Was that a State of the City speech or a campaign commercial at Union Terminal on Monday?

Mayor Charlie Luken's annual address featured a 10-minute video - produced at a cost to taxpayers of about $3,000 - promoting city development projects in Cincinnati neighborhoods.

It also has Luken showing off his best political assets: a quick, self-deprecating sense of humor, and an easygoing rapport with people from all corners of the city.

In a trek that takes Luken through Madisonville, Walnut Hills, Bond Hill, College Hill, Westwood and downtown, the video shows Luken losing his keys, washing his car and wisecracking with neighborhood leaders. He jokes with Westwood's Mark Minges, wishing him good business in the coming year - but not too good (Minges is a funeral director.)

But Luken said there was a serious message to the video.

"You know, I've tried to build support for downtown in the neighborhoods - sometimes to my detriment," Luken said. "Now I'm trying to broaden the base of support for neighborhoods among the decision-makers downtown."

Luken begged off questions about whether the video had a political message. "I'll leave that to the pundits," he said.

Asked if the video would air on heavy rotation on Citi Cable, the city-run cable station, Luken spokesman Brendon Cull said enthusiastically, "Absolutely."

STATE OF THE UNIONS: Others were quick to see politics in other parts of the mayor's State of the City speech.

Phil Burress of the Equal Rights, Not Special Rights Committee said Luken's position on gay rights was "about getting re-elected, plain and simple."

And Republican Pat DeWine noted of the mayor's flip-flop on privatizing city services: "The mayor obviously wants the support of labor unions, and AFSCME is one of the most powerful unions in the city."

On that point, Luken and DeWine might agree.

Two days before the speech, Luken ran into state Sen. Mark Mallory, - a presumptive 2005 challenger - at the Neighborhood Summit in Evanston.

Assessing the West End Democrat's chances, Luken said: "The only way he can win is if he can raise his profile and raise some money. And the only place he can raise some money is from labor."

NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE: News that fugitive "developer" LaShawn Pettus-Brown was finally done in by a Google search has brought international attention to our little Empire Theater scandal.

Pettus-Brown's blind date at a New York Applebee's put his name into the Google search engine. When an arrest warrant popped up on the FBI's Web site, she dropped a dime - leading the feds right to the elusive fugitive.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC made Pettus-Brown one of his "Top Three Newsmakers."

The Albany Times-Union ran the Enquirer's story under the headline: "Moral: If you're on the lam, date a Luddite."

The British seem especially captivated by the story. The BBC used the occasion to discuss how "Googling" has entered the language as a verb. And the Guardian of London had this observation: "The lesson here is that if you are on the run from the law, you might want to adopt a name that's a little less prominent than LaShawn Pettus-Brown."

Up next: People Magazine.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com