Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Some Weeks You Crow

Other weeks, you eat it. So we predicted Democrat Billy Tindell would be elected County Commission chairman. So we were (choke) wrong. The wheels fell off the Tindell train over the weekend when Republican David Collins enticed Diane Jordan off her support of Tindell with the promise that she'd be appointed vice-chair (something Tindell couldn't do, since Jordan is a fellow Democrat and the two positions, by custom, are divvied between the parties). Jordan's seat-mate Tank Strickland (also a Democrat) came along, changing the balance on the close vote.

Ironically, negotiations for Jordan's vote were going on at the same time that GOP leaders were pressuring the Commission's 15 Republicans to line up for Collins out of party loyalty. For the first time ever, this would leave the so-called "city" members in the Commission driver's seat, and to counter this, a pro-county movement to elect 6th District Commissioner Larry Stephens chairman started bubbling up when Tindell bowed out. Mary Lou Horner, a member of the "county" faction, had endorsed Collins earlier this summer but was believed to be leaning toward Stephens. The vote took place Wednesday after Metro Pulse's deadline.

The election of new leadership won't end the ferment, however. Fifth District Commissioner Mike Arms has been floating trial balloons about the possibility of keeping his Commission seat even though he has accepted a job as County Executive Mike Ragsdale's chief of staff. A host of candidates have lined up for his Commission seat, and some of Arms' constituents are urging the recently retired Frank Leuthold to offer himself up for another two years. Arms' vote Wednesday was closely watched, as well, since many Commissioners expect Ragsdale to attempt to take a heavier hand in Commission business than his predecessors.

Finally, Jordan's tenure as the number-two County Commissioner may be short-lived, in light of reports that Election Commission Administrator Pat Crippins plans to retire. Jordan applied for this position several years ago and is considered a front-runner for the job, if she chooses to seek it. But her abandonment of Tindell could come back to haunt her, since this appointment has always been at the pleasure of the Democrats of the Knox County legislative delegation—one of whom is Harry Tindell, son of Billy. Election Commissioner Ron Wade has also expressed interest in the job.

You Can Call Me...

Recent publicity for those wacky 7th state Senate district candidates falls under the "Just so you spell my name right" theory of publicity. The name Burchett has been high-profile, but it's Charlie, the father of incumbent state Sen. Tim Burchett, who's grabbed the headlines with his strong support of controversial interim library director Charles Davenport. Burchett-the-elder, as vice chair of the library board, took over the board's August proceedings after Davenport resigned in anticipation of his appointment as interim chief. The elder Burchett didn't vote, but said he'd be standing by in case a tie-breaker was necessary. He left no doubt as to how he'd vote, running his mouth while poking a stick in the eye of the Friends of the Library, the library support group which opposes Davenport. Mayor Victor Ashe was heard to mutter "Tell Charlie to shut up," when he spotted a Tim Burchett supporter before Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

The Democrat in the state Senate race, Bill Owen, has made some unlikely news, as well, when a WBIR-TV story revealed that he'd pulled a gun on a worker who was attempting to service a cell tower near the Owen home last September. Owen said he was following the president's admonition to be alert for terrorists. This past Sunday, Owen got a News-Sentinel plug for "giving it his all" in a swim/dance competition at Discover Life in America's End of Summer Biodiversity Beach Blast.

Song Sung New

The wedding reception of Whitney Duncan and Jason Brown was the first ever held in the new convention center, and the first member of Congress to sing an original there song was her dad, Rep. Jimmy Duncan, who warbled "You are My Sunshine" and his own "My Little Butterfly" to the new bride. The song was a family joke come true, since Whitney's mom, Lynn had been teasing her that her dad would probably sing some cornball ditty.

"Ever since he sang on the Opry, you can't shut him up," said one invited guest, referring to Duncan's singing backup when Minnesota Congressional colleague Collin Peterson got up a group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

"If he knew how much we were paying the band (Total Package from Atlanta), he'd sit down and listen," responded Lynn Duncan.