Bill Frist Dancing With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight
Posted on October 3, 2008 at 7:09 amKen Whitehouse has the amazing story of Bill Frist and his new political partner in crime, Karl Rove:
Over the course of the last two years, Frist has allowed his name to circulate as a possible contender in the 2010 governor’s race. Should he make that race, he would likely clear the GOP field. However, his dalliance with Rove could raise more questions as to which office he is really looking at.
Asked about the Frist/Rove efforts, former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chip Saltsman, who also managed the recent presidential campaign of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, said that while he was not involved in the effort and had not been aware of the work Frist and Rove were doing, he wasn’t surprised and didn’t think it would have any impact on Frist’s political future.
“This is a very natural thing for Frist to do,” said Saltsman. “He has been working hard to elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate for the last twelve years. My feeling is that he is continuing in that effort.”
Karl Rove Takes the Hypocritic Oath
Posted on July 31, 2008 at 11:30 amSandra Clark points out a bit of irony:
Karl Rove has no shame. At the GOP Statesman Dinner last week, he touted the generous, kind hearts of John and Cindy McCain for their adoption of a girl from Africa whom they had brought here originally for medical treatment. Eight years ago, Rove is credited with the South Carolina smear that McCain had fathered a black daughter, later adopted by the family.
Bleeding Hearts For Rove
Posted on July 28, 2008 at 10:37 amBlake Wylie shares his experience as an attendee at the GOP’s closed press annual fundraiser:
I got to meet Mr. Rove. He is a very cordial person who has a great sense of humor. He always had a joke and was ready with a quick response to everything. He was quite different than what I expected, and not the “evil architect” that he is portrayed as.
Both me and my fiance were there, and when we met Mr. Rove, he asked if I had nose bleeds a lot. “Why?” I asked. “Because you’re marrying too high.” I had to agree with him, and it was a joke my fiance found quite funny as well.
The night went on without incident. It was a great event for all in attendance
Reporting From The TNGOP Statesmen’s Dinner
Posted on at 8:13 amRichard Locker reports from the closed to the press Republican Statesmen’s Dinner:
- Former White House senior political advisor Karl Rove told Tennessee Republicans the story of Sam Houston, the only man who ever served as governor of two states, as a metaphor for an unnamed president who grew unpopular with his people.
According to some who attended, Rove said Houston was wildly popular as the Texas governor (and former Tennessee governor) who helped lead Texas to independence from Mexico. But he was deposed as governor in 1860 because he opposed secession from the Union, an unpopular stand before the Civil War broke out — but a stand for which history later vindicated him.
SEE ALSO:
City Paper editorial
Sandra Clark
Photos by Blake Wylie
Protesters on hand
The Hobbs Report
Former Rove Deputy Says Rove Events Aren’t Normally Closed
Posted on July 25, 2008 at 6:12 pmDru Fuller reports that Karl Rove’s former White House deputy, Scott Jennings, doesn’t understand why the Tennessee Republican Party’s Statesmen’s dinner is closed to press because that not how the keynote speaker usually rolls:
“I am actually a little surprised because typically most of Karl’s events are open to the press. Typically that decision is made by the local organizers.
“I don’t know. Those things are usually set by host for event, so I’d take it up with Tennessee Republican Party.
“I’ll tell you I don’t typically do things not open to the media. I do a lot of in Kentucky. I prefer it when they are there because who doesn’t want to send clippings home to their grandmother?
“I don’t know. They open and close fundraisers for various reasons. Sometimes they are for security related, sometimes not. I’d call the state party and ask them if you want a real answer.”
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The Continuing Controversy Over The TNGOP’s Closed Statesmen’s Dinner
Posted on at 8:49 amSeveral prominent Republicans criticise the decision that may very well have been Karl Rove’s:
Sen. Alexander spokesman Lee Pitts said the senator will be unable to attend the dinner Saturday because he will be managing a Senate debate on energy.
“If it was his decision, the event would not be closed, but it’s not his decision,” Mr. Pitts said in an e-mail.
State Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who served as state GOP chairwoman from 2004 to 2007, said that “it’s every chairman’s prerogative whether they want to have an open event or closed event. I chose to have our’s open.”
“Actually, we encouraged it (reporters’ coverage) because we wanted to get our message out,” Rep. Harwell said.
While Rep. Harwell said she would prefer this year’s “be opened to the press,” she emphasized she didn’t know the reasoning behind Mrs. Smith’s decision.
Former GOP Chairmen John “Chip” Saltsman and Bob Davis recalled having their Statesmen events opened, but they emphasized the decision is up to the chairman.
In her e-mail statement, Mrs. Smith said that Mr. Hobbs “was acting on information he had been given in making the statement that ‘traditionally’ the dinner had been closed. It was said that ‘traditionally fundraisers are closed.’ The Statesmen’s Dinner is a fundraiser.
“Bill remains correct on the information that he was given that ‘traditionally fundraisers are closed,’” Mrs. Smith continued.
Rep. Harwell, Mr. Saltsman and Mr. Davis all noted that events for large donors, which take place before the dinner, often have been closed.
TNGOP Communications Director Defends Closing The Statesman’s Dinner
Posted on July 24, 2008 at 10:07 am“I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!”
Bill Hobbs chastises the media and blogger coverage of the news that, in a historical departure, the TNGOP will close this weekend’s Karl Rove-keynoted Statesman’s Dinner to the press:
[T]he suggestion that it should be open to the public because it is being held in a city convention center built with public funds is, frankly, silly. The Tennessee GOP rented the building - taxpayers aren’t paying for the building that night, the TN GOP is. That gives us the right to control access. And there are countless events held every month at city-owned convention centers across the state that aren’t open to the press. Weddings and business conventions, for example.
The Tennessee Republican Party from time to time holds events that are open to the media. In fact, we even invite the media to them.
PREVIOUSLY: No Tickee, No Rovee
SEE ALSO: Democrats accuse Hobbs of wearing pants that are less than fire-retardant.
No Tickee, No Rovee: TNGOP Statesman’s Dinner Closed To Press
Posted on at 7:22 amUnlike the Tennessee Democratic Party’s annual fundraiser, Jackson Day, the Tennessee GOP confirms that their annual money-raking event known as the Statesman’s Dinner will be closed to the press. TNGOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs:
Like most political fundraisers, the Statesmen’s Dinner is a private ticketed event. No one without a ticket gets in. It’s standard operating procedure for most every political fundraiser.
The keynote speaker this year is “The Architect” Karl Rove. At last year’s event at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, then Presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke to the assembled Tennessee Republicans in the wake of speculation of Fred Thompson’s presidential bid. This year, the event will be held at the Nashville Convention Center downtown.
UPDATE 8:19AM: The Associated Press reports on the historical departure.
SEE ALSO:
Silence
The Donkey’s Mouth
Brainstem
KAG
R. Neal
Hilary Clinton Cites Karl Rove Analysis Showing Her Most Electable
Posted on May 20, 2008 at 6:49 amHillary Clinton gets her support where she can these days:
“I believe I am the stronger candidate and just today I found some curious support for that position when one of the TV networks released an analysis done by – of all people – Karl Rove, saying that I was the stronger candidate. Somebody got ahold of his analysis and there it is,” Clinton said during a front porch campaign speech to hundreds who gathered in the eastern Kentucky community of Prestonsburg.
It seems that Clinton was referring to a blog post today by ABC News’ Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper.
In it, Tapper cites electoral maps produced by Karl Rove & Co., the former Bush advisor’s consulting firm, taking a look at hypothetical contests between Sen. John McCain and both Democratic candidates.
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Karl Rove To Keynote Statesman’s Dinner
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 7:54 amFrom Rex Noseworthy:
Rove will speak at the GOP’s “Statesmen’s Dinner,” which typically occurs at Opryland Hotel. Last year, former Massachusetts Governor and one-time presidential contender Mitt Romney was the keynote speaker.
Since leaving the White House, Rove has spent many of his weekday nights as a Fox News political analyst.
That role caused Rove and the Tennessee Republican Party to mix during the furor over the state GOP’s anti-Semites for Obama controversy.
Rove called the infamous GOP press release “wrong” to have up “in the first place.”
Now, he’ll speak at the GOP’s main fundraiser.
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