Now that’s funny, I don’t care who y’are.

• Senator Mark Norris and wife Chris. They have mailed 2,000 letters at their own expense.
• Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy
• Collierville Mayor Linda Kerley
• NAACP president in Collierville

[Note: Mark Norris has my sincere respect as a man of his word and a concerned legislator. He is one of the "good guys".]
When I asked Mary Ann about her opinion of vouchers and charter schools, I expected the usual public teacher rhetoric. Instead, I received the best answer to that question that I’ve ever heard. She supports charter schools and vouchers just as she does public, private and Catholic schools. Mary Ann believes that the parent has to decide the proper setting for their children. Paraphrasing, she said, “All children may not do well in a public setting, all may not do well in religious setting, all may not do well in a private school. But it is the parent’s decision to determine what is best for their children.” She also said that parents have the right to homeschool. She said, “I can’t knock that. I really can’t.” She went on to say that she believes charter school teachers should be certified by the state and homeschoolers should follow the programs laid out for them.
As a child, Mary Ann attended both public and Catholic school.
The following is taken directly from the handbill that the McNeil campaign is distributing:
Defending Our Children

• Supports Special School Districts
• Opposes Consolidation

Supporting Our Values

• Opposes Memphis Payroll Tax
• Opposes Income Tax
• Supports Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption
• Supports Tenn-Care Reform
• Pro-Life
• Supports Second Amendment Rights

Educator and Proven Administrator

• M.Ed. University of Memphis
• Tennessee PTA Outstanding Principal
• Life Achievement Award, National PTA
• 40 Yr. Career as Professional Educator in Shelby County and Memphis City Schools including 10 years as Principal of Crosswind Elementary School, Collierville
• Currently Serves as School Improvement Consultant with the Tennessee Department of Education

Dedicated Leader

• Collierville Chamber of Commerce (2001 — 03)
• President, Shelby County Education Association (1986 — 87)
• Leadership Collierville (1989 — present)
• Main Street Collierville (1995 — 97)
• Shelby County PTA Legislative Chair (1989)
• Brooks Museum League Member
• Member, Republican Women of Purpose
• Member, Collierville Republican Club

I recently heard Jason speak. He is passionate and encompasses everything conservative that should appeal to minority communities. His credential are impeccable:

• Four years serving his country in the Navy
• Experience teaching at a Catholic high school in Memphis
• B.A. in Environmental Science and Biology
• MBA candidate at Union University
• Long and varied history of involvement in the community

Jason Hernandez has a tough task in front of him. He faces stiff competition during the primary from a field of three other Republicans: former state representative Barry Sterling, Mary Ann Chaney McNeil and Mary Lynn Flood. Even if he wins the primary, he will probably be facing career politician Michael Hooks, who has significant name recognition. Moreover, district 33 is 80% Democrat.

On the positive side, this is a special election with only one item on the ballot — turnout will be very, very poor. If the Republicans can generate a good turnout they have a chance on picking off a seat that is usually a dead-cert for Democrats. It will be new Shelby GOP Chairman Bill Giannini’s first challange when he is elected later this month (which is another dead-cert).

Nashville talk radio host Steve Gill is calling for an investigation into Williams’ campaign expenditures (for a race in which he ran unoppossed):

“The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance and the Senate itself should
seek answers from Williams about $1300 paid to his ex-wife for
“fundraising”; payments for Senate license plates which are legally
limited to use by Senators and their direct families; payment for tickets!
to NASCAR races and for other collectibles and memorabilia which may or
may not be legitimate campaign expenses; payments for a “jacket”; payments
for gasoline for the Senator’s vehicle which may also have been reimbursed
as part of his Senate per diem; and payments for numerous “framing”
expenses that may or may not have been for the Senator’s personal use.” In
calling for an investigation into the questionable entries on the
Senator’s financial disclosure forms Gill also pointed out that the use of
campaign funds for personal use may also raise issues under the I.R.S. tax
code governing un-reported income.

At this point, Gill noted, it is not clear whether the Senator has
violated Tennessee election rules and laws, but there is certainly a basis
for a full and fair investigation into the questionable expenses reported
to the Registry of Election Finance by Senator Williams. “Who are the
beneficiaries of all these “gifts”! from Senator Williams,” Gill asked,
“and how do they relate directly to his re-election – particularly when he
was unopposed?”

Source: Newsletter from TeamGOP

The Republicans Party of Shelby County maintains a headquarters all the time. The Democrat counterpart only opens one during campaign season — after elections they close up shop.

There are 61 members on the steering committee. Terms expire every two years so there is ample opportunity to get involved at a high level in the county organization. The steering committee meets on the first Thursday of every month at the headquarters on Parkplace and Ridgeway at 7:00 (p.m. one would hope, although I neglected to ask).

There are four standing committees (although I count five on the website):

• Grassroots: “Campaign groundwork, organization, and volunteer recruitment.”
• Outreach: “Bringing in new people to the party with a special focus on minority communities.”
• Finance: “Fundraising for party operations and special projects.”
• Candidate Recruitment: “Recruiting the best and brightest candidates for public office and making endorsement recommendations to the full Steering Committee.”
• Bylaws (not mentioned by Kemp): “Reviews and recommends changes to Party Bylaws.”

Astoundingly, there are 11 Republican clubs in Shelby County to meet the need of just about everyone:

• Collierville Republican Club (they are looking for a webmaster).
• East Shelby Republican Club
• Bartlett/Northeast Shelby Republican Club (does not meet during the summer)
• Southeast Shelby Republican Club
• Lunch Hour Republicans (see you there!)
• Republican Career Women
• Rhodes College Republicans
• Shelby County Republican Women
• Shelby County Young Republicans (for those between 18 and 40, although they’ll take your money even if you’re over 40)
• Tri-County Republican Women
• University of Memphis College Republicans (the website seems woefully out of date — maybe they are studying too hard to be tomorrow’s leaders)

The GOP has every county office except Mayor and Assessor, although they hope to win back Assessor this year.

Another important race is General Sessions Court Clerk, for which Chris Turner is challenging incumbent Roscoe Dixon [an ex-state senator with high name recognition in the community so this one will be tough].

Cross posted at Memphis Red Blogs

I don’t know if TeamGOP knows it, but they are implementing the same strategy as the highly successful Club for Growth, only at the state level.

Is this possible? I believe so as there are a number of House Democrats that are vulnerable and that I would like to see TeamGOP go after, including (but certainly not limited to):

• Speaker Jimmy Naifeh (aka, Mr. “we gotta have an income tax”). Naifeh did pretty poorly against write-in opponent Antonio Lopez two years ago. He then spent a lot of political capital in his nearly successful bid to ram an income tax down the throats of an unwilling citizenry, and is paying the price as supporters have distanced themselves from the aura of failure. Dr. Jesse Cannon has been essentially campaigning for the last two years for this seat. He is well known in the community and has a lot of support (as well as a tiny bit of money from me). Naifeh is going down, and this is the year we knock him off his perch.
• Freshman Kent Coleman won his seat by 38 votes, in part because of an A rating from the NRA based on how he answered a questionnaire. Once seated on the misnamed Constitutional Protections subcommittee, Coleman reversed his position and voted against initiatives he specifically pledged to support during the campaign (thus giving rise to the word “Coleism“). Coleman angered a lot of gun owners in Tennessee and we hope to make his political career a very, very short one.
• Craig Fitzhugh
• Phillip Pinion
• Tommy Head
• Rob Briley

While TeamGOP is concentrating on the House, there are a few vulnerable Democrats in the Senate as well:

• Tommy Kilby
• Roy Herron
• John Wilder (who is also Lt. Governor).

Cross posted at Memphis Red Blogs

The ban is on hold in the Senate because of people like Republican Lamar Alexander who is demonstrating his Democrat tendencies.

The left-wing Tennessean says:

Sen. Lamar Alexander is not voting to raise taxes. He is not trying to increase the cost of Internet access, nor is he advocating a new tax on e-mail.

Instead, Alexander is trying to protect states from excessive control by the federal government. Yet the conservative, states-rights position the senator has taken on Internet access taxes has been turned on its ear by his critics, many of whom are Republicans.

But my question to Alexander is why he is choosing this issue to stand up for State’s Rights? What other issue has Alexander even hinted at wanting to stand up for States Rights?

This is a smokescreen for the tax-hungry Alexander, proving that at least this leopard hasn’t changed its spots.

I backed Congressman Ed Bryant, a true conservative. But in a massively disappointing move, Bush selected ex-governor Lamar Alexander, who is Republican only in the Yankee sense of the word. Besides having a few skeletons in his closet, he was a mediocre governor, a poor Secretary of Education, and failed at two presidential bids.

But most telling about Alexander is that Tennessee sales tax increased 83% while he was governor.

And now he’s at it again.

In spite of a tax surplus in Tennessee (well reported by the indispensable Hobbs), Tennessee Tax Revolt Alexander is aligned with Democrats to keep a crucial vote from happening – the vote that will extend the moratorium on internet sales taxes, which ends this Saturday.

Given that the Wall Street Journal reports that third quarter economic growth was at “a sizzling 7.2% rate” (the strongest in 20 years), one would think that Lamar (who owes his job to the president) would align himself with the president’s tax-cutting policies. But Alexander wants more taxes.

As he is nearing the end of his political career, it is doubtful that Alexander will respond to public pressure from the voter base. IMHO, he is more interested in expanding his those-who-owe-him-favors circle and feathering his own nest.

Still, it certainly won’t hurt to try. Contact Senator Alexander and demand that he get in line with his party and his president.

Update: Hobbs has more on this subject (of course).

• Supports Project Exile

• Supports allowing the Assault Weapons Ban sunset
• Supports the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act that allows police to have more rights than citizens
• Supports and is cosponsor of Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms that keeps the gun industry from being sued into oblivion ala Big Tobacco

I am a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. Gun control should not mean taking away these rights from law-abiding citizens and leaving criminals to terrorize the streets. But we must do something about gun-related crimes. As senator, I’ll work with law enforcement to prosecute violent criminals, as in “Gun Crime IS Jail Time,” a federally funded program in Memphis that ensures tougher, more consistent sentences for gun-related crimes. Good citizens don’t abuse guns; criminals do.

Because I believe law-abiding citizens have a constitutional right to the weapon of their choice, I support allowing the 1994 federal ban on assault guns and magazines to expire. I am also a co-sponsor of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 to authorize qualified law enforcement officers with valid identification to carry concealed firearms. And because I believe honest gun makers, distributors, dealers, and importers should not be subjected to frivolous lawsuits brought by trial lawyers, I am a co-sponsor of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This bill would prohibit civil suits for damages resulting from the misuse of firearms but would not extend to those who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a violent crime.