Clinton Nabs Another Tennessee Super
Posted on May 14, 2008 at 10:20 am“Automatic” delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Vicki Harwell, President of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women,has thrown her lot in with Hillary Clinton:
“Hillary’s decisive victory in West Virginia is the latest evidence that she is the strongest candidate to take on John McCain and win back the White House,” Harwell said. “Hillary has the plans, leadership and experience to deliver real results as President.”
Harwell was an “add-on” delegate selected at a March 8th meeting of the Democratic State Executive Committee.
At the time of her selection, Harwell indicated she was “leaning towards” backing Senator Clinton but was recently quoted in the Tennessean confirming her uncommitted status while betraying a slight openness to Obama.
Harwell had received calls from the Clinton campaign soliciting her support but none from Obama. She expressed a hope that Obama was not making assumptions in his neglecting o reach out:
“I get really irritated with the media when they paint this as a choice between race and gender,” she said. “If he’s discouraged because of that, it’s a shame. A lot of our women are supporting Obama.”
Out of seventeen Democratic superdelegates from Tennessee four now support Obama, six are pledged to Clinton and the rest remain uncommitted.
SEE ALSO: Sean Braisted
This Congressman’s Dead Anyway
Posted on May 11, 2008 at 10:11 pmHerman Wang reports that Rep. Lincoln Davis doesn’t think it is the role of a superdelegate to commit to a candidate before the convention.
Davis has apparently taken his belief quite seriously reportedly rebuffing an invitation for a sit down with Hillary Clinton:
“He says that’s not true,” U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., told The Daily News about Davis’ refusal to meet with Clinton. “But that’s on the front page of The Hill. I told him he might as well go ahead and endorse Barack (Obama), because once Hillary sees that he’s a dead man anyway.”
More at Silence is Golden.
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McMillan Blames Past Income Tax Support On Geography
Posted on April 29, 2008 at 8:49 amExploratory Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan explains that her support for a state income tax in the past was based on the location of her district and that she would not support one today because we have the “type of tax revenue system that doesn’t need that particular type of environment’:
McMillan, who filed papers Monday creating an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010, said she supported the income tax because she was following the will of her constituents, who live on the border with Kentucky, which has no sales tax on food.
“When I had to choose between a plan that would allow us to remove the sales tax on food and make us competitive with Kentucky or increase the overall sales tax with no benefit to anybody, I think that was the choice that I took at that time in line with what the constituents of the 67th District told me that they thought was more appropriate,” McMillan said.
McMillan’s entrance into the Democratic race for governor will provide the first test of how Tennesseans react to a statewide candidate who openly pushed for a state income tax.
Since the great fight over a state income tax from 1999 to 2002, no candidate has run for statewide office who openly advocated for the income tax.
The Spirit of ‘94: Frist Calls Newt A “Visionary Leader”
Posted on April 28, 2008 at 8:11 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist uses his blog over the weekend to provide Kim McMillan with a nice little quote for a future fundraising letter:
As the Republican Party continues to grow, new ideas must be its fuel. That’s why I was honored former Speaker Newt Gingrich – a visionary leader and outstanding scholar – accepted my invitation to speak during an event benefiting the Tennessee Republican Party last Thursday.
Jimmy Naifeh All But Endorses Kim McMillan For Governor
Posted on at 8:06 amIn an article in the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, newly announced Democratic exploratory Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan paints herself as a Bredesen Democrat and seems to have found an ally in her move to box out Rep. Lincoln Davis in House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh:
When she first arrived on Capitol Hill in Nashville, it didn’t her long to win over such political stalwarts as state House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington. Naifeh — widely viewed as the most powerful politician in Tennessee other than Gov. Phil Bredesen — told The Leaf-Chronicle Saturday he could support a McMillan bid for governor.
“When she first came to the Legislature, we knew we had a bright star on our hands. She wasn’t considered a freshman legislator for long. She really began standing out in the crowd when she became majority leader.
“Kim is one of the brightest individuals I have ever served with. She always knows her subjects, and how to present them,” Naifeh said…
…”I am not surprised that she is interested in running for governor. I think she’d make an excellent governor, and I do see her as someone I could support.
“It’s time we broke that gender barrier in Tennessee,” he said.
MORE: Richard Locker
The 2010 Gubernatorial Race: It’s On
Posted on April 26, 2008 at 4:06 pmKen Whitehouse once again brings you the breaking news and, because its the weekend, he’s gonna let you at it for free. Former Democratic Majority Leader Kim McMillan has announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for the 2010 governors race:
In a statement released to NashvillePost.com regarding the formation of an exploratory committee, McMillan said, “The people of Tennessee want good jobs, close to home. We want to send our kids to first-rate schools and we want to have safe neighborhoods. I think these expectations are reasonable. I’ve spent much of my life in leadership and public service. I believe I have the experience, the perspective, and the desire to move Tennessee forward.”
For more go to NashvillePost.com.
SEE ALSO:
GoldnI
Is It Safe?
Posted on April 18, 2008 at 2:57 pmThe Tennessee Republican Party celebrates the fundraising success of its recruited from another district candidate for Congress while accusing the incumbent of already looking to the future:
“Lincoln Davis has his eye on the Governor’s Mansion its fancy new ballroom, not on the job of representing the people of his district,” said Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party. “As a result, his fund-raising is lack-luster and his seat is not safe.”
Why You Gotta Bring Up Old Stuff?
Posted on at 11:25 amBy now this is old news, of course, but for the last few days I couldn’t help but think just which Tennessee superdelegate was it Governor Bredesen was talking about in the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week? For a refresher, let us look at the words spoken by the Honorable Phil Governor:
Another worrisome sign: Bredesen said some Democrats running for local and statewide office in Tennessee are now distancing themselves from both Obama and Clinton.
“One of the superdelegates said to me, ‘I’m in a swing district and both of them are poison to me,’ ” Bredesen said.
Making educated guesses and looking at the list of delegates many astute political watchers made assumptions as to whom the culprit was. John Rodgers of the City Paper seemed to cement the conventional wisdom by putting the word “think” in quotes when introducing this denial by Rep. Lincoln Davis’s spokesman, Tom Hayden:
“I don’t think the governor was speaking about Lincoln Davis because he did not say this to the governor.”
But is the key word “think” here or is it the rest of this sentence? I mean the denial is in there stated rather plainly after all, is it not? Why say “think” at all then? Well, the Governor is the Governor and one doesn’t put words in the governor’s mouth. Tom Hayden can’t say who the Governor was referring to because Tom Hayden is not the Governor.
Now, of course, the Governor is never going to say whom he was referring to and whomever said it to the Governor is not likely to cop to it. But if one takes at face value the Davis denial, if one accepts the explicit denial that Lincoln Davis did not say this to the Governor, I thought it only fair to get some responses from other possible suspects.
When asked for a confirmation or a denial that his boss, Congressman John Tanner, was the superdelegate being referred to, spokesman Randy Ford said the following:
I’m not in a position to confirm or deny. As you know, Congressman Tanner isn’t yet decided in the primary race but looks forward to a successful election year for the Democratic Party. He talks regularly with Gov. Bredesen and others in the delegation on a variety of topics, but we don’t comment on those private conversations.
The other member of the Congressional delegation who would seem to fit the description would be Congressman Bart Gordon of the Sixth Congressional District:
Congressman Gordon doesn’t recall having any conversations with the governor regarding the election. I would suggest you ask Governor Bredesen who he was speaking about since he has been all over the country talking about the issue.
Of course, none of this proves anything but if one is going to parse statements there is certainly plenty to go around, is there not?
McMansion Monty Outraises Incumbent In 4th District Race
Posted on at 8:08 amRep. Lincoln Davis has a challenge on his hands for his 4th District Congressional Seat:
A Republican challenger raised almost five times more than Democratic Rep. Lincoln Davis of Tennessee during the first three months of this year.
Monty Lankford, who runs a medical equipment company in Franklin, received more than $224,500 from the beginning of January through the end of March.
Davis, who is seeking a fourth term in November, raised $53,850 during the same period.
Lankford also reported more cash on hand at the end of March than Davis — $201,117 to $199,307.
John Rowley, a consultant to Davis’ re-election campaign, downplayed Lankford’s fund-raising advantage. Rowley and other Davis supporters insist Lankford lives in the neighboring district represented by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
“Even if he raised $5 million, he’s not going to win in a district he doesn’t live in,” said Rowley in a phone interview from Nashville.
Monty Lankford To Officially Announce For Congress
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 8:34 pmAnd half of his scheduled appearances will even be in the district he’s running for — unlike his current residence.
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Post Politics: 8 April 2008 - Afternoon Edition
Posted on April 11, 2008 at 2:44 pmSean Braisted ponders whether some Democratic contributors to Lincoln Davis would be surprised to the learn that the Congressman gave $1,000 to Tennessee Right to life last December.
Our man at the Capitol, Ken Whitehouse, breaks open another one, reporting that a powerful member of the state House will not seek re-election.
The Tennessee Democratic Party blog posts a “homemade” video from a “Tennessee Democrat” chiding Businessman Monty Lankford for running for Congress in a district not his own.
April is Minority Health Month in Tennessee.
No Silence There: As of May 5, newspaperman Michael Silence will no longer have to worry himself with producing copy for the print product of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
The Democratic Leadership Council blog takes on John McCain for not standing tall on one of his signature issues.
Mike Byrd continues his quest to clean up his neighborhood specifically a market owned by the politically connected Kenny Norman.
The State Budget figures are out and you know what that means: Tennessee Republican Party spokesman Bill Hobbs is talking about the Copeland Cap.
Bruce Barry is not fooled by Senate Bill 3910, which he calls a retrograde piece of legislation that bans adoption by any couples who are engaged in “unmarried sexual cohabitation.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that Hillary Clinton thinks she can put Tennessee in play in the general election.
Aunt B. takes issue with how low-income is described in the new AT&T cable compromise legislation.
Barack Obama talks nuclear disarmament on YouTube.
Glen Dean wonders who the real enemy is when it comes to high gas prices – the oil companies or the government.
Matt Pulle wonders whether a Democratic candidate for Senate who drives a red Saab convertible with a vanity plate which makes reference to his service in the Marines might be vulnerable to an attack ad.
A new Rassmussen Reports poll shows Lamar Alexander sitting in the catbird seat for re-election.
Blogger and Montgomery Bell Academy Teacher Alan Coverstone announces that in just a few days he should have $10,000 in cash on hand for his 9th District Metro School Board race.
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