Wednesday, August 29, 2007
"A Taxing Situation"
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 9:01 AM
A bit of YouTubery from the Clement campaign, slapping Karl Dean for "lawyerly language on taxes." Kind of makes you not want to vote at all, doesn't it?
Update: Clement is trying to spread his video on the Internet with this email.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Clement: "I Said 'Dang' "
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Before an appearance today on a gospel radio station, Bob Clement offered the Scene this clarification to the story of his baptism, which appeared yesterday on this blog. "I said 'dang.' I didn't say 'damn.' It was wintertime and that water was cold. I can assure you that when I got out of that water, I was feeling it."
Dean Fires Back
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Karl Dean struck back at Bob Clement today in response to the first TV attack ad of the mayor's race. Dean, criticized on the tax issue in the Clement ad, pointed out at a news conference this morning that Clement voted dozens of times for higher taxes as a congressman. And as a candidate for mayor, Dean noted, Clement has made proposals costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Clement wants to bid for the 2020 Olympics and add five new Metro offices and programs, Dean said.
Dean painted Clement as a desperate political hack. "My opponent has run for six different offices 13 times over the past 35 years, and he has a history of going negative when he's behind," Dean said. "But I encourage him again to go back to talking about what the people want to talk about in this campaign and not to use the attack ads or the vicious politics that is common in Washington. I think the way candidates conduct themselves is a good indication of the way we'll behave in office. This ad is a clear indicator of old-style politics. I hope the voters share my disappointment with this and urge him to get back to the discussion of the issues."
More Dean: "I oppose an increase in property taxes. I have said so repeatedly and Bob Clement knows it. I will not pass a property tax increase."
Then why not take the no-tax pledge that Clement has been touting? "A pledge is a gimmick," Dean replied, "It's a political gimmick. My position is crystal clear. I'm opposed to property tax increases and I'm not proposing a property tax increase and I can't really say it any more clearly."
Update: Asked about Dean's aspersions this afternoon after an appearance on a gospel radio station, Clement said, "The major tax increase was 1994 and I voted no on that tax increase. But naturally over 15 years [in Congress], I raised taxes and reduced taxes. I had the opportunity to do both and I did it."
As for his no-tax pledge, he said, "Little children understand, 'I pledge allegiance.' That's a big deal. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, they say, 'I pledge.' That's a big deal. That's a pledge and commitment. You remember at the debate the other night, Karl Dean said, 'I don't have the intention of raising property taxes.' Well, that's not good enough. The fact is, I've said very clearly I will not raise property taxes in the next four years."
Update II: The Clement campaign says it has won the endorsement of talk radio host and anti-tax freak Dave Ramsey. Here's Sean Braisted on Brother Dave: "Ramsey is the quintessential wealthy Williamson County Republican who thinks Social Security, et al, are just socialist schemes which take away from the duties of the Church."
Dean painted Clement as a desperate political hack. "My opponent has run for six different offices 13 times over the past 35 years, and he has a history of going negative when he's behind," Dean said. "But I encourage him again to go back to talking about what the people want to talk about in this campaign and not to use the attack ads or the vicious politics that is common in Washington. I think the way candidates conduct themselves is a good indication of the way we'll behave in office. This ad is a clear indicator of old-style politics. I hope the voters share my disappointment with this and urge him to get back to the discussion of the issues."
More Dean: "I oppose an increase in property taxes. I have said so repeatedly and Bob Clement knows it. I will not pass a property tax increase."
Then why not take the no-tax pledge that Clement has been touting? "A pledge is a gimmick," Dean replied, "It's a political gimmick. My position is crystal clear. I'm opposed to property tax increases and I'm not proposing a property tax increase and I can't really say it any more clearly."
Update: Asked about Dean's aspersions this afternoon after an appearance on a gospel radio station, Clement said, "The major tax increase was 1994 and I voted no on that tax increase. But naturally over 15 years [in Congress], I raised taxes and reduced taxes. I had the opportunity to do both and I did it."
As for his no-tax pledge, he said, "Little children understand, 'I pledge allegiance.' That's a big deal. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, they say, 'I pledge.' That's a big deal. That's a pledge and commitment. You remember at the debate the other night, Karl Dean said, 'I don't have the intention of raising property taxes.' Well, that's not good enough. The fact is, I've said very clearly I will not raise property taxes in the next four years."
Update II: The Clement campaign says it has won the endorsement of talk radio host and anti-tax freak Dave Ramsey. Here's Sean Braisted on Brother Dave: "Ramsey is the quintessential wealthy Williamson County Republican who thinks Social Security, et al, are just socialist schemes which take away from the duties of the Church."
Clement Starts Air War
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 9:19 AM
The first attack ad of the mayor's race is on the air, and guess who it's from? Yes, Bob Clement is hitting Karl Dean on the property tax issue. "Dean can think of lots of reasons to raise taxes," the ad says. Dean is responding at a press conference later this morning.
The Clement campaign also started airing this sappy, positive ad featuring Mary Clement talking about how hard Bob works.
"I only wish people could know the Bob Clement that I know," Mary Clement says. "I watch him get up around four o'clock, five o'clock in the morning. Go into the study. Planning. Thinking. Getting quiet alone. But if you look at his life's experience and what he has been able to accomplish in his career and you compare that to the needs of the city of Nashville today, then there is no question he should be the mayor."
Clement flack John Ray Clemmons says, "These two ads focus on the central theme of the Clement campaign—Bob Clement is in touch and in tune with the people of Nashville. Bob Clement understands what 77 percent of Nashville voters were saying last year when they voted for the power to approve property tax increases. As Mary Clement eloquently states in her commercial, Bob Clement understands and has a deep and lasting connection with the people of Nashville."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Clement: 'Damn That Water's Cold'
Posted by Jeff Woods on Mon, Aug 27, 2007 at 2:41 PM
Sixty preachers endorsed Bob Clement today for mayor. Among their number: L.H. Hardwick, brother-in-law of Clement's wife Mary and pastor of Nashville's Christ Church. That's the large Pentecostal congregation that the Clements attend. Many of the church's members speak in tongues and believe in faith healing. Clement himself isn't believed to be quite that spiritual. According to one of the church's pastors, when Clement was baptized in the 1970s, he stepped in the pool and cried, "Damn, that water's cold!" To which, the preacher said, "Bob, I don't know if you're ready for this baptism or not."
Bellying Up to the Bar
Posted by Carrington Fox on Mon, Aug 27, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Check out Bites for the latest news on restaurant legend Jody Faison.
Sounds Good
Posted by Steve Haruch on Mon, Aug 27, 2007 at 9:41 AM
The Sounds clinched their third straight division title last night. Playoff tickets are on sale and the team has announced that they will be donating playoff revenue to local charities. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey starts tonight. Let's support a team that might actually stay here, shall we?
Friday, August 24, 2007
Oh God
Posted by Liz Garrigan on Fri, Aug 24, 2007 at 12:38 PM
He may have a point when he says, "To blow God off is a big mistake," but on the whole, this is wince-provoking reading. The big guy probably has his hands plenty full with global warming, genocide, a warring Middle East and countless other man-made atrocities. Hell, the thugs in the NFL alone probably keep his Mondays booked. Did Amy Grant ever say this kind of crap?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Teachers Go for Dean
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Aug 23, 2007 at 2:07 PM
The Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, which endorsed David Briley before the Aug. 2 election, has now switched to Karl Dean for the runoff. Bob Clement, crafty as ever, put out a press release just before the announcement to urge the MNEA to take a vote of its entire membership, the implication being—whether true or not—that most teachers favor Clement.
"Many Metro teachers are actively supporting me for mayor," Clement said. "I do not think the endorsement by the handful of people on MNEA's political committee accurately represents the feelings of most Metro teachers. As a former college president, I am determined to have a hands on role in reforming our schools and making sure taxpayers get their money's worth. Most teachers support my plans for more discipline in our schools and a return to more career and technical education."
Here's what Dean said: "I am honored to receive the support of Metro teachers. Over the course of this campaign, I have made it clear my top priority is improving our public schools. Nashville needs to have schools that are competitive with the school systems in our surrounding counties. I want families to not only work in Nashville but to live here, as well. Our great teachers need to be given the support they need to help make this happen."
"Many Metro teachers are actively supporting me for mayor," Clement said. "I do not think the endorsement by the handful of people on MNEA's political committee accurately represents the feelings of most Metro teachers. As a former college president, I am determined to have a hands on role in reforming our schools and making sure taxpayers get their money's worth. Most teachers support my plans for more discipline in our schools and a return to more career and technical education."
Here's what Dean said: "I am honored to receive the support of Metro teachers. Over the course of this campaign, I have made it clear my top priority is improving our public schools. Nashville needs to have schools that are competitive with the school systems in our surrounding counties. I want families to not only work in Nashville but to live here, as well. Our great teachers need to be given the support they need to help make this happen."
Apologies for the Delay...
Posted by Pithmaster on Thu, Aug 23, 2007 at 2:04 PM
...but once we got our server up and running today in a dark cave far from the threat of security breaches, we got Farked. We're experiencing unusually high traffic, and the server's reacting a little like an Eskimo on a Nashville roofing job. Bear with us.
