Eric Deters' Libel Lawsuit Against The Whistleblower Is Dead: ACLU Saw Case As Bid To Stifle Political Satire

Whistleblower Lawsuit Settled

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Less than two weeks before the trial, Northern Kentucky lawyer Eric Deters has abandoned his libel lawsuit against Jim Schifrin, publisher of a satirical online newsletter called The Whistleblower.  The publication is widely read in the Cincinnati area and started in the 1980s as a fax that was sent daily; it now resembles a blog that comes via e-mail.  The notice of dismissal was filed today.  The settlement approved by Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Bob Winkler calls for Schifrin to print an unedited statement from Deters -- something that Schifrin said he would have done long ago if asked.  (You can read the statement below.)  No money was paid out, and the out-of-court deal appears to be a victory for Schifrin and The Whistleblower.   The ACLU of Ohio represented the online publication.

Scott Greenwood, the Cincinnati lawyer who handled the ACLU's defense of the online publication, said Deters looked to be using the court system in an effort to silence someone who had a differing point of view.  Said Greenwood: "Political satire is a centuries-old tradition that has been used by visionaries  like Mark Twain, Aristophanes, and Jonathan Swift.  While the merits of Mr. Schifrin's stories may be debatable, his right to publish those ideas is not.  In addition, the courts should be used to expand our constitutional rights, not silence those contributing to civil discourse.  In the future, I hope Mr. Deters excercises his First Amending rights instead of using the courts in an attempt to curtail someone else's."  Links to earlier stories about the libel suit are here and here.  And some of Eric Deters' statement published by today's Whistleblower is as follows: "I remember receiving the “Whistleblower” by fax every day when I was a young lawyer and involved in politics.  I laughed.  When I received the nickname “Call Me Crazy”, I laughed.  I embraced this name.  Somewhere along the line, I believe the “Whistleblower” became a little too mean.

OH-05 Surveys: 'War On Terror' Fades Since 2004

FOSTORIA, Ohio (TDB) -- An Ohio contact in Washington , a Buckeye transplanted to the White House grounds, likes to keep his eye on the political pulse back home and steered The Daily Bellwether to Rep. Paul Gillmor's newly released annual constituent survey, which offers a snaphot of public opinion across 14 counties. It shows that 38.7 % of the respondents -- primarily people in rural Northwest Ohio -- now consider the ''War on Terror' the most important issue facing Congress. That's a big drop since President George W. Bush ran for re-election.

Other tidbits: Gillmor has recently started a blog, but only 9% of his constituents have ever read a blog. And Internet use in OH-05 is way below national levels. Only 55% there vs. about 70% nationally, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, which tracks online trends.

What the Buckeye found interesting, however, is what the Ohio Republican didn't mention on this year's survey report, or anywhere else recently. Some 61% considered the war "most important" two years ago, a steep decline on an issue that has come to define the presidency of George W. Bush. The drop shows up only in this Gillmor press release when he released his survey results from a year ago.

Northwest Ohio is reliably Republican and conservative and represents a slice of Middle America. Despite the growing uncertainty over success in Iraq, 57.9% of those who took part in Gillmor's survey said U.S. troops should stay until ''democracy is stabilized and peace has been restored." The Buckeye wondered why Gillmor did not disclose what the percentages were in 2004 and 2005 (if he asked the question).

Gillmor's complete survey is here. A map of OH-05 is here compliments of Wikipedia.

Some political scientists consider Sandusky County in OH-05 an important bellwether in presidential elections. They say that if Sandusky votes Democratic in a presidential year, the Dem candidate should carry Ohio, a swing state that traditionally determines who moves into the White House.

Gillmor's blogging hasn't exactly been stimulating and there's a sample here. But at least he's dived into the 'sphere.