We Can disagree About the Issues Agreeably.

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Step up now. Protest now. Defend the Constitution and freedom now.

W. H. Bernstein

by W. H. Bernstein, Facebook, Sept. 19, 2024- People jeering over Jimmy Kimmel's firing are fools.  Yeah, I said it.

I haven't ever watched his show, and based on comments I've seen I doubt I'd think it's funny.

It's all irrelevant.

The fact is he made an assertion about Charlie Kirk's assassin that was factually questionable.  Because of that the FCC Chair went to the parent company, which has a merger pending and needs FCC approval, and told them to do something.  Kimmel was not fired, which was probably a contractual issue, but suspended indefinitely.

Those are the facts here.

So we have a government pressuring a company to do its bidding and censor someone they didnt like.

People cheering this are slow to grasp we are in the grips of a totalitarian regime.  Not fully.  Not the end stage.  But the beginning stages of one, and that isnt any hyperbole.

The first rule of any totalitarian regime is the Leader is never wrong.

Has anyone seen any of the people around Trump say he was mistaken, he misspoke, or walked back anything he's said?  No.  I haven't.  And you won't.  Because the Leader is never wrong.

So, you might cheer censoring someone you don't like.  That's how such regimes operate, by targeting the unpopular first.  But unless you're prepared to commit 100% to the regime, you'll be its enemy before long.

Think Trump is wrong on his Intel policy?  Enemy.

Think Trump shouldn't threaten companies' broadcast licenses?  Enemy.

Think Trump misspoke when he said food prices were down since he took office (simply a matter of fact)?  Enemy.

The end of such regimes is ugly, with its leaders executed or jailed, its low level supporters shunned, and its collaborators treated like the woman in the picture.

Step up now.  Protest now.  Defend the Constitution and freedom now.

Bill Bernstein, formerly of Nashville where he was owner of Eastside Gun Shop, now lives in Sumter, South Carolina. He is a scholar with a BA degree from Vanderbilt University and degrees in Classics from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, UNC-Chapel Hill, and University of Pennsylvania.

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(update) Meet the Republican Candidates Running for the TN 7th Congressional District.

by Rod Williams, Sept. 16, 2025 (update 9/19/2025) Early voting for the primary election for the 7th Congressional District began September 17 and is now underway.

I do not yet know for whom I will vote. I may not vote or I may write in my own name, or I may vote for one of these candidates.  I am narrowing the field of those for whom I am considering voting.  I find no one I really like, so I am looking for someone who seems smart, qualified, has something of substance to say, and is more than just a Trump ass kisser. For what it is worth, I have placed a star by the names of the candidates for whom I might vote.

Unfortunately, all of the major contenders for the Republican nomination seem to be outdoing themselves in trying to show they are the most aligned with Trump. Whomever gets the nomination will be a Trump loyalist. 

The Seventh Congressional District is overwhelmingly a Republican District, so whoever wins the Republican nomination will most likely be the next Congressman from that district. So, while we are more than likely going to end up with a Trump loyalist with no backbone to oppose Trump's march toward authoritarianism, I still think it is better to have a smart, thoughtful person who knows what he is doing is wrong rather than one who is an absolute non-thinking Trump sycophant. That is to say, I would rather have someone like Mark Green than someone like Andy Ogles.

I am posting information below on each of the candidates, including their campaign web pages and Facebook pages. At the individual candidates' web pages, you can see who endorses the candidates, their ads and videos and policy positions. 

To watch a forum featuring the Republican primary candidates for the TN-07 elections see, Political Forums TN House of Rep. District 7 Republican Primary.

For a report by Kin Jarrett, reporter for Center Square, on a forum in which each of the candidates outdid themselves to posture as the most Trumpian see, TN-07 Congressional candidates pledge loyalty to Trump

According to a poll paid for by Americans For Prosperity Foundation Tennessee, the four candidates listed below are the major candidates. I am assuming the poll is legitimate. Based on the AFP poll, endorsements, spending, and news coverage, I think these are the leading candidates.

Major Republican Candidates

Jody Barrett

**** Rep. Jody Barrett: Dickson attorney Barrett has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since his 2020 election. Barrett received a perfect score from the Trumpian Tennessee Legislative Report Card, which is operated in partnership with Tennessee Stands. 

Barrett has come under a vicious, sleazzy attack by a group affiliated with the Club for Growth due to  his opposition to Gov. Lee's school voucher program. While I personally support school choice, I think the attacks against Barrett are disgusting and I may vote for him simply because I am repulsed by the attack ads. For more on this and to see the ad, go to I am Almost Persuaded to Vote for Jody Barrett Due to this Disgusting Attack Ad.

Website: https://www.jodybarrettfortennessee.com/

Facebook page: Jody Barrett for Tennessee

Gino Bulso

Rep. Gino Bulso: A Brentwood trial lawyer specializing in personal injury suits, Bulso waselected to the legislature in 2022. He has said focusing on the national debt will be a priority. 

Website: https://votegino.com/

Facebook: Gino Bulso for Congress

Lee Reeves

*** Rep. Lee Reeves: Reeves, of Franklin, won the Republican primary for House District 65 by less than 100 votes in August 2024, before going on to win the general election. Reeves’ wife, Claire, serves on the Williamson County School Board. 

Reeves has received the endorsement of Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin),former Davidson County Republican Party Chairman Lonnie Spivak, and Country music artist John Rich. To read more about why these people support Reeves see, TN-7 Candidate Lee Reeves Picks Up Notable Endorsements from Tennessee Republican Leaders. 

Website: https://leereeves.com/

Facebook: Lee Reeves for Congress 

Matt Van Epps

*** Matt Van Epps: Van Epps is the former Tennessee commissioner of General Services under Gov. Bill Lee. Prior to that, he worked as vice president of Main Street Health, which coordinates care for Medicare patients in rural clinics. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Van Epps is a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee National Guard. Van Epps. 

Van Epps has garnered some major endorsements, including those of Congressman Mark Green and Congressman Jim Jordan.   Also, he has been endorsed by a bunch of mayors and vice mayors and city councilmen of the various cities in the Seventh Congressional District.

Website: https://www.mattfortn.com/

Facebook: Matt Van Epps

Below are the other Republican candidates:

Stewart Parks: Parks, a Nashville real estate agent, served time in federal prison for his participation in the Jan. 6, insurrection, in which he was charged with disorderly conduct, intent to impede and disrupt the operations of Congress and property theft. President Donald Trump pardoned Parks in January 2025 as part of his general pardon of those who took part in the J6 insurrection.  
Website: https://parksfortn.com/

*** Stewart Cooper: Cooper, of Franklin, works in sales for Flagler Technologies, a Florida-based provider of information technology services. His website says nothing Trumpian and that is a plus.

Website: https://www.cooper4congress.com/

*** Adolph Agbéko Dagan: No information is available for Dagan. I may vote for Daagan, simply because I know nothing about him and assume he is not a serious candidate, so a vote for Dagan, is sort like voting for "none of the above."

*** Mason Foley: Foley, of Franklin, served as a staff member for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, from 2020-2022 before joining Main Street Health, which works with Medicaid patients in rural areas. 

Among the candidates who are not being considered major candidates, it looks like Foley should be, and maybe the polls are wrong. He strikes me as top-tier material and he does have ads running on TV. I do not know how old he is, but he calls himself Gen Z and appears young. While his website pledges his support for the Trump agenda, he does not stoke the culture wars and his tone is less vitriolic than some of the other candidates. I am considering voting for him.

Website: Foley for Congress

Facebook: Foley for Congress

*** Jason D. Knight: Knight formerly served on the Clarksville City Council and is currently a member of the Montgomery County Commission. He works in information systems management and served nine years on active duty with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, which is based in Clarksville. 

I like the tone of his campaign as expressed on his website and his common-sense, traditional conservative policy positions.  He checks the Trump loyalty box without overdoing it. I could vote for him.

Website: https://www.jasonknight.org/

Joe Leurs: Leurs is a retired non-commissioned officer with the U.S. Marines and retired from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Website: https://www.joeleurs-tn.com/

Tres Wittum: Wittum is a former Tennessee Senate staff member who ran for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th District in 2022. He also ran for U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn in 2024. Website: https://treswittum.com/

If you are considering voting in the Democrat primary, for information on Democratic candidates, see 

Meet the TN-07 Democratic Candidates

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I am Almost Persuaded to Vote for Jody Barrett Due to this Disgusting Attack Ad.

by Rod Williams, Sept. 16, 2025- A group affiliated with The Club for Growth is running attack ads against TN-07 candidate Jody Barrett. The reason they are going after Barrett is that he opposed Lee's school voucher program. These ads are disgusting. 

I support Gov. Lee's school voucher program, yet I recognize the program is controversial and there are arguments on both sides. I would not let that single issue determine who I vote for. This attack ad is so slimy and disgusting that I may vote for Barrett despite my disagreement with him on the voucher issue. I might vote for him in protest of this ad.  Also, despite Barrett being all MAGA now, at least he once was a critic. That is another plus in my book, and if not for this ad, I would not have known that at least at one time, he could see the truth about Trump. 

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Declaration Of Principles

The conservative movement is in the throes of an identity crisis. Fealty to party and politicians has obscured the values that give substance to our public associations. Today in America, who you support has become more important than what you believe. As a result, the terms “conservative” and “Republican” are now mere team names that have lost all meaning.

This development spells troubling consequences for our republic. When our political choices cease to revolve around what we believe, we lose our independence. Politicians and parties realize that they can act with impunity. Accountability vanishes and power coalesces into the hands of the most cynical.

That’s why principles are so important. They anchor our politics to core values and ensure that those we elect today wield power tomorrow according to some blueprint larger than themselves. They don’t care which party you belong to. Principles define who we are, what we believe in, and the type of country we’ll become. That’s why we choose to put them first—before politicians and before party.

We declare the following principles as part of our commitment to holding our government and ourselves accountable to a higher standard. It is our hope that, by working to effect change at the grassroots level and develop more principled leadership, we can realize the more perfect union our Founders envisioned.

List of Principles

1. Integrity, character, & virtue matter.

The strength of our republic depends upon the moral conviction of our elected officials. If we don't pick inherently trustworthy people to lead us, they will bring the character of the country down with them. Unethical and immoral behavior can never become the norm.

2. Every person has dignity, quality, and worth.

We are all created in the image of God. Each of us deserves the same level of respect and dignity from our government and fellow countrymen. All citizens are Americans and none of us is more American than any other.

3. Truth, honesty, rationality, & facts are non-negotiable.

No one is entitled to their own facts – regardless of party. Data isn't something to be afraid of and intelligence isn't something to demean. We aspire to an objective political discourse that is uncompromisingly honest. The currency of good ideas must again be their rationality and logical persuasiveness, rather than how loudly they are shouted.

4. The Constitution and the rule of law are paramount.

The law is a great equalizer. No one is above it. It maintains order and commits us to common rules. The Constitution isn't perfect, but its mix of individual rights, enumerated and separated powers, checks, and balances is the greatest formulation of self-government yet devised. The rule of law and the Constitution must be defended.

5. Our government is a limited one with enumerated powers.

There are plenty of things that government could do, but only certain things that government can do. The Framers specifically enumerated the powers of Congress in Article I, Section 8 – everything else was left to the states and to the people. Whichever challenges the government chooses to tackle, it must tackle them within the boundaries laid down by the Constitution.

6. Congress writes laws, the executive executes laws, and the courts interpret laws.

Each of the branches have a clearly defined constitutional role. They ought to remain within their respective spheres of authority and zealously guard them against encroachment. We were not meant to be ruled by emergency declaration or an expansive bureaucracy. Such an imbalance should not persist.

7. Government closest to the people is most accountable.

When the government performs one of its enumerated powers, it should do so at the lowest level that can effectively accomplish the goal. This limits the social cost of bad policy and permits experimentation and adaptation across differing local needs. One size very rarely fits all.

8. People reach their full potential when they are free.

People are meant to be free, not controlled. They often achieve more when left to their own devices to organically work together towards shared goals instead of at the state's direction.

9. Free and functioning markets deliver prosperity.

When barriers to entry are low and sufficient competition exists, the free market is the single-greatest mechanism that the world has ever known for allocating scarce resources, making goods more accessible, improving the human condition, & driving innovation and progress.

10. Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes.

We believe the pursuit of happiness requires a fair shot at success, but does not guarantee a particular outcome. And for good reason. Opportunity empowers us to push toward our own better versions of happiness, while a guarantee dampens that uniquely American spirit and often leaves us all worse off.

11. Government must responsibly steward resources for the next generation.

The government oversees the people's money and other resources – not its own. As a result, it has a duty to manage the public fisc, public lands, and other public resources responsibly and in the long-term interest of the people. Ever-growing debt is a national security risk and our environment will be the same one our kids inherit. We have a moral duty to leave things better and more secure than we found them.

12. Civic associations, faith communities, and families should be the primary engines of our culture - not the state.

We should not entrust our culture to the outcomes of our elections. Instead, we should let American culture be the product of the civic associations, faith communities, and families that comprise the great fabric of our country. Limited government and small-l liberalism make this possible.

13. Strong families are the building blocks of society

A strong family is a significant determinant of a child's success and does more to develop children than any government program ever will. As such, a family has utility and worth no matter what form it takes. Each and every family unit – regardless of its shape – deserves to thrive in America.

14. Sovereignty is critical to self-government.

The principle of national sovereignty permits us to successfully govern ourselves. Part of that principle is the constitutional duty to define immigration laws and ensure they are enforced. To that end, borders matter and should be secured. However, enforcing our laws should never require us to deny humane treatment to anyone.

15. America's role in the world is unique and important.

The United States cannot afford to be the world's policeman, but it cannot afford to be a passive bystander either. We live in an increasingly connected world where the oceans that separate us from our enemies are no longer buffers. Possessing the strongest military in the world is both a strategic advantage and moral responsibility – and we must wield it with purpose and circumspection.

by Rod Williams, Sept. 17, 2025- The above are principles to which I subscribe. This more closely aligns with my views than anything I have come across recently. This is from the organization Principle First.

It was not so long ago that all people who think of themselves as conservative would have subscribed to these principles. It is hard for me to fathom how people I have known my whole life can have gone from being principled conservatives to authoritarian populist who have abandoned their believe in separation of powers, states rights, federalism, the constitution, the peaceful transfer of power, collective security, America's leadership role in the world, reducing the national debt, limited government, free trade, opposition to socialism, and the conservative tradition and sensibility of dignity, decorum, civil discourse, and respect for norms and traditions.

I also see the same thing in the Party and conservative organizations as I do in individuals.  I have been a Republican my whole life, and more than just a casual Republican, I have been a well-informed movement conservative steeped in ideas. I attended CPAC in 2011 and 2014. I loved the experience. The various breakout sessions addressed serious issues and featured prominent scholars and policymakers. In 2014, Donald Trump was a rising political figure, but he was shunned by CPAC. He was not invited to speak. Now, the lineup at CPAC is a clown show of simple-minded provocateurs and populist rabble-rousers and an orgy of Trump worship. 

I don't know what the future holds post-Trump, but the beliefs that once defined conservatism need to be propagated and kept alive for the battles ahead.

Here is more information on the organization Principles First:

In 2019, principled Americans on the right and center-right who were concerned about the health of American democracy organized a series of meet-ups around the country to serve as an alternative to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Today, that movement has grown into Principles First.

We are a nationwide grassroots movement of people who share a love of American democracy and concern for the direction of our existing conservative leadership. We’ve watched as institutions on the right have been hijacked or co-opted by bad-faith actors willing to put politics and personality over principle. And we’ve seen those in positions of leadership compromise themselves out of cynical self-interest.

We believe good-faith Americans deserve something better.

We’re building an alternative to the partisan doom-loop. Principles First holds an annual Summit in Washington, D.C. to serve as an alternative to CPAC. We convene local chapters to effect change at the community level. We elevate principled leaders around the country. And we speak out as a voice of clarity at a time when cheap partisan tribalism has become the norm.

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