Media establishment buries politician's bad news before election

By Patrick Poole

Ohio political blogger Matt Naugle is alleging that the management of the Columbus Dispatch has quashed a potentially damaging story about Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman just days before the election. Naugle reports at Right Angle Blog:

The article was written by Dispatch reporter Jodi Andes, and I have confirmed that she called the Bill Todd campaign [Coleman's opponent] for a quote for the story. She also provided a brief summary of what the article was about. I couldn't find specific details, and no one at The Dispatch would talk to me, but this article was about the Mayor's questionable campaign expenditures.

In addition, The Dispatch allegedly is sitting on another story about Coleman and his various "misdeeds" which, rumor has it, won't be printed until after the election... if at all. This part of the rumor stinks the most, because they supposedly had this type of dirt on Coleman during the 2006 elections. The Dispatch wouldn't run it, but apparently they almost had to change their mind because the Toledo Blade was supposedly going to run the story... since the powers that be at the Blade supposedly wanted to clear the field for Ted Strickland in the Democrat primary.

Mike Coleman is in a tight race against a determined challenger, and he has suffered from damaging stories in recent months about his wife's no-show state job (for which she is currently facing criminal charges), her drunk driving convictions, and his association with CAIR national vice-chairman Ahmad Al-Akhras, one of the most outspoken extremist Islamic leaders in the country, who Coleman has appointed to several city boards and commissions.

Coleman's opponent, Bill Todd, has also hammered on the dramatic increase in crime under Coleman's administration, as well as the loss of Homeland Security funds in Central Ohio, even though Columbus is the location where the largest active Al-Qaeda cell was discovered (two members of the cell have been convicted, another has been charged, and at least 10 more are known to have been involved).

New revelations about possible campaign expenditure violations might very well sink Coleman's reelection prospects next week if it weren't for the kind assistance of his friends in the top floor offices of the Columbus Dispatch. Stay tuned to see if the establishment media can wait out the new media probings.