News Briefly
All Politics is local
President George Bush winged it into Music City Tuesday to raise cash for Republicans, stump for education and ensure Lamar Alexander’s election to the U.S. Senate. One minor fly in the ointment was the fact that Bob Clement—Alexander’s opponent—traveled on Air Force One with the president. That’s because protocol allows congressmen to fly with a president when he is visiting their district. But the Clement campaign said their airborne candidate wasn’t watching any movies. He instead planned to use the opportunity to discuss major issues of international importance. Meanwhile, the latest poll shows Alexander pulling even further ahead. (See “Political Notes,” p. 16)
A man can only sell so many mops
Cal Turner, the longtime CEO of Dollar General, one of the city’s largest publicly based corporations, resigned this week. The seemingly unanticipated move came after several years of squabbles with accountants over company earnings. Turner, one of the city’s more charitable givers, may have reached his civic high point when a store located next to the low-income Sam Levy housing development was burned to the ground in 1997. As racial passions were inflamed, he not only rebuilt the store but also included various outreach programs to area residents that included lessons in financial management.
Catholic concern
Nashville’s Catholic bishop has named an outside board of local citizens to guide the church in responding to allegations of sexual abuse by priests. Among others, the board includes U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Higgins and community volunteer Andrea Conte, the wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Bredesen.
Oh, the anguish
The Titans not only lost to the Dallas Cowboys, but running back Eddie George’s foot is now in a protective boot because of severe pain. Suddenly, with injuries mounting, a repeat of the 2001 season looms. Meanwhile, onlookers were actually impressed by the Vanderbilt Commodores’ double-digit loss to Auburn last Saturday. It was bad, but not as horrible as everyone had predicted.
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