Harold Ford, Jr. Throws Former Campaign Manager Under The Bus
Posted on June 14, 2008 at 9:59 amIt was a long curious day for the Tennessee Democratic party yesterday. Divisions in the party were exacerbated when John Rodgers of the Nashville City Paper reported the words of Tennessee Democratic Party state executive committee member Fred Hobbs on Barack Obama:
“I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him,” Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. “He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.”
Adding insult to injury, Beecher Frasier, Chief of Staff to Democratic Congressman Lincoln Davis of Tennessee’s rural and conservative 4th District, was portrayed in the same article as saying he didn’t know for sure if Obama was “terrorist connected” but assumes he’s not.
The Tennessee Democratic Party almost immediately sent out a release rebuking Hobbs. Beecher Frasier, later in the day, released a statement setting the record straight asserting that “no one in their right mind, including me, believes Senator Obama has ties to terrorism.”
The state executive committeeman Fred Hobbs then, as reported by the Huffington Post, apologized for the comments and confirmed that he would be voting for Senator Obama in the fall.
However, at least one prominent Tennessee Democrat with a history with Beecher Frasier wishes to make clear his associations with the man. Late last night, NashvillePost.com received the following statement from Harold Ford, Jr.
Let me be clear about 2 things
First, Beecher Frasier is dead wrong. Senator Obama is a Christian, American patriot with a vision to make America safer and stronger. I am going to join millions of Tennesseans and Americans by working this year this to bring life to that vision by electing Barack Obama President of the United States.
Second, Beecher’s past association with me is just that - past. I’ve had no relationship with him since 2006. I don’t want a relationship with him, or anyone else who says these things. His comments offend me as an American and embarrass me as a Tennessean.
In 2006, Beecher Frasier took a leave of absence from the staff of Rep. Lincoln Davis to work for Harold Ford, Jr. as his campaign manager in his bid for U.S. Senate.
Rep. Lincoln Davis was very supportive of Harold Ford, Jr.’s run for Senate so these comments have to come with their own special sting for those close to both men.
SEE ALSO:
Brainstem’s impressions
Sadcox
Bill Hobbs
Music City Oracle
Red State
Silence
Beecher Frasier Speaks On Barack Obama’s Connection To Terror, City Paper Reacts
Posted on June 13, 2008 at 3:06 pmFrom the man himself:
No one in their right mind, including me, believes Senator Obama has ties to terrorism. It is truly ridiculous for anyone to try to make hay out of these comments.”
The City Paper’s Brewer and Rodgers react:
City Paper reporter Rodgers and editor Brewer are adamant. Brewer said he and Rodgers “stand by this story,” certain that the tone of Frasier’s comments was portrayed accurately.
SEE ALSO: Ilissa Gold sorts through it all.
PREVIOUSLY:
Davis Chief Of Staff “Assumes” Obama Not Terrorist Connected
Did Beecher Frasier Throw The Liberal Wing Under The Bus?
Beecher’s Pass
Huffington Post
Dubya 2.0
Posted on June 3, 2008 at 8:30 amRep. Zach Wamp takes issue with the Tennessee Democratic Party’s message that a McCain Presidency would be akin to a third George Bush term:
Wamp simply denied that McCain could be called “another George Bush.”
“Frankly, calling him another George Bush doesn’t meet the straight face test,” Wamp said. “He’s got scars all over his back from being different than George Bush. I mean he is such a maverick, such a reformer, such a thorn in the side of the establishment in our party. Who is actually going to say that with a straight face that he is another George Bush?”
Who Was That Masked Man?
Posted on June 2, 2008 at 10:59 am
If you stop by the John McCain townhall meeting at the Ryman today you may see a few folks donning George W. Bush masks in order, one would assume, to further the meme that the election of John McCain would amount to a third Bush term.
If you would like to join in the effort you can stop by and pick up a mask compliments of the very inwardly focused, positive messaged Tennessee Democratic Party.
Late last week an email went out calling for “twenty names who will definitely show up and wear the George W. Bush masks the party purchases.”
If you are interested, you can show up at 11:45 today at 223 Eighth Ave. North and pick you up a mask and show the colors.
UPDATE 1:30PM: From Cara Kumari:
In addition, there is a crowd of protestors wearing George W Bush masks holding signs saying “100 more years in Iraq” etc.
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
Posted on at 8:57 amThe Tennessee Democratic Party, learning at the foot of the master, releases a YouTube video welcoming John McCain to Nashville:
In this morning’s paper responding to whether his own communications shop would attempt to replicate “blogstorms” created by his GOP counterpart Bill Hobbs via his press releases and YouTube videos, Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Wade Munday said:
“We just highlight the positive message. In no way do we exist to bring attention to ourselves. Our focus is on our candidates and our message.“
Renounce And Reject
Posted on at 6:46 amState Rep. Tom Dubois calls on his opponent to denounce a flier constructed by the Tennessee Democratic Party calling attention to charges of underage drinking at the state Rep.’s home following Columbia’s Mule Day celebration:
DuBois said he thinks Cobb should denounce the flier. He said the flier contains implications that are not supported by fact regarding the Mule Day party.
“Maury Countians deserve better,” he said. “If there was some baseless campaign material going out against him, I would denounce it. I would hope he would do the same thing.”
Cobb did not denounce the mailer Thursday but said he intends to run a positive campaign.
“All I can control is what my campaign does,” he said. “My campaign has been positive and will continue to be positive.”
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Tennessee Democratic Party Begrudges A Man For Making A Living
Posted on May 20, 2008 at 10:27 amIt would seem that Tennessee progressive political party has gotten a bit excited in the rush to castigate the tactics of the Tennessee Republican Party:
The Tennessee Republican Party should be ashamed of the way they have run amok in recent months, drawing unwanted attention to the state of Tennessee.
Going so far as to use a former strip club owner to make their point, the TNGOP betrays their voter’s confidence and further increases the likelihood that their deplorable attack against Sen. Barack Obama’s wife will be one more national news item mischaracterizing the vast majority of Tennesseans.
It appears that the Tennessee Republican Party would rather use a pornographer as their spokesperson than their top elected officials Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker.
Is there something wrong with owning a strip club in the Democratic Party’s estimation? Since when did the party of modern liberalism begrudge a man from making a living this way?
Democrats can point out the hypocrisies here, of course, but do they really want to be using the same “holier than thou” moralizing tactics that the party they so love to hate has made its bread and butter?
UPDATE: Clint Brewer reports that Bob Pope denies being a “pornographer”:
Pope, however, when reached by The City Paper, denied every being involved in pornography.
“I’ve never dealt in any kind of pornography,” Pope said. “I owned that club for four years in the early 1990s. That is over and finished.”
Munday said the Democratic Party was not aware Pope had any interest in producing pornography, adding, “That may not have been the best choice of words.”
“Not that I know of,” Munday said when asked if Pope was involved in pornography. “It’s just that the industries (pornography, strip clubs) seem to be linked.”
An interesting debate, I think. Are strip clubs a form of pornography or are they something else?
NashvillePost.com’s graphic artist Wild Billy Givens offers this on the subject, “Naked chicks dancing on a pole seems like pornography to me.”
Agree or disagree?
SEE ALSO: Tiny Cat Pants
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