Daily Dose for March 09, 2006

Daily Dose

Split No More -- I previously reported that Governor Bredesen and Democratic leaders in the House were split on the issue of increasing the minimum wage in Tennessee. Bredesen previously said he was against the increase pushed by Rep. Kim McMillan (D-Clarksville), because it might "driv[e] business out of Tennessee." Now, Governor Bredesen has changed his mind and says he would sign the bill. Bredesen explained his change of heart by saying, "When I was asked the question before, I was trying to be kind of nonjudgmental because I didn’t know a lot about the issue."

Corker and Auditing Staff -- Former spokesman for Chattanooga mayors Bob Corker and Ron Littlefield, Todd Womack, now communications director for the Corker campaign, says the Bryant campaign's charge that Corker's reduction of auditing staff contributed to mismanagement of public money that resulted in several criminal charges is false. Ed Bryant's Senate campaign has suggested that Mayor Corker's reduction of staff contributed to the fraud. David Eichenthal, chief financial officer during the Corker administration says specifically, the charge that there was only one person on the auditing staff during Corker's term is not true, because he also served in that capacity as well as another employee within the executive branch of city government who worked on auditing, although that position was not listed in the city budget under the auditing staff. Corker's kick-off event is the subject of a cover story on coffee over at the Chattanooga Pulse. I'm quoted on Corker's fundraising, so check that out.

Fancy Ford -- The Hill reports that that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has set up a website called Fancy Ford, which outlines Harold Ford, Jr's lavish spending of campaign resources on everything from cigars to flowers to an Armani suit. Democrats say the site only popped up after Ford produced an ad criticizing the Bush administration and the Dubai ports deal, but the NRSC says, "The overall theme of the site points out how Fancy Ford has become a Washington insider who is very out of touch with Tennessee values."

SRLC -- I'm leaving today, so that's all she wrote on the Dose, see my Coming Soon post below and this article in the Tennessean for more on the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |