Last Chance City Paper

The C-P runs a pair of letters-to-the-editor taunting Beth Pittinger for branding a peaceful protest outside of Dan Onorato's church as "offensive."

Vincent Eirene, Manchester:

When already restrained anti-war protesters were Tasered in full view of the public, and when young children -- including my own -- were subjected to the effects of random pepper-spraying by Pittsburgh police officers in August 2005, Ms. Pittinger dutifully attended the subsequent press conference, but I certainly don't remember her expressing any sense of such actions being "offensive."

Candice Zawoiski, Lawrenceville:

Why is the executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board working to undermine the civil liberties of Pittsburgh's citizens anyway? Shouldn't she be overworked protecting Pittsburgh's men, women and children from the far-too-common racist and politically motivated brutality perpetuated by some police officers in our city?

When an issue like this starts to generate spin-off issues that whip up new constituencies, and one's allies begin taking heat on their own, that should be a pretty good indication you've done something wrong.

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The Pittsburgh Organizing Group is adopting a new tactic, reports Marty Levine: a hunger-strike outside of Oakland's main military recruiting station. P.O.G. is seeking permits for the End War Fast from Sept. 4 - Sept. 30.

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Melissa Meinzer has a write-up of Howard Dean's visit to Pittsburgh. She mentions the DNC Chairman's sporting of a Patrick Dowd sticker, and his praise for Dowd's insurgent, highly interactive campaign.

She does not mention the wild applause and fawning attention Dr. Dowd garnered that night, nor the irritation and envy so clearly evident across the face of a certain other local hot-shot politician.