SURPRISE: Southern Appalachian Conservative Democrat Endorses Obama
Posted on June 4, 2008 at 8:36 amWhile everyone expected superdelegates Phil Bredesen and Gray Sasser to endorse Barack Obama this morning, the addition of one U.S. Senate candidate to the Obama column comes as a welcome, and demographically advantageous, surprise:
U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett joined Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser Wednesday morning in endorsing Senator Barack Obama for president.
At a unity breakfast at Swett’s Restaurant, Padgett called on his fellow Democrats to unite, saying they must end Republican occupation of the White House.
“I am proud of the campaign Senator Hillary Clinton ran and am honored that Governor Ned McWherter called and asked me to serve on her state steering committee,” Padgett said. “I will look forward to serving with her in the U.S. Senate.
“Just as we were able to deliver Knox County for Senator Clinton in February, I look forward to helping do the same for Senator Barack Obama this fall and to campaigning with him across the state as we put Tennessee back in the blue column.
“In this history-making election, Senator Obama brings an energetic vision and a wealth of character to the table. I am proud to endorse his candidacy.
“With such strong candidates in the presidential primaries, Democrats have captured the imagination of Americans. Our message: Don’t give up hope. The middle class can survive the injuries inflicted on it during eight years of a Republican White House.
“And we have served notice on President Bush, Senator McCain and Senator Alexander: The party is over. The tax breaks for the wealthiest must stop, and the budget has got to be balanced. Subsidies for the oil industry – while Americans pay over $4 a gallon for gas – have got to end.
“Our troops – our heroes – need to come home from Iraq, and we must spend our resources on rebuilding infrastructure here, not in Baghdad.
“Tennesseans are demanding change, and if they will stand with me and Senator Obama, we will deliver.”
Barack Obama has, throughout the primary, had a bit of a problem getting votes from the clannish Scots-Irish who make up Appalachian hillfolk.
Mike Padgett has been outspoken in his love for this region and his identity as a Southern Appalachian Conservative Democrat. This endorsement should serve to put the nation on notice that Democrats will not cede the votes of these people to John McCain.
Padgett’s chief opponent in his race, attorney Bob Tuke, has already endorsed Obama serving as his political director in Tennessee before announcing his Senate run.
TNGOP Calls Democrats Cranky Babies For Reacting To A Press Release Designed To Provoke A Reaction
Posted on May 16, 2008 at 4:43 pmThe communications shop of the Tennessee Republican Party responds to the controversy that has erupted over its release of a web video castigating Michelle Obama on the day of her visit to Nashville and attempts to begin a constructive dialogue with its counterpart at the Democratic Party:
The web video showed a series of Nashvillians talking about various reasons why they are proud of America. The video did not “attack” or demean Mrs. Obama, it merely contrasted her remarks with the remarks of several average Tennesseans.
The response from the Left: many angry, often foul-mouthed emails, phone calls and web comments declaring the video racist and worse.
The Tennesseee Democrat Party called the video “deplorable” and “grotesque.” We’re guessing they’re hoping most people won’t have seen it and realize that it was just a light-hearted jab.
What is truly deplorable is that Democrats and Obama supporters are hoping to shield Obama and his campaign and its surrogates from almost any criticism, disagreement or dissent by tagging such things as a “distraction,” as “partisanship, and as “racism and “bigotry.”
“Rather than labeling every criticism of Barack Obama as ‘racist,’ and rather than whining about tough talk from their opponents, the Tennessee Democrat Party might want to ask Mrs. Obama to tone down her language,” said Robin Smith, Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. “They also might want to encourage other their party elites to stop accusing fellow Democrats of racism because they didn’t vote for Obama, as became common after Obama’s crushing defeat in the West Virginia primary.”
SEE ALSO: Bill Hobbs cites an online poll backing up the TNGOP’s broadside against Michelle Obama.
Like What Ya Did There
Posted on at 12:05 pmThe Tennessee Democratic Part deftly melds Bob Corker’s admissions about his 2006 Senate campaign with the actions of the Tennessee Republican Party yesterday in a nifty little release:
Sen. Bob Corker today dubbed his own 2006 campaign advertisements against U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. “grotesque.” Now, do the junior and senior senators from Tennessee have the courage to halt the Tennessee Republican Party’s deplorable tactics asked Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser.
“TNGOP Chairwoman Robin Smith and company have tarnished the reputation of the entire state with their grotesque political attacks: they have perpetuated lies about a candidate’s religion, they have attacked a candidate’s wife, they have equated the war in Iraq to a religious crusade, and they have defied the request of Senator Lamar Alexander to remove at least one of those claims from their website,” Sasser continued.
“It’s high time for Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to put a stop to the Tennessee Republican Party’s shameful tactics; they are beneath the dignity of voters- Republicans, Democrats, and Independents- in the state of Tennessee.”
State Democrats To Get Up In McCain’s Grill Over Knoxville Visit
Posted on April 18, 2008 at 1:39 pmVia Press Release:
Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser, Senators Andy Berke (D-Chattanooga) and Reginald Tate (D-Memphis), and Representative Joe Armstrong (D-Knoxville) will address Tennessee media via conference call on Monday, April 21, regarding Sen. John McCain’s upcoming presidential campaign visit to Knoxville. Democrats will attend the call with brief remarks and answer questions for any available media representatives.
Sen. McCain’s self-described “Forgotten Parts of America” tour was reported in USA Today as intending to reach out “to African Americans, displaced factory workers, and people living in poverty.” McCain will appear in Knoxville on Tuesday, April 22.
UPDATE: KAG reports that McCain will not be in Knoxville next week or anytime in the near future.
Post Politics: 16 April 2008 - Afternoon Edition
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 11:42 amWhat’s in a name: A Chattanooga poultry plant gets raided by Immigration Control and Enforcement Agency. A plant run by a company named “Pilgrim’s Pride.”
Today is the last day to sign up for Debix, the identity theft monitoring company which Metro contracted with to provide free services for registered voters after the Metro Election Commission was compromised during a Christmastime theft.
The Tennessee Democratic Party points out that if you subtract monies raised by Senator Lamar Alexander during a major fundraiser where the President of the United States was the star attraction then he only raised $50,000 more than one of his his Democratic opponents during the same period.
Praise Lamar!: Newt Gingrich shows a bit of love for Lamar new flat tax proposal.
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