Set your TiVO

Just a guess, but I'm betting in Champaign, Cable Channel 5 is gonna get better ratings tonight in the 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. time slot than network programs 'Big Brother: All Stars,' 'According to Jim' and 'Miss Teen USA.'

That's because tonight the Champaign City Council's gonna be having its own little beauty pageant. About the first thing on the agenda is the selection of a new council member to replace Kathy Ennan, who resigned.

There's no shortage of candidates: 15. There's no shortage of qualified people. There's no shortage of opinions, rumors, innuendoes, bets and guesses.

And, unless the council's been playing 'Let's Make a Deal' for the past few days, there's gonna be no shortage of drama.

Who's gonna win? I have no idea. I don't think anyone really does. Perhaps the Council really has made up its mind in various back rooms (smoke-free back rooms) over the past week. That's a good possibility.

But I doubt it.

Which may make for a lot of wrangling, talking, debating, more than a little hollering and, it's my guess, at least six votes before the issue's settled.

I'd like to be able to speculate on who's gonna win. I have no clue. Over at the conservative Republican Illini Pundit blog their unscientific poll showed that even among mostly Republican readers, only the barest of majorities ended up endorsing the leading GOP candidate, Deb Frank Feinen.

Of course no one else in the poll garnered double digit percentages. That alone should tell you just how up in the air this thing is. The former leading Democratic candidate, County Board member Patricia Avery was less than spectacular in her interview with the council last week. Which made her the former leading Dem candidate. Problem is, no one knows who the current leading Dem candidate is.

And remember, the Champaign Council is (wink wink nudge nudge youknowwhatimean) nonpartisan. Still, party designations matter. Or at least political philosophies.

It would seem that at present (subject to change at any moment) a slim majority would be leaning ever so slightly toward the liberal side.

Which bodes poorly for Feinen but favorably for ... Avery? Gary? Who?

So, tune in. And prepare yourself for a long night of drama, action and definitely comedy.

And so it goes.