Attacks on the Governor's diverse hires could threaten economic development, says Williamson Co official

Last week's Republican county party attacks on Governor Bill Haslam for employing or retaining Muslims, gays, and Democrats are dividing Republicans in Williamson County, according to today's Tennessean.

Image from Equality Florida

What's more, a top economic development official in Williamson County, when pressed, admits he is worried these attacks on diversity could hurt the area's ability to attract companies seeking to relocate:

Matt Largen, director of Williamson County Economic Development, often works with the state office in which Ali is employed. He described it as “one of the most important relationships” his office has cultivated. That the dominant political party in his community is accusing an employee in that office of subverting the very economy she was hired to promote could become embarrassing, Largen said.

Moreover, employers looking to relocate here often have preconceived notions about the level of diversity in Tennessee, said Largen, and are anxious to see an inclusive community. Largen said he does not know whether these criticisms of the governor will hurt the county’s reputation, but acknowledged there is reason to be concerned.

Let's focus on one phrase:  "anxious to see an inclusive community."  Most of the larger companies have realized diversity and inclusion = good business.  Let's hope these extremist attacks don't get Tennessee off course.

Dodging Bullets: We Will Survive

Tennessee's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community has a lot of practice at dodging bullets when it comes to the Legislature.



Speaker Vote: The results of the Republican Caucus battle for Speaker of the House nomination should definitely go in the bullet dodged column. Rep. Beth Harwell's victory over Rep. Glen Casada is good news. Casada has supported restrictions on adoption based on sexual orientation in the past. Harwell, on the other hand, does not seem focused on social issues. In fact, she talked to the media about jobs after her victory. During her speech to the Republican Caucus prior to the vote she noted that she had voted against guns in bars because of her constituents and she said there would be times when others would need a pass based on the wishes of their constituents and that they would get one! Harwell's constituents aren't fire-breathing social conservatives. Don't get me wrong, they aren't by and large progressive either. But her district does include a significant number of GLBT folks based on TEP's email list. We won't always agree with her, but she will listen to constituents and she will treat them with respect.

Tough year ahead: Harwell's election is a small, but significant reprieve, but the coming year won't be easy. No one knows the future, but we can probably expect some of the same negative bills we've seen over the last few years to make a return. If we're going to continue to dodge bullets, we're going to have to be faster and more unified.

The way forward: A few suggestions will serve us well over the next couple of years and probably beyond:

• Make some new friends. The fact that matters is that one party is in control of everything. Whatever your party, get to know your Republican legislator because most of you have one now.
• When negative bills are introduced, communicate with your representatives. Don't wait for them to get to the floor when they're about to pass. You might find as we did at last year's Advancing Equality Day on the Hill that not all Repubicans support all negative bills.
  
• Help us make progress in Tennessee's cities and counties. I doubt anything positive is going to move at the federal or state level over the next two years. Progress is a local thing for the time being. Let's get active where we can advance protections for our community.

Stay strong. We will survive.

-Chris Sanders

Why it should be stupid for the TN GOP to push the adoption issue

It's a good thing at a number of levels that I'm not running for governor because when issues like adoption get brought up I'd be tempted to go for overkill in fighting back. I'd make points that the electorate would only be able to follow if they had been paying attention all along. And I'd probably come across as a smart ass and lose for winning.

But I'm not running for governor. So here's my full response on why it's stupid for the TN GOP (the state party and not necessarily any particular candidate) to bring up the adoption ban issue.

Oh, you didn't know they had? Well, they did today in this press release attacking Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter. Here's what they said:

“Mike is unabashedly pro-choice, has made it clear that he does in fact support gay adoption, and is on record supporting ObamaCare and the unbearable unfunded mandates his party leader seeks to impose on states."

Oh, I'm sure someone gave them the bright idea that's a smart tactic, but not really if anyone listens for 30 seconds. Here's how I'd argue it.

*Not fiscally conservative. Does the TN GOP really want to change the policy? If so, they must want the state to come up with over $2.8 million and over $2.1 million in the federal budget. See the fiscal note if you don't believe me.

*Reminds us of the failings of GOP officer holders like, um, the sponsor of the adoption ban bill. That alone should provide a zinger of a response.

*Doesn't bringing up the adoption ban bill indict all the Senate and House Republicans who didn't move the bill? Did the Lt. Governor, the Senate Majority Leader, or the Senate Caucus Chair try to advance the bill? No, I didn't think so. If stopping "gay adoption" is so important, then it seems as if there's plenty of blame to go around with the GOP. Maybe they realized it's not a good idea for children or for the budget or good to be associated with the bill sponsor.

*Will anyone really believe Mike McWherter is a big proponent of adoption equality? I don't think anyone believes that.

*Doesn't raising the issue run the risk of making Bill Haslam nastier than he wants to be? I don't think that anyone whose idea of naughty but charming is sneaking pies wants to be associated with trash talk about "gay adoption." It runs counter to the light narrative Haslam is trying to weave.

So clearly not only should that issue not get the state Republican Party traction, it ought to set them back. But I doubt anybody will take the opportunity to call them on it or several other obvious targets. Oh, well, that's how it goes. An activist can imagine, though.

-Chris Sanders

Closeting the gay factor in the GOP gubernatorial race

According to Hayes Hickman in the Knoxville News Sentinel, all the Republican candidates running for governor are vying for the conservative label.

But most of the quotes and analysis focus on the issues of guns and abortion. If that sounds familiar, it mirrors the focus of conservatives in the Legislature this year. There is also an interesting section on the controversial nature of accepting stimulus funds.

One might think that in such a long piece on what it means to be a conservative running for governor in Tennessee, some anti-equality rhetoric might make an appearance. The closest the article comes is this blurb about Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey:

Ramsey, whose platform includes "traditional values" that recognize that "the family is the core unit of society," said he gives no less importance to Tennessee's economic challenges.

Family Action's David Fowler, who is quoted extensively, hints at but does not name GLBT issues, thus compounding their absence:

"So far, in the literature I've read from all the candidates, the issues of greatest concern to their conservative base have not been addressed."

If guns, abortion, and the stimulus are openly discussed, what else could Fowler mean but GLBT issues? But then again, what's a conservative in Tennessee to do--run against gay marriage? It's already banned by statute and constitutional amendment. Would running against adoption by gays and lesbians get a GOP candidate very far in a statewide race? How about running against the hate crimes bill? Not likely.

These candidates certainly aren't at the point of turning pro-gay, but they may have realized that running against the GLBT community is a non-starter...if it even crossed their minds to begin with. Let's hope that's the case.

Old Hickory's revenge

WATE citing the Knoxville News Sentinel recounts a truly bizarre set of events, but it's been that kind of run lately for Tennessee political news. Basically a man who was injured at a State GOP event by a falling flag can't sue the party, according to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. But the series of incidents leading up to the accident are entertaining, though the man's injury is not, of course.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported portraits of former presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson, all Democrats, had been covered for a Republican party celebration on election night.

During the event, a flag that both the Republican Party and the hotel deny placing in front of a shrouded landscape painting fell onto Elmer Paul Allen, who sued the hotel.

A year later, Allen added the political party as a defendant.

The appellate court ruled Allen's suit against the hotel could proceed, but said he waited too long to sue the Republicans.

Andrew Sullivan notices TN GOP's gay-baiting

Here it is.

State Republican Chairwoman Robin Smith gay-baiting

From the TN Republican Party via Mr. Kleinheider:

Upon entering a reception these evening, committee members presented their challenges pursuant to the Tennessee Republican Party Bylaws. “Action will begin immediately to address the actions of Rep. Kent Williams,” responded Robin Smith, TN Republican Party Chairman. “His commitment today was not to Republican Principles, but to the blind and shameless pursuit of personal power. He cast his vote for a Pro-Tax, Pro-Gay, Pro-Abortion, Anti-Gun Liberal Democrat to preside in leadership against all 49 of his Republican colleagues.”

Well, there you have it. I suppose we're now supposed to believe that they intended to focus on the budget and on education this session. How vile! Ms. Smith, there are two alternatives to "pro-gay." One of them is where most voters are--indifference. The other alternative is "anti-gay." Which one motivates you? Please, don't ever say that you have a gay friend. Friends don't work their butts off to make their friends second class in the eyes of the law. A former member of the State Human Rights Commission who attacks minorities. Tsk, tsk.

Mumpower cut his legislative teeth on opposition to taxes and gay foster parenting

An Associated Press profile of House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower shows his steady opposition to taxes. Thrown into the discussion of the lottery and taxes is his early opposition to gay foster parents, too. He sponsored the bill in 1997.

One of the first bills Mumpower sponsored after his election was a 1997 measure to prohibit gay couples from becoming foster parents. It didn't pass, and later incarnations of the bill with other Republican sponsors also have failed.

The piece follows up on the lottery and tax positions with quotations, but they don't come up with anything on foster parenting. So it's not clear where foster parenting and adoption fall in his list of priorities now.

With Republican majorities in both state houses, look for advancement of a socially conservative agenda

The Commercial Appeal describes the plans of the Republican Party in Tennessee after their successful takeover of both houses in the General Assembly.

While there is no mention of anti-LGBT legislative initiatives in the article, the recent passage of the anti-gay adoption amendment to the Arkansas State Constitution makes me nervous about what's in store for Tennessee in 2009.

Mark your calendar now for Advancing Equality Day on the Hill on February 17, 2009 in Nashville.

Knox County: Red with some big blue streaks

Metro Pulse maps Democrats and Republicans in Knox County.

Knox County as a whole always goes Republican in presidential races. By the parlance of Bush-era political analysts, it’s red, a dutiful contributor to a red state.

However, the red wash obscures deeper complexity. It’s just as predictable—though less obvious, because we have to add up the tallies from political precincts to get it—that in presidential races, the City of Knoxville usually goes Democratic.

MSM's diverging story lines on Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has become something of a Rorschach of the mainstream media's interpretation of what is at stake in this presidential race.

Time lays out the positive case for the pick:

John McCain needs to persuade swing voters that he's willing to take on the Republican establishment. He needs to persuade conservatives that he isn't squishy about social issues. And he needs to close the gender gap. When you think about it, the real surprise about Sarah Palin's selection as his running mate is that it's such a surprise.

Palin may be an obscure 44-year-old first-term governor and mother of five from tiny Wasilla, Alaska, but in many ways she reinforces John McCain's narrative of a maverick conservative crusader.

Jonathan Alter at Newsweek is not impressed, though:

Happy birthday, Johnny Mac! You're 72 now, a cancer survivor, and a presidential candidate who has said on many occasions that the most important criteria for picking a vice president is whether he or she could immediately step in if something happened to the president. Your campaign against Barack Obama is based on the simple idea that he is unready to be president. So you've picked a running mate who a year and a half ago was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of 8,500 people. You've selected a potential leader of the free world who knows little or nothing about the major issues of the day beyond energy. Oh, and she's being probed in her state for lying and abuse of power.

The Wall Street Journal highlights how different this election is than others:

Most years, vice-presidential picks end up having little concrete impact on the outcome. Voters usually tell pollsters they care little about the second name on the ticket. But the 2008 race, already unusual in other ways, could be an exception, because both choices are meant to deal with key issues the presidential candidates haven't been able to solve on their own.

The choices are mirror images in some ways. Sen. Obama, a youthful candidate promoting "change" above all, chose in Sen. Joe Biden a gray-haired career Washington politician with commander-in-chief gravitas reminiscent of his Republican opponent -- but who may weaken that campaign message for many voters. Sen. McCain's pick, like Sen. Obama, is an outsider who would represent a demographic breakthrough if elected -- and like the Democrat, is short on conventional political experience.

The New York Times wavers between the message of bold and risky with respect to McCain's judgment on the one hand and praising Palin's charm on the other. Peter Baker highlights the central message issue for McCain, who...

...spent the summer arguing that a 40-something candidate with four years in major office and no significant foreign policy experience was not ready to be president. And then on Friday he picked as his running mate a 40-something candidate with two years in major office and no significant foreign policy experience.

Some of Baker's colleagues report on her incredible appeal with people:

“She wouldn’t have articulated one coherent policy and people would just be fawning all over her,” said Andrew Halcro, a Republican turned independent, who along with Tony Knowles, a Democrat, ran against Ms. Palin for governor in 2006. “Tony and I looked at each other and it was, like, this isn’t about policy or Alaska issues, this is about people’s most basic instincts: ‘I like you, and you make me feel good.’ ”

“You know,” said Mr. Halcro, invoking the Democratic presidential nominee, “that’s kind of like Obama.”

And that strikes me as the potential of Sarah Palin to help John McCain. The Democrats have gone on and on about the fact that McCain had only met her once. Exactly! She basically replicated with him the experience that voters in Alaska have had with her. She's not at the top of the ticket, but the Palin announcement within hours took the media coverage away from Obama right after he made one of the best speeches of his life. She'll face some tough media scrutiny in the coming days and a test in the debates with Joe Biden, but she will be formidable on the campaign trail. People across the country will want to meet her. Whether she can get in front of enough people to overcome the negative coverage that is coming is another question.

Hypocrisy in the cards at the DNC

Val does a video interview with a guy at the Democratic National Convention who has put together a deck of cards made up of Republicans who have opposed GLBT rights and been caught on the other side of the fence. As I've said before, exposing them all won't get our community equal rights, but it highlights one of the ironies of the politics of family issues today.

HRC says the GOP wants to hear from you

From today's Human Rights Campaign update:

ACT

The Republican Party wants to hear from YOU The Republican Platform Committee is requesting public input for their 2008 platform. Now's your chance to tell them to support hate crimes legislation, protect GLBT people from workplace discrimination or just stop supporting the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment! Sign-up on their site to submit your written or video entry.

take action »

District 20 House GOP primary

The Knoxville News Sentinel profiles the candidates running in the Republican primary for House district 20, three of whom have ties to the Blount County Commission. None of them wants tax increases and they all are against wasteful spending. Either they didn't say exactly where the waste is or their comments didn't make it into the piece.

Steve Hargis, who seems to have the most politically helpful connections (farming, Blount County Commision, and volunteer fire fighters) is running against Governor Bredesen:

Hargis says he is "not pleased with the way the governor is handling the budget" and with cuts to it. He says he intends to be "aggressive against taxes and also wasteful spending," which he said is "running wild.

"The economy is growing slower than the state budget," he said. "It's gotten out out of hand."

Maybe Hargis is objecting to the particular cuts the Governor made or maybe he's saying they weren't deep enough. It's not clear.

In 2006, the Governor won Blount County with 23,433 votes to Jim Bryson's 11,701.

If you don't want to attack your fellow Republicans in a primary and you don't want to run on President Bush's economic record, maybe all you can do is run against the Governor. But trying to label him a big spender and anti-growth is pretty counterintuitive.

The Debra and Bob Show

State Rep. Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville) is having a little fundraiser in Gallatin on July 11 and the "special guest" star is Sen. Bob Corker.

Coach Alexander in the game

The Knoxville News Sentinel includes this profile of Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Calling Alexander a "moderate," the piece discusses his ability to reach out to Democrats and the weekly bipartisan breakfasts that he cohosts with Independent Senator Joe Lieberman.

One of Sen. Alexander's recent outreach efforts was missing from the story, though. He worked with Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen to get Bishop William Graves of Memphis reappointed to the TVA board. He had been deadlocked with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who thought it was time for a Democrat to be appointed to the board. Bishop Graves identifies as a Democrat, but has supported Republicans such as President Bush and Alexander himself.

Sen. Alexander's rising position gives him the opportunity to advocate for Tennessee on a more regular basis:

"Whenever I see the president, which is more often now, I remind him about our clean air issues in Tennessee," he said. "I remember walking in to (see) him, and he said, 'Lamar's going to ask me about sulfur.' "

GOPTube coming soon

Republican operative Tyler Owens is urging his party to "loosen up" and start using YouTube and other new media to get their message out.

“Why do liberals have all the good movies?” he asked.

Called the Conservative Media Project, the effort could have its epicenter in Chattanooga.

And it all can be done in Chattanooga, Mr. Owens said.

“We have the resources right here,” he said.

Chilly forecast for the summer as Rove approaches

The City Paper's Rex Noseworthy tells us that Karl Rove will speaking at the Statesman's Dinner, the TN Republican Party's big annual event, this summer. Although the piece calls him the "former Prince of Darkness," it also mentions the positive reviews he's getting as a commentator.

Legislative week in review: Democrat and Republican

It's time again for the weekly legislative update at Clarksville Online. You'll find the House GOP update here and you'll find the Democrats' update here .

Interestingly enough, neither side is talking about the adoption bill--perhaps because the main movement has been in the Senate Judiciary committee over the last few weeks. The Republicans lead with discussions of the death penalty ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, while the Democrats are focused on economic issues. Both updates address the issue of long-term care legislation.

Haslam Family Giving

The Haslams of Knoxville have been some of Tennessee's largest backers of Republican candidates. The Metro Pulse has the numbers here.