Crafty Tries To Get In Good With Future Gov.
Posted on April 28, 2008 at 1:49 pmDru Fuller shares photos and a manufactured Freudian slip from a recent appearance by Bill Frist:
Metro Councilman Eric Crafton called Frist “governor” before correcting himself as he asked a question from the floor. Frist, fresh off a Tennessee tour to help Republicans aspiring to seats in the General Assembly, has been widely mentioned as a gubernatorial candidate for 2010.
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The Spirit of ‘94: Frist Calls Newt A “Visionary Leader”
Posted on at 8:11 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist uses his blog over the weekend to provide Kim McMillan with a nice little quote for a future fundraising letter:
As the Republican Party continues to grow, new ideas must be its fuel. That’s why I was honored former Speaker Newt Gingrich – a visionary leader and outstanding scholar – accepted my invitation to speak during an event benefiting the Tennessee Republican Party last Thursday.
The 2010 Gubernatorial Race: It’s On
Posted on April 26, 2008 at 4:06 pmKen Whitehouse once again brings you the breaking news and, because its the weekend, he’s gonna let you at it for free. Former Democratic Majority Leader Kim McMillan has announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for the 2010 governors race:
In a statement released to NashvillePost.com regarding the formation of an exploratory committee, McMillan said, “The people of Tennessee want good jobs, close to home. We want to send our kids to first-rate schools and we want to have safe neighborhoods. I think these expectations are reasonable. I’ve spent much of my life in leadership and public service. I believe I have the experience, the perspective, and the desire to move Tennessee forward.”
For more go to NashvillePost.com.
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Tom Leatherwood: Nobody’s Puppet
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 11:03 amRepublican candidate for Congress in the 7th District Tom Leatherwood writes in to put to bed any rumors or speculation that his campaign is about dirtying up Marsha Blackburn for a future run for Governor at the behest of another candidate:
I read with interest and amusement the speculation by Mr. Turnbow that I launched my campaign for Congress to advance some future candidate’s campaign for governor. Let me assure you that’s not the case.
As you may remember, my first campaign was in the 1992 Republican primary against the “unbeatable” TN State Sen. Leonard Dunavant. No one gave me much of a chance, but I decided to enter the race because Sen. Dunavant was a leading proponent of a state income tax. I felt he was wrong on the issue and that Republicans should hold their own accountable. I made my case to the party faithful and won.
Today I am concerned that Republicans in Washington have lost their way. Judging from Republican losses in the 2006 Congressional elections, most Americans agree. Our 7th District Representative has become part of Washington’s me-first culture. Her recent announcement of “accounting errors” is just the latest example. It’s bad enough to collect money from special interests to pay your family members, but losing track of hundreds of thousands of dollars due to “accounting errors” is inexcusable.
This year, as in 1992, I believe Republicans must hold their own accountable, and that’s the sole reason I’m running.
Regards,
Tom Leatherwood
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The First Major Political Operation In The 2010 GOP Gubernatorial Primary?
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 12:51 pmIs Tom Leatherwood’s challenge of Marsha Blackburn not really a challenge to her incumbency but instead an attempt by someone to dirty her up so she eschews a run for Governor in 2010? Mr. Turnbow sure thinks so:
I’ve been around politics long enough to recognize when something doesn’t pass the smell test and this Tom Leatherwood challenge doesn’t come close to doing that in my opinion. I think someone like a certain ex US Senator or a certain Mayor or Congressman from over in the east state is behind this Leatherwood challenge of Marsha.
Their motives are simple, since everyone knows Marsha is looking at the Governors race they went out and found a well known politician in a county that any Republican has to win in the primary if they want to win the nomination for a statewide office. Their best hope would be that he defeats Marsha but the more realistic hope would be to try to force Marsha to lash out sometime this summer against the well known Shelby County GOPer Leatherwood and hope it turns off a sizable number of GOPers in the vote rich Shelby County area. To the point where they will refuse to support her for Governor in two years in the GOP primary.
Putting Pen To Paper On Odom’s Designs
Posted on April 18, 2008 at 2:38 pmAlthough you hear rumblings of such things from time to time, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone write it down. From the Tennessee Journal:
It has long been speculated that if the Democrats maintain control of the House in November, [Rep. Gary] Odom will challenge Naifeh for the speaker’s position. But distribution of the newspaper article, which Odom jokingly described as Frist’s “first mail piece,” likely had nothing directly to do with any such aspirations.
Whether he has designs on the speaker’s job or not, Odom clearly wants to play a lead role in defending his party’s majority. He will be somewhat less free to get out to other districts than he had hoped because he faces a challenge of his own. Republican Timothy Lee, a paramedic paramedic, stands little chance against Odom but will force him to campaign some in his own district.
Naifeh too has an opponent, Covington Republican Rory Bricco, but is expected to win reelection handily.
It’s All About Fristie
Posted on at 8:01 amToday’s “Tennessee News” entry on Bill Frist’s VOLPAC blog features only stories about the former Senator.
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Republicans Pleased With Their Health Insurance
Posted on at 6:46 amSenator Bill Frist explains why health care is not at the top of voter lists of issues this campaign season and how part persuasion colors one’s view of the issue:
With the help of a slideshow, Dr. Frist showed that, among Democrats, healthcare is second behind the economy in topics the public wants their candidate to address. Among Republicans, healthcare falls to fourth behind the economy, Iraq, and immigration.
Dr. Frist said that the health care reform debate in the primaries is not the real health care reform debate. The real debate will come later. Furthermore, he said, no plan proposed by the candidates will be enacted into law and that these proposals would only serve as a starting point in negotiations after the election.
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Post Politics: 14 April 2008
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 11:34 amIn a restaurant in Chattanooga, Gov. Phil Bredesen is asked point blank by a voter: “[W]ho are you going to vote for? Hillary or Hussein?”
Hillary Clinton seems unconcerned with securing the endorsement of Al Gore.
What I want is a guarantee: Barack Obama removes any doubt as to whether he will offer Al Gore a place in his administration.
The future of how Tennessee selects judges is very much in doubt as the “Tennessee plan” sunsets.
John Rodgers reports that VOLPAC’s $750,000 worth of contributions to either the Tennessee Republican Party or GOP legislative candidates gives us a pretty good idea about Bill Frist’s gubernatorial intentions.
Matt Pulle’s coverage of the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary leads Nashville Scene readers to pine for Jeff Woods’ balanced coverage of the 2007 Mayoral contest.
Should Metro be making so many concessions to keep a hockey team that cannot sell out their home game playoff tickets?
An Arkansas newspaper urges lawmakers in that state to look to Tennessee before instituting a lottery that doles out scholarship funds.
Supporters of a candidate for state House in District 71 are protesting the extension of the filing deadline for candidacy due to the withdrawal of the incumbent in the race.
Evangelical Christian leader, McCain supporter and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer floats Fred Thompson’s name as a potential VP choice.
Councilman Jerry Maynard wants a distinction made between “sexually oriented businesses” and “beer cabarets.”
Exemptions to the sales tax are projected to cost the state almost $2.7 billion next year.
Sometimes who you are is enough, dawg: Mayoral staffers bemoan the end of the HBO series The Wire.
Metro Councilwoman Emily Evans cobbles together a second installment of her “Dummies Guide” to the Metro budget.
As the economy goes south, Rep. Lincoln Davis looks to protect food stamp funding.
A Germantown blogger urges a call to codes concerning semi-demolished, vacant apartments on 6th Avenue.
Bredesen makes the case for the stability of the sales tax: “It doesn’t grow as much as an income tax does in good years. It doesn’t shrink as much as income taxes do in tough years.”
Rep. Donna Rowland wants a ruling from the Tennessee Attorney General about whether Rutherford County can give tax breaks to a new bible park.
Dru Fuller explains why Speaker Jimmy Naifeh has a full jar of blowpops sitting on his desk.
The Scotsman reports that plans are in the works for Al Gore and former President Jimmy Carter to encourage Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the Democratic race for President.
Nashville-area lawmakers Sen. Doug Jackson and Rep. Sherry Jones were among legislators receiving the highest per -diem disbursements from the state.
New Fair Board chief Buck Dozier discusses the future of the current site of the State Fairgrounds.
Blogger Joe Lance points to some bills before the legislature he calls “undesirable.”
Republicans had long thought that the seat of former Lt. Gov. John Wilder would be a slam-dunk pickup for Republicans once he left office . But Democratic advantages this election cycle may put a crimp in those plans.
Tom Humphrey reports on the newly assertive House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh’s role in shaping policy in the legislature.
A Pennsylvania native, Tennessee Republican Party Spokesman Bill Hobbs discusses the lay of the political landscape and what kind of Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are trying to sway in the upcoming primary in that state.
One of Barack Obama’s economic advisers proposes the IRS use electronic data it collects from W-2s and 1099s to send a suggested tax bill to taxpayers. Taxpayers could then elect to pay the suggested amount or calculate their own taxes.
One blogger wonders why a recent Al Gore speech was banned to the working press when the speech was made available online and speech attendees were allowed to blog about the speech.
And finally, Vic Lineweaver’s Juvenile Court Clerk shop is again in the news.
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Post Politics: 4 April 2008
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 9:49 amBlogger Mick Wright decides to take the plunge and files a petition to oppose his Republican state Representative Curry Todd in the Republican primary.
On the anniversary of his death, many bloggers embed the YouTube of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final speech.
Harold Ford, Jr. suggests there is “evidence” Republicans will use to show Barack Obama lacks sufficient patriotism.
Shelby County has already more than double the number of handgun permit holders compared to the rest of Tennessee’s counties.
Frank Cagle explains that “the idea that a private communication between a constituent and a public official should be a public record is media run amok.”
One of the first Governors in the nation to endorse Hillary Clinton for President says that the superdelegates should not vote to overturn the popular vote in the Democratic primary.
Radio talker and NashvillePost.com internet strategist Freddie O’Connell shares thoughts on his former campaign manager’s race for school board and the entry of former Councilman John Summers into the race and discusses whether winning the seat is Summers’ only motive for getting in the game.
A bill enabling a special committee studying the administration of the state’s death penalty to continue its work until October 1, 2009 passed a House subcommittee recently to the joy of one blogger.
Former Howard Gentry for Mayor communications man, Evans Donnell, celebrates the entry of Gentry’s wife into a race for school board.
A conservative blogger doesn’t seem broken up that state Senator Jamie Woodson has drawn opposition this year.
A former East Tennessee Congressman gets his name on a medical building.
A bill seeking the limitation of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuit passed the state house yesterday.
At a conference devoted to wireless technology, former Presidential candidates and Senators Fred Thompson and John Edwards talk about anything but the stated topic.
Blogger Angelia cannot seem to find video on the legislative website of the now infamous recall of the bill which would have closed gun permit records to the general public.
Tennessee Republican Party Communications Director Bill Hobbs has made a public records request for the database on the state’s handgun carry permit holders, information that the TNGOP does not believe should be public. The sponsor of that bill which sparked so much controversy is optimistic for the future of the initiative.
Blogger David Oatney discusses the possibility of a 269-269 electoral vote tie in the upcoming Presidential election.
A tax reform group that has in the past favored a state income tax wants to cut the sales tax on food and close a loophole that allows companies operating in Tennessee to shuffle money around between subsidiaries to avoid high tax bills.
Bellevue native and Cornell student Ilissa Gold notes the last gasps of the Ron Paul campaign on her Ivy League campus.
Katie Allison Granju notes that members of Congress have as much as $196 million collectively invested in companies doing business with the Defense Department.
Metro cop Juan “El Protector” Borges will once again challenge Nashville political scion Ben West, Jr. and intends to make West’s controversial comments on Hispanics last year an issue in the race.
Betty Bean profiles the iconoclastic retiring State Rep. Frank Buck in a piece in MetroPulse.
Despite recent election results showing Democratic strength in the district, a prominent political name decides against taking on former TNGOP chair and State Representative Beth Harwell.
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announces on his political action committee’s blog that he is “devoting significant energy” to achieving a Republican majority in the state legislature. Frist is rumored to be exploring a 2010 run for Governor of Tennessee.
Finally, if you are not a general peruser of the front page of NashvillePost.com you may have missed ace political reporter Ken Whitehouse churning out as much copy from his office down at the Plaza yesterday as many a fully-staffed newsroom. Click here and scroll for the impressive display.
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