THOMAS LONG AND HANDLER ASK COREY MACLIN TO GET OUT OF RACE

On Friday night as Corey Maclin and a business associate approached "Memphis Sounds" a downtown basement lounge that host mostly Black poli-trick-ans and political wanna be's Maclin notice the office door of Greg Grant who has an office for his bus company and Al Sharpton's National Action Network open. Maclin stepped in and there was City Court Clerk Thomas Long meeting with Grant concerning his announced bid for the County Clerk office which Maclin has already filed for.

It has been rumored for several weeks that Long had plans of using Grant as his handler for the next year race. Grant is known for putting together ballots paid for not by the best candidate but the highest bidder. Grant on Friday told Maclin that based on Long getting 80,000 votes in his last election he had a better chance of winning and that he should run for another position.

Grant also reminded Maclin that he had never ran for office and that he would be hard for him to win. At this point Maclin reminded Grant that it was he who handled Janis Fullilove against Long several years and came very close to defeating him, and that he feels his chances against Long are as good or better than Fullilove. Maclin states that he is not concerned about what Long does and plans to stay in the race.

What Grant also must understand when it comes to running a county wide race both Long and Maclin are on equal footing because while being in political office for years Long has never ran a county race. Grant being Al Sharpton's Memphis Director of The National Action Network is going to cause Long some White votes. White voters will see Long's association with Grant as an association with Sharpton, While the White wrestling fan will support Maclin.

Whether or not some may feel that Maclin should be the next Shelby County or not he has the right under the law to run. Long and no other so called political God Father has the right and will not be given the right to pick and choose leadership for the community. In the Black community there are those political scoundrels who think that they must control who's elected to office but the message must be sent run your race but don't think that you are in charge because at the polls we will prove you wrong.

Long needs to tell Shelby County what his agenda is and if he really knows what he wants to run for. Last year he announced that he was running for mayor of Memphis and now he wants to be Shelby County Clerk,even though his term as City Court Clerk is not up until 2011. He needs to tell us why he's willing to give up $15,000 a year for the new position. As City Court Clerk he makes $122,000 as Shelby County Clerk he would only make $107,000. But maybe his real plan is for the taxpayers to pay him a city pension and a county salary at the same time.