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Daily Dose for September 25, 2007
Dems Finally Find Alexander Challenger
Dems Finally Find Alexander Challenger -- Mike McWherter, son of former TN Gov. Ned McWherter, has formed an exploratory committee to challenge Lamar Alexander for his Senate seat. McWherter made the rounds last week in meetings with state Democratic officials as well as the Democratic Senatorial Committee in DC. McWherter faces an uphill battle. Alexander was previously a two-term governor, U.S. education secretary, a university president and a two-time presidential candidate and is expected to easily win reelection even in a political environment adverse to Republicans.
The Other Than Thompson Take -- The Friends of Fred Thompson raised $1.6 million in Tennessee in July to support his presidential exploratory committee. But by the end of the same month, Tennesseans had donated another $1 million to campaigns other than Thompson's. Topping the list of other campaigns doing well extracting money from the Volunteer State include Mitt Romney ($372,652), John McCain ($117,125), Rudy Giuliani ($59,525) and Mike Huckabee ($34,600). Romney and Huckabee previously stumped in Tennessee, but now they have cleared their schedule of campaign stops.
Marsha Gets Embarassed on TV -- MSNBC's show "Tucker" had a substitute host David Shuster the other night with the guest TN Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Marsha was on the show to criticize the New York Times for running an ad sponsored by MoveOn.org criticizing Gen. Petraeus. Shuster turned the table on the conversation when he asked Marsha if she knew the name of the last solider from her district to die in Iraq. She couldn't, but it turns out it's 18-year-old Jeremy Bohannon.
Here Comes the Smokes Gestapo -- If you're planning on buying more than 20 packs of cigarettes - or just a few cartons in a state neighboring Tennessee, watch out for undercover police officers with the Department of Revenue. Tennessee Department of Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr said they will begin surveillance on cities along the state border to monitor if folks with Tennessee license plates buy cigarettes across state lines and bring them back into the state. According to Farr, the officer at the out-of-state store would radio ahead to officers waiting at the state line if they see customers buying large quantities of cigarettes. Apparently posession of large quantities of cigarettes without the TN tobacco stamp is a crime - a class E felony - which until now has not required manpower to enforce, because tobacco prices were close to the same between TN and other states. With the increased tobacco tax all that has changed. VA convenience store owner James Howard Addington said the program sums it up: "That’s about the silliest thing I’ve heard in awhile. I’m glad to see that the crime rate in Tennessee is going down now that they can dedicate officers to a chore like this ... This is kind of ridiculous for grown adults to monitor this."
Turnout Low in Knoxville, High in Memphis -- The Knoxville and Memphis Mayoral races are drawing contrasting turnout numbers. In Knoxville, the city will hold elections for Mayor today. Incumbent Bill Haslam is expected to easily win reelection. According to the Knox Co. system, candidates for City Council must first run in their respective districts and then city-wide, which means that even though most of the races are uncontested, City Councilmembers will face another round of elections after today. In Memphis, the early returns on early voting are high, with more people voting in the Memphis Mayor's race than in recent history. Election day in that race is not until Oct. 4, but early voting wraps up this Saturday.
Local Updates -- Here's more from around the state:
- Marti Rutherford Update - Some citizens in Chattanooga have hired an attorney in the effort to oust Chattanooga City Councilwoman Marti Rutherford over residency concerns. Attorney Stuart James says his clients are convinced Rutherford didn't follow the law. Meanwhile, police responded to a call at the Rutherford home after a BB gun shot out a window. The City Council is expected to meet today on settling a proper course of action in dealing with Rutherford.
- Commissioners Conflicting Testimony in Knox Co. - The KNS lawsuit continues with one County Commissioner saying County Commission Chair Scott Moore and Commissioner Scott Bolus lied under oath about the appointment process, saying Moore definitely knew Bolus was going to be sworn in, despite his testimony to the contrary.
- Memphis Crime Causes County Clerk Move - Multiple break-ins and an armed robbery at a branch of the County Clerk's Office near Knight Arnold and Perkins have cost the county thousands of dollars in repairs and are now forcing County Clerk Debbie Stamson to move the office.
- Dean to Tackle Nashville Education - New Nashville Mayor Karl Dean held the first of a series of townhall style meetings on education, seeking to listen to parents on how to improve Metro schools. Dean heard from parents who want more racial diversity in the classroom and expanded after school programs.
- Metro Committee Chiefs Appointed - Also in Nashville news, Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors appointed committee chairs for the newly installed Metro Council.
