She Likes Ike. McCain, No So Much
Posted on July 31, 2008 at 7:20 pm“I’m an adult. I talk through s***, he ran out of ideas.”
~ Vince Vaughn in the Break-Up (2006)
Steven Clemons on the thoughts of a political scion:
Life long Republican and granddaughter of Ike, Susan Eisenhower, said today on an Obama campaign conference call featuring campaign manager David Plouffe and herself that while she truly regrets it, the direction John McCain has been pressured to go is showing that “the Republican Party is running out of ideas.”
She also said that “The world is watching. This is a unique opportunity to restore confidence in the country.”
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It’s Never Too Early For A Little Cross Of St. Andrew
Posted on at 6:36 pmThe BrandingFire blog getting ready for the future, a future full of stars and bars:
If you’re involved with a historic organization, Civil War-related historic house, museum, Civil War author, etc and you’re thinking, “So what?” - YIKES!!! Now is when you should be planning out a heavy series of events, anniversary books, documentaries, tours or whatever. Don’t be like those retailers who wait till Halloween to start thinking about their Christmas promotions. Those guys lose out then wonder what went wrong. The time to plan your Christmas promotions is March or April… May at the latest.
The Gift
Posted on at 6:15 pmJim Grinstead is not the largest fan of the concept of the tax-free holiday:
We don’t need to shortchange all Tennesseans to help families who need aid. Schools know what families take advantage of free or reduced price lunches and the state could easily use that data to provide relief.
But prudent management such as that doesn’t allow politicians facing an election to paint rosy pictures about a government that will be facing increasing fiscal challenges.
Ben West and other public officials want us to see the tax free weekend as their gift to us while what they are doing is reducing the services we’re paying for in the hopes of reaping political gain. Taxes aren’t a punishment. They are the cost of operating a civil society.
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Read Between The Lines
Posted on at 6:06 pmDavid Oatney thinks that Republicans need to being willing to run against the press:
In the years that Republicans have attempted to do things to placate the press, they have usually lost. Recent history shows that it was the years the GOP eessentially told the press to go to Hell (without actually saying so) that they won-1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004. Base conservative voters will turn out in numbers when it appears that the news media hates their candidate, because if the mainstream press hates our nominee they must be doing something right.
A Fisking Of Sorts
Posted on at 5:51 pmThe Bristol Herald Courier gives Rep. David Davis the business for inaccurate advertising:
In his latest campaign ad, U.S. Rep. David Davis accuses his Republican primary opponent Phil Roe of hypocritically seeking more than $1 million in federal earmarks. Worse, he implies that Roe is a closet Hillary Clinton supporter.
At best, the ad is misleading. In its lowest moments, it is an outright lie.
In the interest of voter education, we offer a point-by-point analysis.
Catch the full analysis here.
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That’s A Disturbing Statistic
Posted on at 5:25 pmBut Al Gore is happy about it:
According to the Princeton Review’s “Best 368 Colleges” survey, “63 percent of college applicants and their parents said they wanted more information about a college’s commitment to the environment, and a quarter of them said it would strongly impact their decisions to apply or attend a school.”
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The Tramp Stamp Act Of 2008
Posted on at 5:23 pmJoe Legge discusses the new law on tattoos:
The new law revises the criminal penalty for tattooing a minor from a Class C to a Class A misdemeanor, so the penalties are consistent regardless of whether the tattooing was for commercial purposes. Also, in regard to the exception for minors age 16 and up to cover an existing tattoo, this bill requires the person accompanying the minor to present proof of guardianship or custody of the minor.
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The Fall Of The Machine
Posted on at 4:33 pmJackson Baker on why support from the Ford family for Nikki Tinker’s insurgent campaign against Rep Steve Cohen may not mean as much as it used to:
Ford Sr.’s power had always been based as much on keeping governmental channels open for influential whites in the larger community as on keeping the faith with his black constituents. His very legal predicament had stemmed from a long-term association with C.J. and Jake Butcher, the white East Tennessee bankers whose financial collapse and prosecution by the government had muddied Ford’s own waters.Tinker, who was the largely nominal campaign manager for Harold Ford Jr. in at least one of his uncontested election victories, no doubt hopes for some substantial intervention by the Fords on her behalf. And, in fact, one of the intriguing revelations of the second quarter’s financial disclosures was that Harold Ford Jr.’s wife had maxed out her contributions on Tinker’s behalf.
But the fact of the matter is that 9th District politics, like the Fords themselves, may have moved on to that post-racial world Wharton spoke of. Early voting totals in inner-city precincts have not thus far suggested anything like the saturation-style, directed voting of the past — perhaps because, in that part of the 9th District, as elsewhere, race may no longer be the single determinant factor it once was.
The Bellevue Mall 2.0 Is Getting Closer
Posted on at 4:24 pmSo says Michael Cass:
Metro Nashville officials appear to be getting close to an agreement with developers who are looking to transform Bellevue Center Mall - and seeking some help from the city.
A long-deferred economic impact plan for the struggling mall area has resurfaced on the Metro Council’s agenda for next week, and Councilman Charlie Tygard said that’s an indication that Mayor Karl Dean’s administration is “nearing a deal” with Foursquare Properties Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif.
“They’re close enough for us to debate it next Thursday,” said Tygard, who represents the county at large and previously represented a Bellevue district.
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Marsha Does It All
Posted on at 4:21 pmVia the Nashville Scene:
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Sen. Alexander Gives Indicted Senator’s Cash To Charity
Posted on at 3:39 pmTennessee’s own Lamar Alexander has joined those Senator’s jettisoning campaign funds gleaned from the embattled and indicted Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.
Post Politics has confirmed that the $10,000 dollars received by Alexander from Stevens’ Northern Lights PAC in 2008 as well as the $5,000 received in 2002 has been given to the United Way.
UPDATE: A statement from Campaign coordinator Jeremy Harrell:
“Americans are innocent until they’re proven guilty. Our campaign made the decision to donate the contributions to charity to avoid distraction.”
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You Are What You Eat
Posted on at 3:18 pmDaniel Larison discusses eating as a political act:
To say that eating is a political act worries conservatives because many seem to cling, oddly enough, to an old liberal conception of private, personal life that they wish to preserve free from outside interference, including ultimately the “interference” of neighbors, relatives and local community. Where social conservatives are often keenly aware of the effects that individual choices concerning marriage, child-bearing and child-rearing have on society as a whole, there often seems to be a strange disconnect when it comes to eating, as if an act that ties us into an elaborate web of economic relationships has no greater significance and no other implications other than providing nourishment. It is one kind of activity, perhaps the only kind, where many conservatives act as if the consequences of personal choices do not extend beyond the front door.
Sharon Gentry Now Against Rezoning
Posted on at 3:04 pmJamie Sarrio reports on the Chamber endorsed candidate’s new position:
“Our communities are what they are. You create a community school and now you’re concentration is 91-percent black, it’s because your community is 91-percent black, not because the school has been rezoned. It’s just a reflection of where we are.
Now you have the fears of the community that are at-risk of being realized is that now I’ve got all these inner city, low-SES kids, concentrated in this area, and it’s under funded, it’s under resourced, it’s under-everything. And so, you know so the clock starts to turn back for a lot of people who’ve experienced that in the past.”
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Getting Legal Papers In The Mail Is Not As Fun As You’d Think
Posted on at 2:56 pmThe editor of the Bristol Herald Courier gets crossways with a few bloggers. Michael Silence thinks that is a bad idea:
I try not to make a practice out of threatening bloggers with litigation. I’d have more success swatting hornets.
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Trying To Avoid Concession
Posted on at 2:21 pmGreg Siskind gives the pro-immigrant response to a report that states that the illegal immigration population in America is contracting:
In the mean time, pro-immigrant groups are firing back disputing the reports findings and arguing that even if they are true, the declines would be related to the downturn in the US economy. As the economy contracts, the demand for foreign workers should decline as well.
Five To One
Posted on at 2:13 pmFrom Tuke for Tennessee:
Bob Tuke, candidate for U.S. Senate, has raised over $100,000 through online fundraising efforts. Thanks to vibrant netroots support, Bob Tuke has outraised primary opponent Mike Padgett by more than 5-to-1 in online contributions and holds a commanding lead in overall fundraising among Democratic primary candidates thanks to his strong grassroots network and statewide support.
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Searching For Johnny Miglietta: No One Parties Like The Green Party
Posted on at 2:04 pmFrom the 5th District’s Green Party candidate for Congress:
John Miglietta, Green Party candidate for U.S. Congress (TN-05) will be having a chess meetup where people can meet, talk politics with the candidate and play a game of chess against him. The event will take place at Bongo Java, 2700 Belmont Boulevard on Saturday August 2 between 11:30-1:00 PM.
Miglietta states, “Chess sharpens the mind and builds critical thinking skills. It is especially good for children to learn the game although it is fun for all ages.” Miglietta was President of his high school chess club and played the game throughout college and graduate school. He is a member of the U.S. Chess Federation and has played regularly in local tournaments in Davidson and Rutherford counties.
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Tennessee Hispanic Republicans Start A New Chapter
Posted on at 1:34 pmFrom a presser:
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly announced the formation and slate of officers of its Tennessee Chapter at the inaugural state chapter meeting on Thursday, July 31, 2008. The mission of the chapter is to build a membership organization to foster the principles of the Republican Party in the Hispanic community, to provide a forum for Hispanic Americans to play an influential role in local, state, and national political activities, and to create and maintain a network of Hispanic Republican leaders.
“The Tennessee Chapter is excited about spreading the core principles of the Republican Party throughout the Hispanic community in our state,” said Chapter President Raul Lopez. “In addition, we look forward to electing Republican candidates who represent these core values of family, faith, and freedom. As a growing voting bloc, Hispanics will play an increasingly important role in the political process in Tennessee and across the country.”
Guests at the inaugural meeting included Republican officials from across the state including Governor Winfield Dunn, State Senators Jack Johnson, Jim Tracy, and Bill Ketron, and State Representatives Debra Maggart, Beth Harwell, Glen Casada, Susan Lynn, and Dolores Gresham.
Four Eddings And A Funeral
Posted on at 1:23 pmJeff Woods reports on rumors that school board candidate Cordenus Eddings was caught campaigning outside a funeral:
Carnelle Barnes, a friend of Kindall’s, says he was leaving the funeral of his ex-wife’s mother when Eddings appeared on the front steps of Lawrence Avenue Church of Christ and starting handing out campaign fliers.
“I told her, ‘This is a funeral.’ My daughter screamed at her, ‘This is my grandmother’s funeral!’ I said, ‘Someone give me a camera phone so I can take her picture,’ and she took off running. It was appalling. People were crying. How far will a candidate go to get a vote?”
We have asked Eddings to comment on this complaint, but we haven’t heard back yet.
‘Dependent Dirty Dozens
Posted on at 12:59 pmAngelia is more than ready to trade “your momma” snaps with anti-semitic pastor George Brooks, Bill Hobbs, or just about anyone:
BUT here’s the problem: Brooks indicated this was a white v. black thing, and I don’t fit either one of those categories. So… how about I start the “Other” team and trash talk both sides.
You know like: “Barack Obama is so skinny, he makes his Senate record look like a copy of War and Peace. John McCain is so old, there’s a picture of Jesus in his high school yearbook. Barack Obama is so slippery, duct tape won’t stick. And: the TN GOP is so dirty, they were once banned from the sewage plant for fear they’d contaminate the place.
Hey, will I be getting a trophy for this?
MORE SNAPS: Sadcox
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Just As Good
Posted on at 12:51 pmNo matter what Barack Obama did about regarding those wounded troops in Germany the McCain campaign was poised for attack:
What the McCain campaign doesn’t want people to know, according to one GOP strategist I spoke with over the weekend, is that they had an ad script ready to go if Obama had visited the wounded troops saying that Obama was…wait for it…using wounded troops as campaign props. So, no matter which way Obama turned, McCain had an Obama bashing ad ready to launch. I guess that’s political hardball. But another word for it is the one word that most politicians are loathe to use about their opponents—a lie.
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A New Entry In The Veepstakes
Posted on at 12:48 pmThe Moderate Voice floats the name of former Senator Bob Kerrey:
In short, he’s the kind of Democrat John McCain could work with — and the kind GOP voters could support. But it’s not just many Republicans who could support Bob Kerrey for Vice President. Choosing Kerrey as his running mate would also serve to cement John McCain’s credibility with political centrists and independents, two voting blocs who put a premium on bipartisanship and who will be critical in the election.
At a time when Barack Obama is on the verge of making history by becoming the first African American to head up a major party’s ticket, choosing Bob Kerrey as his running mate would give John McCain the opportunity to make history as well.
It would be the first time a Republican and Democrat have run together on the same ticket. It would truly be historic. More critically for McCain, it would also be a bold stroke and something that, given his strengths, could help propel him to victory in November.
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The Challenge Of Liberal Religon
Posted on at 12:22 pmFrom the Daily News Journal:
In light of the recent tragic events in Knoxville, the Unitarian Fellowship of Murfreesboro invites all interested to hear special guest Rabbi Rami Shapiro speak on the topic: “The Knoxville Tragedy and the Challenge of Liberal Religion,” Sunday morning, Aug. 3 at 10:15 a.m. The presentation will be followed by a conversation with those in attendance. The event is free and open to the public.
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Unhappy With Their Station In Life
Posted on at 12:13 pmThe Coyote points out a very interesting quotation from Ezra Klein:
“The media hates crusaders. They’re constantly on the lookout to point out their hypocrisy or corruption or preening arrogance. I’ve always assumed this stems from a deep-seated discomfort about having chosen a life of observation over one of action, but whatever the reason, they’re far less offended by power that seeks to further its own interests than power that betrays its class and argues for social change.”
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Former Thompson Supporter John Rich Big Into McCain
Posted on at 12:01 pmFrom the
Rich, one-half of the music duo Big & Rich, said he met McCain a few years ago at the Intrepid Museum for fallen heroes in San Antonio and was drawn to the Arizona senator’s easy manner and independent streak.
“He is not afraid to upset Democrats; he’s not afraid to upset Republicans,” Rich said. “You cannot have a better watchdog for this country than John McCain.”
Rich, who said he believes conservative entertainers need to speak out more, expressed great admiration for the candidate.
“There’s a theme running throughout this guy’s life. He puts his country first,” Rich said of McCain, a Vietnam veteran who spent several years in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. “He will go down in history as one of the greatest Americans we ever had.”
Marsha Blackburn Gets Crossways With Memphis Homebuilders Over Housing Bill
Posted on at 11:40 amThey have endorsed her opponent:
The 15 Past Presidents of the Memphis Area Association of Home Builders, whose names you find below, ask that you vote against Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn in the upcoming primary election.
When President Bush signed the Housing Stimulus Act into law, months of concerted effort by many groups and individuals culminated in an important victory for homebuilders. A victory desperately needed by those of us in the beleaguered housing industry. This piece of legislation holds real promise to revive our struggling industry and may determine whether some of the businesses which belong to our association survive the current downturn.
While we are elated at the passage of this bill we are very disappointed that Marsha Blackburn chose to vote against it and our interests. Compounding our disappointment is the fact that members of MAHBA met with Congresswoman Blackburn on numerous occasions to explain in detail our support for this legislation.
Marsha Blackburn’s vote on this issue clearly demonstrates that we cannot count on her to look out for the interests of homebuilders or for those who rely upon the home building industry to earn their living. We need real friends in Congress, representatives who share our concerns and understand the importance of homebuilding to the economy. Congresswoman Blackburn does not deserve the support or votes of the members of MAHBA.
Please demonstrate your dissatisfaction with her vote against the Housing Stimulus Act by voting for Tom Leatherwood in the Republican primary.
Karl Rove Takes the Hypocritic Oath
Posted on at 11:30 amSandra Clark points out a bit of irony:
Karl Rove has no shame. At the GOP Statesman Dinner last week, he touted the generous, kind hearts of John and Cindy McCain for their adoption of a girl from Africa whom they had brought here originally for medical treatment. Eight years ago, Rove is credited with the South Carolina smear that McCain had fathered a black daughter, later adopted by the family.
Sensitivity Training
Posted on at 11:27 amTim Chavez pens an open letter to the new editor of the Nashville Scene.
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Cohen’s Apology For Slavery Seen As Pandering
Posted on at 11:14 amFrom the Commericial Appeal:
One of Cohen’s opponents, airline lawyer Nikki Tinker, while agreeing with the resolution in principle, found the timing of the House debate and vote suspicious.
“An apology is long overdue for the atrocities of slavery, but it is pure politics and symbolism without a plan that addresses the many people who continue to live without a proper education, health care and economic stability,” Tinker said.
“I find it very interesting that Mr. Cohen would call for a national apology during a heated election when he clearly needs African-American votes. For over 20 years while serving in the Tennessee General Assembly, he never thought to ask the State of Tennessee for an apology, not once.”
Cohen, D-Memphis, pointed out that the first state apology came in 2007 and said Congress was the proper national forum.
As for the timing, he said he has been working 17 months to bring it to the floor. He said he considered postponing it until after the election so that it wouldn’t distract from the “momentousness” of the occasion, but he was urged by staffers to “strike while the iron is hot.”
SEE ALSO:
The Lone Libertarian
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Wamp There She Is: DC Paper Declares Coty A Hoty
Posted on at 11:01 am
Coty Wamp, daughter of Congressman Zach Wamp, has made the Hill’s list of “The Most Beautiful People On Capitol Hill.”
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