Posted on 01/05/2009 12:53:48 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Rep. Zach Wamp (R) announced Monday that he will seek the governorship of Tennessee in 2010, abandoning the seat in the House he has held since 1995.
“I believe the time is at hand for me to expand my service to help even more people in our great state by pursuing the office of governor,” Wamp said in a statement.
“I will file the paperwork necessary to begin raising money as a candidate for governor of the great state of Tennessee,” he added.
The decision comes shortly after former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R) demurred from pursuing the governorship, a factor Wamp had previously said weighed heavily in his decision to get into the race. Wamp had stated that he was “conflicted” over whether he should run, citing an interest in foreign policy issues he’s taken while in Congress.
Wamp and a bevy of other Republicans will seek to reclaim the seat from Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is term-limited and can’t run again in 2010.
Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons (R) also announced Monday that he would seek the Republican nomination for governor.
Wamp represents the Volunteer State’s 3rd district, which is rated as a “solid Republican” district by the Cook Political Report.
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Does he have a brother named “Mug”?.............
My congressman...
Can we get John J Hooker instead? /sarcasm I supported Wamp for years. His YES vote on bailout was the last straw. Wamp talks conservative but thats about it. I also will not vote for any GOP Clown who called in recorded messages supporting Corker.
Mine too and I’m not too proud of him these days.
Wamp = king RINO
I would support Fred Thompson. He’s much more suited for Gov. than President.
No, but I’m betting (R) or not, he’s still a rat.
Now, where did I park my T-16...
The TN Governor primary looking like a contest between Wamp vs the Knoxville Mayor. Wamp running means Fred ain’t running. Wamp was handling Fred’s campaign. So he’ll have a big list of donors to call. Wouldn’t be surprised if Romney supporters attempt to trash Wamp. In their eyes, Wamp, by encouraging Fred to run, denied Willard of his birthright. That said, I prefer if Lt Gov. Ramsey ran. Being a Congressman is a liability these days and the Knoxville Mayor remains me too much of Sen. Corker.
The Dems may try to recruit Tim McGraw to run for Governor. If they do that, perhaps the GOP ought to counter with Michael W. Smith or Amy Grant?
If this ends up between Bailout Whoomp and “Mayors against guns” Haslam, I will vote 3rd party. Neither is acceptable. I’m either going with Ramsey or Marsha Blackburn, though I’m still hoping Fred Thompson comes back to cap off his career.
Amy Grant is a whore.
Fred Thompson seems contend to enjoy his talk radio gig. I expect Fred to make numerous campaign appearances for Wamp. The third lesser known candidate is a Shelby county DA. I’d prefer if he ran for Attorney General instead.
Attorneys-General aren’t elected in TN. We have the singlemost byzantine method for their selection in the U.S. in that they are chosen by the State Supreme Court (hello, conflict of interest ?), and the Supremes are chosen by an elite group of liberal trial lawyers, always ensuring the court AND the AG is a liberal Democrat hack.
1) Good grief. Judges are appointed by the ABA? Let me guess. The local media supports the scheme because it takes politics out of the selection process.
2) Amy Grant seems like Hannah Montana in her forties. The only thing that she did “wrong” was divorce her 1st hubby, Gary Chapman, and remarry Vince Gill. Amy Grant is not the first evangelical to divorce and remarry.
It's a judicial review group. For the higher judges as such, there is no competitive elections, we do vote on retentions (a la Missouri Plan), but it's a joke. We bounced a left-wing jurist in the '90s, but she was just replaced with another.
A small list of names "vetted" by the review board is sent to the Governor, and the Governor must choose, or they themselves will make the appointment (though I can't recall if that ever occurred). Usually all the names are of Dem elitists, but occasionally they'll put a RINO or go along to get along Republican in the mix so as not to look "partisan" (but no Conservatives ever).
When we had the horrific Adolpho "Papa Smurf" Birch retire, the first Black Chief Justice, Gov. Bredesen told the board he wanted to appoint another Black and tried offering suggestions (which they disregarded, they won't be told what to do by anyone). When they submitted the names, Bredesen got mad and said he didn't want any of them and wanted specific Black nominees. They refused to do it, so in a fit of pique, he appointed the lone White Republican nominee.
"Let me guess. The local media supports the scheme because it takes politics out of the selection process."
Of course. But now since the Republicans broke the gerrymander after 140 years in November, the liberal rodent media is now seeing how WRONG it is that Democrats will be shut out. At the upcoming organizational session of the legislature, we are expecting to elect Republicans to Sec of State, Comptroller & Treasurer. The first time a Republican has ever held any of those offices since perhaps the late 1860s (if we did even then, and I'm not sure).
As for Amy Grant, I have about as low an opinion of her as you can get. She was carrying on with Vince Gill behind Gary Chapman's back. I think Gary was permanently traumatized by that (if not their 3 children as well), and he is a very decent guy. Despicable and classless stuff. If a man had done that under similar circumstances, they'd have been thoroughly villified.
I’d leave the judgeships vacant if I was the Governor.
Time to amend the state constitution or whatever.
Haslam is for gun control? Yeez. That’s so passe.
Poltics1 says Lincoln Davis may not run after getting a seat on appropriations. Oh noes!! We need that seat back. Though I fear his faux-con a$$ could win.
If Tim McGraw (LOL seriously) is that rat I will lead the smackdown effort if any misguided freepers say nice things about him.
Total Lie, he stated that if Frist runs he would drop, it's all marketing now.
If Blackburn runs she would take East and Middle TN, that should be our candidate.
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