Missives From The Davidson County GOP Listserve On The Matt Collins Affair

By Kleinheider Posted on October 29, 2009 at 6:46 pm

On Tuesday night, the Davidson County GOP moved against one of its more controversial party officials. Wednesday, the story broke. On Thursday, Republican bloggers reacted to the story — but not on their blogs.

Rod Williams today in an email on the party’s listserve:

It wasn’t I who leaked it to the press, but I was afraid this would happen. You can’t keep something like this a secret. Not many people read the Nashville Post, but I expect to see it in the Tennessean soon. It may make the 6 PM news. Did you see the 50+ comments on the Nashville Post website? This is very bad PR. What I wish is that Matt would be contrite and agree to be more circumspect and cooperative in the future and we could say a misunderstanding and an internal dispute was resolved in an amicable manner. We are a very small minority fighting among ourselves. This is not going to grow the party. Maybe, it had to come to this; I don’t know, but I hate it. Is there any room to negotiate? Is there anyway to delay action and see if this can be resolved in a less drastic manner?

Kay Brooks in an email on the party’s listserve responding to Williams:

Precisely, Rod. This news was going to get out PDQ. It’s too juicy a political tidbit to get ignored. I think Lynda acted wisely in having a prepared statement ready so there were facts available and couldn’t be painted has having to scramble to respond to press inquiries. Please notice that AC Kleinheider at the Nashville Post says: “A spokeswoman for DCRP chairwoman Kathleen Starnes would not elaborate on the statement.” So obviously, Lynda didn’t provide Kleinheider with any additional fuel. Kudos to her for her professionalism.

There are now over 100 comments at the Nashville Post and many are very supportive of the DCRP. I suggest we just maintain radio silence for now and let the process go forward. Under the oversight of the State Party evidence against Matt will be presented and Matt will have a chance to make his case in his defense. Personally, I’m not afraid of the scrutiny. Yes, it’s messy and embarrassing but I think we can recover and move on and be stronger. It’s not like the Dems have never had their issues. The Republican’s I’ve spoken to since the event has become public have not been unhappy at the motion.

Re: Negotiating: Rod, I have made several suggestions to Matt but it’s my understanding that he will not compromise. Without his willingness to move I don’t see how we can work this out.

And just for exactness the statement was originally uploaded to the website about 5:20 am Wednesday morning during my routine on-line time. There is no RSS feed to alert folks that the website had been changed. Nothing was posted to Facebook or Twitter which do feed automatically. It wasn’t uploaded to the clearly marked ‘press release’ section but placed blandly, without headline. And I didn’t give Kleinheider the heads up either.

UPDATE: Rod Williams reacts:

Let this be a lesson. Don’t post anything on a listserv that you do not want to see published in the newspaper. Actually there is nothing to be embarrassed about in these exchanges. Actually, I am surprised that the Post found these email exchanges newsworthy.

I do, however, feel that a trust was violated and that someone forwarded what we thought were private conversations to the press.

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Tags: Davidson County GOP, Kay Brooks, Matt Collins, Rod Williams  

Post Politics: 2 April 2008

By Kleinheider Posted on April 8, 2008 at 9:38 am

Al Gore confidant Roy Neel dismissed speculation that Gore might step up as a compromise candidate at a fractured Democratic Convention during a “Kitchen Cabinet” meeting of Nashville progressives.

Our Gannett-owned daily fell prey to a bit of April Fool’s mischief by a local progressive radio duo’s farcical press release about a joint venture with conservative talk maven Steve Gill.

Tennessee Republican Party spokesman Bill Hobbs was told to cough up $200 to procure a copy of a tape capturing the construction going on at the Governor’s Executive Residence. Department of Finance and Administration spokeswoman Lola Potter subsequently relayed to Hobbs that the state has no obligation to release the tape to him under open records laws as the tape is in the possession of the contractor.

Salemtown blogger Mike Byrd reports that police tell him that they are investigating alleged prostitution by residents of the Union Rescue mission.

Former School Board member Kay Brooks discusses the departure of incumbent Marsha Warden from the District 9 race for the board. Councilman Eric Crafton has picked up papers to run for that seat. Alan Coverstone, a blogger and an economics and government teacher at Montgomery Bell Academy, has also picked up the necessary papers to make the race.

Two bloggers from the left side of the aisle note and take issue with the appointment of an attorney who resides in Belle Meade, a satellite city not subject to Metro zoning laws, to the Metro Zoning Board of Appeals.

And finally, a blast from the past. While our Governor has as of late struck a pose as an impartial, uncommitted superdelegate in search of closure in the Democratic race for President, he did not always seem as such.

In 2005, Phil Bredesen had this to say about the imminent Hillary Clinton campaign for President:

“People love her or they hate her and I don’t know in the end how all that plays out. But I sure hope there are other people who would step forward.”

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Tags: Bill Hobbs, Freddie O'Connell, Kay Brooks, Lola Potter, Mary Mancini, Phil Bredesen, Steve Gill