If you blog, this is your TWO WEEK NOTICE!

Yes, a mere two weeks from tonight, the fabulous (if not correct politically) Mr. Mike is gathering as many local bloggers as possible for the Summer Blogger's Bash at the venerable P&H Cafe at 7 P.M. on Friday, June 9. The P&H, for those who have never been (and why?) is on Madison across from Strings & Things, just west of Avalon.

If you blog, you ought to be there. Come and meet the faces and personalities behind the blogs. There will be all manner of discussion, not just politics (that's to prevent fistfights) so please come out and have a brew or coke or two!

Come one, come all!!

Come to the opening of the official Cohen for Congress Headquarters Saturday from 11-2 at the 1803-1 Union Avenue location, just west of McLean in beautiful Midtown Memphis! We will have BBQ, soft drinks and the occasional speech or two.

If you're not a Cohen-head yet (my term), come on out anyway, who knows what can happen?

See you there!

Who's Killing the County's Budget? the IDB!

Smart City drills the Industrial Development Board for giving away tax freezes like hot dogs at a rally!

I am highlighting selected portions here:

The company paying the average wages of $22,880, Knox St. Clair, a supplier of interior doors and windows, is paying so little that its 32 new employees will be eligible for food stamps and human services on the day they start their new jobs. In other words, taxpayers are not only subsidizing the company’s bottom line with the tax freezes, but we may also be subsidizing it by providing its employees public assistance, public health and human services programs.

These kinds of tax freezes say volumes about the IDB’s long-term vision of Memphis and Shelby County as a center for the low-wage, low-skill jobs that it so easily approves. It certainly didn’t engender any great feelings of pride for us when an official with one of the companies took his tax freeze and praised Memphis’ “highly-skilled distribution workforce.” That, in a phrase, is the legacy of the IDB.

Now, who wants to know why the County has a budget problem? Go read the rest!

$90K in the freezer? What do YOU think???

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) is under federal investigation for possible charges of receiving bribes. In fact, he was found to have $90K in his freezer!!!

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asked Rep. Jefferson to step aside from his seat on the House Ways and Means Committee until the investigation is over. A smart move, right? Not based on the response of the Congressional Black Caucus, who issued not-so-subtle threats to Pelosi when meeting with her yesterday.

Confused? So am I, but Steve Gilliard isn't confused, he's PISSED OFF!

Here's a clip:

Uh, folks, he had $90K in his freezer and a videotape showing him taking the money. You really want to wait for a court for him to quit?

Look, I didn't like it when bloggers jumped all over McKinney on the word of the capitol police, who seem to have different standards for black congresswomen and drunk Irish Congressmen.

But this is way different. efferson took two National Guard trucks which could have been saving New Orleanians to save his "luggage". God know what he had inside. If the CBC thinks people outside of the Hill gives a shit about Jefferson, they're insane. Black America has been plagued with corrupt leaders and they belong under the jail. When people lack resources and means, the last thing they need is someone sticking their hand out for payoffs.

UPDATE! Bush has ordered that Jefferson's records be SEALED for 45 days, as supposedly this was a violation of the separation of powers. WHY Are the Goopers protecting Jefferson? Who is he protecting???

Begin perspiring in 5..4..3..2..1..

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Former State Senator Roscoe Dixon went to the State Capitol today with a process server, subpooenaing several people, incuding Lt. Governor John Wilder (D- Mason) and Senator Jeff Miller (R-Cleveland).

Click on the title for the WMC-TV/AP story.

To me, this leads to one of two possibilities; 1) he is trying to get former colleagues to help clear him when they haven't exactly lined up to do so, or 2) if he's going down, it won't be alone!

With the country in a grumpy mood about the GOP's rampant corruption in DC, the locals in Tennessee may be ready to throw the bums out in Nashville as well.

I only hope the good people aren't tossed out with the bums.

Enough said...

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal...: To Whom it May Concern:

David Holt sets the right tone....

I was good and I didn't boo once at Kennedy Day

I even gave the Politburo clap a couple of times for Bredesen, who was not as infuriating as I expected. In fact, he even said he admired the protestors of his TennCare cuts who were outside the U of M Holiday Inn. They, in fact, invaded the $250-a-pop reception to talk to him, and I understand that he spoke with them for about 15 minutes.

Now, I guess, they can go back and wait to die.

OK, cheap shot. The fact remains that Phil Bredesen is a manager, not a leader. While he may be a better one that Don Sundquist, at least the boy from Moline tried to get an income tax through the General Assembly. That would have solved a lot of problems, if not all of them, and it would have made those assholes in Williamson County pay their fair share of our social costs. No wonder they support our boy Phil, no matter what they may have told Senator Jim Bryson (R-Franklin), the Gooper sacrificial lamb, er, nominee.

Phil actually gave a decent speech, noting that his brother had recently died from alcohol-related problems because he couldn't get health insurance. (insert schadenfreude reference here). His cadence is certainly not what we're used to from our speakers, but in that regard he did all right. I have no doubt he truly believes that what he has done to TennCare is the best that we could hope for at this time.

Which, of course, makes me glad I have an employer with a great health plan.

The theme afterwards was for my good Democratic friends to check to see what I thought of his speech and to let me know (with one or two exceptions) that he is the best we could have at this time.

Are you trying to get me to go Green?

Seriously, other than the medical stuff, he said mostly the right things, and Phil was a muted choice for what turned out to be a muted evening. It wasn't a bad one at all, it's just that if you're going into an election campaign, you would be wanting someone who could get everyone jacked up. Junior, for all of his faults (and they could fill the Forum), knows how to crank up an audience. Of course, the humorous irony of Bredesen asking the good Democrats of Shelby County to help Junior, who was of course somewhere in East Tennessee campaigning for more votes he won't get, was fun to watch and to note.

I suppose if it weren't for the fact that his TennCare cuts have virtually sentenced untold numbers of Tennesseans to death, I might like the man. However, to realize that this occurred under a supposedly DEMOCRATIC Administration is unconscionable. Then, now, a hundred years from now.

OK, enough about him. SCDP Chair Matt Kuhn, looking and sounding relieved after the 9MM had been removed from his temple, gave a great speech about the accomplishments of his term in office, most noticeably the Covenant with the County. It is a terrific document, and the SCDP is to be credited for putting it together. I was going to link to it, but it's apparently not yet on the website.

He thanked practically every group in the party, which is part of what these dinners are for, and reminded everyone to sign up for online continuing donations at the website.

Awards were given at the end of the evening, and the West Tennessee Liberal his own self, David Holt, won the Rising Star award for his party work, which is well deserved.

All in all, I got my money's worth, as I saw lots of friends and judicial candidates working the crowd.

Oh, and one other thing: AG Gibbons, Sheriff Luttrell, you weren't missed at all.

OK, so THAT'S mercifully over

However, why did everyone have to hold a gun to Matt's head (figuratively, folks) to have it happen? OY!

Well, I'm going tonight, and it should be fun; it better be. After this weekend, where Democrats all over the lot (and one on the ExecCom) were outed for supporting Gibbons, then our candidates had to threaten the Party Chair in order to have two of their OPPONENTS dis-invited, the booze had better flow tonight. This is supposed to be the night when we get together, eat together, drink together and bash Republicans together, and we don't need it to be anything but that.

Keep your disagreements in the parking lot, people, you can return to them afterwards. We can book a steel cage match later if you want, but not tonight.

Well, the SCDP is uniting all right...

However, it seems to be uniting the party to force the Chair to do something he seems reluctant to do, DIS-invite AG Bill Gibbons and Sheriff Mark Luttrell, both REPUBLICANS, from Monday's Kennedy Day dinner. The purposes of this dinner are to A) raise money to BEAT Republicans and B) rally Democrats so that they will keep working to BEAT Republicans.

I wondered why the hell either would WANT to show up for this event, until I realized that the numbers have changed in Shelby County, and the Goopers DESPERATELY NEED Democratic votes. It is the height of arrogance to buy a ticket to this event for a Republican elected official (gee, imagine THAT) and it is the height of stupidity to allow this to go on any longer, yet SCDP chair Matt Kuhn sits and does nothing (to my knowledge, as of 12:52 AM Sunday).

The County-wide Democratic nominees for office took matters into their own hands Saturday, delivering an ultimatum to the Chair. The text of this letter follows below:

May 20, 2006

Dear Matt,

As the Party's Chairman for the Shelby County Democratic Party, we, the below nominees, who are seeking to be elected on August 3, 2006 to public office in Shelby County Tennessee, are writing you regarding our position concerning the inclusion of Bill Gibbons and other Republican office holders in the Kennedy Day Dinner. You, as Chairman, have an obligation to all the Democratic candidates of absolute support and loyalty. In fact, the purpose of a political party in this country is to propose a candidate and elect that candidate, as the candidate should and must represent the values of the party as a whole.

It is our understanding that you have been fully informed of the above situation and of the unhappiness of many true members of the party regarding this problem. By this letter you are herewith being notified formally of our strong request that you immediately contact these Republican officials to inform each that the party does not wish for them to attend the dinner. We believe the party and you are truly obligated, both morally and legally within the Bylaws of the Party to show complete and open commitment to your nominees. It is dishonest to the principles of the party and misleading to the public to allow the inference of approval to be extended to these Republican officials who are currently in office.

As nominees, we believe the Republican Party relies on lies, deceptions, and dishonesty in manipulating public opinion. The inclusion of these Republican officials in one of the seminal Democratic events held in this county lends such an air to the Democratic Party itself.

Accordingly, we will not cease our efforts to oppose this hypocrisy and the cowardness of these elected Republican officials to our party as a whole. A prompt response from you is essentially being demanded by us by Saturday 5:00pm . You can telecopy or e-mail your response to the above noted number. We will await that response.

Shep Wilbun Gail Mathes Coleman Thompson

Rebecca Clark Sondra Becton Vernon Johnson

Not available for signature

Reginald French Otis Jackson

In fact, our nominees have tentatively scheduled a press conference for 2;30 P.M. Sunday at Neil's Restaurant at Madison & McLean. If the chair has not responded positively by then, I expect we'll hear more from our candidates, who, frankly are being thrown under the bus with this non-action.

Let us remember that, lest the Goopers accuse us of partisanship (which I plead GUILTY), THEY were the ones who forced our hand in 1994 when they held their OWN primary for County offices. The SCDP Executive Committee of that time handpicked a slate of endorsed candidates, all of whom went down in flames.

We thus had no choice, and in 1996, we started our own, which led to the election of Assessor Rita Clark. Yet, the Goopers now want to act all lovey-dovey and bipartisan, when they started this freaking mess to begin with!

Matt, if Bill Gibbons and Mark Luttrell bought tickets and say they are coming, tell them you will reimburse them and refuse entrance. This night is for DEMOCRATS ONLY, even for those who may have strayed and initially supported them; now is our time to bring them back.

If you can't do that, well...............

Go see WTL's site

Because David has terrific coverage of last night's 9th District Candidate Forum, with individual posts about each candidate. However, he has yet to post about my candidate.

UPDATE: He posted ALL of them now......

WTF?? WHO invited Bill Gibbons to Kennedy Day?

I heard a rumor that Bill Gibbons, the REPUBLICAN Shelby County District Attorney General, was coming to Kennedy Day on May 22, which is the annual SCDP fundraiser.

Not believing this could be true, I went to the AG's campaign website, which linked to his schedule. And there it was, listed on his campaign schedule for May 22!!!

Given that this is a year where Democrats have a chance to actually WIN all those races that have eluded us, and where we have a strong candidate in Gail Mathes, why the hell would Bill Gibbons be allowed in the building?

This is a PARTISAN election, folks, and the SCDP has candidates of our own that we can elect this year. We need the chairman of the party (and you know who you are, Matt) to publicly inform Mr. Gibbons that he is NOT WELCOME at this event, so he cannot campaign for Democratic votes. We have OUR OWN CANDIDATE, thank you very much, and this event is to raise money to BEAT his sorry, incompetent ass and everyone else running under the GOP banner, and we're using this event to remind everyone how badly we're going to beat them.

Now, next year, when the NON-PARTISAN city elections take place, we can invite whoever the hell we want. This year, however, with the County offices thisclose to being in Democratic hands, the last damned thing we need is to have Bill Gibbons show up. He needs to be told, politely but FIRMLY, that he is not welcome.

One of the Cracker endorsees..

UPDATE: THIS IS A CORRECTION; IT'S WEDNESDAY, NOT THURSDAY!

The Committee to Elect Lee Coffee
Judge of Criminal Court, Division 7

cordially invites you to attend a fundraising event

Wednesday, May 24, 2006
5-7 PM
SunTrust Bank Building
(One Commerce Square)
10th Floor

All Donations welcome

Please join us!

No corporate checks, please.

Every time....

I start to wonder if maybe I should relent and support Harold Ford JUNIOR for Senator, someone at the Pesky Fly jerks me back to Earth. Please read Jeff's post and the ongoing comments, they're quite interesting.

Here's a choice cut:

The Democratic party is clearly the more trusted party on every issue, including fighting terrorism and the war in Iraq. So remind me again why it's a bad idea to run as a Democrat?

9th District Candidate websites!

OK, Now that we have a Steve Cohen website and a site for Jesse Blumenfeld (thank you, Don!), I can put this back up!

I will keep at the top of the blog all of the 9th District Democratic websites that I have. Right now, I have Ron Redwing, Ralph White (thanks, Lawrence!), Lee Harris, Ed Stanton, Nikki Tinker, Bill Whitman and Marvell Mitchell and Tyson Pratcher, but that's it. If you have any other sites, please email me at sjs1959 at yahoo dot com.

I can't find a website for Julian Bolton so far; if you have it, please let me know. That's what I have to this point; so if you want your candidate on the blogroll, and they're not listed above, and they have a website, shoot me an email and I will add it!

It's not just me that Junior has offended.

Apparently, the Pesky Fly , Autoegocrat and now WTL have taken umbrage with the 9th District Congressman, also.

A REAL Democrat would not have voted for this.

Harold Ford JUNIOR voted for the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy today, joining Marsha Blackburn, Roger Wicker, and 15 other Quisling Democrats to gut the budget.

Yes, it would have passed anyway. That does NOT mean that he should have voted against the interests of his own district and it proves yet again why he is NOT trustworthy as the Democratic nominee for the United State Senate.

Do not hand me any more bullshit about we need him to vote for Harry Reid for Majority Leader; if he is THAT big a whore, how can you be sure that he will?

Harold Ford (the REAL one) always voted in the best interests of his district, and for his efforts, got indicted and had to fight battles against the establishment the entire 22 years he served us in Congress.

Harold Ford JUNIOR serves no one but himself and his own gain. No, I will not vote for him.

Not now, not ever again.

More pix & observations..

The view from the right-field stands. I was sitting in the section below the T in Bud Light. The BUD LIGHT area is the print-media press box, by the way.

The scoreboard is massive; when you're in the park, you can't believe how big it is...

The main entrance, as 8th Street borders on the west. This is what you see when you come up to street level from MetroLink.

Remember when going to a Cardinal game was the best deal in the Majors? No more, my friends. The Cardinals now have the THIRD-HIGHEST average ticket prices in all of MLB, behind only the Red Sox at Fenway and the Cubs at Wrigley. Yes, that's right, it's CHEAPER, on average, to get a ticket to see the YANKEES than the Cardinals. My 3rd-deck seat (Infield Terrace Box, Section 352, FYI) cost $31 before the $3 fee.

By the way, I bought my ticket at Schnucks on Truse Parkway, across Poplar Avenue from Clark Tower; it's the only Schnucks in Memphis where you can get Cardinal tickets, and it's cheaper than buying online!

The beers are $7-$8, and even the Hardee's on the top deck (you read that right) charges $5 for a 1/3 pound cheeseburger. They WILL, however, allow you to bring a cooler into the park, as long as it's a SOFT cooler and you have no glass bottles or cans.

I can't afford to go more than once or twice a year at these prices, but if you love baseball, you should try to go at least once this year. I took the MetroLink in from Fairview Heights, IL, so I can't tell you how much parking costs. There are two garages close by, one off 8th Street near the park.

The MetroLink was a $3.50 roundtrip from the heights, which is between East St. Louis and Belleville off St. Clair Avenue. It's a good deal, and I've never had a problem; as I stayed in Collinsville, it was simple to use and allowed me to use I-255 to miss downtown St. Louis on the way back home.

Well, it's not the Sox, but we did just fine at New Busch

first pitch of the game..

From the third deck, a great view of the Arch & downtown..

along the 3rd base side, lower level, after you walk in past the Musial statue..

I sat on the front row of the 3rd deck, but I got to see Albert Pujols hit his 18th homer in a driving mist today as the Cardinals beat the Rockies, 7-4.

As I promised, some pictures above..

The Cracker takes a short break

Picture courtesy of KMOV-TV St. Louis
to go here...

As I have two days off and not enough time to drive to Chicago, I'll have to make do with making my first visit to Busch Stadium III as the Cardinals face the surprisingly hot Rockies at 12:10 on Wednesday.

Don't worry, I'll be back Wednesday night to wreak havoc...

Too true to be funny..

Tom Tomorrow's latest..

OK, how are you Ford folks going to spin this?

Rasmussen has a new poll out for Tennessee showing Harold Ford trailing all three Republicans.

The breakdowns show the following:

Ed Bryant (R) - 44%
Harold Ford (D) - 36%

Van Hilleary (R) - 47%
Harold Ford (D) - 38%

Bob Corker (R) - 43%
Harold Ford (D) - 39%

Harold is trailing VAN FREAKING HILLEARY BY NINE POINTS????

Look, I know Rasmussen has the reputation of a GOP pollster, but these have been consistent. Here's another comment from the article:

Those numbers are little changed from our previous Tennessee election poll. Since the beginning of the year, the gaps between Ford and the Republicans have widened.

Hilleary does a bit better among conservatives than Bryant or Corker.

All four candidates are viewed favorably by between 43% and 45% of voters. Ford has the highest unfavorables. Between a fifth and a quarter of the state's voters are still Not Sure what to think of each Republican.

Ford has the HIGHEST unfavorables. Who knew? Heaven forbid that Tennessee voters should hold his family against him. Never mind that he has all but prostrated himself before George W. Bush, they still think he's one of those Memphis liberals who want to take our guns, plow our farms up and give our white virginal daughters to swarthy Arabs.

Not to mention, well, he's one of THEM, you know, and their grandpappies would not look down from heaven favorably if they voted for one of THEM.

Yet, had Chuck Schumer and the Beltway Mafia not forced Ford down our throats, we could have had someone who A) represents a Republican-leaning district, B) has consistently received endorsements from the NRA but C) never forgets what it means to be a Democrat.

Thanks to the DSCC, we have no chance to elect a Democrat to the US Senate this year. Great work, folks.

UPDATE: Brassmask also weighs in on the findings.

I've had just about enough of this holier-than-thou act...

I got this in email from a friend or two, and I am just now reacting to it.

Richard Fields has done a lot of good things, brave things for this city and county through the years. Few would have had the guts to represent those attempting to desegregate our schools, and he has an accomplished record with civil-rights cases. For that, he is to be commended.

However, in his later years, he has developed a deep resentment of anyone named Ford, judging by his actions in the Ophelia Ford voting rights situation, and given that he once ran in the primary against John Ford.

He apparently bought radio spots under the nom de plume Shelby County Voter Education Committee, and advised voters that a vote for Walter Bailey or Cleo Kirk would be throwing away their vote.

Ahem. He knew perfectly well that, had either Bailey or Kirk won their races on May 2, the Shelby County Democratic Party Executive committee would have appointed someone to fill those slots.

You remember them, don't you? They're the little group that had to FORCE Fields to leave for coming to the aid of a Republican nominee AGAINST a Democratic nominee in the Ford case. He continues to fight this meaningless fight despite the fact that the session is at end and Ford no longer serves in the Senate, a fact that will most likely be changed after the August and November elections.

Why, per chance, has this once-legendary civil rights warrior been so fixated on this case? He tells TV5 this:

"The Democratic party has to stand for something. And one of the first things it has to stand for is fairness in voting. And there are people within the party who just don't believe in that. We don't want to be known as the party of dead voters, the party of people voting from outside the district or the party of people who have candidates who can't serve," says Fields.

Jesus H. Christ on a sausage biscuit, is he kidding? Where has this champion of voters rights been when the fucking Republicans have been harassing our voters at the polls, intimidating very minority voter possible? David Cocke, who represents Ophelia Ford, has spent countless hours (I believe, at his OWN expense) at the service of minority voters who are attacked simply for trying to exercise their legal right to vote. I've seen him do it.

Mr. Fields, you have (until recently, anyway) a record of service to the public, but this is misguided and short-sighted. I have come to realize that you're not going to be satisfied until there are NO Fords in office in Shelby County, and it's really sad.

Every attack you make on Terry Roland's behalf, and against party leaders like Bailey and Kirk, helps the Republican Party. In case you've forgotten, they are NOT our friends.

The voters spoke, and they decided to go your way. Great, good for you, but remember this: There's a REASON that we had misgivings about JW Gibson, and I believe he is just using us for higher gain. There's also a reason that, despite the fact that Cleo Kirk couldn't serve, that many of Shelby County's labor unions STILL endorsed Kirk over someone who actually LED a labor union for years!

Well, you got what you wanted. As lots of people have said in the past, be careful of what you wish for, you just may get it.

I'm not the only one welcoming Wendi back home..

Please read Autoegocrat's open letter to her, with this choice cut:

If you yourself are acting as the choked and overheated governor of your own throttle, then Wendi, for the love of Jesus, Mongo, and everything that is holy, you need to quit riding the brakes and take this car for a ride, honey. Your columns are so painfully square that your vowels have right angles. I can't fucking take it anymore. If this recent episode in your career has proved nothing else to you, it should demonstrate to you that no one at Scripps is going to fire you. Take risks, speak out, and quit worrying about the hurt feelings of powerful politicians. If you aren't pissing someone off, you aren't making real change.

Interesting article about Wendi's return

It can be found in the Baltimore City Paper; hat tip to Romenesko!

Here's an excerpt:

Her main gripe with Charm City: expensive housing. “Frankly, I was not going to be able to maintain anywhere near close to the standard of living that I had in Memphis,” she says. “Nowhere near.” Initially, Thomas expected to be able to buy a home for about $200,000, but after driving around the city and county with two real estate agents, she quickly realized she would have to spend about twice that for something comparable to her “very nice” Memphis house.

“The Sun would have been paying me well,” she says, “but not that well.”

So, you think this could be a good year for Democrats?

Polar Donkey begs to differ, as does Freedonian, based on yesterday's nearly non-existent turnout.

I can't even summarize them, just go read them.....

Welcome Back to the Democratic Party, Commissioner Gibson

Commissioner, you'll have to forgive us for being paranoid; it's taken a long time to get to the point where the Democratic Party can control the County Commission and we were suspicious as hell when you decided to unexpectedly run for your District 2 seat.

You ran a good race, and whoever is doing your media is doing a terrific job; I suspect your late commercial may well have enabled you to knock off a 35-year incumbent and a Democratic stalwart that damn near knocked on every door in the district.

I have heard that when you were asked why you switched back after a dozen years with the Goopers, you told someone that you saw little room for advancement over there. No kidding. They are famous for trotting out conservative African-Americans like yourself in the hope that they will convince them to vote Republican. Since Lincoln's dead and all the anti-racists got chased out 35 years ago, African-Americans simply know better.

Which led me to this conclusion about you, Commissioner: you looked ahead, knew that you couldn't possibly win a majority-minority district as a Gooper, and switched. It's OK, really; we have a US Senate candidate who tries to pass himself off as a good ole boy, so we're used to it.

However, I believe it's more than that. You wanted to be a Commissioner now, and County Mayor later. Being an intelligent man, you figured out that, even if you DID get elected to the Commission, you knew that the GOP/Good Ole Boy/Bobby Lanier candidate for County Mayor in 4 years was going to be Mark Luttrell (hell, he and AC Wharton have shared the media Godfather, John Bakke, the last two elections) which blocked any aspirations you may have had there.

Besides, you're a CEO of a successful company, and there's something appealing to you about running a local government. That's OK, too, as long as you are capable, which you appear to be, or you wouldn't have plunked so much money into this race. You're setting yourself up as the anti-Good Ole Boy candidate for 2010, and you have the cash (and know how to raise more) to be able to beat Luttrell.

All I ask is that, for the next 4 years, you do not obstruct what the new Commission is going to be about, which is better government. Realize that there are things that you need to learn, and that, unlike a business, people will be telling YOU what to do. No, not me, because I don't live in your district, but your constituents. If a plurality of them are willing to give you a chance, I guess I will, too. Just remember one word: LISTEN.

Mulroy beats Cooper like a rented mule.

The Mulroy Family; photo above that is Mulroy receiving vote total updates from the Cracker.

Steve Mulroy took a slight 79-vote lead from early voting and turned it, with help from a wide group of Democrats, into an Election Day can o'whoop-ass, beating perennial candidate Joe Cooper 1568-892, with 137 votes left over for Sherman Kilimanjaro.

This gave Mulroy 60% overall, and a solid leap for the August general election, where he will face Gooper Jane Pierotti. Combined Democratic votes for District 5 easily surpassed combined Republican votes, giving Mulroy a leg up.

Other Cracker endorsees to win today were Mayor AC Wharton (who could have campaigned in drag and still won), Sondra Becton in the Probate Court Clerk's race, and unopposed primary candidates Coleman Thompson (Register), and Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Consolation goes out to Joe Young, who ran a hard-fought County Clerk race, finishing 3rd behind Otis Jackson and Charlotte Draper. Bennie Cobb lost out to Reginald French in the Sheriff's race, Kevin Gallagher was topped by Vernon "Coffee" Johnson for the Criminal Court Clerk nod, Wanda Halbert was beaten by former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun, setting up the long-awaited rematch with Gooper Steve Stamson.

In the Commission races, District 2 saw State Rep. Henri Brooks defeat Melvin Burgess II and Cracker endorsee Reginald Fentress to claim Position 2. In the widely-discussed Position 1 race, JW Gibson, the "former" Republican, defeated Walter Bailey and Cracker choice Darrick Harris to win Position 1. Note: I really do not see how they can kick him off the ballot now, it's too late. We need to get to know this guy REAL well, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

OK, Sidney Chism, NOW you've been elected to the Commission from District 3, Position 2, and you stomped outgoing Commissioner Cleo Kirk with 84% of the vote. In the Position 1 race, James Harvey ran away from the field, which included Cracker pick Bob Hatton and the myth, the legend, Del Gill his ownself.

A mixed bag today for the Cracker, but the pictures up there say it all; the Commission is at hand, thanks to Steve Mulroy and his crew!

0-12

After being one of the NBA's perennial doormats while in Vancouver, the Memphis Grizzlies have made the NBA playoffs the last three years running, averaging 48 wins per season for a .585 winning percentage. Not even the perennial legends, the Los Angeles Lakers, can claim that.



However, with Monday night's 102-76 debacle loss to the Dallas Mavericks in front of 15,000+ disgusted patrons, the Grizz now own the dubious record of the most consecutive playoff game losses in NBA history with 12. This is in addition to their OTHER playoff record of having the most consecutive losses at the start of their playoff career, also at 12.

What happened? No rebounding, no ability to come up with critical stops, nothing that would make one think that this team had enjoyed the second-finest record in their brief history at 49-33. For three straight years, (BTW, I have NEVER missed a home Grizzlies playoff game) we have watched this team turned to Jello once the playoffs start.

They had game 3 WON on Saturday, only to give it away with sloppy play in the last 35 seconds of regulation, and just flat-out resignation in overtime. For the first time in the five years that I have attended games, I booed our team, and called them chokers. They were.

Jerry West has to figure out who to dump and who to obtain to take this team to a level where we can AT LEAST WIN A FREAKING PLAYOFF GAME! This is a man who is responsible in one form or fashion for EVERY NBA championship that the Lakers have won in Los Angeles
(NINE). He is responsible for doing whatever it takes to get us to the next level.

As far as I'm concerned, there are NO untouchables, not even Gasol or Memphis' fair-haired Dukie, Shane Battier. Lorenzen Wright will probably NOT be re-signed, and who knows about Chucky Atkins. Whatever he needs to do, the Logo HAS to do it.

The Grizz are fighting several problems at once. First, the hoop Tigers' resurrection this year proved that, all things being equal, this town still cares more about the U of M than the Grizz.
Second, the town will NOT support a substandard product; while the Grizz are way above the horrors of the first two seasons here, Memphis is getting VERY impatient with the lack of playoff wins. Third, the combination of the first two factors combined with an ill-advised rise in ticket prices (which is only being addressed for season-ticket holders for 2006-2007, another mistake) and the fact that the newness of the FedExForum has worn off led to a drop in attendance for this team.

Jerry West has forgotten more hoops than I'll ever know, but something better has to happen to regain the city's attention. They HAVE to improve, or the attendance will keep dropping. I suggest that they lower single-game prices; this is, and always will be, a walk-up town, and that will drive your attendance, as long as you win.

On another note: they also will suffer from the loss of their wildly popular PA announcer, John Paul Stevenson, who doubles as the mid-day jock at KIX 106, as well as voicing over 2/3 of the TV commercials you see on local stations. He is leaving to move back to his native Texas to be near his family. In addition, I have had the good fortune to spend many a NFL Sunday afternoon with he and his fellow Cowboy fans at the neighborhood tavern, RP Tracks. He is geniunely one of the nicest people you could possibly meet, and he will be missed. Good luck to you, JP!

Just to remind you..

Here are the Cracker endorsements for today's Democratic Primary:

COUNTYWIDE

Mayor - AC Wharton

Sheriff - Bennie Cobb

County Clerk - Joe Young

Criminal Court Clerk - Kevin Gallagher

Juvenile Court Clerk - Wanda Halbert

Probate Court Clerk - Sondra Becton

Register - Coleman Thompson (unopposed)

COMMISSION SEATS

District 2, Position 1 - Darrick Harris

District 2, Position 2 - Reginald Fentress

District 2, Position 3 - Deidre Malone (unopposed)

District 3, Position 1 - Bob Hatton

District 5 - Steve Mulroy