Marsha Blackburn: Proud Of A State Party That “Defies The National Trend”
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 10:57 am
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Bad For Business
Posted on at 10:22 amJeff Woods has a few thoughts about Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s speech at the TNGOP’s Statemen’s dinner over the weekend:
So what happens if Republicans are running the show? Well, Ramsey says, at a minimum the legislature will never enact any of those nasty “Job Killer Bills” that the state Chamber of Commerce opposes each year. In this year’s session, he says, the Democratic-run House passed all of them, but the Senate saved the day by refusing to go along.
One of those bills would have given unemployment benefits to women who have to leave work because their husbands have beaten them up. That kind of thing only creates a bad business climate. We owe a lot to those Senate Republicans.
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey At The Statesmen’s Dinner
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Bleeding Hearts For Rove
Posted on July 28, 2008 at 10:37 amBlake Wylie shares his experience as an attendee at the GOP’s closed press annual fundraiser:
I got to meet Mr. Rove. He is a very cordial person who has a great sense of humor. He always had a joke and was ready with a quick response to everything. He was quite different than what I expected, and not the “evil architect” that he is portrayed as.
Both me and my fiance were there, and when we met Mr. Rove, he asked if I had nose bleeds a lot. “Why?” I asked. “Because you’re marrying too high.” I had to agree with him, and it was a joke my fiance found quite funny as well.
The night went on without incident. It was a great event for all in attendance
Former Rove Deputy Says Rove Events Aren’t Normally Closed
Posted on July 25, 2008 at 6:12 pmDru Fuller reports that Karl Rove’s former White House deputy, Scott Jennings, doesn’t understand why the Tennessee Republican Party’s Statesmen’s dinner is closed to press because that not how the keynote speaker usually rolls:
“I am actually a little surprised because typically most of Karl’s events are open to the press. Typically that decision is made by the local organizers.
“I don’t know. Those things are usually set by host for event, so I’d take it up with Tennessee Republican Party.
“I’ll tell you I don’t typically do things not open to the media. I do a lot of in Kentucky. I prefer it when they are there because who doesn’t want to send clippings home to their grandmother?
“I don’t know. They open and close fundraisers for various reasons. Sometimes they are for security related, sometimes not. I’d call the state party and ask them if you want a real answer.”
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The Continuing Controversy Over The TNGOP’s Closed Statesmen’s Dinner
Posted on at 8:49 amSeveral prominent Republicans criticise the decision that may very well have been Karl Rove’s:
Sen. Alexander spokesman Lee Pitts said the senator will be unable to attend the dinner Saturday because he will be managing a Senate debate on energy.
“If it was his decision, the event would not be closed, but it’s not his decision,” Mr. Pitts said in an e-mail.
State Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who served as state GOP chairwoman from 2004 to 2007, said that “it’s every chairman’s prerogative whether they want to have an open event or closed event. I chose to have our’s open.”
“Actually, we encouraged it (reporters’ coverage) because we wanted to get our message out,” Rep. Harwell said.
While Rep. Harwell said she would prefer this year’s “be opened to the press,” she emphasized she didn’t know the reasoning behind Mrs. Smith’s decision.
Former GOP Chairmen John “Chip” Saltsman and Bob Davis recalled having their Statesmen events opened, but they emphasized the decision is up to the chairman.
In her e-mail statement, Mrs. Smith said that Mr. Hobbs “was acting on information he had been given in making the statement that ‘traditionally’ the dinner had been closed. It was said that ‘traditionally fundraisers are closed.’ The Statesmen’s Dinner is a fundraiser.
“Bill remains correct on the information that he was given that ‘traditionally fundraisers are closed,’” Mrs. Smith continued.
Rep. Harwell, Mr. Saltsman and Mr. Davis all noted that events for large donors, which take place before the dinner, often have been closed.
Karl Rove To Keynote Statesman’s Dinner
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 7:54 amFrom Rex Noseworthy:
Rove will speak at the GOP’s “Statesmen’s Dinner,” which typically occurs at Opryland Hotel. Last year, former Massachusetts Governor and one-time presidential contender Mitt Romney was the keynote speaker.
Since leaving the White House, Rove has spent many of his weekday nights as a Fox News political analyst.
That role caused Rove and the Tennessee Republican Party to mix during the furor over the state GOP’s anti-Semites for Obama controversy.
Rove called the infamous GOP press release “wrong” to have up “in the first place.”
Now, he’ll speak at the GOP’s main fundraiser.
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