Friday, July 27, 2007

Politics infects Commish selection.

Earlier today, Mark Hebert pointed out that Gary Tapp was actively opposing the appointment of Leon Mooneyhan as Commissioner.

Mark wrote: "One of the conservatives who's apparently in Sanders' corner is state Sen. Gary Tapp (R) Shelbyville. Tapp has made at least one phone call, that I'm aware of, to a political insider, asking for help in torpedoing the board's move to hire former Shelby County School Superintendent for the interim state job. Tapp told me he hasn't lobbied any member of the state board of education to kill Mooneyhan's bid. He refused to say whether he'd called anyone else or what problems he might have with a possible Mooneyhan appointment..."

Well here's one possible problem Tapp may have with Mooneyhan - but it has nothing to do with Mooneyhan's relative merits or demerits as an educator.

Mooneyhan was a supporter of then State Rep Larry Belcher in 2002 when he ran for an open seat in Bullitt, Spencer and Shelby counties against - wait for it - then Rep. Gary Tapp of Shelbyville.

Mooneyhan gave Belcher $500 in May and another $1000 in July.

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