Tag: Phil Bredesen

Steve Gill, Ben Cunningham, and Mae Beavers Blast ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen and The Tennessean for Rewriting History on 2000 Horn Honkers Uprising That Stopped State Income Tax

Julie Carr

On Friday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Steve Gill talked with veteran grassroots activist Ben Cunningham and former State Sen. Mae Beavers regarding The Tennessean’s revisionist history and continuous cover up for ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen’s lies – in particular their dishonest misrepresentation in a story published Thursday on how the state income tax proposed by then-Gov. Don Sundquist was stopped. Tennesseans who were living in Nashville at the time know the proposed income tax was stopped by a populist uprising led by state legislators Marsha Blackburn, Mae Beavers, and Diane Black, and talk radio hosts Steve Gill and Phil Valentine. Bredesen is the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). He faces Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), the Republican nominee, in the November 6 general election. Gill, Cunningham, and Beavers also reflected upon the historic fight to keep a state income tax out of Tennessee. Gill: Am I overstating it, Ben, to say that Phil [Valentine] and Marsha and Diane and Mae and your efforts and the efforts and…

Read the full story

Newt Gingrich Endorses Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate

Chris Butler

Former Republican Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich endorsed Republican Marsha Blackburn for the U.S. Senate Thursday, calling her “the only conservative in the race.” “The choice is clear. I’ve known Marsha for years, I’ve worked with her in the Congress. She is hardworking. She is smart, and she is a solid conservative with courage,” Gingrich said in a YouTube video that accompanied the endorsement. “She will stand up and fight for the values of Tennessee. She will represent the conservative cause, and she’ll do what’s right for America. So, don’t be fooled by any of these ads or any of these claims about being a ‘moderate democrat.’ There are no moderate democrats.” Gingrich, of course, was referring to Phil Bredesen, who is running against Blackburn for the seat that current Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker will soon vacate. Bredesen describes himself as a moderate Democrat. “You either give power to radicals like Chuck Schumer or you are with Mitch McConnell and the conservatives,” Gingrich said. Gingrich reminded viewers that Bredesen donated $33,000 to elect Hillary Clinton president and wrote a book saying Obamacare didn’t go far enough and the country needs a government-run health system. “I knew Bredesen when he…

Read the full story

Investigative Journalist Harriet Wallace of Fox 17 Tells Tennessee Star Report About Research That Caught Democratic Party Spokesman Mark Brown in a Lie

Julie Carr

On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the team talked with FOX 17 and Nashville In Focus Reporter, Harriet Wallace, regarding her recent sit down interview with Mark Brown, Tennessee’s Democratic spokesperson. On the Friday evening broadcast of Fox 17 News, Wallace questioned Brown about the recent Project Veritas video which showed people with the Bredesen campaign and whether or not they were actually paid staffers or just volunteers. Gill: Now you went out and interviewed Mark Brown. He’s the spokesman for the Democratic party after this Project Veritas video came out, where you had various Bredesen staffers saying oh yeah, he hates president Trump. Of course and now he’s saying he wants to meet President Trump. He’s going to be a lock-step vote for the Democrats, yadda yadda yadda. And the Bredesen team and the Tennessee Democratic party claim, yeah those are just volunteers and interns. Well, you followed up and found out that noooo, they’re actually being paid. They were paid staffers. And you went and confronted Mark Brown the Democratic party spokesman here in…

Read the full story

Want Higher Taxes, More Resistance? Vote for Phil Bredesen, GOP Says

Jason M. Reynolds

On the first day of early voting Wednesday, Phil Bredesen and Marsha Blackburn rallied voters in Middle Tennessee. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) met with about 150 supporters inside a community center in Franklin, The Tennessean said. Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen held a lunch rally before a similarly sized crowd at the music venue 3rd and Lindsley near downtown Nashville. Blackburn and Bredesen are running for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). Early voting will be open until Nov. 1. The general election is Nov. 6. Republicans are urging voters to consider the candidates’ stances when heading to polling locations. Garren Shipley, communications director for the Republican National Committee, said, “If you think Tennesseans shouldn’t have Second Amendment rights, if you want to give back your tax cuts, or if you think there’s not enough resistance to President Trump in Washington, then be sure to get out there and vote early for Phil Bredesen. Otherwise, we’d suggest you go vote as soon as possible for Marsha Blackburn.” Last week Bredesen attended a fundraiser in New York City at the home of former New York City Mayor and potential 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, The Tennessee Star…

Read the full story

Bredesen Not Serious About Meeting with President Trump, Tennessee GOP Leader Says

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen can fly his $10 million jet to New York to wine and dine with billionaire gun-control advocate Michael Bloomberg but apparently cannot make the slightly shorter trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump. So, Bredesen has issued an invitation to the president to visit him next time he travels to Tennessee to campaign for Bredesen’s rival, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), whom Trump has endorsed. The president attended an Oct. 1 rally to support Blackburn in her run for the U.S. Senate. He also attended a May rally for her. Bredesen on Tuesday tweeted “I’d like to extend an invitation to President Trump — if he comes back to TN to campaign for my opponent— to discuss how we can establish a business relationship with pharma. It’s time for us to put our business hats on and work together to do what’s best for Tennessee.” One problem is that the president has not announced any visits to Tennessee in the immediate future. After Bredesen claimed he wanted to meet with President Trump, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said: “Trump was very explicit: Democrat Phil Bredesen will ‘100 percent’ vote against the President and the…

Read the full story

Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Not Enough to Move Voters in Tennessee Senate Race, Poll Says

Jason M. Reynolds

Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democrat Phil Bredesen has done little to move the needle in the U.S. Senate race, a new poll by  Cygnal, a Republican polling and research firm shows. Pop superstar Taylor Swift used Instagram recently to endorse Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05), The Tennessee Star reported on Oct. 8. The 28-year-old superstar stunned fans by breaking her career-long political silence with her endorsements. Cygnal says Swift’s foray into politics is not having much impact, however, particularly in Bredesen’s race with U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) for the open Senate seat. The Star reported Saturday that a New York Times poll shows Blackburn with a strong lead of 54 percent to 40 percent over the former governor. While election officials in Tennessee have noted an increase in voter registrations, more than 86 percent of respondents say their vote hasn’t changed, despite 82 percent of respondents indicating they were aware of the endorsement, Cygnal said in a statement. “Millennial and Gen Z voters are highly aware of the endorsement of the Democrat, but it did little to move their vote preference,” said Matt Hubbard, vice president of Research & Analytics at Cygnal. “Swift’s endorsement is providing a…

Read the full story

Bredesen Supporter Michael Bloomberg Called for Targeted Denial of Minorities’ Second Amendment Rights

Admin

Last week Tennessee Democratic Party Senate Candidate Phil Bredesen attended a fundraiser in New York City at the home of former New York City Mayor and potential 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.  Despite his claims that he supports the Second Amendment, Bredesen has received a D rating from the NRA (which endorsed Republican Marsha Blackburn in the race) and has now tied himself to Bloomberg and his anti-gun agenda. Bloomberg recently expressed a desire to deny minority citizens their Constitutional rights when he called for banning gun ownership for minorities at a 2015 meeting at the Aspen Institute.  Bloomberg noted that 95% of murders fall into a specific category: male, minority and between the ages of 15 and 25. Cities need to get guns out of this group’s hands and keep them alive, he told the Aspen Institute. “These kids think they’re going to get killed anyway because all their friends are getting killed,” Bloomberg said. “They just don’t have any long-term focus or anything. It’s a joke to have a gun. It’s a joke to pull a trigger.” After recognizing the racially charged nature of his own comments, Bloomberg tried to block audio or video of his speech to…

Read the full story

Marsha Blackburn Warns Gun Enthusiasts about Phil Bredesen

Chris Butler

CHRISTIANA, Tennessee —”There are clear differences between me and Phil Bredesen,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07)., the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, told a crowd of about 200 supporters who gathered at the Outpost Armory here in Christiana on Monday. Blackburn reminded everyone that 22 days remain before the election. “Chuck Schumer has said his number one recruit is Phil Bredesen. Tennesseans, Blackburn went on to say, want constitutional judges “who will not legislate from the bench.” Bredesen, she added, will get things wrong every time when it comes to picking judges. “We saw what happened with his (Brett) Kavanaugh decision. It took him 88 days after the vote was called. Then what did he say? I would have voted yes,” Blackburn said. “After he put his finger in the wind and saw where it was blowing he made his decision. I will get these decisions right every single time.” The National Rifle Association has endorsed Blackburn and given her an A rating. Bredesen, meanwhile, has a D rating, Blackburn said. Campaign workers for U.S. Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen hope to sway rural and moderate Republicans into switching sides and voting for him, according to the undercover Project Veritas…

Read the full story

Tennessee Democrats’ Favorite Spokesman Mark Brown Calls Gun Owners ‘Biggest Terrorist Organization’

Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown is under fire once again, this time for calling American gun owners the “biggest terrorist organization on the planet.” Fox News reported on Brown’s 2015 Facebook post making that statement. A video of the report is available here. The Fox News report was based on a story by The Washington Free Beacon, which said, “A top spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s effort to get Phil Bredesen elected U.S. senator has said he views ‘white male’ gun owners as ‘the biggest terrorist organization on the planet.’” Brown is communications director for Tennessee Victory 2018, a project of the state Democratic party that’s been working exclusively on electing Bredesen. The group is hosting Bredesen for a Johnson City meet-and-greet on Thursday afternoon. Bredesen, for whom Brown once worked and is now actively campaigning on behalf of, has yet to denounce Brown’s hateful rhetoric. Bredesen has tried to claim he supports the Second Amendment, but has been given a “D” rating from the National Rifle Association. “The fact that Brown remains employed by Tennessee Democrats despite his hateful comments toward supporters of President Trump and the Second Amendment tells you everything you need to know,” said Tennessee Republican Party…

Read the full story

Bredesen Misled Voters on Sexual Harassment Facts at Second Debate, GOP Says

Jason M. Reynolds

In the second U.S. Senate debate, Democrat Phil Bredesen continued to mislead voters on the facts, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a new video Friday. The video is available to watch here. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) put former Governor Phil Bredesen on the defensive Wednesday night at the second debate between the two candidates, The Tennessee Star reported. Blackburn started out strong at the debate held in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker Center, and Bredesen never recovered. Bredesen claims there was just one “individual” where the investigation notes were shredded. But there were at least three high profile cases in which a member of his administration was named, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a statement. According to the Tennessee GOP, citing reports from The Tennessean, those people were: Mack Cooper, top lobbyist (Brad Schrade, “Investigator Shreds Notes in Bredesen Aide’s Demotion,” The Tennessean, 5/12/05) Quenton White, State Correction Commissioner (Brad Schrade and Christian Bottorff, “Prison Chief Quits Amid Scrutiny,” The Tennessean, 7/14/05) Dave Hensley, fundraiser and state employee (Brad Schrade, “Wife Kept Deputy Governor In Touch; He Remained A Channel For Promotion Requests,” The Tennessean, 2/26/06) Bredesen claims that the individual (presumably Cooper) was “gone the…

Read the full story

Bredesen Campaign Worker Says Bredesen Will Serve Only One Term if Elected to Senate, Campaign Has No Comment

Chris Butler
Phil Bredesen, Democrat

According to Project Veritas videos, staffers for Democratic U.S. senatorial candidate Phil Bredesen said he will likely serve only one term if elected. Bredesen will turn 75 next month. As a one-termer, Bredesen would have more flexibility to push for leftist causes that would surely repulse most Tennesseans. The staff members’ thinking seems to suggest that if Bredesen doesn’t have to worry about re-election then he doesn’t have to worry about infuriating red state constituents. He can do whatever he pleases. He can, for instance, ally himself with Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York or former New York mayor and anti-gun advocate Michael Bloomberg. The Tennessee Star could find no evidence of Bredesen or any of his staffers publicly saying he would serve only one term if elected — not in any known media reports, at least. Will Bredesen serve only one term? No one in Bredesen’s communications staff returned The Star’s request for comment Friday. Field Organizer Will Stewart told the undercover Project Veritas journalist that Bredesen will serve one term and thus “can get in and do the right thing.” Voter Protection staffer James Miller said the same thing in another portion of the video. Stewart…

Read the full story

Tennessee Democratic Party Spokesperson Admits He Lied About Bredesen Campaign Workers Who Said ‘Fibber Phil’ Lied About Kavanaugh Vote

Jason M. Reynolds

Lies are piling up on top of lies in the Phil Bredesen campaign, as Fox 17 News has caught the Senate candidate’s spokesman not telling the truth about the explosive Project Veritas Action video. Project Veritas Action sent an undercover reporter into Bredesen’s West End Nashville campaign office, where she filmed paid staff saying Bredesen lied about supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court. On Friday, Harriet Wallace at Fox News 17 called out Mark Brown, Tennessee Democratic spokesperson, who she said “lied” about the Bredesen campaign workers captured on video when he first claimed that they were interns and volunteers, not paid staff. Fox News 17 sent out this tweet minutes before Wallace broke the story on the 5:30 pm news. FOX 17 News @ 5:30📺 Undercover video by a conservative group claims to show Bredesen staff saying the candidate lied about an issue. The State Democratic Party says those shown in the video are just volunteers and interns, but a FOX 17 investigation reveals otherwise. pic.twitter.com/YHv0hSi72A — FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) October 12, 2018 Brown told that lie to Fox 17 News after the video was released on Wednesday. Brown said the volunteers in the video are not…

Read the full story

Completed New York Times Poll Shows Marsha Blackburn Leading Phil Bredesen By 14 Points, 54 Percent to 40 Percent

Jason M. Reynolds

The New York Times has finalized its poll numbers in the Marsha Blackburn-Phil Bredesen Senate race, and the complete results are good news for Blackburn and bad news for Bredesen. The Tennessee Star on Wednesday reported on an earlier snapshot of the poll, showing U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) with a 57 percent to 39 percent lead over Democratic former Governor Bredesen. The New York Times’ poll has been updated in real time to show Blackburn’s lead at 54 percent to 40 percent over Bredesen. The newspaper’s poll information is here. In September, the newspaper said it would use “live polling,” in which the results of polls in Battleground States could constantly change over a two-month period leading up to the election. “For the first time, we’ll publish our poll results and display them in real time, from start to finish, respondent by respondent. No media organization has ever tried something like this, and we hope to set a new standard of transparency. You’ll see the poll results at the same time we do. You’ll see our exact assumptions about who will turn out, where we’re calling and whether someone is picking up. You’ll see what the results might have been…

Read the full story

Phil Bredesen Admired Ted Kennedy, Called Barack Obama ‘A Rock Star’

Chris Butler

Singing the praises of Barack Obama. Drowning himself in affection for the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Pining away for the good old days of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. A sampling of some of Democratic U.S. senatorial candidate Phil Bredesen’s past speeches and media interviews indicate he is a loyal and faithful servant to the Democratic Party. At a 2009 Tennessee Democratic Party Jackson Day event, Bredesen spoke of Kennedy, who died four days prior. “Everyone’s hearts are a little heavier when we think about the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy, who cared so much about so many issues, including those of health care,” Bredesen said to audience members, adding Kennedy pushed for health care reform in a civil manner. “I had the honor of meeting him 40 years ago when I made my very first run for public office. I was naïve about politics, but he made a deep impression on me.” Bredesen praised former President Bill Clinton at the event and said good things about Clinton’s tenure in office. At the same event, Bredesen referred to Obama, in only his first year as U.S. president, as “a transformational political figure.” After a 2008 U.S.…

Read the full story

Will Stewart, Tennessee Democratic Party Employee Who Said Phil Bredesen Lied About Kavanaugh Vote on Project Veritas Video, Still Working at Bredesen Senate Campaign Office

Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee —Will Stewart, the Tennessee Democratic Party employee who was captured on an undercover Project Veritas video shot at the Bredesen for Senate campaign offices in Nashville’s West End saying that Democrat Senate nominee Phil Bredesen lied when he said he would have voted “yes” to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, is still working in a position of authority at that Bredesen for Senate campaign office. Stewart was identified by Project Veritas in the undercover video as a “field organizer, Phil Bredesen campaign.” The Tennessee Star spoke in person with Stewart inside Bredesen’s West End campaign offices at 117 28th Avenue North in Nashville early Thursday afternoon. Stewart admitted he was one of the people who appeared on the Project Veritas video. He, however, had nothing else to say. “I’ve been instructed to give a ‘No comment’ to any and all questions,” Stewart told The Star. The Star did not see the other campaign staff members featured in the video, identified as field organizer Maria Amalla, and James Miller, whose role was listed as “voter protection.” Publicly available records from the Federal Election Commission indicate that all three Bredesen campaign workers featured on the Project Veritas video–Stewart,…

Read the full story

Blackburn Puts Bredesen on Defensive in Second Debate Between Senate Candidates

Tennessee Star Staff

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) put former Gov. Phil Bredesen on the defensive Wednesday night at the second debate between the two candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). Blackburn started out strong at the debate held in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker Center, and Bredesen never recovered. “Sparks flew in Knoxville Wednesday night as Democrat Phil Bredesen and his Republican opponent Marsha Blackburn squared off in their final debate leading up to November’s mid-term election,” NewsChannel 5 reported: The candidates traded barbs over everything from immigration, to education, and to the recent battle to appointment Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme court. When pressed on the issue, Bredesen once against reaffirmed his position that despite running as a Democrat he would’ve voted to confirm Kavanaugh to the country’s highest court. “I wanted to take my time with this, the obligation of a Senator is to consider all the facts,” he then went on to address the sexual assault allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, “All things being equal I did not think those allegations rose to the level of being disqualified from the Supreme Court.” Blackburn quickly seized on…

Read the full story

FEC Records Indicate Taylor Swift’s Political Contributions to Federal Candidates Total $15 To-Date

Julie Carr

Taylor Swift is making the headlines again but this time, on the political stage. After her statement on Sunday that she is endorsing Democrat Phil Bredesen over Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) in this November’s contest to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), The Tennessee Star tried to find some information about her financial contributions to federal political candidates. A brief review of Federal Election Commission records indicates that Swift appears to have made just one contribution to a political candidate for federal office in her career. That contribution came in 2014, when she generously gave fifteen dollars to a far left candidate campaigning in a congressional district of New Jersey. Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, broadcast Monday through Friday from 5 am to 8 am on Talkradio 98.3 FM and 1510 WLAC, Tennessee Star Report: Early Edition (5 am to 6 am hour) co-hosts Michael Patrick Leahy and Doug Kellett talked about the discovery and it’s implications. Kellett:  We were talking about the Presidents comments yesterday about Taylor Swift and he was making these comments while he was swearing in the new justice on the US Supreme Court, Judge Kavanaugh.  And he said he likes Taylor Swifts music…

Read the full story

On WKRN’s This Week With Bob Mueller, Steve Gill Says ‘Phil Bredesen Is Not A Centrist’

Julie Carr

Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill  was a guest on WKRN’s This Week With Bob Mueller and chatted with Bob about how Phil Bredesen would vote if elected to the Senate and how contrary to popular belief, he was not a “centrist.” Gill commented, “I don’t believe Phil Bredesen at all.  I want Dr. Ford’s team to polygraph him on this because I don’t believe that if he was actually there he would cast his vote.  Only one Democrat Joe Manchin is thinking about.  I don’t think that you would have Phil Bredesen go against the whole grain of the Democratic party if he was actually there.  And I think the real test is not what people believe Phil Bredesen would do in this case, it’s hogwash, but it’s what he would do in the next one.” Gill questioned whether people are paying attention to the news as Phil Bredesen has planned to head to New York City to meet with Michael  Bloomberg who will help raise him a lot of money and wondered how folks can believe, that if he becomes Senator, will actually vote for their Tennessee values. “He’s donated half a million dollars to the most liberal extremists…

Read the full story

Bredesen, Who Says He Is ‘Not With the Dems’ On Gun Control, Was with Gun Control Advocate Michael Bloomberg at Posh New York Fundraiser

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen, the Democrats’ U.S. Senate candidate in Tennessee, who claimed recently he was “not with the Dems” on gun control, on Tuesday was in fact with the Dems in New York, including gun-control advocate billionaire Michael Bloomberg. Video of the two men entering the venue separately is available here. The Leader (of Covington, Tennessee) on Tuesday said, “Bredesen called himself ‘conservative’ with second amendment issues and said he is a life-long gun owner. …’I’m not with the Dems on that stuff,” The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday. The Tennessee Republican Party said in a press release, “Actually, he is with them, raising money in New York with people who don’t respect law abiding gun owners’ rights. Make no mistake: Phil is bought and paid for by Chuck Schumer, Michael Bloomberg, and national Democrats.” The Star first reported news of the fundraiser on Oct. 4. The event was billed to financiers as an opportunity to “join Mike Bloomberg for an evening in support of Governor Phil Bredesen.” It is likely that Bloomberg is supporting Bredesen because he has a “D” rating from the National Rifle Association. The NRA has been calling for Bredesen to fix an ad in which he claims…

Read the full story

Bredesen Campaign Workers Admit on Video: ‘Fibber Phil’ Lied about Kavanaugh Vote in ‘Political Move’ to ‘Make Up Those Points’

Admin

Campaign workers at Democrat Phil Bredesen’s campaign offices in Nashville say he was lying when he said on Friday that he would vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court if he were a member of the U.S. Senate, as revealed in an undercover video on Wednesday. “It’s a political move,” Bredesen campaign field organizer Maria Amalla said of Bredesen’s Friday announcement in the video released late Wednesday by Project Veritas Action. “So he’s trying to make up those points,” she added. “Seventy-four percent of Tennesseans wanted to see Kavanaugh confirmed. So, I, like, this isn’t like, what is it ? … messaging or anything. But like, logically, based on those numbers and what I’ve seen is that he had already known that that gap between him and her has grown more. And so, he thought that, like by coming out in support [of confirming Kavanaugh] that it would get more Republicans on his side. He wasn’t doing as well in the rural parts. And so, what he’s banking on is for people who are, like, Democrats and stuff, to, like, still come out and vote,” Amalla continued. Project Veritas Action sent a female undercover reporter into the…

Read the full story

New York Times Poll: Marsha Blackburn Leads Phil Bredesen by 18 Points, 57 Percent to 39 Percent

Chris Butler

A new poll on The New York Times’ website shows Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn is ahead of her Democratic opponent Phil Bredesen by a comfortable margin of  18 points, 57 percent to 39 percent. This poll is a result of The Times calling 17,170 phones across all areas of Tennessee — Democrat, Republican, and undecided alike. Though The Times does not specify when the poll was conducted–an unusual omission among polling firms–it appears to be an ongoing poll with results of 17,170 calls made on Tuesday, October 9. Exactly 366 people have thus far answered, according to The Times’ website. The poll has a margin of error of 6 points. The Cook Political Report calls this race a tossup between Blackburn and Bredesen. FiveThirtyEight, The Center for Politics, and Inside Elections, however, say it leans Republican, according to The Times’ website. To add context, The Times cited polls that nine other organizations recently did on the race. Those pollsters talked to people at different times, ranging between Aug. 9 of this year through the end of last week. Five of those nine organizations, including those who did the two most recent polls, have Blackburn ahead of Bredesen. An…

Read the full story

New Senate Leadership Fund Ad Exposes Phil Bredesen’s Self-Dealing Solar Investments as Governor

Jason M. Reynolds

Senate Leadership Fund on Tuesday launched a new advertising campaign slamming Phil Bredesen for his conflicts of interest as governor, costing Tennessee taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars while Bredesen made a fortune, the group says. The $1.6 million buy will run statewide on a combination of broadcast and cable television, radio and digital. The ad is available here. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is his opponent. Senate Leadership Fund Spokesman Chris Pack said, “Call it what you want, but look at what Phil Bredesen made Tennessee do: pour hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into solar investments that went belly-up while he made a fortune. We knew he was trouble, but Phil Bredesen’s cashing in on the very subsidies he got passed goes beyond our wildest dreams.” Solar power companies, including Bredesen’s Silicon Ranch, wouldn’t make much of a mark without officials giving them taxpayer money, government incentives and other generous benefits, Nick Loris of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, told The Tennessee Star in August. That’s because less than 2 percent of America’s electricity comes from solar power, Loris said.…

Read the full story

Bredesen Claims ‘Not With Dems’ on Gun Control Before Bloomberg Fundraiser

Jason M. Reynolds

On issues Tennesseans care about, Phil Bredesen likes to have it both ways, The Tennessee Republican Party said. The organization pointed to the National Rifle Association’s criticism of the U.S. Senate candidate for claiming he has an “A” rating, when that endorsement comes from 2002. His current score is a “D,” as The Tennessee Star has reported. Gun-control advocate Mike Bloomberg hosted a Manhattan fundraiser for Bredesen Tuesday. Bloomberg said in 2014, “And if you want to have a gun in your house, I think you’re pretty stupid – particularly if you have kids – but I guess you have a right to do that. Someday, there is going to be a suit against parents who smoke in their houses or have guns in their houses by a kid. It’s not that far-fetched,” The Tennessee Star reported. The Leader (of Covington) said Tuesday that “Bredesen called himself ‘conservative’ with second amendment issues and said he is a life-long gun owner. …’I’m not with the Dems on that stuff.” Bredesen did not say that the Manhattan fundraiser comes as Bloomberg announced he would contribute $20 million to the Senate Majority PAC, which aims to help Democrats capture a majority. That would put…

Read the full story

Democratic Leader Says ‘There Are No Moderate Democrats Left,’ Begging the Question of Whether That Applies to ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen

Jason M. Reynolds

Call it a Freudian slip at best, an unfortunate encounter with the truth at worst, with a top Democrat saying all the moderates have fled the party. That likely applies to Phil Bredesen as well. Speaking on MSNBC, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said “There are no moderate Democrats left…” https://twitter.com/michael_ahrens/status/1049455723107762176 Whoops. Garren Shipley, Republican National Committee spokesman, said, “Tom Perez had it right the first time. Moderate Democrats are a thing of the past. Phil Bredesen, who has based his entire campaign on the false promise of independence, is raising money today with billionaire Mike Bloomberg – an anti-gun zealot who has spent millions of dollars in an effort to abridge our Second Amendment rights. He is bought and paid for by Chuck Schumer, Michael Bloomberg, and national Democrats. Today’s Democrat party isn’t just Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi at the top, it’s like-minded people all the way down.” Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is his opponent. Shipley referred to a Tuesday fundraiser that billionaire Bloomberg hosted for Bredesen at his Manhattan home. The event was billed to financiers as an opportunity to “join Mike Bloomberg for an evening in support…

Read the full story

Phil Bredesen Tweet to Taylor Swift Shows Why 74-Year-Olds Should Not be Allowed on Social Media

Jason M. Reynolds

Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Phil Bredesen has led to a lot of flaming online – and Bredesen is receiving some of the backblast for attempting to be hip while in turn flaming Marsha Blackburn. Swift endorsed the Democratic Senate candidate on Instagram while also blasting U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), Bredesen’s opponent. Swift said of Blackburn, “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.” (emphasis added) Bredesen tweeted, “.@VoteMarsha, look what you made her do. @taylorswift13 doesn’t like your little games and she wants Tennesseans to know that you’ve been in the swamp long enough. It’s time for some fresh air up in Washington.” .@VoteMarsha, look what you made her do. @taylorswift13 doesn’t like your little games and she wants Tennesseans to know that you’ve been in the swamp long enough. It’s time for some fresh air up in Washington. https://t.co/DC11TVODMh — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) October 8, 2018 The 74-year-old former Tennessee governor was referencing Swift’s popular song “Look What You Made Me Do,” which has been interpreted as an attack against her enemies, including Kanye…

Read the full story

Pro-Trump PAC Releases Ad Blasting Phil Bredesen

Chris Butler

Members of a Pro-Donald Trump Super PAC have released an ad warning that Democrat Phil Bredesen will help raise federal taxes and assist liberal politicians if Tennessee voters make him a U.S. senator. In the ad, The Committee to Defend the President also described Bredesen’s commitments to Democrats, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The PAC previously described how Bredesen donated to U.S. Senator Cory “Spartacus” Booker of New Jersey. As for the ad, it tells the state’s voters that “Tennessee’s future is prosperous and protected” especially with a booming economy and a secure border. “Liberal Phil Bredesen would undo it all, raising taxes and leaving us undefended,” according to the ad. “It’s not surprising. Bredesen has been supporting D.C. liberals for years, giving hundreds of thousands to bankroll their campaigns, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.” The ad concludes by warning voters not to let Bredesen “rewind all of Trump’s accomplishments.” As the PAC already reported, Bredesen gave vast sums of his wealth to the most left-wing Democrats in America, including Obama, Clinton, and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. According to the PAC’s research, Bredesen donated exactly $460,691.11 to Democratic Party interests from 1987 through 2014. PAC Committee…

Read the full story

President Trump: Taylor Swift ‘Doesn’t Know Anything About’ Marsha Blackburn

Jason M. Reynolds

President Donald Trump supported Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn Monday after pop superstar Taylor Swift “smeared” her, and he criticized the singer, Breitbart News said. “She’s a tremendous woman,” Trump said about Blackburn. “I’m sure Taylor Swift has nothing or doesn’t know anything about her.” Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Swift endorsed Blackburn’s opponent, Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen, as well as U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN-05). She also took a swipe at U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-0-7). “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.” (emphasis added) https://www.instagram.com/p/BopoXpYnCes/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link However, Blackburn is “leading substantially” in the polls, the president said. A CBS News poll shows her leading Bredesen by 50 percent to 42 percent. The president added that he liked Swift’s music less, Breitbart reported. “Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now,” he said. The president defeated Hillary Clinton in Tennessee by 26 points in 2016. The National Republican Senate Committee said in a statement, “If you haven’t heard, multimillionaire pop star Taylor Swift came down from her ivory tower to tell…

Read the full story

Taylor Swift, Who Moved to New York City in 2014 After Purchasing $20 Million Condo, Endorses ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen

Jason M. Reynolds

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has a political crush on Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, having used Instagram to endorse both Democrats in their races. The New York Daily News reported her saying: In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Democratic former Governor Bredesen is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker (R-TN). U.S. Representative Cooper (D-TN-07) is running for re-election in Nashville, where he has served since 2003. If…

Read the full story

Poll: Marsha Blackburn Now Leads ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen by 8 Points

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) leads Phil Bredesen in the U.S. Senate race by eight points, 50 percent to 42 percent, CBS News reported in a new Battleground Tracker poll. CBS says that in this race and several others where Democrats hope to win upset Senate victories, they are “having at best mixed results so far.” Those other states are Texas and Arizona. Democrats are having better luck in typically blue New Jersey. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/cbs-poll.pdf” title=”cbs poll”] These races have been nationalized, CBS said. By more than two to one, registered voters say national issues outweigh local ones. Voters say their vote is mainly about the country’s direction. Majorities of each candidate’s voters say they aim to put their party in control. Those who say they support either Blackburn or Democratic former Governor Bredesen say their level of support is “very strong” (62 percent) vs. “strong” (24 percent). Voters feel relatively more satisfied about the country’s direction in Texas and Tennessee — where the Republicans lead and where President Trump is more popular — compared to voters in New Jersey and Arizona, where the president’s approval rating is under 50 percent. Trump looms large in each of these contests. In…

Read the full story

New York Senator Gillibrand, Who Wants to Abolish ICE, Helps Raise Money for Bredesen Campaign

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), the first senator to call for abolishing ICE, stumped for Phil Bredesen’s campaign Saturday in the “I Will Vote Rally” at Third Man Records in Nashville. Gillibrand was the first senator to publicly support the idea of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Here’s what she said about ICE: “[T]hat’s why I believe you should get rid of it, start over, reimagine it and build something that actually works.” She later claimed her statement was misconstrued. Gillibrand donated $5,000 to Democrat Phil Bredesen to join her in the Senate. Bredesen is locked in a tight race for a vacant U.S. Senate seat with U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). A Tennessee Star poll shows Blackburn with a 3-point lead. Bredesen has been under fire in Tennessee for his liberal views on immigration, including giving drivers certificates to illegal aliens. Gillibrand isn’t the only Senator supporting abolishing ICE who has also donated to Bredesen. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has donated $10,000 to Bredesen and wants ICE to “start from scratch.” If Democrats are trying to win in a state that gave President Donald Trump 60 percent of the vote, they certainly are picking odd outside reinforcements to do…

Read the full story

Blackburn Praises Senate for Confirming Kavanaugh, While Tennessee GOP Leader Calls It Fulfillment of President Trump’s Promises

Jason M. Reynolds

Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who has strongly supported Judge Brett Kavanaugh, praised the Senate Saturday for confirming the newest Supreme Court justice. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Saturday afternoon following a grueling process in which Democrats waged war against the judge’s character. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) said, “Judge Brett Kavanaugh will make a fine Supreme Court Justice, and I applaud the Senate for confirming his nomination. After weeks of delay tactics and eleventh hour smear campaigns by the Democrats, I am thrilled to see he will serve the American people on the Supreme Court. I am disgusted by Democrats who are already discussing impeaching Judge Kavanaugh before he has even been sworn in. If Phil Bredesen were to be elected, Democrats would take the majority, and they would do everything they could to block President Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court and the federal bench. Phil Bredesen and the Democrats will get it wrong every time, but I will always vote to confirm good constitutionalist judges and justices who do not legislate from the bench.” Blackburn referred to her Senate election opponent, Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. He has been harshly criticized for waiting nearly three months to give an insipid…

Read the full story

Bredesen Keeps One Democratic PAC’s Support, While Another That Has Never Supported Him Financially Will Withhold Funds Over Kavanaugh Statement

Jason M. Reynolds

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen will keep the backing of a top liberal political action committee but lost the support of another PAC because of his wishy-washy belated support of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. CNBC on Friday afternoon reported that Majority Forward, a nonprofit group that spends millions to elect Democrats to the Senate, will continue to support Bredesen. “Yes, Phil Bredesen is the only candidate who has an independent record of results for Tennessee families,” Chris Hayden, a spokesman for Majority Forward, told CNBC. The nonprofit’s affiliated super PAC, the Senate Majority PAC, will also move ahead with plans to back Bredesen. Majority Forward has spent just over $1.6 million in support of Bredesen and $4.1 million against his opponent, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). Earlier Friday, Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, issued a half-hearted statement of support for Kavanaugh and praise for accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. The statement came nearly three months after Kavanaugh was nominated and after his appointment seemed to be certain. Bredesen will not receive money from what CNBC calls the largest Democratic super PAC, Priorities USA Action, because of his belated statement of support. That PAC is affiliated with allies of Hillary Clinton.…

Read the full story

Schumer Gives Bredesen Permission to Issue Wishy-Washy Statement on Kavanaugh

Jason M. Reynolds

After nearly three months of silence, Phil Bredesen issued a statement that says, in a roundabout way, he would vote yes for Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. The Democratic candidate for Tennessee’s vacant Senate seat said: Presidents have the right to appoint justices who share their values – elections have consequences. I believe a Senator’s responsibility to ‘advise and consent’ is not a license to indulge in partisanship, but should focus on the qualifications of the nominee, their ethics and their temperament. I believed that Judge Kavanaugh initially met this test, and I was prepared to say ‘yes’ to his nomination prior to Dr. Ford’s coming forward.  While the subsequent events make it a much closer call, and I am missing key pieces of information that a sitting Senator has, I’m still a ‘yes.’ Dr. Ford is a heroine, and has brought forcefully into the national conversation the many barriers women face in reporting and dealing with sexual harassment and assault.  I was disgusted by the treatment she received at the hands of the Senate and am determined to help bring about a fairer and far more respectful treatment of these issues.” Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, has received…

Read the full story

Kavanaugh SCOTUS Nomination Shows Tale of Two Tennessee U.S. Senate Candidates, Blackburn Ad Says

Jason M. Reynolds

The Marsha Blackburn campaign released an ad Thursday highlighting the choices that voters have in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race when it comes to supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination. The ad, which is available here, shows a tale of two candidates when it comes to the nomination – U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. The video also shows Tennesseans’ reactions. Blackburn has drawn a positive response for her strong commitment to Kavanaugh and President Donald Trump, while Bredesen has stayed silent for months and even was booed by Democrats earlier this week, The Tennessee Star has reported. Blackburn and Bredesen are running for the Senate seat that is being left empty by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is retiring. Bredesen has tried to flee from his ties to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, but that’s hard given that Schumer has poured money into his campaign. Schumer recruited Bredesen to run for the Senate. Blackburn has said that Bredesen is following Schumer’s directions to stay silent. Speaking about the contrast, Blackburn campaign communications director Abbi Sigler said, “Marsha has been upfront and honest with Tennesseans. She will always support constitutionalist judges and justices who will not…

Read the full story

With FBI Report Done on Kavanaugh, It Is Time For Bredesen to Speak Up, Republican National Committee Says

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

The FBI report is in. Senator Bob Corker read it, and said there’s “zero corroboration” of the claims against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Other senators have reached the same conclusion. Then there is Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. Republicans said they were confident they had the votes to confirm Kavanaugh after senators studied the FBI reports, the Los Angeles Times said. Two key Republicans, Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) praised the report. For nearly 90 days Bredesen has refused to say anything about whether he would vote for Kavanaugh if he were already a senator. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. His opponent, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), has given very vocal support in favor of Kavanaugh and President Donald Trump, who nominated the judge for the Supreme Court. She has repeatedly said Bredesen is following the orders of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to stay silent on the issue. Bredesen’s base wants nothing but resistance, as a booing crowd of Democrats in Chattanooga demonstrated when he dodged the Kavanaugh question, the Republican National Committee said in a press release.  The RNC questioned his handling of sexual harassment claims…

Read the full story

Bredesen, Bloomberg ‘Two Peas in a Pod,’ GOP Says

Jason M. Reynolds

New York native Phil Bredesen is at it again. Just two weeks ago the National Rifle Association chastised him for claiming an endorsement that was over a decade-and-a-half old. Now he is buddying up to perhaps the nation’s richest anti-gun advocate, Mike Bloomberg. The former Tennessee governor has a “D,” not an “A” rating from the NRA-ILA, like he claimed in an ad, The Tennessee Star previously reported. He received the “A” rating in 2002 as governor, but is currently down to a “D.” NRA-ILA Political Victory Fund executive director Chris W. Cox  is using Twitter to call Bredesen out for his use of the old “A” rating, Breitbart reports. @PhilBredesen It’s not 2002, you’re not governor and you’re not A-rated by the NRA. Its 2018, you have earned a D rating for turning your back on self-defense and supporting the Hillary/Schumer/Bloomberg gun control agenda. @VoteMarsha is a 2A champion. You’re not. #stoplying pic.twitter.com/Wi0ORRmQTv — Chris Cox (@ChrisCoxCap6) September 20, 2018 Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is his opponent. Now, former New York Mayor and gun control advocate Bloomberg will host a…

Read the full story

Corker Predicts Kavanaugh Will Be Confirmed to SCOTUS

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) said he thinks Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed. The Hill reported on Corker’s statement Wednesday. Corker said on Tuesday evening that he is confident Senate Republicans will have enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh by “no later than Saturday.” Corker also accused Democrats of having “overplayed their hand” in leveling accusations of sexual misconduct and assault by several women and demanding an FBI investigation. The Senate had previously been scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination but the Republican majority on Friday agreed to a demand from some members to delay the vote by one week to give the FBI more time to investigate the accusations. “Cloture may be filed tomorrow … it feels to me like the FBI reports could come in as early as tomorrow, maybe Thursday … my guess is we’re going to vote no later than Saturday,” Corker said in an interview. He said he had spoken to his colleagues about the matter. Corker is retiring from the Senate. Running for his seat are U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. Blackburn has been criticizing her opponent for staying silent on whether he would support Kavanaugh. Blackburn said recently,…

Read the full story

New GOP Ad Imagines Schumer, Hillary Clinton Giving Bredesen Instructions to Stay Silent on Kavanaugh Nomination

Jason M. Reynolds

The Tennessee Republican Party has launched a new digital ad to point out how Phil Bredesen is refusing to take a position on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s SCOTUS nomination per instructions from Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton. The Tennessee GOP’s video ad is available here. It shows fantasized text messages in which Clinton and Schumer tell Bredesen to stay neutral in the nomination and give him encouragement. Bredesen, a Democratic former governor of Tennessee, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is retiring. His opponent is U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). Blackburn has vocalized her support for the embattled Kavanaugh and has hit repeatedly at Bredesen for staying silent on whether he would vote for the judge’s confirmation. Blackburn said this week, “Tennesseans are very clear: they want their next senator to confirm good constitutionalist judges and justices, and they support Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Phil Bredesen, under Chuck Schumer’s direction, has stayed neutral as long as he can.” The Democratic former governor was booed by a mostly Democratic audience Monday in Chattanooga when he sidestepped the question about Kavanaugh. The Tennessee GOP says Bredesen’s lack of communication is in line with Senate Minority Leader…

Read the full story

Billionaire Gun Control Advocate Bloomberg to Host High Dollar Manhattan Fundraiser for Bredesen

Jason M. Reynolds

Former New York Mayor and gun control advocate Mike Bloomberg will host a fundraiser at his Manhattan home next Tuesday for Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen, CNBC reported. The involvement by billionaire Bloomberg is likely to increase scrutiny on one of the tightest races in the midterm elections, as Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, is trying to flip the seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is retiring. The event is being billed to financiers as an opportunity to “join Mike Bloomberg for an evening in support of Governor Phil Bredesen,” according to the invitation. The Tennessee Republican Party said, “When President Trump said Phil Bredesen wouldn’t protect the Second Amendment during his speech in Johnson City, he was more right than he could have known. Today we found out that anti-Second Amendment zealot Mike Bloomberg is holding a fundraiser for Bredesen in New York.” Bloomberg said in 2014, “And if you want to have a gun in your house, I think you’re pretty stupid – particularly if you have kids – but I guess you have a right to do that. Someday, there is going to be a suit against parents who smoke in their houses or…

Read the full story

Democrats Boo Bredesen For Ducking Kavanaugh Question While Blackburn Calls for ‘Honest’ Answer

Jason M. Reynolds

Marsha Blackburn called on Phil Bredesen to be “honest” and tell Tennesseans how he would vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court after he dodged another opportunity to give his position. The Democratic former governor was booed by a mostly Democratic audience Monday in Chattanooga when he sidestepped the question about Kavanaugh. The video is available here. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Bredesen are running for the Senate seat that is being left empty by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is retiring. Blackburn said, “Tennesseans are very clear: they want their next senator to confirm good constitutionalist judges and justices, and they support Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Phil Bredesen, under Chuck Schumer’s direction, has stayed neutral as long as he can. He won’t tell Tennesseans how he’d vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination because his past record of shredding evidence of sexual harassment is too shameful and embarrassing to take a stand. And Chuck Schumer, who has bought and paid for Phil Bredesen’s campaign won’t let him support Judge Kavanaugh. Eighty-five days is more than enough, Phil Bredesen should be honest with Tennesseans – that’s what leaders do.” During the Sept. 25 debate with Bredesen, Blackburn mentioned that when he was…

Read the full story

Marsha Blackburn: Tennessee Voters Want Brett Kavanaugh Confirmed

Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn says voters across Tennessee want Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Blackburn also said voters have told her what they think of sexual assault allegations a California woman has made against him. U.S. senators hosted the woman during a Judiciary Committee meeting last week. “They think this is a PR stunt by the Democrats. They look at this as character assassination, and they do see it as dirty politics,” Blackburn said Saturday at a Vanderbilt football tailgating event. “They are looking at the Kavanaugh thing and thinking ‘I can’t imagine how I would feel if this was my brother, my dad, my son, my spouse. How would I feel when there’s an accuser who has no one that corroborates what she said?’” “People see this as an issue of fairness,” Blackburn said. Blackburn is currently running against Democrat Phil Bredesen, Tennessee’s former governor. Other Tennessee Republican Party officials attended the event. They said last week’s Kavanaugh hearings in Washington, D.C. — and voters’ reactions to them — will influence this fall’s U.S. Senate election. Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden, who attended Saturday’s event, told The Tennessee Star the hearings have “exposed…

Read the full story

Jeff Webb on The Tennessee Star Report: Bredesen’s Claim He Won’t Vote for Schumer as Leader of Democrats in Senate ‘Almost a Laughable Political Stunt”

Julie Carr

On Wednesdays’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy chatted with Varsity Brands President and CEO Jeff Webb about the current Senate race in Tennessee and what it means for the recent tax cuts and regulation rollback.  They went on to discuss how, if Phil Bredesen was elected that would effect Tennessee and the country at large. During the interview, Webb said that Bredesen’s claim that, if elected to the U.S. Senate, he won’t vote for Sen. Chuck Schumer as the leader of the Democrats in the Senate is “almost a laughable political stunt.” Steve Gill: Jeff good to have you with us. Jeff Webb: Thanks Steve good to talk to you. Michael Patrick Leahy: Good morning Jeff, Mike Leahy here. Gill: In honor of Varsity Brands I told Michael earlier that’s why I’m wearing the cheerleader outfit, the UT cheerleader outfit. Just in honor of you. Leahy: Orange and white pom poms it’s a site that can’t be unseen. (Laughter) Leahy: So, Jeff we talked to you last night,…

Read the full story

Blackburn Calls Out Bredesen Over Continued Silence on Kavanaugh Nomination

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn, Phil Bredesen

Marsha Blackburn is calling out Phil Bredesen over his continued refusal to tell Tennesseans how he would vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh if he were in the Senate. “Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh testified extensively before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the American people on Thursday,” Blackburn said in a statement. “I appreciate their willingness to share their stories. Each of us saw more of what we have seen throughout this process: Senate Democrats behaving despicably and putting personal political ambitions above their constitutional duty to advise and consent.” “Phil Bredesen, under Chuck Schumer’s direction, has stayed neutral as long as he can, but now,  the hearing is over and he has no other reason to stall. I have been clear from the start: I will always vote to confirm judges who uphold the Constitution. Obviously, Phil Bredesen will not make that commitment to Tennesseans because he’ll only vote when and how Chuck Schumer tells him. That’s not what Tennesseans deserve from their next Senator.” U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Democratic former Governor Bredesen are running for the Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker (R-TN). The Tennessee Republican Party said in a statement, “One of the…

Read the full story

‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen Pushed for Switchgrass Facility that Later Bailed on Tennessee

Chris Butler

Ten years ago, then-Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and other state officials spent $70 million of taxpayer money on a facility in Vonore that would convert switchgrass into fuel. Bredesen, now running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate, promised it was a great investment for Tennessee’s future. On Christmas Eve 2015, however, when most people weren’t paying attention, officials at DuPont, the recipient of this taxpayer money, announced they were leaving Tennessee. “Fibber Phil” Bredesen’s promise was not delivered. No one at either Bredesen’s campaign or DuPont returned The Tennessee Star’s requests for comment Tuesday. According to Humphrey on the Hill at that time, the refinery began as a joint project between DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC and The University of Tennessee Research Foundation. “In 2007, the state legislature approved $70.5 million in total investment for the project, including $40.7 million for land acquisition, facilities construction and equipment,” according to Humphrey on the Hill. “This proposal, at its core, is about joining the best of Tennessee’s agricultural and academic resources and leveraging them in a unique way that will position us to take advantage of the opportunities of tomorrow,” Bredesen said in a press release at the time. “These investments…

Read the full story

Bredesen’s Socialized Healthcare Plan Endangers Insurance, Medicare, Ad Says

Jason M. Reynolds

Senate Leadership Fund on Tuesday launched a new advertising campaign discussing U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen’s support of single-payer health care, saying it “threatens our healthcare.” The $1.2 million buy will run statewide on a combination of broadcast and cable television, radio and digital.  It is available to watch here. Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, is running for the Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). His opponent is U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). “Multimillionaire Phil Bredesen is dropping a fortune on ads portraying himself as a moderate, but his plan for a government takeover of health care would give Bernie Sanders palpitations,” said Senate Leadership Fund Spokesman Chris Pack. “Bredesen just isn’t the moderate he wants Tennessee voters to believe he is.” The ad brings attention to Bredesen’s book, “Fresh Medicine,” calling for socialized healthcare. The ad points out “Even the liberal Los Angeles Times called it ‘radical stuff,’” referring to a March 3, 2011 book review by David Lazarus for the newspaper. Also, the ad says Bredesen’s plan would eliminate employer-sponsored health insurance, “making you dependent on the government.” The plan would eliminate Medicare “as we know it, jeopardizing seniors’ care.” The ad ends with this…

Read the full story

‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen Called Out by NRA: ‘Stop Lying’ About Endorsement

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen has a “D,” not an “A” rating from the NRA-ILA, and the organization wants him to “stop lying.” The Democratic former governor of Tennessee had received an “A” rating from the NRA – in 2002, The Tennessee Star reported last week. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. NRA-ILA Political Victory Fund executive director Chris W. Cox  is using Twitter to call Bredesen out for his use of the old “A” rating, Breitbart reports. @PhilBredesen It’s not 2002, you’re not governor and you’re not A-rated by the NRA. Its 2018, you have earned a D rating for turning your back on self-defense and supporting the Hillary/Schumer/Bloomberg gun control agenda. @VoteMarsha is a 2A champion. You’re not. #stoplying pic.twitter.com/Wi0ORRmQTv — Chris Cox (@ChrisCoxCap6) September 20, 2018 On September 19, Bredesen posted a video to Twitter in which he is seen holding a shotgun and can be heard talking about the “A” rating, Breitbart says. Bredesen’s video is available here. Real independence and not party politics — that’s what’s right for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/BmyyvJGL2e — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) September 19, 2018 Bredesen was elected governor in 2002, and Cox responded…

Read the full story

Tennessee Star Report EXCLUSIVE: Steve Gill Talks to Larry Woods on Bredesen, Blackburn, Democrats, and Debate Fashion

Julie Carr

On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talkradio 98.3 and WLAC 1510 weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill talked with Larry Woods about last nights Tennessee Senate debate and how Phil Bredesen and Marsha Blackburn made some hits and misses in both candidates performance. Steve Gill: And welcome back in. The debate, first debate took place last night sponsored by The Tennessean, sponsored by Channel 5, League of Women Voters, the National Public Television, you know all those conservative outlets that made sure the panel was properly composed. Larry Woods with us to us help breakdown the debate, Democrat Party activist, lawyer, and longtime friend, and media colleague of mine. We’re going to be on Channel 5 plus their political show at 9 o’clock Friday together we’ll break this down at that time. We get a little head start here. When you looked at the politics last night to me Larry one of the key moments was when Phil Bredesen declared that he would not vote for Chuck Schumer for majority leader, um, do you believe him? Larry Woods: Oh yes, Bredesen’s the kind…

Read the full story

‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen Misleads on Nissan and Volkswagen Production in Tennessee

Chris Alto

‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen, the U.S. Senate Democrat candidate takes credit bringing Nissan and Volkswagen to Tennessee in his ad Matters and then uses these references to talk about his record creating jobs in the state when he was governor: As governor I worked with Democrats and Republicans to bring Volkswagen and the Nissan headquarters to Tennessee The same claims are posted on Bredesen’s campaign website. Watch the ad: The problem with Bredesen’s version of the facts, which deliberately mislead voters, is it omist material facts which if known, diminish greatly Bredesen’s claimed accomplishments. The Nissan Corporation’s relationship with Tennessee actually began during the early part of Lamar Alexander’s first term as governor. Lamar took the governor’s office in 1979, and two years later, Nissan was breaking ground to build its first plant outside of Japan, in Smyrna, earning Lamar recognition from The Tennessee Automotive Manufacturing Association (TAMA) in their ‘Hall of Fame’: During his time as governor of Tennessee (1979-87), Lamar Alexander recruited Nissan and General Motors to establish major auto manufacturing and assembly plants in the state and set the foundation for future auto industry growth through state-led economic development initiatives. Today automotive manufacturing is one of Tennessee’s leading…

Read the full story

‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen Claims ‘I Am Not Going to Be Voting for Chuck Schumer,’ But Even Politico Admits ‘The Pledge Is Functionally Useless’

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen, Chuck Schumer

Phil Bredesen did his best to flee from Democrat Chuck Schumer during Tuesday’s U.S. Senate debate, the Republican National Committee (RNC) said. Bredesen is running against U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. “We need to get new leadership. I can tell you right now that if I’m elected, and when I’m elected and go to Washington, I am not going to be voting for Chuck Schumer,” Bredesen said at the beginning of the debate. He managed to make news by saying he wouldn’t vote for Schumer to be the leader of the Democrat caucus, even though Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, recruited him. But there’s a problem with that. Politico said, “The pledge is functionally useless — unlike in the House, where the speaker is chosen by a majority of the chamber in a floor vote, Senate party leaders are chosen by a majority in a private caucus vote. While there might be enough Democratic House candidates to deny (U.S. Represesntative Nancy) Pelosi the 218 votes she needs to become speaker again, there is virtually no chance of Schumer being dethroned by the Democratic Caucus after the…

Read the full story

Memphis Entrepreneur Says Bredesen’s Debate Claim He Can Be Effective as Moderate Democrat in Senate ‘Either Naive or a Charade’

Tennessee Star Staff

“Phil Bredesen’s claim in the debate tonight that he can be effective as a moderate Democrat in  the U.S. Senate is either naive or a charade,” Memphis entrepreneur Jeff Webb told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday night in an exclusive interview. The founder of Varsity Brands also questioned Bredesen for his opposition to President Trump’s tax cuts and economic program. “Bredesen continues to avoid saying what he would do to keep the current economic revival going,”  Webb added. Former Gov. Bredesen, the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), squared off in a debate Tuesday night at Cumberland University with GOP nominee Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). “He’s talking like he’s running for governor,” Webb said. “He’s not going to be the policy maker, if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. He’s going to be the junior senator from Tennessee. The question is, how is he going to vote. If he wants to be a chairman of a committee, if the Democrats win the majority in the Senate, or the ranking member on a committee, if they stay in the minority, he’s going to have to go along with the Democrat leadership, which…

Read the full story