Day: March 1, 2018

Former President Barack Obama Tweets Condolences, Skips Funeral of America’s Pastor, Billy Graham

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Former President Barack Obama tweeted his condolences Wednesday on the loss of Billy Graham, but the Associated Press later confirmed he and his family would not attend the memorial, visitation, or funeral of the late pastor who dedicated his life to Christian ministry. Billy Graham was a humble servant who prayed for so many – and who, with wisdom and grace, gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 21, 2018 “Former President Barack Obama is not planning to attend memorial services for the late evangelist Rev. Billy Graham this week,” the AP reported simply. Tom Knighton at PJ Media wrote of President Obama’s absence, “None of this is overly surprising, at least for many American Christians. Obama, despite his claims of sharing their faith, routinely acted in a manner that showed disdain for the faithful. He rarely made an effort to reach out to Christians during his presidency, and actively targeted them with his policies and actions: See his stance on Hobby Lobby, and his never-forgotten feelings on rural Americans being simpletons clinging to guns and religion.”  

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Analysis: Vanderbilt University ‘Barry Poll’ Relies Upon Suspect Methodology That Has Little Political Applicability

Tennessee Star Staff

A new Vanderbilt University poll of 800 “residents” of Davidson County purports to claim that Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has seen little slippage of popularity despite her ongoing sex scandal, including new revelations regarding nude photos, questionable use of overtime security details at non-official events, and continued investigations into potential misuse of public funds and lack of transparency. The “poll” indicates that Barry has see a decline in her approval rating from 72% in a similar poll a year ago to 61% today. The Vanderbilt Poll, which will be released with further details on March 4, 2018, was provided in a “limited preview release” to The Tennessean on February 27. The methodology of the “poll” raises serious questions concerning both the political applicability as well as the means by which the data was collected. 1. The survey was conducted from February 8-19, 2018. No serious polling operation ever conducts a poll over eleven days, particularly when new information is coming forth on a daily basis. 2. Polling “residents” rather than “registered voters,” or more appropriately “likely voters,” limits the political application of the polling data because those who are not even registered to vote tend to be less informed and…

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Tina Jones Announces Campaign for Rutherford County Mayor

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Rutherford County Commissioner Tina Jones announced her candidacy for Rutherford County Mayor on Wednesday. Current Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess has said he will not seek re-election, and State Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) has already he is seeking the job as well. Here is the full statement of Jones’ announcement: Tina Jones, a Republican businesswoman with 7 generations of her family having lived in Rutherford County, has launched her campaign for County Mayor. Jones is a 38-year resident of Rutherford County and served as a Rutherford County Commissioner for 12 years, serving on the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission for 8 of those 12 years. Jones is known as being one of the most effective leaders during her tenure in office and a forceful advocate for keeping taxes low. “These are challenging times for our county because of the rapid growth, traffic congestion, increasing crime rates and the need to ensure that our children are getting the best education possible,” Jones noted in making her announcement. “But this is also a time of great opportunity if we make the right decisions to move our county forward, keep taxes low and retain the values that have made our community such…

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Diane Black: Abortion Is Not Family Planning – It Is Family Destruction

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Diane Black

Representative Diane Black spoke at the Susan B. Anthony List luncheon Tuesday where she discussed the pro-life victories in Congress since the historic 2016 elections that swept Donald Trump and Mike Pence into office, including Black’s own bill to allow states to determine where they spend their Title X dollars and the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which bans late-term abortions after 20 weeks. Black said, “Here in our state of Tennessee – before I left Tennessee to go to Congress – we passed a bill here in our state that was signed into law that said our dollars, our Title X dollars, are used for it’s true purpose and that is family planning. “Abortion is not family planning – by definition. It’s family destruction, by definition,” she said, to loud applause and cheers by the luncheon crowd. "Abortion is not family planning, it's family destruction!" Bravo, @DianeBlackTN 👏👏👏#Proclaim18 #TNpol #ProLife pic.twitter.com/lqKgFD6ej1 — SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) February 27, 2018 After her remarks, her long-time friend Vice President Mike Pence took the podium took a moment to thank Representative Black for her leadership on fighting for the unborn: I understand that you’ve heard from one of the great, great champions of life in the Congress of…

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Judge: Charlottesville, VA Must Take Shrouds Off Confederate Statues

Tennessee Star Staff

A Charlottesville, Va., judge ordered the city Tuesday to uncover its two Confederate statues. Richard E. Moore, judge for the Charlottesville Circuit Court denied the city’s request to keep its Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson covered in black curtains until a year after the death of Heather Heyer, slain at the August “Unite the Right” rally, reported The Washington Post.

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Speech First: New Legal Group Will Sue Universities That Don’t Uphold the First Amendment

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Colleges and universities that violate the First Amendment rights of their students may soon find themselves in court. Speech First launched on Wednesday with a mission to support the free-speech rights of students “on campus, in the courts, and in the media.” Nicole Neily, president of Speech First, said the legal group will level the playing field between college students and the powerful institutions they attend.

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Metro Nashville Police Make Changes to Mayor Megan Barry’s Security Detail After Affair Debacle

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The Metro Nashville Police Department says it is making changes to Mayor Megan Barry’s security detail as a result of the inappropriate relationship she admitted having with her former security chief and the suspicious amount of overtime it cost the City and taxpayers. An MNPD spokesperson told Fox17 that the Mayor’s daily schedule is both long and complex, so overtime will likely still be a factor. Barry’s new head of security is Chris West, who was assigned the role by MNPD after Forrest’s abrupt departure. Fox17 reports that West has “arranged for one of the full-time detail members to come in later every day on a rotating basis so that individual can cover the afternoon/evening hours with minimal overtime if any at all.” Of the new changes, Political Strategist Steve Gill told the news station, “I think this is a classic closing the barn door after all the horses have all gotten out. This is way to little way too late,” adding: I think the main thing is they want to know who’s serving when so they’re allocating overtime or reducing overtime, and also having some control over whether it’s an event where she needs security. If she’s going to some social…

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Vice President Mike Pence Sees the Restoration of the ‘Sanctity of Life to the Center of American Law’ In Our Time

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Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at the Susan B. Anthony luncheon in Nashville on Tuesday, where he said he truly believes that in our time, we will “restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law,” adding sagely, “But we have to do the work.” The event was organized as a part of the 2018 National Religious Broadcasters Convention, where the Susan B Anthony List (SBA List) and the Life Issues Institute (LII) announced their merger. Vice President Pence, who has a long history with the SBA List and the pro-life movement, received a warm welcome from the audience made up of long time pro-life activists, organizers, and leaders. Among them was his friend and ally Representative Diane Black, whom he singled out for her work to protect and promote a culture of life. “I understand that you’ve heard from one of the great, great champions of life in the Congress of the United States, Congresswoman Diane Black, my great friend, is with us here today. I appreciate her very much,” he said. After his initial salutations, Mr. Pence reviewed with his “friends and fellow travelers” the accomplishments he and the Trump Administration made since taking office in January:…

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Metro Councilman on Tennessean’s Call for Mayor Barry to Resign: ‘This Has Become the Opinion of Nearly Every Person in Nashville’

Chris Alto
Steve Glover

Asked for his reaction to the latest call for Mayor Barry’s resignation coming from her former staunch allies at The Tennessean, Metro Councilman Steve Glover told The Tennessee Star: Given the revelations over the past several days, I feel its safe to say that this has become the opinion of nearly every person in Nashville. Putting the welfare of the city above yourself should always be top of mind for anyone elected to serve. Day by day the Mayor’s version of her two year illicit relationship with her bodyguard, which she said during her public admission, did not violate any laws or policies, is unraveling. Judson Phillips, writing in a Tennessee Star commentary on February 1, the day after Mayor Barry admitted to the affair with Sgt. Forrest, was one of the first to call for Barry’s resignation. Another call to resign from long-time pastor and community activist Enoch Fuzz, followed one week later along with a similar message from The Tennessean’s Clarksville-based liberal columnist and opinion writer Saritha Prabhu. Retired Vanderbilt Law Professor Carol Swain nailed the Mayor as “damaged goods” and said “she needs to go” and repeated that message at the “Resign Now! Megan Barry” rally. Despite the nude photos, apparent misstatements by the…

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