Center-Left State Think Tank In Embryonic Stages
Posted on July 13, 2009 at 8:07 amLongtime political operative Mark Brown, most recently of the Cammack for Governor campaign, tells Post Politics that he has been in preliminary discussions regarding the formation of a center-left think tank “dedicated to promoting progressive initiatives in Tennessee.”
It is hard to say how “real” the effort is as Brown says it is too early for him to disclose with whom these discussions have been with and what kind of financial backing the project would have at its disposal.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting prospect. Brown describes the Bredesen-centric project thusly:
“A growing number of centrist progressives in Tennessee believe our viewpoints are not being fully communicated in Tennessee’s currently polarized political environment. We want to continue building on Governor Bredesen’s work, even after he has left office. Among other initiatives, we want Tennessee to continue improving education through programs like Pre-K and we want to continue to make the state a leader in the creation of green economy jobs.”
“We are deciding how we can best accomplish these goals and how we can best improve the communication of centrist progressive ideas in Tennessee.”
Mark Brown Leaves Ward Cammack
Posted on June 22, 2009 at 2:42 pmThe ubiquitous, tweeting communications and political director takes his leave of the well monied, unknown Democrat contender:
Democratic strategist Mark Brown is leaving the gubernatorial campaign of Nashville businessman Ward Cammack.
Brown declined to give specific reasons for his departure Monday other than to say: “It was time to move my career in another direction.”
Cammack is largely unknown in political circles but is considered a potential contender for the nomination because of his personal wealth.
Cammack To Use His Financial Wizardry For Good Instead Of Evil
Posted on April 12, 2009 at 11:44 pmGubernatorial candidate Ward Cammack in a blog posting on the TNDP’s new social networking site gives his take on the financial crisis and more specifically the company formerly known as AIG. Spokesman Mark Brown tells us what to take away from the keen financial analysis of Cammack:
Ward has an understanding of the current economy that is unmatched in this field of candidates. To put it bluntly, the 21st Century economy is a complex beast, and we’re presently going through a reset. It’s important that we have political leaders that understand what’ s going on and can see beyond the old paradigms.
Yes, this is similar to some of the risks municipalities were taking with derivatives. Three of our opponents (Herron, McMillan, and Ramsey) voted to allow municipalities to purchase these, and I’m not sure any of them understood what they were voting for. Ward understand the complexities of contemporary financial transactions.
Throughout the campaign, we’ll use our online communications to address various issues. Some of them might not seem campaign related, but, to borrow from Mayor Dean, it’s all connected.
MORE: Post Business
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Former State Senate Caucus Political Director Joins Up With Former Republican’s Gubernatorial Effort
Posted on March 27, 2009 at 6:55 amMark Brown is a Ward Cammack man:
Commenting on his new position with the campaign, Mark said “Ward Cammack is a candidate whose ideas rise above partisan politics. He will continue to apply common sense business principles to state government as Governor Bredsen has, and he has the vision to meet the challenges our state faces. I’m excited by the opportunity to help Tennessee get to know Ward.”
Architects Of Defeat OR What Can Brown Do For Bone?
Posted on January 6, 2009 at 1:22 pmR. Neal throws around a bit of gossip floating around the race for Tennessee Democratic Party Chair:
There is also talk that Bone would install Mark Brown as Executive Director and Keith Talley as the Communications Director. Chip Forrester notes that they are good guys but are also the architects of the 2008 Disaster as directors of the Democratic State House and Senate caucuses respectively.
It appears there is a power struggle going on in Nashville between the old school apparatchik and a more progressive grassroots movement. Is it even possible for Democrats to drag Tennessee into the 21st Century? Can Democrats elect progressive candidates statewide and join the emerging New New South, or do we have to keep running Republican-lite candidates and letting the TNGOP dictate the rules of engagement?
The next couple of years are going to be interesting. By the end of this month we will know the general direction.
UPDATE: Charles Robert Bone responds to the rumors:
I have not spoken with Mark Brown or Keith Talley about a position with the Tennessee Democratic Party. My current focus remains on meeting and talking with the members of the Executive Committee across the State to ensure that, as a Party, we develop, fund and implement an innovative plan that will allow us to be successful in the 2010 elections and thereafter.
Equally as important as the plan itself is the manner in which we go about developing the plan, and ensuring that this process is collaborative and transparent. As a part of this, I think the Party would be well served to publicly post these job openings and conduct a national search to ensure that we attract a diverse and talented applicant pool.
UPDATE II: Senate Caucus Political Director Mark Brown:
I want to confirm that [Bone] and I have not discussed any position at the TNDP. That would be premature, to say the least.
As for the Senate Democratic Caucus, I take full responsibility for our losses; after all, I was political director. We recruited good candidates. We raised more money than the caucus has ever raised. We ran strong races, but we lost. That’s my fault.
UPDATE III: TNDP Treasurer and chairman candidate Chip Forrester:
As I’ve consistently said, I’m not making any staffing decisions before I’m elected chair and I think that it would be unwise for any candidate to be doing the same.
I plan to involve the officers of the Party in these critical decisions as well as reaching out to seek input and advice from a broad range of sources to include the Governor, the Democratic Members of Congress, former Party chairs, key Tennessee Obama supporters, the House and Senate Democratic Caucuses, Democratic activists and others as we all shape the vision and staffing of the Party for the purpose of Taking Back the House in 2010.
While I too have heard that there have been discussions about involving these gentlemen, it just seems to me that we need a fresh approach, a change of how we have been doing things and a rethinking of the politics of grassroots involvement in our state because how the campaigns of 2008 were run and the results speak for themselves.
That is why, one of my first initiatives, as chair will be to convene a statewide Campaign Summit to conduct a thorough post-mortem on all the successful and failed Tennessee campaigns of 2008. It is essential that we look at what we did right and what we did wrong to ensure that as we lay out our plan for 2010 that we bring forward only the best and dispense with the failed. This summit must be a critical, no-holds-barred analysis of 2008. The future of the Democratic Party in Tennessee is too important not to undertake this effort.
I am certain that we have, in this state, men and women who bring talent, expertise and energy to the table for the task of Taking Back the House and the Party will do everything to bring them together.
SEE ALSO: Mark Brown says he would be a wonderful Executive Director.
Mark Brown Defends The Message
Posted on November 20, 2008 at 11:01 amSenate Democratic Caucus Political Director Mark Brown looks back at the strategies of campaign 2008 with Jackson Baker:
Brown also takes exception to my having noted that official Democratic Party statements attempted misleadingly to saddle write-in candidate Rosalind Kurita, a Democrat who had significant Republican help, with support for a state income tax solely because she was financially backed by former Republican governor Don Sundquist. (For the record, Kurita was resolutely opposed to Sundquist’s income tax proposals as a senator.)
Brown’s response to that is something of a nolo contendere. After acknowledging that “we hit Kurita on Sundquist because Sundquist gave her campaign contributions,” he amplifies on that later by claiming that Republicans often have made unfairly sweeping allegations concerning Democratic support for an income tax (a point well taken), so that “[w]e pushed back by pointing out that Republicans were taking campaign contributions from Don Sundquist, the father of the state income tax; however, other than press releases and a few automated calls, this was never a major piece of our messaging.”
I’ll let that statement speak for itself.
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The New House Majority Made Lincoln Davis’ Mind Up For Him
Posted on November 10, 2008 at 2:41 pmJeff Woods talks to state Senate Democratic Caucus Political Director Mark Brown who argues that Democrats in Tennessee only do well when the top of the ticket is strong. Woods points out why this will be important two years from now:
The above analysis makes it all the more imperative for the party to field a strong candidate for governor in 2010 against Bill Frist, the likely GOP nominee. The good news for Democrats is that Lincoln Davis is probably now more likely to run. Before the election, he was said to be leaning toward staying in Congress. Now, he might as well run for governor since Republicans in the legislature are about to gerrymander him out of his job in Washington.
SEE ALSO: R. Neal
We Were Totally On A Break When That Happened
Posted on October 3, 2008 at 5:51 pmState Senate Democratic Caucus Political Director Mark Brown didn’t think GOP Senate candidate Mike Faulk’s counterattack on him for disclosing opposition research by a Texas firm to Kingsport Times News Reporter Hank Hayes was entirely appropriate.
Brown resents the implication that his informative political work was done on the state’s dime. He is on leave, you see, from the Caucus in order to provide reporters with information about a lawyers’ former clientele.
“Sounds like Mike Faulk desperately wants to change the subject. Absolutely nothing was done on state time. I am presently on leave from the state, working on Democratic Senate campaigns. Just as, for example, Republican staffer Rick Nicholson is on leave working for the campaign of Rosalind Kurita.”
The full piece of opp research can be found here. For more information about the crew that culled the salacious info on Faulk, go here.
SEE ALSO: Angelia
Where Is Dee Love?
Posted on May 12, 2008 at 1:57 pmSenate Democratic Caucus spokesman Mark Brown comments on the attempt to unseat GOP State Senator Jim Tracy in the Shelbyville Times Gazette:
“We have an A-list candidate in Jean Ann Rogers,” said Mark Brown, communications director for the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus. “We feel that this is a winnable seat. It’s a swing district…. Frankly, we feel like the people of Senate District 16 are looking for a change.”
Problem here, of course, is that there are TWO candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in this race. Both Rodgers and a woman named Dee Butler filed to run in the Democratic primary. Butler, in these times of racially divisive Democratic politics, also happens to be an African-American candidate.
Mark Brown, via email, explains his oversight in the third person:
The Caucus spokesperson isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack. The reporter asked him about Jean Anne Rogers and he responded as reported, without thinking that he should add that Dee Butler is an a-list candidate, too. One of many moments of idiocy from this spokesperson.
Rogers and Butler are both A-list candidates. The Democratic nominee for SD16 will be a strong candidate, regardless of who wins the primary.
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