Author: John Bryant

Corker: GOP Becoming Cult-Like Hints Trump’s Not a Republican; Rep Gaetz Responds: Get Over It, Bob

John Bryant
Bob Corker, Matt Gaetz

Not content with his recent meltdown on the Senate floor, outgoing Tennessee Senator Bob Corker unleashed on President Trump and the GOP again to reporters on Wednesday. GOP Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) warned on Wednesday that members of his party are becoming “cult-like” in their support of President Trump, pointing to leadership’s unwillingness to challenge the White House on tariffs. “We are in a strange place. I mean, it’s almost, it’s becoming a cultish thing, isn’t it? And it’s not a good place for any party to end up with a cult-like situation as it relates to a president that happens to be of — purportedly, of the same party,” Corker told reporters. Pressed on whether he feels Republicans are currently in a “cult-like situation,” Corker acknowledged that there are some GOP lawmakers who stand up to Trump and it would be “unfair to try to say” that “about every member.” “[But] is leadership in general not wishing to poke the bear? Absolutely, because it’s all about the next election, right?” said Corker, who is retiring after 2018. Watch Corker’s remarks: The increasingly unpopular Corker, who likely had no chance of winning the GOP nomination to run for Senate again…

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Entire TN GOP House Delegation Supports Spending Cuts in $15 Billion Rescission Bill, While Dems Vote No

John Bryant
Tennessee Republician House Delegation

The final vote on the “Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act,”  a $15 billion rescission bill, that passed the U.S House of Representatives on June 7 – and which the White House supported – is unsurprising. The two Tennessee Democrats in the House voted to continue spending your tax dollars on “expired and unnecessary programs,” while the seven Tennessee Republicans in the House voted to stop the waste. Tennessee Republicans who voted yes to cut spending: Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01) Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN-02) Rep. Chuck Fleischman (R-TN-03) Rep Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08) Tennessee Democrats who voted no and opposed cuts in spending: Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) The White House released a statement at the time of the vote. For those keeping score at home, this is just one more bit of proof that the party of Phil Bredesen has absolutely no intention of reining in spending in Washington. The Administration applauds today’s passage of H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives and urges the Senate to quickly act on the legislation. In keeping…

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Rep. Steve Cohen Unhinged Over Trump North Korea Summit Public Largely Supports

John Bryant
Steve Cohen

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) has come unhinged on Twitter over President Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore earlier this week. While there is certainly room for skepticism as to how much trust to place in North Korea’s leaders on the heels of their meeting with President Donald Trump, a new PEW research poll shows overwhelming support for the talks among the public as a whole. Americans overwhelmingly support direct talks between the United States and North Korea over its nuclear program. About seven-in-ten (71%) approve of these talks, while just 21% disapprove. However, the public is skeptical about whether North Korea’s leaders are serious about addressing concerns over its nuclear program. Changing views on whether U.S. does too much – or too little – globally. Americans are now evenly split over whether the U.S. does too little (33%), too much (30%) or the right amount (29%) to solve world problems; that is a change from two years ago, when the plurality view (41%) was that the U.S. did too much globally. The shift has been driven by changes among partisans: Republicans and Republican-leaning independents increasingly say the U.S. is doing the right amount globally, while Democrats and…

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Tennessee GOP Slams ‘Two Faced’ Phil Bredesen for Taking Big Bucks From Chuck Schumer

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen, Chuck Schumer

The Tennessee Republican Party has already smacked Democrat Phil Bredesen for being “personally courted” to run for the US Senate by New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, now they’re going after Bredesen, with the help of the Washington Post, by pointing out that Schumer is “backing up the money truck to the Bredesen campaign.” Via the Washington Post, it seems Schumer’s group is planing to drop at least seven figures into Tennessee on Bredesen’s behalf. That would make Bredesen the best liberal Democrat Schumer’s D.C. money could be – and the exact opposite of the type of representation Tennessee chose when they helped to elect President Donald Trump. The top Senate Democratic super PAC plans to spend about $80 million to reserve fall airtime for television commercials in nine battleground states, a sizable early investment in pursuit of winning control of the Senate. Senate Majority PAC will soon secure post-Labor Day airtime in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia, the group told The Washington Post. The spending represents its first wave of fall reservations, officials said. “We are implementing an aggressive media strategy,” said Senate Majority PAC President J.B. Poersch, a close ally of Senate Minority…

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GOP Senate Nominee in PA Blasts Democrat Bob Casey Over Celebration of Philadelphia’s Sanctuary City Status

John Bryant
Lou Barletta, Bob Casey

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), who is running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania blasted both the mayor of Philadelphia and his own opponent, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), over a viral video of the mayor dancing as Philadelphia joined the ranks of sanctuary cities which give safe harbor to illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records, thanks to a decision handed down by a federal district judge. Needless to say, I think @janeslusser and @PhillyMayor are pretty excited about today’s ruling affirming Philadelphia as a Sanctuary City. pic.twitter.com/gdnnjZT9ps — Steve Preston (@StevePrest) June 6, 2018 “That’s really a sad video to watch,” Barletta told Stuart Varney on Fox Business Network, “Especially for me.” “I don’t think the families of the victims in Philadelphia who were victims of illegal immigrants… I don’t think they’re dancing,” Barletta said. Barletta went on to cite the family of a child allegedly raped by an illegal immigrant in Philadelphia, saying he “is challenging Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) in November, and that he and Casey — the son of a former Pennsylvania governor — are “on opposite ends” of the sanctuary city and illegal immigration issue.” “That’s going to be a big issue in this election,” Barletta said.…

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Phil Bredesen Applauds Bob Corker for His Opposition to President Trump on Trade

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen and Bob Corker

The Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, lauded the outgoing incumbent, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), for his opposition to President Donald Trump in a tweet sent out on Monday. I respect Senator Corker for putting Tennessee ahead of Washington politics. These tariffs do a lot of damage to TN businesses. For my part, I call on every Democrat and Republican who cares about our state to stand with him on this. https://t.co/WTFZmT1onE — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) June 4, 2018 Many Trump supporters view Trump’s rhetoric and actions on trade, including tariffs, as a part of the kind of tough negotiations on trade Americans elected Trump to carry out, as opposed to an endgame. With unpopular Republicans and Democrats like Phil Bredesen undermining Trump seemingly at every turn, it could make Trump’s efforts on the part of American workers that much more difficult. As the Tennessean pointed out, Rep. Marsha Blackburn remains pro-trade but is willing to give Trump the latitude and leverage required for success in any tough negotiation. Meanwhile, both Corker and Bredesen appear to be more content to try and score cheap political points and continue to undermine the President at every…

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NRSC Uses Trump to Blast Bredesen in Second Video

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has gone after Democrat Phil Bredesen in a new YouTube video released on the heels of President Trump’s recent visit to Tennessee to campaign for Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). Bredesen and Blackburn are expected to battle for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) in the November general election. The video can be viewed in full below. The Times Free Press reported on the video’s release here. Trump’s criticisms of Phil Bredesen are laced throughout the video. “Tennessee doesn’t need another obstructionist Washington Democrat,” says the video, which features footage of Trump’s attacks on Bredesen last week. In a nod to Trump’s continuing popularity in the state, this also isn’t the first time the NRSC has invoked the president in going after liberal Democrat Bredesen, as The Times Free Press noted: The NRSC spot follows another video using the president’s remarks, which were posted to YouTube last week by expected Senate GOP nominee U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s campaign. Both come on the heels of Trump’s criticisms of Bredesen last week during a rally in Nashville. “Phil Bredesen thinks he has Tennessee fooled,” says the NRSC’s 46-second spot which first features a…

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Bredesen’s Donations to Liberal Democrats Total Almost A Half-Million Dollars

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen

Despite efforts to misleadingly position himself as a pro-Trump Democrat in his bid for the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, a deep dive into his political giving shows that former Gov. Phil Bredesen is all but the half-a-million dollar man when it comes to giving to the most liberal of Democrats running nationally in past years. In essence, “Bredesen donated nearly half-a-million to liberal politicians,” as The Washington Examiner reported: Bredesen has branded himself as a sort of pro-Trump Democrat in his race against Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker. He says that he isn’t “the toy of the national Democratic Party.” Campaign contributions filed with the Federal Election Commission and the Tennessee Campaign Finance database say he is a party favorite thanks to $460,691 in campaign contributions. For the last three decades, Bredesen has given faithfully from his pharmaceutical fortune. He has contributed to congressional and Senate and presidential campaigns of dozens of major liberal candidates since 1983. Now that money could come back and haunt his current ambitions in a state President Trump won by 26 points. Bredesen’s campaign is not denying his huge financial support for liberal Democrat candidates over many years. “Bredesen…

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The Gill Report Calls Out Karl Dean for Accepting Left Wing Martin O’Malley Endorsement

John Bryant
Gill on Omalleys Dean Endorsement

In the audio below, conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill of The Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, called out gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean for accepting the endorsement of the far Left former governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, which was already reported here by The Star. Dean accepted the endorsement gladly and even took to Twitter to boast on it: “I am honored to have the support of Gov. O’Malley and his Win Back Your State PAC,” Dean commented. “Tennessee’s next governor needs to be a creative problem solver who is going to find common ground for the entire state. Gov. O’Malley is working all across the country to make sure that happens.” I am honored to have the support of Gov. @MartinOMalley and @WinYourState. Tennessee’s next governor needs to be a creative problem solver who is going to find common ground for the entire state. Governor O’Malley is working all across the country to make sure that happens. https://t.co/K0jLM8gkwO — Karl Dean (@KarlFDean) May 31, 2018 “Would someone please go get Karl Dean a map,” Gill quipped, continuing to blast him for accepting the endorsement from such a prominent progressive from the Northeast,…

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Trump Slaps Down Corker on Retiring Senator’s Proposed Tariff Legislation

John Bryant
Bob Corker and Donald Trump

Even as outgoing Tennessee Senator Bob Corker is leaking details of a phone call from President Trump in which Trump sought to back him off from his tariff opposition efforts we reported on yesterday, Corker’s also had to admit that any opposition to Trump by him is most likely DOA. Corker told reporters Wednesday that some Republicans are “fearful” of crossing Trump by signing onto the bill, making it more and more unlikely that the legislation gets through the Senate at all. At the same time, Corker is saying he will continue to pursue what he himself now describes as a pointless gesture, save for the fact it may get his name in the news, perhaps. “He’s obviously not pleased with this effort,” Corker told reporters in Washington. Corker, a Tennessee Republican and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he and the president had a lengthy, “heart-felt” conversation about the legislation. “It’s a difference of opinion,” Corker said. “He feels that this takes away his negotiating ability. And this in no way takes away his negotiating ability. It’s not any different than him meeting with (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un and, if they reach a deal, him…

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Corker Pushing Bill to Target Trump on Tariff Powers

John Bryant
Corker Senate For Rel Committee Trump

Outgoing Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is now pushing a measure to empower Congress to block President Trump’s tariffs, “opening a GOP rift over how and whether to push back on the White House’s trade policy,” according to a Politico report. Corker’s proposal would set up a fast-track process for Congress to sign off on tariffs linked to national security and is picking up steam as he attempts to attach it to the annual defense authorization bill that’s expected to come to the floor later this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday ruled out a stand-alone vote on the legislation but suggested that it could get consideration during the defense debate. The tariff effort remains a long shot, with McConnell describing it as “contentious,” but it still represents a critical test of the GOP’s willingness to take on the president. “There’s a lot of interest in it, for what it’s worth,” Corker told reporters. “But, you know, doing anything around here is like pushing a major boulder uphill, so we’ll see.” As The Tennessee Star reported on June 3rd, this isn’t the first time Corker has signaled his desire to take Trump on on trade and tariffs, even going so far…

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Plaintiff in Trump Twitter Lawsuit is Let Go by Vanderbilt UMC

John Bryant
Eugene-Gu-VUMC

As The College Fix reports, Eugene Gu, a plaintiff in the President Trump Twitter “block” lawsuit in which he prevailed has been let go by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center for “performance issues” in the wake of the suit. Gu’s been on paid leave since originally Tweeting a picture of himself “kneeling with a raised fist — in protest against “white supremacy” — and the mother of a patient under his care had complained.” According to The (Duke) Chronicle, the VUMC cited “performance issues” in its decision not renew Gu’s contract. A letter to Gu from VUMC General Counsel Michael Regier cites his “lack of sufficient improvement in performance and conduct in key areas” and notes “the most ‘significant areas of concern were ‘patient care, communication, and medical knowledge.’” Gu alleges he dealt with a hostile work environment after VUMC “pinned” a tweet of its response to The Chronicle’s investigation into the kneeling incident. The Duke Chronicle reported on June 1 that Gu’s contract was not renewed. VUMC cited “performance issues” in reaching their decision. Less than a year after Vanderbilt University Medical Center placed Gu—School of Medicine ’15—on administrative leave, he no longer works there. He was placed on leave…

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Far Left Martin O’Malley Endorses Karl Dean, May Also Campaign for Him

John Bryant
Karl Dean, Martin O'Malley

The far Left former governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, who also ran for President in 2016, has endorsed Democrat Karl Dean for governor of Tennessee. Dean accepted the endorsement gladly: “I am honored to have the support of Gov. O’Malley and his Win Back Your State PAC,” Dean commented. “Tennessee’s next governor needs to be a creative problem solver who is going to find common ground for the entire state. Gov. O’Malley is working all across the country to make sure that happens.” Dean took to twitter to brag on it a bit. I am honored to have the support of Gov. @MartinOMalley and @WinYourState. Tennessee’s next governor needs to be a creative problem solver who is going to find common ground for the entire state. Governor O’Malley is working all across the country to make sure that happens. https://t.co/K0jLM8gkwO — Karl Dean (@KarlFDean) May 31, 2018 As The Nashville Post reported, O’Malley was effusive in his praise for Dean, the former mayor of Nashville. That may ultimately do more harm than good in any potential general election and it also reinforces exactly how far Left the current Democrat Party has become.  “After another wave of Democratic primary wins across…

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RNC on Phil Bredesen: Out-Of-Touch With Tennessee Voters

John Bryant
Bredesen Out of Touch

The Republican National Committee (RNC) unleashed a blistering and detailed attack on Democrat candidate for the US Senate from Tennessee Phil Bredesen this week, the kind of attack that will likely keep on leaving a mark even as the campaign rolls through the Summer and into the Fall. The RNC again points out that Bredesen was “personally courted” by DC Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to run for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat now held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), and reminded voters that Bredesen has donated significant amounts of money to Trump’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the past. Additionally, they emphasized that during Bredesen’s tenure as governor of Tennessee, the unemployment rate increased from 5.1 percent to 9.5 percent and the number of unemployed Tennesseans increased by 98 percent. The GOP took on several other aspects of Bredesen’s political history, as well and there is undoubtedly much more to come. One gets the sense that the onslaught against Bredresen from the GOP is just getting started. And with Trump appearing to go all in for Republican Marsha Blackburn, including rallying for her in the state, it will be interesting to see what, if any, impact all this GOP…

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Corker Reaches Out to Democrats to Oppose Trump on Trade

John Bryant
Bob Corker

Outgoing Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) took to Twitter on Saturday in an effort to reach out to Democrats in his ongoing efforts to stymie the Trump administration from achieving its goals when it comes to trade. I am working with like-minded Republican senators on ways to push back on the president using authorities in ways never intended and that are damaging to our country and our allies. Will Democrats join us? — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) June 2, 2018 I am working with like-minded Republican senators on ways to push back on the president using authorities in ways never intended and that are damaging to our country and our allies. Will Democrats join us? — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) June 2, 2018 Rather than support Trump in what many see as little more than a deal-making process to improve America’s position in trade agreements around the world, Corker appears to be hyperventilating like a Democrat determined to damage and undermine Trump at every turn. He was referencing a tweet to a Wall Street Journal story with his childish plea. These two stories feel like something I could have read in a local Caracas newspaper last week, not in America. Venezuela, here…

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Phil Bredesen’s Illegal Alien Driving Certificate Problem

John Bryant

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) threw a well-aimed punch at former Gov. Phil Bredesen’s glass jaw earlier this month, criticizing him for his role in pushing the Tennessee General Assembly to pass his ill-advised illegal alien driving certificate program, which he signed into law in 2004 and made Tennessee a magnet for illegal aliens. The program, which Bredesen touted originally as a “common sense solution” was such an unmitigated disaster, he was forced to end it in 2006. Bredesen’s 2018 campaign team, with the help of a compliant and uninquisitive mainstream media in Tennessee, has attempted to spin his way out of culpability for this serious debacle, but The Tennessee Star has prepared this synopsis of the facts that sets the record straight. Former Republican Governor Don Sundquist sent a number of very bad policy proposals to the Tennessee General Assembly during the two terms he served between 1995 and 2003. One of them continues to reverberate throughout the 2018 statewide elections, playing a role in both the U.S. Senate general election between Bredesen, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and Marsha Blackburn, the presumptive Republican nominee, and the increasingly bitter GOP gubernatorial primary contest between front runners Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) and…

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Will Liberal Teachers’ Union Endorsement Hamper Beth Harwell In Her Gubernatorial Nomination Bid?

John Bryant

As The Tennessee Star has reported, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell has received the Tennessee Education Association’s endorsement for the Republican nomination for Governor. The Tennessee Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education (TEA-FCPE), which is the PAC and political arm for the teachers’ union in Tennessee, has endorsed House Speaker Beth Harwell for the Republican nomination for Governor. The TEA’s PAC also endorsed House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh in the Democratic Party primary. Harwell welcomed the endorsement: “I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Tennessee Education Association,” Harwell said. “Education is my top priority, and as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, I have led some of our boldest reforms that resulted in Tennessee being one of the fastest improving states in education.” But, is this an endorsement that will actually help Harwell in her race for the nomination, or could it backfire? The Star went on to explore the potential downside in its previous coverage. The endorsement of the liberal TEA will not play well for Harwell in a contested Republican Primary for Governor. A Tennessee Star Poll conducted a few months ago reveals that accepting TEA money and support may come at a…

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Corker Says He Will Attend Trump Rally and Blackburn Fundraiser in Nashville Today

John Bryant
President Trump. Marsha Blackburn, Bob Corker

A tweet  from CNN’s Elizabeth Landers indicates that Bob Corker will accompany President Trump tonight as he visits Nashville to stump for GOP Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, including attending a rally for her. A spokeswoman for @BobCorker confirms that he will greet @potus at the airport in Nashville tonight- and will attend the rally and fundraiser as well. — Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) May 29, 2018 President Trump’s plane is scheduled to land in Nashville at 4:30 p.m. today. A rally will be held at the Municipal Auditorium at 7:00 pm tonight, with doors opening at 2:00 pm. President Trump held an earlier rally in Nashville attended by an estimated crowd of 10,000 back in March of 2017, also at the Municipal Auditorium. As reported by The Tennessee Star on April 10, Corker has expressed his support for Blackburn in the past, although he stopped short of a rousing endorsement. Though he did not use the formal term “endorsement,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) announced his support for Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN-07) bid to replace him in the United States Senate on Monday. Corker sent this tweet out late Monday afternoon: Now that the Republican primary has essentially concluded, I am sending a contribution…

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Tennessee Firearms Association Says Many Candidates Not Forthcoming in Answers to Second Amendment Survey

John Bryant

The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) released its 2018 state legislature and gubernatorial candidate surveys on Friday. TFA executive director John Harris told The Tennessee Star that many candidates provided responses that were less than fully forthcoming. “A lot of candidates tell us, or put in their literature, that they are strong or reliable on the Second Amendment. But they don’t respond when we ask them specific questions about where they stand,” Harris said. “We sent the survey to all state legislative and gubernatorial candidates of all parties that registered with the State Election Commission to run in the August primary elections,” he added. “Just under 400 surveys were sent out. We got back about 70,” Harris noted None of the major gubernatorial candidates from either party responded to the specific questions asked in the survey, Harris said. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee responded with a two page letter that did not address the questions in the survey, but asserted that he supports the Second Amendment, Harris noted. “That tells us all the major gubernatorial candidates of both parties say they are strong or good on the Second Amendment, but they won’t answer specific questions,” Harris added. As for the 70…

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Shelby County Commission Chairman Heidi Shafer Helps Lead Memphis Anti-Addiction Effort

John Bryant
Shelby County Commission

On May 14th, the current chairman of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, Heidi Shafer was joined by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, her fellow Commissioners, Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter, U.S. Attorney Mike Dunavant, UTHSC Dr. David Stern, District Attorney Amy Weirich, and a myriad of law enforcement, fire, and government leaders from Shelby County, to unveil the “Multifaceted Plan to Eliminate the Addiction Epidemic in the Greater Memphis Area.” An opioid task force unveiled a plan Monday to fight the opioid epidemic in Shelby County. The task force formed last year and quickly got to work on a problem they said cannot wait any longer for a solution. From 2013 to 2016, 474 people died from opioid overdoses–most of those deaths were concentrated in the heart of the county. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the opioid epidemic has not yet peaked. The Shelby County opioid task force said it plans to spend $2.4 million in the first year to combat the epidemic. The money will be spent to help the county map out opioid-related deaths, track overdoses, boost public awareness of the epidemic, and subsidize the cost of opioid-combating…

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Phil Bredesen’s Dismal Record on Jobs

John Bryant

Democrat US Senate candidate Phil Bredesen is using a new ad in an attempt to muddy the water around his dismal performance on jobs as Tennessee Governor and Republicans are determined to not let him get away with the deception. Phil Bredesen is out with another ad for his campaign for Senate ,touting the jobs he helped bring to the state during his tenure as governor — and Republicans are already criticizing it. The spot begins airing statewide on Thursday, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee was quick to attack, saying the unemployment rate increased from 5.1 percent to 9.5 percent under Bredesen’s tenure. “Phil Bredesen’s got a lot of nerve claiming he knows how to create jobs when the opposite happened under his watch,” said NRSC Spokesman Michael McAdams. “Whether it’s saving their tax cuts or spurring job creation, Tennessee voters know they can’t trust Phil Bredesen to protect their economic interests.” In reality, the number of Tennesseans on unemployment nearly doubled under Bredesen’s stewardship and that’s only part of the story. He’s “now said emphatically that he would have voted against the tax cuts that have been creating jobs across the country even before the cuts were implemented,” per…

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Steve Gill On The Man-Child Who Would Not Leave

John Bryant
Man evicted from parents

In the audio below, conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill of The Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville offered his take on the case of unemployed millennial Michael Rotondo, who was sued by his parents for refusing to move out of their home after several efforts by the family to rid themselves of this over-grown leech. Courtesy of the New York Post:  The unemployed millennial who was sued by his parents for refusing to move out has just one more week to enjoy freeloading. Rotondo has been crashing rent-free at his parents’ for the past eight years — despite several eviction attempts by mom Christina and dad Mark. The no-nonsense couple finally had it and sued the 30-year-old in order to force him to move out. At a hearing Tuesday, Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Donald Greenwood sided with the parents, telling Michael it was time to go. Michael, who has a young son, told The Post he wanted three months to move out — or he’d appeal the judge’s ruling. Rotondo has since taken his embarrassing non-road show to TV in a series of bizarre segments in which he’s lamely attempted to…

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Nashville Firm Files Class Action Lawsuit Against United Community Bank For Alleged Improper Overdraft Fee Practices

John Bryant
United Community Bank for Alleged Improper Overdraft Fee

Nashville, Tennessee-based law firm Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings has filed a class action lawsuit against Georgia-headquartered regional bank United Community Bank, which has locations in three additional states, including Tennessee. BS&J filed the lawsuit with Cohen & Malad, LLP of Indianapolis, Indiana. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville on Wednesday, May 16. According to The Chattanoogan.com, “Plaintiff Dennis A. Jones, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated throughout the U.S., filed the suit seeking redress for UCB’s alleged routine practice of assessing overdraft fees on debit card transactions that did not overdraw checking account available balances, along with multiple insufficient funds fees on a single transaction. The lawsuit is brought as a class action under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” “United Community Bank’s improper debit card fee practices are costing Dennis Jones, and many others like him, exorbitant sums and taking away a substantial percentage of income,” said Gerard Stranch, managing partner of BS&J. “Their practice of conducting authorized-positive, settled-negative transactions is deceptive and bears potential impact on all of UCB’s clients. UCB’s customers should be aware of the bank’s practices and the…

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OFF THE RECORD: Corker Claims He Turned Down Trump Offer of Ambassadorship to Australia

John Bryant

The diminutive and retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has told the Tennessean he turned down an ambassadorship from the Trump White House; however, it appears no one from the White House has confirmed the offer was even made. Critics of Corker might be wondering if this isn’t yet another instance of trying to pad his resume, as opposed to his real estate portfolio. From the Tennessean: The Trump administration wanted U.S. Sen. Bob Corker to join its diplomatic ranks. But the retiring Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman declined, saying he turned down the chance to become the next U.S. ambassador to Australia. Even if Corker were offered the slot, it seems clear he was not the front runner and came in at least second, at best. The real star of the story should be Adm. Harry Harris, who was raised in Tennessee and is a graduate of Crossville High School, sources tell The Tennessee Star, and who Trump had chosen for the spot, before bumping him up to what is a more important posting, especially given current developments in both North and south Korea. Trump previously named Adm. Harry Harris his nominee as the envoy to Australia. But in April, the administration…

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Steve Gill: Questions Surround Proposed NFL Penalty for Kneeling During National Anthem

John Bryant

Conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star political editor Steve Gill discussed the NFL’s contemplation of “an in-game penalty against teams whose players kneel in protest during the national anthem” on The Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville. Gill pointed out the many questions swirling around the move in terms of how it could be implemented and even prevent players who want to stand for the National Anthem by standing if teams simply opt to remain in the locker room to avoid the situation and potential penalty entirely. As Sports Illustrated reported, “On Tuesday, NFL owners put three hours aside for a privileged session to speak—amongst themselves and family members—about the most sensitive of topics. One was how the league will handle players kneeling during the national anthem going forward. An idea being floated in the room goes like this: It would be up to the home team on whether both teams come out of the locker room for the anthem, and, should teams come out, 15-yard penalties could be assessed for kneeling. The league is currently being sued by Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, with the two unsigned free agents alleging that NFL teams colluded to keep them unemployed. Kaepernick was…

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Phil Bredesen Gave Big Bucks to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen and Hillary Clinton

While Democrat Phil Bredesen wants people to believe he’s not running to oppose President Donald Trump’s reform agenda in Washington, details have emerged indicating he did that very thing by opening his wallet in a big way to Hillary Clinton when she was running against Trump in 2016. As the Nashville Post reports, both Bredesen and his wife Andrea Conte made significant contributions “to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and PACs that supported her race. (Bredesen gave $33,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund PAC, and Conte donated $2,700 To Hillary For America and $10,000 to the pro-Clinton Ready PAC.)” In fact, Bredesen’s contributions to Hillary Clinton and her various entities in 2016–$46,100– all but amounted to the median household income for Tennessee that year, $48,547, according to Google. Asked about the developments, Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said, “Over the next six months Phil Bredesen will wage a Trojan horse operation to try to slip into a Senate seat from Tennessee by pretending to be something he is not. Unfortunately, for Bredesen, his $68,000 contribution to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign efforts put a giant ‘I’m With Her’ bumper sticker on that Trojan horse that Tennessee voters will not be able to ignore.” Added…

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Conservative Terry Roland Decides to Not Launch Write-in Campaign for Shelby County Mayor after GOP Primary Loss to Lenoir

John Bryant

The  Commercial Appeal is reporting that defeated Republican candidate for Shelby  County Mayor Terry Roland has decided to not mount a write-in campaign, opting for party unity, instead. Roland lost the May 1 primary with 29 percent of the vote to David Lenoir’s 62 percent. Lenoir faces Democrat Lee Harris in the August 2 local general election. Asked for a reaction from The Tennessee Star, Shelby County Commissioner Roland said, “if we don’t rid of partisan primaries in local elections, the Republicans aren’t going to have a chance in Shelby County. Democrats make up 70 percent of the county.” Getting rid of partisan primaries in local elections is of greatest concern in Shelby County. In other parts of the state, many conservative Republicans are concerned that the state’s open primary system allows Democrats to vote in Republican primaries, ultimately making it more difficult for strong conservative candidates to break through. A bill to end the open primary system in Tennessee died in committee in the recently completed session of the Tennessee General Assembly.          

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