Well, well: "Matthew Nash for 5th District City Council."

When Matt swapped photos here yesterday, I suspected the Green Mouse was right.

Can we speak candidly?

It's widely known that Gahan administration operatives targeted incumbent 5th district rep Diane Benedetti for defeat in the primary. I know this because one of them told me so. Of course, it cannot be quantified as to how much the down-low Gahan chicanery contributed to Dustin Collins' eventual victory, but now it's moot, as Collins was forced to withdraw from the race owing to health concerns.

If I haven't said it already in blog space, all the best to Dustin. He's a personable and bright young man, and there is no doubt about his sincere commitment to public service. Get well, quickly.

But there's an election to be held, and the News and Tribune's Daniel Suddeath explains what happens next as Democratic Party chairman Adam Dickey follows arcane procedures lifted straight from the pages of "Foucault's Pendulum" (alas, not a Disney flick) to ensure his chosen and pre-ordained outcome. Remember the famous song Bob Dylan wrote about Dickey, "Tangled Up in Puppet Strings"?

Qualified Democrats residing in District 5 can submit for nomination by caucus members. The caucus will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the New Albany Roadhouse, which is located at 1706 Graybrook Lane.

That's right: The Democrats will caucus by drawing straws and drinking ice cold Bud Light long necks. Fiction simply cannot improve on reality when it comes to satirizing these people.

Know this: None of my obvious and ever expanding derision for our local Fix Is In Democrats should be implied as outweighing my personal esteem for Matt Nash, whose hat has been tossed into the ring in the 5th. I won't get a vote in this one, and we'll see what happens. Even if we still disagree on certain topics, Benedetti has done a good job. Matt's a great fellow, and politics is a nasty business. Anyone got a tea leaf?

A word of advice to Matt: If you don't win the race, be careful the newspaper doesn't screw you on your weekly column resumption * ... and seriously, you might wish to distance yourself from the recently abominable record of your old man on the Bored of Works.

By the way, anyone got a broom?

Here's Matt's Fb campaign page. I wish him well.

Matthew Nash for 5th District City Council

I would like to announce my intention to seek the position of New Albany City Council in the 5th District. For the past six years I have expressed my opinion on how to make our city a better place in a weekly column in the News and Tribune. Now I am actually doing something about it.

I believe that New Albany is a great city but we could be doing better. Between now and November 3rd I will discuss with all of the citizens of New Albany how we can work together to make our city the best that it can be.

* Matt's already dealt with it here.