Infernal Pastimes of a Sunspot Mind

So you already knew about Mark Twain Clemens, a Bledsoe County resident who is challenging U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in the 2012 GOP primary.

But here’s another name that evokes the Nineteenth Century: one Grover Cleveland Mullins Jr. is running for the same seat. According to The Green Papers, Mullins is running as a Democrat.

This news makes me want to start a rumor that Andy Berke’s middle name is “Jackson.”

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Brenda Lenard, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, was recently interviewed at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) by Kevin Jackson of TheTeaParty.net. Here’s the video:

At 3:29 in, Lenard uses the phrase “enough is enough.” That seems to be a developing theme in this year’s elections, as 3rd District congressional candidate Weston Wamp has adopted it as his campaign slogan. One difference, though: so far, Wamp has been fairly well in rhetorical lockstep with U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, while Lenard is running to defeat the state’s junior senator.

According to federal records, Lenard raised $19,391 in the fourth quarter of 2011 and had spent $16,759 by year end.

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The Daily Caller interviewed Zach Poskevich, one of several candidates planning to challenge U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in 2012.

Poskevich believes that Corker’s voting record is simply not conservative enough. “Anywhere from seven out of 10 times, he votes with the Constitution, which means three out of 10 times he votes against the Constitution,” said Poskevich in an interview with The Daily Caller, referencing Corker’s ratings by various conservative groups.

“Anytime we have an elected official that even has one time when he’s voting against the Constitution, he or she needs to be held accountable,” he said.

As the article points out, the Tea Party movement in Tennessee is not unified in its assessment of Corker.

(HT: @Tennessee_Wild)

UPDATE: I had inadvertently misspelled the candidate’s first name, even though I know better. The error has been corrected with my apologies.

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A Gannett report last week identified U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher as the top recipient of campaign funds among Tennessee’s U.S. House delegation in the most recent reporting period (July - September 2011).

A quick glance at OpenSecrets.org shows that U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan is the House member with the most cash on-hand, with $1,534,506. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker is sitting on more than $6.5 million.

In the Third District, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann shows a total of $410,439 raised so far in the 2012 election cycle. Fleischmann hosts U.S. House Speaker John Boehner at a fundraiser later this week. A donation of $1,000 will get one into the general reception; a $2,500 check means a photo opportunity with the Speaker.

No numbers are yet available for Fleischmann’s GOP primary rivals, Jean Howard-Hill and Weston Wamp.

In the Eighth District, independent candidate James Hart has raised $502 compared to Fincher’s $943,564.

In the Ninth District, Tomeka Hart, a Democratic Party primary challenger to incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, has reported zero dollars raised. Cohen has raised close to a quarter million dollars.

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Corker unlikely to face serious opposition from left or right

A story by Jeff Woods in the Nashville City Paper says the Tea Party’s attacks on U.S. Sen. Bob Corker have diminished due to “Corker’s outrage over federal spending and the national debt.”

The article quotes Mark Skoda, a talk radio host and a leader in the Memphis Tea Party.

“A couple of folks called me who were interested in looking at running against Corker. I said, ‘Look, unless the guy is an apostate and turned into a liberal, why would you waste your money, your time and your energy to try to contend against this guy?’”

Skoda has figured in the national Tea Party scene, having helped found the National Tea Party Federation, but not all who self-affiliate with the movement consider him their spokesperson. (See this Free Republic thread.)

There still exists, then, the possibility that someone with Tea Party leanings will attempt a 2012 primary challenge or an independent candidacy in the general election (or both). Neither is likely to make much of a dent in Corker’s results, as he enjoys a rather imposing fundraising advantage; but some resentment lingers over a few of his votes.

Woods also laments the lack of Democratic Party wherewithal in finding a candidate to run against Corker, even as state party chair Chip Forrester prophesies that there will be one. Yes, there will be one, because the party cannot afford be seen as completely lying down in a statewide election. Yes, whoever that one is will be a so-called “sacrificial lamb.” If I had to guess, I’d say the party will be putting all its efforts into the few state legislative races it finds viable after redistricting is complete.

All of this means that Corker is very likely to be re-elected to a second term (2013 - 2019). The only outstanding question is whether he will refocus during that term to run for president in the 2016 election. Speculation has begun about that, but is of little use at this point in the game.

Bonus question: What will be the Tea Party’s influence by then?

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No, this is not the same as Tim McGraw making noises about running for governor, or Hank Williams Jr. threatening to challenge U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. We’re talking about Reps. Harry Brooks and Bill Dunn, whose names appear among several others listed by KnoxNews columnist Georgiana Vines as potential candidates to fill the vacancy left by outgoing Senate Speaker Pro Tem Jamie Woodson. Woodson is resigning to become CEO of the education nonprofit State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), a think tank founded and chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

One candidate has already stepped forward. Marilyn Roddy, a two-term Knoxville City Council member, had been running for the city mayor post vacated by Gov. Bill Haslam, but explained her decision to switch directions in a statement emailed to the press.

Roddy’s decision to seek the Senate Seat and forgo her Mayoral bid was based on her belief that she could make greater impact on education reform in the State Senate, ”As a former educator, I am deeply committed to improving education. The State Senate offers the best platform to achieve the education reform necessary to attract 21st century jobs to Tennessee and Knox County,” said Roddy. “I believe that at this point in time I can best serve the citizens of Knox County in the legislature.

While additional political figures sort out whether they want to invest in running for this seat, a question on another front is when the election would actually take place. Woodson announced that she will resign on the last day of the General Assembly session or July 1st, whichever comes first. It is likely that the Legislature will adjourn before then, so the moving target presents a statutory challenge in terms of when the governor must issue a writ of election versus how many days are required before an election can be held.

Arguably, it would be ideal for this election to coincide with the Knoxville municipal elections, but it is likely that a couple of legal hurdles would have to be jumped in order to arrive at that common-sense solution. When asked for comment on how this uncertainty affects organizing a campaign, Roddy spokesperson Chris Connolly said that he is sure that Gov. Haslam and state officials will do what is best for the voters in the 6th Senate District.

(Note: Rep. Dunn has told Michael Silence that he is ruling out a run for the seat, but that’s not enough evidence to keep his name out of a cheesy title.)

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The Nissan Leaf has hit production, and notable Tennessee politicos are among the first to acquire the all-electric vehicle.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander got his today, and said that following his example “would be the single best way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” See the Knoxville News Sentinel for more.

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist posted a picture of the LEAF’s charging receptacle on Twitter and echoed Alexander’s remarks on foreign oil: “[N]o more gas for me! No more $$$ to Libya, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia….”

Sen. Bob Corker is known for driving his smart fortwo in and around Chattanooga. (Does anyone know if Corker’s is the electric drive, or the gasoline model?)

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Because I clearly hate myself, I am going to try writing a weekly digest that highlights key moments in our elected officials’ public lives. If you have an idea for a catchy series title, provide it below.

In the state House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads) introduced a bill that would change the rules and prohibit last-minute floor amendments, even though when Democrats controlled the Legislature, Republicans—including Majority Leader Gerald McCormick—had a lot of fun introducing such surprises. Tom Humphrey explains.

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Germantown) championed a new state law that prohibits the Memphis City Schools system from immediately dissolving if a referendum scheduled for March 8 passes. Fellow Shelby County Senators Beverly Marrero and Jim Kyle, both Democrats, argued against it. Kyle shrewdly (if unsuccessfully) used the typically Republican argument for more local control over local matters. Norris countered that the Memphis school system is “a special special school district” and that the state has an overriding responsibility to make sure adequate education is provided. From the Memphis Flyer:

The bill, a response to the ongoing controversy over school-system merger and/or special school districts in Shelby County would restructure public-school education in the county and allow a merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools in such a way [that might create] one or more special school districts.

Governor Bill Haslam created a little distance from some of his fellow Republicans in the General Assembly by suggesting that if immigration reform laws are too harsh, they might prevent international businesses from choosing Tennessee. Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) said that he will work with the governor to address some of these concerns.

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann invoked Mark Winslow’s favorite British prime minister during a floor speech on behalf of small businesses. Meanwhile, Fleischmann’s chief of staff, Chip Saltsman, was quoted in a Politico article on the backlash suffered by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum after Santorum made some admittedly gauche remarks about potential 2012 rival and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “’One thing they don’t like in a Republican primary is attacking other Republicans,’ (Saltsman) said. ‘That’s not the best way to make a name for yourself.’” Is he perhaps citing a lesson learned?

Fleischmann also granted this blog an exclusive interview last week, the results of which are posted here.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker kept all of his committee assignments, which are Banking, Energy, Foreign Relations, and the Special Committee on Aging, of which he is the ranking Republican.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander will make another attempt for the party’s whip (my hair back and forth?) position in the Senate, following the announcement that Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) will retire. Side note: some Arizona Democrats are pushing for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to run for the open seat. Um, what? The courageous lady is amazingly recovering from being shot in the head. She ordered toast with breakfast. One step at a time, please.

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U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) have introduced a bill that would introduce sweeping cuts to the federal budget over the next decade. From Sen. Corker’s website:

The Commitment to American Prosperity Act, the “CAP Act,” would:

(1) Put in place a 10-year glide path to cap all spending – discretionary and mandatory – to a declining percentage of the country’s gross domestic product, eventually bringing spending down from the current level, 24.7 percent of GDP, to the 40-year historical level of 20.6 percent, and

(2) If Congress fails to meet the annual cap, authorize the Office of Management and Budget to make evenly distributed, simultaneous cuts throughout the federal budget to bring spending down to the pre-determined level. Only a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress could override the binding cap, and

(3) For the first time, eliminate the deceptive “off-budget” distinction for Social Security – providing a complete and accurate assessment of all federal spending.

Tennessee’s senior U.S. Senator, Lamar Alexander, is a co-sponsor, as are both senators from Georgia; the rest of the initial co-sponsor list comprises Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and John McCain of Arizona.

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