PLAIN DEALER ENDORSEMENT: So, the story seems to be as follows:

The Plain Dealer editorial board voted by a substantial majority to endorse Kerry over Bush. Whereupon, publisher Alex Machaskee (as predicted by Roldo weeks ago) overruled the board and ordered a Bush endorsement. This was originally expected to appear in this morning's paper but has now been delayed until next weekend. (See Editor and Publisher yesterday.)

There were emails flying all over town yesterday asking people to write the PD in protest, but this evening the Kerry/Edwards people are discouraging any more hostility.

Daily Kos yesterday had a story linking the endorsement decision to Machaskee's Serbian loyalties and consequent hatred of Kerry advisor Richard Holbrook. Now there's a good basis for the only daily newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio to pick a side in the presidential election! Maybe Machaskee got a call from the Crown Princess Katherine.

Of course this all begs the question: Who cares what the PD says? The paper's endorsement of Bush over Gore in 2000 didn't stop Gore from winning Northeast Ohio by almost enough votes to put him over the top statewide. I'd say this is one more thing the Kerry campaign should avoid wasting its last-week resources on.

P.S. An email from Mark Adams on this subject caused me to go to his blog, Dispassionate Liberalism, where I haven't been in quite a while. Man, he's been busy!