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CODA offers “debate alternative” at Vanderbilt University

By Chris Lugo | October 4, 2008 |

Nashville, TN:  The Coalition for October Debate Alternatives (CODA) released the program and format today for the Presidential Candidate’s Alternative Debate to be held October 6 at 7 p.m. at  4309 Stevenson Hall (seating for 250), Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee.  Those candidates who have confirmed attendance include Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, Brad Lyttle of the US Pacifist Party, Frank McEnulty of the New American Independent Party, Brian Moore of the Socialist Party, Darrell Castle, Vic Presidential Candidate of the Constitution Party, and Gloria La Riva of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.  The moderator of the debate will be Bruce Barry, Vanderbilt Professor at the Owen School of Management. The event is free and open to the public on a first come basis.  For those who are unable to watch the debates in person, the debate can be viewed live on the website of Vanderbilt University.  The debate will also be archived on the internet at Vanderbilt University’s Youtube page.

The format for the debate will consist of policy and platform questions concerning the economy, foreign policy, health care, the environment, civil liberties, the federal budget, reproductive rights, international trade, gun rights, campaign finance reform, immigration, education and race and gender.  Each candidate will be given two minutes to make introductory statements and then one or two minutes per question to answer policy and platform questions.  The debate will end at 8:30pm with a candidate’s reception to follow in the lobby of the Stephenson Center. «Read the rest of this article»

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Dover Democrats speak out at Stewart County Obama house party

By Turner McCullough Jr. | October 4, 2008 |

Stewart County officials speak up for change in Washington. Detail local impact of decisions made in nation’s capital city.

Nan and Jim Robertson offer refreshments for their Obama House Party

Saturday, September 27th, Nan and Jim Robertson opened their Stewart County home to host a Stewart County Democrats for Obama House Party. On the patio garden of the lovely wooded residence, Stewart County Democratic Party officials spoke of reasons everyone feels its time for a change in the way Washington does business. Local citizens are suffering under the wave of neglect and disregard that signifies the Bush Administration’s approach to government.

Jim welcomed the guests to their home and encouraged everyone to incorporate ‘green technology’ and businesses into their daily habits. He spoke of alternative energy and fuels that offer real opportunity to realign our foreign oil dependence equation and help improve the environment while giving a boost to our economy as well.

Stewart County Democratic Party President Thurston Smith stated that Federal and state government cutbacks have a disproportionate impact upon the local population. Economic realities are readily felt here and the citizens aren’t fooling themselves to these real facts. Jobs are not increasing and those that are here are not secure. Benefits are costly and inadequate. He told of how some Dover citizens, who had once confided not being willing to vote for women candidates or a candidate of a different ethnicity, have since come back to declare that they no longer feel that way and that they support and will be voting for Senator Obama in November. Stewart County is a small county, economically speaking, and the economy has soured there. «Read the rest of this article»

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Reflections on the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee’s overturning Senator Kurita’s primary victory

October 4, 2008 |

Senator Rosalind Kurita

Recent reports from Democratic Party officials describing the vote at the Democratic Party Executive Committee Hearing that overturned the election of Rosalind Kurita in the Democratic primary vote have been rife with “spin,” omissions, and outright lies.  Party officials claim they voted to overturn the election because it was “Incurably Uncertain.”  This means, in their opinion, too many Republicans crossed party lines to vote for Senator Kurita.  They assert there was a grand Republican Party conspiracy to reelect Senator Kurita.  Presumably this was a secret conspiracy, which is convenient, since one can hardly be expected to produce actual evidence if it is “secret.”

What angers democratic voters such as myself, is not that Republicans would choose to vote for a Democrat, but that leaders of my own party would overturn an election on the basis of such flimsy evidence because they did not agree with the results.  However, if the public examines the record of the proceedings recorded by the court recorder at the hearing, they will see for themselves how weak and inconsistent the evidence for such a conclusion is.  Given how incredibly weak the evidence presented to justify overturning the election is, the only other rational conclusion is that the executive committee was not interested in the evidence and had other motives.  This is why I am pleased that Senator Kurita has chosen to sue the Democratic Party Executive Committee’s action as unconstitutional.  If the court agrees to hear the case, the Democratic Party Executive Committee’s evidence will have to meet the standards of a fair and impartial court, not one which clearly was not interested in the facts. «Read the rest of this article»

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McCain/Palin campaign items available at MCRP headquarters

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 3, 2008 |

As the USA enters the home stretch of the presidential campaign, the Montgomery County Republican Party has a variety of McCain/Palin yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons available at their headquarters at 1820 B Madison Street, in Clarksville. A spokesperson for the party said the local headquarters also carries campaign hats, and T-shirts for McCain/Palin as well as Women for Palin.

Halfway through the four debates of this campaign, which overlaps the largest fiscal crisis in the country since the Great Depression, the campaigns are heating up, readying for the remaining two debates:

• October 7: Presidential Debate  at Belmont University in Nashville, moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw

• October 15: Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, moderated by CBS’s Bob Schieffer

The Republican headquarters is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office is closed on Sunday. To contact the Republican Party, call 931-647-4477.

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Biden/Palin debate: Biden takes it, Palin “better than expected” but no home run

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 3, 2008 |

Montgomery County Democratic Party

Montgomery County Republican Party

The Joe Biden/Sarah Palin debate is over and history. The verdict: Biden held his own, scored particularly well in areas of foreign policy, and, I believe, won the debate. Palin, after a spate of blundered interviews and disingenuous flubbed questions from “Katie” (Couric) and “Charlie” (Gibson), did better than expected but still managed at best a break even score, up from her previous level — which was sounding ridiculous.

Watching the man/woman voter scrolling scoreboard at the bottom of the TV screen, a tally of sorts based on Ohio voters, both candidates managed to find sharp and prolonged spikes of interest, catching the attention of listeners not by political affiliation but rather by the issues that were being discussed. What were those topics: the economy, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economy, the economy and the economy. The Economy encompassed middle class tax relief, health care/insurance, jobs, gas prices, and the high cost of higher education. «Read the rest of this article»

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Watching, waiting on Biden/Palin debate

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 2, 2008 |

Millions of eyes will be focused on television screens tonight as the first vice-presidential debate unfolds on national TV.

Sen. Joe Biden

Gov. Sarah Palin

It’s a battle between veteran Democratic legislator Joe Biden, and political newcomer, Republican Sarah Palin.

As a political junkie, I’ve been watching their public appearances, listening to their speeches and interviews, and I know where Biden’s been, what he stands for, and the periodic verbal missteps he’s made along the way, including those most recent to the Obama campaign. It’s Palin I keep watching, only because she’s set up a pattern of world-class faux-pas’ and a blatant display of ignorance in this national and global playing field.

“But the vice-presidential debate has the potential to be incredible prime-time entertainment, especially for viewers looking for a political car wreck.” ~~ Josh Visser, CTV.ca News Staff

«Read the rest of this article»

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Nashville’s Joy Ford wins eminent domain lawsuit against private developer

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 1, 2008 |

Ford keeps her building and gets more land; conflict settled through private negotiation, not government force

CPRC member opposes eminent domain in downtown Clarksville

Arlington, Va.— Eminent domain will not be used against Nashville music entrepreneur Joy Ford in a hotly contested battle about the abuse of government for a developer’s private gain.  In an agreement signed Tuesday night, September 30, Ford, who has fought eminent domain since June of this year, keeps both her building and obtains more land adjacent to her building along Nashville’s storied Music Row while agreeing to give up land behind her office.

“This agreement is a magnificent victory for Joy Ford and all Tennessee home and small business owners,” said Scott Bullock, senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented Ford and fights eminent domain abuse nationwide.  “By challenging eminent domain abuse, Joy Ford obtained a landmark agreement where she keeps her building and gets more and better land next to it.” «Read the rest of this article»

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Gov. Bredesen endorses Tim Barnes bid for State Senate seat

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 1, 2008 |

District 22 candidate Atty. Tim Barnes (L) and Senate candidate Bob Tuke

Governor Phil Bredesen, Senators Thelma Harper and Beverly Marrero, Senate candidate Bob Tuke and a who’s who of state and local legislators gathered in Nashville Monday to endorse Senate District 22 candidate Tim Barnes in his election bid. Barnes will be opposed by write-in candidate and incumbent, Senator Rosalind Kurita.

Barnes lost the primary by 19 votes but that election race was voided after a hearing on election law violations by the State Democratic Executive Committee, which then ruled that the decision between both candidates would be placed in the hands of the Houston, Stewart and Montgomery County Democratic executive committees, which chose Barnes 61-4. «Read the rest of this article»

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