Crooner Heimlich

His grandparents were the famous Kathryn and Arthur Murray of dance studio fame, but Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich might want to reconsider any thoughts of adding to his entertainment resume.

Fellow Commissioner Todd Portune, at today's commission meeting, was discussing budget issues he hoped would result in Hamilton County providing additional funding -- if needed -- next year to the prosecutor and Coroner offices to help solve cold case crimes.

Heimlich interjected, hoping to add levity, when he asked Portune if he got that idea from watching television shows.

Portune, the father of young children, replied that about the only television he gets to watch revolves around The Wiggles and other children's programming.

Portune then turned to Heimlich, the father of two children, both age three and under, and asked if he knew about The Wiggles, a group of grown men who do skits and songs to amuse and entertain throngs of children.

Heimlich proved he knows The Wiggles all too well -- by breaking out into song, "singing" -- the term is used loosely here -- one of their hits "In the Big Red Car We Like to Ride."

"Toot, toot. Chug, chug. Big red car. I'm going to drive a big red car," a blushing Heimlich sang, adding that his favorite Wiggles were Greg and Anthony.

Interjecting politics into the less-than-serious moment, Portune smiled broadly and asked Heimlich "Would that make you a Blue Wiggle or a Red Wiggle?"