Political Notebook: Fincher to be on ‘Huckabee’

Fincher to be on ‘Huckabee’

Macon native Durwood “Mr. Doubletalk” Fincher is scheduled to make a guest appearance on the FOX News Channel show “Huckabee” with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tonight at 8 p.m. The show is scheduled to be repeated Sunday at 8 and 11 p.m.

Huckabee, a Republican candidate for president in 2008, is expected to play a joke on the studio audience by introducing Fincher as Robert Payne, a candidate for Congress.

Fincher, a 1965 graduate of Lanier High School in Macon, is often introduced as Payne. He came up with the fictitious name in honor of growing up in the cotton mill village of Payne City, located off Brookdale Avenue near Freedom Park and Vine-Ingle Little League.

Fincher said he plans to wear the “key to the city of Macon” given to him last year by Macon Mayor Robert Reichert when Fincher was grand marshal of the Cherry Blossom Festival parade.

Fincher also has provided Huckabee with a bottle of toe floss, a gag gift he invented in the late 1970s for “prompt temporary relief of foot in mouth.” Huckabee is expected to use his national television platform to award the toe floss to members of Congress.

Huckabee was introduced to Fincher in January at the World Congress Center in Atlanta when Huckabee was the keynote speaker at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce meeting. Former Macon Mayor George Israel is president and CEO of the Georgia chamber.

Huckabee invited Fincher to be a surprise guest on the show. Fincher was scheduled to arrive in New York late Friday night after numerous flight delays because of the snowstorm in the Northeast.

Fincher was discovered by the late Allen Funt of “Candid Camera.”

He has previously appeared on national TV on “The Today Show” in 2007 and has made more than a dozen appearances with Regis Philbin and co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa.

Two midstate nurses appointed to state board

Two Middle Georgia nurses were appointed to the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Practical Nurses on Friday.

Fredettena “Tina” Flecher, 43, of Barnesville, is a director at the Heritage Inn Nursing Home and earned a degree from Griffin Technical School.

Patricia Marshall, 33, of Gray, is a coordinator at Lynn Haven Health and Rehabilitation and earned a degree from Central Georgia Technical College.

Telegraph staff writers Ed Grisamore and Mike Stucka contributed to this report.