Day: November 2, 2018

Bredesen Digs Immigration Hole Deeper, Says Illegal Alien Army is ‘More of a Washington Issue’

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen is “talking out of both sides of his mouth,” the Tennessee Republican Party said in response to his latest missive on the illegal alien army marching toward the United States. “Must be a day of the week that ends in ‘y,’” the GOP said. To mark the occasion, the Tennessee Republican Party launched a new ad regarding the Democratic Senate candidate, which is available to watch here. The GOP said Bredesen is scrambling to undo the damage he caused when, during a TV news interview, he smirked and said, “A few thousand very poor people coming to our border is not a threat to our, is not a threat to our security.” After the Bredesen team dashed off an emergency op-ed to The Tennessean – which tried to walk back everything Bredesen said in the video – his team realized it wasn’t enough, and rolled out a new ad talking about how the man who called the wall “political theater” and said the migrant caravan was “not a threat” was tough on the border, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a press release. The Democratic former governor’s latest missive is that the criminal illegal alien army is “more…

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Justin Jones Outburst Proves Civilian Oversight Board a Bad Idea, FOP Says

Chris Butler

The disruptions at last weekend’s Marsha Blackburn rally, and protestors’ lack of understanding of the law, make a good case against a proposed Civilian Oversight Board, said the president of the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police. The belligerent attitudes of the people who caused those disruptions also make a good argument against the proposed board, said FOP Andrew Jackson Lodge No. 5 President James Smallwood. As reported, Vandebilt Divinity School student Justin Jones, who moved to Nashville in 2013 from Hercules, California to enroll at Fisk University, attended the rally at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom. Organizers of the private event — on private property — recognized Jones as a troublemaker at previous events. They asked Jones to leave. Jones refused, because he said he had a right to attend, regardless. “I think Mr. Jones’ lack of understanding of how the law actually works is a perfect example of why we don’t need a civilian oversight board, as written. Mr. Jones violated the law. He refused to comply with police orders and, unfortunately, he was resistant and non-compliant and caused officers to have to go hands on,” Smallwood told The Tennessee Star. “Now, I didn’t see any kind of abuse…

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Beto O’Rourke Spends Millions on Consultants After Touting Consultant-Free Campaign

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke spent millions of dollars on a consulting firm during the final stretch of the campaign despite repeatedly declaring that his campaign would not use any consultants. O’Rourke, who is running for Senate in Texas against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, has been promoting his campaign as PAC-free, special interest-free and consultant-free since it first kicked off. O’Rourke told The Dallas Morning News in March 2017 he would not utilize poll-testing or be “consulting with consultants” and has repeated that claim at countless rallies and media events. However, filings from the Federal Election Commission, first reported by Fox News Wednesday, show that O’Rourke’s campaign has been paying a consulting firm, Screen Strategies Media, almost $18 million during the last quarter. “We don’t have a pollster, we don’t have consultants. We don’t use focus groups,” O’Rourke told The Dallas Morning News in February. “This is the power of the people, and you have shown so much — so much, so far.” Only a month after O’Rourke spoke to The Dallas Morning News, the Texas Tribune revealed that the El Paso congressman had, in fact, hired two separate consulting firms prior to launching his campaign. At…

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These Are the Biggest Democrat Campaign Ad Fails of the Midterms

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by Evie Fordham   Candidates have spent major money on advertisements to tell voters why they are the right choice — in fact, the Center for Responsive Politics predicted Monday that Democrats and Republicans will spend more than $5.2 billion this election cycle, making it the most expensive ever. However, these politicians might wish they had not wasted funds on these ads. Heidi Heitkamp’s Ad Gets A Politifact Takedown Democratic North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp ran an ad claiming that her Republican challenger Kevin Cramer gave himself a $23,000 raise while serving on the state’s Public Service Commission. PolitiFact rated the claim “False” Oct. 8. “Cramer did get raises totalling that amount. But the ad completely distorts Cramer’s hand in securing the pay increase,” PolitiFact explained. North Dakota’s governor collaborates with the state Office of Management and Budget to establish commissioners’ salaries, which are approved by the Legislative Assembly, according to PolitiFact. Other officials including North Dakota’s governor, secretary of state and state auditor received proportionally similar pay hikes. [ RELATED: The Midterm Elections Are One Week From Today — Here’s What You Can Expect ] Cramer is currently polling about 12 points above Heitkamp, according to RealClear Politics. Claire McCaskill’s…

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Brett Kavanaugh Won’t Collect $600,000 GoFundMe Award Raised to Support Him

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by Kevin Daley   Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will not accept a $600,000 award from a GoFundMe page established to support him as he faced allegations of sexual misconduct from several women. Conservative blogger Josh Hawkins, who launched the GoFundMe effort on Sept. 24, received a statement from former Kavanaugh law clerk Travis Lenkner indicating that the justice was flattered by the support but precluded from accepting the donations. Justice Kavanaugh will not accept any proceeds from the campaign, nor will he direct that any proceeds from the campaign be provided to any third party, the statement reads. Although he appreciates the sentiment, Justice Kavanaugh requests that you discontinue the use of his name for any fund-raising purpose. Supreme Court justices are not bound by the Code of Judicial Conduct, but ethics rules generally preclude judges from using their name and likeness for fundraising purposes. Hawkins hoped the donations would finance personal security for the Kavanaugh family and legal expenses incurred to mount the judge’s defense. Mrs. Ashley Kavanaugh received several death threats at her professional email address during the confirmation process, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service told reporters that they were tracking an uptick in threats against the…

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Facebook Joins Silicon Valley Giants That Have Blocked Pro-Blackburn Ads, This Time Temporarily Removing Susan B. Anthony List Video Exposing Bredesen’s Pro-Abortion Views

Jason M. Reynolds

UPDATE: Late Thursday, Breitbart News reported that Facebook has changed course and will now allow the Susan B. Anthony list ad supporting Marsha Blackburn. The Susan B. Anthony List announced Thursday morning that Facebook had censored their ad contrasting Senate candidate Phil Bredesen’s pro-abortion views with opponent Marsha Blackburn’s unequivocal support for life. The tweet says, “BREAKING: This morning Facebook banned our 30-second ad exposing pro-abortion @PhilBredesen in Tennessee and supporting #ProLife Marsha Blackburn for Senate.” The tweet contains a link to the ad. BREAKING: This morning Facebook banned our 30-second ad exposing pro-abortion @PhilBredesen in Tennessee and supporting #ProLife Marsha Blackburn for Senate. Watch the ad Facebook censored: pic.twitter.com/BHlklKqD0Q#TNSen @VoteMarsha #IVoteProLife✅ — Susan B. Anthony List (@SBAList) November 1, 2018 This comes after the ad had been airing on digital platforms, including Facebook, since Oct. 23. “Facebook’s decision to take down this ad is just another example of the liberal elites of Silicon Valley censoring conservative ideas online,” said U.S. Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07). “We have repeatedly seen a demonstrated bias against conservatives and it needs to stop. The SBA List has a record of principled leadership on pro-life issues, and it is an honor to have their support in my…

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12 Mayors Endorse Dr. Mark Green for Congress, Bringing Total to 32

Jason M. Reynolds
Mark Green

State Sen. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-22) continues to pick up steam in his Seventh District Congressional campaign as he has picked up endorsements from 12 additional mayors. Green’s new endorsements mean 32 current and recently outgoing mayors in his district are backing him, his campaign said in a press release. “I’m humbled to have the endorsement of these mayors all across the 7th district,” said Green. “As I’ve traveled the 7th District over the last year, I’ve been honored to get to know each community and their people. If elected, I will fight to return as many powers as possible to the government that is closest to the people.” The new mayors endorsing Green for Congress are: Henderson County Mayor Eddie Bray Houston County Mayor James Bridges Hardin County Mayor Kevin Davis Lawrenceburg Mayor Keith Durham Dover Mayor Lesa Fitzhugh Lexington Mayor Jeff Griggs Chester County Mayor Barry Hutcherson Lewis County Mayor Jonah Keltner Benton County Mayor Brett Lashlee Wayne County Executive Jim Mangubat McNairy County Mayor Larry Smith Humphreys County Executive Jessie Wallace The following mayors previously announced their support: Nolensville Mayor Jimmy Alexander Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson Erin Mayor Paul Bailey Fairview Mayor Patti Carroll Former Houston…

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Democrat at Risk of Losing Seat Now Open to Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Change

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by Jason Hopkins   Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly said birthright citizenship should be handled by Congress, a move that appears to be a shift to the right as he fights sinking poll numbers amid the waning days of the midterms. “I’m the only person on this stage who voted three times for a border wall. I voted against sanctuary cities. I’ve stood for secure borders with John McCain when in 2013, we passed legislation that would have provided an additional 20,000 border agents to the border,” Donnelly said during a Tuesday night debate. The topic of birthright citizenship — a law that grants citizenship to any child born on U.S. land — has been heavily discussed after President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he plans to attempt signing an executive order ending the law. While both Donnelly and his Republican challenger Mike Braun, a businessman and former state representative, both did not commit to supporting an executive order, they were open to reform at the congressional level. “How this should be handled is by the Congress. I heard you say that Lindsey Graham is going to put legislation forward” to terminate it, Donnelly continued. “We have to take a look at that legislation.” Donnelly’s tough immigration…

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Donald Trump Jr. Films Video Urging Tennessee Republicans to Vote on Election Day

Jason M. Reynolds

America First Policies is launching a digital ad campaign recorded with Donald Trump Jr. urging voters in Tennessee to vote Republican on Election Day. The ad will start today and run through Election Day on Nov. 6. “America First Policies is a non-profit organization supporting key policy initiatives that will work for all citizens in our country and put America first,” its website says. “We are committed to empowering, educating, and mobilizing the voices of tens of millions of Americans who support a more prosperous, safer, and stronger country that allows everyone the opportunity to achieve their own American dream.” The ad is available to watch here. Donald Trump Jr. is extremely popular with the conservative base, the organization said. In the ad, he says, “Every day President Trump fights for the millions of forgotten men and women who deserve a bigger paycheck, a better deal and a brighter future. We always knew the radical left, the mainstream media and the Swamp would fight back. But their time is over. This is our time. Our nation. And our future … on the line. So this November 6th, every patriot in Tennessee needs to go to the polls and vote Republican.” This ad is part of…

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Justin Jones Supporters Furious at ‘White Judge’ Who Ordered His Arrest

Chris Butler

Vanderbilt Divinity School student Justin Jones is out of jail on his own recognizance, four days after he disrupted a Marsha Blackburn rally in Nashville. This didn’t go down, however, without Jones and his allies stirring up a lot of drama over the arrest and blaming people other than themselves for what happened. Part of that drama included their own stated resentment over a judge ordering Jones’ arrest — especially because it was a white judge. As reported, Nashville police took Jones, 23, into custody and drove him downtown after his outburst at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom last weekend. Nashville Night Court Commissioner Carolyn Piphus refused law enforcement’s request to issue an arrest warrant to Jones on charges of criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. Later in the week, however, Judge Melissa Blackburn — who is Caucasian — found probable cause to arrest Jones on the criminal trespassing and resisting arrest charges after presented with evidence by the office of District Attorney Glenn Funk. Blackburn, of no relation to Marsha Blackburn, issued a warrant, as The Tennessee Star reported. Upon learning this, Jones opted to turn himself in. After his release, he took to his personal Facebook page…

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Google Employees Worldwide Stage #GoogleWalkout to Protest Company’s Handling of Sexual Misconduct

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by Evie Fordham   Google employees worldwide are staging walkouts Thursday to protest the company’s handling of sexual misconduct sparked by an Oct. 25 report by The New York Times about alleged misconduct by former Google executive Andy Rubin. Google employees in the northeast United States, India, the United Kingdom and other locations left their desks Thursday at 11:10 a.m. local time in response to a report that described big payouts to executives accused of sexual misconduct — including an allegation of forced oral sex — with Google employees or applicants. The Google NYC walkout has begun! There are lines to the packed stairwells — most have given up on packed elevators. #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/4ywBpQxv6n — Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) November 1, 2018 “We’re walking out in support of those who’ve been harassed anywhere in the workplace, and to ensure that perpetrators are not rewarded and are not protected,” Google employee Sam Dutton told CNN in London Thursday. A Google Walkout account retweeted photos from walkouts in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Thursday morning. The Twitter account, @GoogleWalkout, sprung up with a Wednesday tweet explaining protesters’ demands, which include: An end to Forced Arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination. A commitment…

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Commentary: Trump is Right, Ending Birthright Citizenship is Constitutional

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by Hans von Spakovsky   President Donald Trump’s announcement Tuesday that he is preparing an executive order to end birthright citizenship has the left and even some conservatives in an uproar. But the president is correct when he says that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution does not require universal birthright citizenship. An executive order by Trump ending birthright citizenship would face a certain court challenge that would wind up in the Supreme Court. But based on my research of this issue over several years, I believe the president’s view is consistent with the view of the framers of the amendment. Those who claim the 14th Amendment mandates that anyone born in the U.S. is automatically an American citizen are misinterpreting the amendment in a manner inconsistent with the intent of the amendment’s framers. Universal birthright citizenship attracts illegal immigration. By granting immediate citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of the legal status of the parents, we reward and encourage illegal and exploitative immigration. Most countries around the world do not provide birthright citizenship. We do so based not upon the requirements of federal law or the Constitution, but based upon an erroneous executive interpretation. That should be…

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Tennessee Star Report Interview: President of Just Facts, James Agresti, Argues the 14th Amendment Birthright Interpretation

Julie Carr

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the duo spoke with James Agresti, the President of JustFacts, a public policy think tank and the author of “Rational Conclusions.”  The men discussed the 14th amendment and it’s current misinterpretation.  Aresti took a moment to properly explain the amendment and how it pertains to birthright and his disdain for the media’s dishonesty in explaining it to the public. Leahy:  Welcome James. Agresti: Steve and Michael, thank you for having me on. Leahy:  So my question to you James is how did somebody go to Brown University, the Ivy Leagues’ leftist, most left wing institution, and that’s saying something.  How did someone go to Brown University and come out rational and a conservative? Agresti:  I’ll tell ya. I went in with some rationality.  I came from a family of business people.  Very practical, hardworking people.  When I witnessed some of the nonsense that went on there it made me even more strident in my views. Leahy:  What are your college reunions like?  (Laughter) Agresti: Pretty interesting.  We all get along…

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Commentary: Build the Wall Remains Republicans Rallying Call

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Tennessee Star

by Natalia Castro   Immigration debates dominated the 2016 election and two years later, the issue is equally as pertinent in Americans’ minds. For many individuals who voted for President Trump on the promise of building a wall to secure our southern border, there has been frustration surrounding a lack of action; but some action has been taken and this issue specifically demonstrates Republicans will have to maintain control of the House and Senate in the 2018 midterm elections if they want to finish the job. When President Trump signed a March 2018 spending bill into law, Congress allocated $1.6 billion for border wall construction and $400 million for repairing and replacing existing border fences. At the time, Trump referred to this as a down payment to begin wall construction, with more coming in the months ahead. That money has already been put to good use. Last week, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristjen Nielsen unveiled a newly built 30-foot border wall along the border of California and Mexico. During her visit to the wall she reinforced her support for the president’s policy, Let me be clear: Walls work. That’s not my opinion, it’s not a tagline, it’s not…

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Tennessee Star Report Exclusive Interview – Ann Coulter on the 14th Amendment: ‘An Executive Order Absolutely Works’ to End Birthright Citizenship

Julie Carr

On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Steve Gill spoke to good friend Ann Coulter about the 14th amendment and it’s current interpretation.  Coulter and Gill discussed the birthing centers in southern California and the need to create a federal law rather than an executive order, as Trump will not be President forever. Gill: Ok, this 14th amendment that Paul Ryan is saying well he believes in reading the words of the Constitution.  And yet he apparently hasn’t read the 14th amendment because it makes it pretty clear that unless your here legally, it wasn’t intended that the 14th amendment would apply, it was intended to give a guarantee of citizenship status to the well slaves that America had just freed through a Civil War. How do you think this will play out?  Does it go through the courts, does it go through Congress, does an executive order work? Coulter: Yes, an executive order absolutely works because no Supreme Court and no Congressional law has ever found that the children born to illegal aliens are United States…

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