes down and kill our children. That would be a mistake America can't afford to make."

As usual, the "conspiracy theorists" are once again showing their utter lack of respect for America (and the dead) by questioning the governments account.

Even though there were numerous eyewitness accounts that a Cuban Mig was tailing flight #2235, and flight recorders plainly reveal the pilot issuing a mayday call; specifically: "Mayday, mayday, we are being fired on by a Cuban Mig" Bob Accurato (Known Conspiracy Theorist) was quoted as saying:

"It is ALL A LIE. That wasn't really a Cuban Mig, it was an American F-86 that our government painted up to LOOK LIKE a Cuban mig. ...and it wasn't really a civilian airliner either. The government loaded a bunch of people (under fake names) on a plane, landed it, and then flew another plane by remote control into the airspace where the fake Cuban Mig then shot it down. They did this so they could justify attacking Cuba."

NOW, Who would believe the "conspiracy theory" over the much simpler "official account?" NOBODY! Do you suppose those who would conspire to do such a thing wouldn't be prepared to use that to their advantage?

READ the Northwood's Document, and you will find out that (in the above hypothetical scenario) it would be the "Conspiracy Theorist" who was telling the truth. Thank goodness John F. Kennedy wasn't amused by the Northwood's plan. He rejected it and was in the process of trying to dismantle our country's corrupt "under-government" just prior to being assassinated.


Saving Ohio
Did a reporter with GOP ties suppress a story that could have cost Bush the White House?
By Bill Frogameni
Oct. 06, 2005 In April 2005, the Blade newspaper of Toledo, Ohio, began publishing a remarkable series of articles about a well-connected Republican donor, Tom Noe, chair of the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign for Lucas County, which encompasses Toledo. The Blade, which had won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting in 2004, discovered that Noe, a Toledo coin dealer, was investing $50 million for the state through the novel practice of coin speculation: buying and selling rare coins to turn a profit. Noe, the Blade revealed, could not account for $10 million to $13 million in the fund.
The paper also divulged that Noe had been placed under federal investigation for allegedly laundering money -- perhaps state money -- to the Bush campaign. The Blade's initial reports on Noe started a chain reaction of related scandals for Ohio's dominant Republicans. Recently, Gov. Bob Taft pleaded no contest to accepting several gifts from influence peddlers -- including Noe -- without reporting them, as law requires. Noe is currently the subject of 13 investigations.
In November 2004, Lucas County was among the most hotly contested areas in the most hotly contested state. Kerry won the county by 45,000 votes, but George W. Bush went on to win Ohio by less than 120,000 votes, which swung the election for him.
But Bush's reelection may have been made possible by a Blade reporter with close ties to the Republican Party who reportedly knew about Noe's potential campaign violations in early 2004 but suppressed the story.
According to several knowledgeable sources, the Blade's chief political columnist, Fritz Wenzel, was told of Noe's potential campaign violations as early as January 2004. But according to Blade editors, Wenzel never gave the paper the all-important tip in early 2004.
Wenzel says that he heard allegations of Noe's misdeeds only in spring 2004 and that he promptly informed his editors of them.
Wenzel, who worked for years as a GOP political operative in Oregon before the Blade hired him, quit the Blade in May 2005 to take a job as a paid political consultant to Jean Schmidt, the Republican congressional candidate who in August narrowly defeated Democratic challenger (and Iraq war vet) Paul Hackett.
Of course, no one can say for sure whether Ohio voters would have cast their ballots differently if they had known about allegations that Bush's campaign boss in Toledo was hijacking money from the state to keep the campaign humming. But native Ohioan John Robinson Block, publisher and editor in chief of the Blade, which endorsed Kerry, thinks it's a strong possibility. Had the "Coingate" scandal blown up before the election, Block says, "most Republicans I know agree that Kerry would have won Ohio and won the presidency." Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat whose district includes Toledo, feels the same. "I think it would have tipped the election," she says.
The story of how Wenzel learned about the alleged violations, and why he allegedly sat on the information, reveals a Toledo political scene right out of "Peyton Place," complete with a cast of backstabbers. It begins in January 2004, when Tom Noe's wife, Bernadette Noe -- who chaired the local Republican Party and sat on the Board of Elections -- approached Lucas County prosecutor Julia Bates, a Democrat. Bernadette Noe raised ethical questions about Joe Kidd, a well-connected Republican who was then director of the Board of Elections. She told the prosecutor's office she suspected Kidd was receiving money from Diebold, the now-notorious manufacturer of voting machines. Bates says that Bernadette Noe's source for the allegations was Joe Kidd's estranged wife, Tracy, with whom Bernadette practiced law. Bates says it's possible that Bernadette's allegations against Kidd were motivated by sympathy for her friend Tracy.
Paula Ross, a former Lucas County Democratic Party chair, who also sat on the Board of Elections, confirms that Bernadette Noe went to the prosecutor to tarnish Kidd. Ross says she talked with both Bernadette and Kidd. In January 2004, Ross says, "I was contacted by Bernadette, who made allegations about Joe. I then spoke with Joe, who assured me that the allegations were false. He believed he could persuade Bernadette to stop making these false allegations because he had information about [Noe and her husband] that could put them in jail." The information, says Ross, was that Tom Noe was laundering money to the Bush campaign.
Kidd retaliated against the Noes by going to Wenzel, in January 2004, according to a Toledo Republican Party insider familiar with the affairs of the Board of Elections, and sources familiar with the Blade. Kidd told Wenzel that Tom Noe was illegally funneling money to the Bush campaign and also running a questionable coin investment with the state. Sources confirmed that Kidd told them he had this conversation with Wenzel. Kidd would not comment for this article.
Bates, the Lucas County prosecutor, confirms that Kidd came to her in March 2004 with an outline of Noe's campaign money laundering, and that it was crucial in helping her office ultimately build a case against Noe. The prosecutor won't say if Kidd himself took Noe's money and gave it to Bush, thus laundering it (that is, making it a legitimate campaign donation). But she does say that, upon first glance, she found it "interesting" that he gave $2,000, considering he was a civil servant on a modest income. Other sources say that Kidd, along with several local Republican officials, did in fact launder money. This summer, Kidd testified in front of the federal grand jury convened to investigate Noe's alleged money-laundering scheme. Bates says her office considered offering Kidd immunity in exchange for help building the case. "We thought the key was Joe," says Bates, so she encouraged him to get a lawyer and produce all the evidence he could. Kidd, who was also being investigated for the allegations Bernadette Noe made against him, cooperated.
Wenzel declined to be interviewed for this story. He responded with this general statement issued through attorney Mark Berling, who formerly sat on the Lucas County Republicans' executive committee: "When a source conveyed an allegation about Tom Noe's possible involvement with campaign finance irregularities in the spring of 2004, I promptly informed Blade editors about what I had been told."
But Blade editors deny that Wenzel ever informed them about the allegations. The Blade's special projects editor, Dave Murray, who was Wenzel's assigning editor at the time, says Wenzel would have come to him with any such information about Noe. But, Murray says, "he never came to me, and, as far as I know, he never came to other Blade editors." Speaking for the other Blade editors, assistant editor LuAnn Sharp says no one recollects Wenzel turning over any such information. (Full disclosure: This reporter once applied for a job at the Toledo Blade.)
Blade editor in chief Block and other editors say they don't believe that Wenzel intentionally sat on the story.
Both Wenzel and his son had personal relationships with the Noes. In March 2004, Wenzel's son, P.J., was elected to the Lucas County Republican Central Committee. At the time, Bernadette Noe still chaired the Lucas County Republican Party. From April 15, 2005, to the end of May, P.J. Wenzel was on the payroll of the Ohio Republican Party. The Noes also attended the younger Wenzel's wedding.
A month before Wenzel left the paper, at the Lucas County Republicans' annual "Lincoln Day" dinner, Bernadette Noe made a speech in which she announced Wenzel would be leaving the paper for his consulting business. She wished him well at the dinner, which was attended by all three Republican gubernatorial candidates.
As the Blade's chief political writer, Wenzel reported and commented on politics. He also ran his own Web site, heartlandpolitics.com (whose homepage says it is "temporarily out of commission"), which he touted as offering in-depth analysis of northwest Ohio politics. Democrats charged that Wenzel's reporting was biased toward Republicans. The Blade's ombudsman, Jack Lessenberry, agreed: "At times I felt that his reporting was slanted to favor Republican positions or Republican candidates," Lessenberry says.
The Noe story is not the first time Wenzel has been suspected of conflict of interest. During the 2004 election season, Wenzel worked simultaneously for the Blade and for Zogby International, the polling firm. President and CEO John Zogby said that Wenzel worked for the company as a "senior political writer" between roughly May and October 2004. The work he did for Zogby acknowledged that Wenzel was a political reporter for the Blade. But in at least four columns he wrote for the Blade at the time he was working for Zogby, Wenzel cited Zogby polls without disclosing his affiliation. John Block expressed surprise and concern that Wenzel cited Zogby without disclosure: "He shouldn't have cited Zogby. I have to say, that's the first I've heard of that." According to Bob Steele, a journalism professor specializing in ethics at the Poynter Institute, the problem goes beyond Wenzel's failure to acknowledge the relationship. Steele points to a question of "competing loyalty," and says, "To disclose his connection to Zogby alerts readers to that conflict of interest and competing loyalty, but that disclosure doesn't make the problem go away."
In spring 2004, while Lucas County prosecutors began to investigate Noe's campaign irregularities, the Blade, without Wenzel's scoop, remained in the dark. Assistant editor Sharp says that the Blade's editors and reporters received worthwhile tips about the Noe campaign finance improprieties "around September." Prosecutor Bates, whose daughter and son-in-law are Blade reporters, says she can't remember anyone from the paper coming to her about the investigation until then. "I don't recall any official inquiry until [Blade reporter] Mark Reiter came to me in early fall," she says. Bates says that was right around the time she was obliged to turn over the investigation to federal prosecutors, which made it much more difficult for reporters to unearth information. At any rate, it was only a few weeks before the election.
On April 3, 2005, the first Blade story about Noe and the coin investments appeared. With the Blade's aggressive reporting, the story quickly gathered state and national attention, but Wenzel, who was still at the Blade, never wrote anything about it in the paper. Additionally, he never wrote about it in the many posts on his personal blog. Sharp says the Blade did not restrain Wenzel from writing about Coingate.
Although he never wrote about Coingate, Wenzel did blog on his Web site about Bernadette Noe and the Lincoln Day dinner on April 14. Although this was 11 days after the Blade published its first Coingate story, Wenzel failed to mention one of the biggest political scandals in Ohio history. Instead, Wenzel fawned over Bernadette Noe. "Also not fading is former GOP chairman Bernadette Noe. She was honored last night for her service to the party, then held up a copy of yesterday's Toledo Free Press, reminding those present to check out her new column (Great picture, Bernie!). But that's not all. A new television talk show and radio program are in the works. Talk about multi-tasking."
After leaving the Blade on Friday, May 13, Wenzel officially went to work the following Monday as congressional candidate Jean Schmidt's media consultant. Schmidt, a Cincinnati-area Republican who formerly headed Cincinnati Right to Life, was running for Congress in the most staunchly conservative corner of the state. Wenzel's company, Wenzel Strategies, received $30,000 from the Schmidt campaign that Monday and another $30,000 a week later. His role was to handle media issues in the hotly contested special election.
News organizations, including Salon, have questioned whether Wenzel was already working as a consultant for Schmidt prior to leaving the Blade, which would constitute an obvious conflict of interest. As early as May 3, Wenzel wrote blog entries about the Schmidt race and made disparaging remarks about Schmidt's primary opponents on his Web site. Regarding Pat DeWine, one of Schmidt's primary opponents, Wenzel wrote: "DeWine also has personal problems. He left his wife when she was eight months pregnant with their third child to take up with another woman. You could say he thinks so much of family values that he has decided to start another."
Wenzel's blog entries were pulled from the Web shortly after his ties to the Schmidt campaign came under scrutiny, but Wenzel denies he was working for Schmidt and the Blade simultaneously. He reportedly told a Cincinnati paper that he had a "busy weekend" drumming up Schmidt's business right after he left the Blade.
Block, the publisher and editor in chief, says he has confidence in the integrity of Wenzel's overall tenure at the Blade, but doesn't believe Wenzel kept the Schmidt job separate from his time at the paper. "You don't just leave on one day and then immediately set up your consulting business," Block says. "I think that in his final period at the Blade, it was getting close to a conflict of interest. I'm not going to deny that."
In October 2004, Bates turned her investigation into Noe's campaign irregularities over to the U.S. Department of Justice. That was three weeks before the election, not enough time, Bates says, to affect the outcome.
The Coingate scandal continues to grow. The Blade still diligently hounds the story amid growing revelations about the Noes and Republican problems statewide. Wenzel is basking in political success, having helped take Schmidt from being an outside contender in the primaries to sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ohio government is still thoroughly dominated by Republicans, but, as Blade editors and Democrats are quick to note, that might soon be changing, thanks to the scandal. What won't change is that Coingate never got reported in 2004, and George W. Bush won the presidency.
-- By Bill Frogameni



On another note, If you are of color DON'T move back to New Orleans.

By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Writer

October 11,2005 NEW ORLEANS -- A retired elementary teacher who was repeatedly punched in the head by police in an incident caught on videotape said Monday he was not drunk, put up no resistance and was baffled by what happened.
Robert Davis said he had returned to New Orleans to check on property his family owns in the storm-ravaged city, and was out looking to buy cigarettes when he was beaten and arrested Saturday night in the French Quarter.
Police have alleged that the 64-year-old Davis was publicly intoxicated, a charge he strongly denied as he stood on the street corner where the incident played out Saturday.
"I haven't had a drink in 25 years," Davis said. He had stitches beneath his left eye, a bandage on his left hand and complained of soreness in his back and aches in his left shoulder.
A federal civil rights investigation was begun in the case. Davis is black; the three city police officers seen on the tape are white.
But Davis, his attorney and police spokesman Marlon Defillo all said they do not believe race was an issue. "He does not see it as a racial thing," said Davis' lawyer, Joseph Bruno.
Two city officers accused in the beating, and a third officer accused of grabbing and shoving an Associated Press Television News producer who helped document the confrontation, pleaded not guilty Monday to battery charges.
Trial was set at a hearing Monday for Jan. 11. Afterward, officers Lance Schilling, Robert Evangelist and S.M. Smith were released on bond. They left without commenting.
Police Superintendent Warren Riley said any misconduct would be dealt with swiftly. He noted the video showed "a portion of that incident."
"The actions that were observed on this video are certainly unacceptable by this department," Riley said.
Two other officials in the video appeared to be federal officers, according to police. Numerous agencies have sent officers to help with patrols in the aftermath of Katrina.
Stephen Kodak, an FBI spokesman in Washington, said none of its agents had been disciplined. He said the FBI was taking part in the Justice Department's civil rights probe.
Davis said he had been walking in the French Quarter and approached a mounted police officer to ask about the curfew in the city when another officer interrupted.
"This other guy interfered and I said he shouldn't," Davis said. "I started to cross the street and -- bam -- I got it. ... All I know is this guy attacked me and said, `I will kick your ass,' and they proceeded to do it."
He said he did not know why the punches were thrown.
The confrontation came as the New Orleans Police Department -- long plagued by allegations of brutality and corruption -- struggles with the aftermath of Katrina.
The APTN tape shows an officer hitting Davis at least four times in the head outside a bar. Davis twisted and flailed as he was dragged to the ground by several officers. Davis's lawyer said his client did not resist.
"I don't think that when a person is getting beat up there's a whole lot of thought. It's survival. You don't have a whole lot of time to think when you're being pummeled," Bruno said.
Davis was kneed and pushed to the sidewalk with blood streaming down his arm and into the gutter. The officers accused of striking Davis were identified as Schilling and Evangelist.
Mayor Ray Nagin said, "I don't know what the gentleman did, but whatever he did, he didn't deserve what I saw on tape."
During the arrest, another officer, identified as Smith, ordered APTN producer Rich Matthews and a cameraman to stop recording. When Matthews held up his credentials, the officer grabbed the producer, leaned him backward over a car, jabbed him in the stomach and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade.
Police said Davis was booked on public intoxication, resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and public intimidation.
The head of the New Orleans police union said the officers told him they had acted appropriately.
"They feel they were justified in their actions and they were using the amount of force necessary to overcome the situation," Lt. David Benelli told WDSU in New Orleans.
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APTN and Associated Press Writer Ross Sneyd contributed to this story.