4 MAY 08: WRIGHT - HIM OFF

They'll have a celebration this evening at St. John A.M.E. Church on Steam Mill Road. But the person being honored apparently will NOT be there -- which isn't really that unusual, if you consider how many churches celebrate an empty tomb every spring.

Dr. Jeremiah Wright's appearance at the St. John A.M.E. Church revival surprisingly was canceled Friday. We were first to report on his planned visit to Columbus [22 Apr] -- so we should apologize for not revealing his cancellation first. But the church pastor still hasn't my phone call, after almost two weeks. Good thing I don't need emergency marital counseling....

St. John A.M.E. Pastor Debora Grant released a statement saying Jeremiah Wright's "public schedule is under review and has been placed on hold until further notice." This apparently means Wright will only speak at places where he can draw a lot of attention, like the National Press Club.

The statement from Debora Grant also noted Jeremiah Wright's Columbus appearance has been delayed "due to the current environment...." Hmmmm - do you think that means the controversy surrounding presidential candidate Barack Obama? Or has the air in Columbus become as smoggy as Chicago's?

While other speakers are coming to Columbus for the St. John A.M.E. Church revival, a scheduled celebration of Jeremiah Wright still will go on tonight. Saturday's Ledger-Enquirer called it a "service.... of prayer, healing and reconciliation...." You know, maybe that explains Wright's absence. Some of his comments last week could have divided magnets from refrigerator doors.

The newspaper dared to ask local officials whether they had planned to stop by Jeremiah Wright's revival services. Councilor Glenn Davis could not be reached for comment. But then, Wright was staying at the Hilton Garden Inn -- so as part-owner, Davis could have delivered him room service in the morning.

Isaiah Hugley admitted he planned to attend the revival with Jeremiah Wright. But keep in mind, the City Manager lives only a few blocks away on Steam Mill Road. And until the splash park opens at Shirley Winston Park, that street won't have many big events.

(It was surprising for me to read the Columbus City Manager is a member of a Phenix City church. Is Dr. Raymond Cochran of Franchise Missionary Baptist that superior a preacher? Or does this keep Isaiah Hugley unbiased, in determining which churches receive city assistance?)

True confession: I had made tentative plans to attend one night of Jeremiah Wright's revival, and report on it here. But I wasn't planning to show up until late in the week - after the news media grew tired of searching for good quotes about the book of Matthew.

If anyone was planning a picket or protest outside St. John A.M.E. Church this week, no one had told me about it. Perhaps the revival would have proceeded peacefully either way. But without Jeremiah Wright on hand, one thing is sure - anyone who faints in the church aisles won't do it because he said something strange.

BLOG UPDATE: The first round of qualifying is over in Georgia's state elections. The Muscogee County Election Board counted ten Democrats filing papers, compared with three Republicans. The lack of a daily radio talk show based in Columbus appears more obvious than ever.

An election board staff member tells me there's only one race where two Democrats have filed against each other. It's the contest for Coroner, with incumbent Bill Thrower against Ricky Weeks. Why should a race about dead bodies have the liveliest primary?

There's already a sign up near downtown Columbus backing Ricky Weeks for Coroner. It was posted by the manager of Tire Masters on Veterans Parkway. If the sign was outside Sconiers Funeral Home, I might be concerned....

The usual incumbents filed for assorted Muscogee County offices. But Municipal Court Judge Haywood Turner will be challenged in November by Democrat Stephen Hyles. I didn't realize Turner was a Republican - which explains that gun he showed on the J.R. Allen Parkway, but not his handling of SOA Watch suspects.

John Darr filed as a Democrat for Muscogee County Sheriff. Incumbent Ralph Johnson traditionally runs as an independent - and the election board tells me he's already submitted the required petitions to do that. If someone else hands you a petition to sign in the next few weeks, remember: it might not be to lower gasoline prices after all.

Candidates for District Attorney have to file for office in Atlanta - and in 2008, Muscogee County's Gray Conger is taking a different approach from four years ago. This year, he did NOT change parties in the middle of qualifying week.

Republican Gray Conger will be challenged in November by former Assistant District Attorney Julia Slater. Slater has set up a campaign web site -- although a check Saturday night showed it's only a "shell" right now. Yet it already has a copyright on it. And "This is some filler, the copy will go here" is one unique campaign slogan.

It appears everyone in Columbus likes their state representatives. Debbie Buckner, Richard Smith and Calvin Smyre are all unopposed for re-election -- even though Muscogee County Republican Chair Josh McKoon criticized Smyre in recent weeks for missing a lot of votes in Atlanta. Apparently local Republicans are even busier, and don't have time to run.

Ed Harbison will be challenged a second time for State Senator by Reginald Pugh of the Columbus Urban League. And Seth Harp will have Democratic opposition this fall from Evelyn Thompson Anderson. She's a registered nurse in Grantville - so she can tell you how many could get sick on Sunday afternoons, after buying beer at grocery stores.

By the way, the Ledger-Enquirer noted the Hamilton Police Chief is challenging Mike Jolley for Harris County Sheriff. Jolley cut off a one-year growth of hair Friday night, at a "Relay for Life" event - but if the pictures with a ponytail wind up all across the county, you'll know who to blame for it.

BIG PREDICTION: The Atlanta Hawks surprised me by merely reaching the N.B.A. playoffs. But winning a seventh game in Boston today? There's no way that will happen -- unless the team can sneak Michael Vick out of federal prison overnight, and put him in a uniform.

Now for other events from the first weekend in May....

+ The Phenix City Police Department treated graduates of its DARE program to a celebration at the Amphitheater. I jogged by as this was being set up -- and I can assure you the officers are NOT against all forms of smoking. Not based on that barbecue grill, which was heating at 9:00 a.m.

+ The Fred's store on Airport Thruway began a "going out of business" sale. If there wasn't Interstate 185 dividing Wal-Mart from The Landings shopping center, half the stores in that center might do the same thing.

+ Phenix City State Senator Leslie Vance called for a one-year moratorium on Alabama's 16-cent state fuel tax. So if Jeremiah Wright doesn't come to this area, Hillary Rodham Clinton might....

(Leslie Vance is close enough to Columbus that he should remember the 30-day Georgia fuel tax suspension of 2005. Governor Sonny Perdue has NOT suggested that idea come back - which may explain why no one is suggesting Perdue as a running mate for John McCain anymore.)

+ Columbus native Keni Thomas sang the national anthem, before a baseball game at New York's Yankee Stadium. This performer has come a long way from the "Cornbread" days at The Loft - but you'd think he would have waited until Oakland brought Frank Thomas to town.

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