Voting for Equality in Shelby County on August 5 (Part 3)

In Part 1 of this series, I reviewed the known positions on LGBT equality and campaign outreach to equality voters of candidates for Shelby County government. Part 2 was devoted to Primaries for the Tennessee House of Representatives and Governor. We end with the primary elections for the three congressional districts that touch Shelby County.

U.S. CONGRESS

Shelby County includes the entire Ninth Congressional District and parts of the Seventh and Eighth District. There are no contested primaries in the 7th District on August 5. The Eighth district has a competitive Republican primary. The Democratic Primary in the Ninth District will determine who wins the seat in the General Election in November.

Seventh District

Incumbent Marsha Blackburn (R) of Brentwood probably enjoys the fact that she scored 0% on the HRC Score Card. Too bad she has no opponent in the primary. Republicans who vote their party in this district deserve better. choices in their primary.

Democratic challenger Greg Rabidoux of Clarkville has no legislative record on LGBT issues and his opinions are unknown. He has no challenger in the primary. However, he shouldn’t have to work too hard to get a better legislative score than his eventual Republican opponent after Nov. 2 should he win this election.

Eighth District

Republican Primary

The Republican Primary for this race is rather crowded. Each hopes to replace retiring Democrat John Tanner in this District.Three candidates have gone on record with their views on LGBTQ policy issues.

Dr. Ron Kirkland drew local, statewide, and then national attention after making the following comments about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and his military service in Vietnam at a Tea Party Forum in Paris, TN:

"I can tell you if there were any homosexuals in that group, they were taken care of in ways I can't describe to you."

Kirkland later refused to apologize for condoning violence against gay and lesbian servicemembers in a letter to the Jackson Sun. Read more about Kirkland and TEP's call for his apology and support of the repeal of DADT here.

At the same Tea Party Forum in Paris, TN, Randy Smith who served in the first Iraq War followed Dr. Kirkland's comments about DADT with:

"I definitely wouldn't want to share a shower with a homosexual. We took care of that kind of stuff, just like (Kirkland) said."

When called upon to do so by TEP and others, Smith apologized for his comments. He shared that he had a lesbian daughter whom he loves, but he does not approve of her "lifestyle." Read more here.

At the Tea Party Forum in Paris, Dr. George Flinn portrayed ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as the latest in an effort by Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to weaken the military. He also failed to confront the violence condoned by Kirkland and Smith at the forum. Flinn of Memphis also voted against an ordinance and a watered-down resolution that would protect LGBT county employees from discrimination while serving on the Shelby County Commission.

The other candidates in this race, Stephen Lee Fincher and Ben Watts, also failed to confront the violence condoned by Kirkland and Smith at the Tea Party Forum. Is silence complicity? Fincher won the endorsement of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council - a definite red flag - and was a TN Senate Co-Sponsor of SJR0031 that approved the Anti-Marriage Amendment for placement on the 2006 ballot for Tennessee voters.

Democratic Primary

Roy Herron (D) is on record opposing efforts to prohibit adoption of children by lesbian and gay parents. However, Herron was a TN Senate Co-Sponsor of SJR0031 that approved the Anti-Marriage Amendment for placement on the 2006 ballot for Tennessee voters. Only 3 out of 33 TN Senators voted against this amendment.

Kimberlee E. Smith's (D) views on lgbtq policy issues are not known.

Ninth District

Democratic Primary

Incumbent Steve Cohen (D) has received a the highest HRC Score (90%) of any sitting Congressman or Congresswoman from Tennessee. When he was still TN State Senator from District 30, he voted against the TN anti-marriage amendment. Cohen supported GLBT-inclusive hate crime legislation. He also support repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act. He also supports a GLBT-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in Congress. While in Congress, Cohen wrote a letter of support to the Shelby County Commission for the County Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinance.

Former Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton (D) served in that role for almost 20 years. While he was Mayor, Herenton spoke beside Judy Shepard when visited Memphis in 2000 in a special event at Calvary Episcopal Church. Herenton also participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Mayor Herenton also supports a municipal non-discrimination ordinance for the City of Memphis. However, Herenton has distinguished himself as being against marriage equality as a candidate for this race.

Republican Primary

The positions of candidates Charlotte Bergmann, Jim Harrell, and Kevin Millen on LGBTQ policy issues are unknown. In this heavily Democratic district, asking them about LGBTQ issues may be a moot point.

As with previous posts, please share any known positions on LGBT issues for any of the above candidates. Early voting begins on July 16. After you vote early, join fellow equality voters on July 20 for happy hour at Tuesdays at Grace.

- Jonathan Cole

Is Herenton using the Gay community?

Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton -- who frequently supported the gay community while in office – is now trying to use the gay community to score political points in the race for the 9th Congressional District.

In a March 1 letter to pastors in Shelby County, Herenton wrote, “As pastors, I hope you will join me in my opposition to same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana,”

With these words, Herenton casts a dark shadow over his previous record of supporting the GLBT community in Memphis.

On September 25, 2000, Herenton appeared at Calvary Church in Memphis beside Judy Shepard (the mother of slain hate crime victim Matthew Shepard) to proclaim the day “Memphis Against Hate Crimes Day". During his proclamation, Herenton said:

"I'm here tonight because this great city of Memphis ought to stand tall and protest vehemently against hate crimes . . . . This should be a city where people don't have fear because of the color of our skin or the religion we practice or the person we choose to love."

Within the same year, Mayor Herenton participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center in the Cooper-Young Neighborhood.

In January 2009, Herenton pledged his support for a Non-Discrimination Ordinance that would protect employees of the City of Memphis and City contractors from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression to leaders of the Tennessee Equality Project’s Shelby County Committee.

Voters in the 9th Congressional District should hold Herenton to his own words:

This should be a city where people don't have fear because of the color of our skin or the religion we practice or the person we choose to love.

It sounds like fear is all Herenton has to offer the intended audience of his March 1 letter.

-Jonathan Cole

Drowning Out Democracy: The District 9 Townhall Meeting

The following is a piece written by Michelle Bliss of the TEP Shelby County Committee and reprinted with her permission:

Well congrats to all the conservatives in District 9. You made a big splash at the Town Hall Meeting with Steve Cohen today. You and the several dozen people from out of town who shouted down the speakers and stepped all over the First Amendment rights of the constituents. Good job. You successfully destroyed the ability of your neighbors to ask questions and hear the answers. Oh and you were helped by people who drove in from Nevada, California, Atlanta, Desoto County Mississippi, and Alabama. People who are not residents in this district and came here specifically to help you squash your neighbors ability to have a meeting with their elected representative.

You must be so proud of yourselves for being part of the solution like that. Because everyone knows that interfering in the open and free discourse of citizens with their representatives is in the best interest of America. Congrats.

By the way, you also achieved something else today. You successfully volunteered to be the voices of the Insurance lobby. Good job. I hope you got paid for it, because the people from out of town did. The got all their expenses paid by the same people who screwed up the healthcare system in the name of profit based rationing of services that you claim you are afraid will happen under this plan. Good job. They didn't even have to pay you.

The guy I got in a shouting match would not answer one simple question...do you live in the district? he did not, he is from Atlanta. I know because he parked next to me with hsi georgia plates. He would not answer who he works for either. He was wearing a $30k watch and $500 shoes. Must be nice. His wife had on 2 carets worth of earrings. Nice. What did you get for coming to the meeting?

Is the healthcare plan perfect? No, it isn't. And we will never know what it could have been with our input. Good freaking job.

Congressman Cooper a cosponsor of federal hate crimes bill

A hat tip to Nancy VanReece for alerting us to the fact that Congressman Jim Cooper has signed on as a cosponsor to the federal hate crimes bill, H.R. 1913. He joins Congressman Steve Cohen on the bill. There are now 120 cosponsors. The number of supportive lawmakers and a president willing to sign the bill bode well for its passage. Anything can happen in the Senate, of course, but today's news about Sen. Specter should make passage even easier.

Cohen backs Clinton for Secretary of State

Congressman Steve Cohen's piece in Huffington Post.

I was an ardent supporter of Barack Obama during the heated primary season - in part because I agreed with his positions on the War in Iraq and on more aggressive diplomacy - but I whole-heartedly believe that Senator Clinton would make an exceptional Secretary of State. Senator Clinton's vast knowledge, experience representing our country and her finely honed skills of negotiation would serve this country well, and her presence within an Obama Administration would have an immediate, positive impact.

Well said! Clinton will not be afraid to raise the tough questions with her foreign minister counterparts and heads of state while imaginatively and pragmatically advancing U.S. interests abroad. I'm waiting for the Hillary haters to rear their heads. If she can fall in line and be a good soldier on the campaign trail, as she was, then I hope we can get through the next few days while president-elect Obama makes his decision without having to see the usual "bitch" and "witch" epithets all over the blogosphere.

A chorus of endorsements for Paul Shaffer

The endorsements for Paul Shaffer to fill the Super District 9 Position 1 seat on the Memphis City Council vacated by Scott McCormick are piling up.

The editorial board of the Commercial Appeal, Congressman Steve Cohen, and Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton join TEP-PAC in recommending him to voters.

FUNDRAISER UPDATE FROM THE SHAFFER CAMPAIGN:

Paul Shaffer for City Council
1899 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN. 38104

October 10, 2008

Dear Friend,

On Tuesday, October 21st from 5:00- 7:30, we are hosting a fundraiser reception for Paul Shaffer, candidate for Memphis City Council, At-Large, District 9-1 at Just for Lunch, 3092 Poplar (Chickasaw Oaks Plaza-just east of the Memphis Public Library). We hope you will attend, and contribute $100, or more (made payable to Paul Shaffer for City Council). You can also mail your check to Paul Shaffer, 1899 Jefferson, Memphis 38104.

Many of you may know Paul as the business manager of the IBEW Local 474 where he oversees over two million dollars in revenue annually. As the business manager, Paul has broad experience in the functions of government, as well as private industry. He has worked to bring jobs, train workers, negotiate and build consensus on economic and other issues with both labor and business leaders and elected officials. As a Memphis City Councilman, he will work to bring more major industry to Memphis.

Paul has been married for 36 years to Madaline Crossley Shaffer. He advocates for better public schools, and his three (now adult) children all graduated from the Memphis City Schools (White Station). Paul supports neighborhood revitalization, and has lived in different areas of the city. He has taught Sunday school and been a youth group leader for the United Methodist Church.

Paul volunteered his services as an electrician for the needy, and helped Habitat for Humanity, and MIFA Meals on Wheels. He is a member in the Wolf River Conservancy. Paul served as a scoutmaster for the boys scouts, and was honored with the George Meany Scouting Award and the Kiwanis Club Joe Fuso Youth Service Award.

We hope you will join us in supporting Paul Shaffer, who has a proven track record of building coalitions to make Memphis better.

David Cocke
Carol Chumney
Commissioner Steve Mulroy
Regina Morrison Newman
Former State Rep. Mary Wilder
David Upton
Dr. Joe & Midge Weinberg

Nikki Tinker attempts to salvage what's left of her reputation

The Commercial Appeal printed a guest column by the former Democratic primary candidate for the 9th Congressional District. Tinker tries to defend herself against the national criticism she received for the attack ads on Steve Cohen she released in the last days of her campaign:

Try as we might to have honest discussions on such important issues as education, health care, the economy and more, too often these conversations do not happen. Sometimes other issues -- race and religion, for example -- take precedence.

I believe that was the case in my recent campaign for the Democratic nomination for Congress from Tennessee's 9th District, which ended with my television ads at the center of the debate. I wanted these ads to focus on issues, but instead the ads themselves became an issue.

Through the ads, I wanted to respond to Congressman Steve Cohen's challenge to us to examine his voting record. The ads were never intended as an attack on race or religion, or as an attempt to divide our community. But, if they did, I want to take responsibility and sincerely apologize for any pain they may have caused.

Tinker goes to claim:

I wanted to be heard on the substantive issues of the campaign -- health care, Iraq, immigration and education, and I wanted to take the challenge offered by Cohen, to look closely at his voting record. Yet reporting on the congressional race came down to race and religion.

I can't blame Tinker for wanting make amends for the offensive ad campaign she ran, but her complaint about not being heard on the issues seems insincere to me.

During her one debate with opponents and in my own personal interview with her in the spring, she offered few details about her legislative agenda and objectives. This told me that she was either a policy lightweight who had no business running for Congress or she was being backed by supporters who could easily manipulate her into voting for the more privileged classes in our society, i.e., Big Business.

Steve Cohen triumphs, but Memphis is the real winner

While TEP focuses mainly on local and state politics, I can't help but take a moment to recognize the significance of Congressman Steve Cohen's win in the 9th District Democratic Primary race. As many already know, the campaign got really ugly in the last week with race-baiting and anti-Semitic television ads from the Tinker campaign. So ugly that Tinker supporters like Emily's List and Harold Ford, Jr. publicly repudiated Tinker's tactics in the campaign's last hours.

Cohen offered these words of reflection at his victory party last night:

It says Memphis has come a long, long way and that people who were counting on racial voting to prevail are thinking of a Memphis that doesn't exist anymore. . . . The people of Memphis are more sophisticated voters that deal with issues and someone's record and not simply race.

Memphis, Tennessee has shown CNN and The New York Times and MSNBC and everyone else that we are united, we are moving forward and we are a bellwether for what is going to happen in America when Barack Obama is elected president.

As racially divided as Memphis can be, we can all take pride in the wisdom of Memphis voters. This election outcome may herald a new day in government and politics.

Shock and Naw

The folks at Emily's List are shocked by Nikki Tinker's campaign ads in the 9th District congressional race. You never know what your money's going to do when you turn it loose.

But at least they are distancing themselves from the ads. According to Mr. Kleinheider, not everyone has spoken up yet.

Steve Cohen asks for support and votes from GLBT citizens

GLBT citizens of the Midsouth held the first of two campaign fundraisers for Congressman Steve Cohen (9th District) last night at Stop 345 in Downtown Memphis. Steve supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and stronger Hate Crimes legislation in Congress this year. Several TEP members attended the event.

Don't miss Wendi Thomas' column in Sunday's Commercial Appeal about Cohen and his major primary opponent.

Triangle Journal Movers and Shakers

The Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center held a kickoff for its HOME membership campaign at the Center for Southernn Folklore last night. During the reception the community center recognized the 2008 Triangle Journal Movers and Shakers which included a few of Tennessee's legislators and the two Co-Chairs of the Shelby County Committee:

Dr. Marty Acree

Sean Alexander

Terryl Buckner

Jeff Childress & Rick Johns

Congressman Steve Cohen

Jonathan Cole & Tommy Simmons

Allen Cook

Casey

Susan Mackenzie

State Senator Bevery Marrero

The Rev. Tim Meadows

Carmen Mills

Bianca Phillips

Darian Porter

State Representative Jeanne Richardson

Wendi C. Thomas

Shane Trice

Dr. Herb Zeman

Felipe Zuvichaux

Learn more about the 2008 Movers and Shakers in the April 2008 issue of Triangle Journal.

Pelosi and Cohen in town

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was in Nashville this afternoon to host a fund raising event for Congressman Steve Cohen. The brunch at Tin Angel welcomed around 30 supporters. Later in the afternoon, Cohen stopped at Red Restaurant for another event with Nashville's GLBT community where he was warmly welcomed for his support of the Matthew Shepard Act and other legislation.

Cohen on Bilerico

Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis talks about how he came to be a fighter for GLBT rights at this national blog on GLBT politics. This particular site routinely features guest bloggers, but not many Southern members of Congress.

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.' "

Projections for Cohen looking good for 9th District Race

Jackson Baker reports favorable numbers from a poll conducted on behalf of Steve Cohen's re-election campaign:

The congressman is the choice of 63 percent of those polled, with Tinker selected by 11 percent and state Representative Joe Towns laying claim to 5 percent. Undecided voters add up to another 20 percent.

The Democratic Primary vote will be held on August 7, 2008.

9th Congressional District Race Heats Up

The Commercial Appeal has a thoughtful editorial today about Jake Ford's run for the 9th Congressional District. He's filed as an independent and will likely face Steve Cohen or Nikki Tinker (whoever emerges from the Democratic Primary) in November.

A confident Steve Cohen files for re-election

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/mar/31/31cohenweb/

His take on the role of race is an intriguing spin. We'll see how it plays out. Maybe some Memphians will weigh in on this one.

See Jonathan's earlier post on one of his opponents, Nikki Tinker here: http://grand-divisions.blogspot.com/2008/03/so-what-does-nikki-tinker-think-about.html

So What Does Nikki Tinker Think about GLBT equality?

Don't miss my article featuring an interview with Nikki Tinker in this month's Triangle Journal (p. 5).

I asked the candidate about her views on hate crimes legislation, her opponent Steven Cohen, ENDA, the Federal Marriage Amendment, and civil unions.

The quality of the Triangle Journal is improving with each issue. Congratulations to Co-Editors James Cox and Len Piechowski, the Editorial Review Committee (Will Batts, Jamie Griffin, Alan Herbers, and David Mabury), and all contributing journalists!