March 12, 2008
Dr. Jack Kevorkian for Congress
I'm not kidding....Posted by joe lance on 10:41 PM | Comments (3)
March 08, 2008
The Tennessee Libertarian Party Convention, brought live to your browser
Stephen Gordon, writing as he often does at Third Party Watch, live-blogged the TNLP convention today. It is an interesting read. Some guys whose names you might recognize were there: Ben Cunningham and Drew...Posted by joe lance on 05:13 PM | Comments (1)
February 05, 2008
Obama handily beats Clinton in Hamilton County; rural vote way different
Unlike Hamblen County, where Hillary Clinton cleaned up, Barack Obama has 52.72% of the vote, to Hillary Clinton's 42.98%, in Hamilton County (with 89% of precincts reporting). Also, in Hawkins County: Clinton 74%, Obama...Posted by joe lance on 10:46 PM | Comments (11)
January 17, 2008
Ward Crutchfield gets probation, house arrest, small fine
The Chattanoogan.com report says that the former state Senator must pay a $3,000 fine for his crimes. It's true that in his guilty plea, Crutchfield admitted to taking a $3,000 "gratuity" from undercover federal...Posted by joe lance on 06:54 PM | Comments (0)
Repeat: the calls are coming from _inside the county_
You've heard about those unauthorized push-polls for Mike Huckabee that attack fellow candidate Fred Thompson, I'm sure. Today the Tennessean reveals a large source of funding for the group responsible: a Mark West of...Posted by joe lance on 06:25 PM | Comments (5)
January 11, 2008
Unity08 folds
I'm sure you've all heard by now that Unity08 is closing up shop, and will not be seeking ballot access in the 50 states, and will not be aiming to nominate an independent/bipartisan ticket...Posted by joe lance on 07:30 AM | Comments (1)
July 31, 2007
Not So Breaking News
Other priorities have stretched my capacity of late, so I haven't been around here much. But the kitchen's painted (first coat), the lawn is cut (and growing fast, due to Saturday's big rainfall), and...Posted by joe lance on 07:25 AM
July 05, 2007
Local Republican Aiming for State Chair
I had a feeling, once Tennessee Republican Party chairman Bob Davis announced that he was stepping down to join the Fred Thompson still-non-campaign, and once I heard from Rob Huddleston that former Hamilton County...Posted by joe lance on 08:29 PM
July 01, 2007
Al Gore is either going on a long vacation, or...
Al Gore will not attend a global warming awareness event in Taiwan this September, according to National Review blogger Iain Murray, who cites a Taipei Times article that also reports cancellations of all Gore...Posted by joe lance on 10:31 AM
June 12, 2007
Elephants Have Rather Sturdy Legs
AC Kleinheider sat down today and belted out a righteous post on what seems to him to be a looming split in the Republican coalition. You really should read it. I've thought the very...Posted by joe lance on 10:56 PM
April 09, 2007
City, State, Nation - Things Are Moving and Shaking
The Littlefield administration lost a key member Friday with the resignation of Communications Director Michelle Michaud. She cited the typical "more time with family" reason given when public officials step down, but in this...Posted by joe lance on 10:31 PM
March 24, 2007
Democrats ReOrganize
9:35 — I'm at the Chattanooga State auditorium, where the Hamilton County Democratic Party is holding its biannual convention. The doors are locked, so it's too late to come down now. They're going to...Posted by joe lance on 09:56 AM
February 21, 2007
President Visits Chattanooga
So you crawled out from under a rock this morning and got caught in some hella traffic? How long did it take before you stopped approaching every little knot of state troopers and offering...Posted by joe lance on 08:49 PM
January 11, 2007
Candidate for Quote of the Day
"I anxiously await the name of the next Anointed One from the conservative activists out there so that I know who I'm supposed to support next year without having to think about it on...Posted by joe lance on 01:19 PM
December 15, 2006
Bye, Bayh
FOX News is reporting that U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) will not run for President in 2008. This is somewhat interesting, because his name has been out there for quite some time with regard...Posted by joe lance on 09:52 PM
December 06, 2006
I Can't Believe Campfield Lost
Georgia State Rep. Calvin Smyre was elected as the new president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. NBCSL on Sunday concluded its annual conference in Jackson, Mississippi. Smyre replaces outgoing president Mary...Posted by joe lance on 10:31 PM
December 05, 2006
When You Get Time
Here are some topics: Cooley's Resignation What does a Deputy Governor do? Someone's getting ready to find out, as longtime Bredesen aide Dave Cooley announced his resignation late Friday. Relax. He planned to step...Posted by joe lance on 10:55 PM
November 30, 2006
I Wanted to Be the Frist to Tell You
Adam and Mike have noticed that not many Tennessee bloggers wrote inspired, lengthy posts on the subject of Bill Frist's departure from the (yes, underway) 2008 Presidential campaign. I can't speak for others, but...Posted by joe lance on 12:16 PM
November 22, 2006
Getting What We Pay For
I found these statistics interesting and disquieting: Local newscasts in seven Midwest markets aired nearly four and a-half minutes of paid political ads during the typical 30-minute broadcast while dedicating an average of one...Posted by joe lance on 09:04 AM
November 13, 2006
Who Should Choose the LtGov?
More people are chiming in on the revelation that Sen. Mike Williams may leave the Republican fold for the ostensible yet incomprehensible purpose of supporting Speaker John Wilder for another term. One post that...Posted by joe lance on 12:58 PM
November 12, 2006
A Braid of Lincorice
"Say goodnight, Gracie." A "little" advice, please. Another election blogger suffers the anti-climax. Same blogger, on Virginia: "Turns out, George Allen couldn’t win a four-way contest against Jim Webb, and two minor candidates, The...Posted by joe lance on 10:46 AM
October 26, 2006
Tennessee Talks Politics, I Play with Thomas the Tank Engine
I wasn't around for this. A bunch of stuff needs to hold off for a while, as it's distracting me from this election, not to mention from blogging about it. But, in amongst all...Posted by joe lance on 09:44 PM
August 28, 2006
Catching Up
Bloglines wasn't feeding me my news all morning, and then I've been in meetings/childcare/kitchen duty ever since. But, boy, a few things have come up: Kathryn Bowers will resign from the State Senate. Okay,...Posted by joe lance on 09:34 PM
August 21, 2006
When will Ward cave?
Well, the inevitable keeps happening to defendants in Operation Tennessee Waltz, as one by one they fold their hands and hope for the best deal they can get. The word is stronger than ever...Posted by joe lance on 09:56 PM
Would you buy insurance from this man?
Former State Senator John Ford, awaiting trial on federal bribery and corruption charges, is fighting to keep his Tennessee insurance license active: The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is asking an administrative law...Posted by joe lance on 10:42 AM
August 15, 2006
Quote of the Day
Congressman Tanner agreed [that Sarbanes-Oxley overreached], saying, to much laughter, that if Sarbanes-Oxley applied to Congress, "I'd be in jail right now." That's US Rep. John Tanner, District 8, as quoted by the Music...Posted by joe lance on 08:26 PM
August 10, 2006
Colorblind in Pennsylvania
UPDATE 8/13: I just read the inimitable Richard Winger's comment on Third Party Watch, which serves to cool much of my below rhetoric. Still, though. These people are not acting like Greens (scroll down...Posted by joe lance on 01:57 PM
May 30, 2006
Virtual Nominating Convention for 2008
There's a new website project aimed at putting together a third major ticket in the 2008 presidential election. It's called Unity08, and it looks interesting enough to watch over the next year or so...Posted by joe lance on 10:12 PM
May 28, 2006
Strong Stuff
"There is no way to view [Van] Hilleary's entrance in this race as anything other than political betrayal." -- Kleinheider "[Hillary Clinton's] most excited constituency seems to be the right-wing pundits who still hope...Posted by joe lance on 09:00 AM
May 12, 2006
Signs of Desperation in US Senate Primary
Make sure to include in your Friday reading the Kleinheider's translation of Van Hilleary's "letter" (I agree, A.C., press release) to GOP primary opponent Ed Bryant. "A Hilleary auxiliary if you will.." That brought...Posted by joe lance on 03:18 PM
May 11, 2006
Reform from within
As I was just remarking to the wife this morning, the opposition party in 2008, and maybe as early as 2006, will likely not be the Democratic Party. It will be Republicans/conservatives who will...Posted by joe lance on 03:05 PM
April 26, 2006
Campaign Staff News and more
Matt White's new "Inside Baseball" column launched the other day at the Tennessee Politics Blog. Every indication is that this will be a must-read whenever it happens, just like everything else on TPB. Among...Posted by joe lance on 01:24 PM
April 22, 2006
Let's get this party started
Austin Cassidy linked to New York magazine's astoundingly inspiring articles about the very real chance that a pro-security, socially-chill and fiscally pragmatic political party could emerge -- nay, erupt -- and be electorally viable...Posted by joe lance on 09:32 PM
April 21, 2006
TN Green candidates on Ballot Access News
The title just about says it all, and here's the link. In addition to Chris Lugo, candidate for US Senate, and Howard Switzer, candidate for Tennessee Governor, here are some other Greens on the...Posted by joe lance on 04:20 PM
April 13, 2006
Kurita's Withdrawal: Another Hackett Job?
A couple of Memphis bloggers are progressively angrier with each post about State Senator Rosalind Kurita's withdrawal from the US Senate race. autoegocrat: "For the record, my position on Ford stands: I will not...Posted by joe lance on 07:35 AM
March 29, 2006
Your Politics Lesson for the 29th: Subtilty and Shrewdness
The always masterful Curtis Adams has done it again. I will worship him to excess, and I won't be able to help myself. I took my daily Dose and learned about his completion of...Posted by joe lance on 10:11 PM
March 10, 2006
More Strange Voting
So, we're supposed to count votes for Phil Penderton (whomever that is) as belonging to Phil Pennington (the real candidate); I get that. But now we're also supposed to count votes for George W....Posted by joe lance on 04:15 PM
March 08, 2006
2006 GPTN Vote: Worse than South Florida 2000?
This past Sunday, the Green Party of Tennessee attempted to nominate candidates for office in Tennessee. I'm still waiting on the full list, but I use the word "attempted" because of an hilarious occurrence...Posted by joe lance on 02:42 PM
Hart Attack
Michael Silence strolled by and picked up newscoma's post on radical racist James Hart's candidacy in the 8th Congressional district. According to the linked AP story, the state GOP is actively attempting to de-list...Posted by joe lance on 01:12 PM
The "Racist Vote"; and Those Prying Capitol Eyes
Myelectionanalysis.com picked apart the recent Rasmussen -- yeah, the one that had the Bryant camp cheering -- but the blogger's focus is on Harold Ford, Jr. Ford appears to have slipped against all three...Posted by joe lance on 07:13 AM
March 02, 2006
Local LP Candidate Seeks Green Endorsement
Joe Dumas, one of County Commissioner Richard Casavant's 2006 challengers (District 2), is looking for a helping hand from voters and activists who might at times be considered his ideological opposites. In an e-mail...Posted by joe lance on 03:49 PM
February 20, 2006
No Prison Term for Me, but Thanks for Asking
I had a fairly similar reaction to that of Phil Ayres (whom I've never met, even blog-wise, but whose Tennessee Talk is an up-and-coming conservative thistle in TN's blogpatch) to the news that former...Posted by joe lance on 02:41 PM
February 08, 2006
Breaking Item Plus A Midweek Wrap-up
The hottest, freshest news is that another Democrat in the State Government may soon switch parties. More from Brian Hornback. More in a few minutes.. Okay, I'm back. Here are some things to read:...Posted by joe lance on 10:21 PM
February 07, 2006
God IS a Republican
I don't know why I doubted for so long. The evidence was right there in Reading, PA. (HT: MSJ)...Posted by joe lance on 01:38 PM
February 03, 2006
State Senate Scramble
Suddenly there are multiple reports and reactions to cover out of West Tennessee on activity around State Senate seats. Senator Don McLeary (D-Humboldt) told the AP that he will make an announcement about his...Posted by joe lance on 01:43 PM
January 31, 2006
Diamond in the Rough
Y'all know I'm always all about Tennessee, and so I trust you'll indulge this brief look northward. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has government troubles, too. Theirs came most recently in the form of a...Posted by joe lance on 10:50 PM
January 30, 2006
Monday Night Clippings
The US Senate race: Pensieri has begun a 5-part series of, well, pensieri on the GOP primary. It should be an interesting read. Jeff Moder got an endorsement. A very good national elections blogger...Posted by joe lance on 11:16 PM
January 23, 2006
Harwell for Governor?
Last week, national election tracking site Politics1.com moved Tennessee's 2006 gubernatorial election from "leans Democrat" to "safe Democrat" after State Representative Beth Harwell (R-Davidson) announced her intent to focus on the General Assembly session...Posted by joe lance on 12:46 PM
January 09, 2006
Raga of Truths
I want to know who's lying. I want to know, and I want it now. Either some Democrats got money from "super-lobbyist" Jack Abramoff, or they didn't. (What, are our political/news figures actually action...Posted by joe lance on 10:08 PM
January 04, 2006
The Abramoff Story Hits Home Again
As found in the online Jackson Sun (and, I'm sure, other Gannett outlets), a Center for Responsive Politics project lists Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's VOLPAC as the recipient of $2,000 from the Saginaw...Posted by joe lance on 12:02 PM
December 31, 2005
Digesting Paper
We've been lucky. {Knocks on hard rock maple} The boy hasn't been prone to putting things into his mouth. It's a silver lining to the whole eating struggle, so I'll take it. Lately, though,...Posted by joe lance on 12:17 PM
December 12, 2005
Monday Night Clippings 12-12
Ophelia Ford's election to the State Senate seat her brother resigned harbors additional questions. Another State Senator, Jeff Miller of Cleveland, has a smart newspaper editor on his case pretty regularly. There's interesting Ford-friendly...Posted by joe lance on 10:06 PM
December 02, 2005
Friday Blog Blogging
Catching up.. I heard on the news that North Carolina wins the game of "Mille Bones." There were some thoughts yesterday from R. Neal (via Silence). Then there are MooreThoughts. I mentioned it in...Posted by joe lance on 10:09 AM
November 27, 2005
What We're "Teeing Up" Today
I think it's over now, but the corporate midshipmen were really into "teeing things up" for you for a while there. Never mind, I have seven minutes to blog, and here's what I'm picking...Posted by joe lance on 09:23 AM
November 04, 2005
Corker Names Political Director
From the Chattanoogan: Bob Corker announced Thursday that he has selected Todd Womack to lead the political operations of his Senate campaign and has named him political director. Mr. Womack will officially join the...Posted by joe lance on 08:51 AM
October 27, 2005
"Retreat!"
Tom Humphrey writes in today's News-Sentinel that we're going to have to wait for a "compilation report" from the lawyer and accountant hired to help disclose the Black Caucus Legislative Retreat's annual financial information....Posted by joe lance on 06:55 AM
October 18, 2005
The Operation Tennessee Waltz Racial Bias Story
There's not a story here. There is an attention-grabbing distraction ploy, and nothing else. Or, there is a very complex and subtle "silencing of outspoken leaders" being executed by the authorities, to weaken the...Posted by joe lance on 02:13 PM
October 12, 2005
Run, Bob, Run
[Ed. note: this was intended as a comment on Bob Krumm's site, but something is amiss with interconnections, so I am posting it here.] Bob, please run for office. Your Metro government, our State...Posted by joe lance on 01:10 PM
October 06, 2005
Hoosiers, As You Were (Reproductively Speaking)
Oh, nevermind. Sorry to get you in a huff. Apparently State Senator Patricia Miller (RRR-Indianapolis) didn't know the exact meaning of "enormously controversial," and has now withdrawn her proposed bill. UPDATE: Just thought of...Posted by joe lance on 02:01 PM
September 28, 2005
Your Midweek Gin
Progressive activist and columnist Dan Sweeton says things that sound a lot like what I have heard from the far right corner (TeamGOP, Bill Hobbs, GOP U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Moder). What's going on...Posted by joe lance on 11:12 AM
August 31, 2005
Stories, Fresh and Stale
Much to his co-chair's surprise, State Senator Mike Williams (R-Maynardville), who shares the leadership of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethics with House Majority Leader Kim McMillan (D-Clarksville), plans to introduce legislation this week...Posted by joe lance on 11:40 AM
August 30, 2005
Rosalind Kurita's Message Hits in DC
I was recently tipped to a good new blog out of the nation's capital (from the Center for Public Integrity's Leah Rush). The blog is "Under the Influence" by Leah's fellow Center employee Bill...Posted by joe lance on 11:24 AM
August 27, 2005
Zogby Online Polling for Fred Thompson in '06 Gov Race
I just completed one of those polls that Marc Zogby sends to his e-mail list. I have read plenty of opinions that decry the accuracy of these particular surveys, but I occasionally complete them...Posted by joe lance on 11:55 AM
August 16, 2005
All We Need Is Radio Transcript
I'm trying to track down the details, but I've heard that Congressman Zach Wamp has "threatened to sue" if the audio of his recent two-hour spot as a guest on WGOW is re-broadcast. Hearing...Posted by joe lance on 06:11 PM
August 08, 2005
This Oughta Put Two Feathers in the GOP's Hat..
In 2002, Carl Twofeathers Whitaker ran as an Independent candidate for Governor of Tennessee and finished a mere two places behind Van Hilleary. Early this year, I noted that he had picked up the...Posted by joe lance on 03:47 PM
August 01, 2005
Moore's the Pity?
Lawyer and blogger Nathan Moore, whose site feed somehow doesn't work with Bloglines and therefore causes me to miss his updates, but whose site is worth manually visiting (so I should), wrote an ambitious...Posted by joe lance on 03:38 PM | TrackBack
July 29, 2005
Friday Clippings
Latest announcements by those running for re-election in Hamilton County: District 6 Commissioner Lou Miller (um, there was an article about Lou Miller's decision on Chattanoogan.com, and now I can't find it). (UPDATE: Now...Posted by joe lance on 01:07 PM | TrackBack
July 27, 2005
What Is Original?
I was driving this morning, thinking, as is my habit, along a few diverging radii, and half-smiled as I thought, "to the vector go the spirals." (I don't know why; it just showed up.)...Posted by joe lance on 06:32 AM | TrackBack
July 15, 2005
Quinze de juillet
So I didn't blog on Bastille Day? Doesn't matter. I had nothing to say, but here are a couple of posts from friends on the Left and the Right. Latest on Ethics: Blogging legislator...Posted by joe lance on 01:00 PM | TrackBack
July 08, 2005
Boy, Those Tennessee Governors Sure Can Whack Medicaid.
It's just that it's so soon after our current HMOnger fought hard -- didn't just suggest it as a determined but reluctant last measure -- fought hard and gained approval to cut over 300,000...Posted by joe lance on 07:37 PM | TrackBack
June 18, 2005
2006 Election Exhibition Games
Those of you who are, like, so not interested in politics or elections that are over a year away (and who mistakenly identify your feelings with "could care less" instead of "couldn't care less"):...Posted by joe lance on 09:35 AM | TrackBack
June 03, 2005
More Waltzing than What They Have in Vienna
Click on just about any of the Local or State blogs under the "Feedroll" heading to the left (I call it "feedroll" because some of the sites whose feeds are subscribed there are not...Posted by joe lance on 11:25 AM | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
New 2006 Candidate Website
State Senator Rosalind Kurita (D-22) has launched her US Senate campaign site. I updated the Civic Forum's US Senate candidates page, but thought I'd mention it out front here as well. I am not...Posted by joe lance on 03:30 PM | TrackBack
Let's Clear Up These 2006 Rumors
Whether or not some Ed Bryant supporters think it would be smart for Bob Corker to switch to the governor's race -- and one can certainly see why they'd assess it so, since it...Posted by joe lance on 08:21 AM | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
More "Musical Chairs" in 2006 Statewide Races?
I'm checking with a reliable source on the validity of this story, and will post an update here as soon as I have one. UPDATE: I listened to the relevant part of the audio...Posted by joe lance on 10:16 AM | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Can I Get A Half-Scoop?
Chattanoogan.com reports that Michelle Michaud has been named to Mayor Littlefield's administration. There were reasons for my doing so, but I omitted her name when I posted this same fact almost two weeks ago....Posted by joe lance on 11:26 AM | TrackBack
April 28, 2005
New Twist in Senate 06
Via Blogging for Bryant, I learned of a movement to draft 4th District Congressman Lincoln Davis to run on the Democratic ticket in the race for Bill Frist's seat. I'll have to write a...Posted by joe lance on 08:28 AM | TrackBack
April 21, 2005
Election (C)o(m)mission: Post 2
We live in an increasingly electronic and automated world. Office workers everywhere perform a majority of their tasks using computers. With that as the case, how are the five office employees of the Hamilton...Posted by joe lance on 07:45 AM | TrackBack
April 14, 2005
Fran, Zach, Bob, Tom and Tyrone
I don't know about where you work, but where I work, it seems you have to be named Tom or Bob to get named to an executive position. I'm just a Joe. I won't...Posted by joe lance on 08:13 PM | TrackBack
April 11, 2005
New HCDP Officers
(Originally posted on 4/9) Hamilton County Democrats agreed to agree today on the following new officers: Stuart James, Chair JoAnne Favors, Vice-chair Alice O'Dea, Secretary Debbie Colburn, Treasurer Mr. James was a candidate for...Posted by joe lance on 06:37 AM | TrackBack
April 08, 2005
Click Here to Party All Weekend!
Short notice on most of these, but: The Libertarian Party of Tennessee is holding its annual convention this weekend (4/8-4/10) in Murfreesboro. Rutherford, watch out, as I hear this can be a rowdy bunch....Posted by joe lance on 01:00 PM | TrackBack
April 07, 2005
Thursday Catch-All Post
Bits of civic news from around the region: I'm glad to see that a couple of folks spoke out regarding Metro Nashville's planned use of police cameras in public spaces. Even though I'm still...Posted by joe lance on 11:11 AM | TrackBack
April 05, 2005
Fran Gets Curtis-y Call?
So, what did Fran Dzik, former Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair, do, exactly, to merit a standing ovation at the local GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday? I suspect the first answer I'll get...Posted by joe lance on 12:44 PM | TrackBack
March 30, 2005
Elections Administrator Under Fire
Just before my withdrawal symptoms got really out of control, I found Chattanoogan.com to be back online. The lead story is one that I have been trying to track for weeks, without much success....Posted by joe lance on 07:49 AM | TrackBack
March 24, 2005
What Is the Money For, Again?
Check out the latest spectacle on the Democratic side of the 2006 Senate race. We really can't tell what the fundraiser was for, can we? I'm beginning to sense a pattern here, for I...Posted by joe lance on 09:28 PM | TrackBack
March 15, 2005
Senate 2006 News
Because of this report (thanks to Adam) I am removing the "wildcard" indicator from former Congressman Van Hilleary's entry in the Civic Forum's US Senate page. I am actually surprised by this, as I...Posted by joe lance on 11:58 AM | TrackBack