Confronted with questions last week about Sen. Trent Lott and the Republican Party's record on civil rights, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer twice invoked Cincinnati as part of the Bush administration's "broad-based and helpful" record in helping African-Americans.

On Dec. 17, Mr. Fleischer cited the Justice Department investigation into the police use of force in Cincinnati as an example of the administration's aggressive enforcement of civil-rights laws.

Again on Dec. 20, reporters asked Mr. Fleischer about Mr. Lott and about Mr. Bush's 2000 speech at the Bob Jones University, which had a ban on interracial dating.

"Let me describe to you what the president has done about civil rights in America," Mr. Fleischer began, avoiding the question and instead launching into a litany of administration civil-rights initiatives.

"After the riots broke out in Cincinnati last year, it was this administration that went into Cincinnati and worked extraordinarily closely with the community, with blacks and whites, with the police, to bring racial healing to a city that had been split as a result of the riots there."

So is there racial healing in Cincinnati? And if so, did President Bush have anything to do with it?

"The president sending in the Justice Department was helpful in dealing with some of the issues of injustice here," acknowledged the Rev. Damon Lynch III, president of the Cincinnati Black United Front. "I am glad to see Cincinnati is on the radar screen of the White House."

However, the Rev. Mr. Lynch said, the Bush administration has "unfinished business" in Cincinnati. He renewed his call for a federal probe into the 2000 Election Night death of Roger Owensby Jr. during his arrest by police in Roselawn.

Campaign trail: Former television news anchor and 2001 mayoral candidate Courtis Fuller insists he hasn't made a decision about whether to go back into television, or to run for City Council in 2003.

So what was he doing Monday at Redfish? Mr. Fuller was eating lunch with Michael Goldman, the new Charter Committee president; Jeff Cramerding, Charter's executive director and former campaign treasurer; and Jonathan Williams, Mr. Fuller's 2001 campaign manager.

Is a Charter endorsement in the works? Expect an announcement in the next six weeks.

For now, Mr. Fuller said, he's happy doing the morning show on WCIN (1480 AM). Tuesday's guests: funk artist Bootsie Collins and Hamilton County Commissioner-elect Phil Heimlich.

Campaign trail II: In another sign that the 2003 campaign is getting off to an early start, the Cincinnati Democratic Committee has endorsed all five Democratic incumbents eligible to run for re-election next year: Paul Booth, John Cranley, David Crowley, David Pepper and Alicia Reece.

Incumbent endorsements have always been a formality, but this is the earliest the party has ever done so, said Hamilton County Democratic Party Co-chair Tim Burke.

The party can now turn its attention to finding four strong challengers to fill out the ticket. The party is putting a premium on women and minority candidates, because only two African-Americans and one woman will remain after the departure of the term-limited Minette Cooper. Mr. Fuller is one possibility, but the Democrats aren't interested in a joint Democratic-Charter endorsement.

And what about Bernadette Watson, Mayor Charlie Luken's chief of staff, whose knowledge of neighborhood groups and issues is unparalleled in the city?

Democrats have tried to recruit her to run, but she co-chairs the Cincinnati Democratic Committee, which ultimately will make the endorsements.

That's a sign she probably won't run in 2003, party officials say.

City Hall reporter Gregory Korte can be reached at 768-8391 or gkorte@enquirer.com.