The political forums are so many and so much alike this election season that the Newshound feels like he’s chasing his tail again; a bad habit that was hard for him to break. But these talking point forums will do that to you. At least the latest one, held Thursday evening at Cleveland State Community College, didn’t have a bogus straw poll at the end.

The CSCC forum featured candidates from the 3rd District Congressional race, the Tennessee State Senate race and the Bradley County Sheriff’s race, and was brought to us by the Lion’s Club and the Cleveland Bar Association.

Lions and lawyers. Sounds like a bread and circuses match-up in some Roman Colosseum. And yes, the Newshound probably would pay to see some lions eat some lawyers.

This was the line-up …

Representing the 3rd District Congressional race were two Democrats: John Wolfe and Brenda Freeman Short; and seven Republicans: Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful and Grumpy.

(A side note: The fact is, when you are talking about a first-term congressperson, you’re almost talking about a hypothetical thing because they will have no power or influence in Washington. They are moot, they have no substance. So any promises they make to the voters are, by definition, empty promises.)

Representing the State Senate race were two Republicans: Lou Patten and Mike Bell.

And representing the Sheriff’s race all by his lonesome was Barack Obama’s #1 fan: Democrat Steve Lawson.

This report will be brief because it is now the wee hours of Friday morning and the Newshound is tired. All he wants to do is curl up under the porch and dream about soup bones and dead cats.

Couple of things …

First of all, Republican Congressional candidate Chuck Fleischmann (Sneezy) once again accused rival Republican Congressional candidate Robin Smith (Grumpy), who was chairperson of the state GOP for about five minutes, of leaving the party with a $19,090 shortfall in its unrestricted fund balance. She denies it, but audits done after her tenure do indicate the party has a low cash balance and high “obligations.” On the other hand, Mike Huckabee has been shucking for Fleischmann on TV and in the media, and there’s something about Huckabee that mildly creeps the Newshound out. Can’t put his finger on it exactly, just a feeling, but something about Huckabee comes across as hinky, so voters can sort that one out.

Secondly, political races are partisan and Democrats are losing the trust of voters. That’s why Sheriff’s candidate Steve Lawson, a heretofore Obama-Pelosi Democrat, has tried so hard to trick people into thinking he’s a conservative Republican. If a candidate fibs, connives and misrepresents himself to win public office, you have to wonder whether that candidate will serve in an honorable, above-board manner. Many voters are now questioning Lawson’s ability to lead.

Which is why it was odd to see one of the other Republican Congressional candidates, sheriff Tim Gobble (Happy), being so chummy with Lawson at Thursday evening’s forum. It is confusing to voters to see a Republican sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and schmoozing with the very Democrat who wants to replace him. Yes, the Newshound is aware the sheriff said he wasn’t taking sides in the race. But the Newshound is also aware of the four-column, above-the-fold newspaper article in Friday’s Times Free Press (7/16/10) in which the sheriff went to great lengths to criticize Lawson’s Republican opponent because of a campaign ad. The sheriff is a great guy, but he needs to pick a hand if he’s really in it to win it.

But campaign ads have given Lawson a fit anyway this past week.

Actually, Lawson should probably take a page from fellow Democrat John Wolfe’s book. Which brings us to the Newshound’s final thoughts on the forum: Chattanooga attorney and former talk show host, John Wolfe, who is  one of the Democrats in the 3rd District Congressional race.

Wolfe once fought Citibank to a standstill for seven years over the attempted foreclosure of a small family farm. He’s an advocate for the little guy and doesn’t shy away from a fight. Wolfe has established himself as a defender of the defenseless, “standing up for the working man and speaking truth to power when necessary.”

Here’s where Lawson can benefit from Wolfe’s example. Wolfe has never claimed to be anything he’s not, regardless of political expediency. Despite the fact that Barack Obama is now a liability to Democrats, Wolfe has never betrayed his ideology or his party. Right, wrong or indifferent, he is a Democrat: he runs as a Democrat, he lets people know he’s a Democrat and he’s proud to be a Democrat. Lawson would be better served to stop playing like he’s a Republican and embrace his party. Many Democrats have expressed dismay at the way Lawson has been running his campaign. The Newshound’s advice to Steve Lawson is, just be who you are. You’re an Obama-Pelosi Democrat. Embrace it. And maybe take a few anger management courses. And cut back on the cigarettes.

Lastly, a little fun stuff. Wolfe sat next to Robin Smith during the forum, and when he wasn’t plying her with pithy asides, he seemed to be trying to smell her hair. Even better, she seemed to be liking it. Obviously, Wolfe isn’t shy about reaching across-the-aisle when it comes to matters of the heart. And ol’ Grumpy can be downright fetching when the light is right, what with her cute figure and golden locks and all.

Then, when Republican Van Irion (Sleepy) asserted that the government had no responsibilities under the Constitution but to maintain the military, coin money and build roads, Wolfe gained the podium and replied, “Since you’re John C. Calhoun, I’ll be John Marshall.” Okay, to the layman, that may have seemed a little dry, but take the Newshound’s word — that was truly a bon mot.

Now it’s into the arms of Morpheus for the Newshound as he calls it another (long) day.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the voting booth — (cue theme from “Jaws”) – dum DUM dum DUM dum DUM …

Dum, indeed. Or rather, dumb indeed. Bradley County politics never fails to disappoint, does it? You can set your watch by it. The latest flap centers around the sheriff’s race (oh Lord, deja vu all over again). Democrat candidate Steve Lawson has been quietly and consistently beating the pants off Republican opponent Jim Ruth by appropriating the Republican brand and claiming it as his own.

Through a very slick and well thought-out ad campaign, Lawson had successfully made it appear as though he were the Republican candidate by such tricky moves as referring to himself as the conservative candidate, running pictures of Ronald Reagan and the Republican elephant in his ads, and other such reality tweaks designed to muddy the party affiliation waters. And it was working like a charm.

Then came Wednesday, July 7, 2010.

On that day, the Cleveland Daily Banner ran an ad that had been placed by a private citizen in support of Lawson that included a picture of Barack Obama and the legend, “Obama Democrat & Proud Of It.” The paper hit the streets around two p.m. on Wednesday and the poop immediately hit the fan.

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Within 24 hours, Lawson — who is in charge of the criminal investigations division at the sheriff’s office — had already arranged a press conference and was passing out to the assembled media reps a “Comprehensive Report” on that private citizen that contained personal information, including his private cell phone number, his address, his background history, the addresses and phone numbers of his neighbors, the first five digits of their Social Security numbers, and other such information dating back several decades. Worse, the report looks and sounds suspiciously like a law enforcement NCIC report. Lawson denies the report was prepared by the sheriff’s office.

Doth someone protest too much? Kinda sounds like it. But be that as it may, there’s something terribly unsettling about a candidate for the highest law enforcement office in the county going after a private citizen because that private citizen said something the candidate didn’t like

HometownCleveland.com has posted video of the press conference in its entirety so you can make up your own minds.

Not been a good week for the best laid plans of mice and Lisa.

While the girls that fill in at Hometown Cleveland do a terrific job and are destined for great things, their reporting this week on the Lisa Stanbery Scheme Machine has been a bit hurried and breathless. Management felt it was perhaps time for the NewsHound, who is more seasoned and objective, to step in and separate fact from fiction.

It is a fact that Lisa Stanbery claimed last month that the “Tea Party” had endorsed her campaign, creating the illusion that the national Tea Party movement supported her in the county mayor’s race against incumbent D. Gary Davis. But the “tea party” turned out to be a bogus web site, contrived and created by the chairman of the Bradley County school board, David Kelley, in order to sell Lisa Stanbery to the gullible voters. It is also a fact that Kelley is currently under TBI investigation.

The latest flap in the Stanbery saga began when she hoodwinked some veterans over at the VFW into having their picture taken with her and then running the picture in a Cleveland Daily Banner ad last Sunday claiming the veterans’ endorsement. It is a fact that the ad created a firestorm at VFW HQ in Nashville because the VFW does not endorse candidates.

Although the HometownCleveland writers produced several witnesses close to the story who claimed that Post Commander Bob Deuel had been fired over the ad, Deuel himself told the NewsHound that he had not been fired. He said he was severely reprimanded, but that was all. He said he was told by his superiors (among other things) to “keep his big mouth shut.” So while there are conflicting reports as to whether or not Deuel was actually fired, the NewsHound chooses to give him the benefit of the doubt, because he is still serving as post commander.

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It is a fact that on Tuesday morning, Stanbery’s campaign manager, Michelle Michaud, got into a fuss fight in the lobby of the Banner with publisher Stephen Crass over who to blame for the endorsement ad. It is a fact that Crass asked Michaud if the vets had approved the ad, and it is a fact that Michaud said she had emailed it to them but it wasn’t her fault if the veterans were too “illiterate” to read their emails. Truly poor form from Stanbery’s side — and the fact that they have offered no public apology to the VFW or to veterans suggests that maybe they really do feel that way.

Stanbery kept a low profile on Wednesday, not even venturing out to continue her marathon appearances on WOOP radio, to push her candidacy, spin the tea party debacle and talk about what an idiot Gary Davis is.

It is a fact that on Thursday morning, Bob Deuel went back over to the Banner. He had a written statement he wanted Crass to publish, but after the two discussed it bit, Deuel decided it would be best for him to just “keep his big mouth shut,” as his VFW honchos in Nashville told him to and let the matter die.

And that pretty much seems to be the end of it, except for the pall it cast on the integrity of the Lisa Stanbery campaign.

Those veterans at the VFW, and all other veterans in this community, have been through the fire and they deserve our gratitude and respect. They shouldn’t be used as patsies in tawdry political schemes. To their credit, the veterans didn’t know they were going to be used in a phony endorsement ad. The NewsHound thanks them all for their service and is proud to count himself one of their number.

Speaking on WOOP radio last Friday (April 23), J.J. Nauris, representing the Chattanooga Tea Party LLC, said the organization does not endorse political candidates and they did not endorse Lisa Stanbery.

Nauris was responding to bradleyteaparty.webs.com, a bogus tea party website established just to make it appear that the popular Tea Party movement supported the campaign of Lisa Stanbery, who is running for county mayor against incumbent D. Gary Davis.

Nauris said the Chattanooga Tea Party LLC’s webmaster tracked the site to it owners.

“There’s only two members (at bradleyteaparty),” Nauris said, “and that’s the people who started it, David Kelley and Terry McGuire, and ‘Jennifer.’ That’s all it said on there. And the official members that they have, according to their website, there’s a lady named Jennifer and an individual named Ryan M. Leonard, I believe. Who that person is, who that lady is, I don’t have the faintest idea.”

Well, J.J. Nauris, allow the NewsHound to introduce you to the players in this little political soap opera: David Kelley and Terry McGuire are the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Bradley County School Board. Kelley, who also oversees the Head Start program, is the one who sent out the controversial email a month ago on March 25 to all teachers and staff in the school system telling them to vote for Lisa Stanbery. Jennifer is David Kelley’s daughter, and Ryan M. Leonard is her husband (and they are absolutely NO relation to HTC’s beloved J. Michael Leonard, who insisted the NewsHound make that clear).

When the WOOP moderator asked if the Tea Party makes it a practice of endorsing candidates, Nauris answered, “No. I’ll just tell you about the Chattanooga Tea Party, the Tea Party Nation and  a few of the other ones I have communicated with … We don’t do that. Now, there might be individual ‘tea parties’ that are using the Tea Party name, but we have no control over this … A lot of them are just establishing themselves as a ‘tea party’ so they can say the Tea Party endorsed them. That’s not what the Tea Party is all about.”

Is bradleyteaparty.webs.com a legitimate organization, or is it one of those Nauris referred to that has simply established itself to exploit the real Tea Party? Consider that this website, created by David Kelley, was established on April 13, 2010 (what’s that, two weeks ago?). Next day, at 7:34 p.m. on April 14, the first post appeared, entitled: “The day the American citizen’s right of free speech died in Bradley County Tennessee.” The post is in response to the criticism David Kelley received at the last school board meeting over of his role in the controversial email he sent to all county schools employees, and includes a copy of the email itself.

Next, on April 20 at 7:30 PM, one week after they sprang into being, a post by “Dave Whitaker” appeared, entitled: “Tea Party-ers support Lisa Stanbery for Mayor.” This post is an inaccurate recollection of last year’s April 15, 2009 GOP rally at the Bradley County courthouse in support of the big, nationwide, tax-day Tea Party protest, and gives credit for that rally to Lisa, among others. (Read the NewsHound’s response to Whitaker’s email, which was posted at the end of the article, “David Kelley — Still Lying?”)

Next day, on April 21 at 4:53 p.m., a post was made entitled: “More than 200 attend ‘tea party’ Cleveland Daily Banner (TN) – Thursday, April 16, 2009 Author: Beth Foster, Associate Editor.” This is a reprint of the Cleveland Banner’s account of the above-mentioned April 15, 2009 GOP rally.

Finally, at 6:36 p.m. on April 23, the same day Chattanooga Tea Party LLC denounced the Lisa Stanbery tea party endorsement as being counterfeit, a post appeared entitled: “A Message from the Bradley Tea Party.” This post is simply an awkward and long-winded attempt to spin their tea party ruse into something that, in spite of being dishonorable, might at least hold the Stanbery faithful. But alas, David Kelley just doesn’t have the NewsHound’s way with words and his rambling rationalizations come across as pedantic, bathetic and lacking in credibility.

And there you have it — the sum total of the Bradley Tea Party, which will be one month old on May 13. Lisa Stanbery’s big tea party endorsement turns out to be just more hot air and middleschool-level trickery coming from the chairman of the Bradley County School board in support of his favorite candidate.

The so-called Bradley Tea Party is a scam. You can count its membership on one hand and still have fingers left over. Instead of bringing honesty and openness back to government, David Kelley and his cronies are perpetuating it. The scam is a shameful plot that was hatched less than two weeks ago (as of this writing) to convey the undeserved image that Lisa Stanbery had been endorsed by the real, honest-to-goodness Tea Party movement when, in fact, she never received such an endorsement at all.

The NewsHound was surprised to learn that the “Bradley Tea Party” had endorsed Lisa Stanbery for county mayor. He didn’t even know there was a Bradley Tea Party. Sure enough, after a cursory examination, it was discovered that the Bradley Tea Party was just another dirty trick implemented by the chairman of the Bradley County school board, David Kelley, to get his favorite candidate in office.

You remember just a few weeks ago on March 25, Kelley, who also oversees the county’s Head Start program, sent out an email to all county teachers and staff asking that they vote for Stanbery. This was a violation of Bradley County Schools Board Policy and an abuse of his office in that teachers felt intimidated and fearful that if they didn’t do as Kelley said, their jobs could be in jeopardy. Although Kelley claims that the email was not sent out on county time and did not make use of county equipment, the evidence says otherwise.

Bradley County Schools Webmail Server Tag

Now, Kelley, abetted by his daughter and son-in-law, has created the false impression that the popular Tea Party movement has endorsed Stanbery. This is a scam. Another lie that David Kelley is hiding behind. The site — bradleyteaparty.webs.com — is registered to Ryan and Jennifer Kelley Leonard, with a total membership of two: Kelley’s daughter Jennifer and Jennifer’s husband Ryan.

Jennifer Kelley Leonard - David Kelley's Daughter

In spite of the fact that the website is bogus and exploits a legitimate grassroots movement to return government to “the people,” Stanbery played along, issuing the statement, “The Bradley Tea Party has endorsed me. We have momentum. Glad to see folks willing to stand up despite the behavior of our mayor and his supporters.”

She knew better than to say that. She knew this Kelley scam had nothing to do with the real Tea Party. Instead, she defends him as a “man of good character” who is simply exercising his freedom of speech. No, Lisa, David Kelley is a man of questionable character and the only thing he is exercising is freedom of trickery and deceit ~ on your behalf. You both owe the real Tea Party movement and everyone who supports it an apology.

David Kelley pictured with daughter Jennifer, wife Fran, and son-in-law Ryan.

But the bigger issue is, why is David Kelley still presiding over the Bradley County school board after showing himself to be a such a consummate coniver? Is this the example the board wants school kids to follow? Has Bradley County added abuse of power to their curriculum? Have fraud and deception been added to the character traits the county hopes to instill in our kids?

The superintendent of Bradley County schools, Johnny McDaniel, and the entire board should ask for Kelley’s resignation. If not, then they should explain why, lest they appear complicit.

Part 2 in a series. Click HERE for Part 1

On March 25, School Board chairman David Kelley (who also oversees the Head Start program) and vice-chairman Terry McGuire (also chairman of the Ethics Committee) sent an email to over 800 teachers and staff members of the Bradley County School system urging them to vote for Lisa Stanbery in the upcoming county mayor’s race.

When news of the email created outrage among teachers and the general public, Kelley went on the defensive, saying, “What I did was as a private citizen,” and claiming the email was written on his “private computer.”

However, one of the recipients of that email, a county employee who would only speak under the condition their name not be revealed, accused Kelley of being a “bald faced liar” for saying he did not use county equipment to send the email.

“What Mr. Kelly and Mr. McGuire did was a clear ethics violation,” the anonymous employee claimed. “And if he says otherwise, David Kelley is a bald faced liar. He lied when he said county resources were not used. That email was prepared and sent out on county time, using county equipment. David Kelley is using taxpayers to foot the bill so he and Terry McGuire can campaign for Lisa Stanbery.”

In way of proof, the employee produced the actual email. Clearly, it bears the legend, “Sent via the WebMail system at bradleyschools.org”

“We are appalled that our bosses on the school board would put us in the position of having to support their candidate. Their candidate may not be my candidate. And don’t think Mr. Kelley doesn’t check up on these things. So many teachers are angry, I can’t even tell you, but they’re afraid. Mr. Kelley won’t hesitate to fire a teacher for political reasons, like he did Greg Cain.”

Despite his insistence that he did nothing wrong, Kelley was quick to deflect blame onto Stanbery’s campaign manager, Michelle Michaud. He said she was the person who got hold of the county employees’ school e-mail addresses and said it was she who created a private account from which to send the email out.

County Mayor, D. Gary Davis, who is fighting off Stanbery’s political challenge to the office he currently holds, was also quick to weigh in, pointing out that “more than 800 county employees opened an email on county time and on county taxpayers’ computer system because it was signed by the school board chairman and vice chairman. That made it look official.”

Rather than actually addressing the email, Stanbery shot back at Davis, reminding everyone that last year his personal assistant, former Fox affiliate talking head Dan Howell, used county time, the county website and a county phone system to sell tickets to a political fundraiser for Davis. Further, she accused the mayor of putting his campaign signs on county property, and using “the (county) Human Resources department’s computer, projector and screen” at a GOP political forum.

But Davis said we should keep the focus on the email controversy; that is, the two highest ranking members of the county school board campaigning for Lisa Stanbery using county resources.

Stanbery replied, “I feel we need to allow men of good character to express their opinion freely.”

The NewsHound agrees with you, Lisa. Let him know when you find one.

But there’s a bigger point to be made. That is, if every government employee who has used their computer for personal use were to be fired, then there would not be one single government employee left anywhere in the country. Because, whether it’s a basement office on Broad Street or the Oval Office in Washington, every government employee uses their office computer for personal business. Every single one. They goof off on the taxpayer’s dime and they use their taxpayer-funded office computer for personal things. And if any government employee out there says this doesn’t apply to them, then they can join David Kelley at the liar’s table.

The email is not at issue ~ it’s the low thinking behind it and the double standard of the chair and vice-chair of the Bradley County School system getting away with exactly what they once fired a teacher for doing.

The three County Mayor candidates faced off again Tuesday evening at Lee University hosted by some young Republicans. Incumbent D. Gary “No T-Shirts For Votes” Davis, won for being the sharpest dresser. The guy looked positively presidential.

County Commissioner Lisa “Jimmie Leg” Stanbery won for best smile and jangliest leg. You can’t help but like her.

War veteran Chris “Page 18” Weir won for best radio voice. This guy loses the mayor’s race, he could be the next Steve Hartline. Plus, he said he prays for everyone in the audience every night and folks can always use a little more praying for. The NewsHound sure can.

The most pretentious question of the night was submitted by an anonymous member of the audience, addressed to D. Gary Davis and read aloud by the moderator. What is it they say about being educated beyond one’s intelligence?

The question:

“To Mayor Davis — can you address your decision to opt for the seventeen million, five hundred fifty thousand dollar bond issue, general obligation school bonds, series 2009 taxable Build America bonds with an average coupon rate of five point three six percent interest rate less the IRS rebate of one point eight percent net interest cost of three point five percent, as opposed to the interest-free bond advocated by Commissioner Stanbery?”

Kelley, dude, seriously. Is the air just thin up there or what?

But . . . BUT . . . there was another of those hinky straw polls. Lisa won the straw poll with 53 votes, D. Gary was breathing down her neck with 52 votes and Weir was in exactly third place with 16 votes.

Here’s how the vote went down . . .

They passed around tickets, you’d take one, pass the rest on down the aisle. The NewsHound took six tickets. Then they placed three jars in front of each candidate’s podium with some of those young Republicans keeping an eye on everything. The audience was to go down and put their ticket stub in their favorite’s jar so the rest of us could see who they were voting for.

The NewsHound went down, dropped two tickets into each jar to prove a point, they didn’t even know he’d done it. Those six votes could easily have gone to one candidate. The point, of course, is there’s no point. These hinky straw polls you Republicans covet so much are meaningless. They’re barely worth bragging rights in a Gubernatorial or Congressional race. County Mayor? Are you kidding? It’s like a floor show. Enough already with the straw polls. You’d be doing the NewsHound a personal favor if you’d just stop doing that.

The NewsHound reported that 3rd District Congressional candidate Robin Smith popped fellow candidate Chuck Fleischmann at the Republican’s recent Lincoln Day Dinner because Fleischmann flip-flopped on the issue of earmarks. Now it seems she has extended the back of her hand to former Arkansas governor and presidential wannabe Mike Huckabee because Huckabee has come out in support of Fleischmann.

The Smith camp charges that a paid Huckabee consultant is also on the Fleischmann payroll and that’s just a little too shifty to suit them. In classic Smith fashion, her campaign manager, Chris Meekins, is quoted as saying, “It is curious that (Huckabee) would choose to support the candidate who has raised 73 percent of his campaign funds from his back pocket.” Meekins was referring to Huckabee’s criticism during the ’08 presidential primary of candidates using their own fortunes to finance their campaigns.

Meekins also couldn’t resist citing a straw poll taken at the Lincoln Day Dinner last weekend that had Robin trouncing Fleischmann by 34 percentage points “among grassroots Tennessee Republicans.” However, they might want to rethink the significance of that poll which only represented a couple hundred people, a lot of them already in the tank for Robin.

Which isn’t to say she isn’t a formidable candidate — she most certainly is. In fact, she is so formidable, the NewsHound has already gone on the record saying he wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes the 3rd District’s next Congresswoman.

As to Mike Huckabee, he said Fleischmann is just who the 3rd District needs representing them in Congress, “plain and simple.” Maybe somebody should tell ol’ Mike there’s nothing plain and simple about any race that features Robin Smith.

Fleischmann, of course, doesn’t have a problem with Mike’s endorsement. He said he was “honored,” and credited Huckabee with understanding “exactly what the American people are looking for and need.”

Wow. Who knew that Fleischmann was exactly what the American people were looking for and needed. Little guy, big self image. Be that as it may, the NewsHound is now half expecting to see Fleischmann show up on Huckabee singing lead for The Little Rockers. Maybe they’ll do a cover of the old Rolling Stones tune, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Because when it comes to this Congressional race, the NewsHound just don’t see it happening for ol’ Chuck. But who knows — where politics is concerned, it’s only rock ‘n roll anyway.

As to candidates in the 3rd District race contributing to their own campaigns, Fleischmann certainly isn’t alone. A lot of the money in that race is coming from the candidates’ own back pockets. Except for Tim Gibble. But that’s mainly because he doesn’t have any money.

Speaking of financing campaigns, the NewsHound longs for the days when a poor lad or lass of humble beginnings could rise from obscurity to achieve greatness within the political machine. But alas! We’ll never see another Honest Abe Lincoln because in this modern political age, only multi-multi-millionaires need apply. And you don’t become a multi-multi-millionaire by being honest.

This year, the Republicans’ biggest fundraising event of the year, the Lincoln Day Dinner, featured pork ‘n beans, cole slaw and BBQ. To drink? Your choice of sweet tea or water. Folks, that ain’t a dinner, that’s a 4th of July cook-out. And where’s a Coke or a cuppa joe when you need one? The NewsHound’s got to sit through a succession of Republican yabbermeisters, at least give him some caffeine.

The Cliff Notes version of this year’s big Lincoln Day bash, featuring the Republican Congressional and Gubernatorial candidates . . .

Those seeking the governorship include Joe Kirkpatrick, Zach Wamp, Ron Ramsey and Bill Haslam. They were all okay, not a lot of electricity in the room (Lauren Ledford notwithstanding), just a little face time with the base. Although one wonders if Joe isn’t in the race just to promote his comedy. But all good, all fine, all worthy of pork ‘n beans and cole slaw.

Candidates for the U.S. Congress, 3rd Dist. are Robin Smith, Tommy Crangle, Van Irion, Chuck Fleischmann, Art Rhodes and Tim Gibble. Again, okay but nothing to write home about, cole slaw and beans worthy. The only moment that even approached being a moment was when Robin Smith bitch-slapped Chuck Fleischmann because he switched his position on earmarks and now says he is against them. But that’s what makes Robin terrible and wonderful at the same time. And that’s probably why this time next year she’ll be in Washington. Continue Reading

If this were the wild west and if political candidate Adam Lowe’s election signs were cattle, it looks like County Commissioner Jim Smith would be a’hanging from a tall oak tree right now, because that is what they did to cattle rustlers in the wild west.

Good thing for ole Jim Smith this isn’t the wild west. This is Bradley’s great Land of Cleve and no one has ever been strung up for sign rustlin’ as far as we know. But that doesn’t mean the practice isn’t frowned upon.

That is why, when Adam Lowe — who is running against incumbent Jim Smith for a 4th District County Commission seat — got a call on Saturday, March 13, reporting that someone was stealing his political signs from the yard of a private residence on Bates Pike, he hurried over there with his video camera in time to catch the thief, identified as Jamie Martin, in the act.

When Lowe confronted Martin and asked why he was taking the Adam Lowe political signs down, Martin told him that Adam Lowe told him to. Lowe then told Martin that he was Adam Lowe and he had never done any such thing. At that point, Martin came clean and said incumbent County Commissioner Jim Smith had told him to take the signs.

However, when Lowe called the police to report the sign theft, Martin took off in a green pick-up truck. Lowe took down the Tennessee license plate number of the truck. After a Bradley County deputy had arrived, viewed Lowe’s video of the encounter and was taking the report, Martin returned to the scene. In the bed of his green pick-up were a number of large and small Lowe campaign signs, as well as a half dozen Stacy Hayes campaign signs. It is unclear at this time, but there may have been quite a few more political signs from other candidates also in Martin’s truck. Martin told the deputy that Jim Smith had told him to take the signs down because the owner of the Bates Pike property had requested they be taken down (no explanation as to why he took all the other signs). What Martin didn’t realize is that Lowe had already spoken with the property owner and the property owner said he had given Lowe permission to put the signs in his yard and had never requested that Jim Smith have them removed.

Martin produced a note Continue Reading