Rep. Marsha Blackburn

Robin Smith

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has resorted to the playbook used by a former Tennessee Republican Party chair now running for a congressional seat in East Tennessee.

Attempting to appeal to her far-right base, Blackburn, who represents Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, is sponsoring legislation that would require future presidential candidates to show their birth certificates proving Constitutional requirements to serve.

“Mrs. Blackburn and Mrs. Smith are two peas in a pod,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said. “Both are appealing to the worst side of human nature when they use these tactics to try and scare voters.

“Such tactics are despicable and should be denounced by all of us.”

Robin Smith, the former chair of the state Republican Party, is seeking the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, who is running for governor in 2010.

Smith and former state Republican Party Communications Director Bill Hobbs were responsible for disseminating inflammatory anti-Obama propaganda in the 2008 election cycle. The two also spearheaded disgusting antics used in several state legislative races.

“At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, my hope is that our elected officials will focus on affordable health care, quality education and good jobs instead of promoting divisiveness and bigotry that Mrs. Blackburn and Mrs. Smith seem to be doing,” Forrester added.

Robin Smith at Tea Party

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said Robin Smith’s announced entrance into the 3rd Congressional District race should give Democrats all the ammunition they need to win the seat next fall.

“Mrs. Smith has enough blood on her hands to taint that seat for any Republican,” Forrester said of the former state Republican Party chair. “She and her shameless lapdog Bill Hobbs have already demonstrated that they will do and say anything to win an elected office.”

Current U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, a Republican from Chattanooga, is not seeking re-election in 2010 because of his run for governor.

Two other Republicans have announced their intentions to run for the congressional seat, as has Oak Ridge Democrat Paula Flowers, former state commerce and insurance commissioner.

“Many voters are appalled at the disgusting antics the Republican Party used in last year’s election,” Forrester said. “Smith and Hobbs spearheaded the Republicans’ efforts. I believe in the old adage that ‘you reap what you sow.’

“So I predict we will have a Democrat representing the Third District of Tennessee in Congress after next year’s election. That should give us six Tennessee Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives instead of the five we now have,” he added.

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Rep. Curt Cobb

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester thanked state Rep. Curt Cobb for his tireless service to the state and the people of Bedford, Lincoln and Rutherford counties after the legislator resigned his seat earlier this week.

“Curt has been a very dedicated servant to the people of the 62^nd House District,” Forrester said. “No one has worked harder in the Legislature to make sure Tennesseans can afford health care, send their children to good schools and work at the kinds of jobs we all need to help raise our families.

“Rep. Cobb always voted his convictions and tried to do what he thought was best for the people in his district. I thank Curt for all he has done to make Tennessee an enviable place to live.”

Cobb resigned his legislative seat on Tuesday to become the Bedford County Clerk and Master, which performs administrative duties for the Chancery Court. Cobb’s late father, Tyrus, served as chancellor in the area for 20 years. The elder Cobb also held the same House seat as his son in the mid-1960s.

A special election will be held to fill Cobb’s remaining two-year House term, which he won re-election to last November.

“You can bet we will have a good, strong candidate to run for that seat, which we as Democrats have held for decades,” Forrester added.

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Chip Forrester appeared on WKRN This Morning to discuss the end of the legislative session and the state of the gubernatorial race. Video after the jump.

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Across the state, Tennesseans took time out of their Saturday to serve their communities and join the call for health care reform. Read some of the reports after the jump, or share your own experience in the comments.

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RCEC’s attempt to close meeting incites howls from media and citizens

MURFREESBORO - Rutherford County Election Commission (RCEC) Chairman Tom Walker attempted to violate state law by barring reporters and citizens from a public meeting on Monday night.

(Read first-hand reports from the Daily News Journal and the Murfreesboro Post.)

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Chip Forrester called State Election Commissioner Mark Goins to register his concern about the behavior of the RCEC.

“I spoke with Mark Goins to make sure he knew about the Rutherford County Election Commission’s attempt to hold a secret meeting and ask that the State Election Commission rule that closed meetings are illegal,” Forrester said. “Goins told me that, while the State Election Commission cannot give legal advice about the Sunshine Law, he encourages county election commissions to confer with their county attorneys about their legal obligations. Goins agreed with me that the RCEC’s meeting should have remained open to the public. I hope that county election commissions heed Goins’ advice, consult with their county attorneys, and keep their meetings open.”

The RCEC met to determine the interviewees for the position of Administrator of Elections. Commissioner Walker said the meeting had to be closed to protect the privacy of the applicants. When the journalists refused to leave the meeting and told Walker that he was violating Tennessee’s open meetings law, Walker called the Murfreesboro Police to throw the journalists out of the room. Walker later backtracked on his threat and simply adjourned the meeting.

“We’ve got some crazy laws in this country,” RCEC Commissioner Doris Jones said during the meeting.

Chip Forrester asked, “Which laws, in particular, does Commissioner Jones think are ‘crazy’? As an officer of the public trust, she has an obligation to follow all the laws - not just the ones she likes.”

This is not the first attempt by Commissioner Walker to cloud the business of the Election Commission. Two weeks previously, Walker ordered Commissioner John Taylor to revise the minutes of the May 4th meeting because they contained too much detail. Taylor was eventually able to get the minutes passed in their entirety.

On Thursday, the Rutherford County Attorney, Jim Cope, announced that Commission Walker must turn over the applications for Administrator of Elections, in response to a request from the Daily News Journal. The applications were made public on Thursday afternoon.

“I applaud Jim Cope’s decision,” Forrester said. “Taxpayers deserve to know the qualifications of those applying for a government job.”

The attempt to close a public meeting is the latest in a series of attempts by Rutherford County Republicans to limit transparency in elections. Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), instrumental in Tom Walker’s appointment as RCEC Chairman, introduced the bill to repeal the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act (TVCA) and stymie efforts to make Tennessee’s elections verifiable and secure. Thankfully, Sen. Ketron’s bill failed and the TVCA is on track to be implemented in 2010. Additionally, Sen. Ketron introduced the bill that folded the Tennessee Ethics Commission into the Registry of Election Finance, weakening oversight of ethics in the General Assembly.

“These events form a disturbing pattern. Under Republican stewardship, the Rutherford County Election Commission has attempted to hold secret meetings and throw out their capable and experienced Administrator of Elections. I call on the Rutherford County Election Commission to vigorously uphold the law, keep their meetings open to the public, and protect the sanctity of elections in Rutherford County.”

SEE ALSO: Statement from Rutherford County Democratic Party Chair Jonathon Fagan.

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Across Tennessee, the calls for health care reform are growing louder. You don’t need to be an expert to help out. Visit BarackObama.com to find the service event closest to you.

Here’s a sample of the dozens of events planned for this Saturday:

• MEMPHIS: Crusade to End Infant Mortality. “Memphis has the highest infant mortality rate among the nation’s 60 largest cities. Our local rate is twice the rate of the national average. Because we believe every baby deserves an opportunity to make it to their first birthday and beyond, we are going to do something about this alarming issue.”
• SEWANEE: Sick Around America. “Join us to view the Frontline documentary “Sick Around America”. Following the film, there will be opportunity for dialogue and feedback from the group about health care reform. You will also have an opportunity to share your own personal health care story and information will be available about health care services in our area. Health care reform matters - please join us!”
• COOKEVILLE: Give Blood for Health Care. “Blood Assurance is in critical need of type O positive and O negative blood donors. Anyone able to volunteer to donate blood is urged to do so as soon as possible.”

NASHVILLE - Citizens, advocates, parents, medical professionals, educators, and students will join Organizing for America and the Tennessee Democratic Party for a kickoff event at the Nashville Farmers’ Market on Saturday, June 27th from 8am to 4pm, to begin the push for health care reform in Tennessee.

The purpose of the Health Care Day of Service is to improve the health of the community through fitness, education, nutrition, and to raise awareness about the urgent need for health reform.

The day will begin with a 1.5 mile walk, followed by a panel discussion featuring health care experts, health care providers, and ordinary Tennesseans discussing their struggles with the current system. The day will conclude with a Health Care Fair where there will be free preventative health screenings, nutrition consulting, patient education and assistance materials. All events are free and open to the media.

“14.1% percent of Tennesseans are uninsured and countless others have inadequate coverage,” said Chip Forrester, Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party. “Families across Tennessee are struggling to pay for skyrocketing health care costs. Our health care system is broken and the time to fix it is now. That’s why Tennesseans are coming together to call for reform and stand behind President Obama’s health care reform efforts. We can’t wait any longer.”

The panel at the event will include Chris Link, a small business owner in Nashville who was forced to lay off employees because he could not afford to cover their health insurance. President Obama recently cited Mr. Link’s story in a speech to the American Medical Association as evidence of how the broken health care system is hobbling our economy.

Also appearing on the panel are Landon Gibbs, a former White House Aide under George W. Bush, now Executive Director of SHOUTAmerica, a nonprofit youth-mobilization initiative, and Dr. Adrian Samuels, Professor of Health Administration and Science at Tennessee State University.

The schedule for the June 27th is as follows:
Community Walk - 8am to 9:30am
Expert Health Panel - 9:30am to 11am
Health Care Fair - 11am to 4pm

For more information or to sign up: my.barackobama.com

“Small business owners like Chris and Becky Link in Nashville are also struggling. They’ve always wanted to do right by the workers at their family-run marketing firm, but they’ve recently had to do the unthinkable and lay off a number of employees — layoffs that could have been deferred, they say, if health care costs weren’t so high. Across the country, over one-third of small businesses have reduced benefits in recent years and one-third have dropped their workers’ coverage altogether since the early ’90s.”

- President Barack Obama, speech to the American Medical Association, June 15, 2009