This weekend was action packed and consequently, long. There will be fresh stuff tomorrow, both here and at Blogging for Corker, to include a nice debunking of this Wal-Mart issue many on the left are lobbing at Bob Corker.

I truly wonder whether the problem is more Corker, or Wal-Mart, because honestly, having seen the suit, and read the documents surrounding it, there’s nothing illegal or unethical to be getting excited about.

On second thought, I guess it’s not fair to pigeon hole the ire of liberals onto one source. My utmost apologies for that.

UPDATE In addition to taking care of clients, I offer my apologies for not writing yesterday as promised. Thanks to lightning, I’m working on a new computer, and need to parse some documents with Acrobat, which I’m going to have to go out and buy.  I will address one non-sequiter which doesn’t require software, though

The claim now is that all myths about Bob Corker’s involvement in the Wal Mart deal will be debunked tomorrow on the Blogging for Corker blog as well as the Moore Thoughts blog. My question is this: if everything in the deal was above board, why did Corker and his attorneys request that all documents relating to this case be sealed? Or perhaps we, the people of Tennessee, are too inept to understand legal documents. Seems to be the case with his tax returns…..

Filing under seal and sealing the record can be for a variety of reasons – it’s not an uncommon activity. But hiding criminal activity is not one of those allowed reasons. In short, the other side plays with this like it means something, but without any proof to back it up.  This has been out there for some time, even before the suit, which was originally dismissed, was revived. You’d think if there was something to it, Ed Bryant or Van Hilleary would have latched on in the primary.
The easement was built into this property. Further development in the area was already envisioned in the mid 1990s.  As such, the process to get the necessary approval for the Wal-Mart development began before Bob Corker became mayor.  This is something the pro-Ford folks don’t seem to recognize.

Seeming that they claim to want to talk about issues, I’m not sure why they keep bringing it up.

Why in the new Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ad is Bob Corker in technicolor, and Harold Ford, Jr. is in a smudged and blurred black and white? Odd. Red State has more.

Double posted at Blogging for Corker.

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So says notable blogger Bill Hobbs. And he has the proof to buttress his claim

U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., the Tennessee Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate, is a liar. A serial liar. Back on August 4, Ford and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, debated deficit reduction on the Kudlow & Co. show. As the transcript shows, Ford essentially agrees with Marsha that voting against the Deficit Reduction Act would be wrong – but then says he voted for it. That’s a lie. The record shows that Ford voted against the Deficit Reduction Act twice. He voted against the House version and he voted against the final conference report. Could Ford have simply “forgotten” his votes against the Deficit Reduction Act? Not likely for, as Leon Wolf, writing at RedState.com, reminds us, Ford filed filed an amicus brief challenging the constitutionality of the Deficit Reduction Act when it was challenged in court.

Click through. Hobbs notes this isn’t the first time Ford has lied about his record. And seeing how he’s running just to the left of Atilla the Hun, I’m wagering it won’t be the last.

Double posted at Blogging for Corker.

Sean Braisted notes the impact of the Ninth District House race on Harold Ford, Jr.’s run for US Senate

Something dawned on me today…Jake Ford’s run as an independent in Memphis could cost his brother Harold the election. Think about it for a second, does anyone honestly think a long protracted race between the Democratic nominee and an “independent Democrat” is not going to get messy? By November, issues such as race and nepotism will be at the forefront of a political race like this, and people are going to be polarized into Pro-Ford and Pro-Cohen camps.

Even if HFJ stays out of this race, anyone with half a brain will realize that at best, Harold Sr/Jr approve of Jake’s candidacy. At worst, they orchestrated it to make sure someone from the “Ford Machine” kept that seat in case their favored candidates didn’t win the primary. Jake was an “in case $h!t happens” candidate, and as such his candidacy will create a lot of ill will (to add onto the ill will that already exists) towards the Ford family.

That’s a reasonable conclusion. I don’t know how the Fords go about running their funeral home / politics business in Memphis, but certainly there was room for a fail safe plan, albeit likely a bad one. I don’t see how Harold is going to be able to stay completely out of this fray. Jake is his brother, after all. The larger issue is how this affects the Memphis media market, and the certain shenanigans that will be reporter fodder with an independent Jake Ford candidacy. Harold needs a bump coming out of the West if he has any hopes of winning the Senate seat.  This extra-curricular activity by Jake will certainly dampen that prospect.

And everyone thought the Congressman from the Ninth got a breather when his uncle’s trial was moved to February.

The Ford blogs seem giddy that Harold Ford, Jr. has a plan to trifurcate Iraq, thinking this would somehow end the problems there, and make the Middle East a less volatile place. A bad idea is not better than no idea.

I question the Congressman’s sense of understanding of the region, and his knowledge of history. I could write an entire dissertation on why the establishment of Kurdistan, Sunniland, and Shiiteville is a bad idea. Here’s the quick version.

Though the Kurds have not been a problem in the Iraqi mess, they have been a problem to the Turks. Turkey has suffered Kurdish terrorism for some time, primarily because there is a substantial Kurdish separatist contingent just over the Iraqi border. Turkey would neither geopolitically nor militarily stand for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan. By giving the Kurds their own country, at least at this point in time, you’re simply rolling another barrel of gunpowder up to the fire.

An independent Shiite state would greatly enhance the capabilities of Iran in the region. The Iranians have already been interfering in domestic Iraqi politics through Shiite clerics. Separating the Shiites from the moderating effects of the Kurds and Sunnis would give Iran an instant client state. This is something we don’t need, especially in light of the recent hositilities between Iranian supported Hizbullah and Israel. Trifurcation, as Ford suggests, would empower Iran at a time when we’re trying to weaken the Islamist fascist regime.

Finally, the Sunnis would be the odd man out. The Sunnis in Iraq are a small contingent vis a vis the Shiites, and would be ripe for conquer by either the new more populous and fanatical Shiite state or Iran. The Shiites in Iraq are still smarting from decades of Sunni rule under Saddam Hussein. They would not hesitate to, in their eyes, even the score.

Dividing Iraq into three, as many would like to do, would be perfectly fine in a vaccuum. Iraq was an intentional and artificial state from the beginning, concocted by the British to ease imperial administration. But we’re not in a vaccuum, and the moving parts we do have to deal with aren’t going to sit idly by and help foster the growth of three new ethnic and sectarian based democracies.

This sort of uninformed thinking is exactly what we don’t need in Iraq. For this reason among many, Ford is not fit to be our next senator in Tennessee.

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Don’t forget about Blogging for Corker!

Here’s a 28 year old Ford supporter’s assessment of Bob Corker

So far he [Ford] has run a clean campaign, no negative ads, thank god. Corker’s ads are so annoying and condescending. If I ever meet Bob Corker, I swear I’ll punch him in the mouth.

Clearly, the more mature twentysomethings are supporting Harold Ford, Jr.

UPDATE For what it’s worth, a quick scan of MySpace shows an inordinate number of Ford supporters.

At least the first sentence gets it right

I know that what I’m about to say will be scoffed at in some circles, but I will say it nevertheless: supporters of Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary should support Harold Ford, Jr. for U.S. Senate this November. These voters know very well about the misinformation upon which Bob Corker has built his campaign, and they know that he is not right for the Senate. But what I want to emphasize in this post is that Harold Ford, Jr. has a moderate record that conservatives can get behind. Issue by issue, it’s clear that Ford is the right choice for conservatives this fall.

Actually, it is presently being scoffed at in all circles. Harold Ford, Jr. is the right choice for conservatives this Fall…and I’m the product of a drunken romp by the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

An East Tennessee blogger apparently believes that enough Democrats crossed over, en masse, to vote for Bob Corker in an effort to affect the results of the GOP primary. That would be, uh….70,000 of them.

Yeah, right. Just go work for Ford and call it a day.

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For your edification

NASHVILLE, TN) – GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Bryson (R-Franklin) today announced the details of the first joint appearance with US Senate nominee Bob Corker (R-Chattanooga).  The event will take place tomorrow, Saturday, August 5, in Chattanooga on the first east Tennessee stop of Bryson’s 95 county, 30 day bus tour across Tennessee.

 “We have an excellent team this year and I am looking forward to victory in the fall,” said Sen. Bryson.  “Mayor Corker is a formidable candidate and a good friend.  I believe his message and values will resonate with voters on Election Day.”

 The event will be held at Bob Corker for Senate Headquarters at 832 Georgia Avenue in Chattanooga from 5:30-7:00 EDT.  Refreshments will be provided.   Sen. Bryson’s Big Tennessee bus tour will visit all 95 counties in 30 days.  It begins today.

Talk about a backhanded, dis-unifying email. We are witnessing a sad continuation of TeamSortaStillAntiCorker, dressed up in reconciliation. Here are some highlights

While Bob Corker was not the first choice of a majority of Republicans in Tennessee…

And then

Please know that I am aware that many of you are sad and disheartened today. Many are dejected and depressed. So am I. The Republican Revolution in Tennessee will just have to wait. But I promise you all, our day is coming.

And finally

I am very proud that a majority of rank and file Republicans challenged the status quo for the first time in Tennessee history. Yes we lost, but now we know that when we are united we can decide who runs our Party and how its future will be written. Take comfort in that fact, our day is coming.

Look, you’re either unifying behind Bob Corker or not. Even Van and Ed offered no hedging. Neither one promised to unsheath their conservative saber and save the world another day.

To be fair, there is certainly a nod or two to supporting Bob Corker in that email, albeit reluctantly, as if only to cover the bases. If Bob Corker was actually pro-choice, pro-tax, and a “phony” Republican, TeamGOP’s principle’s aren’t worth the electricty they’re posted on.

Sheesh.

From Adam Groves at the Tennessee Politics Blog

Okay, enough of that primary. The Republican National Committee released a memo this morning showing Bob Corker with a 15 point lead over Harold Ford, Jr. in a general election matchup. In the head-to-head general election match-up, Mayor Bob Corker gets 53.5% of the vote, while Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. trails with 38.9%

Putting a real person, who is really running into the Republican slot sure changes things and swings some of those who may have previously been undecided. As I expected, Ford is going to have some ground to make up.

John Rodgers of The Nashville City Paper has been absolutely tireless in covering local races, such as Senate 23, and has been especially impressive in covering the Republican US Senate primary. It’s as if he’s got at least one, if not two pieces, written and ready on a daily basis. Today is no exception.

This time, though, Mr. Rodgers helps clarify the admirable optimism of a soon-to-put-out-its-misery campaign

“Corker’s peaked,” Bryant spokesman Andrew Shulman maintained while defending his campaign’s advertising claim that Corker avoided paying his own taxes twice. FactCheck.org called Bryant’s assertion “false.”

Oh yes, in addition to his campaign now registering as “equestrian” on the political treatment chart, we ought not forget the absolute fakery surrounding Ed’s attacks on Bob Corker, and the hypocrisy that comes with it. It’s become clearer and clearer that campaign headquarters in Brentwood rest on a foundation of glass.
But Ed isn’t the only trailing but adorably optimistic candidate. Having finished stumping for Ed Bryant last month, Van Hilleary campaign manager Jennifer Coxe weighs in with her own assessment

Jennifer Coxe, Hilleary’s campaign manager, disagrees that her candidate is in third place behind Bryant. Coxe says the Hilleary campaign has internal polling that show the candidate is in second place. Coxe said Hilleary will be aided through the “strongest and broadest grassroots organization in this state,” which also includes pro-lifers, home schoolers and National Rifle Association members.

We’re in second! I’m not sure they adequately test marketed that rallying cry. Just in case, though, someone ought to explain to the Van folks some rather key distinctions between winner-take-all and parliamentary systems.

Meanwhile, the silver medal is awaitin’.

The Blogging for Bryant cabal continues to peddle the laudenum that Ed Bryant is most equipped to beat Harold Ford, Jr. The latest evidence is this piece, from the Memphis Commercial Appeal

In the Aug. 3 GOP primary, former congressman Ed Bryant needs a huge vote in his Shelby and West Tennessee base to counter Bob Corker and Van Hilleary elsewhere.

In the Nov. 7 general election, Democrat Harold Ford Jr. must roll up a huge Democratic margin in Memphis to have a chance of becoming Tennessee’s first African-American U.S. senator.

A Tennessee Poll released last week by the University of Tennessee drives home both points, particularly in the GOP primary. It shows Bryant doing his best in West Tennessee, where he served as U.S. Attorney and congressman.

Ahem, emphasis certainly not mine.

Yeah, let’s latch onto that same UT poll whose methodology would make George Michael look like he had things straightened out. The missing variables to the equation are, well – the other two Grand Divisions. As in, a Van Hilleary / Ed Bryant type candidate would not be able to carry East Tennessee like Bob Corker, who owns that part of the state in this election. Or Middle Tennessee, for that matter. The last I saw, Ed Bryant was losing Williamson County.

Essentially, Ed Bryant’s best hopes are that he can carry a couple more votes in State Senator John Ford’s old district than Bob Corker.

To my friends drinking the Kool-Ed…I think it’s time to call it a day.

I don’t get this

So how did our Tennessee delegation rank on Pork Busting? Well, you might be surprised to see that Congressman Gordon (D) and Congressman Zach Wamp(R) have the worst scores.

It’s understandable for Gordon, but what about Republican Zach Wamp, the Congressman who broke his pledge about term limiting himself? Please keep in mind Congressman Wamp’s love of pork when he’s out on the campaign trail campaigning for Bob Corker for U.S. Senate.

I’ve heard a lot of certifiably insane attacks on Bob Corker, but I hadn’t yet heard he was to blame for porking it up on Capitol Hill.

AC Kleinheider’s got the goods on Ford’s appearance on WKRN. There’s nothing wrong with hitting on the girl who just interviewed you – unless, of course, you’re trying to defuse your playboy image while you run for US Senate.

Terry Frank quotes with approval a Greg Johnson description of Bob Corker in the Knox-News Sentinel

Corker is cut from the mold of Gov. Phil Bredesen and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, both extremely successful businessmen who entered public service. Their pro-business bent garners business community support, and their business mindset often masks or mutes their ideology.

Terry’s assessment is as follows

It would be nice though if Corker campaigned as a Bloomberg.  Instead, he’s pretending to be this hard-core social and fiscal conservative in all of his media, both mail and air.

I believe the point Johnson was making is not that Bob Corker is a liberal like Bloomberg (he’s not), but he’s first defined by his experience as a successful businessman, then by his ideology. That’s how he’s like Bloomberg, not ideologically. Corker is far more conservative than his detractors like to admit.

I just checked me (according to the comments, Sarah thanks me a pirate…arrr!) email (I’ve been in court and otherwise preoccupied this morning), and someone by the name of “Big Suit” emailed me a notice of the Nashville City Paper article that Bob Corker has just contibuted $1.7 million of his own money into his US Senate campaign. I wish to think Mr. Suit for the update.

I had mentioned before that one could not accuse Bob Corker of “buying a senate seat” because he was using other people’s money, i.e. other people’s support, to run his campaign. I thought about this new development today while I was clicking through to the article, and thought – well, hey, if Ed Bryant and that other guy had spent more time talking about the kind of senators they would be instead of lobbing goblin grenades at Bob Corker (like this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this, whew…that’s just July! Since February, 73 of 145 Ed Bryant press releases have mentioned or disparaged Bob Corker in some way – forgive if my count is off by one or two), Bob wouldn’t be forced to donate any of his own money to the campaign. The other guy lobbed some too, but then seems to have disappeared – remember him?

But Corker campaign manager Ben Mitchell beat me to the anaylsis

Corker campaign manager Ben Mitchell said Hilleary and Bryant’s negative attacks forced Corker’s hand.

“Unfortunately, Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary publicly announced sometime ago that they would use their combined financial resources to attack Bob Corker exclusively,” Mitchell said. “As a result, it became clear that additional resources would be necessary to ensure the record was set straight.”

The erstwhile “truce” seems to have paid off. Ed and that other guy have forced more money into the race. Good luck, fellas.

UPDATE The Bryant blogospheric cabal is ecstatic that their candidate is being outspent in this race by an additional $1.7 million. Rob Huddleston is overjoyed at it, and cites that non-news poll, plus some right-of-way signage as proof that Bob Corker’s campaign is collapsing. Blogging for Bryant notes “Ed-mentum”, and makes yet another public call for that other fellow to leave the race

Van Hilleary has been a good soldier [ed: airman] for the conservative cause, but it’s time for him to acknowledge that there’s no way he can win the Republican primary. I want to encourage every Tennessee conservative to contact the Hilleary campaign and respectfully ask Van to withdraw, for the good of the Tennessee Republican party’s future. The Hilleary campaign can be reached at 615-867-1900 or by e-mail at HQ@vanhilleary.com .

Ed has already gotten a stump speech from the other campaign – asking for an outright withdrawal seems a tad ambitious.

Surprisingly, even Bill Hobbs, who has an eagle’s eye for just about everything, doesn’t note the inferior methodology of that UT poll

Click the thumbnail graphic and you’ll see that the polls have been turning decidedly negative for Hilleary ever since Corker began his multi-million-dollar ad blitz. But, then, Corker’s poll numbers have started going south too, while Bryant’s are rising. Now, with Corker dumping $1.7 million of his own money into the race to try to buy the nomination that appears to be in danger of slipping through his fingers, Hilleary supporters have a stark choice to make:

Eh, not quite.  Sealing the deal is more like it. Kleinheider gets it right

I repeat: This was not a desperate move. This is a turn of a page. This is not about a poll. It may have affected the amount at the periphery but I believe Corker always had the intention to dump a significant amount of his own money.

This is not a Hail Mary pass — this was the final nail.

Indeed.