Today Is Ramsey Day
Posted on March 5, 2009 at 10:35 amThe Lt. Governor is believed to making official today what Ken Whitehouse told you a week ago.
He’s Just A Good, God-Fearing Tennessean Like Yourself
Posted on January 7, 2009 at 4:18 pmChris Jackson stands up for his friend Harold Ford, Jr. amid speculation he may run for Governor:
Now, a few corrections from blogs I’ve read. Ford is a Tennessee homeowner, a registered Tennessee voter, a Tennessee taxpayer and maintains a business office in Nashville. Like Bill Frist and Fred Thompson, he enjoys and benefits Tennessee with a national political and business profile.
If he does run for and win the Governor’s office, his national relationships can only benefit our state’s chances of attracting new jobs and opportunity to our state. But as he said, let’s focus our energy on putting the economic interests of Tennesseans ahead of the political appetite of the state’s political class.
Nashville Blagojevich Lawyers Up
Posted on December 19, 2008 at 11:37 amThe Illinois Governor’s brother may not be untouched by his brother’s problems with the law:
The governor’s brother became chairman of the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund in August, state records show. Since that time, he had been pressing people who had raised money for Blagojevich to raise more campaign cash before the end of the year, a source familiar with the governor’s fund-raising operation said. “Rob was the point guy hounding people to raise money,” the source said.
The Democratic Other
Posted on December 17, 2008 at 8:01 amA Republican learns to respect her congressman:
Today, Lincoln came to the Grundy Rotary meeting. His explanation on the auto bridge loan was dead-on worthy of an attaboy. His focus was the 123 supply companies (and multi thousands of jobs) that would go out of business in his district if the Big 3 went thru bankruptcy. As the old saying goes…all politics are local. That explanation hit home.
I’ve known Lincoln since Spring ‘03 when we attended a dinner at the Icelandic Embassy in DC right after his election. Politics is a small world and I have learned to appreciate Lincoln as a person. And that will make it hard in 2010 if he decides to run for Governor. He is a good man.
So I guess the moral of the story is…don’t ever get to know your opponent in war.
An Election For A Job He Will Not Do?
Posted on September 15, 2008 at 8:10 amKevin Ragsdale is upset that Lincoln Davis is campaigning for reelection to Congress when he knows full well he intends to spend the next two years running for Governor:
The Power Of Phil
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 9:05 pmAndy Sher reports how our Governor ranked in the Institutional Powers of the Governors index:
A top Bredesen aide, Will Pinkston, downplayed what the index says about Tennessee’s governor.
“It’s tough to realistically assign values to governing power,” Mr. Pinkston said in an e-mail. “Even if you pick a few categories to look at, there are still lots of intangible things to consider, like a governor’s ability to work across party lines or his management and life experience.”
Gov. Bredesen, a Democrat, earned 3.8 out of a possible 5 rating while Republicans Perdue and Riley respectively earned ratings of 3.2 and 2.8. The national average is 3.5.
Fred Thompson For Governor
Posted on at 4:02 pmThat’s the craziness Terry Frank is blogging about:
Tennessee is in need of an inspiring, genuine leader at the helm. I argued long, long ago that it was Fred, not Van Hilleary who should have run for Governor. No offense to Van, but Fred could have turned this corrupt state around with his sheer ability to communicate with people. Maybe it’s not too late for that to happen, though I can certainly picture Fred Thompson in a position to make a difference in a McCain administration. Whether that means a seat on the bench or something else, I don’t know.
But Tennessee could sure use a Fred.
Wamp, Stay Right There
Posted on September 4, 2008 at 10:45 amKen Whitehouse reports from a Tennessee Republican breakfast in Minneapolis where Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey is sounding very much like a Gubernatorial candidate:
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey also addressed the group, calling Palin “Reagan in high heels.” He then joked that Congressman Wamp is doing such a good job in Washington, D.C. for the state of Tennessee that Ramsey would do “everything [he could] to help him stay there.”
While the joke didn’t make sense to the Alaskans in the room, every Tennessean laughed nervously: Both Wamp and Ramsey are thought to be seriously considering a 2010 campaign for governor.
So We’ll Take That As A Maybe On Running For Governor, Then?
Posted on September 2, 2008 at 4:34 pmFrom BusinessTN:
BTN: Given your résumé and the buzz surrounding a possible gubernatorial run, do you intend to remain focused on this latest endeavor?
Frist: My family—from Dad, a doctor here since the 1930s, to my brother Bobby in surgery, to Tommy and HCA, to me, specializing in health policy in the nation’s Capitol—has been consistently dedicated to healing and health. My adult professional life has fallen into 12-year cycles: 12 years of transplanting hearts and lungs, mostly at Vanderbilt, 12 years as a health policy maker representing over six million Tennesseans. The next 12 years will combine the two earlier cycles in encouraging and investing in young companies that will help solve the really big problems of cost, access and quality of health care—problems that neither a single doctor nor a bureaucratic federal government can solve.
Marsha Maintaining Her Brand
Posted on September 1, 2008 at 9:38 amBlake Fontenay discusses what the future may hold for conservative firebrand Congressman Marsha Blackburn:
She could run for governor in two years. However, it’s interesting that former U.S. senator Bill Frist, another potential gubernatorial candidate, decided to endorse Blackburn in her race against Leatherwood.
That could indicate that the two of them have come to some arrangement about not running against each other.
Blackburn could also have her eye on a U.S. Senate seat, although Bob Corker was just elected two years ago and Lamar Alexander is running for re-election this year. A few years from now, who knows?
If McCain wins the presidency, Sabato thinks there’s at least an outside chance he could appoint Blackburn to some job in his administration.
Or Blackburn could stay in the House, rise through the ranks and hope Republicans eventually recapture the majority there.
One thing seems clear: Whatever she decides to do, she won’t be doing it quietly.
Zach Wamp’s Gubernatorial Campaign Starts Now?
Posted on August 11, 2008 at 11:14 pmFrom the Chattanoogan:
Congressman Zach Wamp, who has said he is eyeing a possible gubernatorial race, said Monday he will begin campaigning for a number of state candidates.
Rep. Wamp told the Pachyderm Club that Republicans hold the majority in the Senate for the first time since the Civil War, and he will work to help the GOP also gain charge of the House.
He said he will be stumping for a number of GOP legislative candidates across the state in coming weeks.
Haslam To Speak To Davidson County GOP, Undecided On Gubernatorial Run
Posted on June 14, 2008 at 2:52 amAs Post Politics reported here earlier this week, Knoxvile Mayor Bill Haslam will speak today at a picnic and straw poll for Davidson County Republicans.
Georgianna Vines speculates, as we did, that Haslam’s appearance so far from home may indicate the Mayor is laying the groundwork for a 2010 run for Governor.
Beecher Frasier’s Tullahoma Terrorist Fistjab Makes Huffington Post
Posted on June 13, 2008 at 2:53 pmDawn Teo on the continuing controversy:
When I called Davis’s congressional office this morning, his staff said that he had not yet spoken with them regarding the matter. They were unable to make any statement or comment. According to the congressman’s McMinnville office in Warren County, Davis is presently on the road doing “county visits.”
Davis Chief of Staff Beecher Frasier attempted to clear up the matter but only added fuel to the fire. City Paper’s Rodgers asked point blank whether he, Beecher Frasier, believed Obama had ties to terrorists. Frasier responded saying that he “didn’t know for sure” whether Obama was “terrorist connected” but that he assumed not.
Tennessee Democratic Party Communications Director Wade Munday issued an official response, blaming the statements and the sentiments behind them on Republican efforts “to turn internet smears and highly offensive gossip into the [Republican] message against Senator Barack Obama.” Munday’s release assures readers that the Democratic Party of Tennessee is united behind the party nominee. The Democratic Party office told me that Fred Hobbs had apologized and would be voting for Obama.
Clint Brewer, the editor of City Paper, was nevertheless clearly vexed that Davis would not issue a formal response on the comments made by Chief of Staff Frasier. After all, three ranking figures in local Democratic politics had given voice to concerns widespread in the area.
Thank You, Mr. Helper
Posted on April 29, 2008 at 10:25 amSean Braisted translates Kim McMillan’s explanation as to why she supported a state income tax for Tennessee in 2002, but doesn’t now:
What I think she wants to say is that she supported the income tax because it was the right thing to do, but the voters of Tennessee are such sheep that they really believe a regressive sales tax is better for them. But of course, she can’t say this, so I will.
Reminder: Kim McMillan Voted For The Income Tax
Posted on April 28, 2008 at 9:29 amSean Braisted gives Kim McMillan a vote of confidence as a Gubernatorial candidate but notes that she has an unfortunate vote in her past that could prove troublesome if she is able to poke through into the general election:
Kim McMillan is probably the most qualified, in terms of experience with State issues, to be Governor out of all of those potential names (sans perhaps Bill Purcell, though even then, she might have the edge). Of course, probably her biggest hurdle will be her vote in favor of a State Income tax, the great bogeyman in Tennessee politics. Personally, of all those who have actually expressed interest so far, McMillan seems to be the best fit for me, though we’ll see how this develops.
SEE ALSO: Bill Hobbs appreciates Braisted doing his op-research for him.





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