The Caucus Isn’t Allowed To Endorse In A Primary…

By Kleinheider Posted on August 4, 2008 at 8:32 am

…but, if it were, Senator Diane Black makes it pretty clear where she would come down in the race between Rep. Doug Overbey and Raymond Finney in the 8th District GOP state Senate primary:

Caucus rules prohibit giving money to a candidate during a primary, Black said. That meant no caucus money going to Finney, though the situation caused “some consternation” among committee members.

Black praised Finney and said she would like to see the senator triumph in his race with Overbey.

Asked if that meant she endorses Finney, Black replied, “As Caucus chairman, I can’t officially do that.”

But she said that, while serving with Overbey in the House, “we didn’t always see eye to eye, and I want to see somebody (elected) who I know I can work with.”

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Tags: Diane Black, Doug Overbey, Raymond Finney  

I Know You Are But What Am I?

By Kleinheider Posted on at 8:06 am

A Republican primary between two sitting legislators for the 8th District state Senate seat has gotten nasty:

“I have tried to be a gentleman in this race,” he said. “My opponent, unfortunately, is just spreading … falsehoods. I guess, is the polite way to put it. I heard he has an ad on the radio that says I’m going to raise the price of gasoline 34 cents a gallon. I don’t know where in the world he would get this. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

Overbey agrees that the tone has soured.

“It’s not pleasant … being called names, but, over the years, I’ve developed, both as a lawyer and in public office, a rather thick skin. But, still, I have been called names in this campaign that I never imagined would occur in a Republican primary. That’s unfortunate. The public deserves better. What the public wants is candidates and office-holders to engage in a discussion of the issues — not name calling.”

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Tags: Doug Overbey, Raymond Finney  

Brooking No Naifeh Republicans

By Kleinheider Posted on July 24, 2008 at 8:40 am

Say Uncle issues his endorsement in the race for state Senate District 8:

His opponent is Doug Overbey, whose cheesy mug you see all over the city, my the city. Overbey is running on a conservative leadership platform and pointing out that he’s a lifelong Republican, 100% pro-life, and all second amendment rights.

Unfortunately, Doug Overbey lost all credibility on two of those claims when he crossed party lines to vote for Jimmy Naifeh as speaker of the house. Jimmy Naifeh, you’ll recall, is our lying speaker of the house who keeps abusing his power to kill pro-gun bills.

I’ll be voting Finney.

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Tags: Doug Overbey, Jimmy Naifeh, Raymond Finney  

Post Politics: 10 April 2008

By Kleinheider Posted on April 11, 2008 at 3:00 pm

A transformational shift in the way news is delivered in Nashville is coming.

Hinting by White House operatives that a housing bill may face Presidential veto provokes Republican leaders in Congress, Lamar Alexander among them, to question the maturity of those on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ken Whitehouse reports that independent state Senator Mike Williams will not withdraw his petition to run for re-election.

Think Progress chastises national media for painting congressional hearing on Iraq as explicitly partisan.

Lawmakers push to have “huffing” included in state’s DUI law.

Changes to open records legislation in the legislature would allow record keepers more time to respond to public requests and retain the ability to charge for the service.

A former attorney who locked legal horns with embattled federal judge appointee Gus Puryear’s employer CCA is motivated to write a letter supportive of his former adversary after talking to Puryear hypercritic Matt Pulle.

Ilissa Gold takes issue with Elizabeth Edwards’ characterization of Barack Obama’s health care proposals.

Amid discussion over legislation which would return the crime of cockfighting to felony status, Tom Humphrey reports that cockfighting operators allege that they paid a former state representative to get the crime kicked back to a misdemeanor in the early 90s.

Interest rates may be good for America’s consumers but to seniors who depend on interest payments for income, the story is a bit different.

State Senator Tommy Kilby has withdrawn a bill which could have paved the way for large scale adoption of the toll road concept in Tennessee.

Michael Hooks, Jr. was sentenced to 30 days in federal prison yesterday for his role in a bogus-invoice scam in 2001 in the Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office.

Senator Lamar Alexander joins a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing legislation allowing any National Guardman or Reservist who served post-Sept 11 to be eligible for early retirement. Presently, National Guard and Reserve members are the only federal retirees who must wait until age 60 to collect retirement pay.

In related news, the Christian Science Monitor reports that reservists called up to active duty are increasingly finding the jobs they left gone after returning stateside.

Jackson Baker discusses racial politics in Memphis in the days surrounding the anniversary of the death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that Williamson County, Tennessee has posted some of the highest employment gain numbers in the county.

The Oak Hill Gazette interviews two candidates for Commissioner in the satellite city.

The Nashville Scene writes up a book by a Vandy Professor praising negative campaigning.

Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators are trying to get the first desegregated school in the South located in Clinton, Tennessee made part of the National Park System.

A new viral video by Moveon.org makes the rounds accusing George Bush and John McCain of giving us endless war “on the installment plan.”

Senator Lamar Alexander is leading the push inside the Republican Party to take issues of climate change seriously.

Colin Powell tells ABC News that the War in Afghanistan presents greater challenges to our military than our efforts in Iraq.

Mike Byrd doesn’t believe, as the TNGOP does, that Martin Luther King, Jr. would be a Republican were he alive today — but he’s not so sure he would be a Democrat either.

Former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney follows in the footsteps of Fred Thompson and agrees to guest host for radio great Paul Harvey.

Blount County political activist Sunny Day has filed an election commission complaint against State Rep. Doug Overbey. Overbey is Alcoa’s city attorney and sits as a city judge. Day asserts Overbey cannot serve in the judicial and legislative branches at the same time.

Overbey, a Republican legislator who voted for Democratic Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, is currently challenging incumbent Republican state Senator Raymond Finney for the Republican nomination in the Eight District.

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Tags: Doug Overbey, Gustavus A. Puryear IV, Lamar Alexander, Michael Hooks Jr., Mike Williams, Raymond Finney, Tommy T. Kilby