Month: July 2018

Phil Bredesen Fails to Disavow Tennessee Democratic Party Spokesman Who Said ‘F*** Reaching Out to Trump Voters. The Idiots Aren’t Listening’

Jason M. Reynolds
Mark Brown

Republicans are raising a ruckus over a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s use of foul language and name-calling, especially since that spokesman has been vigorously promoting the candidacy of Democrat Phil Bredesen for the U.S. Senate, who has expressed outrage at being called a “liberal.” The former governor, who is running in the U.S. Senate race against Rep. Marsh Blackburn (R-TN-07), said last week it was “name-calling” when Vice President Mike Pence said he is a “liberal.” However, Tennessee Republicans say Bredesen is deaf when it comes to the many imprecations uttered by state Democratic communications official Mark Brown, the Washington Free Beacon said. Brown, who has been promoting Bredesen’s campaign in his role as a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, in the past has tweeted “f*** ‘reaching out’ to Trump voters. The idiots aren’t listening.” The Tennessee Star reached out to the Bredesen campaign to ask if the former governor disavowed the Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown, or his foul-mouthed comments about the 1.5 million Trump voters in Tennessee. The Bredesen campaign did not respond. Bredesen’s failure to disavow Brown’s vulgar comments is not expected to sit well with Tennesseans, who are well known for their civility…

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Commentary: Tennessee Democrat Wrongly Pushes TVA as Broadband Solution

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Phil Bredesen

The Democrat seeking to replace the retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R) is pushing the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a solution to solve the rural broadband gap. But, history shows that kind of big-government method will only take a bite out of taxpayers. Bredesen, the former governor of the Volunteer State, said recently he wants to amend the federal TVA Act to permit that government-owned power providers offer broadband access to rural areas of Tennessee. He said, “TVA is perfect to fix this digital divide,” noting the TVA board’s 2017 plan to spend $300 million to expand its network fiber capacity, which should improve the reliability of its transmission system. “I want our country to get back to the days when it did bold projects and not just fool around the edges with grants, tax credits, and demonstration projects,” Bredesen said. TVA seems more pragmatic and less eager about the idea than Bredesen. TVA spokesman Jim Hopson told the Times Free Press the focus of the expansion is to ensure reliable delivery to power in seven states, and that TVA “is not intending to become a broadband supplier.” While the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act signed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam…

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Rumor Control: Setting the Record Straight on PreK/Kindergarten Portfolios

JC Bowman
JC Bowman

Social media was hard at it this weekend over the PreK/Kindergarten Student Growth Portfolio Model.  While Professional Educators of Tennessee is not sold on the portfolio process, it is the current law (see T.C.A. §§ 49-6-103–49-6-110).  We believe the current portfolio system takes up too much time for our educators.  However, the inaccurate information about pre-K and kindergarten portfolios was spreading way faster than a speeding bullet.  So, let’s set the record straight with some accurate details. There was no computer glitch or computer error related to portfolios. We confirmed this with a simple phone call to the Tennessee Department of Education.  There statement was:  “There was no error by our vendor, and there was no computer glitch.”  The Department further explained:  Teachers receive an overall portfolio growth score based on their scores on four separate collections, which look at students’ growth over the course of the school year on specific standards. Some teachers mismatched students and/or standards when they were inputting their portfolio information. In those cases, the issue was flagged by a peer reviewer and the teacher received a score of a 1 on that specific collection, which was by design if this mismatch occurred. For example, a…

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Sen. Rand Paul Backs Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh

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Rand Paul

Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who had publicly wavered as to whether he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, endorsed him Monday. Paul of Kentucky says he will back Kavanaugh despite his misgivings about the judge’s views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Senator Paul would oppose President Donald Trump’s choice in the end. The endorsement gives Kavanaugh a boost as he prepares to sit down Monday afternoon with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators seen as potential swing votes in the confirmation fight. Manchin has said he’s interested in Kavanaugh’s views on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The senator has also asked West Virginia residents to send him questions for the meeting. Manchin was one of three Democrats who voted to confirm Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were the others. All three are up for re-election in states Trump easily won in 2016. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate. With the absence of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who is fighting brain cancer, they cannot afford to lose…

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Trump Promotes More Jobs for Americans … at the UN

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by Fred Lucas   The Trump administration is trying to secure more jobs for American citizens in the United Nations bureaucracy, as a recent State Department report finds woeful underrepresentation even though the United States contributes more to the world body than any other government. The U.S. funds almost one-quarter of key U.N. agencies, and their staffs play a key role in implementing international policy on health, aviation, labor, and security. However, the U.N. hasn’t made a good faith effort to hire Americans under existing rules, according to a State Department report obtained by The Daily Signal. The report, sent July 3 to members of Congress, asserts that five U.N. agencies aren’t abiding by their own rules on providing geographic representation among employees, which would require more Americans. As of last year, 739 American citizens worked in these five agencies among a total of 7,126 employees, according to the State Department. With the advent of the Trump administration, the State Department began moving to reverse the long-running trend, which Congress first tried to deal with through legislation in 1991. That legislation required the State Department to report to Congress on whether international organizations are making “good faith steps to increase…

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EXCLUSIVE: Jim Jordan Explains His Bid For Speaker of the House

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Jim Jordan

by Robert Donachie    – Jim Jordan is running for speaker and he believes he can win.  – His main goals are to shake up how Congress operates, giving members more say in policy and more control over how the House operates.  – He wants to deliver on the promises Republicans made to voters in 2016 and thinks he is the perfect guy to make sure that happens. House Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan says he is running for speaker of the House to fix mismanagement and dysfunction in Congress and deliver on the promises Republicans made to voters in the 2016 election cycle, the congressman told The Daily Caller News Foundation. He also thinks he can win. Jordan, an Ohio Republican, formally announced his campaign for speaker of the House July 26 after months of speculation that the conservative stalwart would throw his name in the hat to replace outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan.The consensus in Washington and on Capitol Hill leading up to Jordan’s announcement this week was that Jordan, in league with his conservative HFC colleagues, was going on a shadow bid for the speakership to extract concessions from the two men in Republican leadership that Washingtonians have…

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Author Discusses ‘Dangerously Clever’ Founding Father and Tennessee Town’s Namesake, Albert Gallatin

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Albert Gallatin

by Gabrielle Orkun   Founding Father Albert Gallatin was a “dangerously clever” man who saved the United States from debt, the author of an upcoming book on the subject told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Gregory May, lawyer and tax policy expert, wrote about the overlooked Gallatin in his latest book “Jefferson’s Treasure: How Albert Gallatin Saved the New Nation from Debt.” While many people do not know much about Gallatin, the Founding Father had a monumental impact on American economics and government, May explained to TheDCNF. “I think we need to know about figures like Gallatin in order really to understand the history of the Early Republic,” May said. “He is the least understood of about a half dozen men who really thought the American government in motion. Just most people know about the first four presidents, and they’ve now heard something about Alexander Hamilton. But only a few historians know much about Gallatin who had as much to do with getting the government going,” May told TheDCNF. Gallatin also had a rivalry with Alexander Hamilton. Gallatin was an “outsider” as a foreigner born in Geneva, grew up speaking French and never lost his French accent. He was made fun of for his accent…

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Commentary: Is ‘Uncle’ Joe Biden a Threat to Steal Trump’s #MAGA Voters?

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Joe Biden

by Jeffery Rendall   “But Barack, I want to run, I need to run…” The words hung in the air as Joe Biden clung to the edge of his chair in the Oval Office in late 2015. The vice president fiddled nervously waiting a response from the president, a normally impatient man who’d just spent fifteen minutes methodically droning on about how it was Hillary’s turn to rule now and every Democrat recognized it, blah, blah blah… That’s why Clinton is practically unopposed within the party this year, Obama insisted – who could realistically challenge her, that doddering idiot Bernie Sanders? He’s not even a Democrat! Pfft. Obama mused. “Let’s just keep peace in the party, Joe. When I knocked the ‘likeable enough’ Hillary off her pedestal in ’08 we all agreed she’d get the next go-round after I’d finished fundamentally transforming the country. If you get in now it’ll ruin everything.” Biden sighed and submissively stared out the window, obviously unpersuaded by the man who’d failed miserably to halt the rise of the oceans and unite the entire world. Obama thought to himself, ‘Here it is, I’ve tucked away my enormous ego for that old bat and now my left-hand man is bugging me to go against…

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Rep. Steve Cohen Predicts That Trump Jr., Kushner Will Be Indicted But President Will Pardon Them

Jason M. Reynolds
Wolf Blitzer, Steve Cohen

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said he believes that special counsel Robert Mueller will probably indict Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner and then the president will pardon both. The Memphis representative made the remark on CNN in response to Rudy Giuliani saying he is not sure so-called “collusion” with Russia is a crime. Cohen said it is “entirely possible” both men would be indicted and President Trump would “go totally off his rocker … not that he’s on it now” and issue pardons. When Wolf Blitzer asked what charges would be brought, Cohen said he thought Trump Jr. and Kushner were in contact with the Russians to affect the elections. Blitzer asked if he had evidence for the “very serious charge,” and Cohen said he thought he was right and time would tell. The congressman, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, is making increasingly more unhinged remarks against conservatives. Calls men ‘pathological liars’ Cohen appeared on MSNBC’s “Live With Alex Witt” Sunday to discuss the latest developments with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen (no relation) and Mueller’s ‘Trump-Russia Collusion’ investigation, as The Tennessee Star reported. The congressman has a well-established record of vitriolic statements aimed at conservatives…

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Campaign Platform Explains Her Primary Victory

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Ocasio

by José Niño   After pulling off a major upset in the Democratic Primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now being touted as the new face of the Democratic Party. Ocasio’s victory has rejuvenated the Democratic Party and liberals nationwide. For many on the Left, Ocasio’s recent victory is a breath of fresh air after putting up with Hilary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign in 2016. Beyond the typical R vs. D analysis that continues to grab headlines, what is most troubling about Ocasio’s meteoric rise to political fame is her complete disregard for basic economics. A brief look at her platform is enough to realize that the ideas of socialism are alive and well in American politics. Her platform is centered on the following policy planks:  – Medicare for all – Free public university – Universal jobs guarantee – Housing as a human right The common denominator of all her proposals is the amount of faith placed in the State to conduct private affairs. Channeling the spirit of failed presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Ocasio describes her program as democraticsocialism. White-Washing Socialism Leftists have tried their best to re-brand and obfuscate socialism to make it palatable to the misinformed masses. No matter how…

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Nashville Businessman Lee Beaman Endorses Diane Black for Governor

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Diane Black, Lee Beaman

Well-known Nashville businessman and conservative stalwart Lee Beaman endorsed Rep. Diane Black  (R-TN-06) for Governor on Monday. “There is only one true conservative in the race and her name is Diane Black,” Beaman said in a statement. “Diane will fight to protect and defend out Tennessee values. She will be an advocate for Tennessee businesses of all sizes, and she will always fight for families and the unborn. With Diane leading the way, we can become the most business friendly state in the nation while keeping our values intact,” he concluded. Rep. Black responded, “I am delighted to have Lee on my team;” adding: Lee is a man guided by his conservative beliefs who has worked hard for every success. From standing against the AMP and Metro Transit Plan, when he gets behind something, everyone better move out of the way. He is a stalwart fighter for the conservative cause who never waivers in his conviction. “Nobody in Tennessee has been a more consistent and dependable donor, leader and advocate for conservative causes,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said. “From personally dropping off cases of bottled water to protesters at Legislative Plaza to providing funds for countless conservative candidates at…

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Tennessee House District 75: Bruce Griffey Challenge to Rep Tim Wirgau Has Become a House Race to Watch

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Tim Wirgau, Bruce Griffey

While much of the focus during the Republican primary season has  been on the 18 House seats vacated by Republican legislators who are retiring or seeking other offices a handful of challenges to incumbents are attracting increasing attention. One of those races is in West Tennessee’s 75th District (covering Henry, Stewart and Benton counties) where incumbent Tim Wirgau is facing serious competition from Bruce Griffey. Wirgau has been in the Legislature since 2011 and chairs the House Local Government Committee.  Bruce Griffey is an attorney and Chairman of the Henry County Republican Party who lives in Paris, TN. Griffey has taken Wirgau to task for Wirgau’s vote in support of providing taxpayer funded in-state tuition for illegal aliens (2016 HB 675). Illegal immigration has topped the list of Republican voter concerns in Tennessee and opposition to providing in-state tuition to illegals has been extraordinarily high according to polls of likely Republican primary voters. A Tennessee Star poll conducted in December 2017 that focused on GOP Primary voters underlined how support for using taxpayer funds to subsidize tuition for illegal aliens may be harmful to Republican candidates facing primary opposition. Those polled were asked: In 2018, the Tennessee state legislature is expected…

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Memphis Democrat Steve Cohen Increasingly Unhinged, Calls President Trump and Rudy Giuliani ‘Pathological Liars’

Steve Morley
Steve Cohen

Memphis-area Democrat Representative Steve Cohen appeared on MSNBC’s “Live With Alex Witt” Sunday to react to the latest, if unusual, developments with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen (no relation) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing ‘Trump-Russia Collusion’ investigation. The five-term congressman has a well-established record of vitriolic statements aimed at conservative and Rebublicans, but Cohen managed to “find a new gear” when President Trump surprised the world with his election victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Since then, the avowed progressive has become uncreasingly unhinged as his efforts to block, obstruct, resist, and even oust President Trump or his policy agenda have failed. Regarding new questions about Michael Cohen’s credibility, Alex Witt asked if the fact that Cohen has been exposed as “wiretapping” his clients impairs his belivability on the stand, “Or do you believe it is the President who loses in the credibility department?” Rep Cohen, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee answered, “I think that Michael Cohen, Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump have about the same amount of credibility. They all use, at best, situational ethics – but probably more likely they just lie constantly, and they’re all three pathological liars.” (emphasis added) Surprised at the…

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Despite the Media-Driven Rhetoric, the Constitution’s 14th Amendment Does Not Grant ‘Birthright Citizenship’

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young children

by James D. Agresti   Michael Anton, a former national security official in the Trump administration, recently argued in a Washington Post op-ed that the current federal practice of granting citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants “is an absurdity—historically, constitutionally, philosophically and practically.” A number of media outlets have published fiery rebuttals declaring that Anton is dead wrong. They claim that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives citizenship to all children born in the U.S., except for the children of diplomats. However, the legislative history of the 14th Amendment proves that it does not award citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants or anyone who is not legally and permanently residing in the United States. Background In 1866, shortly after the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, a bloc of Congressmen called the “Radical Republicans“ passed a civil rights law to ensure that African Americans had the “full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property, as is enjoyed by white citizens….” This law applied to former slaves but not to foreigners, and thus, it stated that: all persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign power, excluding Indians not taxed, are hereby declared to…

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Improving Economy In US Could Predict Next Baby Boom

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family

by Jessica Kramer   The U.S. saw a 30-year record low for birth rates in 2017, but the country’s increasingly prosperous economy could soon lead to a surge in childbirth. A Gallup poll showed 70 percent of American adults on average preferred having three or more children between 1938 and 1968, according to the New York Post. But starting in the 1970s — largely due to changes in family roles, divorce and out-of-wedlock births — the number of Americans who want at least three children has wavered between 32 and 42 percent. Fertility rates hit a 30-year record low in 2017, according to NPR. One explanation for the decrease in fertility rates could be an increase in wealth and quality of life, according to The New York Times. As people become richer, live longer lives and reside in metropolitan areas, their desire and likelihood to have babies tends to decrease, George Mason University professor Philip Auerswald and author Joon Yun wrote in TheNYT article. Birth rates typically reflect economic situations, including depressions, recessions and even periods of economic growth. Birth rates dropped during the financial crisis between 2007 and 2009, but despite record-low unemployment and continuous economic growth, the latest data published in a July Gallup poll shows 41 percent…

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Democrats Target Republican Mae Beavers with Facebook Attack Claiming She ‘Opposes Tax Cuts’

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Mae Beavers

A Democrat Party PAC is hitting conservative Republican candidate for Wilson County Mayor Mae Beavers with a Facebook ad that claims she “opposes tax cuts.” The Tennesseans for Common Sense PAC, with leadership that includes longtime liberal Democrat activist Carol Andrews, is also running radio ads, purchased at least one billboard and has done one county wide mailing so far. The PAC, in the supposedly non-partisan County Mayor’s race, clearly intends to help re-elect Democrat Randall Hutto.  Andrews herself is a candidate for the Democratic Party State Executive Committee in the August 2 Democrat Primary. The Democrat PAC is targeting Beavers for her vote in opposition to the Improve Act, which Hutto favored. The Improve Act raised fuel taxes and registration fees about $350 million a year at a time when  Tennessee enjoyed a $2 billion surplus. A narrow majority of Republicans in the House supported the tax increase, 37-35, but proponents relied on Democrat votes to get enough to pass it.  Beavers was one of only about 6 Republicans in the Senate to vote against the tax increase. Advocates of the plan have argued that the Improve Act cut taxes on the sales tax on food; but even when…

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Johnson City Press Endorses Republican Bill Lee, Democrat Craig Fitzhugh in Tennessee Gubernatorial Primaries

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee, Craig Fitzhugh

The Johnson City Press endorsed Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Craig Fitzhugh in the Tennessee gubernatorial primaries. A Sunday editorial said, “After sitting down with all six viable contenders to succeed Haslam in both parties, our team was most impressed with Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Craig Fitzhugh.” The editorial cited the challenges the next governor will face. “While Tennessee has crawled out from under the Great Recession and improved its national standing in education, we still lag in economic opportunity, educational attainment, job preparation, infrastructure and, most significantly, public health,” the newspaper said. The Johnson City Press also said Lee and Fitzhugh have avoided the “detestable trend It’s a different matter when you get the candidates in a personal setting for direct questions.” Lee earned the endorsement because of “Second Amendment protections, limited government, business acumen and tough immigration policy,” among other issues. The newspaper cited his business success as a factor despite his lack of public experience. In endorsing Fitzhugh, the newspaper cited his 12 terms in the Tennessee General Assembly as one factor, saying he knows how government works. “As a bank executive and experienced lawmaker, Fitzhugh knows his way around finance and budgetary issues. He’s an…

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Trump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Border Wall Funding

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Donald Trump

President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to shut down the government if Congress does not fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration. The U.S. leader claimed opposition Democrats need to give him “the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!” and other tougher national immigration policy changes. But it was a splintered Republican majority bloc of lawmakers, along with unified Democratic opposition, that twice in recent weeks rejected immigration changes Trump supported. Trump, in a Twitter comment, called for the U.S. to “finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Trump’s call for a wall, a favorite vow from his 2016 presidential campaign, would likely cost more than $20 billion, but Congress so far has allocated only $1.5 billion for extra border security. Democrats have often…

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President Trump, New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger Spar Over President’s Attacks on US Media

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Donald Trump

President Trump said Sunday he recently told the publisher of The New York Times how he came to describe the mainstream news media as the “Enemy of the People,” but the news executive said he in turn told Trump his language was “inflammatory” and “increasingly dangerous” for journalists around the world. In a Twitter comment, Trump described his July 20 meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger as “very good and interesting.” The U.S. leader said he “spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad!” Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018 Sulzberger, perhaps the most prominent publisher in the U.S., said that in keeping with the “long tradition” of Times publishers meeting with past U.S. presidents, the conversation was “off the record,” at Trump aides’ request, meaning…

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Commentary: Democrats Show Symptoms of ABKDS (Acute Brett Kavanaugh Derangement Syndrome)

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Brett Kavanaugh

by Jeffery Rendall   In a modern American culture where people hardly agree on anything, one thing is crystal clear to everyone these days: if you turn your back on someone, you’re insulting them. That’s exactly what’s happening on Capitol Hill as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is receiving the cold shoulder and a chilled reception from minority party Democrat senators as he makes his rounds to meet with as many lawmakers as possible prior to his upcoming confirmation hearings. Democrats aren’t just turning their backs on Kavanaugh though – they’re outright denying him entrance to their offices. As would be expected, Democrats’ reasons for the snub aren’t very convincing. Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examinerreported, “Many Senate Democrats have refused to hold the traditional meet and greet events with Supreme Court nominee Judge Kavanaugh, arguing they have not received all of the millions of pages of documentation related to Kavanaugh’s time working in the Bush White House. “Their shut out could ultimately delay the confirmation process and has prompted a threat from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to keep the Senate in session until Election Day if that time is needed to confirm Kavanaugh. “Republicans want to confirm Kavanaugh by…

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Why the LGBT Alliance Could Be on the Brink of Schism

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rainbow flag

by Spencer McCloy and Monica Burke   Events at the July 7 Pride in London parade revealed deepening fractures that could lead to a schism in the LGBT community. A group of eight lesbians interrupted the parade to protest the inclusion of transgender individuals in the LGBT community. One protester shouted, “A man who says he’s a lesbian is a rapist,” referring to a man who identifies as a woman. The Daily Wire cited a flyer shared by anti-transgender lesbians that read, “The trans movement is … coercing lesbians to have sex with men. We firmly condemn this vicious form of anti-lesbianism disguised as progress.” The disruption was a demonstration by the “Get the L Out” campaign, which organizers describe as “a group of lesbian and feminist individuals and organizations, opposing the increasingly anti-lesbian and misogynistic LGBT movement and the erasure of lesbians.” The organizers of the Pride in London parade scrambled to issue an official apology, denouncing the protesters’ message in the days following the parade and calling the protest a demonstration of “bigotry, ignorance, and hate.” Adversaries labeled the protesters and others like them TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists), a term the feminists consider a slur. The demonstration produced a large backlash on Twitter: Live from Pride in London…

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Bill Lee Targets Memphis in Final Push for August 2 Win

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Bill Lee

As the bitterly contested Republican primary for Governor comes to an end, Bill Lee is targeting Memphis in a late push for votes in West Tennessee. Lee has surged in the past two weeks and the few public polls show him with either a slight lead or in a dead heat heading into Election Day. A new television ad that airs in Memphis highlights Lee’s ties to Memphis and his intent to focus on West Tennessee if he is elected Governor. LEE Campaign Ad “Memphis” transcript: Announcer: “For way too long, Shelby County and West Tennessee have been ignored.” Bill Lee: “My family’s from here.  My mom was born and raised in Memphis. I want you to hear it from me:  As Governor I’m not going to ignore this part of the state. My campaign was the first to open an office here, and the first to release a plan specifically for Shelby County. This area has always been important to me, and that won’t change when I’m Governor. I’d sure appreciate your vote.” Most political observers think the barrage of negative attack ads from Boyd, Black and their respective independent expenditure committees have slowed or stopped Lee’s momentum. Others…

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GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd’s Foundation Hands Out $1 Million For 37 Tennessee Community Pooch Parks in Days Preceding Election

Jason M. Reynolds
Randy Boyd

Isn’t free money to support man’s best friend a good thing? What if the money is coming from a gubernatorial candidate just before the election? Republican candidate Randy Boyd’s foundation is handing out cash. The Randy Boyd Foundation presented the city of Jackson with the grand prize check of $100,000 for the Tennessee Dog Park Dash, WBBJ reported Friday. The grant requires the park to be built by 2020. “I anticipate it being done much earlier,” said Mandy White with the Jackson Chamber. A total of 37 communities across the state will receive $1 million to build or enhance off-leash dog parks, the Crossville Chronicle reported. Jackson received the largest prize — the other locales were paid $25,000 each. The winning communities for the 2018 Tennessee Dog Park Dash grant are: • West Tennessee: Bolivar, Brownsville, Camden, Decatur County, Dyersburg, Henderson, Humboldt, Lakeland, McKenzie, Memphis, Milan and Pickwick. • Middle Tennessee: Gallatin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg, Manchester, McMinnville, Mount Pleasant, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill and White House. • East Tennessee: Athens, Bristol, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Crossville, Erwin, Greeneville, Jonesborough, Kingsport, Kingston, Morristown, Rogersville, Spring City, Union County, and Jefferson County. ●Grand Prize winner: Jackson. Randy and Jenny Boyd, of course, “will visit and meet with…

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Seven Steps Next Director Can Take to Make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Less Awful

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Kathy Kraninger

by Norbert Michel   The Trump administration has nominated Kathy Kraninger to be the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Roll Call reports that her confirmation hearing was “as politically contentious as it’s gotten in the last year and a half” on the otherwise “senatorial Senate Banking Committee.” Ignore the political drama. The real story is the fact that the Bureau has been making some very positive changes under acting director Mick Mulvaney, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. To be clear, the Bureau should not exist. It was created based on the false premise that there was insufficient consumer protection law prior to the 2008 crisis, and that evil lenders preying on unsuspecting borrowers caused the mortgage meltdown. Mortgages are not, despite Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claims, anything like faulty toasters, and more than 20 federal consumer financial protection statutes existed prior to 2008. Furthermore, the crisis itself was caused by too much government, not too little. Congress should never have created a new federal agency, much less one with the bizarre (possibly unconstitutional) structure that it gave the CFPB. At best, Congress should have consolidated authority for the 20-plus federal consumer financial protection statutes that existed prior to 2008 at the Federal…

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‘Eliminating Foreign Intervention In Elections Act’ Aims to Confront Illegal Voting

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Tennessee Star

By Printus LeBlanc   Since President Trump was elected in 2016, the mainstream media, the left, and the Washington D.C. establishment have gone mad over election interference. Facebook memes are serious business in the nation’s capital now. Yet despite millions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of man hours, and lives turned upside down by multiple investigations, not one piece of evidence has been presented that shows Russia voted in, changed someone’s vote, or influenced someone to vote for President Trump. But there are cases around the country of real foreign influence in U.S. elections, and U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) has introduced legislation to put a stop to it. Leftist cities around the nation are going to extremes keep their majorities. One of the more nefarious extremes is giving legal and illegal immigrants the ability to vote in local elections, and possibly federal elections. San Francisco is the latest city to allow such lunacy. This is the very definition of foreign intervention. Duncan has introduced H.R. 6482, the Eliminating Foreign Intervention in Elections Act. The bill states, “None of the funds made available in any Act may be used to make payments to any unit of local government that permits individuals who are not citizens…

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Williamson County Early Voting Numbers Hit 20,000 as Early Voting Ends – Almost Double 2014 Turnout

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early voting

The early voting period for the August 2 Primary and Local General Elections ended Saturday with voter turnout continuing on a record pace across the state. The Tennessee Star will have more detailed analysis of the statewide and key county turnout figures next week once the Secretary of State posts the complete totals. However, a review of the final totals from the Williamson County Elections Administrator shows dramatic increases in voter participation from 2014 in both the Republican and Democratic Party primaries. In Williamson County, 20,884 total votes were cast during Early Voting, representing turnout of approximately 13.9% of total registered voters. In 2014, there were 11,757 total primary votes, a turnout of 8.6%. Of those votes, 14,861 were in the Republican primary. 5,953 were cast in the Democratic Primary. The Democratic primary total is a 400% increase over the primary votes cast in 2014. Nevertheless, GOP votes still exceeded Democrat votes by over a 2 to 1 margin. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill says the significant increase in early votes among both Democrats and Republicans indicates that the Fall election will be more hotly contested than races in recent years. “Assuming we see the early voting numbers double…

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Commentary: Trump, Reagan, and Big Government

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Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump

by Jeffery Rendall   As I strolled through the excellent and memory-provoking exhibits at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (in Simi Valley, CA) the other day I was struck by how similar President Donald Trump’s approach to today’s politics is to the way Ronald Reagan handled the subject a half century ago. For starters, Reagan and Trump’s optimistic pro-American emphasis is nearly identical. They both appealed to the patriotic propensities of country-loving individuals to rise up and be the best they possibly can be, so that everyone might achieve their goals and dreams as long as they’re willing to work hard, sacrifice and put stock in the best nation on the planet. At their core both Reagan and Trump mastered a populist message and used it to ignite a movement (unfortunately in their cases, very personality-centered). Both acknowledged America as the lead source of good in the world and championed American exceptionalism as their signature value. Both were extremely media savvy and understood mass communications and messaging to perfection. It almost appears as though Trump’s emulated Reagan’s political career and added his own personal touches to match the legendary effectiveness of the great communicator. Reagan didn’t have Twitter, of course, and…

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Republican Rep. Gaetz Threatens Twitter with FEC Complaint Over Twitter Suppression, Claims Twitter May Be Giving Opponent Illegal Advantage

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Matt Gaetz

by Peter Hasson and Joe Simonson    – Twitter’s recent algorithm change suppressed, or “shadow-banned,” prominent conservatives, including Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a new report found.  – Gaetz is considering filing a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against Twitter, he told The Daily Caller News Foundation.  – Gaetz said his Twitter account’s growth slowed immediately after Twitter’s recent algorithm change. Twitter acknowledged the “inaccurate” search results but said it was unrelated to politics. Rep. Matt Gaetz is considering filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) over Twitter’s alleged suppression of his account, the Florida Republican told The Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday. Gaetz was one of several prominent conservatives, including members of Congress and the chair of the Republican National Committee, whose accounts Twitter suppressed by making it harder to find in the site’s search function, a Vice News investigation published Wednesday found. “Democrats are not being ‘shadow banned’ in the same way,” the report concluded, noting: “Not a single member of the 78-person Progressive Caucus faces the same situation in Twitter’s search.” Twitter announced in May that the company would rely on “behavior-based signals” to boost the visibility of some accounts and to suppress the visibility of others, as…

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Here’s What Happened When A Trump Supporter Became A ‘Commie Camp’ Counselor

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Camp Kinderland

by Rob Shimshock   A 20-year-old supporter of President Donald Trump resigned from her position as a counselor at a summer camp known as “Commie Camp,” she told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an exclusive interview. Gabriella Mamet said she resigned as a counselor at Camp Kinderland in Tolland, Massachusetts, after nearly a month of Trump-bashing, Black Lives Matter chants and hostility from campers. Progressive film director Katie Halper coined Kinderland “Commie Camp” in a 2013 documentary. “They didn’t really mention how political of a camp it was in the phone interview or anything,” Mamet told TheDCNF. “I went on their website and I thought it was pretty much a normal camp and when i got there during orientation it was kind of surprising at how political it was.” The 20-year-old worked at the camp from the June 28 orientation until she quit July 22. Camp Kinderland assigned her to 14- and 15-year-old campers. Her campers allegedly wanted to know the Trump supporter’s views on political issues, but Mamet was not comfortable sharing them. Camp Kinderland is a “multicultural summer camp and community that honors our progressive secular Jewish roots through our commitment to economic, racial, and social justice,” according to its mission…

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Letter to the Editor: Message, Media, Money, and Matheny

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Judd Matheny

Dear Tennessee Star, It wasn’t until I heard an interview with the social research scientist Robert Epstein about the impact of Internet messages on political thought that I first grasped the complete gravity of this problem. Epstein’s conclusion was that moderate and conservative Republicans are the voter group most easily influenced by what they see in the media. Wow! Each time I witness political offices being bought like auction items instead of side by side comparisons, I remember the Marshall McLuhan axiom “the medium is the message.” Consequently, if you can afford to buy enough of the medium, you can own the result of the message. So what is the true message of a candidate for the US House of Representatives who once elected will earn a salary for 2 years at $175K, currently “loaning” their campaigns millions of dollars which they’ll earn back in after-win donations? And what common sense campaign finance law would permit a candidate to obtain a $500,000 loan at 3% simple interest from a local bank to finance such an operation? Such is the case in the TN 6th District House race. State Representative Judd Matheny is clearly the candidate most closely aligned with the…

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Christianity: The First Major Religion That Stripped the State of Its Theocratic Powers

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Jesus Christ

by Cuatro Jones   When discussing the history of the West and exploring the ideas and philosophies that led up to the creation of the Magna Carta and the U.S constitution, eventually the religion of Christianity must be brought forward in the discussion. Why? Well, despite the many sins of Christians (and there are many), Christianity is the first major religion that, at its founding, stripped the state of its theocratic powers over the spiritual lives of the people. In the Biblical narrative, we see Jesus of Nazareth establish this foundational philosophy when answering a challenge from the Pharisees of Judea regarding to whom they should pay their monetary offerings: God (Yahweh) or Caesar? This question was designed to serve as a trap for Jesus, as the Jews were monotheistic and theocratic, and Roman law essentially made the Emperor a god. It is at this pivotal, though often overlooked moment, that Jesus sets the standard for the modern West regarding the role of government and religion in public life, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render unto God what is God’s.” This is critical because for the first time, we see a clear and categorical line of division between the palace and the temple, set by a central religious figure. This fundamentally…

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Letter to the Editor: When Bold Men Are Called to Lead – Tennessee’s Gubernatorial Race

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Bill Lee

Dear Tennessee Star, Mr. Mark West expressed his opposition to Bill Lee for Governor in The Tennessee Star several days back. West began with the Old Testament story of a brief conversation between Deborah and Barak. This is a story I’ve not known scholars to hold up as a turning point in Jewish history. Also, the relevancy of this anecdotal story to Bill Lee leaves me wondering even though it seems clear to Mr. West. I am in FULL SUPPORT of BILL LEE. And from the Old Testament I offer the story of Nehemiah from the book of Nehemiah. So Nehemiah is released from his long term obligation to the king and follows his call from the Lord to travel a long distance back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls and the Temple. So with “only” the grace of God Nehemiah sets out. Along the way he tells his story to whoever will listen and picks up scattered support. As he moves closer and closer to the near impossible task of rebuilding, families and clans close around him in support as they are inspired by God and by Nehemiah’s commitment to the rebuilding task. And they are also moved…

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Three People Are Dying Each Day From Opioids In Tennessee

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Bill Haslam

by Steve Birr   A new report reveals the deteriorating national opioid epidemic is hitting Tennessee particularly hard, killing three people across the state each day. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam created the Tennessee Commission on Pain and Addiction Medicine Education Jan. 24 to investigate the addiction crisis and develop new standards for the state’s medical educational institutions, in order to avoid the mistakes that led to the current epidemic, reports WMC. The report, published Thursday, identifies 12 areas perspective doctors in Tennessee must now master that are aimed at tackling the opioid crisis, including alternative treatments that limit use of the drugs and the most effective ways to treat addiction. “If the primary care provider doesn’t understand addiction and pain, then the primary care provider becomes part of the stigma against it,” Dr. David Stern of Memphis’s UT Health Science Center, who was part of the commission, told WMC. Tennessee continues to suffer from rampant opioid abuse, which killed 1,186 people in 2016. The death rate from opioids in Tennessee is a staggering 18.1 per 100,000 people. Officials say in the report that every day there are roughly three opioid-related deaths in the state. “In Tennessee we have a major problem around opioid addiction,” Haslam previously said,…

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Globalist Sen. Lamar Alexander Bemoans President’s ‘Shot to the Foot’ From Tariffs

Jason M. Reynolds
Lamar Alexander

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) bemoaned President Trump’s “shot to the foot’” over tariffs on Fox News’ Journal Editorial Report. Tennessee’s senior senator, praising globalism, introduced the Automotive Jobs Act of 2018 Wednesday to delay the tariffs. He said, “Zero tariffs is exactly the right policy.” He also called for an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs which he said are hurting Tennessee’s auto industry and raising prices of the autos they make. He claimed the state exports cars around the world but could not answer a question as to how many are shipped out of the country. “Tariffs are shooting ourselves in the foot, really shooting ourselves in both feet,” Alexander said. He called for the reauthorization of NAFTA by September and said it has been good for Tennessee. Steel and aluminum tariffs remain in place and car tariffs will remain on hold if negotiations continue, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. Fox News quoted him as calling auto tariffs a “national security threat.” Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Calling on globalists The automotive act, co-sponsored by Sen. Doug Jones, (D-AL), would delay the tariffs of 20 to 25 percent on imported vehicles, CNBC said. The bill would require…

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Lee Company Sends a Cease and Desist Letter to Diane Black’s Gubernatorial Campaign

Jason M. Reynolds
Diane Black

The Lee Company sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) on Friday, calling for the removal of information alleging the company wrongfully fired a veteran who once worked there, The Tennessee Journal’s On the Hill reported. GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee is the owner and former CEO of the Lee Company, a leading plumbing/HVAC business in Middle Tennessee. The Lee Company said Black’s campaign was “deliberately misrepresenting” the facts surrounding the legal dispute with an Army National Guard member who claimed wrongful termination in a federal lawsuit, The Journal quoted The Tennessean as saying. “We have learned that the Diane Black for Governor campaign is deliberately misrepresenting actions taken by Lee Company that relate to a former employee who served as a Tennessee National Guardsman,” according to the letter by Lee Co. general counsel Jason Hale. “You have also misrepresented our company’s attitude toward and treatment of veterans in these communications.” A Black campaign website removed material about the case and instead linked to a Tennessean article about the lawsuit, The Journal said. Black spokesman Chris Hartline said the campaign received a “vague letter that does not dispute any specific allegations.” “We are committed to the…

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Trump Touts Strong 2nd Quarter US Economic Growth

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Donald Trump

by William Gallo   U.S. President Donald Trump touted the economy’s strong second quarter performance Friday, saying “we’re on track to hit the highest annual average growth rate in over 13 years.” The U.S. economy grew at a 4.1-percent annualized rate in the second quarter, its fastest pace in nearly four years, the Commerce Department reported Friday. “As the trade deals come in one-by-one, we’re going to go a lot higher than these numbers, and these are great numbers,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. Trump said the economy is on a growth track of more than three percent this year, and noted that each percentage point “means approximately $3 trillion dollars and 10 million jobs.” The president added the trade deficit, which is “very dear to my heart because we’ve been ripped off by the world,” dropped by more than $50 billion. The growth of the second quarter gross domestic product — a measure of goods and services produced in the U.S. — was its strongest since the 4.9-percent third quarter 2014 growth rate and in line with economists expectations. Analysts anticipated U.S. President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax cut that went into effect at the beginning of the…

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Commentary: It’s On! Jim Jordan Announces For Speaker Of The U.S. House of Representatives

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Jim Jordan, Paul Ryan

by CHQ Staff   Back in May a virtual Who’s Who of conservative movement leaders, led by CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie, came together to urge Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4), the former Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, to run for Speaker of the House. Yesterday, Rep. Jordan made it official; he’s running for Speaker of the House. And Mr. Viguerie is not the only conservative leader to believe Jim Jordan is the last best hope for Republicans to retain the House majority and fulfill the Trump agenda: Jenny Beth Martin, Chairman of the Tea Party Patriots, L. Brent Bozell III, former Reagan Attorney General Ed Meese, Ken Cucinnelli of the Senate Conservatives Fund, Frank Gaffney, President, Center for Security Policy and Tim Wildmon, President, American Family Association were also among the more than 40 conservative leaders who signed on to the initial letter urging Jordan to run for Speaker. Our friend Daniel Horowitz of Conservative Review summed up the situation thusly: Amid all the griping about the House leadership, the biggest problem reformers have faced is the old adage, “You can’t beat somebody with nobody.” For years, nobody was willing to step forward and launch a serious and sustained…

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Tennessee’s 8th District: Trump Tweets Endorsement of Congressman Kustoff

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David Kustoff

“Congressman David Kustoff has been a champion for the Trump Agenda – I greatly appreciate his support,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter late Friday afternoon as he endorsed the 8th District Congressman for reelection. “David is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Get out and vote for David on Thursday, August 2nd. He has my full and total Endorsement!” Congressman David Kustoff has been a champion for the Trump Agenda – I greatly appreciate his support. David is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Get out and vote for David on Thursday, August 2nd. He has my full and total Endorsement! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2018 Kustoff is facing a challenge from Dr. George Flinn, who narrowly lost a multi-candidate race to Kustoff two years ago. Kustoff has been dealing with a new Flinn ad hitting him for criticizing three pregnant women who had challenged Kustoff for voting to fund Planned Parenthood as part of last year’s $1.3 Trillion Omnibus spending package.  The endorsement from the President may get the Kustoff campaign back on offense. Kustoff immediately aired a new television commercial promoting the…

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David Fowler Commentary: Summing Up the Republican Gubernatorial Primary

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David Fowler

by David Fowler   I don’t watch much television for fear it will rot my mind, but I’ve sure heard complaints about all the “negative” television ads and mail pieces paid for by some Republican gubernatorial hopefuls. Whether perceived by voters as negative or not, ads and literature that truthfully point out another candidate’s record provide helpful information. But what I’ve heard from many is that they don’t know what to believe or what to make of the information they’ve been given, so here are some thoughts about some of what I’ve seen and read. The Bottom Line First, this thought keeps running through my head: There is none righteous, no not one. Though, as a Christian, I believe that God, by grace alone and by no merit of my own, has imputed to me the righteousness of Christ, I am not righteous in myself and fall short of the mark every day. I fall short of God’s standards individually, as a state senator, and as a lobbyist. The same is true of all the candidates of both parties. I can give you reasons why you might not want to vote for any one of the Republican gubernatorial candidates, though…

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The Top Ten Most Epic Presidential Vetoes in American History

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George Washington, Ronald Reagan, Grover Cleveland

by Lawrence W. Reed   President James Garfield named his beloved dog Veto. The pooch was a monstrous but lovable black Newfoundland weighing more than a hundred pounds. Congress got the message: A bad or unconstitutional bill would go straight to the Garfield doghouse. (Sadly, none ever did because Garfield served only five months in office.) The veto itself is a long-established and venerable tool of republican government in numerous countries. Along with term limits, separation of powers, habeas corpus, and more, it counts among the storied contributions the ancient Roman Republic gave the world 25 centuries ago. The term itself comes from Latin and means “I forbid!” So committed were the early Romans to hamstringing the ambitions of power-seekers that they licensed the tribunes of popularly-elected assemblies to kill a bill from the Senate, and they invested each of the two highest officials in the government (the consuls) with the authority to nix the decisions of the other. The veto helped to constrain activist legislators and preserve the Republic for nearly 500 years. Inspired by the Romans, America’s Founders baked the power of presidential veto into the Constitution right from its inception—in Article I, Section 7. The President may block…

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Twitter Suspends Conservative Pundit Kathleen McKinley For Opposing Trans In Military, Tying ‘Extreme Muslim Beliefs’ To Honor Killings

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Kathleen McKinley

by Peter Hasson   Kathleen McKinley, a conservative blogger and political commentator for a local Fox station in Houston, was surprised Friday to find an email from Twitter announcing her account had been suspended. Twitter listed two tweets that it claimed violated rules against “hateful conduct,” emails that McKinley shared with The Daily Caller News Foundation show. In the first tweet, McKinley stated her opposition to an Obama-era rule allowing transgender troops serving in the military, which she felt the Obama-era “was normalizing a mental disorder (gender dysphoria) (called ‘distress’ now) which has no place in our military. Certainly not our $$ for surgery.” The belief that biological males who believe they’re women shouldn’t be cleared for military service is well within the conservative mainstream. McKinley’s second tweet referred to “extreme Muslim beliefs” — rather than mainstream Muslim beliefs — “that condone honor killings.” That tweet had a specific context: McKinley’s friend Obianuju Ekeocha, an African pro-life activist, was in a Twitter debate about abortion with Bill Prady, a producer on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.” At issue was whether pro-lifers should support exemptions for someone who claimed a religious right to abortion. Ekeocha’s answer was no, for the same reason that she…

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Analysis: The Trump Economy Booms in Q2 with 4.1 Percent Growth, But There’s Plenty to Do to Break 3 Percent for the Year

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Donald Trump

By Robert Romano   After a rip-roaring 4.1 percent inflation-adjusted economic growth for the second quarter of 2018, the economy under President Donald Trump is making tremendous progress to full recovery, after more than a decade of stagnant growth. The U.S. economy has not grown above 4 percent since 2000, and not above 3 percent since 2005. Surely, 2018 might be the year we break that trend, right? It can be. Turns out, however, to get to 3 percent for 2018 will require a bit more juice than this author had previously calculated, even with the first quarter being upgraded to 2.2 percent. Because, you learn something new every day. On Friday, after my numbers did not add up, I spoke with Lisa Mataloni at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, who — very nicely, I might add — set me straight and rescued me from my errant calculations. Ms. Mataloni pointed me to the proper formula to utilize on the Bureau’s website to calculate quarterly and annual GDP, which describes it as “a variant of the compound interest formula”. Here it is: The quarterly real GDP rate published is the compound growth rate annualized, whereas the annual growth is just the simple growth rate of…

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Former New York Assembly Speaker Gets 7 Years in Prison

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Sheldon Silver

Sheldon Silver, the former New York Assembly speaker who brokered legislative deals for two decades before corruption charges abruptly ended his career, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison. The punishment, announced by U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, was five years less than the 12-year sentence she gave to Silver after he was initially convicted in the case in 2015. That conviction was tossed out by an appeals court, but the 74-year-old Democrat fared no better at a second trial this spring. A jury once again found him guilty of taking nearly $4 million in return for legislative favors he performed for a cancer researcher and real estate developers. In a letter to the judge, Silver had begged for mercy. His lawyers had asked that he be given a shorter sentence with a community service component that would allow him to get out from behind bars. “I pray I will not die in prison,” Silver wrote, saying he was “broken-hearted” that he damaged the trust people have in government. “The work that has been the focus of most of my life has become dirty and shameful,” Silver had said in his letter. “Everything I ever accomplished has become a…

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JC Bowman Commentary: The Intent and Spirit of Collaborative Conferencing

JC Bowman
Tennessee Star

Are we striving toward achievement of the original objective of the PECCA law?  It is clear, a course adjustment may be in order.  Eliminating needless lawsuits, staying focused on the purpose, including more teachers in the process, and having impartial training moving forward will better establish a peaceful, stable employer-employee relationship. Who could oppose those common-sense changes? 

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Einstein Was Right: Astronomers Confirm Key Theory

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galaxy

A consortium of astronomers said Thursday they had for the first time confirmed a prediction of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing the gravitational effects of a supermassive black hole on a star zipping by it. The German-born theoretical physicist had posited that large gravitational forces could stretch light, much like the compression and stretching of sound waves we perceive with the change of pitch of a passing train. Researchers from the GRAVITY consortium led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics realized that they had a “perfect laboratory” to test Einstein’s theory with the Sagittarius A* black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Black holes are so dense that their gravitational pull can trap even light, and the supermassive Sagittarius A* has mass four million times that of our sun, making it the biggest in our galaxy. Astronomers followed the S2 star as it passed close to the black hole on May 19 at a speed in excess of 25 million kilometers (15.5 million miles) per hour. They then calculated its velocity and position using a number of instruments and compared it with predictions made by Einstein that the light would be stretched by…

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Papa John’s Founder Suing Company, Accuses It Of Planning ‘Coup’

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by Kyle Perisic   Papa John’s founder and former CEO John Schnatter is suing the company, seeking documents related to the person who outed him saying the N-word and accused the company of planning a “coup” against him. “Instead of standing behind the founder and working with news media to explain what actually occurred, the Company followed its usual, and flawed, manner of dealing with false and mistaken reporting as to comments made by Mr. Schnatter,” the lawsuit, filed in Delaware, said. Schnatter resigned on July 11 after he admitted to using the N-word during a press call in May, The Daily Caller News Foundation reported. “[E]ither the purportedly independent directors acted without adequate information … or [they] planned this coup in advance,” Schnatter said. Schnatter later said in a letter to the pizza chain’s board of directors that resigning was a “mistake,” The Wall Street Journal reported on July 17. “The board asked me to step down as chairman without apparently doing any investigation. I agreed, though today I believe it was a mistake to do so,” Schnatter wrote. Schnatter’s attorney, Patty Glaser, told CNBC in a statement that Papa John’s “is hiding documents that, we believe, will disclose the actual facts as to what…

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EXCLUSIVE: Marsha Blackburn Tells The Tennessee Star ‘Chuck Schumer Has Bought and Paid For Phil Bredesen’s Vote’

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Steve Gill, Marsha Blackburn

In an exclusive interview with Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill on Friday, U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) hit her Democratic opponent square in the jaw, calling him out over one of his greatest vulnerablities. “Chuck Schumer has bought and paid for Phil Bredesen’s vote,” Blackburn told Gill. Senator Schumer (D-NY)- who is currently the Senate Minority Leader and is poised to become Senate Majority Leader should the Democrats’ “blue wave” come to the U.S. Senate in this November’s midterm elections – is said to have personally recruited Bredesen out of retirement to run when Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) opted not to run for a third term “When you look at the Senate race that you’re in the midst of, what we hear from Phil Bredesen is that he’s going to be a different kind of Democrat – but you don’t see different kinds of Democrats in the Senate. And when we look at what Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are saying – Chuck Schumer has recruited Phil Bredesen into this race – they want to raise taxes if they get back in control of the Senate and the House,” Gill noted. Blackburn made it clear Bredesen is…

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PAC Ad Supporting Harwell Says Legalized Marijuana Will ‘Create a State That Lets People Live in a Better State’

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Bruce Wolfe

A new ad from a PAC called TN State Victory touting gubernatorial candidate Beth Harwell’s support of medical marijuana has hit the airwaves. Sources tell The Tennessee Star the PAC is spending $87,000 to run the ad on broadcast and cable television stations around the state, beginning today and continuing until Wednesday, the day before the Thursday August 2 primary election. Accompanyed a dramatic piano musical score, the 30-second spot features Dr. Bruce Wolfe. He says: All my training tells me to do everything I can to help my patients. Suffering comes in all forms, and patients need options for relief. We need to legalizae medical marijuana so we can regulate its use and help cancer patients, people with siezure and anxiety disorders, and give patients in pain an alternative to avoid addictive opiates. The only candidate for governor that is for medical marijuana is Beth Harwell. Beth will help Tennesseeans create a state that lets people live in a better state. Watch the ad: According to polling, the Tennessee State House Speaker Beth Harwell is in a distant fourth place behind front-runners Bill Lee, Diane Black, and Randy Boyd. Last Friday, Harwell promised a ‘major announcement.’ Many political watchers…

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Vice President Mike Pence Endorses Diane Black for Governor

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Mike Pence, Diane Black

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted his strong endorsement for Diane Black for governor of Tennessee on Friday, as early voting is set to close in the August 2 Republican gubernatorial primary. He wrote, “@DianeBlackTN is running for Governor of TN & a strong supporter of #MAGA agenda of tax cuts, military $$ & a champion of right to life policies. There are great candidates running but Diane has been my friend for years, we served together in the House, & she has my support!” .@DianeBlackTN is running for Governor of TN & a strong supporter of #MAGA agenda of tax cuts, military $$ & a champion of right to life policies. There are great candidates running but Diane has been my friend for years, we served together in the House, & she has my support! — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 27, 2018 Black said in a statement, “I am honored that Vice President Pence would choose to support me in a state like Tennessee that overwhelmingly supported him and President Trump in 2016. Even before he became Vice President, Pence was an exceptional leader for the state of Indiana, leading with his faith and values. I am proud to call…

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