Author: Jason M. Reynolds

Bredesen Lived the Life, Tennesseans Paid the Bill, Ad Says

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee (AFP-TN) on Wednesday announced a new seven-figure investment in television and digital advertisements highlighting Phil Bredesen’s record as a big spender and supporter of higher taxes. Americans for Prosperity is spending $2 million on the new ad that is hitting the airwaves statewide today. The ad is available to view here. The ad exposes the Democrat’s support of higher taxes and out-of-control spending while governor. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker, who is retiring. AFP-TN announced it has mobilized its activists and launched grassroots activities in support of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for the Senate seat on the Republican ticket. AFP-Tennessee State Director Tori Venable said, “Phil Bredesen’s rhetoric of fiscal responsibility won’t fool Tennesseans; his record speaks for itself. During his time in office, Bredesen supported tax and fee increases that hurt Tennesseans while times were tough and our economy was in a tailspin. And despite Bredesen’s claims to be fiscally responsible, there’s nothing responsible about lavishing nearly $9 million taxpayer dollars on a renovation to the governor’s mansion. Tennesseans don’t want a senator who says one thing and then does another, but that is what they’ll get…

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Marsha Blackburn: “I Will Always Support Policies That Keep Americans Safe”

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

Congress should build President Donald Trump’s wall on the Mexican border and punish officials who create sanctuary cities, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn said. Blackburn (R-TN-07) made her case on immigration in an editorial Monday in The Hill. She is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker, who is retiring. Her Democratic opponent is former Gov. Phil Bredesen. Here is an excerpt of her editorial: “Every state is a border state and every town is a border town. That is what many believe to be happening due to the illegal entry taking place on our nation’s southern border. What we as Tennesseans have watched happen over the past decade is a problem that has spiraled out of control for local law enforcement and elected officials. It is due to the federal government not doing its job to enforce existing federal immigration law. The Obama administration pushed open-border policies, backed away from securing the border and pushed sanctuary city policies that have made us less safe. … “Tennesseans ask me every day what we should do to get the issues that come from illegal immigration into our country under control. The first steps we should take are to…

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Blackburn to Debate Bredesen Sept. 25 at Cumberland University

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn, Phil Bredesen

Marsha Blackburn announced she will participate in the Sept. 25 debate in Lebanon for the U.S. Senate race. The 7 p.m. CT debate will be held at Cumberland University. Hosts are The Tennessean, the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, News Channel 5 (WTVF), Nashville Public Television and Cumberland University. The debate will air on NewsChannel 5 and NPT in Nashville and will be carried statewide on public television, and will stream online on the hosts’ sites. Blackburn and Bredesen are vying for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. “There are significant differences between how Phil Bredesen and I will serve Tennesseans in the Senate, and this debate will highlight that contrast,” said Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07) in a press release. “I appreciate the hard work of the event’s organizers and volunteers. I look forward to a substantive discussion about the future of our state and our country as part of our general election debates.” NewsChannel 5 said anchor Rhori Johnston and David Plazas, the opinion engagement editor at The Tennessean, will co-moderate the debate. Blackburn is a better choice for Tennessee than Democratic former Gov. Bredesen, A recent poll by Gravis Marketing shows Blackburn leads Bredesen…

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Holt: Bredesen Wrong For Tennessee as Senator, Would Not Stand Up to Democrats

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn, Andy Holt, Phil Bredesen

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is a better choice for the U.S. Senate than Democratic former Gov. Bredesen, one state representative said. Blackburn and Bredesen are running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Bob Corker. State Rep. Andy Holt (R-76) wrote the comments about Bredesen and Blackburn in an op-ed in the Jackson Sun. “Just look at his (Bredesen’s) failure to denounce Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen (District 9), who said he wished Marsha Blackburn would jump off a bridge, or Mark Brown, the spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party who called President Trump a “moron” and his supporters ‘idiots.’ I guess I am one of those idiots. If he won’t stand up to his Democrats buddies in Tennessee for using the violent and partisan language that he claims to despise, because it plagues our country, who’s to say he’ll be able to do it in Washington? “Now that he’s running for office, he is telling you what he thinks you want to hear — that he’ll work across the aisle and won’t block the president at every turn. The reality is legislators — especially in the United States Senate — must pick a team, and he will be…

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Blackburn: Privatization Of Military A Bad Idea For Fort Campbell, Nation

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

Privatizing the military is a bad move, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn said in an op-ed Friday in the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle. Blackburn, a Republican who is running for Bob Corker’s U.S. Senate seat, represents the 7th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery County and Fort Campbell. The representative mentioned the death of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Taylor J. Galvin, who was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell. He died while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. She also mentioned the ongoing threats from nations like China and North Korea. “This is why the call to privatize the United States military is a non-starter. Our military commanders in the field are on the front line,” she wrote. “They work each day to execute their mission and the best way to support them is to be certain they have the tools and equipment they need — not take them away and hand everything over to a corporate company.” President Donald J. Trump’s budget proposal calls for a new round of military base closures in 2021, raising questions over the future of Forts Knox and Campbell, WDRB News reported. The plan, unveiled in May as part of the administration’s…

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Nineteen Foreign Nationals Charged For Voting in 2016 Election

Jason M. Reynolds
Robert J. Higdon

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina on Friday announced 19 foreign nationals were charged with, among other alleged crimes, voting by alien for their actions prior to and on Nov. 8, 2016. A 20th defendant was charged with aiding and abetting a fellow defendant in falsely claiming citizenship to register to vote. A federal grand jury in Wilmington, North Carolina returned Indictments charging the following foreign nationals with false claim of United States citizenship to register to vote, and voting by an alien: Jose Cruz Solano-Rodriguez, 41, Mexico; Guadalupe Espinosa-Pena, 63, Mexico; Sarah Emilia Silverio-Polanco, 35, the Dominican Republic; Elizabeth Nene Amachaghi, 44, Nigeria; Maria Rufina Castillo-Boswell, 31, Philippines; Dora Maybe Damatta-Rodriguez, 64, Panama; Elvis David Fullerton, 54, Grenada; Olive Agatha Martin, 71, Guyana; Kaoru Sauls, age 54, Japan. Criminal charges of voting by an alien were filed against the following: Jose Jaime Ramiro-Torres, 52, El Salvador; Juan Francisco Landeros-Mireles, 64, Mexico; Alessandro Cannizzaro, 46, Italy; Dieudonne Soifils, 71, Haiti; Hyo Suk George, 69, Korea; Merius Jean, 54, Haiti; Rosemarie Angelika Harris, 60, Germany; Daniel Tadeusz Romanowski, 39, Poland. A federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging an 18th defendant, Diana Patricia Franco-Rodriguez,…

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Bill Lee Announces Three Fall Gubernatorial Debate Appearances

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee

Tennessee Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee on Thursday announced he will participate in three fall debates leading into the Nov. 6 General Election. It is traditional for Tennessee gubernatorial candidates to participate in three debates, representing each of the three Grand Divisions of the state, his campaign said in a press release. Earlier this month Lee announced his 95 county General Election tour, The Tennessee Star reported. The “Believe in Tennessee Tour” will bring Lee to talk to voters and highlight his policies and belief that he is the right leader to keep Tennessee going in the right direction, his campaign said in a press release. “I believe Tennessee can lead the nation and that means challenging the status quo and providing conservative leadership to keep Tennessee moving in the right direction,” said Lee. “I look forward to continuing to share my vision with Tennesseans on the campaign trail and from the debate stage this fall.” Lee has committed to attend the following debates: Oct. 2 – Memphis – USA Today Network-Tennessee/WMC-TV Debate, hosted at The University of Memphis Oct.9 – Kingsport — Kingsport Times-News Debate, hosted at the Eastman Employee Center October 12 – Nashville — Nexstar Television Network Debate, Location…

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Metro Council Moves Forward With Subsidized $275 Million Soccer Stadium

Jason M. Reynolds

A Major League Soccer stadium planned for the fairgrounds in Nashville is closer to happening. The Metro Council voted 24-7 Tuesday on the second of three readings to move forward on the $275 million deal, The Tennessean said. The third reading is scheduled for Sept. 4. The vote was to demolish buildings at the fairgrounds to allow a 30,500-seat stadium for an MLS expansion club. Eight council members abstained. The council also voted 24-9, with six abstentions, to declare 10 acres of fairgrounds land as surplus. The bill would lease that land to a team ownership group led by billionaire businessman John Ingram for 99 years for a private mixed-use development next to the stadium. People both for and against the plan packed the council chambers, NewsChannel 5 said. A public hearing on the mixed use project will be held Monday at 6 p.m. In a lavish ceremony last December at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame, Gov. Bill Haslam, Mayor Megan Barry, and a slew of dignitaries gathered to hear Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Gaber announce that Nashville was awarded an MLS expansion club, The Tennessee Star previously reported. The Sept. 4 vote to demolish the fairground buildings will need 27 of 40 votes…

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Nashville Predator Crony Capitalist Backs Bredesen As Payback For Democrats’ Help

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen hopes Tennessee voters forget about his ties to liberal national Democrats as he runs for the U.S. Senate, POLITICO reported. Meanwhile, Nashville Predators Chairman Tom Cigarran, a Republican in name only, is backing the former governor as thanks for his help. Phil Bredesen is trying to tell Tennesseans he will not help flip the Senate for the Democratic Party. “It’s not pessimism but self-preservation that tinges Bredesen’s assessment of the Senate landscape,” POLITICO said. “An upset win in Tennessee could, in fact, put Bredesen’s party in the majority if Democrats were to run the table elsewhere, and the former governor’s path to victory depends on convincing voters that they wouldn’t be handing power to national Democrats and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.” Trump won the state by 26 points in the 2016 election, and Democrats haven’t won a Senate race there since 1990. Early polls show Bredesen running close against U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), but he needs independent and Republican support. “If the question on the ballot were, ‘Do you want to send a Democrat or Republican to Washington?’ I would lose. If it’s, ‘Do you want to send Phil Bredesen or Marsha Blackburn to Washington?’ I think…

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Tennessee Democratic Spokesman Calls Evangelical Christians Racist

Jason M. Reynolds
Mark Brown

The Daily Caller is calling out Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown’s offensive language against Republicans, evangelical Christians who support President Donald Trump and even country music. Brown also serves as spokesman for Phil Bredesen’s U.S. Senate campaign. “Many of Brown’s most offensive tweets have been deleted but have been documented with screensaver captures,” David Krayden writes for the Daily Caller, and lists several instances. “On October 31, 2017, Brown, who is trying to get Democratic candidates elected in the Bible Belt, tweeted out an article from the LA Times entitled, ‘Under Trump, Evangelicals show their true racist colors.” Brown, who lives in the heart of the country music capital, also tweeted, “If forced to pick my favorite mainstream country act, I would gouge out my eardrums with a f—ing icepick.” Scott Golden, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, said in a statement, “For him to attack people of faith for supporting the President is truly a new low. Such hateful vitriol is always a bad look, but Phil Bredesen and his followers continue to double down on their disdain for Tennesseans.” Brown has been cursing up a storm. Brown, who has been promoting Bredesen’s campaign in his role as a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic…

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Bill Lee Campaign Team Grows Fundraising, Communications and Grassroots Operations

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee

Tennessee Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee on Friday announced four new hires to his campaign team. The hires are Laine Arnold, Julie Hannah, Kim Kaegi and Joseph Williams, according to a campaign press release. They will help the campaign expand communications, fundraising and grassroots operations for the General Election on Nov. 6. Lee faces Democratic challenger Karl Dean. “We are thrilled to have all of these talented individuals join the team,” said Campaign Manager Chris Devaney. “We are building on the momentum from our victory in the primary and with these staff additions, we will have the resources and team that will (have) Bill poised to win convincingly in November.” The Lee Campaign named Arnold as Press Secretary. Previously, Arnold served as the Press Secretary for the Randy Boyd for Governor campaign and the Communications Director for Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. Arnold will manage day-to-day media relations. In addition to coalition development, Bill’s campaign conducted an expansive and aggressive grassroots campaign in the primary election. To expand on those efforts in the General Election, Hannah, former Chairwoman of the Williamson County Republican Party, is returning to assist in volunteer operations as the Special Projects & Grassroots Coordinator. Longtime Republican fundraiser Kaegi joins…

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New Video Clarifies ‘Phony Phil’s’ Claims

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

The Tennessee Republican Party is having fun with “Phony Phil” Bredesen’s latest campaign ad filmed outside his grandmother’s American-flag-clad house in New York state. “Phil Bredesen’s most recent campaign ad left out some crucial details, so we decided to make our own video that gives Tennesseans some helpful context,” the Tennessee GOP said in a press release. The GOP took the U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign video and inserted comments clarifying the Harvard graduate’s claims to be a regular guy who wants to stop Washington, D.C., Democrats from telling others how to live. The GOP added comical music and sound effects to complete the experience. Watch the GOP’s video is available to watch: Scott Golden, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, said, “The lack of self-awareness in Phony Phil’s new ad is truly remarkable. Phil complains about ‘educated, secure people who love telling the rest of us how to live’, but he’s only describing himself: a Harvard-educated, limousine liberal who owns a private plane and describes himself as ‘more sophisticated’ than regular Tennesseans. Phony Phil doesn’t pass the smell test, and Tennesseans will let him know this November.” The Chattanooga Times Free Press filmed a video interview with Bredesen in which he said…

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Blackburn Launches TV Ad Highlighting Work To Shut Down Backpage, Human Trafficking Site

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

The “Marsha for Senate” campaign on Thursday announced it launched its third television ad, this time featuring her work to shut down human trafficking site backpage.com. The ad will air in media markets across the state and on digital platforms statewide. Tennessee U.S. Senate Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is running against Democratic former governor and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen in the Nov. 6 election. They are vying for retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. Regarding the ad, Blackburn campaign manager Kevin Golden said, “Marsha Blackburn has led the fight against human trafficking, and she was instrumental in shutting down backpage.com. She is a mother and grandmother, who will make keeping our children and our communities safe a top priority. In the Senate, she will continue her work to stop this horrific crime.” In her ad, Blackburn says, “backpage.com operated in over 97 countries. Billions of dollars, trafficking human beings, even our children. It’s sick, it’s immoral, and it’s why I fought to shut them down. Human trafficking is a tragedy that must be stopped. I’m Marsha Blackburn. I approve this message because I’ll always fight those who prey on our most vulnerable.” Backpage.com was taking advantage of the internet to…

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Corker Uses ‘Banana Republic’ Analogy Again to Attack Trump’s Yanking of Brennan Security Clearance

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker must have bananas on his mind a lot, as he continues to use them as an analogy while criticizing the president who handily carried his state in the 2016 elections. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Corker (R-TN) criticized President Donald Trump’s removal of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance as “kind of a banana republic kind of thing,” Breitbart reported. And part of a “tearing down of institutions” instead of building them up. Trump won 60.7 percent of the presidential vote in Tennessee against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Ballotpedia says. Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, said, “Look, I thought it was kind of a banana republic kind of thing. There’s been a continual sort of tearing down of institutions, causing Americans to lose faith in institutions, instead of building them up. I mean, that’s what’s made our country function in the way that it is.” “Yet again Senator Corker has shown he is willing to embrace any individual or wacky position that is critical of President Trump regardless of its legitimacy. He’s done everything except put on a black facemask and march with Antifa – but there is always next week,” Tennessee…

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Marsha Blackburn Blasts Phil Bredesen, Who Was in the Audience, for Not Calling Out Steve Cohen for Bridge Jumping Comments

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) spoke to Fox & Friends Wednesday about her Democratic counterpart Steve Cohen’s violent remarks about wishing she would jump off a bridge. The interview is available here. Ainsley Earhardt played the Huffington Post’s audio of U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) saying he wished President Donald Trump would tell Blackburn, a U.S. Senate candidate, to jump off the Harahan Bridge in Memphis. The Tennessee Star reported that Cohen made the remarks last month at a prayer breakfast at Broadway Baptist Church in Memphis that was hosted by Democrat Phil Bredesen’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. Cohen said, “The big orange president. He’s going to come down here and he is going to endorse Marsha Blackburn. Because Marsha Blackburn, if he says, ‘jump off the Harahan Bridge,’ she’ll jump off the Harahan Bridge. I wish he’d say that.” Blackburn told Earhardt, “I thought surely he really didn’t say this and surely there was not laughter. You’d expect that with Phil Bredesen, my opponent, in the audience, he would have said, ‘We don’t say things like that. We don’t wish someone’s demise or death.’ “But Ainsley, I’ll tell you, I believe in what Matthew 5 commands us — that…

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Sun Country Airlines Announces New Service from Nashville

Jason M. Reynolds
suncountry

Sun Country Airlines announced it is growing its network with new routes and destinations, including new service to Nashville from Minneapolis/St. Paul. From Nashville, new service begins in November to Fort Myers, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, and Tampa. If you book by August 22 you may take advantage of low introductory fares. Vacation packages and car rentals are also available in most of these destinations. You must purchase tickets 21 days in advance. Stated fares are for one-way, coach class travel. Other terms may apply. Sun Country Airlines is part of the Davis Family Holdings business empire in Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports. From Cambria quartz countertops to Davis Family Dairies to Sun Country Airlines, the Davis family owns and manages some of the state’s landmark homegrown businesses, the newspaper said. As of 2014, they employed 2,600 workers and raked in about $710 million a year in revenue, a figure that would rank the privately held business 38th among Minnesota’s 100 largest publicly traded companies. For years, the Davis operation was little known beyond southern Minnesota. That began to change in 2011 when the family engineered the purchase of Sun Country for $34 million. In 2014, the Davis family landed on…

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Bill Lee Announces ‘Believe in Tennessee Tour’

Jason M. Reynolds
Tennessee Star

Tennessee Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee on Wednesday announced his 95 county General Election tour. The “Believe in Tennessee Tour” will bring Lee to talk to voters and highlight his policies and belief that he is the right leader to keep Tennessee going in the right direction, his campaign said in a press release. “I’ve said throughout this campaign that Tennessee is a really good place to live, but in business, we know that good is the enemy of great,” said Lee. “For Tennessee to reach her full potential and lead the nation, we need to challenge the status quo and prioritize leadership over politics.” People have told Lee they want a good job, a good school for their kids, and they want to live in a safe neighborhood. Lee said he plans to address those challenges. He cites these statistics about Tennessee: 15 counties are below the poverty line. One in seven men between the ages of 25 and 54 has dropped out of the workforce. Opioid deaths have risen since 2012. Over 3,000 Tennesseans have died from opioid overdoses in just the last three years. Schools, which have improved over the last eight years, are still in the…

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Hambrick Family Attorney Goes Off the Rails in WTN Interview on Police Shooting

Jason M. Reynolds

WTN radio’s Dan Mandis tried to hold a reasoned debate with the attorney representing the family of a man who was shot and killed by Metro Nashville Police last month. Mandis hosted attorney Joy Kimbrough on his Super Talk 99.7 program Monday. The audio is available here. Kimbrough represents the family of Daniel Hambrick. Video shows Metro Officer Andrew Delke shooting and killing Hambrick as he was running away on July 26, News Channel 5 said. The video is available here on the Nashville Scene. The surveillance video obtained from nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School shows the shooting near the intersection of 17th Avenue North and Jo Johnston Avenue on the evening of July 26, the Scene said. Criminal history Hambrick had several pending serious criminal charges at the time he was shot, Fox 17 News said. His prior convictions include felony aggravated robbery, misdemeanor assault, possession or casual exchange, felon in possession of a weapon, drugs in a drug-free school zone, resisting arrest and more. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Daniel-Hambrick-Arrest-History.pdf” title=”Daniel Hambrick Arrest History”]   On the rap sheet, the following initials mean: PEND-pending DROS- Dismissed request of the state GLC-Guilty of Lesser Charge DIS- Dismissed GUI-Guilty CONC-Concluded Mayor David Briley last…

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Bredesen Claims He Is More ‘Sophisticated’ Than Rural Americans

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

U.S. Sen. candidate Phil Bredesen released a campaign ad on Tuesday that was filmed outside his grandmother’s American flag-clad house touting his humble roots growing up among “secretaries, nurses, factory workers, and small business owners.” He pledged to stop educated Washington elites from telling Tennesseans how to live. Last week, in a video interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Bredesen said he is more “sophisticated” than rural voters. A clip shows him saying that when he attends family reunions in his native Upstate New York, he experiences “a culture that is different.” The Harvard graduate estimates 70 percent of his extended family voted for Trump but “are not crazy or anything.” Around the 1 minute mark, he says he has one foot planted in that world and one foot in a “more sophisticated” world. He touts his experience at an Ivy League college and his work as mayor, governor and CEO of a public company. Bredesen, the former Nashville mayor and Tennessee governor, is running for retiring Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. He will face U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) on Nov. 6. The Tennessee Star reported recently that while Bredesen claims to be a working stiff, he would become…

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Democrats Double Down on Personal Attacks Against Marsha Blackburn: She ‘Can Swim’

Jason M. Reynolds

Marsha Blackburn “can swim,” a Democratic consultant said Sunday in response to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s violent remark about wanting President Donald Trump to tell the Senate candidate to jump off a bridge. Cohen (D-TN-09) made the remark last month to a group of pastors at a prayer breakfast meant to increase Democratic turnout for the Aug. 2 elections. The breakfast was held at Broadway Baptist Church in Memphis and was hosted by Democrat Phil Bredesen’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. “The big orange president …. He’s going to come down here and he is going to endorse Marsha Blackburn, because Marsha Blackburn, if he says, ‘Jump off the Harahan Bridge,’ she’ll jump off the Harahan Bridge,” he said in the audio obtained by The Huffington Post. “I wish he’d say that,” Cohen said. Democratic consultant John Rowley added to the violent attacks on Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07). He told Fox 17 Nashville In Focus on Sunday that Cohen’s remark was “totally inbounds” because “Steve Cohen knows Marsha Blackburn can swim.” You can watch the clip here. Rowley said the incitement to violence was “nothing.” “It could be a good publicity stunt for the city of Memphis,” he added. “You never…

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Marsha Blackburn Responds to ‘Hurtful’ Violent Remarks Steve Cohen Made About Jumping Off Bridge

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

Ed Henry of Fox News interviewed Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn Friday about U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s violent remarks about her. Henry remarked, “It seems like incivility in politics is growing worse by the day.” He then played audio of Cohen (D-TN-09) saying he wished President Donald Trump would tell U.S. Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07) to jump off a bridge in Memphis. The increasingly erratic Memphis Democrat made the statements at a prayer breakfast last month that was hosted by former Gov. Phil Bredesen, Blackburn’s opponent in the Senate race. The audio recording revealed that Cohen said, “The big orange president…he’s going to come down here and he’s going to endorse Marsha Blackburn, because Marsha Blackburn – if he says, ‘Jump off the Harahan Bridge,’ she’ll jump off the Harahan Bridge. I wish he’d say that.” Henry asked Blackburn for her reaction to the recording and Cohen’s claim he was joking. Blackburn said, “It’s hurtful to hear that. Steve is someone who was a colleague of mine in the state Senate and then we’ve served in Congress together. I have worked with him on issues like infant mortality issues in Shelby County, and we serve in the same delegation so…

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Craig Fitzhugh Waits A Week To Endorse Karl Dean After Getting Crushed In Primary

Jason M. Reynolds
Craig Fitzhugh, Karl Dean

State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh on Friday endorsed Karl Dean, the candidate who crushed him in the Democratic primary for the governor’s race last week, trying to show they are now best buds. Former Nashville Mayor Dean took 75.1 percent of the vote to the outgoing Democratic House minority leader’s 19.5 percent, Ballotpedia reported. Fitzhugh (D-TN-82) must have decided one week and one day was enough time to heal all wounds, as he tweeted his endorsement on Friday: “I’m all in for @KarlFDean and you should be, too. For more #jobs, higher wages, for #educators & #MedicaidExpansion—there’s only one choice. #TeamDean” A Republican leader pointed out the brittle Democratic coalition. Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said in a statement, “More than a week after the primary elections, Tennessee Democrats have just now managed to get their two candidates on the same stage. Their delay stands in stark contrast to the quick unity shown by the Republican party, where all four of gubernatorial candidates came together in a strong show of support for Bill Lee just two days after his nomination. While Dean and Fitzhugh scramble to bring their supporters together, Bill Lee continues to energize Tennesseans from all walks of…

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Trump Goes Where No President Has Gone Before: Establishes A Space Force as Sixth Military Branch

Jason M. Reynolds
Donald Trump

Space … the final military frontier to Make America Great Again. President Donald Trump has ordered the creation of a sixth military branch, The Space Force. His 2020 presidential campaign sent an email out earlier this week soliciting votes for a logo for the branch. Supporters may vote for one of six options (see below). “President Trump wants a SPACE FORCE — a groundbreaking endeavor for the future of America and the final frontier,” the email said. “As a way to celebrate President Trump’s huge announcement, our campaign will be selling a new line of gear. But first we have to make a final decision on the design we will use to commemorate President Trump’s new Space Force–and he wants YOU to have a say.” Trump in June announced he was instructing the Pentagon to take steps to establish “a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces,” Business Insider reported. Liberals have jeered the president’s proposal while lawmakers and military leaders have received the call with a lukewarm response at best. One American hero with a unique perspective is embracing the proposal: former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin cheered President Trump’s plan to develop Space Force, The Washington…

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Rep. Steve Cohen Wants President Trump to Tell Rep. Marsha Blackburn to Jump Off a Memphis Bridge

Jason M. Reynolds
Donald Trump, Steve Cohen

Just as you can count on the sun to rise tomorrow, you can expect U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen to make an inappropriate statement. Now, he has ratcheted it up by saying he wants President Donald Trump to tell U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn to jump off a bridge, The Huffington Post reported. Cohen (D-TN-09) made the remark last month to a group of pastors at a prayer breakfast meant to increase Democratic turnout for the Aug. 2 elections. The breakfast was held at Broadway Baptist Church in Memphis and was hosted by Democrat Phil Bredesen’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. One political analyst recalled how this mirrored an infamous moment in Democratic Party history. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said,“The Democrats actually voted against and booed God at their Convention in 2012, so it isn’t really surprising that we would get these comments from Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen at Democrat Phil Bredesen’s so-called prayer breakfast. Bredesen’s silence about Cohen’s words speaks volumes about Bredesen’s character—or lack thereof.” Blackburn (R-TN-07) is running as the GOP’s U.S. Senate candidate against former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen. “The big orange president …. He’s going to come down here and he is going to endorse…

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Staten Island Artist Available to Bring ‘Huuuge’ Muscular President Trump Yard Art to Tennessee If Hired

Jason M. Reynolds
Trump 2020 sign

A Staten Island artist is making national headlines for his “huuuge” commissioned work honoring a muscular President Donald Trump. Scott Lobaido installed a 20-foot tall installation in a client’s yard showing a beefy, muscular bust of Trump atop a red-white-and-blue “2020” that lights up at night, ABC 7 NY reported. The president, as envisioned by Lobaido, has “huuuge” arms like a bodybuilder and wears a T-shirt proclaiming “POTUS 45” and is surrounded by American flags. The client installed security cameras around his house to protect the work. “I’m an artist … and this is my work,” Lobaido told ABC 7 NY. A previous pro-Trump creation of his was burned by a vandal or vandals. It was a 12-foot-high “T” with a flag motif. The new client will have his neighbors’ help in protecting the installation. The Harris Avenue home in Staten Island is a pro-Trump enclave of the bright blue New York City. ABC 7 NY interviewed some of the client’s neighbors who voiced their support for the artwork. One said the installation should be even larger. You can see the ABC 7 NY report here: Lobaido’s website describes himself as a patriotic artist. “Throughout my 50 years, people have…

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Vietnam Veteran: ‘Marsha’ Has Always Fought For Our Veterans

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

A Chattanooga veteran of the Vietnam War said, “No one has fought harder for our active duty military and our veterans than Marsha Blackburn. We need to elect her to the Senate because the issues with the VA are far from solved.” Terry Thomas wrote a column for the Times Free Press supporting Republican Marsha Blackburn in her U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat Phil Bredesen. “I served in combat on the rivers in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy, and now I serve my fellow veterans as the quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1289 here in Chattanooga. We have about 400 members, all of whom have served our country faithfully over the past several decades. “Too often, our members find themselves unable to receive the care they need — the same care they have earned and were promised. Your heart will break hearing about what our veterans have to go through to get care from a dysfunctional Veterans Administration. President Trump is working to make the necessary changes that the Obama administration put off for too long, but he cannot do it alone. He needs senators and congressmen who are willing to work with him to get the job…

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Southwest Airlines Begins Nonstop Flights Between Nashville, Atlanta

Jason M. Reynolds
Southwest Air

Southwest Airlines has begun nonstop flights from Atlanta to Nashville. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the airline launched the flights from Atlanta to Nashville, The Associated Press reported. Nashville International Airport celebrated the inaugural flight from BNA to Atlanta Tuesday. The airline will operate five flights a day Monday through Friday between Hartsfield-Jacskon Atlanta International Airport and BNA, as well as three flights a day on Saturdays and Sundays. Southwest Airlines Co. vice president of technical operations Trevor Stedke said in a statement when the airline announced the route in February that it answers business community requests in both cities. Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kruelen says business people have long sought more service between Nashville and Atlanta. Kruelen says the route brings more competition and options. Delta Air Lines already flies the route. Nashville International Airport served more than 14.9 million passengers in the fiscal year that ended in June, making it one of the nation’s fastest growing airports, The Tennessee Star previously reported. The record makes Nashville International, or BNA, the fourth fastest growing airport among the top 50 airports in North America, the airport’s website said. BNA serves 450 daily flights to more than 65 nonstop markets.…

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New Blackburn Ad Touts President Trump’s Support

Jason M. Reynolds
Donald Trump, Marsha Blackburn

Republican Senatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn’s campaign launched an ad featuring President Donald Trump supporting her at a May rally. The digital and statewide TV ad that launched Tuesday shows footage from a Nashville rally in May when Trump boosted Blackburn, WREG reports. The ad touts Trump’s endorsement and Blackburn’s commitment to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, repeal the Affordable Care Act and keep tax cuts permanent. Rep. Blackburn is in a tight race against Democratic ex-Gov. Phil Bredesen. In the ad, the president says, “We need Marsha Blackburn. We need Marsha in the Senate to continue the progress and work that we’ve done over the last year and a half.” Blackburn says in the video, “Tennessee needs a senator who is going to support President Donald Trump. I am going to be there to stand with President Donald Trump and take your Tennessee values to Washington, D.C. to fight with him to get the job done. I am Marsha Blackburn, and I approve this message.” Speaking about the ad, Blackburn campaign manager Kevin Golden said, “Tennesseans from all walks of life support the president’s work to cut taxes, rebuild the military, care for our veterans, and nominate constitutionalist justices and…

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Phil Bredesen Claims Fellow Democrats ‘Too Elitist,’ While Owning 5 Homes, Private Jet

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

Phil Bredesen wants the voters to know he’s one of them, a working-class guy just working to earn a living — but that’s far from the truth. The former governor who hopes to flip Bob Corker’s seat from Republican to Democrat shares one thing besides friendship with the former Chattanooga mayor: they’re both extremely rich. Bredesen has reported assets between $88.9 million and $358 million, The Washington Free Beacon said. CBS News reported that Corker is one of the wealthiest senators, with an average net worth of $50.7 million. In replacing Corker, Bredesen would also become one of the richest members of Congress. Public records show he is the owner of five homes—two homes in Nashville, two lakefront properties in upstate New York, and a five-bedroom home in Jackson, Wyoming. Like finding a place to hang his hat at night, traveling is no issue for Bredesen: He is one of the registered owners of an Embraer Phenom 300 private jet, according to Federal Aviation Association records. The Embraer Phenom 300 sells for $10 million, according to CNBC. And yet Bredesen says the Democratic Party is  “too elitist and too distant from the concerns of the very down to Earth people that…

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Anti-ICE Protest Strains Nashville Police, While Bredesen Stays Quiet on Threat To City Where He Was Once Mayor

Jason M. Reynolds
CoreCivic protesting ICE

The Metro Nashville Police Department reported it arrested 20 anti-ICE protesters Monday, pulling officers away from their regular duties. Meanwhile, Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen has been silent about the public safety issue. Dozens of protesters descended on the Green Hills headquarters of private prison company CoreCivic and blocked the entrance, the department said in a press release. Ten of those arrested had chained themselves together. Five of those arrested were from Nashville. Those charged are named in the press release. CoreCivic has contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Nashville Scene said. Jeannie Alexander of the No Exceptions Prison Collective, told the Scene that the group is protesting in solidarity with others occupying ICE offices across the country. “But what’s unique about Nashville is that we’re the only city in the United States that has the headquarters of CoreCivic,” Alexander told the Scene. “ICE is their biggest customer. And the way the prison industrial complex continues to grow and [what makes] targeting immigrant families so much easier is that corporations like CoreCivic are building internment camps and they’re profiting off of it.” While Alexander’s group spent its time protesting, Nashville’s police force spent its resources protecting the…

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Indicted Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown Loses Election

Jason M. Reynolds
Jimmy Brown

Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown, who is under indictment for alleged abuse of power, lost his re-election bid last Thursday. And, a race with statewide interest is drawing questions over irregularities. Military and law enforcement veteran John Myers, a Republican, beat the Democratic sheriff by 53 percent to 31 percent, The (Columbia) Daily-Herald reported Saturday. Independent Rick Osborne took approximately 16 percent of the vote. ‘Boss Doss’ loss raises questions The Lawrence County election process was called into question, especially over the narrow defeat of State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) lost to newcomer Clay Doggett, The Tennessee Star reported. A 16 hour delay occurred in the reporting of the results in the Republican primary. “The fact that several different and inconsistent vote numbers have been reported from Lawrence County over the past 24 hours raises serious questions about whether the disparities are due to incompetence or actual technical issues or something more sinister. The fact that the Secretary of State’s office seemed to have no idea that there were problems indicates that an investigation or a full audit is in order,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said. Late Friday, the Election Administrator’s office confirmed to The Tennessee Star that Lawrence…

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Metro Nashville Schools Director Ducks Questions on Sexual Harassment And His Handling of Complaints

Jason M. Reynolds
Shawn Joseph

Metro Nashville Schools’ director is ducking questions on alleged widespread sexual harassment — and coverups — in his district, news outlets are reporting. NewsChannel 5 reported last week that school director Dr. Shawn Joseph tried to run from their reporter who wanted an interview on the topic and his role in the investigations. The TV station has tried to interview him since June 5. He tried to dodge the station’s reporter at a news conference to ask about Dr. Sam Braden, the executive principal of John F. Kennedy Middle School in Antioch. Among other things, Braden allegedly hired a school employee from an adult bookstore he allegedly frequented, NewsChannel 5 said. He was placed on administrative leave two days after the station aired its story on him. Spinning the damage Joseph sent a memo to school board members, saying he was “concerned that the reporter … will report on information that was ‘alleged’” and he wanted to lobby the Tennessee General Assembly to keep human resources files secret, the station said. NewsChannel 5 also reported the school board met in closed executive session to discuss Braden. Braden’s lawyer, Michie Gibson, released a statement saying, “Dr. Braden denies all allegations made…

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Bill Lee Wants to Reduce Student Testing, While Karl Dean Thinks Current Levels Are Just Fine

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee

The battle lines over common sense in public education have been drawn in the gubernatorial battle between Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean, and Round One goes to Bill Lee. Lee, the outsider business executive, wants to reduce the current level of student testing while Dean, the former Mayor of Nashville, thinks the current levels of student testing are just fine. Dean and Lee may both talk about education being a priority if they are elected governor, but they have some big differences in their visions, especially testing. The Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively, won their parties’ primaries Thursday. Dean says his administration would generally continue Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s education policies, which are a holdover from Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen’s, Chalkbeat says. Chalkbeat points out that Haslam has stuck with a controversial policy to include student growth scores from state tests in teacher evaluations. The Haslam plan is “1) raising academic standards; 2) adopting an aligned test to measure student progress; and 3) using the results to hold students, teachers, schools and districts accountable.” This past spring, the Tennessee Department of Education once again experienced widespread technical issues with TNReady testing, The Tennessee Star previously reported. From the…

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Marsha Blackburn: Democrat Mark Brown Cursing ‘Reveals The True Nature of What They Think About Trump Voters’

Jason M. Reynolds

Republican U.S. Sen. candidate Marsha Blackburn spoke Tuesday with Charles Payne on Fox Business about the “incivility crisis” in America, especially as incited by the Tennessee Democratic Party against Trump supporters. You can watch the interview here. Payne asked U.S. Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07) about comments made by Mark Brown, a Tennessee Democratic Party communications official who is serving as spokesman for Democratic U.S. Sen. candidate Phil Bredesen, a former governor. “We know that there was a comment about “F— reaching out to Trump voters,” by the candidate and spokesman himself, calling them ‘idiots,’” Payne asked Blackburn. “This is remarkable. Right now, your campaign is on center stage. The whole country is watching. In fact, many think it may actually determine the outcome of power in Washington, D.C., in November. Can you believe this?” Blackburn said, “We were very, we were stunned to hear this, but you know what Charles? It reveals the true nature of what they think and how they think about Trump voters, and through his spokesman, Phil Bredesen is revealing this, and of course, it was bad enough when his friend Hillary Clinton, who he gave $33,400 to, called us all deplorables, and now we’re hearing they think we’re morons…

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GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Plan Election Night Parties as Bitter Battle Comes Down to Final Day

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee, Diane Black, Beth Harwell, Randy Boyd

As The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday, the gubernatorial candidates have engaged in a venue-filled, final days sprint across the state to rally votes for today’s primary. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Candidate schedules, in no particular order, are: Beth Harwell Beth Harwell announced she will hold a watch party at 6:30 p.m. CT tonight at ThreeOneThree Facilities, 701 Murfreesboro Pike in Nashville. More information is here. Harwell’s campaign website is here. Diane Black Diane Black’s campaign announced she will host a watch party tonight. The party will be at the Symphony Ballroom of Loews Hotel in Nashville at 6:30 p.m. CT. The address is 2100 West End Ave. To RSVP, email [email protected]. Her campaign website is here. Black’s Facebook page is here. Black released the record-high amount of voter contact conducted by her campaign. Her team has knocked on 503,186 doors and made 460,806 phone calls in all 95 counties, according to a press release. Bill Lee Bill Lee planned to start Election Day in Spencer from 11-11:30 a.m. The address is 179 Veterans Square, the Old Courthouse. Van Buren County was his campaign’s first-ever stop. Lee will hold an Election Night Party at 6:30 p.m. CT…

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Tennesseans Are Speaking Out Over Bredesen-Backing Democratic Spokesman Mark Brown’s Cursing Rants Against Trump Supporters

Jason M. Reynolds
Tennesseans

Members of the Tennessee Republican Party have plenty to say about Democrat Mark Brown’s vulgar comments. Brown, a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, has been saying a variety of four-letter words and other unsavory things regarding President Donald Trump, his supporters, conservatives and Republicans, The Tennessee Star reported Tuesday. He said those who voted for Trump are “idiots.” One past tweet was “f*** ‘reaching out’ to Trump voters. The idiots aren’t listening.” Brown also has been serving as a spokesman for Phil Bredesen’s U.S. Senate run. Bredesen expressed outrage over Vice President Mike Pence calling him a “liberal.” Bredesen said that was “name-calling.” Republicans, understandably, are not happy. The Tennessee Republican Party issued a press release with the reactions of Republicans and other Tennesseans: Lt. Governor Randy McNally: “Writing off the forgotten men & women who rose up on November 8, 2016 is the height of political ignorance. Over one million Tennesseans voted for @POTUS. If you are attempting to reach them, you need to listen to them, not talk down to them. Unacceptable.” (Twitter, 7/30/18) State Rep. Ron Gant, 94th District: “Unhinged comments from @TNDP spokesman Mark Brown @Gilgamark . Out of touch and out of line. #CanYouPhilIt” (Twitter, 7/30/18) State Sen. Jack Johnson, 23rd District: “Remember this…

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Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Hold Final Get Out the Vote Rallies

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Lee, Diane Black, Randy Boyd

The Republican gubernatorial candidates are making whirlwind, last-minute tours of the state in the closing days of the primary election to get out the votes. Randy Boyd said in a press release, “Too much is at stake and too many people are depending on us. On Primary night, we will always we know we left everything we’ve got on the field and I’m confident if we do, we will win.” Diane Black released the record-high amount of voter contact conducted by her campaign. Her team has knocked on 503,186 doors and made 460,806 phone calls in all 95 counties, according to a press release. “I am truly honored by the overwhelming effort of Team Black supporters across the state,” Black said. Meanwhile, Bill Lee is holding in-person townhalls titled “Roadmap to Victory.” Lee will begin his final push today with a rally in Memphis at 6:30 a.m. at Another Broken Egg Cafe, 6063 Park Ave., Memphis. He then planned to move on to Jackson, Chattanooga and Jonesborough. He planned to start Election Day in Spencer and hold an Election Night Party at 6:30 p.m. at The Factory in Franklin. “Bill would love to meet you and share his vision for Tennessee…

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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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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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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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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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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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State Senator Thelma Harper Endorses Howard Jones as Her Successor Over Long Time Rival Brenda Gilmore

Jason M. Reynolds
Thelma Harper, Howard Jones

Tennessee State Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville) endorsed Howard Jones Jr. as her successor to the 19th State Senatorial District in Nashville, a seat she has held for 27 years, over longtime rival State Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville). The Tennessee Tribune reported the endorsement of Jones, a pastor and educator. “A few months ago, I announced it was time for me to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders,” said Harper. “Today, I am honored to lend my full support and endorsement to Howard Jones as your next State Senator for the 19th District. “I support Jones because I know he will listen, be honest and work tirelessly with the community to continue to move the 19th District forward.  I trust him to be our voice and to do what is right for the men, women and children that he represents.” Jones said, “I’m honored to have earned the support of Hon. Senator Thelma Harper. She has a been a trailblazer in Tennessee for more than 30 years. Throughout the years, I have proudly worked with the Hon. Senator Harper on a variety of issues to improve our community. I have the utmost respect for her tireless work on behalf of the people in the Senatorial 19th District.”…

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House Passes Act to Undo Supreme Court’s Kelo Ruling Which Allows Use of Eminent Domain For Private Development

Jason M. Reynolds
Susette Kelo, Little Pink House

The U.S. House took a stand for private property rights Wednesday when it addressed the issues from a controversial 2004 Supreme Court ruling that gives broad powers to seize private property. One writer, at least, cautions against premature celebration. Rick Moran at the blog American Thinker reported the House’s passage of HR 1689, the Private Property Rights Protection Act. American Thinker quotes Ed Morrissey at Hot Air who said no major media outlets covered this issue regarding the rights of citizens to be secure in their property. “It might not have gone far even now had it not been for renewed interest in the case from the recent independent film Little Pink House, starring Catherine Keener as Susette Kelo and Jeanne Tripplehorn and produced by Ted Balaker, formerly of Reason,” Morrissey said. Moran said eminent domain is justified in many cases where the public good would be served. However, “The argument isn’t if states and local governments have the right to invoke eminent domain, but rather the overly broad justification used by the court to allow a private developer to seize someone else’s property. “In Kelo, only a few private developers benefited,” Moran continued. “That the court deliberately weakened private property rights has been a stain…

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Beacon Center Calls ‘Cut’ on Wasteful Tennessee Film, TV Subsidies Such as ‘Nashville’

Jason M. Reynolds
film crew

The TV show “Nashville” may finally be ending, but taxpayers have been stuck with the tab for this and other “flops,” conservative think tank says in a new report. The Beacon Center of Tennessee released the “Calling Cut on Film Incentives” report Wednesday to decry the bad “investments” the state had made in spending tax dollars on shows, movies and commercials. “Nashville” is only one example highlighted in the report. The show, on the eve of its series finale, has been canceled twice in three years and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, the Beacon Center said. The current home is CMT, which picked it up after ABC dropped it. Beacon Center CEO Justin Owen said, “While we are against all forms of corporate welfare, film incentives have unquestionably proven to have the worst return on investment of any type of handout. Studies show that film incentives have a return on investment of anywhere from just seven cents per dollar to 28 cents per dollar, an investment that only the government would make. “It seems like Tennessee government officials were throwing darts blindly when they picked what productions to subsidize,” Owens said. “In fact, over 40% of the films that received…

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First Lady Melania Trump Visits Vandy Children’s Hospital, Shines Light on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Jason M. Reynolds
Melania Trump

First Lady Melania Trump visited Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The first lady’s visit was part of her “Be Best” campaign, an initiative focusing on the major issues children face, WSMV said. It was Trump’s first domestic trip to highlight the effort, NewsChannel 5 said. She took part in a discussion about babies born addicted to drugs, neonatal abstinence syndrome. The disease, or NAS, happens in newborn infants when their mother takes drugs like heroin, codeine, oxycodone, methadone or buprenorphine while pregnant. Trump visited the kids in the hospital and interacted with them by blowing bubbles and playing with trains, the Lincoln Journal Star said. The First Lady shared how she wants to help educate mothers and children about drug misuse, CP24 said. Monroe Carell’s program helps keep mothers and babies together. #BeBest will continue to bring attention to NAS. A very big thank you to @VUMCchildren & staff for an informative & moving visit. It is a joy spending time w/ such courageous kids & to witness the strength of families who must deal with these tough situations. pic.twitter.com/WuZtjee1EQ — Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) July 25, 2018 “My passion is to shine a light…

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Corker Likens Trump Administration to ‘Banana Republic’ For Wanting to Yank Security Clearances of Misbehaving Ex-Officials

Jason M. Reynolds
Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker likened the Trump Administration to a “banana republic” for wanting to yank security clearances of ex-government hacks who are using their positions to attack the president. The administration’s proposal is “the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela,” Tennessee’s junior senator told MSNBC, as reported by Politico. “I can’t even believe that somebody at the White House thought up something like this. I mean, when you’re going to start taking retribution against people who are your political enemies in this manner, that’s the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela. “So you just don’t do that. I can’t believe they even allowed it to be aired, to be honest,” he said. “I mean, it’s a banana republic kind of thing.” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s administration is considered a dictatorship. Corker met with the dictator in May to secure the release of an American prisoner, surprising the Trump Administration and members of Congress. The meeting came one week after Maduro won re-election in a sham election. “Not all members of Congress welcomed Corker’s visit to the South American country, especially in the wake of a presidential race the United States, several Latin American countries and some European…

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Rep. Steve Cohen Makes Another Stupid Statement, Says ‘Survival’ Is At Stake

Jason M. Reynolds
Steve Cohen

Oops! Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) has made another stupid statement. Cohen  told PJ Media that “survival” is the greatest challenge for Jewish and African-American communities in the Trump Administration era. “As far as tolerance and human rights, civil rights, voting rights they’re all​​ not on the front burner,” he said. “If they are, they’re working against them. And that’s something Jews and African-Americans share is a desire to have human rights span the franchise, be tolerant, diverse and then that’s just not on the agenda with this administration. So it can be a difficult time.” The congressman was one of several making statements against President Donald Trump during an interview after a recent breakfast for black and Jewish members of Congress. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) said the African-American and Jewish communities should work together to “push back” on President Trump and his agenda. She said the Jewish and African-American communities have a “natural alliance” because of slavery and the Holocaust. It has been a month filled with a string of stupid statements coming from the far left Democrat from Memphis who began the year by calling for the impeachment of President Trump–for no good reason other than he had the…

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OFF THE RECORD: Randy Boyd Skips Knoxville Debate . . . For ‘Pricey Steakhouse Dinner’?

Jason M. Reynolds
Randy Boyd

Randy Boyd set off a chain reaction when he cancelled Sunday night’s GOP gubernatorial candidate primary debate in Knoxville. Now, one reporter says the cancellation was due to a “pricey steakhouse dinner,” as first reported at TNJ: On the Hill. Boyd had cited an unspecified scheduling conflict as his reason to miss the final debate of the primary election. Beth Harwell and Diane Black soon bowed out. Shelby County Republican and fellow diner Naser Fazullah posted pictures of Boyd, and company out at Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House in Memphis.   Yelp gives Folk’s Folly a four-dollar-sign rating, a sign of an expensive restaurant. The price range is cited as $31-$60. A 14-ounce, fully trimmed filet mignon costs $52, according to the restaurant’s menu. The meal may have been more expensive than Boyd intended. Bill Lee took advantage of the cancelled debate to hold a townhall meeting in Knoxville. A poll released Monday shows Lee in the lead. The poll of 500 registered Republican voters conducted between July 18 and July 21 puts Lee in first place with 26 percent, followed by Randy Boyd in second with 20 percent. But wait! It turns out there may be a few problems…

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