I Prefer Calling It Reagan Day...
But here in Jefferson County, we
had a heck of a Lincoln Day Dinner last night:
Hearing Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam speak made me wonder where this Haslam was up to now in his political career. I wish we had heard more from this Haslam prior to his running for Governor. Mayor Haslam emphasized that his business experience could help him in marketing Tennessee to companies wishing to expand or relocate here and bring valuable jobs. What I was most struck by was that Haslam devoted the last part of his address to what he called "Tennessee values," most notably the pro-life issue. If you don't believe that 2010 is a conservative year, it should be noted that one of the State's most notorious moderates was trying to outflank his Republican primary opponents from their right last night. Haslam also made it a point to seek me out for a greeting last night-a very noble gesture, I thought. Word must have reached him that I defended him in this space on Thursday.
The most important development of the evening for me was learning that I no longer have an opponent for the 4th District State Executive Committeeman's seat-I have two opponents. An intra-party contest with Hobart Rice is one thing, and requires, I think, a certain methodology in this different and special kind of campaign. However, throwing someone like David Chesney into the mix is another matter entirely. David is a tireless political worker, and I've been forewarned that he will "live on the phone" if need be to achieve victory. I do not doubt David Chesney's commitment to Republican principles in the least, but he also has name recognition and the top of the ballot going for him in a way that neither Hobart nor I now enjoy. Familial connections aside, David Chesney has earned quite a lot of that name recognition for his service on the Claiborne County School Board. At the very least, I'd say it will be the most interesting race for an Executive Committee seat in a very long time indeed.
Labels: Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Issues Not Income
If Tennessee Republican candidates are going to go after Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam,
do so based on issues, not income:
In spite of my personal disagreements with how the Haslams (as an example) used their business to promote name-recognition for now-Senator Bob Corker in a way that I personally believe to be unfair-largely because Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary didn't have access to a chain of gas stations giving them free signage space-it is their business. They may use their business to promote their personal and political goals in whatever way they see fit within the confines of the law. Bill Haslam is part-owner of Pilot, and it is his family business which will presumably pass in part to his own descendants. He has the same rights, privileges, and immunities as any other citizen of Tennessee and of the Union, and one of those privileges is the ability to keep his personal financial affairs as private a matter as possible under the circumstances.
Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
After Midnight...
There may be no alcohol sales in Tennessee
if Representative Curry Todd has his way:
If these proposals become law they could further restrict the ability of State, county, and municipal governments to raise revenue without having to further increase property taxes. Liquor taxation is a tax that is entirely voluntary, and has the potential to raise untold millions of dollars a year. While members like Rep. Tony Shipley are moving on legislation that could truly reduce the impact of drunk driving through real punitive action, this bill (which I am loathe to point out is being run in the Senate by my Senator who I voted for, and hope to support again) will have as much impact on alcohol-related crime as simply uttering the statement "alcohol-related crime is bad."
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Order Up!
The Tennessee General Assembly tells Governor Phil Bredesen that Tennesseans
know how to order their own food:
This legislation was proposed to counter an attempt by the executive branch to impose nutritional menu-labelling on restaurants in Tennessee. It is utterly laughable that the Governor has stated that menu-labeling "fights obesity" when it does no such thing. Unless the Governor was going to propose a corresponding regulatory measure requiring restaurant patrons to order the chopped salad instead of the bloomin' onion at Outback Steakhouse and steamed vegetables instead of a loaded baked potato or Aussie cheese fries, labeling the menu only tells customers what nearly all of them know in 2010-your favorite dining items will likely add to your waistline. Folks are going to order what they want to eat (I don't about the rest of you, but I can and do fix salads at the house-if I'm going out with my family, I don't need the government to tell me the salad would be healthier than what I would really
like to have).
Labels: Conservatism, Duh, Tennessee politics
Harold Ford Jr., Desperate Political Has-Been
Harold Ford Jr. told Maureen Dowd he
left Tennessee because we are all a bunch of racists:
Junior may not have the stain of corruption that his father, uncle, and aunt all seem to have in their political careers, but in politics you are often defined by voters based on the actions of your close family (unfair as that may be)-especially if virtually your entire family are political people, as is the case with Harold Ford, Jr. As a result, for Ford to have any chance to resuscitate his dying political career, he has to do it on a Statewide basis other than the one where he managed to make his own political name. To blame the people of Tennessee as a whole for not accepting his wife is beyond disingenuous and despicable, it is an insult to every person who lives in Tennessee, regardless of what color they are or what their political persuasion might be.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Democrats, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
