Paul Stanley Begins The Rehabbing Of His Political Career

He’s taking a mission trip to Haiti. He files this report.

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Paul Stanley’s Asterisk

Jeff Woods takes a look at the new Tennessee Blue Book.

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State House Candidate’s Website Featured A Pic Of McKensie Morrison

McKensie Morrison. That’s a name you probably didn’t expect to hear again in connection with any politician in Tennessee other than Sen. Paul Stanley. But Brett Ramsey, who has pulled papers to run for Rep. Curtis Johnson’s seat, had a picture of her on his website until it was pointed out by Post Politics.

The website, which is devoted to selling T-shirts to benefit a company that sells carbon offsets, has a section where people who have bought the shirts can send in a picture of themselves wearing the shirt to be displayed. The one and only photo that appeared in that section until Saturday was that of McKensie Morrison, the intern who brought down Sen. Stanley.

Ramsey is currently a full-time instructor at Austin Peay, the school Morrison was attending while doing her internship at the legislature. Ramsey told Post Politics that Morrison was a student of his and had expressed interest in the mission of the site and offered up her photo for the section.

“That site was a side project of mine at the time. McKensie saw it and asked me about it after class one day,” says Ramsey. “After the end of that semester, she bought a shirt and e-mailed that picture of her wearing it.”

Ramsey said that Morrison did “extremely well” as a student in his class which led to his decision to recommend her for the internship at the legislature. In hindsight, of course, he wishes his decision had been different.

“Obviously, she wasn’t quite as forthright about her background as we know now and it’s a shame what ended up happening,” said Ramsey.

Ramsey reports that his wife actually reminded him about the picture once Morrison made the news back in July and counseled him to remove it. He never got around to it.

Ramsey, while himself a political neophyte, boasts an impressive pedigree. It turns out Ramsey is not only the grandson of former Gov. Ned McWherter but also a cousin to Rep. John Tanner.

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Tags: Brett Ramsey, Curtis Johnson, McKensie Morrison, Paul Stanley, state legislature  

Music City Center Passes

29 to 9. One present not voting. One abstention. Jeff Woods reacts and has excerpts from the debate.

UPDATE: No votes: Michael Craddock, Jamie Hollin, Mike Jameson, Jim Gotto, Eric Crafton, Emily Evans, Jason Holleman, Randy Foster, Robert Duvall. Bruce Stanley didn’t vote. Carter Todd abstained.

UPDATE: Vote on public referendum on the issue fails 27-10.

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Mr. White Goes To Nashville

Mark White has a big lead over his opponents tonight in the special election to succeed Rep. Brian Kelsey in state House District 83. Kelsey is now a state Senator after winning election to Paul Stanley’s seat and, well, you know who he is.

UPDATE: Sen. Mark Norris congratulates White on his win.

UPDATE II: From the TNGOP:

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney issued the following statement after Republican Mark White was elected to represent District 83 in the Tennessee House of Representatives:

“It is fitting that Mark was elected on the day in which the General Assembly has convened for a special session to address education,” said Devaney. “His experience as a teacher, school administrator, and education foundation director will prove invaluable as the General Assembly focuses on ways to improve the quality of education in Tennessee.

“Mark’s election also means that Tennessee small businesses have gained a valuable ally in the State House. His business ownership and advocacy demonstrate his commitment to creating jobs and fighting for policies that will help spur economic growth across our state. I congratulate Mark and his family on tonight’s victory and I look forward to seeing him sworn-in to the 106th General Assembly.”

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Harold Ford’s Wall Street Taint

From Daily Finance:

Harold Ford Jr., the former Tennessee congressman now preparing a Democratic primary challenge against New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is considered one of the most talented politicians of his generation. But with public outrage toward Wall Street at an all-time high, Ford’s deep ties to the financial community could work against him.

Since joining Merrill Lynch as a vice chairman in 2007, Ford has cultivated a network of powerful friends in finance including Steve Rattner, the influential financier and co-founder of Quadrangle Group, and Anson Beard, the former Chairman of Morgan Stanley who is Ford’s stepfather-in-law. Beard was a member of the famous “Group of Eight” former Morgan Stanley execs who deposed Phillip Purcell during a dramatic Wall Street putsch in 2005.

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Using The Gay Adoption Issue As A Weapon In Tennessee

Chris Sanders argues that it isn’t all that easy:

There was no vote on adoption issue. You can’t pin it on anyone other than the Senate sponsor, former Senator Paul Stanley. Neither party moved the bill. The NRCC isn’t asking why the bill didn’t move. The Senate majority leader didn’t seem to push for it, nor did the Senate Judiciary Committee chair. What about the Caucus chair? Nothing. The reasons probably vary from individual to individual. But I suspect the price tag of the bill has something to do with it. It carries a hefty fiscal note. So to try to pin a position on one legislator is to ignore the more important context of the issue. The NRCC’s own party hasn’t chosen to advance the bill.

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Post Politics Top 25 Of 2009

If you are looking for the best posts of the year on Post Politics, this ain’t it. But it is a list of the most clicked on permalinks on the site during the 2009 calendar year. In descending order…

• Al Gore Leaves The Light On For Ya
• Al Gore Responds To Earth Hour Accusations
• This Is Huge: Rep. Bart Gordon Will Not Run For Re-Election
• GQ Drew Stands By His Story
• The Salad Days
• Switch-Hitters
• ATF Declares Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act Null And Void
• The Steve McNair Jenny Kazemi Knew
• Corker Flips The Script
• Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act To Pass Without Signature
• Ford, Jr. Would Have Voted For Torture
• Stanley Mistress McKensie Morrison Took A Cocaine Charge In ‘05
• Leave Jim Cooper Alone!
• Tense Nazis: Is The President A Smoker?
  
• The Nashville Tea Party
• Stanley’s First Wife Swore Out A Restraining Order In 1994
• Dems Throw The Dean Out Of A Meeting
• MTSU Poll: Belief In Obama Conspiracy Theories Still High
• County GOP Moves To Oust Ron Paul-Supporting Vice Chair
• On Burning It Down
• The Coop Is Loose
• McKensie Morrison Pics
• Call Me Mrs. Ford
• Bredesen Goes To DC And Your World And Mine Ain’t Gonna Be The Same
• The Coverup Is Always Worse Than The Crime

UPDATE: NashvillePost.com’s list. My favorites are numbers 9 and 12. See the most read over at PostBiz as well.

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The List

The Tennessee Journal came across Santa’s list for some of Tennessee’s politicos. A sampling:

Kent Williams — A 1950s rotary telephone to remind him of the party line. And an extra week’s pay, which, you never know, might come in handy.

Paul Stanley — A new job. As personal crisis management consultant to Tiger Woods.

Ron Ramsey — To show that he’s a frugal public servant not given to ostentatious displays, a smaller nameplate for his desk. One with the “Lt.” lopped off.

Lincoln Davis — An autographed copy of the David Baldacci novel Last Man Standing.

Stacey Campfield — Orange boots and a sleeveless jumpsuit to go with the Mexican wrestler’s mask he wears to UT football games. Also, a map of Neyland Stadium to help him find his seat.

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State Sells Some Bonds

From a press release:

State officials completed the sale of $235,890,000 in General Obligation 2009 Series C (tax-exempt) bonds and $54,110,000 in General Obligation 2009 Series D (taxable) bonds this week.

The Series C bonds, which mature over a 20-year period, with a true interest cost of 3.59%, will retire some of the state’s short-term debt as well as finance a variety of capital projects.

The Series D bonds, which mature over a 20-year period, will refund the 2004 Series B bonds as well as provide funding for other capital projects. The true interest cost of the Series D bonds is 4.92%.

Board members received a report on the bond sale during the Funding Board meeting Thursday afternoon.

“I’m very pleased with this transaction,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson, whose office oversees the state’s bond financing responsibilities. “Public Financial Management Inc., our financial advisor, believes this sale represents a fair and favorable deal for the taxpayers of Tennessee.”

The bonds were purchased for retail buyers by bank trust departments and money managers and by large institutional investors as part of a negotiated sale on December 1st. Barclays Capital served as senior underwriter on the transaction with Morgan Stanley & Co., Morgan Keegan & Co., Duncan Williams Inc., Wiley Brothers Aintree Capital and Mesirow Financial serving as Co-Managers.

The Funding Board members are: Comptroller Wilson, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr., Finance and Administration Commissioner David Goetz and Gov. Phil Bredesen.

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The Boner Awards Are Out

And first prize was kind of a no-brainer:

Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown, who started 2009 with the most noxious piece of “family values” tub-thumping to come down the legislative pike in years: a bill that would ban gay and lesbian couples—and really, any unmarried couple—from adopting children. In case the bill’s fundamental ugliness were unclear, Stanley spelled out that children should be placed with families who “will foster an appreciation for the policies of this state”— you know, since there’s nothing a hungry, lonely child needs more than an indoctrination in state policy. As it turned out, though, the married Stanley was all the while fostering an appreciation for his 22-year-old legislative intern— which turned into even tawdrier spectacle when the intern’s boyfriend found a disc with sexually explicit photos seemingly taken in Stanley’s apartment. The boyfriend tried to extort $10,000 from the wayward moralist, leading to a suitably tacky face-off with the TBI behind the El Rey Azteca Mexican restaurant in Whites Creek. Manning up, the senator placed responsibility right where it belonged—on the media. “I hope some positive things will come out of this and maybe it’ll be an example for others,” he said. Positive thing No. 1: Stanley resigned.

SEE ALSO: The Cover Art

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Luther Mercer II Joins Herron In The Democratic Primary In The 8th

From Stanley Dunlap:

Mercer’s mother is political activist Shirlene Mercer, who served as the district field director for Tanner during his 20-plus years in office. His father, Luther Mercer, is a Madison County commissioner.

Mercer said the influence of his parents has taught him about the importance of community service.

He also said he has developed a cultural understanding of the Middle East through his trips there and his studies on the area.

In 2001, Mercer went to Egypt, where he studied international trade and criminal law and the Islamic legal system. He also has studied the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

After graduating from law school in 2001, Mercer spent two years working in China and has performed consulting work in Italy.

“What I believe is that all of these experiences have brought me to a point where I have the ability to come to my community and through my experiences share a vision of where we need to go in rural West Tennessee in order to make this community a better place,” Mercer said.

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Former State Rep. Joyce Hassell, RIP

From Richard Locker:

Mrs. Hassell ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Shelby County tax assessor in the spring of 2000 and then lost a GOP primary challenge to hold the House seat that summer to Paul Stanley, who went on to serve in both the House and Senate before resigning in August of this year.

Joyce Barnett Hassell was born in 1932 in Baldwyn, Miss., and earned a bachelor of science degree from Blue Mountain College, which named her its alumna of the year in 1996. She was a teacher in the Memphis City Schools. She earned a master’s degree in office administration and management from Memphis State University.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a sister, Mary Lou Martin, and a brother, Roger Barnett, both of Baldwyn.

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Kelsey Skips Joint Appearance With Opponent For Birthday Party

From the Commercial Appeal:

The Memphis Area Women’s Council and others are hosting a conversation with the candidates session on Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m.

Democrat Adrienne Pakis-Gillon, who is running for the State Senate District 31 seat formerly held by Paul Stanley, will be there to answer questions, but not her Republican opposition.

“We invited Brian Kelsey but through his campaign manager he said he has a family obligation with his nephew’s birthday party in Cordova. We asked if he wanted to send a stand-in or a surrogate but he has not responded,” said Deborah M. Clubb, the council’s executive director.

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NFIB Endorses In Race To Replace Kelsey

The Memphis Daily News:

The National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy organization, is endorsing Memphis businessman Mark White in the special election for House District 83.

White, who recently sold the Grand Events & Party Rentals business he founded, is running for the House seat vacated by Memphis attorney Brian Kelsey, who in turn is running for the state Senate seat vacated a few months ago by Germantown investment banker Paul Stanley.

The primary for House Dist. 83, which includes parts of East Memphis and Germantown, will be held Dec. 1, with the general election to follow on Jan. 12.

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Queer To The Right, Prude To The Left

Thomas F. O’Connell pens a very personal tract about his reaction to a push to ban gay couples from adopting which would have prevented any unmarried couple from adopting:

Nashville is my hometown, and Tennessee is my home state. As a man who has only so much as kissed one woman in his entire life, who has been with her for 10 years, and who expects to be with her for the rest of his life, I challenge anyone who questions my moral values or my choices to actually live according to them. The only thing wrong with them to practitioners of various organized religions is that I belong to no organized religions. Other than that, though, my personal life is about as conservative as it gets in contemporary America.

So imagine my surprise when a great moralizer appeared from the western part of Tennessee to assert that I should be considered unqualified for adoption. Exacerbating the offense of a previous incarnation of a bill targeting same-sex couples, state senator Paul Stanley (R-Germantown, Tenn.), in our most recent legislative session, perhaps seeking to blunt criticisms that he was merely anti-gay embarrassingly included unmarried couples in his list of people unqualified to adopt on moral grounds. More embarrassingly still, he specifically mentioned unmarried “sexually cohabiting” couples in his bill. I suppose this means that there would have been a state test of some variety to determine what constitutes sexual cohabitation.

I highly encourage you to click through and read the whole thing.

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The Salvation Army Will Come And Pick It Up For You

Sen. Paul Stanley’s office furniture is in limbo:

But if Stanley takes the furniture home or sells it and keeps the money, Rawlins said, he could run afoul of laws prohibiting personal use of campaign funds.

“The statute doesn’t really address (the specific situation),” Rawlins said. “But you can’t buy things and convert them to personal use.”

Rawlins said the furniture could be sold at fair market value, with the proceeds going into the campaign fund and then used for permitted expenditures if the account is later closed.

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Sen. Stanley Billed The State For Trips And Per Diems Leading Up To Resignation

Once again, Mr. Tom Humphrey reporting:

Stanley was one of nine legislators attending the ALEC conference in Atlanta. His bill to the state was typical — $684 for per diem, $961 for hotel and $415 for transportation.

His experience there, however, apparently was not typical. The Nashville Post, quoting sources, has reported that Stanley “ordered three to five $150 bottles of wine and became intoxicated” at a dinner sponsored by lobbyists during the ALEC gathering.

After being told he should pay the tab himself, rather than leaving it for lobbyists, the Post said Stanley became belligerent and was asked to leave the restaurant following a “heated argument” with Rep. Charles Sargent, R-Franklin.

Sargent, asked about the report Monday, said it was accurate.

“That happened,” he said. “But it’s over and I consider it a dead issue.”

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Another Conservative Firebrand State Rep. Looks To Get Upped

Brian Kelsey, Susan Lynn and Stacey Campfield now have a little company as their group of conservative state representatives looking to become state senators has just grown by one.

According to the Associated Press, Sen. Dewayne Bunch, the Nashville roommate of former Sen. Paul Stanley, will not seek reelection to the state Senate. Bunch reportedly met today with the state house members representing his senate district to inform them of his decision not to run.

One of them, Rep. Mike Bell has decided to he would like the job. From a press release:

State Rep. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) announced today that he will be a candidate for the State Senate. He will be seeking to represent District 9 in the Tennessee State Senate which is made up of Bradley, McMinn, Meigs and Polk Counties.

“Three years ago, the people of McMinn and Monroe County elected me and gave me the privilege of serving them in the State House of Representatives,” said Rep. Bell. “Now I am asking the people of Bradley, McMinn, Meigs and Polk Counties to give me the opportunity to represent them in the State Senate.”

Bell currently lives on a farm in Southern McMinn County with his wife and 5 children:

Michaela (11), Rachael (15), Zack (17), Laura (20), and Nathan (22). Nathan, who is in the United States Marine Corps, is currently stationed at Camp LeJuene in North Carolina.

A small business man, farmer and volunteer firefighter, Bell was elected to the Tennessee State House of Representatives in 2006. In his first term, his peers elected him to be Freshman Leader and Assistant Floor Leader of the Republican Caucus. Bell is currently the Republican Caucus Secretary.

While in the House of Representatives, Bell has served on the Agriculture Committee, Children and Family Committee, Conservation and Environment Committee, Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee, and Government Operations Committee.

Bell is the current chairman of the House Family Justice Subcommittee of the Children and Family Committee.

I am looking forward to seeing the faces and hearing the voices of this district. I want to continue the tradition of having a principled, conservative voice in the state Senate.”

SEE ALSO: Tom Humphrey

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2009 St. Crispin’s Day: The Awards

Remarks by Ken Whitehouse as prepared for delivery last night at Flyte. A taste:

We present former state senator and noted ladies man Paul Stanley the “Shroud of Tunica.” The former state senator will find that this garment matches what he wore on his shirtsleeve and will dissuade him from playing his cards close to the zipper, I mean vest, and busting on 21 again.

SEE ALSO: Bruce Barry

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