Day: June 28, 2018

Will Pro-Abortion Bredesen Support Confirmation of a Pro-Life Justice to the Supreme Court?

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Phil Bredesen

On Wednesday Democrat Tennessee Senate Candidate Phil Bredesen issued a Twitter statement regarding the upcoming confirmation battle to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. “Not long ago, Senate judicial confirmations were free of openly partisan politics. Justices Scalia & Ginsburg each got 90+ votes. I’m going to vote for or against a nominee based solely on whether I believe them to be highly qualified & ethical, not based on partisan politics.” Not long ago, Senate judicial confirmations were free of openly partisan politics. Justices Scalia & Ginsburg each got 90+ votes. I'm going to vote for or against a nominee based solely on whether I believe them to be highly qualified & ethical, not based on partisan politics. pic.twitter.com/NgzGQC8E4K — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) June 27, 2018 Bredesen did not indicate whether ideological differences on certain issues would disqualify a nominee for a Federal judicial appointment from receiving his vote for confirmation if he is elected to the U.S. Senate. Since Bredesen tweeted his statement Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who recruited Bredesen to run for Corker’s Senate seat, has called on his fellow Democrats to reject any nominee who does not embrace abortion.  And although Trump has not…

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Reports: At Least 5 Killed in Maryland Newspaper Office Shooting

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Capital Gazette building

Reuters   A gunman fired through a glass door at a newspaper in the Maryland capital of Annapolis and sprayed the newsroom with gunfire Thursday, killing at least five people and injuring several others, authorities said. The suspect has been apprehended and no motive is known for the attack at the Capital Gazette newspaper, local political leaders said. Law enforcement in Baltimore and New York City deployed protective forces to major media outlets as a precaution, authorities said. “The shooter is in custody and is being interrogated at this time,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh told a news conference. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said at the news conference: “It’s a tragic situation. We don’t have all the information yet, and we can’t give all the information yet, but we have had several fatalities.” For now, the Annapolis shooting is being treated as a local incident and not one that involves terrorism, a law enforcement official said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is on the scene assisting local authorities, the official said. Phil Davis, who identified himself as a courts and crime reporter at the Capital Gazette, tweeted that multiple people had been shot. Davis said a single shooter “shot multiple people at…

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Bredesen Evasive About His Prospective Role in Contentious Supreme Court Confirmation Process for President Trump’s Nominee

Tennessee Star Staff
Phil Bredesen

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement on Wednesday has prompted an immediate confirmation battle heading into the Fall mid-terms and is already having an impact on Tennessee’s Senate race. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), who is running to succeed Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), issued a statement shortly after Kennedy made his plans known and indicated her intent to support President Donald Trump’s nominee. Blackburn called the confirmation of Supreme Court justices “one of the Senate’s most important responsibilities. As Tennessee’s next Senator, I will vote to confirm constitutional justices, who will follow the rule of law and do not legislate from the bench. It’s absolutely critical to confirm justices who understand the importance of upholding the Constitution, including the right to life.” Former Democrat Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, was more equivocal about his approach to the Supreme Court vacancy, saying a candidate’s character and qualifications are more important than party lines. “I just think we have such a partisan mess in Washington right now,” Bredesen said. “This is a real chance to start unwinding that in something that is very visible and important to the country.” Bredesen also issued a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, just hours after Kennedy announced his retirement.…

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It’s On! Diane Black Goes Negative on Bill Lee and Randy Boyd in New Ad

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Many political observers have been surprised that an anticipated barrage of negative campaign ads have been held back thus far in the Tennessee Republican Primary for Governor. The wait is over as Congresswoman Diane Black has unleashed a new attack at that hits two of her opponents, Bill Lee and Randy Boyd as being “two moderates.” While the ad is particularly scathing in its treatment of Boyd, the inclusion of Lee in the spot seems to confirm that Lee is enjoying a surge in recent polls — which is particularly damaging to Black’s Middle Tennessee numbers.   The transcript of the new Black ad, which began airing today, reads as follows: “Diane Black, endorsed by the NRA. And she helped write Trump’s tax cut. Is Diane Black “too conservative”? Randy Boyd says she is. But Randy Boyd also disavowed Donald Trump in 2016. Boyd even calls himself the “most hated political entity — a moderate.” Bill Lee’s a moderate too. He pushed for a liberal Nashville Mayor who tried to make Nashville a sanctuary city. This race is simple. Two Moderates or Conservative Diane Black.” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said the ad is consistent with two major themes…

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How Can Phil Bredesen, Standard Bearer for Increasingly ‘Unhinged’ Democrats, Represent Tennessee?

John Bryant
Democrats Unhinged

In the wake of some genuinely unhinged  behavior and some truly shocking election results, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is out with a new add attacking “unhinged” Democrats like Tennessee’s own Phil Bredesen. The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a brutal campaign ad on Tuesday attacking the political Left ahead of the 2018 midterms, highlighting their extreme rhetoric and actions. The full ad can be seen below. The ad comes after Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) called for the harassment of members of the Trump administration on Saturday. Various members of the Trump administration have already been targeted in recent days including White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The ad highlights multiple well-publicized instances of those on the political Left advocating for extreme action in response to the Trump administration, including Madonna saying she has thought about blowing up the White House, Snoop Dogg shooting the president in a music video, Bill Maher saying he hopes the economy crashes so it hurts Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi saying she doesn’t know why there aren’t uprisings “all over the country,” and Waters’ extreme speech where she called for the harassment of…

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Steve Gill Debunks Common Media Myths in Immigration Debate on News Channel 5’s ‘MorningLine’

John Bryant
Steve Gill

Tuesday on News Channel 5’s “MorningLine”, Conservative and Tennessee Star Political Editor, Steve Gill sat down with host Nick Beres to discuss immigration and the ongoing debate around it in America today. The full ten minutes is worth a listen as Gill debunks many media myths circling around within the immigration debate. “Part of the problem here …,” said Gill,” of the 12,000 children that have been put into federal custody over the last several months, 10,000 of them came alone. These are not 4 year-olds trekking from Honduras across the Mexican desert. These are 16, 17, and in many cases older than 18 young men who are claiming to be minors.” Gill goes on to debunk other media myths, as well, along with media’s mostly ignoring serious issues of sex trafficking and child abuse linked directly to the same illegal border crossings media is, in essence, defending, while often covering up the more ugly side of same.              

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Justice Kennedy Retirement Raises the Stakes for Senate Mid-Term Elections

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Marsha Blackburn, Anthony Kennedy, Phil Bredesen

The announcement that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring, which will prompt a confirmation battle heading into the Fall mid-term election cycle, is already raising the stakes in contested U.S. Senate races across the country. Democrats are defending Senate seats in ten states that President Donald Trump carried in 2016, including five that he won by double digits. The confirmation of a replacement for the 82 year old Justice will certainly have an impact on Tennessee’s Senate race. Trump has already indicated that his appointment of a replacement for Kennedy will come from the list of conservatives that he named during his election campaign, along with five others he added last Fall.  And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a vote for the confirmation of a new Justice will come this Fall. Liberal activists are already melting down over the announced retirement, though it was widely anticipated.  In fact, a Democratic National Committee rules committee was on a conference call when the announcement came and the anguished reactions were audible. Conservative Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is among those thought to be on Trump’s short list, and was among those on the initial list of 25 conservatives that Trump plans…

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JC Bowman Commentary: SCOTUS Janus Decision Will Make Unions More Accountable to Their Members

JC Bowman
Mark Janus

The Janus Decision will not create drastic structural changes to unions.  It will simply make them more accountable to their own members.  And in the case of teacher unions, this greater accountability should focus on making the quality of education front and center, help public education rebuild support from the public for issues like raising teacher pay and school funding, and work for the common good of all students and educators.

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Kremlin: Trump, Putin Will Meet for Summit

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Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin

Kremlin officials say there is an agreement for Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump to hold a summit in a third country. The announcement came Wednesday as U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton was in Moscow for talks with Putin and other senior Russian officials. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said details about the venue for a Trump-Putin summit would be announced Thursday. The meeting is expected to take place after Trump attends the NATO summit July 11 and 12 and visits Britain on July 13. Vienna and Helsinki are among the venues being considered. Earlier, Putin told Bolton that his visit to Moscow increased the chances of a restoration of Russian-U.S. relations. Putin said relations between the two countries were “not in the best shape.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters “the sad state” of bilateral relations between the two countries would be discussed, as well as a range of international issues. Bolton had said he hoped his one-day visit would lay the groundwork for what would be the first summit between Putin and Trump. Trump and Putin have met twice on the sidelines of international summits and have spoken several times by telephone. Washington-Moscow relations…

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Minnesota’s Capital Cancels Independence Day Fireworks Because It’s Too Expensive

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Melvin Carter

by Anders Hagstrom   The Democratic mayor of Minnesota’s capital cancelled the city’s annual 4th of July fireworks show Wednesday, claiming it required too many tax payer dollars. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter made the announcement on Facebook and clarified that while there would be no fireworks, there would still be a parade, Kare11 reported. Carter’s budget concerns come after years of disappointment in the city’s fireworks show that seems to shrink annually, causing many Minnesotans to attend competing shows nearby. “As I’ve considered the budgetary priorities we manage across our city in the first year of my administration, I’ve decided I can’t in good conscience support spending tax dollars on a fireworks display in St. Paul this year,” he wrote. “Over the past three years, the city partnered with CHS Field to hold fireworks on the 4th, but given the venue’s location and capacity, this was always intended as a short-term solution,” Mayoral spokeswoman Liz Xiong told the Pioneer Press. “As we considered all these factors this year, including the costs for fireworks, insurance and city department costs including fire, police and public works, the mayor could not in good conscience support spending upwards of $100,000 from the city’s budget.” Carter has spent most…

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Nashville Demonstration Protests Trump Travel Ban Victory at Supreme Court

Jason M. Reynolds
AMAC, David Briley

Rallies were held in Nashville and across the country Tuesday following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Trump’s travel ban on Muslim countries. The latest, third version of the policy applies to five mostly Muslim countries as well as North Korea and Venezuela, NewsChannel 5 reports. Chief Justice John Roberts said the ban was within the scope of Presidential authority to protect national security. Predictably, some were not happy. In Nashville, the American Muslim Advisory Council held a rally at Legislative Plaza. The council and MPower Change organized on a Facebook page. The page said, “It’s crucial that we have a visible, strong presence across the country of people who care about Muslim and refugee communities and oppose Trump’s White Nationalist agenda. The #NoMuslimBanEver campaign is calling for a national day of action whenever the decision is announced.” Nashville Mayor David Briley attended the rally, WSMV says. At least 18 groups in addition to the council participated, the station says. It is unclear how many people actually attended. Challengers had argued the administration’s order was discriminatory and unconstitutional because the president had called for a ban on Muslim travelers from the Middle East while he was on the campaign trail in…

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Commentary: Misplaced Democrat Outrage Over Illegals Has Backlash Written All Over It

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Antifa in Nashville

by Jeffrey Rendall   Have Democrats got something here, or have they really lost it? The question passed through my mind as a member of my church stood up a couple Sundays ago to request special prayers for the “families” with kids being separated from parents down along the southern border, genuinely implying there was a true humanitarian crisis at hand in America. Fellow church parishioners nodded in agreement to the man’s plea and many a petition was instantly heaven-sent for the sake of children and parents whom we’ll most assuredly never meet and who likely will be deservedly deported right back to whence they came. We shouldn’t have a problem praying for these folks – it’s the human condition, right? A little divine intervention here could only be a positive thing. But Democrats are taking this child-separation issue to the extreme, rejecting every overture from President Trump or congressional Republicans to not only aid those impacted by the government’s official policies, but also to deal with the illegal immigration problem itself. The minority party’s lack of interest in the authentic dilemma exposes their naked ploy to milk the crisis for every political chit it’s worth. Here’s thinking such a flawed strategy is…

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Brad Greer Endorses 2016 GOP Primary Opponent Dr. George Flinn for Congress in 2018 Election

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Brad Greer, George Flinn, David Kustoff

In 2016 Dr. George Flinn narrowly lost a multi-candidate Republican primary race to now first term 8th District Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN8). Flinn and Kustoff are facing off again in 2018, but this time one of their primary opponents, Brad Greer, has signed on to help Flinn. In the 2016 Republican primary Greer won Madison, Obion and Lake counties. “We need a Congressman who will represent the whole district – from Memphis to Lake County over to Henry County and down to Jackson,” Greer said in making his endorsement. “We need someone who will guard our West Tennessee values – faith, family, hunting, fishing and supporting our community. George Flinn embodies those values. He’s a Christian man, who loves this country.” Greer said he really got to know Dr. Flinn during the 2016 Republican Primary. “I learned during the 2016 campaign what type of man George Flinn is – he’s a man of integrity. He’s someone who cares about the people. He’s the same person behind the curtain as he is on stage. I saw it day in and day out because I was campaigning against the man,” Greer pointed out. “I came to a point of realizing, if I…

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China on the Verge of Gaining a Key Foothold on the U.S. Mainland

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China, Port of Long Beach

By Printus LeBlanc   The U.S. is on the cusp of allowing the Communist Chinese government a strategic foothold on the homeland. China must not be permitted to purchase the operating rights to the Port of Long Beach. While the mainstream media is concentrating on what salad dressing the President uses and encourages people to harass politicians they disagree with; the world keeps spinning. Not only is the world still spinning, but the global powers are maneuvering to challenge the U.S., and all we talk about is the First Lady’s jacket. One of the chief misconceptions about the Port of Long Beach sale is about the two companies involved. Most people believe the issue is just one Chinese firm taking over from another Chinese company. Technically that is true, but one must look at the difference between the two companies to see what is going on. Last July, Shanghai-based China COSCO submitted a $6.3 billion bid to buy Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). OOCL is a 70-year-old company founded by C.Y. Tung. It became the first Asian-based shipping line to transport containerized cargo across the Pacific. In 2012, OOCL signed a 40-year lease worth $4.6 billion to develop the Long…

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House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Endorses Jimmy Matlock in 2nd Congressional District Race

Laura Baigert
Jimmy Matlock, Mark Meadows

Candidate for U.S. House District 2 Jimmy Matlock announced Wednesday that he has earned the endorsement of the current House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows. Matlock is in a heated race for the 2nd Congressional District seat which has been represented by a member of the Duncan family for over 50 years, with John J. Duncan Sr. preceding his son “Jimmy” from 1965 to 1988. The conservative known for his independence announced in August 2017 he would not seek re-election, and Congressman Jimmy Duncan has since thrown his support behind Matlock. While the Federal Election Commission reports a 10-year record of 17 candidates running for the office, since the Civil War the seat has not been held by a Democrat and the race is essentially between the two Republican front runners Jimmy Matlock and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. Meadows, who has served North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District since January 2013, was one of the original nine founding members of the House Freedom Caucus which originated out of a Hershey, Pennsylvania Republican congressional retreat at the start of Meadows’ second term in January 2015. In 2017, Meadows became the second Chairman of the estimated thirty-plus member Caucus, following the two-year…

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