By Kenneth Balog

I don’t normally pay attention to dreams because, to me, a dream is just a dream — something that happens inside my brain box as a result of the exercise, food or drink I had during the day.  And, since I don’t believe in omens, premonitions or prophecy I don’t bother with the arts of reading meaning into dreams — not even nightmares.  However, the dream I had last night fit the times so well that I just have to mention it.

It concerned our socialistic president Obama.  Yep, I must have had him on mind when I fell asleep after reading something about how Obama’s ratings have dropped in the past few months because Americans do not like words like socialist, communist or Nazi.  Whatever the reason, Obama isn’t as popular today as he was during the past elections.

My dream had everything to do with how Obama, the politician, can not only recover his lost popularity, but can gain the adoration and support of 85 percent of the population. Continue Reading

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.

Dear Hometown Cleveland,

Two County School Board members, David Kelley, chairman, and Terry McGuire, vice-chair, have come out in support of County Commissioner Lisa Stanbery’s campaign for County Mayor. That is their right. However, it is NOT their right to use County computers and equipment, County time and a County mailing list to do it.

This is particularly abhorrent as David Kelley oversees the Bradley County Headstart program and has a County office from which to push his political agendas. The fact that he took it upon himself to turn over a mailing list with PERSONAL INFORMATION about every County school teacher and staff member to Lisa Stanbery’s campaign manager is beyond abhorrent — it is an outrageous violation of teachers’ privacy and an abuse of his position.  What was Commissioner Stanbery’s involvement? Even more troubling, if Commissioner Stanbery does become the next County Mayor, she will have access to private information on ALL County residents. How will she use our private information then? Continue Reading

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

(NOTE: Hometowncleveland.com received the following email this week:)

Dear HTC:

As a long time reader and fan of Home Town Cleveland, the thing I and many others miss most is your discussion forums. That is why you and your readers may be interested to know that Cabcow.com is back.

Cabcow, which stands for Cleveland And Bradley County On the Web, has always felt there is room enough for all viewpoints and opinions and are only too happy to provide such a forum.

If you have questions, please feel free to reply to this email. Thank you for your time. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

(NOTE: We visited the Cabcow web site and found it to be more or less under construction. However, the idea is a good one, so we have decided to provide a link to Cabcow.com just to see what type of response they get from the public. We also welcome your feedback . . . tell us what you think.  — HTC Editor)

The above comment, and all “Ear To The Ground” articles are submitted by our readers and in no way reflect the views, opinions or flavor preferences of HTC.

Dear Home Town Cleveland,

Please advise the public to expect a slanted opinion poll to soon appear regarding the Republican candidates running in the 3rd District Congressional race, possibly at the Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday (Mar. 27). I have learned from someone I trust that the GOP leadership in Bradley County, who continue to engage in dirty tricks against members of their own party, have a new scheme to create a phony straw poll that will make Congressional candidate Tim Gobble appear to be unpopular with the voters.

These are the same people who tired to destroy Mr. Gobble four years ago during the sheriff’s race and several years before that when Mr. Gobble was a city councilman. The GOP leadership, led by John Stanberry, has a vendetta against Tim Gobble because he is a political outsider who refuses to “play the game.” They want Robin Smith in Washington because she IS a political insider who plays the game like a pro. They know they can count on her to protect them and further consolidate their power in Cleveland and Bradley. The fact is, Mr. Gobble is VERY popular with the voters and Robin Smith is getting desperate to stop his grassroots momentum. Continue Reading

(The following was submitted by supporters of County Mayor D. Gary Davis. — HTC editors)

County Commissioner Lisa Stanbery has been so aggressively reckless in her inaccuracies and personal attacks toward County Mayor D. Gary Davis that those of us who support fiscally sound, responsible county governance cannot help but speak out and correct the record.

County Fund Balance:

Mayor Gary Davis has stated on more than one occasion that the fund balance has always come in with MORE money at the end of the fiscal year than he projected at the beginning of that fiscal year. For example, in the 2007 budget, Mayor Davis projected a fund balance of $3,053,068. The actual audited fund balance at the end of that fiscal year was $7,520,768. In 2008, he projected $3,576,009. The actual audited number at the end of that fiscal year was $5,462,930. So much better to err on the side of caution when it comes to the County’s fiscal wellbeing. Continue Reading