Dawn White Refused to Debate Richard Garvin

White Campaign Responds to Debate Request

Murfreesboro, TN   --  June 12, 2012  --  We have received our opponent’s request for a debate.  As Dawn White’s campaign manager, my response is below. 

“Dawn White believes candidates should personally make an effort to take their messages directly to the voters, and she is doing exactly that.  To learn about a candidate, voters should not have to attend a staged event where they will only hear rehearsed political rhetoric and canned answers.  

Dawn White is working hard to share her message of economic growth and opportunity, education reform and smaller, smarter government with residents of the 37th District.  She has already personally reached out to thousands of voters, and is committed to personally meeting every voter she possibly can during this race to hear their concerns and earn their support.   Through her personal work ethic, Dawn has shown that she will be a true representative of the people who will work tirelessly on their behalf. 

I understand Mr. Garvin’s need to garner free publicity and to attempt to prove himself as a Republican.  On several occasions, Richard Garvin has publicly stated that he voted for Barack Obama.  In fact, he had never even voted in a Republican primary until after he declared his candidacy for this very seat just a few short months ago.  The Republican nominee should be someone who will make decisions using common sense and conservative principles.  I seriously question Mr. Garvin’s credibility as a conservative.  No one who has truly been a conservative for years as our opponent claims to have been would ever have considered voting for Barack Obama. 

Dawn White is a lifelong conservative Republican who has worked to support conservative principles and candidates for years.  Candidates should be judged by their records and actions, not just by their words.  Dawn White is the only conservative in this race.  For these reasons, Dawn will not be debating Mr. Garvin.  Dawn looks forward to participating in the traditional televised League of Women Voters forum in the fall if she is the Republican nominee.”                                                                                                           -

Amelia King Bozeman, Campaign Manager
Dawn White for State Representative
615.456.4374
amelia@votedawn.com          

The Dawn White-Richard Garvin race is the race that has become entwined with the 9-12 Project-Tim Rudd controversy.  Tim Rudd is a member of the State Republican Party Executive Committee and is a paid consultant to Dawn White. To my way of thinking, if that is not a prohibited conflict of interest, it should be. 

Tim created controversy when he urged Republican candidates for office to boycott a 9-12 Project debate and vetting process. 

I am dismayed that one would characterize a debate as "a staged event where they will only hear rehearsed political rhetoric and canned answers." Someone should have told Lincoln and Douglas that or Nixon and Kennedy. I think a debate is one of the best ways to make a decision about a candidate. With questions not known before hand, it is often difficult to give canned answers in a debate. A debate can allow one to judge a candidate's depth of knowledge and quickness of mind. A lot can be revealed in a debate, that cannot be revealed in a standard campaign appearance. Why is Dawn White afraid to debate?

I am concerned that Richard Garvin voted for Barack Obama and is only a recent Republican convert. At a recent First Tuesday event, I asked Richard about that and he said that he made a mistake. Garvin, who is African-American said that the fact that Barack Obama is an African-American influenced his decision. I offered him the opportunity to fully address the issue of his having voted for Obama and his conversion to the Republican cause. If I get a more detailed response from Garvin that addresses that issue, I will post it. 

This is an interesting controversy and race. Tim Rudd is supporting Dawn White who pays him for campaign services. Dawn White is perceived as the "establishment candidate," yet she is the long-term Republican and Garvin is a recent Republican convert who voted for Obama.  

Tim Rudd has been a big supporter of Lou Ann Zelenik, who is the anti-establishment candidate who believes the First Amendment does not apply to Muslims. When campaigning for Zelenik, Tim Rudd was complementary of the 9-12 group; now he is critical.

 Zelenik has been popular with many of the 9-12 people in a race for the US. House; but many of the same people favor Garvin is this race for a State House seat. Politics can be irrational, and people's alliances can be short-lived and hard to explain.  

To learn more about the 9-12 Project-Tim Rudd issue, see the following:

Tim Rudd evades the question. Criticizes Matt Hurtt and 9-12.

SHIRLEY COLUMN: Rutherford County Republican leaders try to sink Tea Party's ship

J. Lee Douglas of 9-12 replies to Tim Rudd in open letter

Local Republicans divided over conservative organizations

Tim Rudd: I am not picking a fight with 9-12.

Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter?

A split in conservative ranks: Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9/12?

Top Stories

Tim Rudd evades the question. Criticizes Matt Hurtt and 9-12.

Following my post Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter? I wrote Tim and asked him, "would you care to comment to the charge that you are a paid consultant for Dawn White and that, that is the reason for  your letter urging Republican candidates to boycott the 9-12 group?" 


I received a reply and am printing it below. As you can see from his response, I did not really receive a response to the question I asked. Instead of addressing the issue of the appropriateness of being a paid consultant for one of the candidates and if that was the motivation for his attack on the 9-12 group, I got a response which was a criticism of  Matt Hurtt and the 9-12 group.


Despite feeling he did not actually answer the question I asked, not wanting the throw more gasoline on the fire I was going to just let this issue die, but after the recent revelation that Tim Rudd sought third party vetting, including supporting a 9-12 debate when it benefited the candidate he was supporting, I thought his response to my inquiry was relevant. 

His response is posted below.

Rod,

I have made my position on vetting and the Republican Party's right to carry out the selection process of its nominees very clear for years. In the past I took that position to prevent Democrats crossing over to effect the outcome of an election or running rouge candidates to take away votes from another candidate. Since I'm on record for supporting closed primaries for this reason long before the Tea Party or 9/12 came into being, I think it would hypocritical to change my position now. The seasoning is sound. My position on this issue had nothing to do with any candidate I am currently working with since I've held this position for nearly two decades.

I have no objection to any group hosting a debate as long as that group is open, unbiased, fair and not intending to endorse. When the news media, Chamber of Commerce or the League of Women Voters hosts such events they do not usually endorse candidates. The specific problem I have with the Rutherford County 9/12 group is its leaders have been very open that they are supporting one candidate over another. Just as Republican candidates differ in their views and actions, so do organizations like 9/12. I think Lee Douglas and 9/12 groups throughout Middle Tennessee have done an excellent job and have been a pleasure to work with. The local Campaign for Liberty has been neutral and fair and has gone out of their way to be ethical. The same can be said regarding the local John Birch Society and the Middle Tennessee Tea Party (Volunteer Tea Party).

The local GOP has actually worked very well with members of the local 9/12 and Tea Party. It is the leadership and their tactics and siding with one campaign or another that has caused friction. If you disagree with them on any one issue you are the enemy, a Rhino or a part of the establishment. My differences are with the 9/12 leadership in Rutherford County only. I sincerely feel they have lost all credibility. The local 9/12 group is trying to make this more than it is. A local matter.

I took a personal position on an issue that I have long and publicly held. Now I find myself, my Party and those I work with under assault. Just for the record, I've not heard a single derogatory or negative comment from any Republican candidate I know regarding the 9/12 Project or Tea Party or their members.

Matthew Hurtt and I have a long, long antagonistic relationship. When he was in the MTSU College Republicans, he came to the local GOP and asked for us to help him raise funds for an alternative campus newspaper. He then used those funds to buy a laptop and printed a couple of issues. He used the issues to attack local elected officials and then did not understand why those same Republican officials would not give him more money to continue attacking them. I chastised him for attacking the Party for welcoming former Democrats who publicly and proudly embraced our conservative GOP principles. I pointed out that if we had rejected all Democrats that switched Parties, we would have had no Ronald Reagan.

He has attacked me ever since. I remember a day he came into the GOP office and set down in the corner twitting as a group of us were talking about issues and family. He spoke up and asked us about a rumor regarding a local elected official. We said we did not know and went back to our discussion. He then left.

Later that day I got a call from that elected official asking why I was meeting with Mr. Hurt and talking about her personal life. Matthew had tweeted he was in a meeting the Republican leaders and myself talking about those rumors. The lied and mislead people then and continues to do so to this day.  Mr. Hurt has a long history of attacking anyone and everyone he disagrees with. It is a shameful waste of talent.

Hope this answers your questions.

Tim Rudd

I still think Tim needs to answer the question: Was his attack on the 9-12 group motivated by his being a paid consultant for one of the candidates? 

Also, I think we should ask the State Party: Is it appropriate that a member of the State Executive Committee is allowed to be paid for work they do on behalf of a candidate in a Republican primary?  Should not members of the State Executive Committee refrain from openly supporting candidates in the primary?  

For more information on this controversy, see the following post:

SHIRLEY COLUMN: Rutherford County Republican leaders try to sink Tea Party's ship

J. Lee Douglas of 9-12 replies to Tim Rudd in open letter

Local Republicans divided over conservative organizations

Tim Rudd: I am not picking a fight with 9-12.

Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter?

A split in conservative ranks: Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9/12?

Top Stories

SHIRLEY COLUMN: Rutherford County Republican leaders try to sink Tea Party's ship

by Stephen Shirley, dnj.com, June 10, 2012

(excerpt) It is interesting to note that Rudd’s opinion on involvement from outside groups seems to have changed pretty dramatically in the past two years. In 2010, during the campaign for the Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, Rudd wasn’t nearly as outspoken when, as campaign manager for Lou Ann Zelenik, he had his candidate take part in numerous candidate forums sponsored by groups unaffiliated with the GOP.

Zelenik and every other candidate for the congressional seat, including Kerry Roberts for whom I worked, participated in a forum sponsored by the Wilson County Tea Party as well as one sponsored by the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Furthermore, all of the candidates took part in a luncheon held by the same local 9/12 group that Rudd is now telling to butt out of GOP affairs.  (read more)

It is interesting to see how Tim Rudd's opinion has changed on the issue of outside groups. Personally, I think it should be a conflict of interest for a member of the Executive Committee to be a paid consultant for a candidate as is Tim Rudd. To read more on this issue,  see the following:

J. Lee Douglas of 9-12 replies to Tim Rudd in open letter

Local Republicans divided over conservative organizations

Tim Rudd: I am not picking a fight with 9-12.

Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter?

A split in conservative ranks: Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9/12?

Top Stories

J. Lee Douglas of 9-12 replies to Tim Rudd in open letter

An open letter to the Rutherford County Republican Executive Committeeman Tim Rudd who has instructed Republican candidates to avoid 912 vetting and debates:

Expecting your Republican candidates to associate exclusively with your party and its political processes may succeed when your leaders are selfless, driven by noble principles and then only when the candidate himself consents to becoming Republican Party property.

 Whenever a candidate’s first loyalty can never be to any group of men, even good men, but always to his God and His principles then your Republican party is always in competition for the devotion of that candidate against an unconquerable foe. You and the GOP should be asking if your candidate is on the right side, not if he’s on your side. 

Having failed to do this, the Republican Party has seen to the election of countless, seemingly ideal individuals who go to DC, the Governor’s mansion or to the State House and turn out to be milquetoast men who have greater willingness for compromise than in defending our highest principles to every foe, including Republicans. At the end, you then reward these lost souls by celebrating them as Statesmen.

Two years ago in a debate sponsored by 912 in your Congressional District 6, the eventual winner, Representative Diane Black, to me and 200 other citizens took an oath with her raised right hand and she affirmed that her loyalty would first be to small government principles and to the people of her district always before loyalty to the Republican Party.

Disappointingly, that well known conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, gave Mrs. Black an indigestible voting score of 64 for her first year. Sixty-four! Speaker Boehner would have rewarded her Republican caucus cooperation with a score of 99 or higher, I'm certain. Hearing of our vocal disappointment, Mrs. Black sent her office scurrying to try and calm us down before her reputation could suffer harm.

We wonder, since she represents you and your county GOP, did any of you have a come-to-Jesus talk with Mrs. Black? If the domain of Republican candidates falls within your jurisdiction, what action were you prepared to take? When the largest American political party silently is more attentive to its bureaucratic rules and self imposed regulations than it is to electing qualified persons who can and will protect and defend the Constitution against America’s enemies, both foreign and domestic, then it becomes the absolute duty for every good citizen to insert himself into the political process for the good of country. Damn the worthless party line, the greatest country of all time is at great risk. Your lines and prejudices blur your loyalties.
If yours and the GOP across America had done its duty, only the tea party of 1773 Boston would today be known.

Mr. Rudd, 912 Project Tennessee has held classes on the Constitution, and in-depth American history, held numerous debates to highlight the strong and weak candidates. We have vetted and brought attention to the good and inferior school board members and county commissioners. Already, we have replaced some of the worst. We ignore the lines that you draw because those lines have kept you inside, away from the people where the work is happening.

For over a month now, we’ve known the thinking on imminent domain of your candidate Richard Garvin. Do you consider knowing the answer to such a question as important for your job as spokesperson for the Rutherford County GOP? The people are interested in such issues and deserve these candidates’ opinions. Will you now provide them? We have for three years.

Mr. Rudd, the reason 2010 was a bell weather year for the election of conservatives was not because of the GOP. It was and shall continue to be the work of liberty groups like ours. We offer an organized, ground game approach to our efforts that is rarely seen in a 44 member GOP office on Main Street, USA.
Your letter to candidates typifies the words of Orrin Hatch who despises groups like ours. 9-12 Project Tennessee only exists because the GOP has failed to historically educate and motivate its members and the rest of America. This failure is compounded by the politically correct resistance of the GOP to attend to those despised Godly, moral values that led to America being blessed as a people. You seek to be moral without the source of all morality. 

We are glad that you asked your Republican candidates to not participate with us because it draws a line and forces them to decide if as Americans they belong to the Republican Party or to the higher principles of freedom. Thank you for making our work easier.

We don’t seek to antagonize you but you have not shown us a hand of friendship and grace but one of passive aggression. When our goals are not separated by party lines, we are willing to work with anyone choosing our 9 principles and 12 values.

Sincerely,

J. Lee Douglas for 912 Project Tennessee

 
For more see: 

Local Republicans divided over conservative organizations

Tim Rudd: I am not picking a fight with 9-12.

Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter?

A split in conservative ranks: Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9/12?

 

 

Top Stories

Local Republicans divided over conservative organizations

By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Editor, Mufressboro Post, Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Tempers flared at the Rutherford County Republican Executive Committee meeting Tuesday night at party headquarters in downtown Murfreesboro.

After Jake Robinson, a local conservative and husband of Rutherford County Register of Deeds Heather Dawbarn, asked the committee about an e-mail by County Executive Committeeman Tim Rudd, tempers exploded and the meeting nearly turned into a riot, one witness said. (read more)

 To read the letter that caused the uproar and more about this controversy, follow this link.

Top Stories

Tim Rudd: I am not picking a fight with 9-12.

Below is the reply I receive from Tim Rudd in response to my post, "Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9-12:"

Rod,

First of all let me say that neither I or anyone else in the Republican Party is picking a fight with 9/12 or anyone else. I made no threats or derogatory statements against 9/12 or any other organization. I am simply defending my Party's right to control its own selection process.

We have welcomed members of non-partisan organizations that openly say they are Republican to be involved in the GOP, its committees, as officers and to volunteer in campaigns. The 9/12 group is made up of many fine people of which many are my friends. I know the negative and confrontational tactics of a few 9/12ers do not represent the views of most 9/12ers I know. From the response and the comments of certain 9/12 leaders, they are attacking me, not vise versa. This is most unfortunate.

Unlike single issue non-partisan groups like the NRA, Right To Life, Anti-Tax organizations, 9/12 has a wide array of issues and causes. The group is made up of Democrats, Republicans and Independents and have supported candidates from a broad spectrum of ideologies. Nine-Twelve has never considered itself Republican. I ask that any and all non-Republican organizations respect our rules, our process and our right to select our own Party nominee. Once we have put forth our nominees for the general election, all people and non-partisan organizations can select between Republican, Democrat and Independent candidates. 

It would be morally and ethically wrong for people who do not consider themselves to be a Republican to vote in our primary or in any way to interfere in our process. For individuals who are Republican, I encourage them to join us and become involved in our Party's process.

Sincerely,

Tim Rudd

Top Stories

Who does Tim Rudd work for and is that the reason for the 9-12 letter?

Yesterday, I reported that Tim Rudd a member of the Republican Party State Executive Committee had sent out a letter to candidates and elected officials urging them to boycott a vetting process and debate being sponsored by the local 9-12 Project group. I said I was surprised to see a Republican in his position pick a fight with nine-twelvers and I said that I did not know if the letter from Rudd represented only his opinion or if this was a move by the Republican Party establishment to retaliate against this 9-12 group for some of their criticism of elected Republicans.


I still don't know.  However, Matthew Hurt writing in his blog reports that Tim Rudd is a paid consultant for Dawn White, operating under the name "Stones River Strategies." Matthew has documents to support his claim. Matthew theorizes that the move against 9-12 was a move to help Dawn White.

Dawn White is a candidate for the new 37th House District seat, the same seat being sought by Richard Garvin, Jr.  It is my understanding that Garvin is the candidate favored by the more tea party oriented Republicans and White is the candidate supported by the more traditional party establishment Republicans. Stay tuned, more to follow.

Top Stories

A split in conservative ranks: Why is Tim Rudd picking a fight with 9/12?

Tim Rudd has taken an action which I am sure is likely to anger a large and active faction of the Republican Party in middle Tennessee. Rudd is the Senate District 13 member of the State Executive Committee of the Tennessee Republican Party representing Lincoln, Marshall, Maury,and Rutherford counties. Today he sent an email to various elected officials and candidates for office urging them not to participate in a vetting questionnaire and debate sponsored by the local 9/12 group.

Nine-twelve is an organization started by TV and radio personality by Glenn Beck and there are about five hundred of these groups across the country, or at least there once were.  I don't know how many of these groups still exist and if many of them have faded away or not, nor how active they are.

In middle Tennessee the 9/12 group is very active.  They have monthly social gathering and training session and they volunteer in campaigns and have an active social media network. They are headed by J. Lee Douglas who is a likeable guy and a talented leader. There membership may number in the hundreds. With grass roots groups like this, it hard to say what is the membership number. I assume, I am a member. I joined the face book page and am on the mailing list. So, whether active members are as few as 20 or as many as 700, I don't know.

The group is committed to core conservative economic and social values and advocates limited government and low taxes but does wander off into the anti-freedom of religion for Muslims territory and anti-agenda 21 conspiracy territory from time to time.  I am in agreement with most of their views except for the these areas.  Sometimes the rhetoric of some of the 9-12 members can sound pretty harsh and radical, however. They are definitely not "big-tent" Republicans. Some of the 9/12 members are quick to denounce other Republicans as RINO (Republican in Name Only) unless they are 100% in agreement with their own opinion.  Denunciation of Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker and Bill Haslam as RINO's is common in the email exchanges of the local 9/12 group.

Despite my above difference with some of the group, I know a lot of nine-twelvers and know them to be the people who will man the phone lines and go door to door campaigning and who will contribute money to the cause. They are dedicated and hardworking and passionate. 

I don't know Tim Rudd, but I was surprised to see a Republican in his position pick a fight with nine-twelvers by urging Republican candidates not to answer their questionnaire nor participate in their debate. I don't know if the letter from Rudd represented only the opinion of Tim Rudd or if this was a move by the Republican Party establishment to retaliate against this 9-12 group for some of their attacks on Republican leaders.

Watch this development to see what, if anything, happens.  The radical faction of the John Birch Society and other fringe groups have been making inroads into the Republican Party and at some point, in my view, the party is going to have to take a stand against some of the more nutty fringe Republicans. However, I do not think picking this fight at this time with this group over this issue was the right time to start a party purge. I would like to know what is going on.

Below is the letter:

From: Tim Rudd

TO:
Sen. Jim Tracy
Rep. Joe Carr
Rep. Rick Womack
Rep. Mike Sparks
Richard Garvin
Dawn White
Ryan Harring


Dear Fellow Republicans and Candidates for Republican Nomination,

Recently a non-Republican organization (9/12) sent out a “vetting” questionnaire and requested that you attend a debate sponsored by them. I urge you not to participate in this unauthorized “vetting” process. No organization outside the Republican Party has the right or responsibility to vet, interview or determine who the Republican Party’s nominee should be.

I both encourage individuals and non-partisan organizations to be involved in the political process. But, no one outside of any political organization has the right to interfere with another organization’s process. What would be the response if the Republican Party Executive Committee ask members of the Democratic Party, Libertarian Party, John Birch Society, Campaign For Liberty, 9 /12, League of Women Voters, the Tea Party or the Chamber of Commerce to report to the next GOP meeting for us to vet who should either lead those organizations or be nominees for their political parties? The response would be outrage, power grab, unethical, etc.

Any individual from any outside organization that is a Republican should volunteer and participate in the Republican Primary in support of one of our candidates, but not on behalf of an outside organization. Organizations like 9/12, the Small Business Alliance or the Middle Tennessee Property Rights Coalition can and should get involved in the General election by supporting either the Democratic, Republican or Independent candidates. ---- But not in OUR GOP PRIMARY!

The only people that should “VET” our Republican candidates are Republican Caucus or Primary voters and the Republican Party leadership. We ask that you respectfully decline participating in their or any other outside “Vetting Process” and respect the Republican Party’s process.

Very Sincerely Yours,

Tim Rudd
Republican State Executive Committeeman

Top Stories