Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

When I saw yesterday’s item in The Daily Bellwether about Phil Heimlich becoming a right-winged talk show host, I was a bit surprised.  Then, when I followed the link to his show’s website, I didn’t know if I should laugh out loud or feel very afraid.  But when I discovered that his web domain is owned by ”Citizens for Heimlich,” I just had to wonder at the political maneuvering behind all these new developments.

According to the show’s web site, “The goal of Hard Truths is to seek the difficult answers to today’s issues wherever they are found—in the pages of history, through our own common sense, and in the Word of God.” And though the show hasn’t started yet, the advertising section of the site explains, “Hard Truths with Phil Heimlich reaches millions of people each month. We offer competitively priced advertising packages that help you get the word out about your company’s products or services.”

One must wonder how profitable, if at all, it can become to have a Saturday afternoon talk show on Christian radio.  But why is the committee that handles Phil’s political fundraising purchasing web space for his private business venture?  After dropping out of the race with Jean Schmidt, Phil had a nicely filled coffer of campaign money.  Did his benefactors expect him to spend it on something like this?

This begs two questions:  firstly, what are the laws governing use of the money from political campaigns?  Is it proper for “Citizens for Heimlich” to buy this web site?  Secondly, is there some kind of political motivation to the establishment of this radio show?

How wide an audience can someone reach with a Saturday afternoon talk show on Christian radio?  With affiliates picking up the program in Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo, could this possibly serve as a springboard for a statewide political campaign?  If so, what statewide office does Phil think he has even a remote chance of winning?

Maybe all these questions, and more, can be answered when Phil starts putting entries on his show’s blog, which promises to start May 5th.

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