More Fun With The Ethics System: Gresham Takes A Complaint
Posted on October 21, 2008 at 12:35 pmFrom the Donkey’s Mouth:
The Fayette County Democratic Party Chairman Steve Butler today filed a sworn complaint with the Tennessee Ethics Commission alleging that state Rep. Dolores Gresham misused her office for personal gain by promoting state taxpayer-funded farm grants in the legislature and later accepting nearly $36,000 in the same grants for her and her husband’s cattle farm.
Pro-Life State Senate Candidate Accused Of Advising Abortion
Posted on October 20, 2008 at 6:08 pmThe letter writing campaign against 26th District state Senate candidate Randy Camp does not appear to be letting up in the least out in West Tennessee. The candidate who was revealed in August to have committed adultery in his marriage now stands accused by his ex-wife of counseling a woman to have an abortion.
The first volley in this letter-writing campaign (which all participants assure Post Politics has come without direction from the Republican Party or the campaign of Camp’s opponent, State Rep. Dolores Gresham) was lobbed by Randy Camp’s former brother-in-law, Tommy Roland.
In a letter, distributed this summer to “some folks around the district” and motivated by a “country-boy” urge to defend his sister, Roland got into the nitty-gritty of Randy Camp’s divorce of his wife, Lisa. A copy of the divorce records where Camp admitted to adultery in his marriage were enclosed.
The next letter was sent by Camp’s former mother-in-law. In her letter, the grandmother of young Catherine and Leigh Camp documents her pleading in correspondence to candidate Camp that he not use his daughters in a political fashion. Camp declined.
Now, in the most salacious chapter, Lisa Roland Camp, Randy Camp’s ex-wife, has penned her own letter bearing her own signature.
In the letter Lisa Camp accuses her pro-life candidate ex-husband, Randy Camp, of counseling an unnamed woman to have an abortion.
I am ashamed that I have watched [Randy Camp] tell voters lie and after lie after lie and said nothing. But when I saw him use our daughters in an effort to portray himself as pro-life, I knew I couldn’t remain silent any longer.
Randy Camp is not pro-life. He may tell you that in an effort to get your vote but when confronted with an inconvenient pregnancy, he counseled abortion. I know. Fortunately, the woman did not listen.
When contacted by Post Politics Lisa Camp confirmed that she was the author of the letter. She said that the letter had been sent out to “a bunch” of people around the district and that her reasons for writing were simple.
“All these years I’ve lived with Randy Camp, I know he is not pro-life,” Camp explained. “I was gonna stay out of it. Really, I was. But after I saw that commercial with my girls saying he was pro-life, I just couldn’t stay out of it anymore.”
Lisa Camp refused to comment on whether she had been present for the abortion counseling or if she had heard it from the person counseled.
When asked how she could assure Post Politics that Randy Camp had counseled a woman to get an abortion Camp responded matter-of-factly.
“You’re just gonna have to take my word for it,” Camp explained, “I just know.”
Speaking for Randy Camp, State Senate Democratic Caucus Political Director Mark Brown says that Camp “flatly denies” these allegations.
Brown says that Camp has “never advised anyone to have an abortion and has no idea what incident [Ms. Camp] writes about.”
The campaign also released the following statement by Mark Brown:
“Everyone that knows Randy Camp knows that he is pro-life and pro-traditional values. He and [Rep. Gresham] agree on that.
Where they disagree is on her belief that government should work for her and not for the people. [Rep. Gresham] and her supporters can try to distract voters from her record with accusations and innuendo, but it won’t work.
The fact of the matter is that the only two accomplishments of Dolores Gresham’s legislative career have been to raise her own pay and to give herself thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in farm grants. She and her supporters just don’t get that they can’t obscure that fact.”
Getting Your Story Out First
Posted on at 7:28 amIt turns out that the Democratic candidate in Senate District 26 received the exact same farm subsidy Democrats criticized his Republican opponent for receiving:
Randy Camp received $3,500 during each of the last two years and has been approved for $5,000 more this year to help pay for hay storage facilities on his Crockett County farm, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
So He Has Decided About His Gubernatorial Run?
Posted on October 14, 2008 at 10:25 amOr is he just being a good party man:
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist will campaign across Tennessee this week for eight state legislative candidates as early voting gets underway on Wednesday.
Frist, who has aided each of these campaigns with fund-raising, will be doing events for state House candidates Terri Lynn Weaver, A.J. McCall, Bill Sanderson, Curtis Halford and Vance Dennis and state Senate candidates Ken Yager, Mike Faulk, and Dolores Gresham.
On Wednesday, Oct 15, Frist will campaign in the 40th House district for Terri Lynn Weaver, the 46th House district for A.J. McCall, the 4th Senate district for Mike Faulk, and the 12th Senate district for Ken Yager.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, Frist will campaign in the 77th House district for Bill Sanderson, the 78th House district for Curtis Halford, the 71st House district for Vance Dennis, and the 26th Senate district for Dolores Gresham.
“Sen. Frist’s work on behalf of our Republican legislative candidates has been invaluable in the pursuit of a Republican majority in the state Legislature that is committed to keeping our taxes low and working to create jobs,” said Robin Smith, Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.
One can, of course, find much more info about the candidates Frist will campaign for at the TNGOP’s Victory ‘08 website.
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Are Ya Ginnin’ Me?
Posted on October 13, 2008 at 3:01 pmOn the most recent quarterly report of state Senate candidate Dolores Gresham appears one $500 contribution in the name of Shelton Wilder. Shelton Wilder, who lists his occupation as “Ginner” is the son of former Lieutenant Governor John Shelton Wilder, the current holder of the seat.
Former Lt. Gov. Wilder has campaigned vigorously for his former aide Randy Camp to keep the seat in Democratic hands. Wilder the Elder has also given a total of $1,500 to the Camp campaign. The seat is a battleground in the race to control the state Senate which is currently divided 16-16-1.
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Senate District 26 Becoming Ground Zero In The Battle To Control The State Senate
Posted on at 12:53 pmDolores Gresham gets a bit of help from the Republican State Leadership Committee in her bid to claim the seat of the former Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Wilder for the GOP:
SEE ALSO: Gresham’s “Friends” are doing her a solid as well.
Bringing Out The Big Guns In Senate District 26
Posted on at 11:57 amGovernor Bredesen will be in West Tennessee Wednesday trying to get that early vote out for Randy Camp.
It’s All About Values, Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge
Posted on September 23, 2008 at 4:29 pmIn what is surely meant as a subtle reference to this, the TNGOP makes an independent expenditure on behalf of Rep. Dolores Gresham who is taking on Randy Camp in state Senate District 26, currently held by John Wilder:
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