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The Struggle Against the Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust with Justin Jones

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Organizer Justin Jones joins to talk with Representative Johnson about his years-long struggle in leading the charge to remove the bust of former KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest from the State Capitol. Jones puts it best in his reason for focusing so heavily on the bust: if we can’t remove such a blatant symbol of racism from our Capitol, how will we ever be able to find the strength to build a true, multi-racial democracy?

FULL PODCAST available on Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you like to listen.

TN Dem County Chairs To Call On Exec Committee To Ask GOP/Mcconnell-Backing DNC Rep Bill Owen To RESIGN

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As The Intercept recently reported, TN Superdelegate Bill Owen, who has been leading the charge to attempt to organize a way to stop Bernie Sanders through a brokered convention in Milwaukee, is “A SIGNIFICANT GOP DONOR, HEALTH CARE LOBBYIST” who has even contributed to a PAC that backs GOP Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, of all people.
It seems many Tennessee Democratic County Party chairs are not taking that sitting down, and plan to release a letter (BELOW) calling on the State Executive committee to ask for his resignation.
First, here’s what the Intercept initially reported about Owen’s contributions to Republicans, including Mitch McConnell:

Owen, who runs a lobbying firm called Asset & Equity Corporations, donated to Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and gave $8,500 to a joint fundraising committee designed to benefit Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2019.

“I am a committed Democrat but as a lobbyist, there are times when I need to have access to both sides and the way to get access quite often is to make campaign contributions,” said Owen, in a brief interview with The Intercept.

“I’m a registered lobbyist and I represent clients and they have interest in front of Congress and I attend the Senator’s Classic, which is a Republican event, each year,” he added.

Owen noted that he understood how his GOP donations could open him up for criticism but stressed that he also gives to Democrats. Federal Election Commission records show Owen has donated to Democrats in previous years, but has not donated to his own party’s congressional candidates this cycle. Owen has not given to any presidential candidates this cycle.

A former member of the Tennessee state legislature, Owen is currently an executive member of the Tennessee Democratic Party and DNC, making him one of the 771 unpledged delegates, also known as superdelegates, who could play a hand in selecting the presidential nomination. Owens is a supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, and has pushed to use superdelegates to make Biden the nominee.

The Tennessee Democrat worked in 2018 to block a Sanders-backed plan to weaken the role of superdelegates in the nomination process. “If we don’t have a vote, then what good are we?” Owen told Politico at the time.

Full Disclosure: We’re of the belief that a brokered convention taking the nomination from a candidate with popular support amount young voters and voters of color with a clear delegate lead would lead to incalculable damage to the present and future of the Democratic Party.
Below is the email being circulated among Party chairs by chairs who, crucially, are not Bernie supporters, calling for Owen’s removal – exclusively obtained by the Holler.
Friends & Fellow County Party Chairs, 
 
The TNDP State Executive Committee re-elected Bill Owen, a healthcare lobbyist, for another 4-year term as East Tennessee’s *DNC representative at their January 11th meeting. Yesterday, an online media outlet reported that Mr. Owen contributed thousands of dollars to Republicans, including a joint fundraising committee backing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
 
Sara and I independently reviewed FEC filings of his individual contributions and found that in 2019 alone, Bill Owen personally contributed $18,000 to Republicans, including $8,500 to the GOP Senators Classic Committee, which funds McConnell and more than a dozen other Republican Senators. Mr. Owen did not contribute a single dollar to Democrats in 2019. 
(Bill Owen’s FEC contributions are recorded HERE, List of beneficiaries of the GOP Senators Classic Committee are recorded HERE)
 
While there is not a mechanism for Mr. Owen to be removed at the state level, we believe that in light of this information, State Executive Committee members have an obligation to ask for Mr. Owen’s resignation and if he does not resign, State ECs should call on the Democratic National Committee to remove Mr. Owen.
 
We ask you to call on your (elected!) State Executives to act and we invite you to participate in an open letter with us, which we intend to publish and release to media after Super Tuesday. 
 
If you are interested, please reply to this email. 
 
In Solidarity,
Sarah Herron, Blount County Democratic Party Chair |  865-599-2038
Sara Thompson, Sevier County Democratic Party Chair | 865-607-0934
(State Executive Committee District 2) 
 
*Bill Owen’s DNC position automatically makes him one of Tennessee’s Superdelgates. He has been drawing national attention for his public comments concerning his intention to undermine voters as a Superdelegate if it appears Sen. Bernie Sanders may win the nomination. We believe it is worth noting that Sarah Herron is a delegate candidate for Joe Biden, and Sara Thompson is a delegate candidate for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. 
—

State Executive Committee

Marjorie Ramsey
District 1- Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Sevier
(423) 623-7610
marjorie4statehousedist11@gmail.com

Barbara Wagner
District 2- Sevier, Blount
(865)-654-4496
[email protected]

Debbie Harley McClaskey
District 3- Washington, Carter, Unicoi
(423) 676-3567
[email protected]

Lori Love
District 4- Sullivan, Carter, Johnson
(423) 367-7627
[email protected]

Anne Backus
District 5- Anderson, Knox, Loudon
(865) 556-3099
[email protected]

Sylvia Woods
District 6- Knox
(865) 414-4161
[email protected]

Emily Gregg
District 7- Knox
(615) 557-6737
[email protected]

Rachel Fuentes
District 8- Jefferson, Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Union
(203) 918-9006
[email protected]

Pam Weston
District 9- Monroe, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk
(717) 515-2336
[email protected]

Demetrus Coonrod
District 10- Hamilton
423-314-9897
[email protected]

Rachel Campbell
District 11- Hamilton
(423) 227-0759
[email protected]

Tracey Vought Williams
District 12- Morgan, Campbell, Fentress, Pickett, Rhea, Roane, Scott
(865) 742-6569
[email protected]

Caroline McGee
District 13- Rutherford
[email protected]

Tanea McClean
District 14- Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford
(629) 335-0698
[email protected]

Cheryl Vickers
District 15- Putnam, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, White
(931) 260-4467
[email protected]

Betty Fraley
District 16- Franklin, Coffee, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
(931) 703-1143
[email protected]

Carol Brown Andrews
District 17- Smith, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Wilson
(615) 347-0193
[email protected]

Kristi Cornett
District 18- Sumner, Davidson, Trousdale
(615) 454-0490
[email protected]

Katharine Heriges
District 19- Davidson
(615) 390-9253
[email protected]

Jolie Grace Wareham
District 20- Davidson
(630) 418-0395
[email protected]

Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace
District 21- Davidson
(615) 212-9409
[email protected]

Linda Crenshaw
District 22- Montgomery, Houston, Stewart
(931) 801-2014
[email protected]

Kelly Baker-Hefley
District 23- Williamson
(615) 631-7577
[email protected]

Angela Callis
District 24- Weakley, Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Obion
(731) 587-2468
[email protected]

Martha Shepard
District 25- Dickson, Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson
(615) 330-0419
[email protected]

Meryl Rice
District 26- Hardeman, Chester, Decatur, Fayette, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy
(731) 609-3236
[email protected]

Patsy R. Johnson
District 27- Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale
(731) 668-7139
[email protected]

Pame Morrow
District 28- Maury, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Perry, Wayne
(931) 626-5836
[email protected]

Allison Brownlee
District 29- Shelby
(901) 744-4467
[email protected]

Jasmine Boyd
District 30- Shelby
(678) 472-1160
[email protected]

Adrienne Pakis-Gillon
District 31- Shelby
(901) 355-6879
[email protected]

Deborah Reed
District 32- Tipton, Shelby
(901) 500-8423
[email protected]

Kendra Lee
District 33- Shelby
(901) 830-9348
[email protected]

Adam Haynes
District 1- Hamblen, Cocke, Greene, Sevier
(423) 736-1398
[email protected]

Tony Webb
District 2- Blount, Sevier
(865) 386-6181
[email protected]

Mike Hampton
District 3- Unicoi, Carter, Washington
(423) 330-4671
[email protected]

Logan Combs
District 4- Sullivan, Carter, Johnson
(423) 773-0050
[email protected]

Jim Hackworth
District 5- Anderson, Knox, Loudon
(865) 603-4225
[email protected]

Daniel Brown
District 6- Knox
(865) 258-3777
[email protected]

Mark Harmon
District 7- Knox
(865) 524-4026
[email protected]

Stephen Miller
District 9- Monroe, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk
(423) 836-8210
[email protected]

Chris Anderson
District 10- Hamilton
(423) 503-0595
[email protected]

Ryan Scofield
District 11- Hamilton
(423) 991-1707
[email protected]

Bob Cowan
District 12- Roane, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Pickett, Rhea, Scott
(865) 466-0418
[email protected]

Brandon Thomas
District 13- Rutherford
[email protected]

Mark Farrar
District 14- Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford
(615) 604-4616
[email protected]

Amos Powers
District 15- Putnam, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, White
(931) 265-2769
[email protected]

Bobby Bush
District 16- Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
(931) 607-0779
[email protected]

Aubrey Givens
District 17- Wilson, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith
(615) 568-2778
[email protected]

Leonard Assante
District 18- Sumner, Davidson, Trousdale
(615) 512-6297
[email protected]

Will Cheek
District 20- Davidson
(615) 292-3967
[email protected]

Richard Langford
District 21- Davidson
(615) 484-8640
[email protected]

Charles Uffelman
District 22- Houston, Montgomery, Stewart
(937) 220-5236
[email protected]

Brandon Schexnayder
District 23- Williamson
(504) 228-5635
[email protected]

Donald Farmer
District 24- Gibson, Benton, Carroll, Henry, Obion, Weakley
(731) 234-8411
[email protected]

Gentry Allen
District 25- Dickson, Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson
(615) 636-7291
[email protected]

Toney Campbell
District 26- Decatur, Chester, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy
(731) 549-9202
[email protected]

Ernest Brooks
District 27- Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale
(731) 293-4187
[email protected]

Greg Hanners
District 28- Maury, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Perry, Wayne
(931) 215-2148
[email protected]

Darrick “Dee” Harris
District 29- Shelby
(901) 691-8453
[email protected]

Bryan Carson
District 30- Shelby
(901) 314-4617
[email protected]

Dave Cambron
District 31- Shelby
(901) 830-3283
[email protected]

Jeffery Alen “J” Dewitt II
District 32- Tipton, Shelby
(901) 326-2100
[email protected]

Issac Freeman III
District 33- Shelby
(901) 690-8023
[email protected]

INTERVIEW: THE CULT OF TRUMP with author & CULT EXPERT Steven Hassan!

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CULT OF TRUMP author Steven Hassan talks about how Trump is like other cult leaders, how to talk to believers, and more. Interview and CLIPS below!

BUY HIS BOOK HERE.

LISTEN to the interview on our podcast over on  iTunes.

FULL INTERVIEW: THE CULT OF TRUMP with Steven Hassan

CLIP: HOW TO REACH BELIEVERS

“Sarah Silverman treated David Weissman with respect, asked him questions… get people to think.” – Steven Hassan stresses the importance of being kind and listening in our attempts to reach believers. #CultOfTrump

CLIP: THE STEREOTYPICAL PROFILE OF DESTRUCTIVE CULT LEADERS  

Cult of Trump author Steven Hassan explains how Trump, L. Ron Hubbard, etc. are peas in a pod.

GOP Leader Ashe to Legislature: Leave Oversight Boards Alone

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Longtime Tennessee Republican leader Victor Ashe, former Mayor of Knoxville and former Ambassador to Poland under President George W. Bush, praised the work of Knoxville’s police oversight board and took a shot at the GOP-led legislature for attempts to weaken Nashville’s new oversight board.

“By a broad consensus, PARC (Police Advisory Review Council) has worked well in Knoxville and has stood the test of time. It has gone a long way to establish credibility and objectivity in disputes involving the Police Department,” wrote Ashe. “It is unfortunate that legislation to weaken it is pending, when it has been a credit to Knoxville.

Ashe wrote the comments Feb. 18 in a column for the Knoxville Shopper News, which is part of Gannett-owned daily Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Nashville voters overwhelmingly voted to support creation of a Citizens Oversight Board (COB) in the November election, but Rep. Michael Curcio (R-Dickson) has filed a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly to take subpoena power from the COB, legislation Governor Bill Lee has expressed support for. Curcio says his bill, co-sponsored by House heavyweights including Speaker Glen Casada and Majority Leader William Lamberth, has nothing to do with Nashville.

Ashe created PARC by executive order in 1998 and Knoxville City Council later ratified the commission. He pointed out every police chief has supported PARC since it was created.

Knoxville City Council approved a resolution Feb. opposing Curcio’s bill, as it would also strip subpoena power from PARC.

Ashe was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1968 and served through 1974. He was a state senator from Knoxville 1975-1984 and was elected Knoxville mayor in 1987 and served for 16 years.

SOTU REACTIONS: TN Republicans Big Fans, TN Dems Not So Much

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Last night President Trump delivered the 2019 State of the Union address to rousing applause and enthusiasm from the much whiter, male-er Republican side of the room, while the response from the Democrats was a bit on the tamer side.

No surprises there.

As for the Tennessee delegation, the split was about as one would expect. Republicans were effusive with their praise…

Rep. John Rose touted Trump’s leadership:

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann talked about Trump’s “bold agenda”:

Rep. Mark Green meanwhile made a point to rip the “shocking childishness” of the response of Democrats, (apparently forgetting how the previous president was treated – do the words “You LIE!” ring a bell?)

Meanwhile on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Steve Cohen was less impressed, not even bothering to show up for the address in person and calling the president a “disgrace”.

Only Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper offered a reaction with any kind of balance, crediting the president with an “effective” speech while also making sure to point out that it was a departure for him.

Bottom Line: No real surprises from any of Tennessee’s elected officials, but Rep. Mark Green appears to be suffering from memory loss.

TENNESSEAN: Racist Williamson GOP Email is Racist

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The Williamson County GOP recently sent out a racist email to their people, demeaning Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mexicans at the same time. When the backlash inevitably came, instead of doing the adult thing and apologizing the Williamson GOP, led by Deb Deavers, doubled down, using their handy publicity tool the Tennessee Star to proclaim that the fault lies not with them, but with the Tennessean for “stoking liberal bias”.

Now David Plazas of the Tennessean has answered calling for the Williamson GOP to grow up and see this for the teachable moment it could be, if only the Williamson GOP were able to do some introspecting. We won’t hold our breath, and neither should you David.