County Republican Party Boss Boasted Council Votes Days Before Vote

According to this morning's Tennessean, Metro council member Michael Craddock told Davidson County Republican Party boss Jon Crisp weeks ago about the plan to put Kay Brooks into the vacant District 5 school board seat. Crisp then worked over time to form, as he put it in an e-mail to supporters a day before this week's meeting,

a group of councilmembers that exceeds the eighteen required votes needed for confirmation ... Kay will receive this appointment at the meeting of the Metro Council on Tuesday night.

Crisp admitted that he "pretty much knew" on Saturday before the Council vote that the Republican Party had their votes lined up. Saturday was the day that Kay Brooks skipped the public forum for school board candidates because she said that she found it "overwhelming." Other reports have said that she was coached by someone not to go.

I have already alluded to hyperbolic conservatives who so demonize and politicize the school board (calling it a "cess pool" for instance), that valid criticism is ecclipsed. Jon Crisp, and I guess the Davidson County Republican Party, seem to be among the hyperbolic. In his e-mail, Crisp referred to the public school district as "hostile territory," which Kay Brooks is entering on behalf of Republicans. Tell me, district employees, parents, teachers, and children: do you see your schools as hostile territory? And do you really want someone to remain on the board who represents those ugly views?

I've already noted that Crisp is an instrumental member of the conservative Save Our Schools group with Eric Crafton, and I have openly wondered whether there is a connection between Kay Brooks and Save Our Schools. The Tennessean report seems to support that possibility.