Who leads in the 5th Congressional District?

I don't know. However, I suspect that Jeff Hartline and Cece Heil are the two front runners. Just from talking to other informed observers, these are the two names I hear most often mentioned as the two most serious candidates. From listening and observing them, I think they are two of the most qualified. Many feel the primary will boil down to these two. There are two other attractive candidates, however, that I won't name but that I think still have a good shot at running a competitive campaign. Everyone else is a very long shot.

Talk show host Steve Gill conducted an on line poll which produced 2,516 votes and produced the following results:

Hartline 31%
Heil 20%
Hall 19%
Schwartz 8%
Miranda 8%
Spivak 7%
Kumar 6%
Reis 1%

There are two other candidates with active campaigns, Tracy C Tarum and Jarod D. Scott, that are not listed in the Gill poll. I don't know if they were not included in the Steve Gill poll originally or if they garnered no votes. If they were not in the original poll then they should have been.

I would not assume that this Steve Gill poll is necessarily reflective of the candidates standing among Republican voters. Steve Gill has had Jeff Hartline on his program and has not had the other candidates, so regular listeners to the Steve Gill show have had exposure to Jeff Hartline and may not have had the same exposure to the others.

Today is the last day of the 2nd quarter financial reporting period. After today we should know who has the financial support necessary to compete.

At the end of the first quarter reporting period which ended on March 31st, Brendan Finucane was the leading fundraiser and reporting having raised $62,575. Finucane has since dropped out of the race however and has endorsed Jeff Hartline. Jeff was the candidate in third place in the money raising competition at the end of the 1st quarter having raised $45,155. Second place in the money competition was David Hall reporting $47,189. David's money however came from his own funds which shows the candidate.s commitment but does not show public support. Jarod Scott reported $16,689. Patrick Mirnad had raised $5405. None of the other Republican candidates reported any funds. By way of comparison, Congressman Jim Cooper reported a $407,611 war chest.

The 1st quarter report should not taken as an indication of what we can expect in the 2nd quarter report. We know that Cece has been raising lots of money. The second quarter report will tell us who are the serious candidates. Now is the time for the candidates to do some serious soul searching and think about whether or not they should continue their campaign. If a candidate does not report having raised some serious money by now, it may be time for that candidate to look at the field of candidates and withdraw and throw his support behind the competitive candidate who most represents his views. It is time to narrow the field to serious candidates.

We need a candidate to come out of this primary with a lot of support. Candidates need to ask themselves if at this point they are simply stoking their own ego and just taking up space or if their continued campaign is contributing to the defeat of Jim Cooper.

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Watchdog Groups Unveil $260 Million in Government Waste

2010 Tennessee Pork Report provides nearly 100 examples of wasted tax dollars

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released the 2010 Tennessee Pork Report, exposing $260 million in waste, fraud, and abuse at all levels of Tennessee government. Tennessee’s free market think tank partnered with Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s leading taxpayer watchdog, to publish the report. This marks the fifth annual Pork Report published by the two groups.

The wasteful spending revealed in the 2010 Pork Report adds up to a substantial loss for Tennessee taxpayers. Instances of waste include:

• $15 million for a swimming pool in Kingsport.
• $3.95 million in excess fees collected by state professional regulatory boards.
• $1.6 million to fund state-owned golf courses.
• $1.5 million to help smokers kick the habit.
• $450,481 for two statues in downtown Nashville.

“Taxpayers are sending a clear message that they want accountable, transparent, and less intrusive government,” said Justin Owen, acting executive director of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “The political nepotism, outright theft, craven fiscal abuse, and general stupidity described in the Pork Report will only add fuel to taxpayers’ ire.”

The report does not merely expose wasteful spending by state and local governments, but also offers solutions to eliminate waste while promoting a more responsible and transparent government. It serves to act as an informative and valuable resource for legislators and taxpayers alike.

Examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse outlined in the 2010 Pork Report come from state and local government budgets, media reports, appropriations bills, state audits, and independent research conducted by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

An electronic version of the report can be found at: http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2010-Tennessee-Pork-Report.pdf.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee through the ideas of liberty. Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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Schwartz has detailed strategy in 5th

June 28, 10:54 PM Nashville, Political Buzz Examiner, Mike Morrow

Republican candidate Bob Schwartz is remarkably candid about how he believes a Republican can defeat Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper in what is generally considered a solidly Democratic seat in the 5th District.(link)

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Meet Miss USA, a Muslim from Dearborn Michigan.

As we all know all Muslims are potential terrorist and those of the Muslim faith will never moderate and join the American mainstream. All Muslims are religious fanatics and fundamentalist just waiting to behead you and impose Shari law in America.






















Does she really look that scary to you? I would not mind if she attended a mosque in my neighborhood.

I would like to get with her for some interfaith dialogue.

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Is it time to round up all the Muslims and put them in camps?

In 1942 approximately 110,000 Japanese and Americans of Japanese ancestry were rounded up and placed in “war relocation camps” following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This was authorized by an Executive Order issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1988, the Congress passed and President Reagan signed legislation which apologized for the internment, blaming the internment on “race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership.”

Those who think that could not happen again should not be so sure. 1942 was not that long ago and unfortunately I do not think we have a greater appreciation of constitutional rights nor greater respect for our fellow citizens now than we did then. We can still fall victim to race prejudice, war hysteria and failure of political leadership.

In 1942, the census bureau helped make the Japanese round-up possible by providing confidential information on Japanese Americans. The government now has more ability to locate and track people and has more information on the American people than they did in 1942.

The one thing that so dismays me and makes me think that we are not a better people now than we were in 1942 and that our liberties are no more secure, is that I see as great a threat coming from the right as I do from the left. I do not expect better from the left, but I am disappointed in the right.

Certainly it is the Obama administration that is the immediate threat to our liberties, attempting to curtail our rights by the mandate to purchase in the health care act, by the attempt to suspend the secret ballot by card check, by attempts to gain control over the Internet, and by partial nationalization of the financial sector, the auto sector, and the energy sector of the economy. The threat to our liberties has never been greater. The degree to which power is being concentrated in the White House is unprecedented.

It is the right however, carrying signs proclaiming their love of the constitution and respect for the founding fathers, that may be an equal or greater threat. Many on the right show little respect for freedom of religion, free speech, due process and property rights.

In Murfressboro we see a Muslin group wanting to build a mosque. The mosque meets the zoning and land use requirements of the property, yet there is public demand that the building of the mosque be stopped. A leading Republican candidate for the 6th Congressional Distinct nomination has joined in the demand. There is a fear that all Muslims are actual or potential terrorist and that this mosque will be a terrorist training school.

Let me make this clear: I support efforts to track down terrorist. I want a vigilant government that protects us from those who would do us harm. I do not want to suspend the constitution in order to make it easier to catch the bad guys however. I don’t want to deny rights to other American citizens because they practice a certain religious faith or because of their appearance or ancestry.

A democracy means more than simply majority rule. If we don’t hold the right to freedom of religion sacred, if we do not respect our constitutional right to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, if we can change the rules and deny someone the right to develop their property just because we don’t like what they are going to build, are we any better than the socialist of the left? Our rights are not to apply just to the majority. The majority do not need a Bill of Rights. If today we can deny a Muslim congregation the right to build a mosque, tomorrow we can deny the Mormons or Church of Scientology the right to build a house of worship. Is freedom of religion only for members of the Church of Christ and Baptist?

Is the tug of war between the right and the left simply about who exercises dictatorial power and who gets to pick the winner and losers? Is it devoid of any real understanding or respect for freedom? Is all this talk on the right about us being endowed by our Creator with inherent and inalienable rights just convenient rhetoric to score points?

As I watch the debate about the building of a mosque in Murfressboro, I fear that if we had another 9-11 type attack on America that we would see a demand that the rights of Muslim be suspended and they all be rounded up and locked away. This demand would not come from the left but from supposedly constitution-loving, small-government advocating, freedom-loving right wingers.

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The Mosque in Murfressboro

There has been considerable opposition to the proposed building of a mosque in neighboring Murfressboro. Many in middle Tennessee see a Mosque in Murfressboro as a terrorist training school and as a step in the establishment of Sharia law. I am not convinced. If someone will provide me some evidence that that is true, I will considerate. So far, all I have seen is unfounded allegations and bigotry.

I believe Muslims can be good citizens of America and good neighbors. I have never been convinced that Islam is the enemy of the United States. Certainly American's are being killed by Muslim extremist but Americans are also fighting alone side and dieing for our Muslim allies.

Growing up in a Baptist fundamentalist community in rural east Tennessee, I remember a time when Catholics were all suspected of being disloyal. Catholics, it was alleged, were loyal to the Pope and could not be good Americans. It is now embarrassing to recall the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time, but preachers did preach fear and hatred of Catholics from the pulpit. The anti-Catholic sentiment at that time was as strong as the anti-Islamic sentiment I see today.

This is not to say, that their is not reason to be suspicious of the spread of Islam. The madrases being build across the world have been used to spread an extremist ideology and have been training grounds for terrorist, but that does not mean every mosque is a terrorist training school. Those who are educating and alerting Americans to the dangers of the spread of radical Islam are to be commended, but their is a difference between educating people to the dangers of an extremist brand of Islam and spreading fear and hate of all Muslims.

If all you hear is the voice of the opponents of the Murfressboro Mosque, you may want to hear from the Muslims of Murfreesboro who are proposing to build the mosque. Does this sound like the voice someone who is planning to build a terrorist training school and is set on destroying America?

Statement of Imam Ossama Bahloul

Since the human beings are all related, they share the same parents, Adam and Eve. God encourages us to know each other and care about one another. He said in the Holy Quran,

O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of God, is the best in conduct. Lo! God is All-Knower, All-Aware.

By obeying His orders we will be able to enjoy our life socially and otherwise regardless of our differences in terms of religion or philosophy. This will allow everyone to know that having a disagreement can not lead reasonable people to have hate in their hearts toward any other. It is a message of love that God wants us to understand, practice and maintain in our daily life simply because if you love God you will not be able to hate anyone.

As a clergy dealing with people, I have come to realize that stereotyping can lead to hate. It can be a huge partition between one another. This is why I often advise our congregation to reach out to others, simple because the majority of the people are nice, adopting the proper view. People with radical views remain a small minority of Jews, Christians, Muslims or other. Instead of giving these small groups the opportunity to contaminate our life, why don't we spread the message of love and show that we care about them. It can be a way for them to find the truth and to change their view.

Since there are many different sects contained within each religion I want to remind our congregation and let our neighbors here in Murfreesboro know our type of belief. We believe in Islam, the message of peace toward all of mankind. We look to all people in our community as our neighbors that we love and care about. We are against any kind of violence, emotional, physical or any other kind. We believe that all people are equal regardless of their gender, financial situation or the color of their skin. It is also part of our religion to obey the constitution of the USA and to respect the laws of the land we life in. We care about our city, state and country. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has its own identity and only supports organizations that lead people toward peace and is against any organizations that lead people toward any type of hatred.

I want to take advantage of this opportunity to send an invitation for anyone to feel free to contact us through the office or email for me to answer any questions.

May God watch over our city, state and country, and may God bless our nation.

Sincerely,

Ossama Bahloul

Imam of The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

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Obama refused to commit US resources to clean up the spill and refused foreign offers of help

“There are 2000 skimmers in the United States; we haven’t even asked for those skimmers to come to the gulf.”
“The Dutch came into my office yesterday and said we have these super skimmers and have been offering them.”
“Twenty-one offers from seventeen countries have been denied.”

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Green Hills "Eggs n Bacon" Summit

Saturday, June 26, 2010
Nero's Grill - Green Hills
Breakfast Buffet - 8:30 am ($10 cash, no credit cards)
Meeting begins at 9 am (Sharp!)

Guest Speakers:
Congressman Zach Wamp, Candidate for Governor
5th Congressional District Candidates:
BOB RIES and TRACY TARUM

Rod Williams, organizing to win elections
Kathleen Starnes, DCRP Chair
Peter and Gail Voysey - Event Chairs, Green Hills

This event sponsored
by the
Davidson County
Republican Party

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Hartline continues to rack up the endorsements

NASHVILLE, June 23, 2010, Hartline for Congress – The Hartline for Congress campaign's fundraising effort continues to set the pace in the Tennessee 5th District congressional race, attracting more of the Nashville area's top business leaders to the effort to raise the significant sums necessary to wage a successful campaign to defeat entrenched incumbent Congressman Jim Cooper.

In addition to a very busy schedule of fund-raising events, the campaign announces four more business leaders joining the Hartline for Congress Finance Committee this week: Lewis Rankin of J.E. Crain & Sons Inc.; Axson West of Southeast Ventures, Jeff McNeese of DTS America Inc., and Chris Powers of Care Solutions.

“Jeff Hartline's message is being heard and people are responding, and encouraging others to join the effort to send Jeff to Congress and stop the runaway cycle of spending, debt and taxes that Jim Cooper has contributed to and enabled with his strong support of the liberal agenda of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” said campaign finance committee chairman Andy Miller.

“These fine people are stepping up to make certain that Jeff's campaign has the resources it needs to tell the people of the 5th District about the real Jim Cooper record – a record of voting to add trillions of dollars to the national debt, and a record of voting for endless 'stimulus' spending sprees, industrial bailouts and massive expansions of government into healthcare, banking and many other sectors of the economy,” Miller sad. “That's the job-killing, business-destroying record that Jim Cooper does not want to talk about – but Nashville’s business community has stepped up to support Jeff Hartline because they know our economy cannot take much more of the damage inflicted by the Cooper-Pelosi agenda.”

The newest additions join an already very-impressive list of Tennesseans from diverse business backgrounds who are helping the Hartline campaign raise the large sums of money necessary to wage a winning congressional campaign. The list includes: Connie Allen (Fridrich & Clark Realty), Earl Bentz (Triton Boats), Mike Blackburn (Petra Capital). Samantha Bouler (HCA Healthcare), Clyde Bright (Hollinsworth & Bright), Stuart Campbell (Stites and Harbison), and Crom Carmichael (private investor), Mike Conyer (private investor), Kent Davis (retired), Ralph Drury (The Drury Group), Jim Elder (Elder Advertising), Jay Garrett (ESI), Tony Giarratana (Giarratana Development LLC), and C.J. Gideon (Gideon Wiseman), Clyde Hutchinson (HealthMark Medical), David Ingram (Ingram Entertainment), Rob Ivey (Salix Ventures), Joey Jacobs (Psychiatric Solutions), John Jacobson (Riley Warnock & Jacobson). David Keith (Dixie Detectors),and Steve Kress (Aegis Capital & Management), Monty Lankford (TLC Medical), Garry Latimer (Diatech Oncology), Bill Lee (The Lee Company), J.T. Lemons (Ocoee Outdoors), Holland McKinnie (attorney), Ken Melkus (Welsh Carson), and Rock Morphis (Heritage Group),
Greg Pilant (Graystone Pharmaceuticals), Stephen Prather (Chas. Hawkins Company), Steve Smith (Haury & Smith), Richard Speer (private investor), Willie Stokes (Davis Stokes Collaborative PC), Bill Southwick (Healthmark Partners), and Rod Thurley (RV Service and Sales), Jack Tyrell (Richland Partners), Rick Uselton (Uselton Shooting Sports), Billy Webb (HealthPort Technologies), Michael Whittington (U.S. Air Force, retired), and Brent Willis (Votility.com).

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Stanley McChrystal for President!

Stanley McChrystal

for

President!

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Jay Sekulow of ACLJ Endorses CeCe Heil

Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has endorsed Cece Heil in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District race. ACLJ is a law firm and educational organization that focuses on constitutional law, primarily arguing religious liberty cases. Mr. Sekulow has argued several important cases before the Supreme Court.

Mr. Sekulow was in Nashville this past Friday night at the fundraiser at the home of Dr. Mark and Laurie Houston. He was there to give the inside story on how important this coming election is going to be for our Nation's future and to say that with CeCe in Congress he would never have to worry about her vote. Jay praised Cece's competence and understanding of federal law and her passion for justice.

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There is Still Time to Register to Vote

There is still time, but not much time, to register people to vote in order to vote in the August election. Voter registration in Tennessee for the August primary ends July 6, 2010.

If you have conservative friends or relatives that are not registered, please get them registered.

You can go to this link and you can download a voter registration form. Page three of the link has the actual form. Page one and two have a sample form and instructions. Once completed, the form must then be mailed or hand-delivered to the election commission.

If you attend a conservative church, you may want to ask your pastor or church leader if you can conduct a voter registration drive. You would have two Sundays to have the voter registration drive: June 27th and July 4th. This is not a partisan activity. It is simply offering a service to the members of your church to enable them to carry out their civic duty. This would be easy to do. All you need is a table, some of the forms that you can download and copy, and a sign saying, "Register to Vote."

Other places, such as places of employment or apartment complexes or sports bars may let you conduct a voter registration drive as long as it is non-partisan. If you think most of the people you would register are likely Republican voters, do it!

This election cycle is vital, but if folks are not registered, they cannot vote.

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