Watching the election returns last night as history was being made in Tennessee State Senate District 22 and the national race for president, I was mindful of my unique position as a witness to change.

I was keenly mindful that at the age of thirteen, my father and mother had insisted that I go to Washington, D.C. for the March on Washington in 1963. It was the first time I had ever traveled away from Charleston, and doing so myself was intimidating. Hearing all the speeches made that day astounded me. However, Dr. King’s address calling the nation to acknowledge its debt to America’s Creed was absolutely mesmerizing. Tonight, just short of six months since my father passed away, I witnessed an achievement of Dr. King’s Dream for this nation in which I know he would have rejoiced. My heart literally filled my chest in amazement, stunned and nearly in shock, that I have lived to see what my father, mother and grandfather could only dream of, become a reality.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama becomes America’s first elected Black President. He did it in an absolutely stunning way. I may be wrong, but I do not recall a previous presidential candidate ever accumulating so massive a tally of electoral votes, 349 at last count, as I write this commentary. (Ed: Reagan won the election, carrying 44 states with 489 electoral votes to 49 electoral votes for Carter representing six states and Washington, D.C.). The fact he did so by running a highly principled campaign really speaks volume for the American people’s ability to discern substance from chaff. Integrity was on display and the American people, White, Black, feminist, conservative, moderate, liberal, independent, green, single, married, straight, gay, lesbian, trans-gendered, bisexual, disabled, able-bodied, civilian, military, blue-collar, college educated, rich, poor, middle class, natural born citizen or immigrant, we all heard the call to believe in America’s ideal and accepted that challenge.

It may surprise you to know that this election was covered live around the world: the BBC in London, State radio in China, satellite hook-up in Kenya, also in Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Australia, Germany, Spain, France, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Turkey, Italy, Morocco and Eastern Europe to include Russia. Seventy countries supported Obama, and watched America elect a president. Truly this was a world event. In my lifetime. It is humbling.

Other local victories signal change

As amazing as this single victory is, there were also election races on the state and local levels that held important outcomes. City Council contests have resulted in new faces coming onto the council in January. Candy Johnson, David Allen, Joel Wallace and Jeff Burkhart will bring new citizen-minded perspectives to our City Council.

The State Senate District 22 ended with a resounding victory for Clarksville Attorney Tim Barnes, with 37,015 votes to Rosalind Kurita receiving 23,329 votes. The mudslinging and disinformation didn’t blind the citizenry to the true nature of the political contest before them. Protecting elections from manipulation and deception, the choice was clear for those willing to see ‘The Light.’ Humility versus Arrogance. The people chose Humility.

I have renewed hope for these United States of America and for the State of Tennesse. We have serious work before us. Given this renewed sense of ability and determination, let us go forth and meet these challenges head on with a united spirit and willingness to overcome. As President-elect Obama has so proudly proclaimed, “Yes, WE CAN!” To my granddaughter, “Baby, here is your birthday present. This world will be your oyster!”

Caucus Chair  Senator Joe Haynes, in endorsing Barnes, called Barnes ” a good neighbor” and offered high praise for his character and the issues to which Barnes intends to support:

“Tim is coming to Nashville to help us face the challenges before us. He’s a problem solver, and he’s committed to working to continue balancing the state budget without new taxes, to expanding access to education so Tennesseans of all ages can get the skills they need to be successful in today’s economy, and to providing the high quality and affordable health care that everyone needs and deserves. Across this state, voters are responding to the message of common sense solutions and hard work that our candidates are taking to them.”

Inez Crutchfield, one of only 11 Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee members that voted against voiding the primary election in State Senate District 22, today released the following statement endorsing Tim Barnes in the General Election:

“Democrats now have our nominee in Senate District 22, and we’re ready to move forward with Tim Barnes. Tim will be a fine senator for the people of Montgomery, Cheatham, and Houston Counties. He understands the need to provide a quality education for our children and quality and affordable health care for everyone. He’ll stand tall or the values we share. Democrats are united and proud that Tim is now our nominee for the Tennessee Senate.”

Local fund raiser highlighted by enthusiastic crowd and lively speakers. Montgomery County Democratic Party partners with Clarksville for Obama to stage the event. Democratic State Senate District 22 nominee Tim Barnes shares in event spotlight.

Clarksville for Obama, with an assist from the Montgomery County Democratic Party, held a fund raiser Thursday night  at the IAM Local # 129 Union Hall on 1296 Union Hall Rd.

U.S. Senate Candidate Bob Tuke and Senate District 22 candidate Tim Barnes were among the guest speakers, a roster that included candidates for state and national offices on the November ballot, and representatives of both the Democratic Party and Labor Unions.  Approximately 155 people attended the event.

Gene Lewis, MCDP chair, stood in for Kim McMiillan, who was unable to attend, as moderator for the event. He introduced each of the program’s speakers to address the gathering.

Bob Tuke (center, left), candidate for 7th US Senate District, commended Clarksville for Obama and the Montgomery County Democratic Party. He praised the county for its strong Democratic Party tradition. He additionally hailed State Senate District 22 nominee Tim Barnes.

Tuke then cited Senator Barack Obama as a “great candidate” and declared he would make a fantastic president. He declared the current financial crisis, “is not an accident, it isn’t cyclic. It’s the result of mismanagement.” He noted that “President Obama” will need a supportive Senate and that means having at least sixty democratic votes in the Senate.

“I want to be that 60th vote that will end the Republicans filibusters. Barack and I need your help to make that happen.” — Bob Tuke

Tim Barnes , State Senate District 22 nominee, “To my many supporters, from the bottom of my heart, Thank You!” He declared that:

“There is nothing more powerful than a group of people dedicated to a cause. I stand here before you as living proof of that you can make a difference. It is essential we take this fight to the people. Senator Obama has the opportunity to straighten out the mess of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.”

He added that the unique thing about Senator Obama is that, “He’s not telling us what we want to hear, he’s telling us what we NEED to hear!”

Randy Morris, candidate for US Congressional District 7, spoke out about Rep. Marsha Blackburn, regarding her 90 percent track record of voting with the Bush administration: “Poor Marsha, she never got it an she never will!” He supports Senator Obama’s energy program, saying, “We are going to have to get off our oil dependence. ‘Drill, baby, drill,’ sounds cute but it’s not the answer to our energy problems. We have to go with renewable resources.”

Wade Munday, communications director of the Tennessee Democratic Party, told the crowd of looking forward to seeing Bob Tuke retire Lamar Alexander in the US Senate and Tim Barnes sitting at the District 22 seat in the State Senate. He declared that with Barack Obama in the White House and Bob Tuke in the US Senate, Democrats are ready to take control and change this nation for the better. Jerry Lee, president of AFL-CIO Tennessee State Council, spoke next. He told the gathering that “our country must turn around. We must change our nation’s direction. We must elect Barack Obama as president.”

Tyrone Taylor (left), communications director for Clarksville for Obama, enthralled the gathering, saying that “Barack’s message of change, of empowerment was simply too powerful to resist. The Republicans view our situation as natural. It’s no big deal. They represent the past. We democrats represent the future.”

Jerry Martin, director of Tennessee for Obama, told the crowd that Montgomery county is going to be blue in November. Martin noted that “Tennessee is counted as a red state but in reality that is only a superficial cover. Our everyday politics are invariably blue. In June 2006, there were 3.5 million registered voters in Tennessee. In June 2007, that number had grown to 3.8 million registered voters.” He urged the group by October 6, 2008, (ed: the deadline to register for the 2008 election) to make that number more than 4 million.

Martin also spoke of various attempts to disparage Senate Obama, false attacks on his name, his religion, and his character. He urged everyone to refer to the website, <www.stopthesmears.com> for factual information and counter arguments to refute these false attacks being circulated by his opponents. He told the supporters to respond to these untruths by referring the doubters to “stopthesmears.com” and ask if they know that Senator McCain (a) voted against the Women’s Fair Pay Act and (b) wants to tax their health care benefits. Martin said that September 30 will be celebrated as “Obama Blue Day,” a day when all Barack Obama supporters are asked to wear the color blue and register two unregistered voters.

Refreshments for this popular event included a variety of deli sandwiches with condiments, chips and pastry desserts and soft drinks. The serving line, manned by Clarksville for Obama volunteers, moved the procession along smoothly and efficiently. Additionally, Campaign Obama t-shirts and yard signs were available for purchase. These tables were well visited.

Obama bumper stickers, buttons, t-shirts and yard signs, along with material for other campaigns, are also available at the party headquarters. Volunteer campaign workers are welcome. The next General Membership meeting of the Montgomery County Democratic Party is Tuesday, September 23, at party headquarters at 534 Madison Street, located at the corner of Madison Street and University Avenue, across from United Church of Christ. All Democrats and Democratic supporters are encouraged to attend.

[Show as slideshow]

123►

Statewide, the senate district 22 race was viewed as a bellweather for future political upheaaval. Many early voters were repulsed by the last minute negative advertising of the incumbent. Now there is a recount challenge and accusations of voter misdirection. Did someone take a page from the Karl Rove ‘Book of Dirty Tricks?’ How will all this play out in the end?

This year, the state senate race for District 22 was one of the most closely watched battles in the state. Media and political pundits all across the state were keen to see if incumbent Rosalind Kurita would survive the intra-party effort of her own Democratic Party to unseat her in retaliation for her betrayal vote in January 2007 which gave control of the state senate to the Republican Party. Would Lt. Governor Ramsey’s fundraising encouragement save the day?

Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis political insiders and pundits were all speculating that her party affiliation switch was inevitable, no matter what the outcome of this election. This battle alone had marked Tennessee as a ‘State in Contention’ for the November election.

Kurita was known to be a aggressive, hardball campaigner. That is a given when one reviews her previous campaigns against Brenda Radford and Wallace Redd. However, many opined that a new low was reached when in the final two weeks of the campaign, character assassination material against challenger Tim Barnes repeatedly starting filling voters mailboxes. These colorful over-sized supercards seriously misrepresented Barnes’ law practice and principles.

The smears were so detestable that on election day, thirty-eight Clarksville lawyers placed a full page ad in the Leaf Chronicle denouncing Kurita for the smear and demanded she apologize for the misrepresentations. Attorney Mark Olson wrote a separate letter ridiculing the senator’s serious apparent lack of basic understanding of our legal system. He called her actions, “shameful, and beneath the dignity, and the honor, of a Tennessee Senator.” Even the Nashville Bar Association took note of the ad as “regrettable.”

As a state senator, she, herself, is a lawmaker. Lawyers work to enforce those laws enacted by the legislature. Thus, the lawyers contend that her assault on Barnes invariably was an assault on her own lawmaking role as well.

Winning by the slim margin of 19 votes, what acts of contrition will she offer? Many early voting supporters were embarrassed by the last minute smear campaign against Tim Barnes. Currently, everyone is awaiting the results of a recount and an investigation of alleged voter misdirection. Will she seek to mend broken fences with her fellow Democrats? Will she fulfill East Tennessee political pundits predictions and finally switch to the State Republican Party? Will she apologize to the legal community for so negatively savaging the legal profession? Thus far, no “mea culpas” have not been forthcoming. At least, not publicly.

Noting that so many of her fellow legislative colleagues are, themselves, lawyers or have close associations with lawyers, should she prevail in the recount, her return to the state senate chamber should prove rather interesting indeed, to say the least.

With former Lt. Governor as guest speaker, Tim Barnes launched his campaign for the Tennessee State Senate District 22 seat with enthusiasm and high energy. The Machinists Union Hall was filled with over 130 enthusiastic supporters. Wilder spoke the need for a person committed to being a statesman, being true to the interests of the people. He told the supporters that Tim Barnes is that person. He further stated that there is a strong need for Tim’s integrity and commitment in the Senate. He reminded the audience that there is a time for bi-partisanship and a time to stand with the party. Ending with his standard rally call, “Let the Senate Be the Senate!” he urged the crowd, “Put this young man in the Senate!”

State Rep. Joe Pitts introduced former Lt. Governor Wilder. Following Wilder, Kim Smith, Barnes’ campaign manager, acknowledged the support of the Machinist Union to the campaign.

Machinist Union representatives and AFL-CIO officials presented campaign donation checks. Barnes thanked the union officials for their support but told the gathering that he is in this fight for them.

“This senate seat is not the exclusive property of any one individual. It doesn’t belong to any particular person. It belongs to you, the people of District 22!”

He told of several instances where people told him of incumbent Senator Kurita warning that she had accumulated a massive war chest and that should he challenge her, he would be in for a beating. Barnes characterizes this kind of talk as arrogance, an attempt at intimidation and responded, “Bring it on!” In response, the crowd erupted in cheers of “Time for Tim! Time for Tim!”

Barnes told the group that people will be hearing similar claims from both candidates of concern for the people’s issues. He pointed that while Senator Kurita boasts about the passage of the HOPE Scholarship Retention Reform legislation, she voted against its passage in the Senate. She boasts about passage of Home Health Care Reform, but she failed to vote for it in the Senate. Barnes pledged to remain true to his commitment to pursue the electorate’s issues, not his own personal agenda.

Refreshments included barbecue pulled pork, baked beans, sweet vinegar coleslaw and assorted soft drinks. Supporters found volunteer sign-up sheets, T-shirts, lawn signs on hand, and cash donations were briskly exchanged.

[Show as slideshow]

12►