for 22 FEB 08: YOU'RE PULLEN MY LEG

We've had a lot of extra visitors to the blog this week - and we thank all of you for stopping by. Part of me wants to post a new poll, to learn which of those nine Barbie dolls people consider the most offensive....

But the Barbies may not be the real reason why visits have jumped. This blog apparently was mentioned in the comments section of the Ledger-Enquirer's story on the Daniel Jordan case [17 Feb] - and another comment there was forwarded to us. Do NOT trust it, until you read our findings below it:

I know for a fact that there were many more things that could have and in some peoples opinion should have been printed about Cascade Hills in the Ledger Enquirer areticle.

Things that would have made Cascade Hills Baptist Church Inc. look far worse than this article made them look. If the LE "had it in for them", they would have included those facts as well. Some of the facts the LE has, but chose not to include in the story,

Did you know Pullen appears in interviews on products sold by Bill Purvis?

Did any of you know that Doug Pullen actually said "I do not know who they are" when asked in the court room about his relationship with Cascade Hills. ?

Did you know that Doug Pullen suggested that he barley knew Bill Purvis and said "I have not talked to him in two or three years", when in fact Pullen had spoken at Cascade Hills and had conversations with Bill Purvis a few months prior to those statements.

Did you know that Doug Pullen refused to step down from hearing the case involving the church and this former employee even though he had obvious ties to Bill Purvis and Cascade Hills Baptist Church Inc.?

Did you know that even after three appearances before Doug Pullen by this defendant, Judge Pullen told a pastor and another city official that the defendant was not on his docket and had never appeared in his courtroom?

Did you know that although ARTICLE V Paragraph B of the Articles of Incorporation for Cascade Hills Baptist Church Inc. states, "the Corporation shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office", Bobby Peters sat on the stage and drank coffee with Bill Purvis in staged interviews before his last election.

Did you know that Peters had access to the 8000 members of Cascade Hills before his election along with Bill's implied endorsement. The opposing candidate was not given the same opportunity.

Did you know that there were notes indicating messages from Bobby Peters on paper work concerning bond and other arrest papers having to do with this case. Bond was refused and not set allegedly at the judges request.

Did you know that Peters was the judge on the bench during the Grand Jury Hearing for this case?

Did you know that although Pullen refused to step down from this case when requested in September 2007, he quietly stepped aside the day following the publishing of the Ledger Enquirer article exposing the issuance of questionable subpoenas involving Cascade Hills.

Did you know that Bill Purvis told lies in order to get the defendant back to the church? Those conversations were recorded and entered into evidence.

Did you know that the ledger Enquirer had all of these facts but chose not to use them?

Did you know there are certified court documents including transcripts and/or recordings to prove many of these statements.

I think the Ledger-Enquirer was gracious to Bill Purvis.

....And I think someone isn't learning from the newspaper's example of graciousness, with all these allegations. Of course, if the Ledger-Enquirer really WAS gracious toward Cascade Hills Church, why was the story at the top of page one?

Your blog went to the Superior Court Clerk's office Thursday, and reviewed all the records on the Daniel Jordan case. We found some of the statements made in this e-mail are very misleading, with partial quotes pulled out of context. If I didn't know better, I'd think some alleged "Bible preacher" was behind it.

We already knew Judge Doug Pullen appears in a recorded sermon where Bill Purvis gives his personal testimony. I think we've mentioned it here before -- that Pullen was the prosecutor of the case where Purvis was stabbed and nearly killed. So why should the judge give Purvis's church any special favors? I doubt he's getting residuals, every time WLTZ plays that message.

But Judge Pullen's quote "I do not know who they are" was NOT said concerning Cascade Hills Church. That comment at a Muscogee County court hearing last November related to a list of witnesses in the Daniel Jordan case. The judge wanted to know the names on that witness list - just in case Charles Stanley didn't come down from Atlanta to impress the jury.

Judge Pullen went on to say: "I know a ton of folks who go to church up there" - then he mentioned not seeing the Cascade Hills Pastor in two or three years. He admitted in court he was speaking "to the best of my knowledge." If someone has better knowledge, they should have called Daniel Jordan's lawyers -- because they never brought it up, and tried to hold the judge in contempt in his own courtroom.

The court records never indicate Judge Doug Pullen "stepping down" from the Daniel Jordan case. But when the plea bargain was settled in court earlier this month, a different judge issued the sentence - and not Bobby Peters, but John Allen. Apparently the rumor-spreaders have yet to find any pictures with Allen and Bill Purvis in the same room.

We called Judge Doug Pullen's office for his side of all these allegations Thursday. A clerk called back, to tell us he "doesn't comment on stuff like that." So Pullen must not be up for election anytime soon, like John McCain is....

(Judge Pullen has a more pressing issue these days. Court clerks told us he's out of town, because his mother-in-law is seriously ill. Our best wishes to the judge and his family - and if a husband is that concerned about his mother-in-law, that says a lot about his patience and compassion.)

As for Judge Bobby Peters: the only document on file concerning him is from an arraignment hearing he conducted last September 7. Daniel Jordan had his arraignment waived at the hearing. And there's no evidence the courtroom was filled with 8,000 Cascade Hills Church members demanding justice.

But why is someone trying to connect this theft of a Cascade Hills Church hard drive to the 2004 race for judge between Bobby Peters and Roxann Daniel? Not even Daniel's backers dragged Bill Purvis's name into that race - while some people tried to bring up Peters's former romances.

So what did Pastor Bill Purvis say, to bring a fired Daniel Jordan back to Cascade Hills Church? Court transcripts show he offered a severance package and a letter of recommendation, if Jordan could fix the problem with a church computer. In fact, Purvis handed Jordan an envelope moments before police arrested Jordan. For all we know, it might have contained Monopoly money....

Last year's conversations between Bill Purvis and Daniel Jordan may well have been tape-recorded -- but they were NOT entered into evidence outside a grand jury hearing. So there's no written transcript of the discussion in the court files. We don't know for sure if the Pastor swore, much less lied.

CORRECTED: When Daniel Jordan entered his no-contest plea, a prosecutor said the taped conversation showed Jordan "vacillated" between two explanations. First he said he knew nothing about the unworkable church computer with taped messages -- then he claimed they "ought to be on the hard drive." Come to think of it, Jordan sounds like he could work at plenty of computer repair shops.

We called Daniel Jordan's attorney Thursday as well, hoping he could tell us about the recordings and all the other "certified" evidence. But Tim Flournoy did NOT return our message. And added attorney Richard Hagler probably wouldn't have called us back - since he may still be suspicious of us, for daring to call him about David Glisson.

CORRECTED: Whether the Ledger-Enquirer knew all these "more things" really doesn't matter. The newspaper wasn't on trial, nor was Pastor Bill Purvis. This conspiracy theorist overlooks a basic fact: Daniel Jordan pleaded no-contest to end the case. If it had all these supposed loopholes, why didn't he claim innocence and go to trial? Purvis on a witness stand actually might have brought reporters to the courtroom.

So if this commenter had been a newspaper reporter.... well, I'm not sure the Ledger-Enquirer would hire him/her in the first place. After all, judges did not prosecute Daniel Jordan -- the District Attorney did. And if the Cascade Hills Pastor did lie, some of the commenter's points could be called lies as well. Maybe all sides need to do a Bible study -- about the "log in your own eye."

BLOG UPDATE: Riverfest may be dead and gone, but plans were announced Thursday for something else - what Uptown Columbus is calling "Broadway Springfest." Drive too fast on parts of Broadway, and the springs on your shock absorbers might need replacing.

Broadway Springfest will be held on Broadway (duh), during the last weekend of April - the weekend when Riverfest was staged for decades. "A Prairie Home Companion" will NOT be back in Columbus that weekend, as it's scheduled to appear in Arkansas. The farther away from those overzealous fans, the better....

The Historic Columbus Foundation staged Riverfest until 2006. Elizabeth Barker with the Foundation told WRBL Thursday the agency didn't want to let it go. But when the Pig Jig is up, the jig is up.

Peter Bowden of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau said it's important to have a spring festival in Columbus. But judging from the new name, it's apparently NOT important to have it next to the river. After all, what if the drought continues a few more years - and the river disappears?

The best part about Broadway Springfest may be that it's FREE. Well, the events for children will be free. The art exhibits will be free to examine - but if you don't buy anything from the artists, they'll become "starving artists" and relocate to the Four Points Sheraton Hotel.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Last Friday's e-mail about a local Little League brought a message from an apparent first-time reader, who wondered how he could "subscribe" to our blog:

i cant find anything but a link to music....

oh yeah i read about pioneer, this is our first year there should i just not talk to anyone? i did find it strange when the parents on our team was told that none of the kids could go to the bathroom alone. you cant imagine the thoughts than ran threw my head. im glad i know now

i don't know who rick chadwick is but in my team news letter is says

"Rick Chadwick wants all parents to know if you have financial difficulty with buying pictures he will try to help"

i guess im not the only one tripping on the fact that baseball and softball is expensive!

not that i will be buying pictures because i prefer to take my own. i will spring for a team pic though

Huh - Little Leaguers have to go to the restroom in pairs? This is taking the swimming "buddy system" to a very different level....

Rick Chadwick is the longtime President of Pioneer Little League. He's still listed with that title on the program's web site. So I assume this means controversial coach Philip Miley has moved on, as he declared here last summer [24 Jun 07] - perhaps trying to find a way to work for Miley Cyrus.

As for subscribing to the blog -- if you mean RSS feeds, we've never set things up for that. In fact, I was stunned the other day to find the "search blog" bar at the top of the home page actually works now.

Now for some other items from a soggy Thursday:

+ Columbus Council began a two-day retreat at the Trade Center. Remember when those meetings were held at Callaway Gardens? When a "retreat" is only a three-block walk from your usual meeting place, the city budget must be tight.

+ Aflac announced a new fitness project, in which it will sponsor "Iron Girl" triathlons across the country. Boy, did I misunderstand this one! I thought the Aflac duck was going to put on that cape again, and help Iron Girl arrest all those evil health insurance salesmen.

+ WRBL revealed Gonzo's Sports Bar will reopen on Seale Road in Phenix City, one year after its liquor license at Phenix Plaza was pulled. I can see the signs at the grand opening: "Gonzo's -- Not Forgotten."

+ Georgia State Senator Joseph Carter proposed a bill requiring all public school children to undergo an annual BMI test. A child's Body Mass Index would be checked, to show whether he or she is obese. Hopefully no lawmaker will dare to call this idea "No Child's Behind Left."

+ Instant Message to the Georgia Department of Revenue: Sorry to bother you again. But is there a reason why the lines on Form 500 now allow for entries in the billions of dollars - but everything is rounded off to the nearest dollar? Are that many wealthy Republicans running state government now? Or are they all fans of "The Price is Right?"

SCHEDULED THIS WEEKEND: A remarkable ride down J.R. Allen Parkway....

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REVISION 1/9:16am