Posted on 06/24/2006 9:26:50 PM PDT by SmithL
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. - There is a touch of nostalgia, considerable passion and perhaps a bit of bitterness on display when the man who was almost governor steps to the speaker's podium these days.
At a Republican gathering in Big Ridge State Park, he begins a speech by reminiscing about the "magical time" of 1994, "a throw-the-rascals-out kind of a time."
William Vanderpool "Van" Hilleary was elected to the U.S. House that year, at age 35 - to a seat previously held by Democrats - and was a factor in the "Republican revolution" that gave his party control of Congress.
He left the House in 2004 to run for governor, winning the Republican nomination by a 2-to-1 margin, then losing in November by 50,481 votes out of more than 1.6 million cast.
Since he left Washington, things have changed for the worse, Hilleary tells the crowd of about 200 on hand at a Tennessee Federation of Republican Parties event when he speaks.
Today, he says, too many Republicans have turned out to be less than true conservatives - "spending like drunken sailors," doing "absolutely nothing" about illegal immigrants and otherwise betraying the principles of the people who elected them.
"I am fed up with what I see coming out of Washington!" he says. "We are at a nation-altering point in our history."
Grave national danger looms, he says, "if we don't have some people who will stand up and shake things up in Washington turn this country around!"
Hilleary, now 47, thus presents himself as ready to return to Washington in the role of U.S. Senate shaker.
Sizing up the race He portrays himself as far better positioned to seriously shake things up than his two principle competitors in the Republican primary - Ed Bryant, who served with Hilleary in the U.S. House, and Bob Corker, former Chattanooga mayor.
He is "a fighter," more aggressive than the mild-mannered "good guy" Bryant, says Hilleary. Corker, on the other hand, epitomizes the problem he seeks to remedy, he said.
"The Senate has become a body filled with very wealthy people who win because they present themselves in their initial campaign as something they're not," he said. "We need a conservative majority, not merely a Republican one."
He declined to answer a question on whether Tennessee's current senators, Lamar Alexander and the retiring Bill Frist, are in the nonconservative mold, but succinctly sizes up the situation in his effort to join Alexander.
"Can I get enough money to get my message out and expose Bob's hypocrisy? That's the whole race," he says.
Money, he acknowledges, has become an overriding concern. Even in his stump speech, he ties the topic to concern over high gasoline prices that have "shot my campaign budget apart."
Asked his favorite recreation, he initially replies with a joke: "Raising small amounts of money. That's fun. Big amounts, that's work."
Fund raising, he says, "is 90 percent of what I do" as a candidate, mostly on the phone, but often in person.
Working the crowd at the Federation of Republican Parties, he grins after shaking hands with a supporter and quips, "Y'all send us some moola."
At the end of the day, Jennifer Coxe, his campaign manager, reports receiving three checks - amount undisclosed - and a $20 bill. Others, including Dr. Michael Dimitroff, indicate a check will soon be in the mail.
"I've met all of them, two times each, and talked to them at some length," said Dimitroff, who says he moved a year ago from Indiana to Union County. "I think Van is the true conservative."
His wife, Nina, who says she spent years becoming a legal immigrant from Bulgaria, echoes her husband's sentiments. She voices particular support for Hilleary's comments on illegal immigrants - "first, seal the border" with military troops and allow "no amnesty in any form" for people in the United States illegally.
On the other side of the financial equation, Hilleary said he strives for frugality in campaigning at every turn - having one staffer handle jobs typically done by two, for example, and using his own car for the campaign rather than buying one.
"The whole team has bent over backwards to save every nickel we can for TV," he said.
The ad onslaught is expected late in the campaign. Corker has been on television since April.
Ups and downs Hilleary has had two losses and four wins in his previous political career, launched not long after he completed law school. He grew up in Rhea County, attending public schools, and working as a young man in the textile manufacturing company owned by his father.
His middle name, Vanderpool, is the maiden name of his mother and was abbreviated to Van in childhood.
Hilleary's initial venture into the election arena came in 1992, when he ran against veteran Democratic state Sen. Anna Belle Clement O'Brien of Crossville. He moved from Rhea to Roane County to be in the district and make the race - prompting a primary opponent to label him "moving Van."
He won the primary, but lost to the incumbent in November after a heated and contentious race. O'Brien got 28,173 votes; Hilleary 26,881.
"Every race I've lost has been a function of money," he says, recalling the 1992 campaign.
In 1994, Hilleary said he was recruited to run in the 4th Congressional District, where incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper gave up the seat to run for the Senate, by "some of the same Republican kingmakers who are now backing Bob Corker."
He declines to give names, but later describes such Corker allies as "the pro-choice, pro-income tax wing of the Republican Party," who have a "tradition of raising money" for chosen candidates.
Hilleary won the primary by a 2-to-1 margin, then scored a surprisingly solid win in November over Democrat Jeff Whorley - 81,539 to 60,489 votes. He was re-elected by large margins in 1996, 1998 and 2000.
In 2002, he ran for governor. In the campaign, he says, some "kingmakers of the party" soured on his candidacy because of his ardent and outspoken opposition to a state income tax backed by Republican Gov. Don Sundquist, who supported former Rep. Jim Henry of Kingston in the GOP primary.
"I had a choice to make when I was running for governor - either stay true to my conservative principles and oppose an income tax that I knew we didn't need or do as Don Sundquist did and capitulate on those principles," he said.
Hilleary coasted to a primary victory, winning twice the votes of Henry, then lost to Democrat Phil Bredesen in the general election. Again, Hilleary said, money made the difference - especially the $3 million that Bredesen gave his campaign in personal funds late in the race.
Still, he contends the favorable name recognition achieved by spending $8 million on advertising four years ago and winning 786,803 votes give him "a decent chance" of winning the Senate race - if the money is there.
Corker had a huge lead in fund raising at last report because, Hilleary says, he got into the race early and lined up "the Republican money machine that traditionally raises most of the money statewide" and traditionally prefers to back moderate and cooperative candidates.
"He (Corker) is a better fit," said Hilleary. "They're running the money to him."
But Hilleary said he has a chance of getting the necessary money and breaking a pattern at the state level as well as the national level.
"I think the party ought to be for everybody - grassroots as well as the financiers," he said.
'No career politician' After the 2002 election, Hilleary became a consultant, lawyer and sometimes lobbyist in Washington. He and his wife, Meredith, moved from Spring City in Rhea County to Murfreesboro in Rutherford County - basically, he says, because he likes the growing city and because he wanted to be close to the Nashville airport for commuting to Washington.
The couple also had their first child, Laura, now 2. Another daughter is expected in mid-August.
He is currently employed by the Washington law firm of Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal, though saying his workload - and salary - has diminished considerably during the campaign.
Corker has characterized him as "career politician" and "Washington insider" as well as questioning his lobbyist activity. He bristles at the criticism.
"I am no career politician," he says, citing in particular his service in the first Gulf War. An Air Force reservist, Hilleary volunteered for the war service and served as a navigator on a C-130 transport plane. He was promoted from captain to major.
He has registered as a lobbyist for three clients - The Lance Armstrong Foundation, involved in anti-cancer efforts; Prevent Blindness America; and SMS Holdings Corp., a Nashville-based security management firm.
For other clients, who he declined to name, Hilleary said he provides "strategic advice on how to deal with the federal minefield" that does not amount to lobbying.
Hilleary has also faced some criticism for receiving campaign funds linked to Jack Abramoff, but says he had no relevant dealings with the convicted lobbyist.
The candidate has promised to put money into a scholarship fund in an amount matching the donations received from groups with direct links to Abramoff. He said he is "close" to raising the money for the scholarship donation.
I had to read the name "Hilleary" VERY closely before I knew which Hilleary it was about.
I would be very pleased if Van Hilleary were elected to the Senate, but Ed Bryant is my first choice.
I just had a thought.
Can you imagine our official election results coming in at the end of the day a +/- for margin of error? And having run off elections if the final vote tallies were within the margin for error?
Scary. It would give the Democrats a whole new way to "recount until they win."
He is a two time loser. I donated to his campaign for Governor and I voted for him. He or Bryant will not win. The Repubs better vote for Corker or the crooked Harold Ford will win.
Hilleary is a one-time loser for major office (not counting his run for State Senate in 1992). He lost the Gubernatorial contest by a narrow margin simply because he couldn't match the spending by Bredesen, who violated state campaign finance laws to buy the office (which the 'Rat hack Attorney-General refused to enforce).
"I donated to his campaign for Governor and I voted for him."
And I fully supported Hilleary's run as well and voted for him.
"He or Bryant will not win."
Nonsense. Hilleary and Bryant are the only authentic Republicans in the race, and both would handily defeat Ford, Jr. I am not supporting Hilleary in this race (who shouldn't be in the contest at all) because the Senate seat was bought out from under Ed Bryant in '02 by Lamar! and crew, and he has damn well earned the right to that office. Lamar! the RINO has been a constant source of embarrassment and undistinguished service.
"The Repubs better vote for Corker or the crooked Harold Ford will win."
Why would I vote for a liberal Democrat running in the Republican primary ? Corker is as phony as a $3 bill including his jaw-droppingly incredulous and deceitful ads. Corker was actively courted by the Democrats throughout the late '90s to run for statewide office and he has done nothing but aid and abet their causes, helping to elect one as his successor as Chattanooga Mayor. If that phony gets by with a plurality in the primary, I will NOT vote for him in the general, period. Scumquist was a horror, and Lamar! is bad enough. This is a Conservative Republican state, and I will not vote for anymore g'damned liberal RINOs.
Corker is the only one whom Ford has a chance of defeating. The other two could defeat him, and the polls suggest as such. Unfortunately it looks like Corker will win because Hilleary and Bryant are splitting the conservative vote.
"Unfortunately it looks like Corker will win because Hilleary and Bryant are splitting the conservative vote."
Also, Corker is spending a mountain of money, while Bryant and Hilleary are underfinanced.
bump
Vote for a man who worked with the governor who darn near destroyed the state? Uh no thanks. I'll vote Hilleary or I'll vote Bryant, but I refuse to support a Taqxquist holdover. My dog can beat Harold Ford. That political family east of Memphis is despised in this state.
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