Winning Friends

On a recent Sunday morning, Democratic attorney Dennis Francis opined, on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee show, that Democrat Finbarr Saunders would win the 4th District Commission seat over Republican Ruthie Kuhlman.

Francis was having lunch at Long’s Drugstore in Bearden a few days later when he was abruptly slapped on the back and upbraided by Kuhlman for his pick. Kuhlman noted she had handily defeated Richard Cate in the primary and would win the general election as well. Something about kicking Finbarr’s ass.

She slapped a card on the table with her campaign address and instructed Francis to send her a check for $1,000 for her campaign. Francis, who says he had never met the Republican candidate and says the conversation may have been an attempt at humor, does intend to write a check—but will send it to Saunders.