Free Republic

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander said Thursday he would support Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, breaking with Republican leaders who have questioned whether she would bring a bias to the bench. Alexander, the No. 3 Republican in Senate leadership, said that her “political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendment rights.” But the Tennessee Republican added: “I will vote to confirm her because she is well-qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.” Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed next week...

Alexander to Support Sotomayor for Supreme Court By Jessica Brady Roll Call Staff July 30, 2009, 10:37 a.m. Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) announced Thursday that he will join five of his GOP colleagues in supporting Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON — The Senate's No. 3 Republican announced Thursday he'd break with the rest of his party's leaders to support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who's in line to become the first Hispanic justice. Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said he was voting for President Barack Obama's nominee despite his differences with her, particularly on gun rights. "Even though Judge Sotomayor's political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve," Alexander said in a speech on the...

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Angry Appalachian coal miners are refusing to vacation in Tennessee because they say one of that state’s political leaders wants to eliminate needed jobs by banning mountaintop removal. Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is sponsoring legislation that would bar coal companies from the controversial mining practice that involves blasting away mountaintops to unearth coal and dumping dirt, rock and trees into the valleys beneath. Such a ban would effectively halt the destructive form of mining. Miners in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia are taking part in the protest, said Roger Horton, director of Citizens for Coal,...

WASHINGTON -- In an economy that appears to favor Democrats and in a year when Republicans are expected to lose seats in the U.S. Senate, one of them almost certainly will not be Tennessee's. Popular two-term governor Lamar Alexander is seeking re-election this year with a low-key campaign reminding voters that he has proposed concrete solutions, sometimes opposed by President Bush, even as he's climbed to the third spot in the Senate's GOP leadership. His opponent, Nashville lawyer Robert D. Tuke, is lesser known and stresses Alexander's partisanship and ties to Bush and, most recently, to an unpopular vote bailing...

We welcome Senator Alexander to the blog, and applaud his action to improve our energy situation. - Jon Henke Americans are feeling the pain at the pump. Hundreds of my constituents have written me with their stories of how record-high fuel costs are affecting their family budgets. One Tennessean who wrote to me is a diabetic who is having trouble paying for her insulin shots due to rising gas prices. She says: "Gas for work or insulin to live. That is the decision I have had to make several times daily." It's time for Congress to take action. Forty-four Senate...

HR4774 On March 5th, the US House of Representatives unanimously approved the naming of a Post Office after Cyndi Taylor Krier. Normally, a vote like this would not make news in The Daily Congressional. This, however, is a special case. According to The Washington Post“One of Washington’s minor traditions is to name post offices after heroes, usually recently deceased. A lot of them have been named recently for service members killed in Iraq. But Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) has taken a new approach. He’s pushing to name a post office after a prominent, very-much-alive lobbyist. And that’s not all. His...

Anticipating a cloture vote on the immigration bill on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) today said he will be in opposition. He said, “I plan to vote against cloture on the immigration bill, as I have already done twice during this debate. I believe a better approach would be a more modest bill that focuses on border security, employer identification, and putting systems in place that will put us in a position to actually enforce a new immigration policy. Sen. Lamar Alexander said he will also vote against cloture.

The Prowers County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of a man who was shot by a homeowner during an alleged home invasion early Thursday. At approximately 1:15 a.m. Thursday, authorities were notified of an alleged burglary west of town where Raul Munoz, 27, of Lamar had been shot. Authorities would not release the name of the shooter nor the address where the shooting took place. "I will not be releasing his name because there have been some threats made against him by some of the family members of the victim," said Sheriff Jim Faull. Faull would only say that...

Sen. Trent Lott is being coy about whether he'll run for minority whip in the GOP leadership elections slated for Wednesday. But while Lott plays his cards close to his vest, his presumptive rival, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has already declared himself the winner.

David Horowitz - Ward Churchill Debate From George Washington University to Air on C-SPAN Saturday, 8 EDT. The topic was Politics in the Classroom.

On April 6-7, 2006, Students for Academic Freedom will host its First National Academic Freedom Conference featuring a debate between Students for Academic Freedom Chairman David Horowitz and University of Colorado-Boulder Professor Ward Churchill. The topic for debate will be: “Can Politics Be Taken Out Of The Classroom, and Should It Be?” The debate will be held Thursday evening on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, DC. Young America’s Foundation and the Center for the Study of Popular Culture are the co-hosts of the debate. Seating for the debate is limited and will be determined by George Washington...

NASHVILLE - Funding for colleges is threatened by a "growing political one-sidedness" on many campuses, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander told higher education officials Friday. "How many conservative speakers are invited to deliver commencement addresses? How many colleges require courses in U.S. history? How many even teach Western civilization? ... Those are politically unacceptable topics," the Tennessee Republican testified before the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The commission - created by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings this fall - met in Nashville Thursday and Friday and will hold similar meetings across the country during the next several months. By...

WASHINGTON — An advertising company that gives most of its political donations to Republicans has refused to put up billboards criticizing Rep. Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican. The Democratic National Committee had sought to rent two billboards in Portsmouth, Ohio, and another in Cincinnati with a picture of Schmidt and the message: “Shame on you, Jean Schmidt: Stop attacking veterans. Keep your eye on the ball — we need a real plan for Iraq.” Lamar Advertising Co. of Baton Rouge, La., owns the billboards. Schmidt attacked Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is a Marine veteran, for his call...

Lamar Advertising, a major campaign benefactor, will not run billboards critical of state legislators. Executives at a major outdoor advertising company refusing to run billboard ads criticizing state legislative leaders for voting themselves 16- to 34-percent raises, have been a steady source of campaign donations for some of those same lawmakers. Officials at Lamar Advertising Co., which rejected the critical billboard ads proposed by the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, have given nearly $30,000 during the past five years to Pennsylvania candidates and political action committees, according to campaign finance records. Two of Lamar’s top executives, based at the company headquarters...

Lamar Advertising refuses billboards it says are critical of public officials. A group of conservative political activists has raised nearly $7,500 for its planned advertising blitz against state legislative leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow, who helped engineer 16-to-34-percent pay raises for themselves. Now, it just needs to find a way to spend it. The group, called Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, announced last week that it planned to target legislative leaders – including Mellow, who represents the boroughs of Avoca, Dupont and Duryea in Luzerne County – in a statewide anti-pay raise ad campaign on billboards and in...

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who in recent weeks has emerged as the wind energy industry's public enemy No. 1, is also a Nantucket property owner. Alexander, who last month filed legislation that could hobble the emerging wind industry - including the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm - bought a seaside plot on the eastern edge of Nantucket four years ago for $800,000. Alexander and his wife own the half-acre property in Siasconset through a trust, according to a recent Senate filing. They have not built there and today the property is worth $1.25 million, according to the island's tax...

<p>An AIDS conference that received $300,000 in federal funds featured political criticism of the Bush administration and workshop programs on thwarting federally mandated abstinence education.</p> <p>The United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) in New Orleans, sponsored in part by nine federal agencies, was marred by "Bush bashing," said one veteran AIDS activist.</p>

A few weeks ago I received a faint-hearted, weak response to my request for support for Constitutional protection of marriage, in the face of a concerted assault on the institution of marriage by the courts. I quote an excerpt: There are several proposals before Congress that would begin the process of amending the Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. I am not persuaded that amending the Constitution is necessary because Tennessee already defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and as I said before, federal law makes clear our state's right to enforce that definition. I'm grateful you took...

UNITED STATES et al. v. BEAN certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the fifth circuit No. 01-704. Argued October 16, 2002--Decided December 10, 2002 Because of respondent's felony conviction, he was prohibited by 18 U. S. C. §922(g)(1) from possessing, distributing, or receiving firearms or ammunition. Relying on §925(c), he applied to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) for relief from his firearms disabilities. ATF returned the application unprocessed, explaining that its annual appropriations law forbade it from expending any funds to investigate or act upon such applications. Invoking §925(c)'s judicial review provision, he filed...

<p>In his first public statement on the issue, U.S. Sen.-elect Lamar Alexander said yesterday that racially divisive comments made by Sen. Trent Lott were offensive to the core values of most Americans, but that it was time to move on.</p>

Alexander wins Tennessee's open Senate seat, returns to national stage By Richard Locker and James W. Brosnan locker@gomemphis.com brosnanj@shns.com November 5, 2002 NASHVILLE — Republican Lamar Alexander apparently defeated Democrat Bob Clement in their battle to become the first new U.S. senator since the 1994 Republican landslide elected Sens. Bill Frist and Fred Thompson. Eight years later, Thompson is stepping down to resume his acting career after a tenure as an occasional Republican maverick. With 1,809 of 2,353 precincts reporting Name Party Votes Pct Lamar Alexander GOP 740,279 55.4% Bob Clement Dem 578,946 43.3% Clement narrowly lagged behind Alexander in...

Stakes high on lottery, top offices By Paula Wade wade@gomemphis.com November 5, 2002 Tennesseans will brave steady rain today to make history - electing a new governor, a U.S. senator, filling three open congressional seats, recasting much of the state legislature and deciding on a long-debated state lottery. The contest between Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Van Hilleary is the closest governor's race since 1986 but the stakes are much higher than simply deciding who gets to live in the Governor's Mansion. After three brutal years of fiscal crisis in state government and a vicious campaign season, Tennesseans will choose...

Van Hilleary, Heston, Lamar Heston fires up NRA rally Tour for GOP is ailing actor's exit By James W. Brosnan (albore's water carrier) brosnanj@shns.com November 2, 2002 NASHVILLE - Charlton Heston stood with Tennessee politicians for the last time as president of the National Rifle Association on Friday. More than 300 NRA members stood more than an hour in an Opryland Hotel conference room to hear other NRA leaders and finally Heston plug the candidacies of Lamar Alexander for the U.S. Senate and Rep. Van Hilleary (R-Tenn.) for governor. Heston, 79, has Alzheimer disease and is stepping down as the...

Clement supports tax cut; Alexander touts jobs By Richard Locker locker@gomemphis.com October 29, 2002 NASHVILLE - Democrat Bob Clement announced his support Monday for a one-time $500 energy tax cut or rebate while Republican Lamar Alexander unveiled a new TV ad touting his experience as governor in attracting jobs to Tennessee. The Alexander ad begins airing statewide today. It says that as governor from 1979 to 1987, Alexander "helped bring in the auto industry and thousands of good-paying jobs" to the state. It says that as senator, he will "work twice as hard to protect Tennessee jobs and create an...

Senate race duo exchange salvos of innuendo By Richard Locker, locker@gomemphis.com October 7, 2002 JACKSON, Tenn. - Senate candidates Lamar Alexander and Bob Clement resumed their war of words over each other's service on corporate boards as the sparks flew in their second debate Sunday night. At one point in their 90-minute televised encounter at Lambuth University, Clement approached Alexander with a dollar bill and asked him to "turn it into $620,000 for Tennessee schoolchildren" - an allusion to Alexander's $620,000 return on a $1 investment in The Knoxville Journal newspaper in the early 1980s while governor of Tennessee. Alexander...

<p>Congressman Bob Clement yesterday ''conceded'' that he was on an ''advisory'' committee of one of the failed Butcher banks in the early 1970s, but he continued to maintain that he was not on its board of directors.</p> <p>Saying he wanted to move along to the real issues, Clement held a conference call with reporters to describe his service with C & C Bank of Knox County and to again challenge senatorial opponent Lamar Alexander to step down from the board of directors of Education Networks of America.</p>

<p>Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bob Clement outlined his economic plan yesterday, including education, transportation and job training as priorities, but his news release gave few details for the short-term recovery of an economy he has said is unraveling.</p> <p>Clement's plan calls for more spending on education, more funding for college scholarships and cracking down on professionals who haven't paid student loans. It also called for more character and civics education in college.</p>

<p>A notorious bank fraud case provided more ammunition yesterday for shots fired between Lamar Alexander and Bob Clement in the U.S. Senate race.</p> <p>In the latest round, the Clement campaign accused Alexander of taking $50,000 in campaign contributions raised by the late C.H. Butcher Jr. and later lobbying federal regulators to preserve the banking empire Butcher and his brother, Jake, had built. The Butchers went to prison for bank fraud after federal and state regulators padlocked their failing banks in 1983.</p>

<p>CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee's U.S. Senate candidates Lamar Alexander and Bob Clement came out swinging last night in their first debate, with Alexander claiming that his opponent is a Hillary Rodham Clinton-Ted Kennedy liberal and Clement accusing the former governor of getting rich off ''sweetheart'' corporate insider deals.</p>

Enemies will hit again, Cheney warns Lauds Alexander for Senate as he links Iraq's Hussein to al-Qaida By Thomas Jordan jordan@gomemphis.com September 27, 2002 Vice President Cheney said here Thursday there is little doubt "our enemies are determined" to do more harm to the American people. Despite the disruption of terrorist plots and the shutdown of al-Qaida training camps, the desire to hurt Americans persists, Cheney said while in Memphis on behalf of Lamar Alexander, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. "We are determined to protect our country, and we will prevail," Cheney said at a noon fund-raiser at...

<p>WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Clement, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, said he advised President Bush during a White House briefing yesterday to concentrate as much on stabilizing the nation's economy as he has on pushing for action on Iraq.</p>

<p>Candidate profile schedule: yesterday and today — Bob Clement; last Sunday and Monday — Lamar Alexander. Governor's candidates to follow.</p> <p>Bob Clement sat at the bottom of his still-young political career in 1982.</p> <p>Not yet 40, this son of a three-time governor had launched his own political life with stunning success, becoming in 1972 the youngest Tennessean ever elected to statewide office. Then he had assumed a federal post of uncommon prominence in Tennessee — as a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority.</p>

<p>President Bush challenged the United Nations here yesterday to stand up to an Iraq that has defied international sanctions but now says it will readmit weapons inspectors.</p> <p>His first stop during a three-hour visit was at the Nashville Convention Center, where he helped bring in more than $1 million for Lamar Alexander's U.S. Senate campaign and continued his campaign to convince the American public that Saddam Hussein needs to be removed from power and Iraq disarmed.</p>

Alexander grabs 18-point advantage over Clement By Tom Humphrey The Knoxville News-Sentinel September 16, 2002 Republican Lamar Alexander has a commanding lead in the U.S. Senate race over Democrat Bob Clement, according to a new Tennessee Poll. "Alexander has all but got this thing wrapped up - unless something really strange happens," said Dr. Michael Gant, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, political science professor and director of the UT Social Science Research Institute. Forty-five percent of the 605 registered voters who took part in the statewide telephone survey said they intended to vote for Alexander, a former governor, in November....

<p>The issue of personal finances has come to the fore in the U.S. Senate race, with candidate Bob Clement accusing Lamar Alexander of being too close to the corporate world and Alexander's campaign charging that Clement became a millionaire since going to Congress 14 years ago.</p>

"New Poll: Alexander Leads Clement By 14%" A new poll released on Wednesday by Ayres, McHenry & Associates shows Lamar with a 53% to 39% lead over Bob Clement, with 8% undecided. The survey was taken by 600 likely general election voters and has a margin of error of 4.08%. Bob Clement is No Zell Miller Democrat Bob Clement is continuing to try to outrun his liberal voting record as he campaigns across Tennessee. His latest attempt was to try to use Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia as a shield during fundraising stops on Wednesday—which only made things worse. As...

<p>Both President Bush and his father, the former president, are expected to be in Tennessee next month to support former Gov. Lamar Alexander in his Senate race against Democrat Rep. Bob Clement. The president will be in Nashville on Sept. 17, and his father, George H. W. Bush, will be lunching in Knoxville the following day, the Alexander campaign says. Mr. Alexander served as Education Secretary in the elder Mr. Bush's administration. "We've requested those dates and we're planning for them to be there," Alexander campaign spokesman Josh Holly said. The White House could not yet confirm the president's September schedule. Mr. Clement and Mr. Alexander are vying for the seat of Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, who is not seeking another term. Mr. Alexander faced a tough Aug. 1 primary against Rep. Ed Bryant, and Democrats say Republicans are still trying to unite and persuade Mr. Bryant's supporters to back Mr. Alexander. "Seems to me they're struggling," said Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bill Farmer. Republican leaders say the party is clearly united behind Mr. Alexander. "We are seeing an incredible amount of enthusiasm and support for Alexander's campaign," said Elizabeth Phillips, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party. "We're not hearing anything from Bryant supporters not supporting Lamar. On the contrary, they have been saying 'What can we do to help?'" The GOP has been pushing "unity," however. Following the primary, Mr. Alexander and Mr. Bryant did a one-day Republican unity tour of the state along with fellow Republicans Mr. Thompson, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Beth Harwell, Rep. Van Hilleary (who is running for governor) and Jim Henry, who lost the Republican gubernatorial nomination to Mr. Hilleary. Mr. Alexander and Mr. Bryant also plan to visit Mr. Bryant's turf of West Tennessee next week to rally support there for Mr. Alexander. And Mr. Thompson is pitching in, too, by recording a TV ad for the Alexander campaign in which he voices his support and notes Mr. Alexander's accomplishments, including "bringing in auto jobs, fixing our schools" as governor. The ad began airing yesterday. Meanwhile the National Education Association put its support behind Mr. Clement, while the National Right to Life Committee and the National Federation of Independent Business endorsed Mr. Alexander last week. The Clement camp questioned the NFIB endorsement, noting that the NFIB does not support an increase in the minimum wage or a comprehensive patients' bill of rights, and asking if this means Mr. Alexander opposes these initiatives, which Mr. Clement supports. "Who would Lamar Alexander disappoint, the National Federation of Independent Business or Tennessee families? Our bet: Tennessee families," reads a Clement campaign release. Alexander campaign spokesman Kevin Phillips said Mr. Alexander does not support an increase in the minimum wage because it "hurts job growth. Businesses don't expand, new employees don't get hired." He said Mr. Alexander could vote for a patients' bill of rights, but "it would depend on what the provisions were," since there are several versions floating around Congress. Mr. Clement and Mr. Alexander agreed to hold debates and each appointed an aide to handle the details, but there have been tensions since. Mr. Clement's camp said the Alexander campaign has been unresponsive on the matter. "Frankly, they haven't been communicating with us," said Bill Fletcher, who is coordinating the debates for Mr. Clement. Mr. Fletcher said he finally heard back yesterday from Mr. Alexander's debate point man, Chip Saltsman, and the two are meeting Friday. The two campaigns have independently accepted five debates in common, to be held in Jackson, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. But Mr. Clement's camp has accepted debates which Mr. Alexander has not yet accepted, including one sponsored by the Public Forum in Nashville.</p>

Clement debate proposal omits Tri-Cities By TIM WHALEY KINGSPORT - In a Tennessee election cycle that has seen far more debate about debates than actual head-to-head policy talk by candidates, U.S. Rep. Bob Clement, D-5th District, and former Gov. Lamar Alexander have yet to agree to any events. Alexander released a schedule Saturday of "accepted" debates that includes Kingsport, while Clement's Monday release neglected the Northeast Tennessee region's invitation from the Times-News. Clement Communications Director Bill Fletcher said in effect, the debate schedules of both campaigns were issued "in a vacuum." "As you know, we both issued press releases accepting...

Bryant poses the risk of Alexander's vulnerability By Richard Locker locker@gomemphis.com July 31, 2002 MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Republican Ed Bryant told party activists Tuesday that Democrats will attack Lamar Alexander's personal "financial dealings'' if he wins the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, leaving the seat vulnerable to a loss. In a campaign stop at the Rutherford County GOP headquarters, Bryant and a prominent campaign supporter, retired TBI director Arzo Carson, cited Alexander's personal finances to bolster Bryant's argument he is more capable of holding the Senate seat for the GOP in the general election. Bryant said Democrat Bob Clement...

Alexander's fault: doing well in office Questions of personal gain in every post By Marc Perrusquia perrusquia@gomemphis.com July 14, 2002 He walked across Tennessee and into state folklore. When Lamar Alexander stepped into the governor's mansion in 1979, it was the end of a blistering political race he won campaigning on foot from the Appalachians to the Mississippi dressed in a plaid lumberjack shirt. He was young, 38, with brains, good looks and a gift for music, a breath of fresh air to a state gasping for new leadership. The man he replaced, Ray Blanton, had dragged Tennesseans through four...

<p>Painting his Republican opponent as a former governor who was all too willing to raise taxes, Ed Bryant asserted yesterday that he is the Senate candidate more devoted to lowering them.</p> <p>He charged that Lamar Alexander, his opponent in the GOP primary race for U.S. Senate, presided over hikes in the state sales tax rate during his gubernatorial terms.</p>

Democrats veering to Clement for Senate Would be 'great choice,' says Rep. Ford; Rout backs GOP's Alexander By James W. Brosnan brosnanj@shns.com WASHINGTON - Jockeying for the Democratic Senate nomination took a dramatic shift Wednesday toward Rep. Bob Clement (D-Tenn.). . Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) said he would not run and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) said he will defer to Clement if Clement wants to make the race. "I think he'd make a great choice," said Ford. "As someone who believes in our party, I wouldn't challenge Bob in the primary." Clement was "gratified" by Ford's comments and a...

Alexander, Bryant vie for Senate Will jostle in GOP primary for seat held by Thompson By Richard Locker locker@gomemphis.com NASHVILLE - A Republican primary showdown between former governor Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Ed Bryant emerged Saturday in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee. Bryant formally announced his candidacy Saturday, saying he has consistently backed President Bush's agenda in the House of Representatives and wants to continue in the Senate. Alexander has scheduled his official announcement for 2 p.m. Monday in Nashville. His chief campaign fund-raiser, Ted Welch, said Saturday that he has already begun telephoning...