I see that Bill Sloat and our old enemies over at The Cincinnati Beacon latched on to my blog entry "Amanda". [Link to Bellwether, Beacon] I also see that these two new media entities have the same problem as the old media: they miss the central point of a story.

There is no way anyone can read what I've written the last few days and come away thinking that the main point is: Tyrone Yates is Gay. If that was the point, I'd be the first one to say Big fucking deal! (I know some of you would think its a big deal, that's why you keep asking me to discuss another public figure's sex life and don't understand why I won't. Go write that shit on your own blog! Or go have CityBeat's Kevin Osborne write about his sex life again.)

So what is the central point as it relates to Tyrone Yates? And if the central point is not to out the fact that Tyrone Yates is Gay (or, its probably more accurate to say, bi-sexual), what is the point? Well, its never the crime (no, I'm not saying being gay is a crime), its the cover up.

Just like many other dirty politicians (even those we like or used to like), Tyrone Yates should have never used his office and influence to get Legal Aid to give Amanda Mayes THREE lawyers. Why? Because Yates has voted to give Legal Aid millions of tax dollars. The first rule of public service is you don't take government money and give it, directly or indirectly, to your family members or girlfriends.

The fact that Tyrone Yates is gay is only relevant in that it helps explain why he would risk his political career to help Amanda Mayes. You see, this isn't just about a romantic relationship between two people, this is about a promise Tyrone Yates and Amanda Mayes made to each other: that they'd never reveal that they both have had sex with people of the same sex. Tyrone Yates has had sex with another man; and Amanda Mayes has had sex with numerous women. Had Tyrone Yates not stepped in and helped Amanda Mayes get help from Legal Aid, he risked her going public and telling his secret.

Tyrone Yates isn't just any old State Representative. He is president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and chairman of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. He is a prominent supporter of presidential candidate Barack Obama, a man who promises to be a government reformer and corruption buster. He is close to Governor Ted Strickland and Attorney General Marc Dann. And lets face it, anyone and everyone who knows Tyrone Yates knows that he is getting older but he is still ambitious. If what I'm saying is true, and it is, how long can Obama, Strickland, and Dann stand with Yates?

Yes, Amanda Mayes was married to Allen Ralph and Tyrone Yates was married to Veronica Chapman. And, yes, Amanda has had sex with many men and birthed several children. So what! Apparently, lots of gay people, especially public figures, get married to make the general public think they aren't gay. (Remember the former governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey? And what's the guy's name out in Colorado who got caught in the sex sting in the bathroom?)

The non-traditional media ought to do a better job of presenting stories to their readers.