This morning I attend the Priest Lake Bacon and Eggs Summit at Raz’z Restaurant on Murfresseboro Rd. This was one of two Republican breakfast groups meeting in the city today. At the Priest Lake event we heard from Duane Dominy who is running for the 59th State House District. Duane is a currently a Metro Councilman representing District 28 in the Metro Council. Daune spoke about his commitment to responsible spending, balanced budgets and holding the line on taxes.
We also heard from two candidates who are running in the Republican primary for the Republican nomination to run against Jim Cooper in the 5th Congressional District. Lonnie Spivak and Jeff Hartline each spoke about their commitment to Republican values and took turns denouncing Cooper. There were lots good questions from the audience.
Wrapping up the meeting I talked about the nuts and bolts of party organizing including a review of the election calendar and an appeal for volunteers who would man phone banks, work the polls, host “meet and greet” events for candidates and other task. Several people signed up for volunteer jobs.
As I explained to the meeting this morning, this is an extremely important election. Not only is it important because we have a good chance of beating Jim Cooper and winning some other elections, but strategically it is very important. Following the completion of the census, the Party that controls the State House will get to draw the distinct lines for the US Congress, State Senate and State House districts. Democrats have drawn these lines with total disregard to logic. They have created districts that snake from state line to state line in order to create districts safe for Democrats. The Party that gets to draw the political map shapes the political landscape for years to come. To draw the political map, we must win elections this year. I think we can do it.
We had about 35 to 40 people at our breakfast this morning. Meanwhile in Donelson, the Donelson Eggs and Bacon Summit heard from two other candidates running for the 5th Congressional Republican primary: Patrick Maranda and Brenden Fenucain. I understand that about twenty-five people attended the Donelson event.
With about fifteen candidate running, it is a crowded field in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional district. We have so many good candidates running, I don’t yet know who I will support. The qualifying deadline is April 1 and then candidates have until April 9th to withdraw. I expect the field to narrow. We must nominate someone with the right values and someone with good campaign skills and the ability to raise the money necessary to run a winning campaign.
Following the breakfast event this morning, I went to Legislative Plaza for a anti-Obamacare “tea party.” It is hard to estimate the size of the crowd but there were maybe three hundred to five hundred people in attendance at this hastily thrown together event. We heard several rousing speeches. Jim Cooper was roundly denounced for being a “lap dog” instead of a “blue dog.” Retiring sixth Congressional District Congressman Bart Gordon, who has allegedly swamped his "no" vote for a "yes" vote in exchange for an important administrative job at NASA, also came in for spirited denunciation.
Senator Mae Beavers called on the crowd to lobby their state representatives to get The Tennessee Health Freedom Act, which has passed the State Senate, out of committee where Democrats have it bottled up. This act says that should the Federal Government pass the Health Care bill that they could not fine anybody in the state of Tennessee for failing to purchase insurance and if they tried to do so our attorney general would defend them. Many constitutionalists assert that the federal government has no authority to force people to purchase insurance or purchase any other product.
Radio talk show host Steve Gill gave a fiery speech denouncing the process of “deeming” a bill to be passed. He explained why as a tactic this is so despicable. He explained that if Congressman had to go on record one-by-one voting in favor of the bill many of them would not vote for it, but by “deeming” the bill passed than can avoid taking a stand. He contrasted this cowardly process with that of the founding fathers who boldly attached their signature to the Declaration of Independence.
Nashvillians are mad and motivated and are getting organized. I don’t know if health care will pass or not, but even if it does, the battle is not over.
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