Having failed with Gibbons, Bobango, Prescott, et al., and not quite ready to give a full embrace to Dr. George Flinn, the local GOP hierarchy tries now to persuade State Rep.Larry Scroggs to run for Shelby County Mayor. PLUS: A C’s Big Bash.If Scroggs says no, the party nominee is likely to be radio magnate/radiologist George Flinn, who has been trying hard to get party sanction for a run.
Wharton’s business support proved reasonably wide and impressive (including well-known Republican consultant Mike Carpenter, who was there, however, in his role as director of the state Association of Builders and Contractors), and Democrat Wharton’s receipts were being estimated by his main men as being in the $300,000 range.
There were few real surprises among those present, however, especially among the pols who turned up — most of whom (e.g., State Senator Steve Cohen,
former Dem chairman David Cocke, assorted members of the Hooks family)– had been ID’d previously as Wharton supporters.
TV judge Joe Brown, clad in baseball cap and leather jacket, introduced Wharton, who spoke with his usual smooth aplomb.
Best line of the evening was from Shelby County Commissioner Walter Bailey, the stoutest governmental opponent last spring of the commision-city council package that added public money to the NBA Grizzlies’ kitty to attract them here.
Said Bailey, after admitting he’d attended three Grizzly games: “I rooted for them all three times, just as I’m rooting for Duncan Ragsdale to beat ’em in court.”
(Lawyer Ragsdale has appeal litigation pending challenging the Grizzlies’ deal.)
