Kenneth Eaton Hits The Airwaves
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 2:51 pmFrom the press release:
“Starting tomorrow, watch any local channel in the state and you will see an ad explaining who I am, and I what some my goals are.” Eaton said.” I want every voter in this state to know they have another option. One that represents all of our views. I’m a Moderate Democrat, with a strong belief in bi-partisanship. When I’m in the senate, you won’t have to worry about the same old bickering back and forth. I’m going there to represent your needs, and I’ll work with either party to get results.”
Ken Eaton, The Mom And Pop Candidate
Posted on August 4, 2008 at 12:35 pmFrom John Carney:
“It’s going very well,” said Eaton. “Very well. We feel like we’ve got as good a chance as anyone. He said he’s visited 80 of the state’s 95 counties.
In most of those counties, said Eaton, there’s some sort of vacant manufacturing facility. He said the economy, jobs and gas prices are among the key issues raised by voters.
Eaton said he favors tax breaks and loans for small manufacturers, those with fewer than 500 employees and with what he called “mom and pop” ownership, which he feels are less likely to ship jobs overseas. He also said he wants to promote American-made products.
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Eaton Slaps Back At Bob Tuke
Posted on July 25, 2008 at 6:00 pmYesterday, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kenneth Eaton fired off an inflammatory blog posting making light of opponent Bob Tuke’s service in Vietnam. Tuke responded late today to the offensive. Now Mr. Eaton has returned the volley:
Mr. Tuke,
First of all I will not apologize for being 12 years old during your service in Vietnam and second of all, I’m not questioning your service, but your flagrant abuse of the Marine uniform for your own personal and political gain. Quoting your reluctant hero Alvin C. York:
” This uniform ain’t for sale.”
~ York, on demands for his endorsementand
“It’s over; let’s just forget about it.”
~ York’s modesty about the the event that brought him the Medal of HonorSincerely,
Kenneth Eaton
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Tuke Campaign Retorts: Eaton Slept Soundly While Bob Went To War
Posted on at 4:01 pmThe Bob Tuke for U.S. Senate campaign has issued a retort in response to opponent Kenneth Eaton’s blog posting of yesterday where he called into question Tuke’s Vietnam service referring to Tuke as a “desk jockey.” Via Communications man Chris Song:
Mr. Eaton’s comment questioning Bob Tuke’s service as a Marine Vietnam combat veteran is a slap in the face to Marine infantrymen, or “ground-pounders,” everywhere.
In 1971, Bob Tuke and other United States Marines went to war so Mr. Eaton could sleep safely in his bed, and while we acknowledge whatever second-hand experiences Mr. Eaton has with war and military service, we simply ask of him to speak of Marine “ground-pounders” across Tennessee with some degree of respect.
Bob Tuke commanded a company of Combined Action Forces in Vietnam, leading six infantry platoons in hostile territory and earning a Cross of Gallantry in combat, among other decorations for his service.
Bob Tuke’s service has attracted endorsements from key veterans across America. In addition to General Wesley Clark and former Georgia Senator Max Cleland, Bob has more than thirty Tennessee veterans endorsing his campaign as a part of “Veterans for Tuke.” These veterans, many of whom served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, trust and support Bob Tuke.
Padgett Campaign Manager Finds Eaton Press Release “Interesting”
Posted on at 3:32 pmJed Brewer, campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett, grants a request for comment by Post Politics on a press release issued by candidate Ken Eaton referencing Bob Tuke’s attorney client list which allegedly includes companies who outsource jobs overseas:
“After taking a quick look at Mr. Eaton’s release, I find it interesting.
“Throughout this campaign, I thought that Mike and Bob were standing side by side on the issue of protecting American jobs and fighting the practice of outsourcing.
“But if Bob has clients who send jobs overseas – while he’s promising voters that he’ll do something about Tennessee losing jobs to cheap overseas labor* – then he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth.
“If this is true, I am really disappointed in Bob. I’d really be interested in what he has to say.
“As a partner in a law firm that profits handsomely from clients who outsource jobs, how can he credibly say he’ll take a stand against outsourcing?
“Mike remains committed to protecting and creating decent-paying jobs for Tennesseans and all Americans and punishing companies that outsource jobs overseas. If the information you have is correct, I don’t see how Bob can credibly make that same promise.”
Tuke for Tennessee had not responded to a request for comment on the release at the time of this posting.
Eaton Accuses Tuke Of Representing Outsourcers
Posted on at 2:04 pmIn a press release, Kenneth Eaton expands on the vague reference to his opponent Bob Tuke’s legal work costing Tennesseans their jobs contained in his blog post of yesterday. Eaton accuses Tuke of representing several companies on the “Lou Dobbs list” of companies who export American jobs:
Standex International Corporation, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Fidelity Service Company and Wachovia Securities, LLC. Several of the companies Mr. Tuke represents can be found on Lou Dobbs list of companies that export American jobs. Experian recently cut 200 IT jobs by outsourcing software development to India, why? To reduce production time and marketing of new products. 200 American jobs Bob Tuke willingly defends the export of.
The worst offender of the group has to be Standex International, whose President and CEO is Roger Fix. Standex is a very diverse company with five different manufacturing subsidaries: Food Service Equipment Group, Air Distribution Products Group, Engineered Products Group, Engraving Group and Hydraluics Products Group. Mr. Fix has to audacity to brag about the moving of their production plants to China and Mexico.
Here is a brief quote from this SEC filing (dated 4th Quarter 2005)
Quoting Roger Fix:
“We are making progress in our initiative to creat a Standex sourcing capability in China as a way for all of our divisions to reduce cost for components and materials used in higer level assemblies in the U.S.”Further down Mr. Fix continues, ” The Mexican Facility will Achieve three strategic initiatives. First, we will be able to lower the cost of high volume labor intensive products and thereby improve profit margins on these types of products.
Secondly, by locating the operations in Nogales (Mexico), we will be able to reach new customers and markets in California and the southwest portion of the United States. Finally, the lower cost structure we expect to achieve in this operation should allow us to expand and enhance our businesses in certain target markets.”
This is the type of company that Mr. Tuke represents. How can he assure Tennesseans he won’t be working for these companies from Capitol Hill? He cannot. This is one of many reasons why Mr. Tuke will not be elected to the Senate.
Interestingly, Mr. Tuke also represents MDHA. For those of you outside of Nashville; Metro Development and Housing Authority or MDHA is an organization that is supposed to focus on cleaning up blighted communities, and helping those within these communities by removing abandoned or dilapidated housing. They are also in charge of Nashville’s public housing.
Instead of focusing on the needs of the worst off in Nashville, MDHA weilds their power to sieze the property of businesses and citizens alike, paying bottom dollar value, and selling the property for profit to large corporations and out-of-state developers. This was done to one of my businesses in 2001, and the property was used to build $200,000 a piece urban condos. Today Joy Ford is facing the same issue of Eminent Domain. MDHA wants to take her property, which is her business, and give it to Texas Developer “Lionstone Development Group” to build a new office building. These offices will not be used for government purposes, which means that this is another unethical seizure utilizing the un-American operation of “Eminent Domain”. Another corrupt organization Bob Tuke represents.
SEE ALSO: You knew this would happen.
Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Denied The Right To Speak
Posted on July 22, 2008 at 12:20 pmTom Yancey reports on the treatment of Lenny Ladner at a meeting of the Northeast Democrats:
At the end of the meeting, one man seated on the second row asked for time. The man turned out to be Leonard “Lenny” Ladner, a Democratic candidate who is also on the ballot for the Senate nomination.
Light declined to give Ladner time, not even 10 seconds, so Ladner began speaking anyway, in a loud, apparently agitated voice.
Ladner angrily asked Light why he, a candidate who spent $500 to travel to Greeneville, was not allowed to speak.
He then asked the candidates, “Why is it all your solutions” involve large amounts of spending and the growth of government?
He then asked Light “Why not let a working-class person speak?” Ladner is a long-haul truck driver.
Light answered, “I don’t want to,” without elaborating, causing Ladner to turn to the audience and say, “You all heard that.”
Ladner then walked out of the meeting. Several in the audience said Ladner later apologized to candidate Tuke in the parking lot.
After the meeting, Light told The Greeneville Sun that he decided not to include Ladner because polls showed him having little chance. Light also said others who had heard Ladner speak advised him against it.
(via Demarcationville)
What Will $275,000 Buy A Senate Candidate?
Posted on July 10, 2008 at 7:59 amAmong other things, it appears, a (semi) serious profile treatment from the dean of Tennessee politics, Tom Humphrey:
Eaton says that, in the latter race, he recognized early in the campaign that former U.S. Rep. Bob Clement, a friend, and Karl Dean, the ultimate winner, were likely headed for the runoff so “I laid back and didn’t do much,” not spending the money that would have been needed for an all-out effort. He backed Clement in the runoff.
The Senate race, Eaton said, is different, and with encouragement from Clement, he decided to run seriously.
He may not have been taken seriously by his chief primary opponents, former state Democratic Chairman Bob Tuke and former Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett, until putting $275,000 of personal funds into the effort, hiring a staff and launching a tour of all 95 counties.
Eaton said he has made 72 counties so far and has plans to buy radio and cable television advertising before the Aug. 7 election date, relying almost exclusively on self-financing.
Eaton’s infusion of a significant amount of cash in this race certainly does throw a wild card into what was already an intriguing, if low stakes, race between two very different Democratic Senate candidates. The question is: If Eaton’s money gets him any kind of traction, who does it hurt most? Padgett or Tuke?
Eaton’s ideology seems muddled and his issue portfolio eccentric so it really could go either way, could it not? Or, even with the money, will Eaton end up having no real impact whatsosever on the Padgett/Tuke showdown?
Paid Lobbyists, Used Car Salesman, Career Pols And The Race To Unseat Lamar
Posted on July 7, 2008 at 8:13 amTom Humphrey gets the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, who have been running relatively positive campaigns against one another so far, to dish a bit on their true feelings about their opponents:
Kenneth Eaton proclaims that his experience as a successful businessman makes him the candidate best qualified to serve as a senator. But one of his opponents, Bob Tuke, labels Eaton as “a used car salesman.”
Tuke, in turn, declares that his “varied life experience” - ranging from service as a U.S. Marine officer in Vietnam to work as a lawyer in rewriting state adoption laws - makes him the best candidate. Eaton refers to Tuke as “a paid lobbyist.”
Mike Padgett, former Knox County clerk, says he is the only one of the three to hold elective office and won in a predominantly Republican area. That, he says, gives him the experience needed to take on Alexander in November.
Eaton and Tuke, however, call Padgett a career politician.
SEE ALSO:
Clint Brewer
Jennifer Brooks
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The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Tennessee Democratic Candidates
Posted on July 2, 2008 at 8:55 amIlissa Gold shares some thoughts on the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate in the wake of a new poll showing “undecided” in the lead:
It’s a scenario that speaks to both candidates’ strengths, and to their weaknesses. My impartial assessment of this primary is that while Padgett seems to have the more organized ground game, Tuke has the better track record on fundraising. Ideally, you’d have both in a candidate–one who could go to all 95 counties and still have enough money left to take on an incumbent with more than $3 million cash on hand. So honestly, your guess is as good as mine as to who wins this one.
SEE ALSO:
Braisted
Vibinc
Left Wing Cracker
Undecided Wins: A Bob Tuke Internal Poll
Posted on July 1, 2008 at 6:26 pmThe Tuke campaign has just released internal polling in the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and it shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the folks that say that no one really cares about this race are right on the money:
My campaign conducted an 800 sample statewide poll last week and it showed that all our hard work is paying off. The most important finding in the poll was about the primary. We asked the following question:
In the Democratic primary for US Senate, the candidates are: Leonard Ladner, Kenneth Eaton, Gary Davis, Mike Clayton, Mike Padgett and Bob Tuke. Which one would you vote for if the election were held today?
Bob Tuke
38%32%
Mike Padgett 8%
Other 4%
Undecided 57%
The poll was conducted by the Global Strategy Group, a polling firm the Tuke campaign notes has been used by Gov. Ned McWherter, Congressman John Tanner and Harold Ford, Jr. The poll was conducted June 24-26 and has a margin of error of 4%.
UPDATE: The VotePadgett response from Campaign Manager Jed Brewer:
“Unlike Bob, Mike has visited with citizens in every county in Tennessee and has seen the big picture. People across Tennessee don’t know Bob Tuke. And he hasn’t been to visit them. Mike has and feels good about the outcome in the only poll that matters. The one on August 7.”
“I find it interesting that this guy used to be head of the state party and in a primary of the people he used to lead, there are still 57% undecided. That sounds to me like Democrats were not too happy with his leadership.”
“38 plus 8 plus 4 is 50 so how are there 57 undecided? If the Tuke campaign is going to release a poll, I’d think the least they can do is get the numbers to add up.”
UPDATE II: Tuke campaign manager Ben Chao corrects the numbers via email blast:
Today’s Tuesdays with Tuke had a typographical error for which I take full responsibility.
Upon seeing the correction email, Padgett Campaign Manager Jed Brewer retracted the third paragraph of his response.
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