Daily Dose January 04, 2006

Running in the Age of the Blog? -- Blogger Bob Krumm, who has announced he is running for the State Legislature in 2006, asks a serious question about whether bloggers are immediately disqualified from running for political office because so many of their thoughts are in the public domain:

This is an interesting experiment I might be embarking upon: Can someone whose unguarded thoughts and beliefs are on display for the world to see, actually run and win a race in today's overly cautious political atmosphere? It's my belief that the American public is fed up with the mealy-mouthed pabulum that usually spews forth from say-nothing politicians, and that they're willing to embrace someone more honest and direct. I guess we'll find out.

U.S. Senate Fundraising -- It is noted in a Tennessean article today that Bob Corker and Harold Ford, Jr. continue to lead their respective party's fundraising. Ford held some ritzy fundraisers in the fourth quarter that saw guest appearances by former President Bill Clinton and rock-star Sen. Barack Obama. Interestingly, former Reps. Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant declined to estimate their fourth quarter 2005 fundraising numbers for the Tennessean. Tennessee Politics Blog will have analysis of the fundraising numbers as soon as they are publically available.

Sen. Rosalind Kurita -- State Senator Rosalind Kurita is sounding more and more like a State Senator, even though she hasn't yet withdrawn from a primary bid against U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. for the Democratic Party's nomination for U.S. Senate. Kurita is the subject of a state legislative history lesson. With her appointment to the Senate Finance Committee, she becomes the first woman to serve on that committee since 1945, before Kurita was even born. The historic appointment may give her the opportunity to expand her representation, though, as she states in the release: "As the only woman on this committee, I feel I have a responsibility beyond my Senate district. I want to hear from women across the state about what our state’s budget priorities should be."

Tennessee Waltz Trials Delayed -- The first federal trials for those charged in Operation Tennessee Waltz will be delayed. The delay is due to the resignation of former State Sen. Roscoe Dixon's attorney. Dixon's attorney, Shelby County Commissioner Walter Bailey, withdrew Wednesday. Federal prosecutors previously filed a motion to exclude Bailey because his son represented Tim Willis, the main federal witness against Dixon.

Happy News -- In what might be the most heart-warming political related story of the day, Victor Ashe, former mayor of Knoxville and current U.S. ambassador to Poland, has donated $200,000 to the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum.

— Posted by: Charles Badger January 4, 2006 07:36 PM

— Posted by: Michael Bivens January 4, 2006 10:21 PM

— Posted by: Adam Groves January 4, 2006 10:36 PM