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Daily Dose for August 21, 2007
Miller's Take Called a Bribe
Miller's Take Called a Bribe -- Many have forgotten, but former State Sen. Jeff Miller, who did not face any prosecution in the FBI's Operation TN Waltz, also took money to support the FBI front company's legislation. Retired FBI Agent Joseph Carroll testified during the trial of former State Sen. John Ford that Ward Crutchfield and Miller were paid to support legislation designed to benefit an undercover FBI front company. Carroll characterized the payments as "bribes." Miller might have avoided prosecution by not seeking re-election in 2006, citing "time demands and restraints that the legislature placed on elected officials."
Brock Announces with Father at Side -- When you're running for State Senate, it doesn't hurt if your dad happens to be a former Congressman and US Senate candidate in two different states. Senator Bill Brock was on hand to support his son Oscar, who is running for the State Senate in District 10. Also on hand was Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who spoke to the Chattanooga Pachyderm Club before Brock's announcement - mainly about Fred Thompson. More on that here
Nashville Mayor's Race Has First Debate -- The two remaining candidate for Nashville Mayor - Bob Clement and Karl Dean lined up for a debate last night. Both candidates focused on fiscal issues. Karl Dean questioned the cost of Bob Clement's plans and Clement criticizing Dean for not ruling out a tax increase. More from the Tennessean here and video of the debate on Sean Braisted's blog. More on Nashville elections: a lawsuit has been filed that term limits were not properly enforced in the case of three councilmen who made the runoff. The suit claims that under the two-term limit set in a 1994 amendment to the city charter, the councilmen should be disqualified from running for any Metro office, including the at-large seat they hope to fill.
Knox Co. Looks to Redo Appointments to Fend Off Lawsuit -- Knox County Commissioners are looking at redoing term limit appointments to the County Commission and other county-wide offices in order to make a pending lawsuit with the Knoxville News-Sentinel moot. On a preliminary ruling on that lawsuit, Chancellor Daryl Fansler found that Commissioners did not have to have a quorum present in order to violate the state's sunshine laws. That leaves the county without a leg to stand on, so they hope the court agrees to redo the appointments. The redo vote would have to be handled by the former County Commission and several of the appointed commissioners have offered to step down and submit the revote if it helps clear up the mess.
