TN TAX BATTLE: Influential (pro-income tax) lawmaker (bob rochelle) suspends his re-election bid

WSMV News ^ | 7/5/02 | staff

[GailA]

http://www.wsmv.com/global/Fra meset.asp?P=/default.asp Decision 2002 Influential lawmaker suspends his re-election bid

July 5, 2002

Tennessee Senator Robert Rochelle says he's suspending his re-election campaign to reassess his political future. The Democrat from Lebanon said in a statement he wants to discuss the issue with his family.

In his words, Rochelle will "take a break, get some rest and think about what (he) wants to do next." Rochelle is a strong supporter of a state income tax and says his wife has received violent, threatening telephone calls -- as recently as this week. Rochelle says he'll think through whether he wants to continue in the Legislature. He says a concern about not running is that the voters' other choice would be -- in his words -- "a do-nothing legislator, a person who is championed by such cruel supporters."

Republican State Representative Mae Beavers of Mount Juliet has filed to run for the Senate seat now held by Rochelle.

[GailA]

Last poll I heard about Mae Beavers was beating the pants of this socialist pro-income tax leader.

[GailA]

70-30

[Southack]

Paybacks will hopefully cost quite a few TN pro-taxers their jobs this November.

Nice job avoiding the income tax, btw.

[Yardstick]

Well this is interesting.

In a way I hope Rochelle stays in...I'd like to watch him get beat.

[Common Tator]

Rochelle says he'll think through

That is politicianese my goose is cooked. It most often means people who he thought were going to supply him with campaign money are never in when he calls. And the secretary at the State Democratic headquarters asks who he is after he tells her who he is.

[tomahawk]

Time for this POS vampire to leave the Legislature and fill the seat with someone who respects private property and people being able to spend and save money for their families.

[TennTuxedo]

This doesn't mean that Mae Beavers supporters should stop campaigning and raising money for her campaign. I can envision Rochelle ressurecting himself from the dead in the last month or two of the campaign with a huge war chest, catching a napping campaign off-guard.

[Frohickey]

Rochelle is a strong supporter of a state income tax and says his wife has received violent, threatening telephone calls -- as recently as this week.

He's lying.

I think Rochelle's wife has given violent and threatening telephone calls to her husband.

[Joe Boucher]

Sounds like he and his family deserve threatening phone calls. Maybe a good tar and feathering is in order too. Time to show these big tax and spenders their way is over. Time for them to quit living like ghetto dwellers and get off the dole.

[madison46]

Tar and feathering????!!!! Shocking. Too bad so many Americans forget the tar and feathering and threats our founders unleashed. Cause they make it sound like such a bad thing.

[meyer]

He says a concern about not running is that the voters' other choice would be -- in his words -- "a do-nothing legislator, a person who is championed by such cruel supporters."

Verbally attacking the voters is no way to win an election. Well, I guess it worked for Hitlery, but she had tons of voter fraud to boost her.

I love the way he refers to us as "cruel". He's trying to steal all of our earnings but somehow he has the odacity to call us "cruel". What a jerk!!

[D. Miles]

The fool will run, his ego couldn't stand it if he didn't! He is doing the I need your sympathy thing and soooo close to early voting!!!!!!

[D. Miles]

Besides he is running...now past the withdrawl deadline! So, what is he going to do...say my name is on the ballot...but don't vote for me ?

[VA Advogado]

Besides he is running...now past the withdrawl deadline! So, what is he going to do...say my name is on the ballot...but don't vote for me ?

I think Tux is on to something. This is probably just a rope-a-dope strategy. A lame one at that. He is the enemy and must be crushed.

[Vidalia]

You folks in Tennessee don't let up for a second. This Bernie Sanders clone/scourge on the political system is indicative of why politicians have no credibility other than with themselves.

Trounce the bastud.

[crasher]

What are the chances that Republicans capture the state house or state senate. As I understand it, the Senate is 18-15 Dem, so we only need 2 more seats.

[GailA]

IF his family recieved threatening calls he would have squealed like a stuck pig the day they happened. Boss Hogg did when he even thought he was threatened. TBI investigated, talked to the man, and nothing further happened.

[GailA]

13 congress critters are retiring this year, heard on the radio that turn over may be as high as 20, guess that means they expect about 7 to get bounced because of their tax votes. My rep bubba pleasant is unoppoesed. He voted for the tax hikes, of course I WON't be voting for him.

We truly need a NONE OF THE ABOVE selection. And if NOTA takes the majority the canidates are tossed out, and new ones chosen.

[Southack]

"13 congress critters are retiring this year, heard on the radio that turn over may be as high as 20, guess that means they expect about 7 to get bounced because of their tax votes."

Gee, I guess that the state school system won't get to hire them on as high-priced "consultants" and "lobbyists" now that the income tax didn't pass. That must have really gotten in the way of their "retirement" plans...

[Old Professer]

Would you believe that I actually had this guy's election sign in my front yard last time around?

He is a friend of my wife's ex-boss, Ben West, also from Hermitage and a House member. Ben made it rather clear that the sign, even though we are just outside Rochelle's and West's districts, was a condition of employment.

Well, West fired my wife this past January after his wife showed up in the office on disability from Metro in Nashville with three doctor's letters attesting to her inability to work downtown, took over my wife's job and got in her face and belittled her.

I swear, if it wasn't against the law, I would break the law myself.

For months my wife kept a secret from the credit union that Ben West services ATM's for that should get him audited and even prosecuted for fraud if it became public; we shared this with the department of labor but they don't seem to care; so far my wife is getting unemployment checks but Ben is still appealing yet won't show up for meetings.

Since he has been in session for all this time I am sure he is going to try and talk one of his crony judges in Chancery into ruling against my wife and we will be hit with a bill for about $7,000 in "undeserved" benefits; it's Hell waiting for this shoe to drop.