Louie Free's Blog on Vindy.com

Too many teardrops for one heart to be cryin Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on You’re way on top now since you left me You’re always laughin way down at me
But watch out now, I’m gonna get there We’ll be together for just a little while And then I’m gonna put you way down here And you’ll start cryin ninety-six tears Cry, cry

And when the sun comes up, I’ll be on top You’ll be right down there, lookin up And I might wave, come up here But I don’t see you wavin now I’m way down here, wonderin how I’m gonna get you but I know now I’ll just cry, cry, Ill just cry

The Ohio Democrats fear getting Dann on THEM this fall, as the Republicans say “God-Dann them Democrats !”

BUT :

Ohio Atty. General Marc Dann just may be THE most powerful man in America !

Ok,ok,ok-I know, listeners to the show and readers here KNOW that winning Ohio is necessary to winning the U.S. presidency !

The Republicans NEED Ohio.

The Democrats NEED Ohio.

If Marc Dann remains in office, the Republicans have their target- quickly memory-cleansing good ole boy : Convict Taft from the public consciousness.

If the Democrats ‘get’ Marc out of office, they’ll feel White Knighted, good, clean and superior-as usual.

Out front AG Marc stands poker-face strong.

While back room deal-makers plot late night long.

I think Marc’s holding a Royal Flush while others blush.

Others looking at options in the pre-election rush.

Marc Dann just may be holding THE KEY to the United States Presidency.

What do YOU think THAT key is worth???????

• btw- the 96Fears = 88 Counties+ Gov Strickland(+)+Treasurer Cordray(+)+Sec of State Brunner(+)+ Lt.Gov.Fisher+Sherrod Brown+Beatty+Miller+Redfern

A) Because he needed one.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer : “by his own actions and by those of the people he trusted the most, Dann has turned the attorney general’s office into a laughingstock. He has embarrassed the good people who work there. He has embarrassed the governor whose coattails he rode into office, and their party. He has embarrassed his wife and children, who did nothing to deserve this. He has embarrassed the people who voted for him and those who depend on him. In short, Marc Dann has disgraced himself far more than he seems to realize. He has fallen so far, so fast, that it’s impossible to see how he can recover, personally, politically or professionally. That’s why he needs to go.”

The Columbus Dispatch : “Ohio’s Attorney General must be able to provide leadership, command respect and exercise strong judgment. Marc Dann has failed miserably in all three and is not fit to serve. Dann disgraced himself and his department, operating an office where the atmosphere was, in his words, ‘embarrassingly undignified’.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer: “the tone of an organization is set by its leader. By that criterion, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann should resign. On Friday Dann fired two top aides and forced the resignation of another because they violated the department’s sex harassment policy. An hour later Dann acknowledged in a press conference that the standard for such misconduct had been modeled on his own behavior, as he had conducted an extramarital affair with a young female staffer. Yet Dann had the gall to say he would not step down because he was doing a “great” job as attorney general. His hypocrisy is breathtaking.”

The Akron Beacon Journal: “when Marc Dann likened himself to Eliot Spitzer, this is not what he had in mind. But the Ohio Attorney General’s story should have the same outcome: a premature departure from office. Mr. Dann has become a laughingstock. He deserves to be. This time, the image is the reality. He has made his own reputation.”

The Dayton Daily News : Our view: This has to be the end for Marc Dann.”

and Bertram de Souza says :“Dann is toast “

I am not sure that these ‘editorialists’ have not come to quickly-to their conclusions.

Y’all know that my relationship w/ Marc Dann o’re the years has not be a pleasant one.

When I had Subbodh Chandra on my show ( ‘live from the double-wide on the east side’), I thought I might need an escort to my car-which, at that time, was across from the outhouse[sounds more adult than ‘port-a potty].

This isn’t about my personal relationship w/ Marc Dann-this is about the viability of Ohio’s Atty.General.

Yeah, and regular listeners know my feelings on the ” I take responsibility for my actions”-CRAP ! Who else would or could be responsible for one’s OWN ACTIONS????— I really dislike that and the selfish ‘poor me and my family’ dreck that he’s spreading. Marc, this didn’t happen TO you-YOU DID this ! It’s one thing if you are in the private sector, but the AG’s office is OUR business !

Ok, but :

Just when the recent Marc Dann story/scandal was breaking, I had just finished reading Debbie Ford’s book: “Why Good People Do Bad Things”. When Debbie interviewed w/ me, we talked about Marc Dann and Eliot Spitzer. We know that Eliot Spitzer had made some great law-enforcement progress in New york while AG. I’m told by some state law enforcers that Marc Dann has done tremendous work for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, etc.

Can Marc now be a better AG? -I don’t know.

What I do know is that if, and I mean IF Marc’s really cleansing his soul now-really doing a spiritual fire-walk, if Marc really understands why he did what he did-then maybe, just maybe, we have an opportunity to witness real growth and positive change. We believed that Marc had the potential to be a great AttyGeneral-after all, look at the vote count-now we can find out, now we can really KNOW if Marc will be a great AG.

I interviewed SQuire Rushnell a few years back when his book : When God Winks-How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life. This is a bit of what SQuire says about God Winks:

You’ve had another one of those days. Everything seems uncertain.

Who could you talk to about this? Bigger question, who’d listen?

Tentatively your eyes drift skyward.

*Hello? Are you there, God?

Then your mind quickly assesses the immensity of your request. You want God to listen to you, right now. How ridiculous. There are six billion people on this planet. What if they’re all calling God at the same time?

You slump. Deeper into the dumps.

Then–something happens.

A little silly thing.

Someone you just thought about for the first time in years phones out of the blue–a silly little coincidence, so silly you shrug it off. Or a prayer you didn’t really expect to be answered–was! Immediately, your left brain repeats something you once heard: There’s a mathematical explanation for everything.

“But…” you say, “mayyyyybe…it’s not just coincidence or chance!”

Maybe God is communicating with you.

Yes directly to you!

You shake your head.

Naw. Couldn’t be.

But…what if God is communicating with you–in a nonverbal way–making a little miracle happen, right in front of you? After all, God doesn’t speak to people in a human voice. He’s God…He’d do something no one else could do, just to show you it’s Him!

If so, that would mean that He is listening! Right?

He has heard you!

What if through this odd little coincidence, or answered prayer, He’s sending you–you… out of all of those billions of people–a direct personal message of reassurance? To stop worrying? To keep the faith? That everything will be all right?

Every time you receive what some call a coincidence or an answered prayer, it’s a direct and personal message of reassurance from God to you–what I call a godwink.

Let me now tell you about *Divine Ass Kicks(DAKs)- as I had (another) one today.

Those that listened to today’s show(Wed. 30.April.08) know that I was talking about how we lack Love and deep communication, are plagued by war, financial problems, broken inner-city school systems etc,etc,etc, yet we are focused on three presidential contenders-one of which will most likely be the next president of these United States- yet they are possibly three of Americas worst choices. I wouldn’t say that I was feeling badly for myself as much as I was feeling badly for us,U.S. –then came the DAK, the divine ass kick

As some of y’all know, I broadcast from a studio that faces a downtown street. I see passersby and some passersby see me-some look, some wave some make hand or finger gestures. Sometimes I’m looking out and sometimes not. I WAS looking out when I received the Divine Ass Kick. En mitten drinnen, as they say in French-Canadian, of my ‘rant’ four people passed in front of my large window that faces Federal Plaza West. Four people, one ‘escort’ and three “special needs” folks, passed in front of my window-I IMMEDIATELY felt the divine foot on my touchas.

I took a break and ran to the 20 Federal Plaza hall to find my four next guests. I invited the group in to the studio and had the DAK or BLESSING of meeting Stacey, 42yrs old, Stephan, 25yrs old and Derrick-who, btw, told me that he would NOT talk on air, yet took the microphone in hand and handled it like a pro-Derrick-30yrs old, oh, and their ‘escort’,Lynn.

I, well WE(listeners and me) learned that these were folk from The Touch The Moon Candy Saloon on Phelps Street next to City Hall. It is operated by Iron and String Life Enhancement Inc., which provides residential and respite services for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled children and adults.

Stacey42, Stephen25 and Derrick 30 cannot live on their own. We also learned that Lynn has a daughter in her 20s that has Down syndrome or trisomy 21.

I’m certain that the families of Stacey, Stephen and Derrick NEVER have their concerns regarding Stacey,Stephen and Derrick far from their conscienceness . The knowledge that their loved ones will ALWAYS need care must weigh on them always in all ways.

I haven’t been able to get them off or out of my mind today either…and I guess that’s a good thing, or at least the result of the Divine Ass Kick that I received today–not that I was sleeping, or needed a wake up call, but just to KEEP me awake and alert and conscious of The BIG Picture and the recognition that although there are plenty of problems and concerns to go around, some struggle with more than their share-MUCH more…….

You can visit the Touch The Moon Candy Store at 8 S Phelps St

(330) 480-0829

*sometimes referred to as a Divine Touchas Zeets, or DTZ

I hear a lot from a lot and evaluate a lot. This buzz is from an 88%-er(88% of the buzz from this source ‘pans out’-{and I don’t mean Pan} 12% doesn’t or doesn’t come to light) The buzz is that there will be a new sheriff before this year’s end-also, a federal investigation may bring down two incumbent office holders….stay tuned.

Louie,

I just took a shower and haven’t scrubbed like that since I was little and used to try to scrub and scrub the molestation off of me- but no matter how much I scrubbed, I couldn’t get ‘it’ off of me.

That’s how I felt in the shower today, just couldn’t get ‘it’ off. The difference today is that I’m trying to scrub me away. ‘Guess I’m spending too much time recounting the mistakes of my life- I took too many roads less traveled, that , for some reason or reasons, I felt the need to go down, yeah, down. Oh, that different drummer, oh that different drummer… Why I felt compelled to dance to that beat, that different drummer - that reason or reasons-elusive to me, but here I am.

One of my few friends recently said to me : ” hey, I don’t know if we ever, totally , get over the abuse issues…” Ok, but when does the self abuse end? Yeah, I know, when we want it to… Do we sit it out in a jail cell, or that self - imposed cell somewhere in our heads?

Right now, I just need to stay away from mirrors. Pretty bad when you can’t stand the sight of yourself.

So,Louie. when, no, how does it get better? At this stage in life, no more chances. No more mistakes as my mistake-account is so overdrawn. I don’t even know if I have time to rectify past mistakes so that I can move forward.

Move forward? Right now, I don’t even know what that means.

BTW, next time, I’ll tell you,Louie, how almost everything seems to be tumbling down , all at once.

Why are so many people so crazy?

I’m proud,Jenny, PROUD.

Yeah, of course, there are those that attempted to take the votes out of our sails, but -No Way ! Jenny’s got my number AND my vote !

I am proud because, for the first time in a long time, I KNOW that my vote counted, as so does the country.

Over the past years , there have been a number of books and articles in the New York Times and other media sources re: the election process in Ohio. Books and articles criticizing the Ohio elections process . I recall 2005 interviewing Gore Vidal about the book: WHAT WENT WRONG IN OHIO . As thrilled as I was having Gore Vidal on my show, there was a sense of embarrassment being in a state that had such a deteriorating elections system. As much as I love having my friend Greg Palast on the show-it always seemed to take outsiders, well at least out-of-staters alerting us to our failing elections process.

I recall last fall(got a ring to it-eh?) reading my Sunday New York Times and saw an article about the Ohio elections system, but THIS time a POSITIVE article PRAISING OUR new Secretary of State,Jennifer Brunner’s revamping,reworking,renovating our elections system- A POSITIVE ARTICLE !

OK, as great as it has been to finally read positive articles about Ohio elections, the pudding’s proof was Primary Tuesday 2008 !

I don’t need to count all of the positive changes that The Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner’s (AND staff) have made-you can find them elsewhere—-I found mine when I voted by paper ballot on Tuesday past…

Jenny, Jenny who can I turn to

You give me something I can hold on to

You don’t know me but you make me so happy !!!

I just had a discussion w/ one of our brave law enforcers.

This brave,bright young man came to the BPD a number of yrs ago-he came from another department. He came to the Boardman Police Department, as he saw, and now KNOWS, the BPD to be THE PINNACLE of law enforcement organizations.

PINNACLE : the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

This is a man that is VERY proud of, not only his personal work, but very proud of the organization for which he works : The Boardman Police Department- this is that guy , that example that I always talk about when I say : “…it’s 4:13 am and you hear your apartment door kicked in, you dial 911 and someone quickly comes to get between you and the monster that broke your door in(possibly, the door-breaker has , what he believes to be a valid reason…but that’s not the concern of this law enforcer). This law enforcer arrives to protect your safety. He(she) arrives volunteering themselves,placing themselves in harms way-to protect YOU, a stranger to these law enforcers.”

This particular law enforcer has been risking his life while protecting ours, for the last two years. He came here after serving for a number of years in another department. He came ‘here’, here to the Boardman Police Department, as he wanted to be part of the pinnacle of area police departments, he wanted to come to “the best”-and to the “best” he came, and has served-proudly.

” I am so proud to be part of the pinnacle of police departments.”

“I was a police officer for about 4 years at another department and have learned more here(BPD) in ONE week…”

” We do an immense amount of intensive training here…the experience and training that we get here(at the Boardman Police Dept) is invaluable…”

Again, this man is on of the valuable employees of Boardman Police Dept., this man not only WOULD risk his life for innocent and not-so-Innocent victims of crimes, this young man DOES risk his life, on a DAILY basis, for the rest of us - this young man, this law enforcer, who came to the Boardman Police Department, because he knows that the Boardman Police Department is A PINNACLE, among police departments .

Ah, but there IS a problem, as this law enforcer has put his house on the market—up for sale—the house that he had hoped to bring his soon-to-be bride to and carry her o’re the threshold…the house that this brave law enforcer hope to make his home w/ his new wife—-oh, his new wife ??? Well,, he’s had to put his wedding on hold , also. He’s done this because there are rumors about in the township-rumors about in Boardman, rumors that the township will have to cut the number of law enforcers, the number of brave women and men that spend their shift work risking their lives for ours. Risking their lives, making OUR community a better place to work and live. Quietly and ‘ thanklessly’ risking THEIR lives, as we live ours.

In weeks to come, we may be told that we cannot afford these local heroes, when the truth is: WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE WITH OUT THEM .

~Louie b.

Louie,

MR WELLINGTON SEEMS TO WANT THE COURT IN COLUMBUS TO DECIDE WHO THE MAHONING COUNTY SHERIFF WILL BE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. AS FOR ME, I WANT THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE. VOTING IS A SACRED RIGHT THAT MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE DIED FOR—I DON’T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.”

THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS HERE HAS SPOKEN, I AM ON THE BALLOT, AND THE VOTERS OF MAHONING COUNTY HAVE A RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS BY VOTING ON MARCH 4TH–MR WELLINGTON DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE THE VOTERS THAT SAME RIGHT—I FIND THAT EXTREMELY INSULTING.

I AM RUNNING ON THE ISSUES; STOPPING VIOLENT CRIME; RUNNING OUR JAIL PROPERLY AND SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS IN A LAWFUL WAY—HE WANTS TO BRING HIS CASE BEFORE THE COURT–I WANT TO BRING MY CASE TO THE PEOPLE.

I KNOW MR WELLINGTON IS USED TO BEING APPOINTED TO OFFICE OR RUNNING WITHOUT SERIOUS OPPOSITION, BUT THIS IS AMERICA AND THE VOTERS SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE. A HEALTHY DEBATE BETWEEN TWO CANDIDATES ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT MATTER IN OUR VALLEY IS WHAT IS REQUIRED–WHY HE FEARS THAT IS SOMETHING HE WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THE VOTERS BEFORE MARCH 4TH.

David Aey