From Tom Humphrey:
Two state senators, Diane Black of Gallatin and Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, are among those already seeking the nomination. Another, Mae Beavers, is thinking about - or, according to some rumors, leaning strongly toward — abandoning her current campaign for Wilson County mayor and running for Congress [...]
Tom Humphrey on our contested congressional races:
At any rate, we are assured of three fresh faces in the Tennessee congressional delegation. And that is a remarkable thing. With no redistricting required.
[...]Via Tom Humphrey:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit today upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Rolex Masterpiece now belongs to the government.
The watch was a gift to Ford from real estate developer Rusty Hyneman, but was seized by federal agents in 2005 during the Tennessee [...]
After the revelation today that Sen. Jim Tracy voted in a few Democratic primaries, Tom Humphrey gets to wondering:
It’s not unreasonable to speculate, however, that Politico’s Washington-wise Josh Kraushaar, who posted the item, didn’t just happen to drop by the Bedford County Election Commission office and notice Tracy’s voting [...]
Tom Humphrey gives you a press conference preview:
Gov. Phil Bredesen has scheduled an afternoon news conference today, apparently to announce a push for rapid action on a legislative package of education bills next month that could help the state collect as much as $600 million in special federal funding.
Bredesen [...]
Tom Humphrey reports:
This would seem to confirm rumors reaching Tennessee from Washington insider types during recent weeks. Basically, they are that Gordon saw a difficult reelection campaign coming and has a potentially lucrative congressional lobbying position lined up. Supposedly, according to the gossip, he was waiting only to help [...]
Tom Humphrey reveals this and more in his big Tennessee Newspaper Network sponsored story on the Democratic Gubernatorial candidates income disclosure:
Kyle’s “Schedule A” list of deductions shows he has been able to claim about $25,000 per year as a deduction for “unreimbursed employee expenses.” The senator said that most [...]
President Obama today nominated Marilyn A. Brown, an expert on energy policy now serving as a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as a member of the TVA board of directors.
She is Obama’s fourth nominee, including his re-nomination of Bill Sansom to serve a new term [...]
Tom Humphrey has the statement:
I understand that the Republican State Executive Committee will take up my status as a recognized state-wide Republican at a later date.
While I would prefer that this matter be set straight sooner rather than later it is not in my control and although I am [...]
State auditors say that a City of Knoxville Department of Parks and Recreation employee had youths participating in a summer work program doing jobs on his personal property rather than on city parks. -- More from Tom Humphrey.
[...]Even though they are relatively conservative and from the same geographic region, Tom Humphrey doesn’t think you can be sure:
Herron, before bowing out, had won three straw polls at Democratic gatherings in Middle and East Tennessee. That may largely be attributed to organizational ability and a pretty good stump [...]
Tom Humphrey reports:
Leaders of Tennesseans for Fair Taxation accused the state Department of Revenue Tuesday of stonewalling requests for information about “a corporate tax loophole that benefits large corporations.”
Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr said the accusation was “insulting” and “very misleading.”
“We are not withholding information from this group. They have [...]
Tom Humphrey on the potential matchup between former state Rep. Phillip Pinion and Sen. Roy Herron for the Democratic nod to succeed John Tanner in the 8th:
In such a primary matchup, Herron might be rated as frontrunner, at least at the outset. His Senate district is geographically larger than [...]
Tom Humphrey on how Herron’s switch from the governor’s race to the congressional race is District 8 is a boon to McWherter:
His exit from the Democratic gubernatorial primary clearly boosts the prospects of fellow West Tennessean Mike McWherter, who was already the frontrunner according to a recent McWherter-commissioned poll. [...]
Tom Humphrey has the release:
Today, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam announced the first round of his statewide leadership team chaired by former Senator Howard Baker, Jr. The group includes more than 1,000 grassroots and community leaders and represents all 95 counties.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had so far to meet [...]
From a column by Tom Humphrey:
Ramsey says Bredesen is doing basically what he would do, sizing up the situation and deciding where cutting is required. That’s rather remarkable, given partisan posturing requirements. The Democrats, of course, are obliged to praise the Democratic incumbent.
Republican candidate Bill Haslam has struck an [...]
A column by Tom Humphrey:
Why, even the mild-mannered Bredesen has been known to attack when politicking. Years ago, he accused a political opponent of “sheer sophistry.”
That wasn’t particularly effective, other than in promoting use of dictionaries by reporters. “Sophistry” is defined as subtly deceptive reasoning or argument.
Stupid, outrageous, ridiculous [...]
