Commentary: To Make America Great Again Trump Must Trust Conservatives to Help Him

  Jeffrey A. Rendall Is the trouble Donald Trump is experiencing with filling out his administration due to his not having enough friends? The annual arrival of Good Friday reminds us all that even the most exalted of individuals can find himself without supporters when times get tense. Donald Trump is certainly not Jesus in any sense of the word or concept but there is one slight analogy here – the savior died on the cross because he was betrayed and keeping promises denied by those around him when he needed their help the most. Everyone wanted Jesus to be what they thought he should to be – liberator, teacher, arbiter, provider, governor, philosopher, miracle worker, enforcer of the law and last but not least, scapegoat. None of these things were his mission and Jesus wouldn’t change to please anyone or even to save his life. In the end Christ was virtually friendless – at least among the powerful – but he accepted his fate as necessary to save us from ourselves. Something similar can be said for the president today – that he’s friendless among the powerful – though many of his follies are of his own doing and others are due to simply…

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Ruling That Williamson Strong Is Not a PAC Becomes Final

Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance decided this week not to contest a ruling by an administrative law judge that found that Williamson Strong is not a political action committee, registry attorney John Allyn confirmed to The Tennessee Star. Judge Michael Begley ruled March 28 that the parent group did not spend any money on “express advocacy” in supporting candidates. He also said in his ruling that Williamson Strong met the media exception in that members “posted factually accurate information and commentary regarding issues related to public education.” Formed shortly before the 2014 school board race, Williamson Strong portrays itself as nonpartisan but its blog on its website and its Facebook page are highly critical of conservative groups, including the Tea Party, Americans for Prosperity and Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project. Former conservative school board member Susan Curlee, elected to the board in 2014, filed a complaint against Williamson Strong with the registry in December of that year. In May 2015, the registry fined Williamson Strong and the group appealed. The group was issued a $2,500 fine for failing to register as a PAC by filing a form for appointing a treasurer. A second $2,500 fine for failing to file campaign financial disclosure…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, April 16

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 16, Easter Sunday John 20:16-18 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” – and that he had said these things to her.

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