Day: July 14, 2018

Conservative Chattanooga Editorial Page Endorses Bill Lee in Republican Gubernatorial Primary

Jason M. Reynolds

The conservative Free Press editorial page of The Chattanooga Times Free Press endorsed Bill Lee in the Republican gubernatorial race on Friday, the first day of early voting. Clint Cooper, the Free Press page editor, said Tennessee Republicans have an “embarrassment of riches” in their primary, with four of six candidates being both competitive and conservative with “diverse backgrounds and unique strengths.” Cooper cites Lee’s background as a business owner and farmer and having an outsider’s perspective on politics. “We also appreciate that he has chosen not to be involved in what seems like daily negative campaign exchanges between perceived front-runners Randy Boyd, a Knoxville businessman whose ideas we also very much admire, and U.S. Rep. Diane Black,” Cooper said. He continued, “Although recent independent polls on the campaign have been few, the man who terms himself the ‘conservative outsider’ appears to have momentum in the race. We hope that will allow voters who originally considered Boyd or Black to take a look at the seventh-generation Tennessean.” Lee announced the endorsement in a press release on Friday. The Chattanooga Times Free Press publishes the liberal Times and conservative Free Press editorial pages, a tribute to the city’s journalism heritage when…

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Media-Fueled Demonstrators Flood Streets to March Against Trump in London

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London Trump protest

A giant balloon (pictured) depicting President Trump as a screaming orange baby flew over London Friday as tens of thousands marched through the streets to protest the American leader’s visit to the U.K. The diaper-clad infant, with a quiff of hair and a mobile phone for tweeting, was the centerpiece of demonstrations protesting Trump’s policies on issues ranging from immigration and race relations to women and climate change. “Depicting Trump as a baby is a great way of targeting his fragile ego, and mocking him is our main motivation,” said Matthew Bonner, one of the organizers. “He doesn’t seem to be affected by the moral outrage that comes from his behavior and his policies. You can’t reason with him but you can ridicule him.” Anger over Trump’s visit has already had consequences. Just a week after Trump’s inauguration, Prime Minister Theresa May invited the president for a state visit, the type of event that normally includes glittering horse-drawn carriages and a state dinner hosted by the monarch. That morphed into this two-day “working visit” with much less pomp and circumstance amid concern about security and crowds in central London. Protest organizers say they plan to stage demonstrations in some 50…

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Congressional Candidate Judd Matheny Earns Another Big Endorsement – This Time, From the NRA

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Judd Matheny

State Representative Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) earned another top-tier endorsement, this time from the National Rifle Association, in his campaign to win the Republican nomination in the Sixth Congressional District. Matheny faces former Judge Robert Corlew and businessman John Rose in the August 2 primary for the GOP nomination. The winner of that primary will be the favorite to win the general election contest to replace Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), who is running for governor. “Thank you to the NRA for all they do to preserve our Second Amendment and for recognizing my unwavering support for the same. I have never and will never compromise on our Constitutional rights. I am a known and proven quantity – by far the best man for the job!” Matheny said in a statement released by his campaign on Friday. The campaign notes the welcome endorsement comes “in the wake of his educational 10th Annual Machine Gun Shoot held for the public, law enforcement, military, and the General Assembly.” Matheny, the statement added, “is known for his steadfast conservative voting record in the state house, and says that every decision he makes is viewed through the lens of his core principles of protecting life, the…

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Seven Takeaways From FBI Agent Strzok’s Testimony Before Two House Committees

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Peter Strzok

by Fred Lucas   A joint hearing of two House committees Thursday repeatedly turned testy as FBI agent Peter Strzok sought to explain away text messages sharply critical of Donald Trump and how they did not affect the fairness of the FBI investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Strzok, reassigned but still an FBI employee, admitted “it’s fair to say I’m not a fan” of Trump. But he insisted that the Russia investigation is legitimate, contrary to Trump’s characterization of it. “In the summer of 2016, we had an urgent need to protect the integrity of an American presidential election from a hostile foreign power determined to weaken and divide the United States of America,” Strzok told lawmakers. “This investigation is not politically motivated. It is not a witch hunt. It is not a hoax.” The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Judiciary Committee held the joint hearing. The following are the big takeaways. [The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] 1. Denying Bias, Admitting Regret Throughout the hearing, Strzok continuously denied being biased. “Having worked in national…

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China’s US Trade Surplus Hits Record in June

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Donald Trump, Xi Jinping

Reuters   China’s trade surplus with the United States swelled to a record in June as its overall exports grew at a solid pace, a result that could further inflame a bitter trade dispute with Washington. But signs exporters were rushing shipments before tariffs went into effect in the first week of July suggest the spike in the surplus was a one-off, with analysts expecting a less favorable trade balance for China in coming months as duties on exports start to bite. The data came after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump raised the stakes in its trade row with China on Tuesday, saying it would slap 10 percent tariffs on an extra $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, including numerous consumer items. US-China trade surplus China’s trade surplus with the United States, which is at the center of the tariff tussle, widened to a record monthly high of $28.97 billion, up from $24.58 billion in May, according to Reuters calculations based on official data going back to 2008. For January-June China’s trade surplus with the United States rose to $133.76 billion, compared with about $117.51 billion in the same period last year. China’s exports to the United States…

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Steve Gill Remembers When Democrat Delegates Booed God at The 2012 DNC Convention

Julie Carr
Steve Gill

On Friday’s Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, conservative commentator and Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill was in disbelief as he reflected upon the Democratic Party’s convention in 2012 where delegates voted emotionally against a Godly provision in their platform. “We were talking a moment ago about the Democrats booing God at their convention,” marveled Gill. “Now the reason this came up is that there had been a provision about God in their platform that they removed it, and then because there was so much backlash and pressure they decided to try and add the reference to God back into their platform.” He continued: And it came up for a vote and the Democrats voted against it but the chair after hearing the loud explosion of boos against God, said, ‘Oh in the opinion of the chair it passes,’ and they added God back to their platform against the votes in attendance at the Democratic convention. This is Sheppard Smith of Fox News reporting on it at the time. SPEAKER FROM THE DNC CONVENTION FLOOR: Is there any further discussion, hearing none, the matter requires a two thirds vote in the affirmative, all those delegates…

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Trump Administration Proposes Privatizing the Postal System

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postal worker

by Brittany Hunter   Last week, the Trump administration unveiled a proposal to privatize the United States Postal Service (USPS). The plan comes as part of a broader initiative to trim and reorganize the federal government. And given its track record of waste and inefficiency, the USPS is a great place to start cutting the fat. “USPS’s current model is unsustainable. Major changes are needed in how the Postal Service is financed and the level of service Americans should expect from their universal service operator,” the White House’s new proposal reads. The plan goes on to say that the administration plans to “fix” the post office before beginning the process of privatization. “USPS privatization through an initial public offering (IPO) or sale to another entity would require the implementation of significant reforms prior to sale to show a possible path to profitability.” In terms of “fixing” the post office before taking it out of the hands of the government, the Trump administration has proposed reassessing the USPS’s ties with labor unions. This would give the new owners of the post office more freedom to set wages and provide benefits that are economically realistic. The document reads: “Freeing USPS to more fully negotiate…

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Tennessee’s 2nd District: Tim Burchett Releases New Ad Promoting His Support for President Trump

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Donald Trump, Tim Burchett

Knox County Mayor and Republican candidate for Congress in Tennessee’s 2d Congressional District has a new television commercial airing that promotes his support for President Trump.  This is Burchett’s second ad and it is airing on both broadcast and cable throughout the district. TIM BURCHETT “TRUMP” ad: Hey, I’m Tim Burchett, and I’m running for Congress to help President Trump shake up Washington. Everyone says they’re for Trump, but I’m the only candidate who supported Donald Trump in the 2016 primary. As mayor, I took on the tax-hikers and the big-spenders. And I fought to ban hiring illegal immigrants over Americans. I’m proud to be pro-life, pro-gun, pro-America. I’m Tim Burchett and I approve this message because I’m a true conservative and I will never pretend to be otherwise. Early voting in the primary election began Friday with Election Day on August 2. The winner of the primary in the heavily Republican district will be highly favored to replace retiring Congressman Jimmy Duncan who has held the seat for three decades. Burchett announced a big fundraising total in the second quarter of 2018 earlier this week.              

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JC Bowman Commentary: A Modern Approach to Educator Representation

JC Bowman
teacher

Most educators are not buying into a more militant, progressive labor movement beholden to the far left. Educators nationally often spend hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of dollars per year on union dues.  There are much more cost-effective alternatives, like Professional Educators of Tennessee.   That is what makes groups like Professional Educators of Tennessee different.  We offer a modern approach to educator representation, legal protection and unmatched educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.  There are non-union alternatives for educators in other states as well.  Nobody wants to return the 1950’s.    

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‘Duck and Cover’ Bredesen Silent on Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen’s Praise for FBI’s Strzok and Insult to Wounded Veterans

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen

As the Tennessee Star reported, Tennessee Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) shocked many people yesterday with his “purple heart” comment regarding now infamous FBI Agent Peter Strzok. https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1017476103794028550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1017476103794028550&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftennesseestar.com%2F2018%2F07%2F13%2Fdemocrat-rep-steve-cohen-mr-strzok-if-i-could-give-you-a-purple-heart-i-would%2F But it should shock no one that Cohen is also a big supporter of Democrat Phil Bredesen. I was there.Bredesen never supported any taxes while Governor.We passed lottery and sales and other taxes in 2002 before Bredesen was elected.He managed and spent what was there. https://t.co/0mDsDtVJkc — Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) May 30, 2018 Cohen has even run to the New York Times to support Bredesen, while taking a shot at Rep. Marsha Blackburn on Bredesen’s behalf. Ms. Blackburn is sending a different message. “Real conservative leadership,” promises a palm card for her campaign. “No compromise, no apologies.” Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Memphis, questioned whether Tennessee voters would embrace a candidate in that mold over someone with a middle-of-the-road, business-friendly image. “We’ve never had a politician on that level of anybody that’s been kind of mocked for their antediluvian ways,” he said. A previous Tennessee Star item pointed out how “duck and cover” Bredesen earned that moniker from the Tennessee GOP. Now he seems to be at it, again, evidently having…

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