I was there. Good talk by the Senator. I also saw the video. It's a good campaign piece. Check it out later today at (link...) (or it might be (link...)). Lamar will be a tough target for any Democrat next year.

interesting. from his biography on his web site and on wikipedia, it seems he never served in the military despite the fact that he finished undergrad at Vandy in 1962 and law school in New York in 1965. He immediately went to work in Washington.

I wonder if military experience will be an issue in 2008?

is wrong. It is here

...he never served in the military despite the fact...

Not to mention several scandals that he escaped from strangely unscathed. What a gilded career. No charisma outside of East and maybe Middle Tennessee either.

If the choice comes down to Lamar or Fred, I'll take Lamar every time. (Unless the choice is for limited dry performance in a crime drama. Then Fred gets the nod.)

CAFKIA

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It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
  - William G. McAdoo

Lamar Alexander is, perhaps, the least offensive Republican Senator from the South. I wouldn't want anybody more conservative than Lamar, but I can deal with having him around. He seems to be on the right side on environmental issues. That said, what the hell has he done on Iraq or the War on Terror? All I've seen is occasional statements in support of Bush on Iraq - generally fairly lukewarm at that - not exactly a sign of leadership. I mean, if you want to be a delusional surger a la McCain then go right on ahead. He doesn't seem to fall into the Bush fellator camp like Sessions or Cornyn (or Lieberman). If you want to be a critic like Hagel or Smith (OR) then we can use those voices of reason in the mix. But I just haven't seen any leadership on Iraq.

Lamar is a tolerable pianist. I remember attending a concert where he played with the KSO in Cades Cove back in 1984. He autographed my program.

Not much demand for tolerable piano players in Washington, though.

The Hill Online

My intent was to "damn with faint praise". All I said was that he was preferable to Fred and that, my friends, IMNSHO, is damn faint praise.

CAFKIA

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It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
  - William G. McAdoo

legislation to support merit pay for teachers. I only wish while Congress is at it that they pull the NEA's Charter.

"No charisma outside of East and maybe Middle Tennessee either."

Huh? Is that the reason Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton supported Lamar over Democrat Bob Clement in 2002? Mayor Herenton also was in Nashville to introduce Alexander for his victory speech on election night. That Memphis vote made a difference.

Lamar would never be accused of being a 'rah-rah' guy, always on the front page, leading the charge. But, he is a thoughtful, respected leader. I generally prefer a person who can get things done over the guy on CNN screaming about the enemy on the other side of the aisle. There's too much of that on the left and right.

I don't look for Lamar to have strong opposition in 2008.

Isn't teacher merit pay a local issue? Lots of districts have it.

I just don't get how the article describes Iraq and terrorism as important issues for him. In what ways? I don't mind if he focuses only on domestic issues, but I'm just confused about how national security is a major priority for him.

As a moderately liberal Democrat, the definition of a charismatic Republican for me is one who reaches across the aisle and refuses to employ GOP talking points.

Huh? Is that the reason Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton supported Lamar over Democrat Bob Clement in 2002? Mayor Herenton also was in Nashville to introduce Alexander for his victory speech on election night. That Memphis vote made a difference.

Maybe the mayor's support wasn't due to Lamar's charisma, but even if you charitably extend Lamar's love to the whole state, he's never set the country on fire with his prior runs.

But, he is a thoughtful, respected leader. I generally prefer a person who can get things done...

He's not had much power or respect in the Senate to do much leading, even from his own party, though I admire some of his positions, especially in the face of the Frist era we had to endure. (How often could anyone agree with both of them? When they differed, how often did you side with Lamar! while vehemently stating your support for Frist?)

As far as preferring someone who gets things done, shouldn't it depend on what those things are?

I don't look for Lamar to have strong opposition in 2008.

Maybe Lincoln Davis? Paging Beecher Frasier... Beecher Frasier, white courtesy phone...

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People getting rich. Some people saying "Markets!" More death. Neil Young. Death.

"When they differed, how often did you side with Lamar! while vehemently stating your support for Frist?"

Examples of my vehemence on disputed issues between Lamar and Frist?

Does anyone not remember how much you defended Frist? I don't remember you ever saying you disagreed with him, even when he implied tears can spread AIDS or when he misdiagnosed Terry Schaivo by video and rearranged the Senate's agenda to use her as a political football.

Meanwhile Lamar had some good environmental positions: on ending the North Shore road, on pushing clean coal (whatever that's worth), on legislating for carbon limits, to name a few. Needless to say these views were not shared by The Cat Doctor.

Lamar could have been given a lot of authority by the Majority Leader from his own state. And he was kept in the corner by your man Dr. Bill while Congress was being decimated by your party.

But they're both GOBs with R's by their names, so there is that.

You fail to note any instance where I 'vehemently' supported the Good Doctor and Lamar was on the other side of the issue. Yes, I often supported Frist, though I never recall on the issue of tears spreading AIDS or any such thing. Frist did do a tremendous amount for AIDS research and spent a lot of time in Africa performing surgery and providing other medical treatment on medical mission trips. If I knew how, I could post a good photo of Bono and Frist I took at an AIDS fundraiser.

Leadership in the Senate is determined largely by seniority, not by what state your from. Frist couldn't bypass others just because of his friendship with Lamar. Lamar was a freshman in 2002, albeit an experienced freshman.

I'm sure Lamar and Frist disagree on certain issues. Seems to me that indicates a willingness to not just toe the party line. Of course, as majority leader, I guess Frist was the 'party line'. As Congressman Jimmy Duncan is fond of saying 'even best friends and spouses disagree sometimes'.

appreciates cbt blaming him for cbt's error. I have always heard that cbt never takes responsibility for what is wrong. I am sure that Tom Ingram will agree today.

'Knox Insider' sure sounds like Hornback.

When pressed on anything about Frist (or Bush or virtually any other Repub), you have consistently shown unwavering, if not vehement, support. I can't believe that if Frist had spoken out against global warming legislation, say, which I know he has, you wouldn't have been willing to speak out in his defense. I guess it was even your job to, no? And after all, you still defend Bush after his flip-flops and anti-environmental stances. (And you repeatedly stated that Bush was right due to his popularity. Now that his popularity is long gone, I don't know what your fall-back rationale is, while many in your party are blaming him for much of the party's ills.)

Now the focus is on Lamar and his stances which include some green initiatives. And you just want to move on and declare him right and the rest of us are just living in the past with partisan rancor against you guys because you're on the other side of the aisle.

I'm saying not so fast. Many of us won't soon forget your party's record of being on the other side of so many of these issues. And it still is overall.

Nor will we forget how your party broke all the barriers for partisan rancor. Only since you got spanked at the ballot box do you want to reach across the aisle in purported good faith and claim you're the only ones doing so.

Back to Lamar. There are many things I don't like about him, but some of his positions I agree with more than I do the vast majority of his colleagues (which just goes back to my main point). And that would be a breath of fresh air. Peace for now.

Can be beaten by the right dem. Lamar has been too much on the side of Bush and his apologists and failed to distance himself from them when he had the chance.He should have distanced himself from Frist when Frist was making all those idiotic comments threatening the dems with the nuclear option and taking their Senate rights as a minority party away, He failed to do that.So I don't support him and I hope he is opposed and loses his re-election bid.

Lamar! can be beaten by the right dem.

This is the same sort of commentary offered by those sportscasters who say, "The team who scores the most points will win."

Of course, the right candidate would defeat Lamar! but who's on the Democratic bench?

HFJ? Please. I'd rather see him stay on Fox News and at the DLC.

Lincoln Davis? Like someone else said, he'd probably run for guv first.

Bredesen? I sincerely believe he'll try to serve out his term, and 2008 is too soon.

Kurita? Please x2. She's made it hard enough for herself in even maintaining her state senate seat, much less running statewide.

Cohen? No way. Na ga ha pen.

Cooper, Tanner or Gordon? They're safely ensconced in their House seats. I haven't seen a peep of aspirations for higher office out of these guys. Nothing wrong with that, mind you. I think Gordon would make a great Senator, though. Maybe someone can shake him out of his complacency.

Party functionaries like Dave Cooley? Bob Tuke? Randy Button? Keystone Kops. Uh uh.

So who? Names, please.

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People getting rich. Some people saying "Markets!" More death. Neil Young. Death.

Leadership in the Senate is determined largely by seniority, not by what state your from. Frist couldn't bypass others just because of his friendship with Lamar. Lamar was a freshman in 2002, albeit an experienced freshman.

I meant to comment on this before. Frist certainly managed to ascend to majority leader after very short tenure in the senate, or anywhere else in government for that matter. They may be able to vote any member as leader, but it seems like Frist as ML had the power to put more of his junior senator's initiatives on the agenda had he felt that they were in the best interests of his constituents, not to mention the country's.

It's not about friendship. It's about legislative priorities.

i think bob's gonna run.

Tuke? Seriously?

Yikes.

I've known mop handles with better political instincts.

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People getting rich. Some people saying "Markets!" More death. Neil Young. Death.

I'm talking committee assignments, not majority leadership. Frist did ascend quickly. I was never one who thought it was a good move. He has to be the party line and also becomes a lightning rod.

If Knox Insider is Walker, he's way off base. And, he should know it.

I really wish a lot of people would stop the anonymous junk. I know there's an argument that some things don't get said. But, as we've seen, some things shouldn't be said.

Stand up and speak your mind. Take responsibility for your posts. I do, as do many others.

strong as onions in east tn.;the mayor's support in memphis;lamar's gonna be tough to beat.Fact is,if BIG FRED is running We Democrats are going to be in a fight to hold state house.

Frist became the lightning rod because he supported Bush against the best interests of his own state and it's citizens.

Fincher

I'm going to have a lot of fun with Frist when he comes out.

"Frist became the lightning rod because he supported Bush against the best interests of his own state and it's citizens."

If Frist ran last year, he'd win by double digits. Tennessee elected Corker against the wave of Democrats elected in other states. Frist may have gone against your wishes, but not a majority of Tennesseans.

Maybe Ned Ray Mc Whirter, a conservative dem who is well thought of, although he did start the tenncare debacle. Still he would be better than Lamar.

Maybe Ned Ray Mc Whirter, a conservative dem who is well thought of, although he did start the tenncare debacle. Still he would be better than Lamar.

He'll turn 80 in 2008. Any more ideas?

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People getting rich. Some people saying "Markets!" More death. Neil Young. Death.

Rah rah and all that CBT, we know you have to do it, but Frist is gonna lose a lot of blood running for Gov. I see him rediagnosing Terri Shiavo via video tape, attempting to wipe out Social Security, and violating his blind trust.

Then there's the Bolton nomination and so much more. Bush maneuvered Frist into losing his chance at national office while playing him as a puppet at the same time.

I see him rediagnosing Terri Shiavo via video tape, attempting to wipe out Social Security, and violating his blind trust.

Yes, yes. "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them."

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People getting rich. Some people saying "Markets!" More death. Neil Young. Death.