What's silly is the Blade isn't always nice to Frank so if he truly had them in his pocket the way Bob implies? You would think Frank would have had some better coverage as far as the selection of some of the quotes the Blade chooses to use from Frank.
As I wrote on your blog? I'd love to see Bob take a lie detector. I suggest a huge write in contest by the readers. Maybe we could televise it and have a new kind of reality show for Toledo.
I also thought the Blade article was interesting. But I would like to know exactly when Bob is going to resign from his District seat.
I also can't help wondering why Phil Copeland doesn't step up as the major vote getter and end that part of the discussion. However, maybe one of the wisest things is to not be Toledo City Council President...
:-)
posted by psyche777 at 02:17 P.M. EST on Wed Dec 28, 2005 #
http://frantzrantz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/12/open_challenge_.html
Bob Frantz lays down the challenge....
:-)
posted by psyche777 at 02:38 P.M. EST on Wed Dec 28, 2005 #
The photo of McCloskey says it all for me. If I had to choose between Frank and Bob, based just on a photo, Frank wins hands down. McCloskey's looks like a mug shot from the TPD.
Yet beyond the photo, who believes McCloskey any more these days? This sad bumbler keeps on telling story after story to cover his tracks. Frank, on the other hand, is an ethical guy, albeit a politician.
And the little ploy by Bob Frantz is just a stunt for publicity. What a joke! He must be really desperate for fans to think up this stunt.
posted by limedrops911 at 03:29 P.M. EST on Wed Dec 28, 2005 #
That "Mug" shot of McLoskey is enough to turn off his own mother. How can the union support such a character? Little wonder I never belonged to a union.
posted by Hardy at 03:56 P.M. EST on Wed Dec 28, 2005 #
It's the other way around. So-Lousy is in Block's pocket. He'd never be able to tell the rag what to do-but, then, nobody ever can.
posted by Foolkiller at 10:24 P.M. EST on Wed Dec 28, 2005 #
Foolkiller- which parts of today's Blade editorial did you find to be untrue regarding McCloskey?
posted by limedrops911 at 09:24 A.M. EST on Thu Dec 29, 2005 #
Sorry-I don't waste my time paying any attention to Block & his 'editorials.' I would guess the Bulldog is just the latest in a loooonnnng line of politicos he's went on a vendetta against.
posted by Foolkiller at 09:33 A.M. EST on Thu Dec 29, 2005 #
The real concern comes out in the Blade editorial....
The city charter provides that if anything happens to incapacitate the mayor, the president of council takes over.
Evidently the Blade doesn't have much faith in Carty's health which does raise an interesting question. Which one of these would you really want to see become Mayor if something did happen to Carty....
posted by psyche777 at 01:13 P.M. EST on Thu Dec 29, 2005 #
If McCloskey's claim about Szollosi and the Blade is true, I say, so what? Looks like good political strategy by Szollosi. Politicians getting cozy with journalists is nothing new. Frank would be playing the game just like Lichtenwald.
Frank said, "Have [the Blade and I] had conversations about Bob? Well, I've had conversations with a lot of people about a lot of things."
Good dancing. Twinkle toes Frank.
"Tom Walton, vice president and editor of The Blade, also said conversations about discontinuing coverage of McCloskey never took place. "No, the answer is no, there was never any such conversation as far as I'm aware of, and I'm kind of offended by the insinuation," he said."
Aww, Mr. Walton is offended. Poor baby. Somebody send him an e-card. The editor of the Blade is offended by an insinuation. Think about that for a second. That's damn hilarious.
posted by jr at 03:48 P.M. EST on Thu Dec 29, 2005 #
I'm losing track of all the recent McCloskey topics. My comment earlier today about a posting on psyche777's blog should have been posted here, I guess.
Anyway, some quotes from Bob Frantz's Dec 30, 2005 "Eye on Toledo" radio program with guest Bob McCloskey.
Frantz asked McCloskey about the Toledo Free Press story, which started this Toledo Talk thread.
MCCLOSKEY: "Well, I'm going to tell you my side of the story. I mean, I can't tell you Frank's side of the story. But Frank told me that if he was elected to the president of council, maybe he could help resolve some of these nasty Blade articles that we're having. He says maybe we can get our friends to cutback on some of these articles. And uh, uh, I, you know, it's been a very stressful time for myself and my family. And uh, and uh, at first I thought, I didn't think a lot about it and the more I got thinking about it, and thinking a lot more, I thought, my God, you know if, if Frank has that type of clout over at the Blade to get them to change their policy on everything, uh, uh, and that's one of the reasons the Blade's going after me, and he has somebody over there doing this, I, I, I just couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it."
"And it kind of got me very angry because we've been going through, you know, Mr. Block did not like the idea of me running at the at-large seat, and, uh, I received a legal opinion from Barbara Herring, the law director, and then I talked to several other people who were involved in the charter before I did it. And I got a written legal opinion. It was sent down to me, uh, by in an envelope that was marked "Personal Confidential." It was given to the clerk of council to give to me. [Blade reporter] Tom Troy came in and threatened the clerk of council, saying 'You either give that letter to me or we're going to file some kind of a suit to get it.' Some kind of, I don't know what it's called, some legal action to get a copy of it 'because in our opinion that's not a personal confidential letter.' Well the only thing I wanted to do was to make a formal announcement that I was going to seek the office. It was not a secret document by any chance."
"And the clerk of council called me at home, and he seemed very stressed, and he says, 'Bob, just give him a copy of it because they're going to get their attorneys to uh, somehow get it legally. It's not a document.' And I called Tom Troy back and I said, 'My God, Ben [?], only thing I wanted to do was to wait and have a little press conference and make an announcement.' And he said 'You either get it to me now, or we're going to do this.' The clerk was very stressed over it. And I didn't make a big deal out of it. I gave him a copy of my letter. The next thing I know ..."
Frantz interrupted McCloskey at this point to get back on the topic of McCloskey's discussion with Szollosi about council president support. Oh, it sounded like McCloskey said "Ben" above. Who is Ben? McCloskey talked about his original support for Szollosi until Szollosi brought up the Blade.
MCCLOSKEY: "You know, I like Frank. I have always liked him. I was considering looking in that direction [voting for Szollosi]. And uh, I was pretty close to making a decision on that, in that way. And uh, ..."
FRANTZ: "And then it changed when he brought that other part ..."
MCCLOSKEY: "I certainly wished he hadn't done that. Him and I would have had a very tighter relationship. I mean, uh, you know as I've told you before, it's been a stressful time with all these articles and that certainly didn't help with that level of stress."
FRANTZ: "No, I can't imagine that it would."
[Talking over each other]
MCCLOSKEY: "... trying to figure out what in the world is going on here. I mean, you know, I've been on council for 12 years. I've ran five campaigns. I've got nothing but accolades for the work that I've done in the community. My God, I was the number one vote-getter in Toledo. I've never, ever had a problem with anything. I mean, uh ..."
Frantz interrupts to get back on the alleged Szollosi-Blade relationship.
FRANTZ: "To me it seems like a big deal, uh, when somebody, when somebody offers you favorable coverage in a publication which has, quite frankly, far too much power in influencing the voters and the residents of this city and of this area, when they offer you favorable, uh, you know, coverage of your various issues and so on and so forth like that, to me it's almost called something I invented called character blackmail. He's blackmailing you for ..."
MCCLOSKEY: "Now, now the Blade didn't do this, you understand."
FRANTZ: "I understand that. This is, this is his, his offer."
MCCLOSKEY: "It was Frank [indecipherable] made the offer."
FRANTZ: "So that's a big deal to me ..."
MCCLOSKEY: "And when I called [Blade editor] Tom Walton the following day, I mean, I was just going to drop it. I wasn't thinking about it anymore. And the more I got to thinking about it, the madder I got. I called Tom Walton today, and I said is that the way you guys operate. I mean, my God ..."
FRANTZ: "You basically asked him if Frank has that kind of pull over there."
MCCLOSKEY: "I said, basically, now maybe in not those words. But something like that. Tom Walton was very vague on it. And he tried to get off the phone as quickly as he could. Usually Tom and I have had some pretty good relationship through the years. And he's always been straight with me, and I always try to be straight with the Blade. And, uh, and I just said, my God what in the world is going on? Why these constant articles and nonsense? And uh, basically, you know, I had a very good shot with my colleagues at becoming president of council."
"And when the Blade articles started, and Tom Troy started his articles, and uh, we've been in a lawsuit for three and a half years now, and never once did the prosecutor's office even look at it or think about it. All of a sudden the prosecutor's office is looking at something because of the Blade and these constant, constant, constant articles. And I'm thinking what in the world, and it was over my seeking the at-large seat, first of all. There were four editorials from the time I won the number one in the primary until the general election. It didn't work. I still became the number two vote-getter in the city of Toledo. And when people started talking about the presidency of council, my name was thrown out there, and that's when the heat started coming down about all this nonsense about all the litigation stuff and everything else. And as I've told you before, the only thing that I can say by the advice of my attorney is no comment."
[Bob and Bob Talking over each other]
MCCLOSKEY: "And that's what really stresses me out more than anything. Because, I can't tell anything. I mean, I'm begging to bite my tongue and to say this. That's probably the thing that really stresses you out the most is that you can't say anything."
McCloskey then explains why he can't participate in Frantz's lie detector challenge. McCloskey has other litigation going on, and McCloskey's lawyer advised McCloskey not to take the challenge. McCloskey says he's looking forward to the new year.
MCCLOSKEY: "2-0-0-6, I can't wait until this is all over with."
FRANTZ: "And you don't need to up your stress medication anymore, do you?"
MCCLOSKEY: "Well, I'm not on any stress medication right now. I will tell you, I will, I'm going to be spending the year trying to make this city a better place to live as I have the last 12 years."
Talk switched to the race for council prez. McCloskey's attorney advised McCloskey to get his name off the council president list because of the other litigation. But the so-called negative articles didn't stop, so Bob decided to jump back into the race.
And then just more blabbing from Bob about running for council president. Nothing important said.
Frantz then asked McCloskey who he thinks will be elected council president.
FRANTZ: "I know your not a bookie, but if you were one and you were laying Vegas odds, who's the odds-on favorite do you think?"
MCCLOSKEY: "Uh, Jesus."
FRANTZ: "To win council president?
MCCLOSKEY: "I guess."
FRANTZ: "I didn't know he was up for it."
MCCLOSKEY: "Well, Jesus is up for everything."
Anyone care to interpret that? If Jesus does win the Toledo City Council presidency, the first thing that will happen will be a lawsuit from the ACLU citing a violation of the separation of church and state. We don't need taxpayer dollars paying anymore legal fees, so let's hope Jesus doesn't become council president. Besides, with Jesus hanging out downtown, traffic would be terrible. Might be good for local businesses, though.
Frantz asked McCloskey about Westgate-Costco-Ford-Carty, and McCloskey basically said Carty was full of shit.
Now, back to something McCloskey said:
"There were four editorials from the time I won the number one in the primary until the general election. It didn't work. I still became the number two vote-getter in the city of Toledo. And when people started talking about the presidency of council, my name was thrown out there, and that's when the heat started coming down about all this nonsense about all the litigation stuff and everything else."
To me, it seems McCloskey is implying that his name wasn't mentioned for council president until after the November general election. Does anyone else think that? McCloskey says his name was thrown out there, which sounds like someone else brought up McCloskey's name for council president.
McCloskey was the top vote-getter in the Sep 13, 2005 primary. Here is a Sep 24 Blade story that says:
"If Councilman Bob McCloskey is able to stay the top vote-getter for Toledo City Council at the Nov. 8 general election, he may then begin a new campaign: to be elected City Council president. There is a tradition on City Council that the top Democratic vote-getter gets first crack at the top job on council. If he does finish with the most votes, "as the No. 1 vote-getter and the senior Democrat on council, I certainly should be considered for that position," [McCloskey] said"
McCloskey was lobbying for the council president position six weeks before the November election.
posted by jr at 04:52 P.M. EST on Sat Dec 31, 2005 #
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