VOLuntarilyConservative

There's an article in Nashville's City Paper that talks about Senator Lamar Alexander's recent move to step down as Senate Republican Conference Chairman and to instead work on "bipartisan solutions." Also referenced are Lamar's recent fundraising efforts to put Tennessee dollars into the pockets of known RINOs Olympia Snowe and Dick Lugar.

There is quite a bit of gnashing of teeth and vitriol at Lamar's actions, and likely with good cause, as Tennessee elected him to represent their interests, not some bipartisan mumbo jumbo.

But here is my question regarding both Lamar and Senator Bob Corker, who, if you haven't noticed, is up for re-election in 13 months:

If the base in Tennessee is so filled with angst about their two Republican senators, then where are the primary challengers?

Lamar walked to his second full term in 2010. Bob looks to be uncontested in 2012 (unless someone is raising cash in the shadows, and that would have to be the mother of all stealth campaigns).

If Lamar and Bob are so far afield of the Tennessee conservative base, then why are they not being challenged at all?

UPDATE: Right on cue, Bob Corker added to Lamar's call for more bipartisan legislation.

Labels: 2012 U.S. Senate campaigns, Bob Corker, Lamar

The New York Times calls the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act the "largest expansion of government-sponsored service programs since President John F. Kennedy first called for the creation of a national community service corps in 1963." And when the NYT says that, you know we're talking a level of wasted taxpayer dollars that boggles the mind.

This piece of Democratic legislation brilliantly creates "paid volunteers" - a mythical beast once restricted to Democratic political campaigns - to allow for Americans to serve in their communities. Because, you know, that's something that we would never be able to do without the government's help...

The Tennessee delegation broke down pretty much the way you would expect - with one exception. In the House, the Republicans (Roe, Duncan, Wamp, Blackburn) voted against the bill, while the Democrats (Davis, Gordon, Tanner, Cohen, and Cooper) all voted for it. (So much for Lincoln Davis and John Tanner being "fiscally conservative.") In the Senate, the Tennessee delegation was split. Thanks to Senator Corker for being one of only 19 Senators - all Republicans - to vote against this unnecessary expansion of the federal government.

Labels: 2008 Congressional Races, Bob Corker, Economy, Government Spending, Lamar

Wednesday morning began with speeches to the Tennessee and Alaska delegations by Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Bob Corker touched a little on his recent trip to Georgia to view the unrest in that nation. Lamar Alexander showed a strong states' rights streak with his hammering of the need to stop unfunded federal mandates.

Governor Huckabee (pictured above with Chip Saltsman and Susan Williams) spoke mostly about Governor Sarah Palin. He pointed out that Palin received more votes while running for Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, than Joe Biden received in two presidential bids. Huckabee predicted that value voters will not turn from Palin due the recent pregnancy discussions, citing that she will become "like family" to the American people, and families stick together and offer forgiveness when needed. He pointed to Obama's meager record, and Huckabee hammered Obama when he said that the closest Obama has ever come to dealing with a terrorist is when he met with William Ayres. Huckabee closed a strong speech with a proposal that the nation's energy problem could be solved if the hot air could somehow be harnessed from Nancy Pelosi's speeches.
In the afternoon, an event was held with Senators Corker and Alexander at the Minnesota Science and Energy Museum.

From the veranda of the museum, several of us from Knox County were struck by how similar St. Paul and Knoxville were. The picture above greatly resembles the view off of the South End Zone seats at Neyland Stadium. We were also able to speak with Lamar Alexander about new historical exhibits in Tennessee, the importance of knowing one's genealogy, and how Tennessee's history is shaping its future. It was an intriguing informal discussion that I enjoyed greatly. Lamar is a great student of history, that is for sure.

During his program remarks, Bob Corker told details of his trip to Georgia. He also told of an interesting aspect of John McCain's foreign relations experience, of how world leaders to whom Corker has spoken don't speak of "Senator McCain," but of "John."

Lamar also addressed the crowd. He told of specific goals and predictions regarding energy, which is without a doubt the biggest issue being discussed here in the Twin Cities. Lamar believes that within 15-20 years that 50% of our cars will be electrically powered. He believes that this help our national dependency on foreign oil, but he realizes that 50% of our cars at that time would still be dependent on gasoline. In order to help all Americans and not create economic hardships based on what people could afford, Lamar believes that we need to increase American drilling. He pointed out that Republicans are the only party with a two-pronged approach - conservation, but also finding more and better energy sources.

From there, we went to the convention for the best night of speakers thus far. I will have to provide my notes, pictures, and thoughts on those at a later time, as my schedule here in Minnesota demands that I be at one function or another for the remainder of the day. I will attempt to add Part 2 (at the least) before I board my plane for Atlanta in the wee hours of Friday morning.

Labels: 2008 Republican National Convention, Bob Corker, Energy, Lamar

Bob Corker and I are on the same page regarding this supposed economic stimulus policy. I would be OK with the House plan if:

1) the money wasn't also being given to illegal aliens, because it isn't like we need to give Mexicans another reason to come into our country illegally;
2) there were cuts in the budget that equaled the amount of money being dispersed, or, in the alternative, a government surplus into which this money would come from;
3) people who didn't work this past year, and thus didn't pay into the system, don't receive a "rebate," because then it's not a rebate - it's welfare;
4) the rebates would get to hard-working Americans before June or beyond, because there's no telling how bad of shape this economy is going to be in by then.

As it is, the House plan has no elements that would meet the above criteria, much less all of them that would be required for this to look more like an economic stimulus and less like political pandering to the electorate. Bob Corker sees that, and he made no bones about his position yesterday in a conference call, stating that he would not vote for the plan once it is before the Senate.

Good for Bob. He's not voting lockstep with the neocon machine. Bush, the GOP, and the Democrats are all about rebates now because it is an election year, and they want voters to feel good about the Congress and President. Just think of this as incumbent protection, and the real victim is this country's economic viability.

Labels: Bob Corker, Economy