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Daily Dose for March 16, 2007
State Republicans Encourage Thompson to Run
State Republicans Encourage Thompson to Run -- 60 out of 62 Republicans in the state Legislature have signed on to a letter sent former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson urging him to run for President. The letter says Thompson is the right candidate "lead this nation into a new era." A portion of the letter:
We know you as a staunch conservative, a man of his word with good commonsense values, and a deep appreciation for those from all walks of life...It is for that reason, along with those listed above and many more, that we ask you to take the 'red pickup truck' across America to do what you have always done so well – win elections...Thank you for your outstanding service to Tennessee and our nation. We hope you will continue that service as the next President of the United States of America.
Blogging State Rep. Stacey Campfield and former Minority Leader Bill Dunn were the only two GOP members who did not sign the letter. See here and here for more. In other Fred Thompson news, Michael Silence announces that an unauthorized/non-connected 527 committee called "Draft Fred Thompson 2008" has been started with the FEC.
Debating the Effects of Williams' Switch -- Senate Republicans and Democrats can't even agree on how Sen. Mike Williams' shift from a Republican to an Independent will impact the Senate. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says it will have no effect, but Democratic leader Jim Kyle says Williams' move will allow other Republicans the opportunity not to feel pressure to tow the party line. Kyle: "[Williams' switch] does make my life somewhat easier [for Democrats], if you want to know the truth." Ramsey responds to the partisanship charge: "Seriously, for 140 years, they had the majority and had the speakership and nothing’s partisan...But now, after 140 years, we gain the speakership and the majority and everything becomes partisan. I just don’t get that.” Of course, in order to take the pressure off, Democrats might actually have to show up to the Legislature. The Tennessean notes that three Democrats have been absent for medical reasons: State Sens. Jerry Cooper, John Wilder and Ophelia Ford.
New Knoxville PAC Will Support 'Trustworthy' Candidates -- Two former public officials in Knox Co. - State Sen. Ben Atchley and County Exec Tommy Schumpert have formed a new PAC - Public Trust PAC, which they say will endorse candidates and make contributions to candidates it can trust. Atchley: "We're looking for good, open government candidates." Schumpert: "There's going to be a lot of activity in the next few years...We're trying to help with the financing of some good candidates who might (otherwise) not come forward." No word yet on whether the new PAC will endorse candidates in state government races.
Pinion Criticizes Red Light Cameras -- State Rep. Phillip Pinion has criticized local governments that use red light cameras as a 'illegal "privatization of police powers" by the city.' His colleague Rep. Joe McCord has introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments from contracting with private companies to run these cameras. More in the Commercial Appeal.
Alexander Calls on Corp to Classify Wolf Creek Dam as 'Safety Concern' -- Sen. Lamar Alexander called on Army Assistant Secretary John Paul Woodley, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers, to classify the repairs being done to Wolf Creek Dam and Center Hill as a "safety concerns," and thus require the Corp of Engineers to cover more of the cost of the project. Alexander: "The cost of these repairs to Tennesseans is already high. Rate payers can expect to pay an extra $100 million per year to cover the cost of the lost power. And, because the lower water levels result in higher water temperatures, fishermen can expect different conditions, homeowners can expect a changed shoreline, and downstream coal power plants will need more water to cool their facilities.”
