Daily Dose for August 28, 2006

Daily Dose

Bredesen to Resume Regular Schedule -- More speculation about Governor Bredesen's illness arose over the weekend, including speculation that Bredesen may have the same dehabilitating illness that left another state government worker in a wheel chair. However, Gov. Bredesen's reelection campaign released a statement Friday saying the Governor plans to resume a regular schedule "soon." Bredesen has been in and out of hospital visits, including a secretive trip to the Mayo Clinic, for more than a week.

Dole to Endorse Corker -- Elizabeth Dole will endorse and stump for Bob Corker today in Morristown and Sevierville. The campaign stump in Morristown will include a $125-per-plate fund-raising lunch and a tour of the Hamblen County Courthouse. The pair also is scheduled to visit at 3 p.m. with Sevier County residents at the Sevier County Courthouse. Dole is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That may help Corker gain some visibility after the Nashville City Paper concludes today that Corker has been "less visible" since winning the GOP primary. Vandy political science professor Bruce Oppenheimer says Ford has been defining the campaign up to this point with his ads and help from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

State Legislature Candidates Dump $1.2M in Own Campaigns -- Tom Humphrey looks at self-financed candidates in today's News-Sentinel. 76 candidates for the State Legislature will funnel a combined $1.2 million of their own money into their political coffers. The largest amount of self-financing among legislators is the $335,000 that Lt. Gov. John Wilder provided his campaign in 2004. Wilder, in a campaign finance disclosure last month, continued to list that sum as a loan. Most other candidates also deem their donations a loan, meaning they can later use campaign funds to repay themselves. Candidates to replace Jim Bryson were also among the bigger self-loaners: Tom Neill, put in $154,100 of his own money; Ray T. "Chip" Throckmorton had $147,550 in self-funding; the victor Jack Johnson, gave himself a more modest $62,500.

Eddie George Next Democrat Political Star in TN? -- Rex Noseworthy takes a look at speculation that former Tennessee Titan Eddie George may be honing his political skills to run for office as a Democrat someday soon. George has recently showed up to two fundraisers - one for Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. and the other for Dem Governor Phil Bredesen.

Hispanics Want Political Influence in Nashville -- Identity politics continues to be the theme of contemporary political races - with the Hispanic population in Nashville looking to organize, with the stated goal of getting someone on the Metro Council. The new group, Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democrats, brought in Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke to speak. Republicans also have outreach organizations, according to GOP Executive Director Chris Devaney. Another HIspanic organization, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, lobbied to help defeat 19 of the 20 bills that they perceived as anti-immigrant in the most recent session of the General Assembly.

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |