VOLuntarilyConservative

Take a look at this dramatic reworking of Tennessee's congressional districts, which would leave the Republicans with an 8-1 advantage for the state's House seats.

It certainly wouldn't be uncalled for - the Tennessee GOP has been on the short end of the stick when it comes to redistricting for over 120 years - but I just can't see something this radical coming out of John Ryder's hands (the National Committeeman and Memphis attorney who has been itching to "have the pen after 2010"). I don't think that Marsha Blackburn (who now has plenty of seniority in the Tennessee delegation, second only to Jimmy Duncan) would like it because it strips off a bunch of reliable GOP areas and increases the amount of money she would have to use on television buys by adding in the Paducah affiliates. Plus, while I am all for dividing up the growing liberal base of Davidson County, it would be a tough sell to some Republicans there, not least of whom could be new Speaker Beth Harwell.

Just food for thought. I will say this - if you're looking for a simpler map than what we currently have, you are likely to be disappointed. Good conservative folks have worked too hard for too long to simply fritter away the chance to make Tennessee a red state for the next generation (or longer).

(Hat Tip: Post Politics)

Labels: Redistricting, TN GOP

Many of my conservative friends have commented that today is like Christmas. I think I would rather compare it to Easter, personally, because this is more of a rebirth. A rebirth of Americans who care about individual freedom. A rebirth of Americans who care about their country and what it has always stood for. A rebirth of an electorate comprised of working folks that is more than a slave class for the lazy, the apathetic, and the drug-addicted.

Labels: 2010 Congressional Races, 2010 General Assembly Campaigns, 2010 Tennessee Governor's Race, 2010 U.S. Senate campaigns, Bill Haslam, Kent Williams, TN Democrats, TN GOP

A.C. Kleinheider provides some excellent commentary on the loss of Jason Mumpower as he serves his last weeks in the Tennessee House. This is a wonderful piece of reflection; it's probably the best post I've read this year on any subject.

Labels: General Assembly, Political Strategy, TN GOP

I want to give the 2009 Tennessee Statesman's Dinner the coverage it deserves, which means that y'all will have to wait until later on today for me to author a proper post. Unfortunately, today brings 5 cases in General Sessions Court and 1 case in Circuit Court, so my focus is on my clients on this foggy morning.

Labels: Firm Life, TN GOP

I have been lax to post anything regarding the race to become the next Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. It's not fair to the candidates or to my wife, who, as the State Executive Committeewoman for the 6th District of Tennessee, will cast her ballot for one of the three gentlemen who have put their name into consideration.

I know both Chris Devaney and Oscar Brock well. Chris and I share the bond of having both worked for Senator Fred Thompson while he was in Tennessee, and I had many dealings with him when he served as Executive Director of the TN GOP. I know Oscar through his work with the State Executive Committee (including my time serving as a proxy on the Finance Committee of the SEC, of which Oscar is a member), and we had many memorable experiences in Minnesota as part of the Republican National Convention in September of 2008.

(Regarding Rep. Eric Swafford, who is also a candidate, he has not made the trip to Knoxville to meet with the SEC members in this area to my knowledge, more than likely due to his responsibilities in the House. Because of this (and my solid opinion that he cannot raise money as Chairman when the House is in session under current Tennessee law), I'm going to comment as if this were a two-man race, because, in my opinion, that is exactly what it is. Eric has been a solid conservative vote in the House, and I am of the hope that he will remain there, serving the people of Tennessee's 25th House District.)

Both Chris and Oscar are fine men whose ideas about where the TN GOP needs to go from here strongly overlap. I will admit that while their ideas are similar, their styles do not appear to be. And I think this is what this will come down to - personality. With this being a close race - a fact accentuated by there being at least 8-10 SEC members who will not be making the trip to Nashville tomorrow - it could come down to each candidate's address to the SEC prior to the voting. If Rep. Swafford pulls enough votes on the first ballot, who is to become the next Chairman will hinge on whether Chris or Oscar can pull enough of Swafford's converts to seal the nomination on the 2nd ballot.

I do not know who Angela will vote for tomorrow. We have discussed both men, and I have weighed in (with her and other SEC members) when asked about specific issues. They are both outstanding men, but make no mistake - how this Party moves forward after the excellent results of Robin Smith's reign will be determined tomorrow. I'm not saying that either selection is "right" or "wrong," just different, and it will be very interesting to see how everything shakes out tomorrow.

Labels: Chairman, State Executive Committee, TN GOP

As expected, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith announced this morning in a conference call to State Executive Committee members that she is stepping down from her current position, effective May 30, 2009. She will be devoting her efforts to running for the seat in Congress that is currently held by Zach Wamp.

The problem is that the powers that be in the Tennessee Republican Party have hastily called a meeting on May 30th of the SEC to pick a new chairman. This is a very bad idea. While Oscar Brock and Chris Devaney have been making the rounds to garner support for the important position, calling for a vote in 2 weeks is asinine. The current Vice Chair, Bob Rial, can serve as acting Chairman for a couple more weeks so that interested parties can meet with individual SEC members and state their case for being the new Chairman.

Who does this rushed process fall on? It seems that it has to be laid at the feet of Robin Smith, who is probably making no friends with this maneuver. Former Chairman Bob Davis left in a similarly sudden situation when he joined Fred Thompson's presidential campaign, and he provided much more notice and allowed more time for candidates to make necessary decisions. It is my understanding that much fuss was made on the conference call about the truncated time table that Robin Smith has put forth, and that the concerns of the SEC members were given short shrift. Of course, the SEC has the power here, not Smith. If a quorum is not present on May 30th, then there will be no meeting, and their will be no vote. Voting by proxy is not allowed in officer elections, according to State Party Bylaws.

While Smith stopped short of announcing that she was running for the 3rd District seat currently held by Wamp, I assume that people reading this are not morons and understand what is going on here. I'm sure she has her reasons for needing this done as soon as possible (i.e. - fundraising, formation of an exploratory committee, etc.), but rash decisions too often result in disaster. Let the SEC members properly investigate the situation so that the right Chairman can be elected, and no one will have any doubts that the process was proper and deliberative.

Labels: 2010 Congressional Races, Robin Smith, State Executive Committee, TN GOP

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 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

Two months ago - prior to Election Day - I performed an informal, admittedly unscientific survey of bumper stickers throughout a weekend of driving around Knox, Blount, and Sevier Counties. Throughout the whole weekend, I viewed 5 Obama stickers on Tennessee cars.

This weekend, I performed the same survey in the same counties. This time - post Election Day - I viewed 43 Obama stickers.

Folks, the difference between Tennessee Republicans and national Republicans has everything to do with bold attitudes and ideas. Tennessee Republicans have continued to move against the national political current because they don't roll over on their ideals and because they have a plan when it comes to winning elections.

The opposite is the case with the Democrats. On the national level, the Democrats have seized the talking points and come across as the party with initiative. However, on the state level, Tennessee Democrats are the cowards that only place the Obama bumper sticker on their vehicle after he's won the election.

Take it for what it's worth.

Labels: Bumper Stickers, Democrats, TN GOP

I wish I could be in Nashville for the questioning of the candidates for the three constitutional officers. As so often happens, work is interfering with my political habit.

I don't want to be jaded about this process. I really don't. I don't want to think that the lobbying by some of the candidates before the ink had even dried on the Republican wins of November 4th will win the day. I want to believe that the answers today matter. I really do.

In any case, good luck to the candidates - especially my friends Jim Bryson, Randy Stamps, and Vance Cheek - as they audition for these important positions.

Labels: 2008 Tennessee General Assembly Campaigns, Constitutional Officers, TN GOP

Lots of names have been put into the public discussion for the constitutional officers that will soon be named by the GOP-controlled Tennessee General Assembly (wow, that feels good to write...). Jim Bryson, Bob Davis, and Van Hilleary have been mentioned for Secretary of State, as have others.

No real frontrunner has emerged for the State Treasurer position, but word has reached me by various sources that Vance Cheek, Jr., a former Claims Commissioner under multiple gubernatorial administrations, mayor of Johnson City, blogger, and 1st District Congressional Candidate, may be putting his hat in the ring for consideration.

With a bench as deep as the Tennessee GOP's, I don't envy the party's decision on choosing the new officers.

Labels: TN GOP, Vance Cheek

One of the bad parts about working for candidates is that I rarely get to many of the Election Night parties. It's become worse as I tend to work (like other GOP attorneys such as Randy Stamps and John Ryder) on the voter fraud end of things as the votes are counted and reported.
I don't think that it will be an different this year. I'm staying in state, but I have a few rural counties that I will be working in and am unlikely to make it to Nashville in time. However, for those of you who are looking to watch the returns with a particular crowd, I thought I would leave some of the ones I know of here on VOLCon. I'm not sure if all of these are open to the public (invitations may be needed for some), so call ahead.

Tennessee Republican Party
Limelight
Nashville
Starts at 7:00 P.M. CT

Phil Roe & the Washington County GOP
Meadowview Convention Center
Kingsport
Starts at 7:30 P.M. ET

Lamar Alexander
Cabana
Nashville
Starts at 6:00 P.M. CT

Knox County GOP
Crowne Plaza
Knoxville
No Information on Start Time, as website has not been updated in months

Marsha Blackburn
Embassy Suites
Franklin
Starts at 7:00 P.M. CT

Blount County GOP
The Capitol Theater
Maryville
Starts at 7:30 P.M. ET

Mike Faulk
Clinchview Golf Clubhouse
Bean Station
Starts at 7:45 P.M. ET

Debra Maggert
Italian Grill
Hendersonville
Starts at 7:00 P.M. CT

If I hear of more, I will be sure to post them and bump this post.

Labels: Blackburn, First District, Knox County GOP, Lamar, TN GOP

Several Republican activists and media outlets turned out at Knoxville's Tyson McGhee Airport to meet with members of the Tennessee Republican Party leadership as part of a statewide fly-around campaign to remind people of the importance of voting in General Assembly elections tomorrow.

Members of the party included TN GOP Chairman Robin Smith, former National Committeeman Van Hilleary, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, and State Senators Bill Ketron and Jack Johnson.

Playing off the media coverage devoted to the race for the White House, Senator Norris stated that Tennessee was indeed a "battleground state," being that Republicans had a real chance to rest away control of the Tennessee House for the first time since Reconstruction. All speakers pointed to the local campaigns of Ken Yager and Mike Faulk as examples of races that could bolster Republican control of the State Senate and keep bad Democratic ideas like toll roads, raiding of the road fund, and keeping Tennesseans from selecting their appellate court judges at bay.

Media questions tended to focus on the McCain/Obama race and not on who controls the purse strings in Nashville, which is a shame. People need to understand the importance of what goes on in Legislative Plaza, and that was the purpose of the fly-around by these leaders today.

Labels: 2008 Tennessee General Assembly Campaigns, TN GOP

Many of the leaders of the Tennessee Republican Party - including Chairman Robin Smith, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, and House Caucus Chair Glen Casada - will be traveling from one end of our great state to the other, rallying the troops as Republicans try to take both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since before Reconstruction. This is in addition to the McCain rally at Tri-Cities Airport on Monday morning, for which tickets are needed for admission.

All times and locations are listed below.

9:45 am ET
Knoxville
McGhee Tyson Airport
TAC Air
865-970-9000
2285 Airport Hwy

11:00 am ET
Chattanooga
TAC Air
800-553-4773
1001 Airport Rd
Hanger #3

11:15 am CT
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro Municipal Airport
615-848-3254
1930 Memorial Blvd

12:45 pm CT
Union City
Everett Stewart Airport
731-884-1414
1489 Airport Circle

3:45 pm CT
Jackson
US Aviation
731-427-0191
266-D Grady Montgomery Drive

5:15 pm CT
Nashville
Cornelia Fort Airpark
615-226-4258
2640 Air Park Drive

Labels: 2008 Tennessee General Assembly Campaigns, TN GOP

Our dear friend, the Conservatore over at Pensieri, returns to the blogosphere after a bit of absence spent campaigning to make a plea for unity amongst Republicans, with a focus on his native 1st District of Tennessee. Dave Oatney echos those thoughts, which is apropos given that Vance worked for Phil Roe and Dave worked for David Davis. They are both getting along, so why can't their candidates of choice?

It's interesting to hear Republicans talking like that. Here in Knox County, it's more of a bloodsport for Republicans to beat the hell out of each other. Primary, general election, church softball game - all of these are equal opportunities to kick each other's teeth in.

It appears that David Davis isn't going to take Conservatore's advice or Dave's advice. It appears that he is destined to push this to the brink and destroy any chances that he had - no, still has - at political relevance in the 1st District. He's lawyered up, and given that he's chosen a law firm that specializes in election challenges, I would say that it's a longshot that their legal advice would be to concede. (There isn't a lot of money in doing that.)

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey is also asking Davis to drop any thoughts of an election challenge. I join in that plea. It is doomed to failure. Certainly, when the matter is presented to the Republican State Executive Committee, someone is going to point out that Davis was spared a recount upon his election in 2006. Isn't what is good for the goose also good for the gander? Then the case probably winds up in court, where a judge is going to look at an intraparty challenge that was turned down by the governing body of that party and he or she will punt it out of the courthouse. From what I am reading, there simply isn't any merit to the challenge.

Of course, as Ramsey points out, it is the law of the State of Tennessee that we have open primaries. When I see someone who doesn't like the laws, I tell them to contact their elected representatives. The irony here is that Davis was one of those representatives for many years. Does anyone know if Davis ever offered up a bill to close party primaries to declared party members? I ask because I don't ever recall such a bill, but I certainly could have missed it.

Conservative Republicans are a rare breed, and we only function well when we act like conservative Republicans. Don't act like a liberal Democrat, David Davis, because we don't play the part well. It will only come back to hurt you - and your party - in the end.

Labels: 2008 Congressional Races, Conservatism, First District, TN GOP

Senator Tim Burchett - who has supported Democrats with competency issues in the past - had the following to say this afternoon:

“The only other thing I can figure is that no one wants to come to their
boring chicken dinner, so they did this to try and stir up some interest.”

"Their?" Excuse me, Senator, but isn't this "boring chicken dinner" going to benefit the Tennessee Republican Party? The Republican Party that has supported you in the past and is at least in some fashion responsible for your current position? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you...

The only way that I can take this quote is to surmise that you are no longer a member of the Republican Party.

I guess Tim Burchett has switched party allegiances and has embraced the party that survives on failure and disaster. That should be appropriate, since any Democrat running for Mayor of Knox County (as Timmy B. has been rumored to be an emerging candidate) would see their campaign met with failure and disaster.

Of course, he could join the Independent Caucus. Anyone have any idea which NASCAR driver Tim Burchett could impersonate?

I may not agree with the decision to close the doors to the media at the Statesman's Dinner, but, then again, I didn't shoot my mouth off about it, either. You can disagree with the TN GOP's decision, but you don't have to be a jerk about it.

Labels: General Assembly, TN GOP

Republican events are commonplace across the Volunteer State this weekend.

• Washington County Republican Picnic - Saturday, 11 A.M. - 1 P.M. - Metro-Kiwanis Park.
• Campbell County Republican Women's Picnic - Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. - Cove Lake Pavilion.
• State Executive Committee meeting - Saturday morning - Legislative Plaza.
• Statesman's Dinner - Saturday, 6:30 P.M. - Nashville Convention Center.

Labels: Republicans, Social Events, State Executive Committee, TN GOP

I've let the story about Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith's letter to Governor Phil Bredesen play out to see if some of my own questions would be answered. I see two areas that still have not been cleared up, even after today's story by KNS political pundit Tom Humphrey.

1) The TDP say they received the letter through a simple Tennessee Public Records request. Fair enough. In my line of work, I often have to gather discovery that way, particularly when the Tennessee Department of Children's Services is hiding something. Here's the catch - I don't know to ask for something if I don't know it exists. Now Sasser and Munday are saying that they heard "rumors" around Legislative Plaza that the e-mail had been sent. That makes no sense, so I'm calling BS on that one. Smith sent it from her own personal computer, and it makes no sense for her to politicize the issue by telling GOP legislators about the e-mail. Bredesen's spokeswoman says that they didn't tell anyone about it. It seems pretty clear that either a) Bredesen or b) the Tennessee Democratic Party are lying through their teeth. Most likely, they both are.

2) A.C. at Post Politics won't reveal his source. As a former MSM journalist, I can respect that normally. Here though, it seems silly. A.C. is protecting a source who gave him information about a public document that anyone can access. Sorry, but is that really a source of great information? Perhaps someone will reveal to me that it's only 48 days until it's Football Time in Tennessee - should I anonymously let y'all in on that piece of public knowledge? If there is a reason that A.C. is protecting his source for their actions this time around, then it's journalistic integrity. If A.C. is keeping their name out of the press for some future information that might not be a public record, that's opportunism. There is a genuine distinction.

I'm sure there's more to come on this, but I doubt it will be palatable.

Labels: Bredesen, DCS, Democrats, TN GOP

Good catch by the Tennessee Firearms Association (of which I am a member) and the Tennessee Republican Party for exposing House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh as the liar that he is. The irony is that it was over a firearms issue, which are always the target of Naifeh's notorious parliamentary maneuvers.

Read more over at A.C.'s domain.

Maybe Doug Overbey and rest of the Republicans that continue to vote for Jimmy Naifeh to remain as House Speaker can come up with a gaggle of excuses to manipulate Naifeh out of this snare.

Labels: General Assembly, Second Amendment, TFA, TN GOP