The above thick-necked gentleman is Chris Thieneman: ex-football player for the University of Louisville, real estate developer, and local "activist". The big--albeit not surprising--news this morning is that Thieneman will be running as a Republican for the job of metro Louisville mayor. I'm careful to specify "Republican" because anyone familiar with his recent political antics must wonder which side he's choosing this time around. Last spring he threw a major public temper tantrum after announcing that he would run for Congress against Louisville's incumbent Representative John Yarmuth. He claimed that other Republicans were conspiring to pressure him out of the race, implicating Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell and ousted Representative Anne Northup as his high-profile antagonists. Thieneman later denounced them on a local radio talk show, announcing that he was switching party affiliation and supporting the Democratic candidate. I guess he found it in his heart to forgive the Republican party.
Besides his rather entertaining conspiracy theorizing and penchant for bad neckties, we Louisvillians can look forward to a plethora of brain-numbing sports metaphores in the coming campiagn season. A self-described jock, Thieneman certainly looks the part, but the resemblance is not only skin deep: in 2007 he embarked on a staunchly anti-nerd agenda. He spearheaded a local grassroots effort to vote down a referendum that would've allocated an occupational tax to expand, improve and fund the ailing public library system. Before switching sides in his Congressional bid, Chris gave an interview for the local news:
"I can guarantee you that he (Yarmuth) represents the special interests -- the same group that fought against us on the library tax. I promise you that."
Yes, the "special interests" of, um, literacy promoting lobbyists...and, er, fat cat homework nerds...Yarmuth's response to Thieneman's later support of his campaign? "Uh, no thanks, Chris, I'm good."
This latest news about Thienenman's bid for mayor comes on the heels of a lawsuit, announced just last week, against current metro mayor Jerry Abramson, metro government, the city 's economic development department, the city's internal auditor and its finance department--for giving a forgivable loan to a developer who built a touristy night life mecca downtown. Whew! Now that's one litigious guy! He announced this law suit but never actually filed it. He claims he dropped it because his supporters encouraged him to run for mayor instead. Sure, why waste your time following through with your bitter finger pointing as a private citizen, when you can engage in bitter finger pointing while on the campaign trail? This guy is a multitasker! Of course, like all glory-seeking jocks, he also fancies himself a local hero...my interpretation may veer more towards the "opportunistic attention mongering troglodyte" end of the spectrum.
Of course his campaign also has the potential to pick up the flag dropped recently by Kentucky's out-going political crazyman and resident gaffe-machine: Senator Jim Bunning. Time will tell if we here at Mercy Missiles will be writing essays devoted to Thieneman's blustery verbal wind-breaking. More to come, surely.
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