VOLuntarilyConservative

For many of my friends, today marks the end of their campaigns, some of which have spanned nearly 2 years. Today will be a long day for them, and tomorrow will likely be a day of reflection and, at the very least, rest.

Labels: 2010 Congressional Races, 2010 General Assembly Campaigns, 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Bill Haslam, Ed Bryant, Robin Smith, Ron Ramsey, State Executive Committee, Tea Parties, Zach Wamp

The Judicial Nominating Committee, the unconstitutional device created by the General Assembly which will continue the tasks previously designated to the heavily political and unconstitutional Judicial Selection Committee, has been named by Speaker Kent Williams and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey.

The selections were curious in many parts, but two primary questions are generated by these selections.

1) What was Kent Williams thinking? It has been no secret that Kent Williams and his family have been begging (in a disparaging manner, mind you) the Republican State Executive Committee to let Williams back into the party. In particular, the Speaker's sister, Judy Veeneman, engaged in an open e-mail discussion with several members of the SEC that undoubtedly hurt her brother's cause.

With regards to Williams, I have preached patience and reflection to some of the SEC members and fellow Republicans. In my view, Williams simply asking to be let back in after his treachery in January is laughable. It's like asking for forgiveness from your wife for forgetting your anniversary but showing up san flowers or chocolates. You say you're a Republican, Kent - prove it. By appointing Democratic committee chairs on the more important committees, you're down in the count. Which is why I was wanting to see what Williams did on Judicial Nominating. Surely, he would be able to pick a Republican slate that would help Republicans to at least have a chance of being elevated to the appellate bench (not that this would cure the nearly 40 years of liberal rule on the Selection Committee, but it would be a step in the right direction).

So how did Williams do? Referencing the background information from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, of the 8 members Williams selected, 2 were known Republicans, 3 were unknown or could not be easily determined by TCPR, and 3 were known Democrats. Some had given to such political moderates as Jimmy Naifeh and Randy Camp.

Williams failed, SEC. Let RNC Chairman Steele pour money into Carter County and take out the Democrat Williams. And have some cojones, House Republican Caucus, and let Williams caucus with the rest of the Independent Caucus in a phone booth on Broadway.

2) What was Ron Ramsey thinking? In full disclosure, I had applied to be one of Ron Ramsey's selections. Why? Because Ron Ramsey encouraged me to do so. It's also a great opportunity for public service that doesn't involve a commitment like relocation or abandoning my clients.

There were many great candidates for the positions. That being said, I am disappointed in a few of Ron's choices. Despite Ramsey telling a meeting of bloggers in Knoxville several months back that conservatives were needed on the Nominating Committee, Democratic contributor Jack Lowery was selected. That came as a surprise to me.

Probably most puzzling, though, given Ramsey's current position as a candidate for the Governor's Mansion, was his selection of political uberdonor Bill Young. (It's tough to tell, but Young might have contributed the most total money to politicians over the past few years out of the 236 candidates.) First, Ramsey had to know that Young's past financial support of Governor Phil Bredesen would not be looked at favorably by the conservative base of the Republican Party. That being said, Young's support has been almost entirely for Republican candidates, and the Bredesen contribution was the exception, not the rule.

The real concerns that Ramsey's primary opponents may seize upon are Young's occupation and Young's status as a "Ron Ramsey for Governor" contributor. Young is General Counsel for the most profitable non-profit corporation in the area - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. Obviously, I don't have to spell out the perception that many would have regarding these connections; I figure the Wamp, Haslam, and Gibbons campaigns can connect the dots for the voters there.

Overall, the selections were fine. The Nominating Committee is a great improvement over the Selection Committee that it is replacing. There are too many corporate attorneys for my liking; I prefer that those who are picking Tennessee judges to have been in a courtroom in the past decade. However, there are a few selections - as stated above - that are politically troubling given the dearth of possibilities that were available to Williams and Ramsey.

Will this keep Williams from getting back into the Republican Party? No, but it doesn't help his cause. Will this cause voters to pull the lever for Wamp instead of Ramsey? Who knows? Republicans I know are having a generally difficult time choosing a side in the Governor's race. Who knows what makes a difference when things are this close?

Labels: 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Bill Haslam, Judiciary, Kent Williams, Ron Ramsey, State Executive Committee, Zach Wamp

Below is a copy of a letter sent to over twenty members of the General Assembly earlier this afternoon. I thought I probably should include it on the blog, since it's the most substantial thing I wrote today.

June 11, 2009

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey
1 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0219

Dear Ron:

I greatly appreciate your meeting with me last week; I value your perspective and explanations on many issues important to all Tennesseans, including our method of nominating appellate judges. Given all that you currently have on your plate, I realize what a valuable commodity time has become and would like to express my gratitude for the hours spent with us in Knoxville last Friday.

I write today to articulate my concern over reported cuts in Governor Bredesen’s proposed budget to the Indigent Defense Fund. I believe my record of support for cuts in the Tennessee budget, a budget which has unfortunately ballooned under Governor Bredesen, has been well-documented, which I hope supports my claim that any cuts to the Indigent Defense Fund will almost certainly bring unintended consequences that could short-circuit our state judicial system and cost the State more in the long run.

The Indigent Defense Fund (IDF) is a necessary evil in Tennessee’s budget, but its importance grows as our national economy suffers. The constitutional rights enjoyed by our citizens include the right to counsel when they are threatened with deprivation of their liberty; when the State files charges of a criminal nature or threatens to incarcerate a father or mother for failing to pay child support, counsel is appointed by the trial court to represent that person’s interests. While the Public Defender’s offices of the various judicial districts represent a good deal of the criminal defendants in these cases – and they do an admirable job in the face of growing budgetary pressures – ethics requires that private counsel be appointed when cases involve co-defendants, when the victim of the crime is a former or current client of the Public Defender’s office, or when another conflict of interest arises that disqualifies the Public Defender’s office from representing that particular defendant. In addition, the IDF also pays for the Guardians ad Litem (GALs) and attorneys for indigent parents in juvenile court cases, furthering the State’s interest in protecting Tennessee children from abuse and neglect. While public perception may not recognize the importance of attorneys for indigent individuals in Tennessee, the need remains when constitutional issues – such as life, liberty, and the right to parent one’s child – are at stake.

I believe that many attorneys who do not take appointments by judges greatly appreciate the work of those of us who allow for our practices to be overloaded with appointed cases. I recently spoke with one particular trial judge who was a member of the defense bar prior to taking the bench many years ago. He reminded me that the hourly rate, which is about 1/6 of the hourly billable rate for most privately retained attorneys, has not changed since he was in practice. I respectfully do not write today to ask that this rate be changed, as it would not be prudent to do so during these trying economic times. I only ask that the General Assembly fund the IDF to the level where we can meet the needs of our fellow citizens, even if it means that we have to work the increased amount of hours to maintain our commitments to our firms, families, and loved ones.

The IDF was not fully funded for the past budgetary cycle. In late April, attorneys who routinely accept court appointments began receiving letters from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) that served as notice that the IDF would be out of money by May 10, 2009. This basically meant that attorneys who work with our least fortunate of citizens were suddenly reconfiguring their finances with the prospect of not being paid for work already performed for over two months of the year (until the new fiscal year begins in July). Our firm was one of the lucky ones. We have built in reserve funds over the years to prepare us fiscally for just such an occurrence. We will survive until the next fiscal year and continue with our “legal ministry” as we try to help Tennessee’s citizens in the trial and juvenile courts. However, some of our colleagues were not as fortunate and have been forced to move on to more profitable pursuits. I know of one attorney who took hundreds of juvenile court cases who has been forced to declare bankruptcy.

This exodus from the appointed rolls is of great concern to me. With fewer attorneys taking appointed cases because of the threat of not being paid for their work by an insolvent IDF, those of us who remain will inherit even greater caseloads than what we currently carry. That in turn will lead to more continuances and more stress on a judicial system already pushed to the brink. Cases that take longer to resolve will result in defendants – most of whom cannot make bail – remaining in jail longer and further overcrowding our jails. With jails such as Blount County’s operating at nearly 150% capacity, judges will be forced to face the unenviable task to remedy the situation, and some will have to turn to the choice currently posited by Governor Schwarzenneger of California – jettisoning countless convicts into society prior to their debt to society having been fulfilled. Longer juvenile court cases will lead to children being in custody for more time than the system is accustomed, and that in turn will lead to greater expense for the Department of Children’s Services. Without going into too many details, I foresee the proposed cuts in the IDF as leading to more expenses for other lines of the budget that might outpace the initial “savings” to the State.

I understand that the State is in a difficult position with this year’s budget, and I applaud most of the cuts. I want to make sure that you know of our problems in Tennessee’s trial courts, as well. We have seen an increase in the number of cases in our courts since our nation’s economy ventured into recession. While we have experienced moderate increases on criminal dockets, where we have seen the highest volume of new cases is in regards to people falling behind on their child support obligations and with abusive situations involving children. (The child support problem is easily explained as more people lose their jobs and fall behind on their payments. Why more people physically, sexually, and emotionally abuse their children during down economic times is a mystery to me.) More overall cases means more demands on the IDF, which is certainly one reason that the IDF was insolvent only ten months into the twelve month fiscal year. Given our current national economy, I cannot foresee our recent problem being alleviated in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. If the proposed cuts are allowed to stand, I hasten to speculate in which month the IDF will be insolvent in 2010.

I worry that we rush to judgment on this issue in the trial courts, which is the level of the judiciary that bears the burden in dealing with the vast majority of Tennesseans. We have concentrated a great deal of time to an issue near and dear to the hearts of many political activists – both conservative and liberal – in the method of selection of our appellate judges during this session, but the truth is that most cases involving Tennesseans never see a courtroom above the circuit or chancery level. If the General Assembly wishes to make budget cuts involving the judicial system, I recommend looking into possible cuts in the appellate system, such as diminishing or eliminating the post-conviction relief system or somehow taxing attorneys fees for those indigent appellate litigants (such as in the appeals of termination of parental rights cases) to the parties themselves instead of having the IDF foot the bill. In short, I believe there are some ways to make cuts in the system that would only impact a few people but would leave the vast majority of litigants represented and their rights intact. Under an abundance of caution, however, I believe that these potential cuts need to be studied and deferred to a later budget, as we should not act in haste.

Thank you for your time in considering what I believe to be an issue of importance to all Tennesseans. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Until I next have the pleasure of speaking with you, I remain


Truly Yours,



Robert L. Huddleston

Labels: Civil Liberties, Firm Life, General Assembly, Ron Ramsey

If time permits this morning, I hope to have something up about Friday night's dinner with Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey here in Knoxville.

Labels: 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Ron Ramsey

Terry Frank sends a passionate plea to Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey to show all conservatives and those who believe that the Tennessee Constitution means what it says why he is qualified to be our next Governor.

Labels: 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Conservatism, Judiciary, Ron Ramsey

Heh. Senate Republicans apparently think that Tennesseans are so dumb that they can't tell the difference between the words "elect" (as it says in the Tennessee Constitution) and "select" (as they pushed through the Senate Judiciary yesterday).

Those words are mutually exclusive, ladies and gentlemen - just like the words "honest" and "Republican" have become in recent times. I thought that this was more a national phenomenon with which we in Tennessee had immunity. That apparently is not the case anymore.

Promises were made during campaign season regarding the reinstitution of the Tennessee Plan. Apparently, new promises have since been made with the liberal trial lawyers (and their impressive checkbooks) by those running the show in the Tennessee Senate - and you have to look at the leadership here, beginning with Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey.

Consider yourself warned, Tennessee Republicans. If the Democrats are smart enough to nominate conservatives like Nathan Vaughn (should he seek a rematch in 2010), then the grassroots will flock to a new party. As they should, as your party has proven to be out of touch with the populace. The grassroots has come to the conclusion that all you think about is guns, guns, guns, and everything else is just a matter of politics. I can't tell you how many grassroots activists have said this very thing to me over the past month.

Do you think you've done enough in this legislative session to make a sincere case that you deserve the privilege of redrawing the legislative districts come 2011?!?! Really? Could you be trusted to do so after this session?

Absolutely sickening.

MORE: Terry Frank

Labels: 2010 General Assembly Campaigns, 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Judiciary, Ron Ramsey, TN GOP

David Fowler of FACT thinks so.

Word leaked from the Legislature today (Monday) that key House and Senate leaders may seek to suspend the Rules in our State House of Representatives tonight to quickly move tomorrow a bill that would continue to prevent the people from voting for their state Supreme Court judges. This surprise maneuver would continue the current process by which Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Governor from a slate of three nominees submitted by a nominating committee composed of lawyers essentially selected by legal special interest groups. When no one can run against an incumbent judge and there is never a choice of judges, this is not an election as required by our state Constitution.

If what Fowler is alleging is true and there is a movement afoot to suspend the rules late on Monday for the judicial commission vote on Tuesday, then the Republicans do not deserve to be in power come 2010.

There has been quite a bit of discussion over whether Tennesseans are too stupid to be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to vote on the appellate judges of this state (the lefty trial lawyers obviously think they can't be trusted with such a responsibility), or whether lobbyists and kingmakers should be allowed to choose the appellate judges in the backrooms of state government. Some of that discussion was over an Attorney General's opinion issued last week. The AP wrote an erroneous report as to what that opinion contained. I read the opinion; it basically leaves the results of what happens to the Tennessee judiciary after the sunsetting of the "Tennessee Plan" at the feet of the Legislature. The AP report was wrong - period.

The Knoxville Bar Association penned a column in the KNS this Sunday that defended the "Tennessee Plan." (I thought Richard Corsini's response was quite good.) I was not surprised, although quite disappointed. After all, I have paid to be a member of this overly political bar organization since I returned to Knoxville. There was no poll to see if the KBA should have ever ventured into this controversy. Nope, the "leadership" just went ahead and wrote their little column. And I wrote mine in the form of a letter of resignation from the Knoxville Bar Association.

I hope Fowler is incorrect and that nothing is in the works to push through a reauthorization of the "Tennessee Plan." It's hard to fathom why Tennessee Republicans would follow their national brethren and cast aside their respect for strict constitutional interpretation, particularly with an eye to where such actions have landed the national party.

The Tennessee Constitution states that the citizens of the state are to vote for the judges of the Tennessee Supreme Court. I urge the leadership - Lt. Gov. Ramsey, Reps. Mumpower and Casada - to think long and hard before they act on this important issue - and when they do act, to do so in the sunshine where all Tennesseans can see.

MORE:
Terry Frank
A.C. Kleinheider

Labels: General Assembly, Judiciary, Ron Ramsey, TN GOP

I wanted to address some rumors and questions that I have faced here recently regarding the 2010 race for the Governor's Mansion.

Zach Wamp, Bill Haslam, and Ron Ramsey are my friends. As I discussed with several other young conservatives at the Republican National Convention last September, I did not want to see a primary that involves all three of them, but it is obvious that I did not get my wish. The reason I did not want to see this primary is that I don't want to see the bloodbath that could result from a primary which causes a schism in the Republican Party. Let's face it - we got lucky in 2006. It was a brutal campaign, no doubt, and it took a great deal of fence mending by Bob Corker to keep the party together. I see this one being worse - not because of the men in the primary, but because of external conditions that have our party playing defense on the national level.

As of today, January 27, 2009, I am not on anyone's campaign team. I want to be very clear about that. I did attend Bill Haslam's event back on the morning of January 8th, and I enjoyed speaking with Bill, Jim, and the rest of the attendees. However, I am not a member of Bill's campaign. I say this because several of Zach Wamp's supporters and others have spoken to me going under the assumption that because I attended one meeting that I am on board with Bill Haslam. (Most notably, at the State Capitol on the day that Kent Williams committed political suicide, several Wamp supporters started working on me to change allegiances.) I want to be clear that I don't have an allegiance to change.

Will I jump into this fray? Perhaps. Like I said, I consider all three men to be friends. I am familiar with Bill's record as an executive, having lived in Knoxville during his terms as mayor. Ron is from my neck of the woods, and I remember him even before he was in the legislature. I was privileged enough to spend some fun moments with Zach in Minneapolis, one of which was not so fun when we watched our Vols go down to defeat at the hands of UCLA.

All three men have my phone number. None of them have, to this date, asked me to join their campaign team in a specific capacity. Therefore, I remain neutral as of today. That's probably not a bad thing right now as I offer my assistance on the Kent Williams matter. (And, without going into specifics, I am worried about how that particular matter is playing out.) It's early, too. Like most of us here in Tennessee, I have not embraced the two-year campaign quite as easily as others.

I hope that clears things up. If it doesn't, I'm sure I'll get plenty of feedback...

Labels: 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, Bill Haslam, Campaigning, Ron Ramsey, Zach Wamp

I hadn't planned on making the trip to Nashville to witness the swearing-in of the new Tennessee General Assembly members and the voting for the Lt. Governor and Speaker positions. While I've worked on many, many House and Senate campaigns in the past and been invited to the Capitol for the festivities before, my time after the elections has either been spent recuperating from the previous campaign or getting geared up for the next one.

After receiving some correspondence from friends and colleagues this weekend, I experienced a quick change of mind and decided to make the drive Tuesday morning as a form of celebrating the hard work of 2008. Angela often says that I don't bother to smell the roses enough and enjoy the fruits of my labor, so I thought that this might be a way of enlightening my view of Tennessee politics.

The trip was going to be difficult, though, as my around-the-clock work on a lengthy trial last week had left me a physical wreck. My immune system was weakened enough to catch Leo's cold, which has been plaguing me since Saturday. After spending most of the night rocking and consoling him Monday night, I wasn't in much shape to travel. Angela urged me to go, though, because she knows how seeing my friends in the General Assembly raises my spirits. The snow that was falling in Crossville Tuesday morning didn't help, either, but it was of small consequence.

I arrived at the Capitol well over an hour before the sessions were to convene. The early arrival aided me in speaking to several State Executive Committee members, constitutional officer candidates, Senators, Representatives, Congressmen, grassroots activists, and staff members, so many that listing them here would be inviting disrespect when I leave someone off the list.

I should say at this point that I had no concerns about either election. Republicans with even the least likely chance of being persuaded to break ranks had been consulted over the past week by various parties. Kent Williams was viewed as by far the most likely problem, but multiple individuals had approached him in the 24 hours preceding the session, and he had assured them that his vote was solid.

I did not attempt to cram my sick corpse into the House gallery, instead opting for the cooler confines in the rotunda between the two chambers of the General Assembly. This enabled me to view proceedings of both chambers and mingle with friends and colleagues, some of whom I had lost contact with and hadn't spoken to in over a decade. The Senate started close to time and moved expeditiously. The House, on the other hand, was trouble from the start.

First, Speaker Naifeh filed in late with a smile on his face. It wasn't a cordial smile, either. It was Naifeh's usual smirk that makes you think he has something up his sleeve (if not for younger eyes here, I would use the slang form of an "excrement-dining smile"). I looked over at Vance Cheek when Naifeh went by, both of us having witnessed Naifeh's strut and both of us exhibiting looks of concern. Democratic Rep. Gary Odom moved immediately to recess for a couple of minutes. Rep. Mumpower paid Odom's motion short shrift, but Odom surprisingly won the motion by one vote.

As the recess began, I grabbed the first friendly face I could find exiting the House doors. It was Rep. Stacey Campfield, who assured me that freshman Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver had misunderstood the question on the floor and had accidentally voted to grant the motion instead of table it. (I confirmed this with multiple other GOP Representatives at the time.) During the break, I spoke with a group of conservative GOP activists, at which time I stated that if a "miracle" were to happen and the Democrats would hang on to power, that they would point to the recess as the necessary element in their conquest, the key to their superior tactics. (And, voila, my predictive powers were vindicated on that count, even though the Democrats didn't all meet together during the break, which kind of spoils that version of what happened.)

When Kent Williams' name was put forth through nominations, the word that seemed to echo through the rotunda was "bait." However, I wasn't concerned. After all, Kent Williams had told colleagues and activists alike that very morning that he was still loyal to the Republican caucus' choice.

Because of Williams' name being at the end of the Republican party manifest, he cast the last vote. And when he did, all hell broke lose. People booed. Mouths hit the floor. Calls of "traitor" and "villain." Curses from Republicans and Democrats alike could be heard. As the new Speaker was being sworn in, I left (along with many of the Senators and their families). It was obvious to me (with a memory of 2001 in my head) that this situation was ripe for confrontation. Given this report, it appears that the Speaker thought so, too. As one of the Senator's wives said, "I hope that they have security set up for the new Speaker, because he might not get out of here unharmed when people who have devoted blood, sweat, and tears to this cause leave the gallery and accost him face-to-face." Knowing that I have a tendency to speak my mind, I thought it best that I leave, too.

I attended a luncheon with several of my friends thereafter, including Senator Mike Faulk and members of his family, Congressman Bill Jenkins, Tennessee Federation of Republican Women do-everythings Jennifer Little and Dagmar Schoenhoff, GOP campaign manager Darrin Kirkus, and several others. We continued to get text message updates from those still at the Capitol, including news of Williams sealing his fate by voting for Rep. DeBerry for Speaker Pro Tempore.

After eating a fantastic meal, I drove back to Knoxville, stopping once in Cookeville to change clothes for the UT/UK basketball game. And we all know how that turned out. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

A Democratic operative that I call my friend who was not part of this plot described the move as "a kick in the nuts." I told him that I didn't think that was completely accurate, because we had to see what the reaction was. If the Tennessee GOP is more fragile than I imagine and falls to its knees, then the description of a blow to the groin is on point. However, as I pointed out to him, as an individual, I am not bowed; I stand still. If anything, I am more determined than ever. At a time when I was unsure what my next move was (leave politics? cash in my chips and become a bureaucrat? join a 2010 campaign? run for State Chairman if Robin Smith runs for Congress?), this occurrence strengthens my resolve. It has not killed me; it will make me stronger. And the Tennessee Republican Party needs to react in the same manner.

Keeping in mind that I give a great deal of the credit for Republicans being in the majority to our State Party and its bold behavior, I believe immediate talk of stripping Kent Williams of his bona fide status is a bit premature. Yes, Williams is dead meat if the State Executive Committee brings the matter of his status to a vote. The by-laws were strengthened in 2008 to make sure that the rules had teeth to them, and Williams can be kicked out of the party at any time. But that is my point - rash decisions could be detrimental in the future. Let's be more than novice chess players and see four or five moves down the road like a Grand Master before we start doing things that cannot be undone. If Williams' behavior warrants removal from the party - and I think it will after seeing his behavior towards Rep. Kelsey and others today - then we can deal with that shortly. But let's do it on our terms and within our duly recognized rules.

So what do we know?

1) Kent Williams is a liar. That much is certain. He told everyone that he approached the Democrats to hatch this plan. I have been told that is 100% not true. I suppose that Williams is trying to make himself to be brighter than the puppet that he really is through this tall tale (which may be in the face of many in the grassroots and lobbying community who don't exactly reference Williams as the sharpest tool in the shed).

2) Tennessee has a problem. At a time when leadership and legislative responses will be crucial due to a global economy that is in crisis, I expect very little worthwhile legislation to pass out of the House over the next two years. Forget Williams' inability to lead for a minute. The problem here is that Naifeh, Odom, and Williams have raised the stakes of partisanship to a level we are unaccustomed to seeing out of Nashville. It is unrealistic for people to say, "Well, you lied, deceived, and embarrassed us at a crucial moment in the history of the state, but let's see how we can work together in a trusting relationship to move the state forward." That action lies outside of the norms of human nature; perhaps people in mental institutions or a man that believes he was fairly elected U.S. Senator from Minnesota would believe it.

3) Someone needs to take the reigns of leadership of the Republican Caucus. The two most likely people are Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey or Tennessee GOP Chairman Robin Smith. However, both are rumored to be interested in other jobs (Ramsey for Governor, Smith for the 3rd District Congressional seat) in 2010. Ramsey's demonstrated ability to raise funds certainly makes him the most obvious choice, as, assuming a Williams ouster from the party, Ramsey could assist in fundraising for the GOP nominee. Carter County is in Ramsey's neck of the woods, too, so his leadership could prove influential in this area. Which leads us to...

4) Kent Williams has committed political suicide. Several Democratic commentators who have probably never walked across the Covered Bridge in Elizabethton, fished in the Doe River, or spent a relaxing day on Watauga Lake are saying that Kent Williams doesn't need a "R" by his name to win in 2010. They don't know Carter County at all. I'll say this - Mike Williams had a much, much greater chance of retaining his seat in the independent-minded 4th Senate District than Kent Williams or anyone else has of winning Carter County without the backing of the Republican Party. Surely even Williams had to have known this. Which begs the question - is the acquisition of short-term power and an extra $60,000 worth the remainder of your political career?

5) Republicans will never be able to match Democrats when it comes to treachery. It's interesting, but this was something I have been pondering for some time now. For those of you who (like me) are fans of the show, the Republicans' struggle greatly ties in with the hit television show, "24." In order to stop the Democrats, who, like the terrorists play by their own set of rules, the Republicans need a rule breaker themselves - their own personal Jack Bauer, if you will. But that isn't going to happen. The Republicans I know at the state level want maximum sunlight on their processes, want to follow the rules and by-laws set for their actions, and want an end to the backroom deals made in smokey rooms on Capitol Hill. They need Jack Bauer, but all they have are the FBI agents that can't stop the terrorists because of their belief in interrogation without torture, deference to the rule of law, and following agency protocol.

But the Republicans shouldn't try to beat the Democrats at their own game. As Bruce Springsteen concluded in "Trapped:"

Labels: 2010 General Assembly Campaigns, General Assembly, Ron Ramsey, TN GOP