Rusty Introduces Reality to the Blogosphere

That's why they call him Fast Eddie

2006-02-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

I must say Ol' Rusty is certainly eating some crow on this day. I, too, foolishly bought into the logic that since Ed Bryant was taking so long to announce his fundraising numbers for the 4th quarter of 2005, it meant he had a dismal quarter.

Heck, I even dedicated a post to Ed's poor fundraising history and even argued that the conservative movement was moving toward Van Hilleary. I was simply wrong. I'm man enough to admit it. Ed Bryant is doing such fine. No need to start writing that political obiturary yet. In fact, his strong quarter and excellent debate performance last night (rumor is Van Hilleary sounded a little whack-o extreme) gives Ed Bryant the momentum.

So what happened? Why did Ol Rusty bite? I foolishly listened to Jeff Ward and believed he had some insider info. I should have know better. I have learned my lesson. Remember this post? http://www.teamgop.org/blog/archives/2006/01/tn_senate_money.html#comments

Tonight, I play the fool!

Hilleary's Netroots Growing!!!

2006-01-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

In the battle of the blogsphere, I must say I have been impressed by the recent growth of the Pro-Hilleary bloggers. Just a month ago, the only man defending Van's honor on the blogs was Charles Badger and his http://vanwagon.blogspot.com site. Recently, though, Van secured the endorsement of Team GOP's Jeff Ward and Rick Patterson started a pro-Van blog called VanFans http://vanfans.blogspot.com. He also has another friend, although she claims to be unaffiliated with any candidate, in Ashley's new http://oneconservativenow.blogspot.com space.

No candidate running for US Senate in Tennessee has more blogs dedicated to seeing their election than Van Hilleary.

The next logical question is why? Why did this happen? Why are the TN conservative Netroots starting to coalesce around the candiacy of Van Hilleary? Does Jeff Ward's endoresment have this much pull? Or are the conservatives in Tennessee beginning to realize if they have any hope of keeping the nomination out of the hands of Bob Corker and has pro-choice/higher taxes/bigger government record than the most get behind Van Hilleary?

They must get behind Van, because despite the hardwork of Ed Bryant and his dutiful blogger Jay Bush, the fact remains that Ed Bryant is in a fundraising rut and maintains very mediocre name ID? Word is that this all may hit a head this week when Ed Bryant releases his Year-End numbers. If it is as bad as some expect, people are talking about the possibility of members of Tennessee Right to Life putting pressure on Brian Harris to withdrawl their endorsement of Ed Bryant. That would be a dagger to their campaign?

No matter how you slice. It's been a bad couple weeks for Ed, but Van has felt the positive residual effects of Bryant's slide.

So Fast Eddie Bryant: How much money did you raise?

2006-01-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

So the Tennessee blogsphere is chalk full of people guesstimating just how bad of a fundraising quarter Ed Bryant had to close 2005. Heck, even Roz “I’ve been fined by the FEC for filing late financial reports in the past” Kurita, released her report before Ed Bryant. That is never a good sign.

All this got me thinking. Should the fact that Ed Bryant is having problems raising money surprise anyone? The guy has never been good at it. History tells us that tale.

Bryant was forced to lower his fundraising target in 1994, because of his inability to raise money: “Bryant, former U.S. attorney, said he originally called for $250,000 to be budgeted for the campaign, but was forced to lower his target to $150,000. He said he has raised between $75,000 and $80,000.”

“"You always hear about these rich Republicans, but look at the money that has been raised," Bryant said, in an obvious reference to former Democratic state representative Harold Byrd. "I expect the candidate on the other side to be well-funded." Memphis Commercial-Appeal 3/15/94

Is 2006 Déjà vu for Fast Eddie? In 2002, Ed did not have the time or money to neutralize Lamar's exhaustive fund-raising network: “Bryant desperately needs money to build name recognition and get his message out, particularly in East Tennessee. Bryant, a native of West Tennessee, is little known east of the Cumberland Plateau. He doesn't have enough time or money to neutralize Alexander's exhaustive fund-raising network. Bryant's best hope is to keep attacking Alexander from the right and hope his strategy catches on.” Memphis Commercial Appeal, 07/07/02

Bryant must continue to find ways to draw attention to his campaign, which seems to have little chance of raising the money it needs to mount a serious and sustained offensive against Alexander. When it comes to raising money, Alexander can run circles around Bryant. As a former two-term governor and twice a presidential candidate, Alexander still claims an impressive amount of statewide popularity. Memphis Commercial Appeal, 03/27/02

Who is Mickey White?

2006-01-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

OK. So I discovered this new blog the otherday: http://mickeywhite.blogspot.com/

After checking it out, I have a few questions I hope folks can help me with?

1) Who is Mickey White?

2) And why does he have so much disdain for Ed Bryant?

3) I do not think he is tied to Hilleary, because on several of the votes mentioned as anti-conservative Bryant votes, Van voted the same way. My guess...he's a Corker plant. Put in the blogsphere to drive JB and friends totally batty.

A Newly Creature Created: The Corker

2006-01-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

Q: What happens when you breed a chicken with a hypocrite?

A: Bob Corker is born

History of the Chicken: Much to everyone's surprise, Bob Corker decided to skip the first Republican U.S. Senate primary debate of the 2006. Heck, at first the guy did not even provide an excuse as to why he was not going to debate. But we later discovered the reason (keep reading).

History of the Hypocrite: Throughout the past month or so, Former Mayor Corker was blasting Congressman Harold Ford for his ability to raise money outside of the State of Tennessee. A fair attack, of course.

But not so much now that we have learned the real reason Bob is skipping the first debate. He is going out of town to raise money.

Newly Discovered Invitation Shows Corker Plans To Host Washington, D.C. Fundraiser Instead Of Participating In Memphis Debate. “[M]eet Tennessee Senate Candidate Bob Corker Wednesday, February 1 * … Washington, D.C.” (Corker Fundraising Email, 1/19/06)

+

Latest Zogby Interactive Numbers: TN US Senate

2006-01-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

Read it here, first. Ol Rusty has the full numbers!

Kurita 32.9
Bryant 48.6

Kurita 33.9
Hilleary 48.6

Kurita 33.7
Corker 39.9

Ford, Jr. 40.7
Bryant 48.8

Ford, Jr. 41.8
Hilleary 47.3

Ford, Jr. 41.4
Corker 41.7

As my readers know, I'm not a huge fan of the Zogby Interactive, but the numbers are interesting nonetheless. Enjoy this exclusive!

Hey look at me! I can be a Conservative, too. I really, really can! Let me prove it!

2006-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

I noticed recently that US Senate candidate Bob Corker issued a release calling for the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito. "For Immediate Release January 16th, 2006: Corker Urges Confirmation of Samuel Alito, Jr." ID=146 http://www.bobcorkerforsenate.com/news/Read.aspx?ID=146

Why did Candidate Corker feel the need to issue a release on the subject? The very fact that Bob Corker issued a release calling for Alito's confirmation, in my opinion, says a lot.

Neither Ed Bryant or Van Hilleary have issued releases calling for his confirmation. Why? Because if Ed or Van were in the US Senate, the people of Tennessee would have no doubt that they would be voting to confirm. With Bob Corker that is not case. So like the Arlen Specter's, Lincoln Chaffee's, Olympia Snowe's, Susan Collins of the Republican party, Bob Corker has to announce it in a release when he does something that will appease conservatives.

This is the first sign that someone is not a true conservative. The truth is if Bob Corker were currently in the US Senate, we would have no idea how he would vote on the matter until he issued a release telling us. Is that a worth risk taking? That is something Tennessee Republicans must ask themselves before voting on August 3rd? Also, why do I get the feeling that Bob Corker is trying to butter conservatives up for that day if elected when he does something that will make them very unhappy---like voting to raise taxes on a budget bill before the US Senate?

Contradiction of sorts? You be the judge

2006-01-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Kurita for Senate email dated 01/14/06: "We showed broad-based support from all over our great state. Our campaign’s message is resonating with the voters of Tennessee and it shows. Our August 3 Democratic Primary opponent Harold Ford, Jr. released preliminary reports about how much he raised too, but lots of his support came from outside Tennessee.

Kurita for Senate email dated 08/12/05: "Kurita Internet Campaign Called "Clever" and "Masterful". Donors from 22 states."

In August, Roz is touting the fact that she is raising a diversified amount of money from folks outside of Tennessee and now she is blasting Congressman Ford for his ability to do the same? Hey Roz, how is the weather in Dresden? I hear it's beautiful this time of year.

Bryant defended them as their attorney, took their money, now they admit guilt...

2005-11-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

So King Pharmaceutical Company (at that time under the leadership of John Gregory and family) finally admitted they fleeced the federal TaxPayers and Tennessee TaxPayers specifically by fleecing the federal government and even TennCare! Putting more of the expensive burden of TennCare on us taxpayers by RIPPING OFF THE PROGRAM!

So what does this mean (in addition to the HUGE fines these guys agreed to pay) for the TN political sphere? These guys got busted and had to go before the election registry for stepping over campaign finance law in scuddling money to former legislative candidate Mark Goins.
Who was the attorney that defended these bad guys and their peddling of dirty political money?
.... ED BRYANT!

And good ol' Ed was waiting at the table to be rewarded with his scraps from the table, taking campaign contributions from the Gregories with the riches they earned ripping off TennCare and fleecing the federal government.

If there has ever been an impetus for Ed Bryant to get out of the way of a true conservative like Van, it is right now!

UPDATE:
FROM THE TN JOURNAL:

King settles. Resolving a federal investigation into itsprescription drug charges to government agencies, KingPharmaceuticals agreed to pay $124 million plus interestto 48 states and the federal government. King admittedthe Justice Department’s assertion that it had “systematicand widespread misreporting of its drug prices” from1994 to 2003 and underpaid mandated rebates, but thecompany said the errors were unintentional. It owesTennCare $5.37 million under the settlement, with about$1.9 million due the state, the rest the federal government.King is an international concern that employs about600 people at its Bristol, Tenn., headquarters.Because King founder and retired CEO John Gregoryis a major donor to Tennessee Republican candidates andcauses, Democrats last year cited the investigation of Kingto charge that Republicans were using “dirty money.”The issue has been revived during the present ethicsdebate. Last week, when Senate Republican LeaderRamsey defended Gregory as “a good Christian, probusinessman,” [Was it Christian to rip-off TN TaxPayers in the form of TennCare? Or Christian to fleece the federal government and all taxpayers? Can someone tell me where in the New Testamen that is suggested?]

Why is Ford the only one in the Senate race campaigning?

2005-11-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

According to this week's TN Journal, Ford sent out a huge mailer recently in addition to having already run $1.4 million in TV ads. Some have said this is because he is weak and had to "make up" for lack of name recognition. But, for whatever reason, his poll last week showed this kind of stuff is making a difference. How will it be overcome in the general election by a true conservative, not just the flip-flopin' king Bob Corker.

From the Journal:
Democratic senatorial candidate Harold Ford Jr. lastweek sent out 300,000 mail pieces to Democratic voterscontaining a five-point “Covenant with Tennesseans.”Item 4: “Pass a campaign ethics law that gives ordinarypeople equal say with special interests in Washington.”

Henry out... Bredesen goes unchallenged

2005-11-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like Jim Henry is NOT going to announce for Governor. Senator Ron Ramsey has gotten cold feet and now it is a waiting game... who will challenge Bredesen?

From the Tennessean:
Henry won't seek GOP nomination for governor Associated Press
Jim Henry, a former Republican state lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate, said he will not run for governor next year, while the state GOP's top official said the party's lone declared candidate, former independent Carl "Two Feathers" Whitaker, can't win.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/NEWS0201/511030388/1009/NEWS

Andy Rooney said WHAT?

2005-11-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

Only because it was a TN candidate (Jr.) that was the topic of discussion when this conversation precipitated on IMUS, I just had to post this. From NewsBusters: http://newsbusters.org/comment/reply/2679

On Friday morning’s Imus in the Morning program on MSNBC, Andy Rooney, from CBS, interrupted the I-Man’s positive description of Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., to state that he doesn’t like the term "African-American" and considered "Negro" to be "a perfectly good word."
Imus described Ford as an "African-American" prompting Rooney to interject, "I object every time I hear the word, words ‘African-American.’ You know? I don’t know why we have gotten caught with that." After saying he doesn’t want to be called an ‘Irish-American,’ Rooney went on to state his preference for another term, "The word ‘Negro’ is a perfectly good word, it’s a strong word and a good word. I don’t see anything wrong with that."

To see the clip: http://newsbusters.org/media/2005-11-04-IMUS.wmv

Ford Releases His Own Poll

2005-11-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_75146.asp

The latest poll for Tennessee's upcoming U.S. Senate race shows Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. leading all rivals in the campaign, the Forc campaign said. According to the survey taken by Global Strategy Group, Ford leads each of his possible Republican opponents for the November 2006 election. Ford leads Republican Ed Bryant 38 percent - 37 percent, Republican Van Hilleary 40 percent - 38 percent and Republican Bob Corker 39 percent - 36 percent.

Again, isn't this "lead" in the margin of error?

Not Just Rumor Anymore, Corker's Campaign Falling Apart

2005-11-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

After some speculation, it looks like it's confirmed, Corker's campaign is coming apart at...

The Fixby Chris Cillezza
Senate GOP Notes: Tenn., Mich., Majority Project
Tennessee
In the race for the Senate seat being given up by Majority Leader Bill Frist, former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker has parted ways with Scott Howell -- a much sought-after Republican media consultant -– in favor of Paul Curcio, a partner with Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm. A source familiar with the move say that Howell never had an official contract with Corker. Corker's campaign did not return a call seeking comment.
Corker is embroiled in a three-way Republican primary against former Reps. Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant. He holds a huge fundraising edge over his two opponents but trails in polls since he is not as well known as Hilleary and Bryant, both of whom ran unsuccessfully for statewide office in 2002.
Even after losing Corker as a client, Howell still has an impressive roster of candidates. He is currently handling the television strategy for Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore in that state's 2005 gubernatorial race and has 2006 gubernatorial candidates in Florida and Arkansas. Howell will also handle the media for Sens. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) as well as for Senate candidates in Minnesota and Michigan.

Zogby Poll, Reality Check

2005-10-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

As people try to spin the recent Zogby poll, and others point out problems in Zogby's methodology and practice, perhaps everyone should draw in a deep breath of reality...

This is the same guy that called the 2004 election for John Kerry on national television just days before the election. Be careful whose credibility you swallow whole, "President Kerry" regrets his faith in the fine polling work of Mr. Zogby.

Corker's Own Poll So Bad He Won't Even Try and Spin It?

2005-10-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

With all this talk of polls, I thought it interesting to notice the sum of money that Bob Corker paid for a poll recently. But, apparently the poll showed Corker doing so bad, he couldn't even release part of it! I would have expected the Corksters to have at least published a general match-up question, "IF Corker were the nominee, he would beat the Democrat in the general election by..."
But we see none of it! Poor Corker, he just can't catch a break...
On 07/22/05 the Corker campaign paid $28500.00 to Public Opinion Strategies for polling services

More people try to spin the Zogby Poll... (something smells funny, this time at the Kurita camp)

2005-10-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

It turns out JB is not the only one trying to spin the recent Zogby poll. Kurita's US Senate campaign (yes, it still exists) sent out a fundraising e-mail today referring to the Zogby poll saying this:

“I’m the Democrat with the best chance of winning the General Election. " -- Kurita is quoted saying in the e-mail. The e-mail goes on to state: Against both Van Hilleary and Bob Corker, Kurita performed better than Ford. In fact, against Corker – the candidate who has raised the most money to date – Kurita is in a statistical dead heat.

This is all fine and dandy ...UNLESS YOU CHECK THE POLL... then something starts to smell pretty funny about Kurita's words.

Senator
Bryant (R) 51%
Ford Jr. (D) 40%

Senator
Hilleary (R) 50%
Ford Jr. (D) 41%

Senator
Corker (R) 45%
Ford Jr. (D) 40%

Senator
Bryant (R) 51%
Kurita (D) 34%

Senator
Hilleary (R) 47%
Kurita (D) 39%

Senator
Corker (R) 40%
Kurita (D) 38%

Now, if you actually look at the numbers, you'll see Kurita's number are 34-39-38 on the Republican match-ups where Ford's are 40-41-45. Wow, Kurita sure is strong, huh? I mean, she barely squeaks into the margin of error (less than one point) in one instance and is dead in the water in every other instance.
But it gets better, the poll memo itself even says Kurita is kapootz (is that really a word?):

On the Democratic side, Harold Ford Jr., the telegenic African American congressman
who represents Memphis and is one of the more moderate-to-conservative Democrats in
the U.S. House, is his party’s best hope. [Referring to the GOP advantage] ... Democratic State
Senator Rosalind Kurita performs even worse.

Maybe Kurita should start proofreading these things before she sends them out...? Maybe her potential donors are smarter than she thinks and check the facts. That could explain her poor fundraising...? Hey Daniel, I offered you a way to spin the bad fundraising! No charge for the help of course.

All this poll shows is that Bob Corker and Kurita are out and despite Bryant's falling numbers, he is competitive with Van.

Bryant's Blog Misleads on poll ... AGAIN

2005-10-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

JB at Blogging for Bryant posted a misleading thread about the last Zogby poll at blogging for Bryant today. Read it carefully.

"Ed Bryant is clearly in the strongest position to defeat either Democrat in the race." JB posted.

But in the match-up between Van/Ford and Ed/Ford, the difference between Ed and Van's position is 1-point in a poll with a +/-3.7 margin of error.
The statement is just out and out wrong.

That means this poll shows Van could have as much as a 2.7 point lead over Bryant in the match up or Ed could have a 4.7 lead over Van.

To Blogging for Bryant readers: Please read such posts with a skeptical eye less you fall for this spin.

To the Host of Blogging for Bryatn: Please read more carefully before you post. I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt that these misleading statements were an "unintentional blunder" on your part.

WH Official Libby Goes Under, Rove's fate still unclear...

2005-10-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

UDPATE: Assistant to President Bush and VP Chief of Staff Scooter Libby has resigned his White House position, under indictment for lying to the grand jury and special prosecutors.

It looks like VP Chief of Staff Scooter Libby is busted. Rove's fate still appears to be in the air, but it looks to me like he is going to skid through with little more than a political scratch. But what does this mean for politics in TN? How will this ethical scandal play into the Senate and Gov's races in 2006? Will this "off-set" the mostly Democratic scandal of TN Waltz? Is this going to be bigger? Some point out TN Waltz just outed Dems and one GOPer for personal corruption but this scandal exposes powerful GOPers and the administration to charges of corruption for power at the expense of national security? Is that accurate?

From AP reports: The White House did expect an indictment charging I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, with false statements in the probe.

Also from the article...
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove escaped indictment in the CIA leak case Friday but remained under investigation.Rove's lawyer said he was told by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's office that investigators had "made no decision about whether or not to bring charges" and would continue their probe into Rove's conduct. Rove is President Bush's closest adviser.

But here is another good question, how will the TN blogosphere react? Will large parts of the partisan blogging aparatus either ignore it and give those in trouble a free pass or try to spin it? Will the other end of the political blogosphere spectrum offer insight or just regurgitate talking points?

Fitzmas Hurts America?

2005-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have read across the blogosphere the lefties who are celebrating today's grand jury indictment as a holiday "Fitzmas" -- named for prosecutor Fitzgerald. And, I have read the anger from the right wing about this term and celebration.

Both sides are correct. How is that possible. Well, I agree with the right wingers that celebrating such a massive ethical lapse in our national government at the highest of the levels, the White House, esepcially since it was in an assertion of political agenda at the expense of national security is SHAMEFUL. To invoke a large section of the conservative mantra -- "it is unpatriotic."

On the other hand, how dare anyone criticize the lefties for celebrating? It is wrong, yes. But these are the same people who watched as right-wingers despicably celebrated the Ken Starr report a few years ago and the smut it published in destroying a man's marriage and much of his political credibilty over his sex life.

Both ends of the political spectrum come out bad on this one -- overly partisan and hypocritical. To those in the punditry of the right wing and left wing: GROW UP and put PARTISANSHIP behind you. What about naitonal security? What about integrity of the White House? These are the topics we should be focusing on, not the letter by people's names on the ballot.

VP Visits UT to honor Great TN Statesman

2005-10-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of Tennessee's greatest statesmen (who will stand in the anals of history along side Estes Kefauver and Cordell Hull), the great Howard Baker, will be honored by the Vice President at UT Knoxville for the opening of the new Baker Center. Baker is a fine example of putting patriotism and common-sense above national Party and politics.

From today's KnoxNews... (www.knoxnews.com)
Vice President Dick Cheney will be in Knoxville next month for the groundbreaking of the University of Tennessee's new Howard Baker Center for Public Policy Building.
The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Nov. 15 - Baker's 80th birthday - at UT's Thompson-Boling Arena and will include UT President John Petersen as master of ceremonies.
Baker - a former U.S. senator, White House chief of staff, and, until earlier this year, U.S. ambassador to Japan - is a graduate of UT's College of Law.
...
Because of security procedures, a UT release states that people who want to attend need to be at Thompson-Boling Arena by 9 a.m.

Miers Withdraws

2005-10-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Now that she's gone, any speculation who will take her place as primo-nominee?

Miers withdraws under mounting criticism
By TERENCE HUNT AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under withering attack from conservatives, President Bush ended his push to put loyalist Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court Thursday and promised a quick replacement. Democrats accused him of bowing to the "radical right wing of the Republican Party."
The White House said Miers had withdrawn her name because of a bipartisan effort in Congress to gain access to internal documents related to her role as counsel to the president. But politics played a larger role: Bush's conservative backers had doubts about her ideological purity, and Democrats had little incentive to help the nominee or the embattled GOP president.
...

You think she'd get the message, huh?

2005-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

It would appear that serious Democrats, and pretty much all Democrats (including their dis-organized party) are lining up behind Jr. and giving the cold shoulder to Kurita. Why can't she get the message?

According to the Nashville Scene...
http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/Political_Notes/2005/10/27/Whoops/index.shtml#

"Despite the presence of state Sen. Rosalind Kurita in the Democratic primary, it’s not exactly a state secret that Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is the choice of most prominent Tennessee Democrats for the U.S. Senate next year.
...
"The [e-mail] message invited its recipients to come to a meeting of the “Governor’s Leadership Network,” where they could spend “an evening with Congressman Harold Ford Jr.,” assuming they were willing to part with $500 a couple to do so. No foul so far, until further down where the invite disclosed that it was paid for by the Tennessee Democratic Party and suggested that interested parties contact party headquarters for more information. In other words, the Tennessee Democratic Party had put its official stamp on an event featuring a Democratic primary candidate while leaving another candidate out in the cold."

The article goes on to say that Democrats are trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers of the Democratic stepchild nobody wants to claim, Rosalind Kurita.

Kurita bashes Van (poorly) and Insults troops with bad idea

2005-10-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Wow. At first I couldn't believe Kurita actually said this. But according to the Memphis Flyer...
http://www.memphisflyer.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A10402

"Iraq, declares Rosalind Kurita, is three different countries – not one. ... 'Why are we obsessed with having these groups of people [Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds] who don’t like each other live in the same country?' she asks. 'What’s wrong with telling these three groups: Okay, control your own destiny? They don’t have to be one country!' ”

So, Kurita's Iraq platform is to go back, undo all the work that has been done, all that American troops have fought for, and start over to try and do it three times over instead of once?

Ummmm... yeah Roz... did you get that idea from the school of foreign policy at "Bad-Idea-University?"

Perhaps her most intelligent comment according to the Memphis Flyer...
"Former Gulf War veteran Hilleary, she [Kurita] maintains, kept insisting that the only solution in Iraq was to 'kill people,' "

Now I wasn't privy to the conversation between Kurita and Van, but somehow, I doubt that is what he ACTUALLY said... But hey, when you are that far down, why tell the truth if it doesn't help you?

I want one of those calculators!

2005-10-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Despite Ed Bryant’s tanking fundraising and poll numbers, his peeps over at Blogging 4 Bryant have been touting the great success of coming in last place. They even have neat little charts and graphs that show how having a smaller fundraising base is a sign of strength. Where can I get one of those calculators? It would make ol’ Rusty feel better about his net worth!

Frist Looking Guiltier… Why Does the TN Blogosphere Ignore This National Story?

2005-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Despite the TN Blogosphere’s virtual total ignorance of this story, US Senate Majority Leader and Senator from our state is looking GUILTIER of shady stock deals every day!

Earlier this week, it came out that Frist’s denial of knowledge of owning HCA stock wasn’t true. And today, he admitted it and we have more details.

Namely, Frist was informed at least 15 times of his HCA stock, totaling as much as $2.3 million. But Frist said repeatedly he didn’t even know if he owned HCA stock. For example: "For our viewers it should be understood that I put this (HCA stock) into a blind trust. So far as I know, I own no HCA stock."

Documentation has come out Frist was informed 15 times but still denied he knew. I don’t think a U.S. Majority Leader can be so incompetent as to ignore those notifications of nearly $2.3 million in personal wealth. Why the cover-up? In a quasi-acknowledgement of his guilt in the cover-up, Frist even admits he could have been “more-precise” on his holdings…

Why is the rest of the TN blogosphere giving him a pass on this?
Thankfully, Rusty is here to fill in the gaps…

The full article is at www.tennessean.com

Rep. Mark Norris: ‘You can fix conflict of interest for legislators by paying them more of our tax dollars’

2005-10-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yup. This is not a joke. In today’s Memphis Commercial Appeal, State Rep. Mark Norris of Collierville said the answer to solving the ever present problem of conflict of interests among state legislators… is to make being a legislator a full-time job with a full-time salary. –Did I mention that would be paid for with a big chunk of our tax dollars?

Norris seems to think that the way to solve a problem with legislators who have a day job as a lawyer and represent clients with business before the state is to put the legislators full-time on the government teet, shovel them plenty o’ taxpayer dollars in the form of a fat salary and that way they don’t have to work outside the legislature.

This would solve problems like Norris’s own conflict of interest (From today’s Commercial Appeal):“State Sen. Mark Norris, a Collierville Republican, has represented hospitals and other health providers before the state Health Services and Development Agency for years. Norris said he currently has a client with a case pending before the HSDA.”

But is bigger government really the answer?

The same article talks about State Rep. Kim McMillan who has received much publicity lately for a similar circumstance:“McMillan, an attorney for a prominent Middle Tennessee law firm, had helped prepare a Bristol electric utility for an appearance before the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.”

Is Norris right? Is the answer to “conflict-of-interests” to reward legislators with a fat taxpayer-funded salary and a full time job so they don’t have to work for a living anymore?

Do McMillan’s critics have the answer? Ban lawyers from being legislators?

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/todays_editorial/article/0,1426,MCA_537_4183551,00.html

Some people say its partisan to recognize corruption... Are those partisans turning a blind eye?

2005-10-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Some peeps, ok just Elmer Fud, have accused me of being partisan for bringing up corruption in government by anyone other than a Democrat. We have all discussed the ethically challenged Democrats and Republicans (majority Dems) in the TN Waltz scandal. But I was shocked to read in Monday's Tennessean about the latest developments in Frist's stock dealings and see a total absence of mention on the blogosphere. Now, I know some will accuse me of being partisan for acknowledging that this news story broke in the Tennessean, but... what would the blogosphere be without a dose of reality, however uncomfortable it may be for some...

Frist said he couldn't have done any insider trading because he didn't even know he owned any HCA stock. Sound fishy? It should! Because 15 months prior, Frist was on record being informed he owned more than a million dollars in HCA stock! If he is innocent, why lie?

From Monday's Tennessean:

Frist knew when HCA stock was added to blind trusts, documents show
By MIKE MADDEN Tennessean Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Even after Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist set up blind trusts to manage his investments, the Tennessee Republican was informed that he and his children had received hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock in HCA Inc., the health care company his family founded.

Records filed with the Senate show that trusts held for Frist and his children received between $1.1 million and $2.3 million in HCA stock between January 2001, when Frist established blind trusts in an attempt to minimize conflicts of interest, and last June, when he ordered his trustees to sell all the stock he had left in the company.

That sale is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, because HCA’s share price fell 9% on a weak earnings report after Frist ordered his stock liquidated. Frist says he had no inside information about HCA’s finances and only sold the stock to avoid accusations of a conflict of interest in the future.
The Senate records show Frist knew he continued to own HCA stock in his blind trusts, contradicting public statements he made in the past about the distance the trusts put between himself and his assets.

“Right now, I don’t know if I own HCA because it’s a qualified blind trust,” Frist told National Journal in September 2002.

Just a few months earlier, on May 15, his trustees informed him that one of his trusts had received HCA stock worth between $250,000 and $500,000 and another one had gotten HCA stock worth between $500,000 and $1 million, Senate records show.

For years, government watchdogs and Frist’s political opponents have said his ties to HCA pose a conflict for him. His father and brother co-founded the company in 1968, and Frist’s substantial personal fortune had HCA as its base. ... [For the rest of the story, go to www.tennessean.com]

Where were these Lady-Teachers when I was in school?

2005-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

From Monday's Tennessean:

"Sexual impropriety is the No. 1 reason teachers lose their licenses in Tennessee.
Two in five teachers whose licenses were revoked by the State Board of Education from 2003 through the present were accused of sex-related violations or inappropriate contact with students, according to a Tennessean review of state records."

Anyone thinking of the VanHalen song... "I'm Hot for Teacher!" ...?

With Purcell Out... who will be mayor?

2005-10-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

With Purcell getting out of the Mayor's race... one has to ask the question, who will be Nashville's next mayor?

Will Bernanke prove a Greenspan?

2005-10-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

From today's Washington Post:
"President Bush today nominated his chief economic adviser, Ben S. Bernanke, to replace Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve when Greenspan's term expires Jan. 31."

Greenspan served under three Republican Presidents and Democrat Bill Clinton. He is a legend in the realm of managing the national economy. Bernanke will find Greenspan's loafers are big shoes to fill. But he has a fundamental difference of economic opinion than Greenspan, will this new direction prove successful?

Also from the Post:
"However, Bernanke and Greenspan differ on whether the Fed should set targets for inflation. Bernanke believes the Fed should set such targets, while Greenspan does not."

One of Greenspan's most effective qualities was his ability to avoid partisan dogma and work with whoever was in office for the best possible outcome. Will Bernanke be able to avoid the bitter partisanship of Washington in order to do an effective job?

More from the Post on Bernanke's background:
"Bernanke, 51, served as a member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System for three years before being named chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers in June. He previously was an economics professor at Princeton University and served as chairman of the university's economics department from 1996 to 2002.
Bernanke, a Republican who holds a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a fiscal philosophy similar to that of Greenspan, who was named Fed chairman by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and renominated for four-year terms by three other presidents."

Will Purcell get in the Senate or Gov.'s race or leave public life?

2005-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

With the recent announcement that Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell is not going to seek a third term, a good idea since nobody has ever tried to do so since the term limits have been imposed, everyone is speculating about any future political ambitions Purcell might have.

Purcell's name was floated previously as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate. As a former state legislator, we know Purcell had an interest in the legislative form of government before he ran for the executive branch of Nashville's city government.

"Ford's only opponent in the Democratic primary so far is state Sen. Rosalind Kurita of Clarksville, who is also actively campaigning. Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell said last week that he has no plans to run but is frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate if Ford's candidacy falters." From February 13, 2005, Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Ford's candidacy has gotten a lot of scrutiny. We know Kurita's campaing is pretty much defunct. Will Purcell backtrack on his decision not to run for Senate?

Not to mention, being a former state legislator, we know Purell has an interest in state politics and the Nashville Mayor's office served as a stepping stone for our current governor. Will Purcell try to capitalize on discontent with Bredesen among labor unions and trial lawyers in a bid for the Democratic primary for governor?

Has Ed's time Expired?

2005-10-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

Props to the folks over at Van Wagon for first bringing these facts to light in the blogosphere. Although Ed Bryant keeps making a "show of strength" by begging Van to get out of the race, it seems we finally have the concrete evidence to explain why. It appears that not only has Van caught up with Ed in the short time he's been in the race, but now that Van is running for the US Senate, he's taken all the momentum in the race. Here are some highlights from the larger post at www.vanwagon.blogspot.com (I encourage you to read the full thing there):

"In each and every quarter since Van entered the race, Bryant's funds raised have decreased.

"Van has increased his funds raised every quarter. Bryant has decreased every quarter."

Now, despite Ed's fundraising tanking in comparison to Van's, Ed likes to brag that at least he got a contribution from all 95 counties in the state. But, let's go back to the post at VanWagon to see EXACTLY how the two stack up county-for-county when the rubber hits the road...

"In the '02 Governor's primary, Van won 93 out of 95 counties.
"In his '02 Senate primary, Bryant only won 23 out of 95 counties."

It's nothing against Bryant. But he can't win and he is only taking his small share of the conservative base away from Van. Bryant has every right to stay in the race and run a token campaign to prove a point like Kucinich in the Democratic presidential primary in '04. But, I for one think Ed is stronger than that and he can get out now, save face, and live to fight another day. After all, does Ed really want his own "Ku-citizens?"

Top Ten Reason We Won't See an Ethics Session in the State Legislature this Year

2005-10-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Bob Krumm over at his blog published a "Top Ten List" of reasons why we won't see a special legislative session on ethics called this year. It is quite entertaining, but I think Mr. Krumm has some SERIOUS omissions. To help fill in the gaps, I have prepared my own faux "Top Ten List" below. Enjoy!

Top Ten Scheduling Conflicts that Would Prevent Legislators from Attending a Special Session on Ethics:

10) State Rep. Stacey Campfield will be too busy for special session because his calendar is full of “racial sensitivity” classes, appointments with the NAACP membership committee and a seminar entitled, “Finding Your Black Heritage.”
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050923/NEWS0201/509230467/1001

9) State Senator Ron Ramsey has a golf game with John Gregory to talk about million-dollar campaign contributions and the purchasing of Gregory’s pharmaceutical goods for TennCare use.
http://democracyfortennessee.smartcampaigns.com/index.php?q=node/view/110

8) State Rep. Chris Crider is already tied up in ethics classes for the rest of the year, namely: “Ethical Employers Don’t Sexually Harass Interns” class meeting every Monday thru Friday.
http://www.tcog.info/news/12_31_2004.htm

7) State Sen. Jeff Miller will be busy trying to reconcile with his estranged gay brother and at the same time trying to pass laws to force him not only out of Rhea County, but out of Tennessee altogether.
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=40741

6) Rep. Chris Newton will be busy taking WALTZing classes so he can dance with any potential future cell mates.
http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/11565.asp

5) State Sen. Bill Ketron will be tied up teaching English as a second language in a Hispanic Baptist Church to migrant workers. Oops, I mean throwing eggs at the church and trying to make sure that any undocumented immigrants driving on TN roads have no regulation to know how drive safely without endangering the rest of us and no insurance in case they hit another car.
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=30517

4) State Rep. Parky Strader will be busy with his real job. Oh wait, Parky’s never had a real job. He’s only lived on government jobs his whole life -- suckling at the taxpayer’s teet.

3) Sen. Ron Ramsey, Jim Holcombe, Rep. Tre Hargett and Mark Goins are scheduled to host a candlelit vigil the next time the Gregories are in court or before the registry for stepping over campaign finance laws, for possibly defrauding shareholders or possibly swindling the federal government… or whatever fun they’ve been into lately…
http://www.kaine2005.org/news/releases/release_20050714.php

2) Chip Saltsman, Bill Frist and Martha Stewart are hosting a “how to make big cash in the stock market” seminar for interested state legislators.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-10-13-frist_x.htm?csp=34

1) Most State House Members and State Senators are too busy attending a self-defense class for legislators in bar fights to be hosted and taught by former State Reps Vincent and Bittle. The class will take place in Printer’s alley after Vincent, Bittle and fellow legislators feel they have imbibed enough to get good and violent. http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_47832.asp

Is Corker "Out-Conservating" Ed and Van?

2005-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

While Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary argue over who should drop out... some interesting groundwork is being laid in Tennessee's conservative base.

Not only did Corker raise the most GOP money last quarter, he is lurking in the background making in-roads with the conservative base. October 20, Corker was at the Pro-Life AAA Women's Services Banquet -- reports are that Ed and Van skipped. Are Ed and Van taking their conservative base for granted?

Should one person BUY an election? Bryant thinks so...

2005-10-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Apparently, GOP legislators are revolting at the idea that a single individual should be able to buy an election. This was first brought up on the blogs, I am proud to say, by ol' Rusty over at Blogging for Bryant. Not only does Bryant apparently endorse the idea that a single individual should be able to buy an election, Bryant even defended the Gregories before the election registry when the family first was caught doing this shady stuff.

The following is an excerpt from the party hacks over at www.Go4Truth.com

"Debate over ethics reform appears to have stalled in the General Assembly with Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey and other Republicans refusing to consider a $20,000 limit for individual campaign donors in an election cycle and instead attacking Democrats over small-dollar cash contributions at campaign chili suppers and bar-b-ques.
The most heated debate has revolved around the virtually unlimited campaign contributions funneled into Republican campaigns and political action committees by John Gregory, former CEO of Bristol-based King Pharmaceuticals. During the most recent election cycle, Gregory and his family members gave an estimated $1 million to GOP campaigns and various committees in what State Senator Roy Herron has described as “money laundering to avoid the campaign finance laws.” Ramsey, the legislative Republican who’s most closely linked to the Gregory money, denied the charge.
During former Governor Don Sundquist’s administration, Ramsey and other legislative Republicans from Northeast Tennessee routinely lobbied TennCare to purchase more of King’s top-selling drug Altace. "

Rosalind Kurita IS still in the race, her blog says so. ...But it exposes her double-talk

2005-10-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Despite rumors that Rosalind Kurita is getting out of the Senate race as her campaign keeps coming up almost non-existent, the scrapper hangs on by her boot straps with a recent foray into the blogosphere.
http://kuritaforsenate.blogspot.com/

Her rather lengthy, wordy and rather uninteresting blog though does open up somewhat of a problem for Kurita on her "fiscally conservative" jargon.

Let's see where her record doesn't match up with her blogging.
[From Kurita's blog, touting her own words"
"I am a fiscal conservative. The trouble with politicians in Washington is that they have a borrow and spend mentality. ... We need better management of the public’s resources... I’ve voted for balanced budgets as a state Senator and I’ll push for balanced budgets as your next U.S. Senator..."

Yet, when it came time this past year in the state legislature where she serves to vote on a balanced budget, Kurita was nowhere to be found. Rosalind Kurita missed the vote on Senate Bill No. 2315. SB 2315 is the State Budget Appropriations for FY 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

As a FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, she skipped the balanced budget vote. What does that say for MANAGEMENT OF THE PUBLIC'S RESOURCES? She says she's voted for balanced budgets as a state senator and would as a US Senator... but she DIDN'T vote for this one. So why should we believe her about budgets in the US Senate?

Corker "WALTZes" with the Democrats?!

2005-10-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

So how shocked was I to learn of Corker's connection to supporting the participants on the losing end of TN Waltz? (well, not as shocked as I would like to be. I mean, at least Jr. can't help who he is related to by birth, but Corker is contributing to these people!)

Bob "Quirky" Corker has been a financial supporter to the people under trouble from TN Waltz. Now, JB over at B4B will eat Corker enough for supporting Democrats and being sort of "liberal" for a Repub. Ol' Rusty could care less about Party labels. But now that Corker is connected to supporting the legilsators involved in TN Waltz, is he going to resend that support? Will he ask for his campaign contributions back? That's right, ol' Corkster is giving money to the legislators wrapped up in TN Waltz!

"Often thrown in with this argument is the point that Elizabeth Corker, his wife, made campaign contributions to Democrats Ward Crutchfield and Tommie Brown, both Chattanooga legislators in overwhelmingly Democratic districts, when Corker was mayor of the city." TN Journal, 10/10/06

Can you believe they let these guys blog? At least I admit I made a mistake.

2005-10-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wow. First, egg on my face: I criticized Ford for being the last candidate in the Senate race to turn in his fundraising numbers. I assumed this was a ploy to distract from fundraising failure. Instead, he came in FIRST PLACE and I guess it just took some time to count all that cash. I can admit when I'm wrong.

But what about the rest of the blogosphere...?

Well, the fellas at Blogging for Bryant, Conservatives for Corker and Van Wagon not only couldn't admit their error, they compounded it with perhaps the stinkiest spin ever.

Saturday's Chattanooga Times Free Press article about Senate campaign fundraising featured this headline:
"Corker, Ford leading in Senate fund raising"

Yet, the brilliance over at Blogging for Bryant and Van Wagon featured headlines like:
"Van Hilleary Surges Ahead In Campaign Fundraising" (Post at Van Wagon blog).

That's right Van Hilleary fans and bloggers, nothing like surging out of last place and into third!

JB over at blogging for Bryant said in his post, "While it would have been nice to have outraised Hilleary for the third quarter in a row..." That is his polite way of lamenting coming in dead last. However, JB off-sets that by going on to talk about how Bryant DID get contributions, although puny, from all 95 counties. That away Ed! If you are going to come in last place, come in last place everywhere!

The brilliance behind Corker blogging over at Conservatives for Corker published this headline:
"Corker Fundraising Dominance Continues"
Now, I could be wrong on the meaning of dominance, but wouldn't that imply NOT coming in SECOND PLACE even if by a narrow margin?

Oh yeah, and Kurita isn't on the blogs (most people think she's not really in the Senate race either), but let's check out this comment from her press flunky in the Chattanooga article:
"Andy Spears, spokesman for Sen. Kurita’s U.S. Senate bid, said the campaign raised at least $120,000 during the past three months and about $430,000 total. "We feel like we’re moving in the right direction," he said."

Right direction? Does that mean they can finally pay the gas and light bill at their office? (wait, do they have an office or are they still working out of someone's house?)

As for Ford's own bloggers... well, I checked out Forward with Ford... not exactly breaking journalism on the significance of this story. At least tout your own victories fellas.

Mr. Hobbs goes to... well, outta the Blogosphere

2005-10-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

With his recent announcement of a brief vacation from the blogosphere, I'm joining the ranks of TN bloggers lamenting the absence of Mr. Bill Hobbs. Hobbsy didn't always get it right, seldom so. But, where will TN bloggers go for silly but entertaining conspiracy theories now? Come back soon Hobbs.
In all seriousness, please come home Mr. Hobbs.

Jr. Absent, Ed Making Things Up, Van Won't Stand Up

2005-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

As pointed out over at Blogging for Bryant today, Jr.'s campaign report for fundraising is absent. However, of those that have been turned in (Ed, Van and Corker), there was quite some squabbling today.

This is from today's national journal:

'02 candidate/ex-Rep. Ed Bryant (R) issued a release stating "that he is the first conservative" in the race to raise over $1M for the cycle (10/7). The camp of '02 GOV nominee/ex-Rep. Van Hilleary (R) announced they had also passed the $1M mark. '94 candidate/ex-Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker's (R) camp announced they had raised $3.87M in total receipts for the cycle and $517K for the 3rdQ.
Bryant spokesperson Sonny Scott: "Bob Corker is going to need to spend millions of dollars cause it takes a whole lot more to substantiate a lie than it does to tell the truth." Corker spokesperson Ben Mitchell: "All three candidates are pro-life, all three candidates support the 2nd amendment, and all three candidates are for keeping taxes low" (Hotline reporting, 10/7).

So here are the three conclusions/questions drawn from the facts and this lovely round-robin of the spin doctors:

1) Are Jr.'s numbers low? He has been doing exceptionally well in fundraising for a Democrat in TN. Did he tank this quarter? Is this a way to stall the bad news of coming in last place in the fundraising game? Smells like it to me. But we won't jump to conclusions until we see it.

2) Van has raised as much as Ed so Ed is clearly taking a subtle dig and Van's conservative credentials as much as he is Corker's. Now, Corker (despite his spinsters claim above) has some questionable credentials amongst the solidly right. However, Van has a more pro-life voting record than Ed (albeit a one vote difference). But how can Ed in good concious call out Van as less genuinely conservative?

3) Why isn't Van standing up for himself. He seems to be holding his own in the fundraising battle with Ed and Van barely lost the general in the 02 election cycle but Ed couldn't even make it out of the primary. Why isn't Van standing up for himself when Ed calls his conservative credentials into quesiton? Why isn't Van calling on Ed to get out of the race?

New Fun Game at Blogging for Bryant!

2005-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Jay Bush over at Blogging for Bryant brought up a good point today -- he criticized Jr. for voting in Washington today on the energy stuff (how to deal with high gas, home heating, etc. bill post hurricane) rather than being in Nashville.

Needless to say, not everyone shared JB's take on this. When people posted that JB didn't agree with, he was deleting faster than Lamar shamed Ed in the 2002 Senate primary.

Now that you have the background, here is a new fun game I've discovered.

Stay on the front page of JB's site and just keep click "refresh" on you internet browzer while you watch the number of comments on that thread. JB is deleting posts so fast it is like watching the countdown with NASA!To win the game, post here how many total posts you counted JB delete and the person with the highest number wins! You win a chance to sell your endorsement to Corker for multiple tanks of gas! (oh, that was a reference to a whole other fun thread).

Hehehe, Hobbs is a closet air-guitar extraordinaire!

2005-10-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

So you have to wonder why anyone would ever stray off topic on the Hobbs blog and waste his "valuable bandwith," huh?

Normally, Hobbs devotes himself to such partisan-hackery and low-brow pseudo journalim as his recent raves about the oppression of white people by the crushing power of the legislative Black Caucus and Will Pinkston...

But on the evening of October 6th, 2005, Hobbs found perhaps the most valuable use of his precious bandwith.

Hobbs posted his incredibly thoughtful insights on the talent of retired rocker Styxx and his recent appearance on Nashville TV (below)...

Thank you Bill. We can all sleep easier tonight knowing your investigative powers are on the case.

From www.billhobbs.com
October 6, 2005
Styx and Stones
Channel-flipping tonight after The Apprentice and reading my boy a couple bedtime books, and I come across Dennis DeYoung, long ago the lead singer of Styx, singing "Come Sail Away" with full orchestral backing on WNPT, the local public television station. Don't know if it's a local or national thing. A few thoughts: The guy is looking old. But better than he did when he was dressed up in that silly Mr. Roboto costume waaay back a long time ago when I was young enough and stupid enough to have paid money for tickets to that concert. Tommy Shaw was the better part of Styx.

Corker is BUYING ENDORSEMENTS!?

2005-10-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Bob Corker's tactics are raising some eyebrows. At least here with ol' Rusty if the other bloggers haven't been paying attention to the "paying people for endorsements game" going on over at team Corkster.

"Paul Fassbender, Nashville" gives a testimonial on behalf of Corker's candidacy on Corker's official campaign website:
http://www.bobcorkerforsenate.com/Testimonial.aspx?ID=7

But here is the quirky thing about Corky: That guy popped up on Corker's FEC disbursements! -- i.e. -- getting cash!

Is Mayor Corker's support so thin he has to pay for testimonals on his behalf?

Come on, Bob. We all know you wanted to have a testimonal from Nashville on your site, but paying for it?

So how much does a testimonal on behalf of Bob Corker cost?
From the FEC 1st Quarter report:
Paul Fassbender: Reimbursed $60.64 for mileage and gas to Lincoln Day,
2/28/05
Paul Fassbender: Reimbursed $205.63 for mileage and gas, 3/23/05

Yikes, for almost $300 in gas money, with gas prices so high these days, maybe the Corker folks should make a run at ol' Rusty's endorsement!

Post your opinion on this thread, or just sign up here to have your name on the "I'll sell my endorsement to Corker list." -- all prices to be negotiated later!

Ed and Van at each other's throats -- WHY?

2005-10-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Why are Van and Ed so desperate to squeeze one another out? Are they scared of Corker or just scared of a devisive primary? Does Van fear losing the primary and slipping to Ed Bryant status (he lossed the primary in '02). Can somebody make sense of this? Jay Bush over at blogging for Bryant is going nuts over this:
http://www.bloggingforbryant.blogspot.com/

Even Big Bill Hobbs is noticing it:
www.billhobbs.com

(of course, it is not drawing Hobbs of his concern of the oppression of Whites by the Legislative Black Caucus in the general assembly... WOW, does he even live in the South?)

What's the dealio with the poll and Van and Ed at such odds?

Our Next US Senator comes into the race!

2005-10-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a joke when I first read it, but every person keeps telling me this dude is for real. "Bo for Senate" is the new comic relief in Tennessee's 2006 elections. Check out this site, have a laugh, and then we'll get back to reality in the next post. This is just too hilarious to pass up.
http://www.boforsenate.com/

Also, here is the question for this thread if you can take a stab at it: assuming that photo is real, the new Senate candidate's mullet is the ony thing missing. Did he shave his head because his pollster told him mullets don't do well on the ballot, or is it just airbrushed out of the photo. What do you think?

UPDATE:
On Bo's site, if you click the "contact" link, you'll find among other interesting things --

To schedule speeches or appearances, please email: schedule@boforsenate.com

Wow, I bet that link is coming in handy, huh? I bet this dude can't keep up with the storm of potential speaking engagements just flooding the busy campaign headquarters, huh?

Uh-Oh! Van and Ed in hot water?

2005-10-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Van and Ed deny their jobs as lobbyists (peddling corporate money and influence in Washington) will create a conflict of interest if elected, according to the Times Free Press today. But here is a contrary opinion from the same article:

Bill Allison, editor at large for the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, said it’s common for former lawmakers to become lobbyists and then re-enter the public sector, but it generally creates ethical dilemmas. "You would think (a lawmaker’s ) old employers would have an easier time getting in the door and getting access to him," he said.

How can you formulate fair health care policy if you have been on the take from the insurance industry?

Here is the whole article:
CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS Front Page

Senate candidates can be lobbyistsSenate rules bar sitting members from lobbying, but there are no prohibitions on candidates.By Michael Davis Staff Writer
U.S. Senate hopefuls and former Republican Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary have worked as federal lobbyists, but both candidates said they don’t see conflicts with any past or future legislative service. While Mr. Bryant said he stopped lobbying for Blue-Cross BlueShield of Tennessee, Mr. Hilleary said he will continue to lobby for a transportation security company during the Senate campaign. Bill Allison, editor at large for the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, said it’s common for former lawmakers to become lobbyists and then re-enter the public sector, but it generally creates ethical dilemmas. "You would think (a lawmaker’s ) old employers would have an easier time getting in the door and getting access to him," he said. Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker also is running in the Republican primary in the 2006 election to replace Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who has said he will not seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., DTenn., and state Sen. Rosalind Kurita, D-Clarksville, are competing in the Democratic primary. The primaries are in August 2006, and the general election is in November of that year. None of the other candidates has lobbied federally, according to Senate records. Drew Rawlins, executive director of the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, said none of the 2006 Senate candidates has been registered as a lobbyist in the state, according to a database that began in 1996. U.S. Senate rules bar sitting members from being paid to be affiliated with or employed by a firm, business or other organization for professional services, according to the Senate Ethics Manual. The regulations are designed to limit services such as law, medicine, real estate, insurance and "similar types of activities," according to the manual. While lawmakers must cease lobbying once they take the oath of office, Mr. Allison said there are no prohibitions on candidates. "Within the law, it’s certainly legal for that to happen," he said. Mr. Bryant, of Jackson, and Mr. Hilleary, of Murfreesboro, were elected to Congress as Republicans in 1994 and served as U.S. representatives from Tennessee until January 2003. Mr. Bryant lobbied for Methodist Healthcare and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee while with the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz PC, according to disclosure reports. Mr. Bryant terminated his work with Methodist Healthcare on Nov. 1, 2003, according to a disclosure report filed in February 2004. After leaving the law firm July 1, 2004, Mr. Bryant continued lobbying for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. His lobbyist registration with the health care provider was terminated in June since he is running for the Senate, he said. While he contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Bryant said he did not recall lobbying members of Congress on health care issues. While understanding watchdog criticism, he sees no conflict between his lobbying work and any past or future experience as a lawmaker. "Unless we just walk off the street as a homeless person, we’re all going to bring a background," he said. "I don’t think we necessarily become one and the same because we work for someone." Mr. Bryant said he does not see his lobbying experience as a political liability in the campaign. His work with BlueCross ended primarily because of time pressure as a candidate and lobbyist, he said. Ron Harr, senior vice president of government programs for BlueCross, said Mr. Bryant helped the company with information concerning the Medicare Modernization Act. By the time the company was informed of his decision not to lobby, BlueCross no longer needed his assistance, Mr. Harr said. Mr. Hilleary said most of his work has been advising SMS Holdings Corp., a Nashvillebased transportation security company, on legislation that would bring more jobs to private airport screeners. He also has assisted the Lance Armstrong Foundation on cancer survivor initiatives. Mr. Hilleary, who works with the law firm Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal LLP, said he has no plans to cease lobbying for SMS and does not see the work as a political liability in his Senate campaign. "I can put that knowledge to good use for Tennessee companies that hire more Tennesseans and give them work," he said. Mr. Allison of the Center for Public Integrity said candidates typically cease lobbying while running for public office, although the law does not force them to do so. And though opponents might raise the issue, it does not seem to deter voters, he said. "It’s not something that in and of itself is a disqualification for office in the voters’ minds," he said.
SENATE RULES Senate rules bar members from being paid to be affiliated with or employed by a firm, business or other organization for professional services. The regulations are designed to limit services such as law, medicine, real estate, insurance and "similar types of activities."

Harold and the Hotties -- will he share with Hobbs and me?

2005-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

OK, I have to hand it to Hobbs for scooping this in the Blogosphere. It is funny. The question is, will Jr. "share the wealth" with the rest of us?

From www.billhobbs.com
Where in the World is Harold Ford Jr.?
He was courting potential future voters.

What do you think? Do you see Jr. pulling a JFK and getting married for politics?

Bryant Hypocrisy Reaches New Bounds

2005-10-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

Yes ladies and gentelmen, Bryant's blogging hypocrisy reached new bounds today. I am not trying to be pro any one candidate, but with comments like what Bryant is spitting out, it is hard not to introduce a dose of reality.

Namely, JB over at Blogging for Bryant calls out Ford for asking why should Repub candidates for US Senate (Van, Corker, Eddie) be called on to renounce Bennett's racist comments (Bennett saying aboring black babies to reduce crime).

Blogging for Bryant goes on to point out that Ford didn't renounce Democrat racist comments. However, to the shortcoming of the Bryant researchers that feed this balogne to the blogs, ummm.... well, Ford did. In fact, if you google "harold ford" AND "howard dean" it is the first thing you will come up with.

Don't worry JB, we didn't expect you to excercise that 1-1.5 minutes research.

"(Laughing) I won't have him down so many times in Tennessee on the campaign trail with me. He has made some comments as of late that really speak to a lack of understanding I think, of the country, a lack of understanding of faith and values. I'm a Democrat and I'm a God fearing one. I grew up in church. Christianity is not reserved for white males. I think perhaps Governor Dean sometimes gets a little excited at the mouth, and says things that are simply not true. It may reach a point where if he can't find a way to kind of control some of his comments, and temper his comments, it may get to the point where the party may need to look elsewhere for leadership, because he does not speak for me, and I know he does not speak for a majority of Democrats and I dare say Republicans in my home state. I know that other, even Senator Biden and others, have made some stronger comments about him. I look forward to having a chance to sit with him here in the next day or so. I think he's going to be here in Capitol Hill a little later today to meet with us. I want to ask him directly. Can he contain himself in a lot of ways, and what is his thought process in a lot of these issues because it is not representative of where the party is."

That is a quote from Harold Ford Jr. on Imus in the morning in response to the very comments of DNC Chairman Howard Dean that Bryant says Ford never denounced. If you believe blogging for Bryant, those well documented comments never existed...

From Blogging for Bryant:
Let's start with his party's chairman, Howard Dean. During a February meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, Dean joked, "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here."

Now, I don't expect Jay Bush or Bryant's research team to spend the same 30-45 seconds of googling research time I do about their posts, but you think they would avoid making such erroneous claims before they did.

Poor fellas, they just don't know hypocrisy if it smacked them in the face. OOPS, it JUST DID!

Corker's Desperate Attack on Van

2005-09-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Corker campaign must be getting nervous. On the Corker blog, they actually attack Van Hilleary because his college classmate said he didn't have enough extracurricular activities.
WOW! Thanks to the boys at the Quarky Corker blog for outing this!

This is not a joke, you can read it at http://conservativesforcorker.blogspot.com/
"Andy Hoover, who was president of Sigma Chi and the UT student body during Hilleary’s senior year, recalls that, "Van certainly wasn’t known as a stellar student. He wasn’t involved in extracurricular activities, not in the fraternity . . . He would have been the last person in the fraternity that I would have picked out to do anything.""

So basically, Corker resents than Van didn't party it up enough at his fraternity or run for class president in college.

Hey Corkster, maybe you can say he missed the important catch in the high school ball game too!

Get real...
You don't go after Ed Bryant for voting pro-abortion in Congress, instead you go after Van for not having enough extracurricular activities... SOLID WORK THERE FELLAS...

TN Bloggers Defend Bennett

2005-09-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, much hay has been made of Bennett's recent comment that aborting black babies is a way to reduce crime. Now, after the initial shock and outrage at his comment, I think most rational people would say (after some four letter words about Bennett's character) that he screwed up. It was a case of foot-in-mouth disease maybe.

But strip the shock and outrage, and the condemnation of Mr. Bennett, and you have TN Blogger Bob Krumm. Yes, he actually defends Bennet:

"Bennett is unfortunately correct that aborting every black child in America would reduce crime. Instead of being shocked that he said it, we should be shocked that it's true. " -- http://www.bobkrumm.typepad.com/

Yes, yes, that's right. So, if you read this, please click on the link above and tell Mr. Krumm YOUR OPINION.

Campfield, Van, Bennett... why are the other blogs ignoring their similarities

2005-09-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

I can only find one blog (and it is not the kind to even allow posts) acknowleding the national ethical crisis faced by Republicans hitting home in TN. Why don't you see someone like Bill Hobbs acknowledging this?

The recent ethical crisis in the national Republican Party (Delay indictment, Frist taking stock trading tips from Martha Stewart and Bennett’s comments about aborting black babies) are hitting home in the Tennessee Republican Party, and even in the GOP primary for US Senate.

Particularly, state Rep. Stacey Campfield’s recent comments. Apparently he’s been listening to Bennett’s radio show a little too much!

Republican State Representative Stacey Campfield of Knoxville just keeps digging himself deeper into a hole that's becoming embarassing for his entire party. Earlier this week, after being denied membership in the State's Legislative Black Caucus, Campfield — who is white — likened the Black Caucus to the Ku Klux Klan. (read the full story at www.go4truth.com)

The connection to the US Senate race? Van Hilleary has been out touting campfield’s endorsement! Look at Van’s comments about Campfield:”Campfield, who represents part of Knox County, is recognized for his candor and his conservative values.” -- http://www.vanhilleary.com/news-9-12-05.htm

Will Van denounce Campfield’s comments? Why are Ed/Corker/Ford all silent on this?

Campfield being "Misunderstood"?

2005-09-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Check out, Rep Stacy Campfield can't understand how someone could "misunderstand" his "genuine intention" in attempting to join the legislative Black Caucus. He's had to stop letting people post on his site because they just don't see his genuine, good heartedness...
http://lastcar.blogspot.com/

Come on, somebody in the blogosphere tell us who is running against this guy -- Dem, Repub, I, whatever! -- so we can get him outta here.

UPDATE:
Rep. Stacey Campfield, a freshman lawmaker from Knoxville, said the KKK “has less racist bylaws” than the black lawmakers’ group. “My understanding is that the KKK doesn’t even ban members by race,” -- The associated Press

Wow! What a guy!

Dishing up the Reality

2005-09-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

After a juvenile attack from Mr. Bill Hobbs (apparently he doesn't like people posting at his site who disagree with him or want to add to the dialogue if he doesn't agree), I took his advice and started my own blog, welcome for all. This will be dedicated to REALITY in TN and national politics.