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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Politics / Woods Move Afoot to Oust Freeman as Democratic Party Treasurer

Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 4:42 PM

Reliable sources (what other kind are there?) inform Pith that there's now a draft resolution circulating among Democratic Party executive committee members calling for the ouster of Bill Freeman as treasurer because he's given a boatload of cash to Republicans. He can resign if that makes him feel better. After the jump, the resolution: WHEREAS, the Tennessee Democratic Party is governed by the Tennessee Democratic Executive Committee (herein after referred to as "Committee") in accordance with Bylaws established on Jan. 28, 1989, and most recently amended on Jan. 15, 2006; and WHEREAS, Article II of the Bylaws stipulate the objective of the Committee is to "promote the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party" and to "assist in the election of Democratic nominees;" and WHEREAS, Article III, Sections 1 and 2, vests the Committee with power and authority to "aid in the conduct of ... a statewide campaign for the election of Democrats" and perform "all functions necessary and proper for the conducting of the affairs of the Tennessee Democratic Party;" and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 1, provides for the selection of certain officers including a Treasurer; and WHEREAS, Article VI, Section 6, stipulates that the Treasurer shall "pay all bills properly incurred," which can reasonably be assumed to include any expenses related to the election of Democratic nominees; and WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 2(b), stipulates that the Treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio voting member of the Finance Committee, which sets the party budget including expenses related to the election of Democratic nominees; and WHEREAS, the Tennessee Democratic Party issued a news release on Feb. 20, 2009, announcing the selection of William H. "Bill" Freeman of Nashville as Treasurer; and WHEREAS, subsequent news reports stated that Freeman recently had contributed significant financial sums to several federal and state Republican nominees and committees; and WHEREAS, records maintained by the Federal Election Commission (herein after referred to as "FEC") show that Freeman in 2002 and 2006 contributed a total of $11,000 to the Tennessee Republican Party, whose stated purpose is to elect Republican nominees; and WHEREAS, FEC records further show that Freeman in 2002 contributed a total of $1,250 to the campaign of a Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Lamar Alexander; and WHEREAS, FEC records further show that Freeman in 2004 contributed $10,000 to the Republican National Committee, whose stated purpose is to elect Republican nominees; and WHEREAS, FEC records further show that Freeman in 2004 and 2005 contributed a total of $4,100 to the campaign of a Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Bob Corker; and WHEREAS, records maintained by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance (herein after referred to as "Registry") show that Freeman in 2002 contributed a total of $5,000 to the campaign of a Republican nominee for governor, Van Hilleary; and WHEREAS, Registry records further show that Freeman in 2003, 2004, and 2006 contributed a total of $1,250 to the campaigns of a Republican nominee for state Senate, Mae Beavers; and WHEREAS, Registry records further show that Freeman in 2006 contributed a total of $5,000 to the campaign of a Republican nominee for governor, Jim Bryson; and WHEREAS, Registry records further show that Freeman in 2006 contributed $1,000 to Volunteer PAC, whose stated purpose is to elect Republicans to public office; and WHEREAS, Freeman's contributions to Republican nominees and committees served to undermine the individual and combined efforts of multiple Democratic nominees in those election years, proving inconsistent with the objective of the Committee. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, the Committee shall remove William H. "Bill" Freeman from the office of Treasurer or extend to Freeman the opportunity to resign;

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Someone amend this resolution! It also needs to reference Freeman's voting in the '02 and '06 GOP primaries.

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Posted by Harrison on February 25, 2009 at 4:54 PM

Oh yeah - I heard about this this morning. Did your source tell you the 'move' is one person in East Tennessee?

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Posted by yellowdog on February 25, 2009 at 5:19 PM

Is this the beginning of the end for Forrester? Nah, that dumb son of a bitch was dead before he even got started.

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Posted by Heatseeker on February 25, 2009 at 7:06 PM

Is this movement started by the same people that wanted to check Obama's birth certificate?
Heatseeker, what's your problem with Forrester?

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Posted by Statesman on February 25, 2009 at 8:19 PM

As everyone that reads blogs knows, I usually vote Republican, but not always, and I have no love of political parties. I believe they stand in the way of progress.
I have multiple "problems" with Forrester, but I'll only list a few:
1. He is an effete urban liberal that has no concept of how most Tennesseans live their lives. He began his term as Democrat Party chair by calling every Tennessean that voted against Obama a racist and vowing that he would reduce electoral politics in Tennessee over the next two years to a referendum about race.
I know enough about politics to know that Forrester did this to pander to the African American vote in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga. He obviously believes Democrats can win the governor's race in 2010 with that strategy.
I voted for McCain because, overall, his beliefs were more in line with mine than Obama's. I do not appreciate being called a racist because I did not vote for someone I don't agree with.
2. Forrester is just plain ol' dishonest. He ran saying he would open up the TNDP, he would be transparent, and the party wouldn't just be about money anymore. Then he hires a treasurer that is a major Republican contributor. When he gets criticism for it, he replies that principles don't matter because this treasurer can raise a lot of money. He was also misleading about this treasurer's contribution history when he hired him.
3. Forrester is just a comically inept leader, and it's a helluva lot of fun to ridicule him.

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Posted by Heatseeker on February 25, 2009 at 9:09 PM

Get a life! Or are you just doing what you are paid to do?

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Posted by WTF? Heatseeker? on February 25, 2009 at 10:23 PM

"As everyone that reads blogs knows, I usually vote Republican, but not always, and I have no love of political parties. I believe they stand in the way of progress."
I do read blogs and I didn't know that.

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Posted by buffalo on February 25, 2009 at 10:59 PM

For God's sake, people, stay focused on the subject. Bill Freeman funded racists mailers that the Tennessee Republican Party sent out against Harold Ford, Jr. in 2006. Bill Freeman funded a racist TV commercial by Jim Bryson that claimed all Hispanics are drunk drivers that kill white people on our roads.
Chip said he would call out Republican racism every time he sees it. I demand that he call out the racism this time. I demand that he ask Bill Freeman to resign. No amount of money that he raises for TNDP can wipe the stink of racism from his hands.

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Posted by Morpheus122 on February 25, 2009 at 11:20 PM
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