Necessary Roughness

I happened to catch the tail end of the Glenn Beck program Wednesday, when he hosted Columbus, OH, mayor Michael Coleman. The radio host wanted the mayor’s personal thoughts on a horrible story where school officials tried to cover up an rape and assault on a developmentally disabled girl. The Columbus Dispatch reported (registration required, free if you take the paper) on the conversation. Glenn Beck’s web site hosts the audio for free on his website.

I heard not much more than what is in the clip above, but I did hear the host ask the mayor the same question a couple of times—does what went on, the assault and the cover-up, offend the mayor? Mayor Coleman repeated that he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. Glenn Beck then tried to ask him if the transfer of those who did the cover-up to another school offended the mayor, and Mr. Coleman still repeated his no comment. Glenn reminded the mayor that the host wasn’t asking about the investigation, but whether as a father and as a man, was Mayor Coleman offended by what happened? Mr. Coleman then responded, “Don’t you question my manhood” and said some barely understandable chastisements for Glenn’s challenge of his manhood. Later Mayor Coleman said, “Sir, I’m not offended. What I am telling you is that this is under criminal investigation…”

This coming from a person who plans to run for governor of Ohio. In the Dispatch article, the mayor claims that he misheard the question. Maybe he did, but the entire conversation as you can hear doesn’t support his explanation. I wasn’t going to vote for the man anyhow, but I wonder how many minds were turned by this conversation. If this guy as governor would tolerate the transfer and sheltering those who have authority over others, like Cardinal Bernard Law sheltered his priests from prosecution in Boston, then this spells chaos for the State government.

The other nationally notorious issue (Dispatch) is the gunman who started shooting people along the southern half of I-270 that loops around Columbus. One of the shootings may have been on the east side, close to our suburbs. Yesterday the jury was taken on a six-hour tour of all the locations where the shootings occurred. The gunman is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. That is a tough case to make, especially for 24 counts. If he didn’t know what he was doing was wrong, how did he know he needed to evade police, to the point where they arrested him in Las Vegas?