They Hate Kurita That Much

By Kleinheider Posted on October 20, 2008 at 9:35 am

The Tennessee Republican Party wonders why Democrats in Tennessee continue to work with political consultants Fletcher, Rowley, Chao, Riddle, Inc. after a Congressman they worked with allegedly promised his mistress a job with the company:

This election cycle, FRCR is doing or has done work for several Democrats running for the Tennessee legislature, including state Senate candidate Tim Barnes - the candidate hand-picked by a few dozen Democrat insiders after Democrat party elites rejected the votes of 4,477 people in the primary and installed Barnes, the certified loser of the election, as the winner.

The Tennessee Democratic Party, instead of ignoring a release likely to get ignored, decides to issue a corrective press release giving life to the story that the company doing a majority of the media for Democratic Party candidates in Tennessee is in the midst of a national scandal:

For the Tennessee Republican Party, fact-checking has long been overlooked, according to Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser correcting an erroneous press release distributed by the TNGOP earlier this morning. Fletcher, Rowley, Chao, and Riddle previously worked for Senator Rosalind Kurita in the District 22 Democratic Primary Election. Contrary to the TNGOP’s claim this morning, FRCR has never entered into a contractual agreement with the Tim Barnes campaign. The Tennessee Democratic Party, however, has hired Scout Communications for independent expenditures in Senate District 22.

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Tags: Bill Fletcher, Chao, Fletcher, Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., Riddle, Rosalind Kurita, Rowley, Tim Barnes, Tim Mahoney  

Not How He Do: Fletcher And Mahoney Are Quitsville

By Kleinheider Posted on October 13, 2008 at 4:23 pm

After ABC broke news that a mistress of Congressman Tim Mahoney had been promised a job at Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc. per a confidential legal agreement, CEO Bill Fletcher has announced his firm no longer rolls with the congressman:

“As of today, FRCR, Inc. has resigned from Tim Mahoney’s campaign and permanently ended our relationship with him.

“According to ABC News, Tim Mahoney apparently included our company in a secret legal settlement without the knowledge of our firm. Our firm did not agree to any legal settlement.

“If these allegations are true, Tim Mahoney’s actions are unacceptable and not in line with FRCR’s business ethics.”

SEE ALSO:
The TNGOP reacts
Mahoney wants an investigation — of himself

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Tags: Bill Fletcher, Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., Tim Mahoney  

Benjamin Not About The Benjamins: Tuke Campaign Manager Works For Free

By Kleinheider Posted on June 6, 2008 at 8:22 pm

In an interview with Post Politics earlier today Ben Chao, Campaign Manager for U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Bob Tuke, revealed that he is taking no salary for his efforts on behalf of the Tuke campaign.

Responding to questions prompted by speculation that the Tuke campaign was a scam to pad to the bank accounts of Chao and the political consulting firm of Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle, Inc., Chao stated emphatically, “Anyone who thinks that this campaign is about money for Ben Chao is seriously misguided.”

Chao also told Post Politics that neither he nor his firm accepted a retainer nor are they contracted to receive a win bonus in the event of victory in either the primary or the general. In addition, Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle, Inc. will be taking only a 6.5% commission from media buys as opposed to the “industry standard” of 15%.

Jed Brewer, Campaign Manager for Tuke’s primary opposition Mike Padgett, tells Post Politics that his firm, Blue Solutions,works on a monthly contract negotiated with the candidate prior to entrance in the race. Blue Solutions is not a media company so it stands to receive no commissions from media buys.

Brewer added, “I think its a slight conflict of interest when your campaign manager, who controls your budget, is also the person who stands to make more based on how much they choose to spend on TV.”

Speaking further on the subject of money, Tuke Campaign Manager Ben Chao stated that much less would be needed to take on Lamar Alexander in the current modern political environment than one would think. Although Chao does have a “number” in mind (a number he would not disclose) that he thinks is needed to wage the most effective campaign against Alexander he doesn’t believe that reaching the number, which he wouldn’t characterize as “a goal”, is a necessity.

Campaigns of the past, Chao explained, were cost prohibitive because of the focus on the “air war.” Buying television is no longer as important because people are so fed up with this administration, high gas prices, and the war that they are paying more attention to politics than unusual.

“Voters are angry and actively seeking information like never before,” Chao explained.

While Chao was dismissive of contentions Lamar Alexander would need to be matched dollar for dollar in any way by a Democratic challenger, Chao charitably revealed to Post Politics that the Tuke campaign has money waiting in the wings.

Chao would not discuss what kind of figures the campaign would be reporting on June 30th, but what he did offer is that the Tuke campaign has donors committed to helping Tuke — after he wins the primary.

Chao tells Post Politics that a figure “in the seven digits” will flow into Tuke for Tennessee as soon as the general election begins. Chao explains that many donors have declined “on principle” to contribute during a contested primary but would “be there for Bob” as soon as the race is between Alexander and Tuke.

Chao is also not convinced that Lamar Alexander’s iconic status translates into electoral gold. Political observers, Chao argues, fail to understand that some 50 odd percent of the current electorate either were born or did not live in Tennessee when Lamar Alexander was Governor.

Barack Obama’s capture of the Democratic Presidential nomination also will not not hurt a general election campaign against Lamar Alexander as far as Chao is concerned. Chao asserts that Barack Obama expands the electorate bringing new voters to the polls and excites “dormant” voters who haven’t elected to exercise their franchise recently.

When asked about the how the campaign would deal with the tattoo-on-your-forehead rule in Tennessee politics that Democrats have to dominate in West Tennessee to overcome GOP strength in East Tennessee, Chao, while believing Tuke could turnout both rural West Tennessee voters as well as the Memphis urban core in record numbers, stated plainly that the anger in the electorate “transcends all traditional political strategies.”

“East Tennessee voters are just as upset about gas prices, just as upset about the war as any traditional Democratic voter.”

In the final analysis, Chao contends, this election will be won on the issues.

“If one were to look up career politician in the dictionary they’d have a pretty good chance of Lamar Alexander being one of the pictures they’d see,” said Chao.

“Bob Tuke does not tremble in fear of running against a career politician in this electorate. Ideas will matter.”

For the candidate’s views go to Tuke for Tennessee.

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Tags: Ben Chao, Bill Fletcher, Bob Tuke, Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., Grand Divisions, Jed Brewer, Lamar Alexander, Mike Padgett