for 4 FEB 08: THE SUPER-STRETCH

As we post this, Super Sunday is as good as over. Super Tuesday is just ahead. Which means, of course, this post is for Super Monday -- and I invite you to join me in rooting for Kansas to maul Missouri in "rivalry week" college basketball tonight.

So has anyone called you about Super Tuesday, and how you'll vote? No one has called me - unless you count a computerized research survey which phoned my home Saturday afternoon. Because it was my Sabbath, I hung up on it. But I admit I'm having second thoughts about a free cruise I hung up on a few days ago....

The Super Tuesday campaigning clearly is revealing the great Columbus divide. Have you noticed almost all the campaign signs north of Manchester Expressway are for Republicans, while the downtown campaign offices and signs back Democrats? This isn't simply redlining - it's red-and-blue-lining.

The biggest-name Republican to appear in Columbus before Super Tuesday is former Presidential candidate Phil Gramm. The Columbus native spoke over the weekend in behalf of John McCain - but he notably did NOT return to Wynnton Elementary School, where he announced his White House bid in the 1990's. If he doesn't have a historic marker on the grounds by now....

Both Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson have come out in favor of John McCain. But McCain's handlers were very careful, when he appeared in Georgia over the weekend - and did NOT have in stop for lunch at a Zaxby's.

As for the Democrats, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine made a weekend trip to Columbus to support Barack Obama. I honestly thought Kaine would back Bill Clinton's wife - because isn't Virginia for lovers?

It's our policy here NOT to have campaign posts on election days. So instead, we use this Super Monday to see how knowledgeable you are about Super Tuesday. Ready for our pop quiz? Good, because here we go....

1. Which candidate for President is a former Governor of Arkansas? And which candidate has failed to contrast her years of experience as Arkansas First Lady?

2. Which candidate makes himself look more Southern, by seeming to have one of his cheeks puckered in at almost all times?

3. Which candidate missed a golden opportunity to campaign at Fort Benning - because it has plenty of barracks?

4. Name the candidate who should have the most endorsements from local baseball players - especially catchers.

5. Which candidate made the fatal mistake of campaigning in Sumter County - which didn't work for Howard Dean in 2004, either?

6. Name the candidate who once was dubbed "America's Mayor" - but found people don't want him to become America's President.

7. Which powerful local political couple is endorsing two different candidates on Super Tuesday? Does the loser have to do all the cooking for the next four years?

8. Name the presidential candidate who is a former Baptist minister. Explain why he failed to attend last week's Baptist unity meeting with Jimmy Carter.

9. Name the Hollywood star who made a campaign trip to Columbus - and apparently never bothered to plug any of her movie DVD's.

10. Which Republican candidate's supporters claimed a TV web site's poll was biased, by leaving their choice out? Does that candidate's failure to come close to first place in any state prove there's a vast media conspiracy - or that people simply don't like the guy?

BLOG UPDATE: A couple of readers set us straight Sunday on the Sears Woods party controversy. Police arrested 18-year-old Darrion Douglas on the last weekend of January, after at least 400 people left some kind of activity on Benfield Court. If that many people are going to cheer for Miss Georgia at the Miss America pageant, you should rent a meeting room for it.

E-MAIL UPDATE: This message is somewhat related to that last item....

If you had a teenager at Peachbowl Lanes for an extreme bowling 10pm till 1 am birthday party like I did you discovered all the argument you needed as to why you don't need to be there. Even though the particular inside event was properly chaperoned the outside event involving 8 squad cars, a person held on the ground by police. Why is the REAL NEWS never in the paper?

Now there's an open-ended question. Some would say the birthday party is the "real news," because the Ledger-Enquirer only emphasizes the negative stuff. Those are the people who send e-mails over and over again, asking the media to mention Denzel Washington's visit to an army hospital four years ago.

But on the other hand, some would say the "real news" is the gathering of eight police cars outside Peach Bowl Lanes. All we need is that one-percent public safety sales tax, and they could start a league by next fall.

Another e-mail actually was sent before WRBL's special report on the "Hurtsboro Headache" - and wouldn't you know, it comes from the man some say is a walking headache unto himself:

Sir Richard:

You truly amaze me! Some of the info. you obtain is highly classified! How do you do it? On the other hand; even you run up against a stone wall now and then. So, here's a helping hand.

The Union Springs Herald printed an item on pages .#1/09 of their 8/15/07 issue. FORMER OFFICER MAY BE REHIRED It seems I was in error about Fuseal "Jake" Turner being discharged. Both the Chief and Councilman Anderson were so impressed with his ticket writing prowess that they advised him to resign rather than accept a suspension when he got into trouble. The reason - he would be eligble for remployment after a short absence. The "HERALD" couldn't get any information when he left, ony that "He resigned." But, when Anderson put Turner up for reemployment - the truth came out.

It seems that Turner was captured on closed circuit TV using a city credit card to put gasoline in his girl friend's auto. That's a "no-no" I guess! Turner said "I' was going to use the vehicle for undercover purposes." Anderson reasoned that "other officers on the force have done worse than he did." So far saner heads have prevailed and Turner has been "shipped" to "Hurt'sboro.

Richard, Richard, Richard! If you believe anything Bob Corwin tells you - you are as gullible as the "mare' of "Hurt'sboro.

Constable R.J. Schweiger

Using city funds to help your girlfriend certainly would raise ethical questions. Look what happened to the Mayor of Detroit the other day - only he's still married....

Officials in Union Springs still haven't called us back, about last week's accusations from Constable Schweiger about former officer Turner. Union Springs has about six times the population of Hurtsboro - which could mean the officials are much better skilled at keeping indiscretions quiet.

By the way, did you see the short soundbite from R.J. Schweiger in WRBL's report? Never mind that he wasn't properly labeled a Constable - he claimed if Mayor Sandra Tarver-Yoba would simply be open and honest about Hurtsboro's problems, "I would be happy." Aw, c'mon! Our blog has a collection of around 50 e-mails to prove he still wouldn't be....

We thank all of you who write us - and now let's check what other items we noticed, before we turned off the TV to avoid another Super Bowl:

+ Which local church congregation was surprised to have grade-school singers throw beach balls at it, in the middle of a service? And the sermon said absolutely nothing about building your house on sand....

+ Gas prices made a surprise Sunday jump across Columbus, increasing six to eight cents a gallon. This simply is unfair - to do this on the day when so many people lose money on Super Bowl bets.

+ Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus announced it will help pay for a new building by selling tornado-damaged bricks from the old one. The bricks can be purchased for 25 to 100 dollars. Perhaps the higher-priced bricks are for the employees who were laid off Friday....

+ West Alabama edged Columbus State's baseball team 5-4 -- so the second-ranked Cougars begin the season by losing three games in a row. We'll see if WEAM-AM's "In the Zone" panics today, and suggests Coach Greg Appleton be fired.

COMING THIS WEEK: The story behind a mass mailing, which could reach your mailbox Tuesday....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

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