Daily Dose January 10, 2006

Hilleary Sets up Charity to Return Abramoff Contributions -- Former Rep. and Senate hopeful Van Hilleary told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that he will set up a private charity to raise enough money to cover the nearly $20,000 in donations he received from Jack Abramoff. The private charity wouldn't be connected to Hilleary's Senate campaign and would raise money for the American Indian College Fund. Earlier Hilleary told a group of East Tennessee Republicans that he would find some way to return the money. Harold Ford, Jr.'s campaign insists that he has no links to Abramoff despite a press flurry from Republican candidate Bob Corker calling on Ford to return his money from Abramoff cohorts.

Sen. Bryson's Exclusion Resolution -- Republican Sen. Jim Bryson has filed a resolution to exclude Sens. Ward Crutchfield and Kathryn Bowers from participating in the special session on ethics. Previously, Bob Davis the Chairman of the TN Republican Party asked that the two legislators indicted in Operation Tennessee Waltz not participate in the special session precipitated by that undercover investigation. The Nashville City Paper previews the session, which begins today.

Cooley's Speeding Ticket Fix Back -- The Tennessean reports that reports of reprimand of a Highway Patrol officer who fixed a speeding ticket for Deputy Governor Dave Cooley may have been nothing more than a stunt so "the media will be satisfied thinking we did something to him." Governor Bredesen has declined the newspaper's request to release the TBI file on the Cooley investigation.

Love Hopes to Capitalize on Money Scandals -- Democrat Sally Love has called on Republican opponent Eric Watson to return campaign money from the Gregory family, doubtlessly hoping to capitalize on all the other money scandals in the news. John Gregory is the CEO of an East Tennessee based pharmaceutical company that has given thousands to Republican causes.

Hobbs Hanging Hat -- Keynote blogger Bill Hobbs is retiring and closing his blog after years of blogging on state government issues in Tennessee. Hobbs began his blog four years ago to help fight against a state income tax.