Sadly, their names aren't as quirky

A skirmish between the business and social conservative wings of the Alabama Republican Party is shaping up in the impending race for state party chairman.

Carrying the banner for the business wing is Senate Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, who is so closely aligned with Gov. Bob Riley that he named his son for the governor. Leading the grassroots charge for the social conservatives is Scott Beason of Gardendale, a state representative who ousted longtime state Sen. Jack Biddle in the June primary.

Hubbard would seem to be the status quo candidate. Many Beason backers, meanwhile, feel the party under outgoing chairwoman Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh -- whose name, as always, entertains me -- didn't do enough to erode Democratic control of many county offices or the Legislature. Either way, the winner would have to step down from his seat, unless he wanted Democrats to have the advantage of a chairman able to devote his full political attention to party business with the GOP run by someone pulling double duty as a chairman and legislator.

The election is in February, so it's too early to predict a winner. But it will be interesting to see which faction prevails, and whether state Republicans can avoid an ugly, divisive fight in the process.