Haslam kicks off campaign for governor?
Submitted by R. Neal on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 6:56am

The TNGOP sent out an announcement re. their annual "Statesman's Dinner" fundraiser in Nashville. Among the dignitaries:

The Tennessee Republican Party is honored to have Senator Howard Baker, Senator Bill Brock and Governor Winfield Dunn serving as the Honorary Co-Chairmen with Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam as the dinner Chairman...

The keynote speaker for the event will be Karl Rove.

(The TNGOP also says they are "pleased to announce a reduction in ticket pricing for general admission." There's no mention of whether this is related to Karl Rove's appearance.)

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Anonymous's picture

TN repugs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 9:19am.

Puleese. Rove, the hack, has 0 credibility. He should not be invited into polite society.

JosephBaileyOne's picture

I find it a possibility that

Submitted by JosephBaileyOne on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 11:18am.

I find it a possibility that Haslam may run for Governor in 2010. One has to wonder about it and how that Ragsdale is in such mess now and he had mentioned a run too. I think it will come down to a race between Frist and Ford.

The U.S. Constitution, it is what makes us free and makes us American. Let's treat it as such and with care.

Elrod's picture

Isn't Haslam too liberal...

Submitted by Elrod on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 4:45pm.

...for the GOP primary? Haslam strikes me as a New England-style moderate Republican. Can he win the primary?

R. Neal's picture

Are you familiar with the

Submitted by R. Neal on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 4:51pm.

Are you familiar with the name "Haslam"? You must not be from around here. Heh.

(Sometimes I think Haslam and Ragsdale are both closet Democrats. They should come out.)

Elrod's picture

Oh, I'm serious. I'm used to

Submitted by Elrod on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 1:10am.

Oh, I'm serious. I'm used to Republicans advertising their ignorance like a badge of pride. I'm used Raymond Finney as the archetypal Republican. Haslam strikes me as completely un-ideological - more of a party backer than an Ed Bryant-style right wing thug. Am I wrong on this?

rocketsquirrel's picture

The Haslam's have made

Submitted by rocketsquirrel on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 8:43am.

The Haslam's have made campaign contributions to Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R) New Mexico in the past. She was involved in U.S. attorney's scandal, and she just lost her GOP primary bid for Senate. Bill Haslam himself has been giving recently to "Texans for John Cornyn Inc."

John Cornyn just voted against expanding the GI bill and giving expanded benefits to veterans.

Sounds like in the GOP, you can't just be a party backer, as Elrod suggests, without staying clean from the ideology.

Here's a comment from a staff sergeant in Texas regarding Cornyn's views on our military.

A beneficiary's view

I have served in the U.S. Army Reserve for six years and am proud to say that I have recently extended my contract for eight more years. I have treated the wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and I earned the Montgomery GI Bill benefit, which assists me in financing my college expenses at the University of Houston.

It is an outrage that Cornyn would not support a bill that expands these benefits for veterans. He was asked to vote on this bill, and he cast a clear "no" vote. The decision he has made is a clear slap in the face to me and my comrades.

In his opinion article, Cornyn said one of the main reasons he did not support the new bill was because of the cost. While the annual cost of passing the 21st Century GI Bill is about the same as a week of war in Iraq, I want to ask Cornyn what amount of benefits is good enough for the soldiers that risk their lives every day for this country?

We need to elect new leadership in Washington. I am excited to have a candidate like state Rep. Rick Noriega, who not only understands the lives of veterans but also has their best interest as a priority.

STAFF SGT. JASON CISNEROZ
Houston

Mayor? where do you stand on supporting our troops?

ANGRYWOLF's picture

I don't know why they would invite

Submitted by ANGRYWOLF on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 10:06pm.

a fascist who subverted the constitution and damaged the integrity of our government.

RigsbyWerner's picture

Haslam = Duncan statewide

Submitted by RigsbyWerner (not verified) on Sat, 2008/06/07 - 11:58pm.

The Haslam name is extremely parallel to the Duncan name statewide in terms of political clout. Yes they have a lot of money, but money doesn't buy votes, and the Haslams have been on the wrong side of a number of statewide Republican efforts from time to time, most recently the Frist/Corker primary in 1994. After Frist smashed their money machine, it took Corker 10 years to take another stab at running for statewide office.

Jimmy Duncan knows that his political capital doesn't go very far after leaving the Eastern time zone in Tennessee and he has shyed away from statewide runs and Haslam would be well advised to do so as well.

Haslam should go ahead and run against Duncan in the Republican primary in August, give the Republican party a realistic choice this time.

R. Neal's picture

Left to right: Bill Frist,

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 9:48am.

Left to right: Bill Frist, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Lamar Alexander, Jimmy Duncan, Bob and Elizabeth Corker, John McCain, and Saxby Chambliss.

Factchecker's picture

What is he doing with that bunch of "morans"?

Submitted by Factchecker on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 12:52pm.

That shows why Haslam is such an enigma. He's the only one of this bunch of ethics-challenged Repugs who can "compete in the marketplace of ideas." (Thanks for that phrase, fellow poster).

(Lamar has had a couple of fair ideas here and there. No great shakes, especially next to his perennial conflicts of interest.)

Factchecker's picture

P.S. Before I get jumped,

Submitted by Factchecker on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 12:58pm.

P.S. Before I get jumped, the definition of moran is 3rd on The Google. The photo was popular back when "some" thought invading another country unprovoked was a great idea.

R. Neal's picture

All of those guys should be

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 1:00pm.

All of those guys should be ashamed to stand on the same stage with Saxby Chambliss after what he did to Max Cleland:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html

rocketsquirrel's picture

but they're not, Randy.

Submitted by rocketsquirrel on Mon, 2008/06/09 - 1:26pm.

but they're not, Randy. that's the problem.

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