Eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties and it didn’t really matter who became president. Our nation was enjoying peace and prosperity. Some assumed we would continue both, no matter the outcome. But here we all are in 2008, and I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn’t matter.

Take it from me, if it had ended differently, we would not be bogged down in Iraq, we would have pursued bin Laden until we captured him. We would not be facing a self-inflicted economic crisis; we would be fighting for middle-income families. We would not be showing contempt for the Constitution; we’d be protecting the rights of every American regardless of race, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation. And we would not be denying the climate crisis; we’d be solving it.

Today, we face essentially the same choice we faced in 2000, though it may be even more obvious now, because John McCain, a man who has earned our respect on many levels, is now openly endorsing the policies of the Bush-Cheney White House and promising to actually continue them. The same policies all over again?

Hey, I believe in recycling, but that’s ridiculous. With John McCain’s support, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have led our nation into one calamity after another because of their indifference to fact; their readiness to sacrifice the long term to the short term, subordinate the general good to the benefit of the few and short-circuit the rule of law.

If you like the Bush-Cheney approach, John McCain’s your man. If you want change, then vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Barack Obama is telling us exactly what he will do: launch a bold new economic plan to restore America’s greatness; fight for smarter government that trusts the market, but protects us against its excesses; enact policies that are pro-choice, pro-education and pro-family, establish a foreign policy that is smart as well as strong; provide health care for all and solutions for the climate crisis.

So why is this election so close? Well, I know something about close elections, so let me offer you my opinion. I believe this election is close today mainly because the forces of the status quo are desperately afraid of the change Barack Obama represents.

There is no better example than the climate crisis. As I have said for many years throughout this land, we’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization. Every bit of that has to change. Oil company profits have soared to record levels, gasoline prices have gone through the roof and we are more dependent than ever on dirty and dangerous fossil fuels.

Many scientists predict that the entire north polar ice cap may be completely gone during summer months in the first term of the next president. Sea levels are rising, fires are raging, storms are stronger. Military experts warn us our national security is threatened by massive waves of climate refugees destabilizing countries around the world, and scientists tell us the very web of life is endangered by unprecedented extinctions.

We are facing a planetary emergency which, if not solved, would exceed anything we’ve ever experienced in the history of humankind. In spite of John McCain’s past record of open mindedness on the climate crisis, he has apparently now allowed his party to browbeat him into abandoning his support of mandatory caps on global warming pollution.

And it just so happens that the climate crisis is intertwined with the other two great challenges facing our nation: reviving our economy and strengthening our national security. The solutions to all three require us to end our dependence on carbon-based fuels.

Instead of letting lobbyists and polluters control our destiny, we need to invest in American innovation. Almost a hundred years ago, Thomas Edison said, “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” We already have everything we need to use the sun, the wind, geothermal power, conservation and efficiency to solve the climate crisis—everything, that is, except a president who inspires us to believe, “Yes we can.”

So how did this no-brainer become a brain-twister? Because the carbon fuels industry—big oil and coal—have a 50-year lease on the Republican Party and they are drilling it for everything it’s worth. And this same industry has spent a half a billion dollars this year alone trying to convince the public they are actually solving the problem, when they are in fact making it worse every single day.

This administration and the special interests who control it lock, stock and barrel after barrel, have performed this same sleight-of-hand on issue after issue. Some of the best marketers have the worst products; and this is certainly true of today’s Republican Party. The party itself has on its rolls men and women of great quality. But the last eight years demonstrate that the special interests who have come to control the Republican Party are so powerful that serving them and serving the national well-being are now irreconcilable choices.

So what can we do about it? We can carry Barack Obama’s message of hope and change to every family in America. And pledge that we will be there for Barack Obama—not only in the heat of this election, but in the aftermath as we put his agenda to work for our country.

We can tell Republicans and Independents, as well as Democrats, why our nation needs a change from the approach of Bush, Cheney and McCain. After they wrecked our economy, it is time for a change. After they abandoned the search for the terrorists who attacked us and redeployed the troops to invade a nation that did not attack us, it’s time for a change. After they abandoned the American principle first laid down by General George Washington, when he prohibited the torture of captives because it would bring, in his words, “shame, disgrace and ruin” to our nation, it’s time for a change.

When as many as three Supreme Court justices could be appointed in the first term of the next president, and John McCain promises to appoint more Scalias and Thomases and end a woman’s right to choose, it’s time for a change.

Many people have been waiting for some sign that our country is ready for such change. How will we know when it’s beginning to take hold? I think we might recognize it as a sign of such change, if we saw millions of young people getting involved for the first time in the political process. This election is actually not close at all among younger voters – you are responding in unprecedented numbers to Barack Obama’s message of change and hope.

You recognize that he represents a clean break from the politics of partisanship and bitter division. You understand that the politics of the past are exhausted, and you’re tired of appeals based on fear. You know that America is capable of better than what you have seen in recent years. You are hungry for a new politics based on bipartisan respect for the ageless principles embodied in the United States Constitution.

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon awakening to the challenge of a present danger, shaking off complacency to rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of embracing change.

A century and a half ago, when America faced our greatest trial, the end of one era gave way to the birth of another. The candidate who emerged victorious in that election is now regarded by most historians as our greatest president. Before he entered the White House, Abraham Lincoln’s experience in elective office consisted of eight years in his state legislature in Springfield, Illinois, and one term in Congress – during which he showed the courage and wisdom to oppose the invasion of another country that was popular when it started but later condemned by history.

The experience Lincoln’s supporters valued most in that race was his powerful ability to inspire hope in the future at a time of impasse. He was known chiefly as a clear thinker and a great orator, with a passion for justice and a determination to heal the deep divisions of our land. He insisted on reaching past partisan and regional divides to exalt our common humanity. In 2008, once again, we find ourselves at the end of an era with a mandate from history to launch another new beginning. And once again, we have a candidate whose experience perfectly matches an extraordinary moment of transition.

Barack Obama had the experience and wisdom to oppose a popular war based on faulty premises. His leadership experience has given him a unique capacity to inspire hope, in the promise of the American dream of a boundless future. His experience has also given him genuine respect for different views and humility, in the face of complex realities that cannot be squeezed into the narrow compartments of ideology. His experience has taught him something that career politicians often overlook: that inconvenient truths must be acknowledged if we are to have wise governance.

The extraordinary strength of his personal character – and that of his wonderful wife, Michelle – is grounded in the strengths of the American community. His vision and his voice represent the best of America. His life experience embodies the essence of our motto – e pluribus unum – out of many, one. That is the linking identity at the other end of all the hyphens that pervade our modern political culture. It is that common American identity – which Barack Obama exemplifies, heart and soul – that enables us as Americans to speak with moral authority to all of the peoples of the world, to inspire hope that we as human beings can transcend our limitations and to redeem the promise of human freedom.

Late this evening, our convention will end with a benediction. As we bow in reverence, remember the words of the old proverb: “when you pray, move your feet.” Then let us leave here tonight and take the message of hope from Denver to every corner of our land, and do everything we can to serve our nation, our world—and most importantly, our children and their future—by electing Barack Obama President of the United States.

The town I grew up in is one of those places with two stoplights, one church, a McDonald’s and about 600 families who are proud to call it home. I first left when I joined the Air Force and served for eight years as a medic, much as my dad did in the Army and my grandfather before him during World War II.

During my time in the Air Force, I served with the 387th Air Expeditionary Group in northern Iraq, in Kirkuk, where we did our best to treat our comrades who’d been wounded by suicide bombs, IEDs and mortars. One night we got a call that a helicopter was bringing in a team of five guys who’d been hit by a suicide bomber. The guy I was working on, all he would ask me was, “Where are my other guys? Are they okay?” As a medic, you just look them in the eye and tell them, “Let’s get you taken care of first and we’ll talk about your buddies later.” We were able to save two of them. Three others died.

I’ve seen war up close—not as a political slogan or some think-tank theory. I support Barack Obama because America needs a president who has the strength, wisdom and courage to talk to our enemies and consult with our allies. A president who has the judgment to use war as a last resort, not a first resort. A president who can adapt to new situations as things change, instead of being stuck in the past. And a president who will respect our veterans when they get back home, instead of letting them languish without the medical care and services they deserve.

You know, there’s an old saying: “If you always do what you did, you’ll always get what you got.” America needs new leadership in the White House, and that leader is Barack Obama.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my distinct honor, as an Iraq war veteran, as a lifelong Republican, and as a proud citizen of this great democracy, to nominate the next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama!

The Brody File has obtained a memo from Fred Thompson’s 1994 Senate campaign that shows concern by an influential political group. This is a public document but has not been reported on by the national media. Let me do the honors.

The memo is written by Randle Richardson, Tennessee’s State Republican Chairman at the time. It is addressed to Fred Thompson and Bill Lacy (yes, the same Bill Lacy just named today as Thompson’s main guy in the 2008 race). Back then, he was a key advisor for Thompson.

Basically, Richardson is telling them that he met with John Hanna, the President of the Tennessee Christian Coalition and that the Christian Coalition chapter has some “serious concerns about his candidacy.”

State parties will publish their delegate selection rules and clearly explain how to participate in the summer of 2007.

Tennessee Democratic Party
223 8th Ave Ste 200
Nashville, TN 37203
615-327-9779
615-327-9759 (fax)

District-Level Delegates: 44
At-Large Delegates: 15
Pledged Party Leader & Elected Official (PLEO) Delegates: 9
Unpledged Delegates: 17
TOTAL Number of Delegates: 85

Alternates: 11

TOTAL DELEGATION SIZE: 96

System type: Primary

State convention page: None available.
State plan: Plan Available (PDF)
State filing form: Not available online. Please contact the state party to receive a copy.

** This information is prepared by the DNC's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection and may be subject to change. For more information, please call 202-863-8000.

Thompson’s hearings grew even more unpopular with his own party when he diverted the proceedings to the subject of campaign-finance reform (Senate Republicans opposed such reform for fear of losing hard-won fund-raising advantages). Lott was furious, and Thompson suspected the majority leader was the anonymous author of quotes criticizing the hearings.

The senator further angered conservatives by becoming an early supporter of the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance-reform legislation. Although Thompson has recently tried to minimize his enthusiasm for the bill, his Senate papers include a handwritten note from Senator Russell Feingold after the measure passed the Senate in 2001 reading, “You were essential to our success from the outset!”

Thompson’s Senate years also featured a level of sympathy for Bill Clinton that conservatives don’t tend to share. In 1995, Thompson’s archives show, he sent Clinton a note after the State of the Union address that partially read, “The speech probably would not have seemed so long to some of us if you hadn’t been putting the wood to us so effectively.” Thompson’s 1999 split vote on Clinton’s two counts of impeachment squared with one of his off-the-record sessions in 1998, when he told reporters, “I’m prejudiced in his favor, I object to the tactics used against him.” This didn’t stop Thompson from sending Kenneth Starr a congratulations letter at the end of the Clinton saga.

Thompson may blast colleagues for not draining the Washington swamp, but he did his share of feeding the alligators. His papers include ingratiating notes to George Will, Arianna Huffington, and Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. There’s a mash note from Bruce Willis (“You were great in Die Hard”) and a letter from Oliver Stone thanking Thompson for brokering an interview with Martin Luther King Jr. assassin James Earl Ray.

Thompson’s off-the-record chats with reporters also suggest that his claim that he hasn’t given much thought to running for president might be somewhat disingenuous (his campaign has attempted to make a virtue of the fact that Thompson, unlike his competitors, isn’t obsessed with power). During one 1998 off-the-record bull session, Thompson boasted to a reporter, “Al Gore goes to bed at night and says, ‘Please don’t let it be Fred Dalton Thompson.’”

Now the elder Mr. Thompson, who also worked as a lobbyist before and after his eight years in the Senate, is aiming for an even higher post, preparing a run for the Republican presidential nomination. In the folksy drawl that built him a lucrative sideline as a screen actor, Mr. Thompson is presenting himself as a reform-minded outsider taking on Washington, just as he did when he campaigned for the Senate as “Ol’ Fred” the “real live country lawyer,” and cruised Tennessee in a rented red pickup truck.

But the lobbying work that Tony Thompson and another son, Daniel, did after their father won his Senate seat suggests how far the family has traveled from Fred Thompson’s early career. Not only has he parlayed his own political background into a lobbying business — a fact his opponents have seized on to challenge his outsider image — but his sons have also made lobbying a family affair.

Tony Thompson said he lobbied mainly in Nashville and registered for only one Washington client, Lockheed Martin. He said he never lobbied the Senate or discussed clients with his father.

Daniel Thompson was registered as a lobbyist only at the state level, where he worked as executive director of a statewide business group, the Tennessee Business Roundtable. He was later also a paid consultant to his father’s political action committee. Daniel, too, declined to comment.

Paul C. Light, a professor of government at New York University who worked closely with Senator Thompson on campaign finance and ethics proposals, said that lobbying by a family member was “an ugly practice no matter who the senator is, because it creates the appearance that his family is exploiting his stature and position.”

“Democrats are energized and organized heading into Election Day,” said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. “Democrats across the country are ready for change and are knocking on doors, making phone calls and getting their neighbors to the polls. Democrats are offering the American people a new direction that includes a real strategy for victory in Iraq, economic policies that benefit America’s working families and an end to the Republican culture of corruption in Washington.”

Democrats' enthusiasm is energizing get-out-the-vote efforts across the country. A few examples include:

• Nebraska: In Nebraska, Democrats broke vote by mail records, and are successfully targeting drop off voters. Of the ballots already cast, 46 percent were cast by Democrats while only 41 percent came from Republicans. The Nebraska Democratic Party has also made 120,000 phone calls and knocked on 30,000 doors this last week alone.

• Tennessee: This year, for the first time ever, Democrats outpaced Republicans in early voting totals, as Tennesseans set a record with over 860,000 early votes cast. Democrats increased our performance by 35 percent since 2004, which is 15 percent better than the Republicans.

• Oregon: Oregon is the only state in the country with all vote-by-mail elections. Historically, Republicans have out performed Democratic turnout in mid-term elections. In 2002, registered Republicans voted at a rate four perecentage points higher than Democrats. This year, however, as of November 4th, nearly 45 percent of registered Democrats have cast their ballots compared to just 42 percent by registered Republicans. Furthermore, the Democratic Party of Oregon has registered roughly 127,000 additional new Democratic voters this cycle. Of all the votes cast, over 44% are from registered Democrats, compared to 38.2% for the Republicans.

• Iowa: Thousands of volunteers across Iowa made 150,000 phone calls and knocked on 75,000 doors this past weekend.

• Arizona: In Arizona, more than 2,000 volunteers made over 100,000 volunteer calls and knocked on over 25,000 doors over the weekend in preparation for Election Day.

• Minnesota: Since last Wednesday, Democrats in Minnesota have run nearly 5,000 volunteer shifts to mobilize voters. They have over 60 staging locations around the state for Election Day with over 5,000 volunteers recruited for Tuesday alone. ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/democratic_mome.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/democratic_mome.php Election 2006 Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:58:13 -0500 DNC staffer and CDA Executive Director, LaToia Jones, sent in these photos from Tennessee, where she is on the campaign trail working to elect Tennessee Democrats up and down the ballot...

  
  Harold Ford, Jr. supporters out on the campaign trail.

  
  Jr. for Senate!

  
  Tennessee Democrats rally for Ford and Gubernatorial candidate, Phil Bredesen.

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/on_the_campaign.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/on_the_campaign.php Blog Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:57:30 -0500 Below are the results of the CNN State Polls, percentages given are likely voters.

  Missouri - Senate
  Claire McCaskill (D) 49%
  Jim Talent (R) 49%

  New Jersey - Senate
  Bob Menendez (D) 51%
  Thomas Kean, Jr. (R) 44%

  Ohio - Senate
  Sherrod Brown (D) 54%
  Mike DeWine (R) 43%

  Tennessee - Senate
  Harold Ford (D) 44%
  Bob Corker (R) 52%

  Virginia - Senate
  Jim Webb (D) 50%
  George Allen (R) 46%

  *These polls were conducted October 26-29, and have a 3% margin of error.

  It's not too late to make a difference in your state. Our action of the day is all about getting your friends to the polls. If you'd like to do even more, give your state party a call. We all know that these last few days before the election are critical, and that a poll doesn't dictate election results.

  Federal support for stem cell research, a minimum wage increase, and the enactment of the 9/11 commission recommendations. Three reasons to vote for Democrats. Three reasons to hope for the future. And in these last seven days, three reasons to take action.

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/new_poll_number.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/new_poll_number.php Blog Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:33:01 -0500 Today on CBS’ Face the Nation, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman again refused to take responsibility for the despicable ads his RNC is running in Tennessee.

  In the CBS interview, Mehlman went so far as to tell host Bob Schieffer, “I didn't think it was necessarily a racist ad.” [CBS, 10/29/06]

  “Why is it that Republican leaders continue to defend the tactics of the GOP's southern strategy?” asked DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. “Today Ken Mehlman not only refused to take responsibility for this despicable RNC ad, he continued to defend it. The truth is there is no reason Mehlman couldn't have called Terry Nelson, and no reason he couldn't have immediately denounced the ad publicly. Even Wal-mart fired Terry Nelson for his role in making this ad. Instead of doing what's right, Ken Mehlman and republicans like John McCain continue to stand by Terry Nelson and these racist, divisive campaign tactics. Republicans clearly put winning ahead of doing the right thing and standing up for American values. Ken Mehlman and John McCain should fire Terry Nelson.”

  First, Mehlman Said He Would "Denounce" An Ad That Exploited Racism, Defended Ad Running Against Ford and Called it "Fair." In an interview on MSNBC, where he was asked about criticism that the Ford ad was racist, Mehlman said, "I don't believe that ad does that.I think that there is nothing more repugnant in our society than people who try to divide Americans along racial lines, and I would denounce any ad that I felt did. I happen not to believe that ad does. I showed it to a number of people when the complaints came out about it after it was put up, and African American folks, Hispanic folks and myself, we all looked at it. All of us, I think, are very sensitive to that, and we did not have that same reaction to it. So I just think there's a disagreement about it.I think it's a fair ad." [MSNBC, 10/24/06]

  Then, Mehlman Said That He Would "Not Have Put the Ad Up" But Continued to Defend It, Saying That It Was Not "Necessarily A Racist Ad." In an interview with CBS, Ken Mehlman continued to defend the RNC ad, saying that "My response to that ad [against Ford] is the same one. I would not have put the ad up.I didn't think it was necessarily a racist ad." [CBS, 10/29/06]

  WalMart Fires Terry Nelson. "Under pressure from black leaders and union groups, the nation's largest retailer said last night that it had cut ties with a prominent Republican strategist who helped create the provocative advertisement [running against Ford]...The strategist, Terry Nelson, was hired by Wal-Mart in 2005...Wal-Mart, in a statement, said that Mr. Nelson's Washington consulting firm...had "sent a letter to Wal-Mart ending its working relationship with our company." A person familiar with the letter said it made clear that the decision to end the relationship was based on requests from Wal-Mart. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

  Racist Ad Approved By Terry Nelson, Senior McCain Strategist. Terry Nelson, a senior strategist for McCain, is the head of the independent expenditures operation for the RNC. Nelson, as head of that operation, is responsible for the content of the advertisements run by that part of the RNC. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

  Straight Talk America Will Keep Nelson on the Payroll. Despite Nelson's role in approving the ad, McCain strategist John Weaver said that Straight Talk America had no intention of firing him. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

  McCain's PAC Straight Talk America Has Paid Nelson $80,000 Since Hiring Him in May. McCain's Straight Talk America PAC has paid Nelson $80,000 since hiring his firm in May. [tray.com, accessed 10/27/06]

  Experts, Republicans Strongly Believe Ad is Racist.

  • Specialist in Political Advertising Said Ad Makes Willie Horton Ad "Look Like Child's Play." John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and a specialist in political advertising, said that it "is playing to a lot of fears" and "frankly makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play." [New York Times, 10/26/06]
  • Washington Head of NAACP Said Ad Plays On Fears of Interracial Dating. Hilary Shelton, Washington director of the NAACP, said the ad plays off fears some people still have about interracial couples. "In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist," he said. "There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that." [CBS, 10/26/06]
  • William Cohen Said Ad Was Overtly Racist. William Cohen, a Republican and former Defense Secretary, said, "I think the Republicans have to be careful also in terms of not engaging in conduct -- and I was watching the Tennessee race specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gant, a purely over-racist approach." [CNN, 10/25/06]

  Terry Nelson Supervised Convicted Phone Jammer. Terry Nelson has a pattern of questionable tactics having been the same RNC official who in 2002 hired and supervised then-regional RNC political director James Tobin, convicted in the New Hampshire phone jamming scheme. [Manchester Union Leader, 10/20/05; Union Leader, 3/23/06]

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/mehlman_again_r.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/mehlman_again_r.php Election 2006 Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:05:50 -0500 Despite John McCain’s previous outrage at the idea that Republicans might be exploiting racial divisions for political gain, the Senator apparently has no problem paying people who do just that. McCain strategist Terry Nelson approved an ad running against African American Senate candidate Harold Ford that experts say plays on fears of interracial dating and “makes the Willie Horton ad look like child’s play.” McCain has not explicitly denounced the ad, and has announced that Terry Nelson – a man who he has praised as “a fine man” – will stay on his payroll.

  “John McCain is clearly so blinded by his presidential ambitions he will do or say anything,” said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. “Why else would he bring the tactics of the GOP's despicable southern strategy in house and praise Terry Nelson? The doubletalk from McCain never stops, time and again his actions just don't match his previously stated ‘convictions.’ If John McCain truly opposes using racial issues and despicable tactics as a political weapon he should fire Terry Nelson immediately and denounce the ad.”

  See below for a new document from DNC Research:

  THE DOUBLE-TALK EXPRESS HITS TENNESSEE

  MCCAIN KEEPS STRATEGIST WHO PRODUCED RACIST AD ON PAYROLL

  McCain Said He Was “Angry” About Accusations That Republicans Were Exploiting Racial Divisions. “Obviously, it made me very angry, especially to accuse Republicans of exploiting racial divisions in America,” McCain said. [Washington Post, 1/26/97]

  Experts, Republicans Say Ad is Racist:

  • Specialist in Political Advertising Said Ad Makes Willie Horton Ad "Look Like Child's Play." John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and a specialist in political advertising, said that it "is playing to a lot of fears" and "frankly makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play." [New York Times, 10/26/06]

  • Washington Head of NAACP Said Ad Plays On Fears of Interracial Dating. Hilary Shelton, Washington director of the NAACP, said the ad plays off fears some people still have about interracial couples. "In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist," he said. "There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that." [CBS, 10/26/06]

  • William Cohen Said Ad Was Overtly Racist. William Cohen, a Republican and former Defense Secretary, said, "I think the Republicans have to be careful also in terms of not engaging in conduct -- and I was watching the Tennessee race specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gantt, a purely over-racist approach." [CNN, 10/25/06]

  Racist Ad Approved By Terry Nelson, Senior McCain Strategist. Terry Nelson, a senior strategist for McCain, is the head of the independent expenditures operation for the RNC. Nelson, as head of that operation, is responsible for the content of the advertisements run by that part of the RNC. Despite Nelson’s role in approving the ad, McCain strategist John Weaver said that Straight Talk America had no intention of firing him. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

  RNC Still Running Ad With Racist Overtones, Despite McCain Strategist’s Statement That it Was Off the Air. Senior McCain strategist John Weaver said on October 26, “We’re pleased that the ad has been pulled down.” However, the Tennessean reported that “A negative campaign ad against Harold Ford Jr. that critics have denounced as having racist overtones will continue airing in the Chattanooga area, despite the head of the Republican National Committee’s statement today that the ad was off the air.” The ad aired Wednesday in the Nashville market and will continue to air in Chattanooga, because the station did not want to run the Republicans' replacement commercial “Shaky”, saying that it raised some “‘very serious moral concerns’ among higher-ups at the station.” [CNN, 10/25/06; Tennessean, 10/25/06, 10/26/06]

  MCCAIN’S DOUBLETALK EXPRESS GEARS UP FOR 2008

  McCain Denounces Swift Boat Ads – But Then Hires The People Who Helped Produce Them. Speaking out against the attack ads run against John Kerry in 2004 by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, McCain said, "I deplore this kind of politics" and added "I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable." McCain compared it to attacks against his campaign in 2000, saying, "it was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me." Terry Nelson’s firm employs Chris LaCivita, who helped produce the Swift Boat ads that McCain denounced in 2004. [AP, 8/5/04; New York Times, 10/27/06]

  McCain Investigates Abramoff and DeLay’s Shady Dealings – But Then Hires Terry Nelson, Who Served As Middleman in DeLay TRMPAC Money Laundering Scheme. McCain’s Senate investigation into Jack Abramoff was considered to be one of two “investigative bombs with a long fuse…sizzling under Tom DeLay.” Despite that, McCain had no qualms about hiring Terry Nelson, who served as the middleman in the other scandal brewing around DeLay – the TRMPAC scandal. Nelson was named in the indictment on that matter, and had to testify in court. Despite that, McCain said that he had “no qualms” about Nelson’s ethics. [The Nation, 10/11/06; Austin American-Statesman, 9/14/05; Travis County District Court Bill of Indictment, Thomas Dale DeLay, 9/28/05; CQ Weekly, 3/20/2004; San Antonio Express-News, 3/15/2004; Austin American-Statesman, 2/26/2004; FEC,4/8/2004; Texas Ethics Commission, 4/8/2004; AP, 3/20/04; Houston Chronicle, 10/15/05; Cox News Service, 4/3/06]

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/mccains_double-.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/mccains_double-.php Tennessee Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:54:07 -0500 After promising the African American community that the Republican "Southern Strategy" had been put to rest Ken Mehlman and the Republican Party are up to their old divisive and backward tricks using racist innuendo to try to win elections.

  "Unfortunately the GOP's Southern Strategy is alive and well," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "It's disgraceful that Ken Mehlman had the nerve to stand in front of the African American community with a fake apology for the Southern Strategy, yet the RNC has once again resorted to the same despicable, racist tactics in the Tennessee senate race.

  "To make matters worse, once they got caught, Mehlman and the RNC further misled Americans with false claims that the RNC had no ability to have the ad taken down, knowing full well that with one word from Mehlman it could have stopped immediately. Now we learn that Mehlman and the RNC misled us again when they said the ad was off the air. Mehlman's rhetoric sounds a lot like the rhetoric coming from Congressman Hastert and Reynolds who say they had no way to stop Congressman Foley from targeting children on Capitol Hill even after they were informed of his inappropriate behavior. What the Republicans don't seem to understand is that Americans want leaders who will take responsibility, and work to solve problems, not finger point and name call."

  See below for a new document from DNC research:

  IT'S SO HARD TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY
  - AND MEAN IT

  A DESPERATE GOP RETURNS TO THE SOUTHERN STRATEGY

  The RNC is currently running an ad in Tennessee against Democratic candidate for Senate Harold Ford, who is African American. The ad features a white woman with bare shoulders winking at the camera and telling Ford to "call her." Despite experts concluding that the ad "makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play" and that it plays on fears of interracial dating, RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman has both defended the ad's content and said that he has no power to take it off the air. Yesterday, he announced that the ad had been taken down, but it was still playing in Nashville and Chattanooga. The evidence is clear the Republican Party is desperate, and has returned to its Southern Strategy.

  MEHLMAN REFUSES TO CONDEMN AD WITH RACIST OVERTONES;
  SAYS AD IS OFF THE AIR, BUT I'’S STILL RUNNING

  RNC Still Running Ad With Racist Overtones, Despite Mehlman's Claims That it Was Off The Air. On CNN, Mehlman said, "The ad is down now." However, the Tennessean reported that "A negative campaign ad against Harold Ford Jr. that critics have denounced as having racist overtones will continue airing in the Chattanooga area, despite the head of the Republican National Committee's statement today that the ad was off the air." The ad aired Wednesday in the Nashville market and will continue to air in Chattanooga, because the station did not want to run the Republicans' replacement commercial "Shaky", saying that it raised some "'very serious moral concerns' among higher-ups at the station." [CNN, 10/25/06; Tennessean, 10/25/06, 10/26/06]

  Mehlman Said He Would "Denounce" An Ad That Exploited Racism, Defended Ad Running Against Ford and Called it "Fair." In an interview on MSNBC, where he was asked about criticism that the Ford ad was racist, Mehlman said, "I don't believe that ad does that...I think that there is nothing more repugnant in our society than people who try to divide Americans along racial lines, and I would denounce any ad that I felt did. I happen not to believe that ad does... I showed it to a number of people when the complaints came out about it after it was put up, and African American folks, Hispanic folks and myself, we all looked at it. All of us, I think, are very sensitive to that, and we did not have that same reaction to it. So I just think there's a disagreement about it...I think it's a fair ad." [MSNBC, 10/24/06]

  Experts, Republicans Strongly Disagree with Mehlman.

  • Specialist in Political Advertising Said Ad Makes Willie Horton Ad "Look Like Child's Play." John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and a specialist in political advertising, said that it "is playing to a lot of fears" and "frankly makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play." [New York Times, 10/26/06]
    
    
  • Washington Head of NAACP Said Ad Plays On Fears of Interracial Dating. Hilary Shelton, Washington director of the NAACP, said the ad plays off fears some people still have about interracial couples. "In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist," he said. "There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that." [CBS, 10/26/06]
    
    
  • William Cohen Said Ad Was Overtly Racist. William Cohen, a Republican and former Defense Secretary, said, "I think the Republicans have to be careful also in terms of not engaging in conduct -- and I was watching the Tennessee race specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gantt, a purely over-racist approach." [CNN, 10/25/06]
    

  IT'S SO HARD TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY...AND MEAN IT

  Mehlman Said that His Priorities as Chair Were Working On Racial Unity...Right After Blogs. Mehlman said, "when I became chairman of this party I set two very clear goals. One was to use technology to do a better job of reaching out to voters and spreading our message. And the other was to make sure that we once again became the party of Lincoln. I'm very proud of the first event I did as chairman was at Prince George's Community College where Michael Steele and I did an African American town hall. The second was at Howard University." [CNN, 10/25/06]

  Mehlman Said the Republican Party Would Not Be Whole Until It Responded to the Cause of the African American Community. Mehlman said, "no matter how many elections Republicans win, no matter how many times we hold the White House, no matter how many seats in Congress, how many governor's mansions, how many state legislatures we win, the party of Lincoln will not be whole again and won't truly reflect the dream of African American political empowerment until we effectively and forthrightly respond to the cause of the African American community." [Mehlman Speech to the NAACP, 7/14/05]

  MEHLMAN USED RACIALLY DIVISIVE TACTICS IN 2000 AND 2004

  OHIO 2004

  Ken Mehlman Was Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign Manager and Rove Protégé. The AP reported, "Ken Mehlman, White House political director and a Rove protégé, will be campaign manager." [AP, 5/16/03]
  
  Columbus Dispatch Study Finds that Inner City Precincts in African American Areas Received Fewer Voting Machines. "A study by the Columbus Dispatch, in fact, found that inner-city precincts, heavily Black and heavily Democratic, actually did receive fewer voting machines than White, suburban, Republican areas of Franklin County." [Columbus Call and Post, 12/22/04]
  
  After A Poll Worker Arrived Late and the Police Had to Be Called, One Woman Commented, "I Don't Think They Want Black People to Vote." School security officers and police were called to Livingston Elementary School on the South Side early in the afternoon. The head poll worker had been a half-hour late to open Precinct 4B in the school library, and things went downhill from there. Some voters in the predominantly Black neighborhood were turned away at 10 a.m. Trinity Bell, 19, left in frustration after a two-hour wait. "I don't think they want the Black people to vote." [Columbus Dispatch, 11/3/04]

  FLORIDA 2000

  Mehlman Was Regional Director for the Bush 2000 Campaign. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, "Ken Mehlman, who has been with Granger since she went to Congress in 1997, will join the Bush campaign in late June as a regional director." [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6/6/99]

  Civil Rights Commission Found Florida's 2000 Election Unfairly Penalized Minority Voters. In Duval County, the rate of discarded ballots for Blacks was four times higher then white voters. Black voters had a 1 in 5 chance of their votes not counting, where as, white voters had a 1 in 20 chance of their votes being discarded. Statewide, this means that African Americans were ten times more likely to have their ballot rejected. Leon County established an "unauthorized" police checkpoint about 2 miles from the nearest polling station that stopped at least 150 cars. The report also documents countless reports of "hostile" poll workers who "wrongly demanded" multiple photo ids, "even though the state law requires one [photo id]." [Washington Post, 6/5/01, 5/31/01; Los Angeles Times, 6/5/01]

  Black Voters Represented a Clear Majority of the Rejected Votes in Florida. The Commission found disturbing evidence of vote disparities among minority voters. Black voters cast a clear majority, 54 percent, of ALL 180,000 rejected votes; 83 of the top 100 precincts statewide with the highest number of disqualified votes were majority Black. Yet, African Americans accounted for only 11 percent of the statewide vote. According to exit polls, 90 percent of Florida's African Americans voted for the Democratic Party. [Washington Post, 6/5/01, 5/31/01; Los Angeles Times, 6/5/01]

  2004: GOP USES RACIALLY DIVISIVE TACTICS
  ACROSS THE NATION

  MICHIGAN: Republican Lawmaker Says GOP Needs to "Suppress" the Detroit Voters. Michigan State Representative, John Pappageorge, told members of the Oakland County Republican party that the GOP would do poorly in this year's elections if it failed to "suppress the Detroit vote." Pappageorge's comments were a thinly veiled mandate to suppress African American voter turnout in a city where 83% of the population is Black and overwhelmingly votes Democratic. [Detroit Free Press, 7/16/04; AP, 7/21/04; Washington Post, 8/26/04]

  KENTUCKY: Republicans Promised to Place Vote Challengers in African American Precincts. Kentucky's Jefferson County Republican Party vowed to place Republican vote challengers in predominantly African American precincts during the November 2004 elections, reiterating their 2003 attempt to suppress voter turnout. In 2003, county Republicans placed challengers at 18 polling places in predominantly Black districts. [AP, 7/30/04; Courier-Journal, 8/3/04]

  PENNSYLVANIA: Republican Operatives Working To Re-Elect President Bush Submitted Last-Minute Requests To Suppress Philadelphia's Vote. Bush's Pennsylvania campaign staff filed the requests, using the names of two Republicans running for the U.S. Congress and seven Republican ward leaders. Of the 63 requests for changes, 53 are in political divisions where the population of white voters is less than 10 percent. Bob Lee, voter registration administrator for the City Commission, said the requests appear to be "discriminatory" and that "They're trying to suppress the vote." Race played a role in at least five of the requests, according to Matt Robb, the Republican leader of the 48th ward. Robb said he allowed his name to be used because those polling places are in neighborhoods he doesn't wish to visit. "It's predominantly, 100 percent Black," said Robb, who is white. "I'm just not going in there to get a knife in my back." [Philadelphia Daily News, 10/18/04]

  NEVADA: RNC Funded Company Trashed Voter Registration Forms: "A news report during the 2004 election noted that, "'Voter's Outreach of America' aka 'America Votes' ripped up Democratic voter registrations in Nevada. According to the investigative report, "hundreds and perhaps thousands of individuals who thought they were registered to vote actually are not. The organization has reportedly left Nevada and gone to Oregon... Well, the company [Voter's Outreach for America, aka America Votes] has been largely, if not entirely funded by the Republican National Committee. We should also point out that similar complaints have been received in Reno, where the registrar there has asked the FBI to investigate. It's a complicated story and we'll have a lot more tonight and I think in the days ahead." [KLAS Las Vegas Channel 8, 4pm news, Oct. 12, 2004]

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/gop_southern_st.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/gop_southern_st.php African Americans Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:43:50 -0500 Over at DailyKos, Georgia10 has a good update on the GOP's latest stunts in Tennessee, where their candidate is in a tight race with Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. Of course, rather than running on the issues, the GOP is running a campaign based on a combination personal attacks and divisive wedge issues meant to appeal to the worst in people.

  MSNBC:

  The Republican National Committee said Wednesday it was taking off the air an attack ad that critics said was a racial slur against Democratic Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr., one day after the party's chairman said he saw nothing wrong with it.

  I wouldn't necessarily view the fact the ad is no longer airing as a victory; after all, the RNC got exactly what it wanted. As it did with the Daisy-double "vote republican or die" ad, it shelled out a limited amount of money for a limited ad buy while relying on an all-too-willing press to provide hours and hours of free exposure for its lies. And so, the RNC got its racist message out to the voters of Tennessee, and unfortunately, that message will resonate with some voters.

  Dirty tricks. Cheap tricks. Nothing new from a cornered GOP.

  Over the next 12 days, things are likely to only get worse.

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/coincidence.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/coincidence.php Tennessee Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:07:57 -0500 Today, College Democrats of America (CDA) announced a National Youth Canvassing Day on September 16, 2006, building on the success of earlier national organizing days sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. CDA state chapters, working with state parties and the DNC's brand new online organizing tool PartyBuilder, will organize a nationwide peer-to-peer canvassing day, targeting young people under 36.

  Young people will play a critical role in the November elections by connecting with their peers about the importance of this election to their futures.

  "Across the country, CDA chapters have been wildly successful at organizing dorm storms, connecting with voters on networking websites and rallying students to get involved in the mid-term elections," said College Democrats of America national President Lauren Wolfe. "On September 16, we will utilize these successful tactics to organize our peers on a national level. There is so much at stake for young people in this election. From rising gas prices, to sky-rocketing college tuition and student loan interest rates, the youth of today have an important stake in creating a new direction for America."

  Tennessee: In Knoxville, the University of Tennessee College Democrats will host a tailgate with Rep. Harold Ford Jr. They expect thousands of football fans to visit their tent where they will register voters, distribute literature and stickers prior to the University of Tennessee - University of Florida football game.

  New Hampshire: Students on campuses across New Hampshire will canvass dormitories, spreading the Democratic message and recruiting new members. At the University of New Hampshire in Durham, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd will speak to the College Democrats after they spend the day canvassing hundreds of their peers.

  California: To kick off the fall semester, 10 College Democrats chapters across California will canvass their campuses, reaching thousands of young California voters.

  Nevada: College Democrats from the University of Nevada - Las Vegas and the University of Nevada - Reno are partnering with the Nevada Democratic Party and traveling to rural Northern Nevada to canvass.

  Florida: College Democrat chapters across Florida, from the University of Central Florida to Florida State University, will organize at football games and other student activities to spread the Democratic message to Florida college students.

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/college_democra_7.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/college_democra_7.php Young People and Students Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:58:27 -0500 On Saturday, Sept. 16th thousands of College Dems will hit their campuses in the first ever National Youth Canvass Day. Parlaying off of the very successful National Organizing Events on Nov. 15, April 29, and July 29 and continuing with the theme of 100 Days of Action, CDA will be sponsoring a nationwide peer-to-peer day. Schools across the country have signed up to spread the College Democrats’ message and to recruit new members.

  In Tennessee, The University of Tennessee College Democrats expect thousands of football fans to visit their tent where they will register voters, distribute literature, stickers, and food prior to their home football game. Meanwhile, campuses across New Hampshire and Florida will canvass dormitories, spreading the Democratic message and recruiting new members.

  Ten College Democrats chapters in California will kick off the fall semester, by canvassing their campuses, reaching thousands of young California voters. Likewise, Nevada College Democrats will partner with the Nevada Democratic Party and travel to rural Northern Nevada to canvass.

  Employing "Democratic Vision" postcards, College Democrats from around the nation will go dorm-to-dorm, door-to-door, speaking with their peers on the issues that matter most to them. Together, College Democrats will target the youth vote to ensure Democratic victories up and down the ballot this November!

  ]]> http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/college_democra_6.php http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/college_democra_6.php Young People and Students Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:39:27 -0500