Tennessee Democrats today raised major issues with the recent endorsement of congressional candidate, Steve Fincher, by a group that helped bring about unlimited corporate money in support or opposition of candidates.

The group, Citizens United, led an effort in the United States Supreme Court, which resulted in allowing companies with foreign divisions and Wall Street banks, among others, to spend unlimited corporate money to support political candidates. Grassroots conservative Tea Party activists have also opposed the decision.

“Lots of people have different positions about how we should finance campaigns but it’s only the fringe like Steve Fincher that believe foreign companies and Wall Street banks should be able to buy elections,” said Keith Talley, spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party. “In Steve Fincher’s world, companies that get federal bailouts like AIG or oil companies with dangerous foreign ties could elect members of Congress. Fincher must think Congress hasn’t done enough for Wall Street and wants them to have even more influence.”

Talley continued, “Because Steve Fincher’s campaign is about doing what Washington wants, not what’s good for the people of Middle and West Tennessee, it comes as no surprise that he probably supports the position of those Washington and Wall Street special interests.”

Democrats are not alone in opposing the unlimited corporate campaign spending brought about by the Citizens United decision. Grassroots Republican and Independent activists associated with the Tea Party movement across the country have criticized corporate influence in campaigns and the Citizens United effort that supports Fincher.

Tea Party Activists Reaction to Citizens United Ruling: [TPM, 2/3/10]
• A Nashville Tea Party member said the C.U. decision “puts corporations in a position to crowd out smaller competition and buy politicians from the local sheriff to the President himself.”
• From a Texas tea party activist: “This decision basically gives the multinational corporations owned by foreign entities [the right] to pour unlimited funds into the pockets of corrupt corporate backed politicians to attack everything this country stands for.”
• The leader of TeaParty.org in Houston said the C.U. decision “puts the people at a tremendous disadvantage.”
• From a California based Tea Party activist: “Most of the anger by Tea Party supporters is directed at the effects of special interest money. I believe that campaign finance reform is the most important political issue facing America. I would even go so far as to say that this issue is even more important that our current financial crisis and jobs. Everything in American politics is affected by special interest money. From who controls our monetary policies in treasury and the Fed to regulation of Wall Street. I would also venture to say that it was special interest money which precipitated the current economic crisis.”

Background
The Citizens United Political Victory fund recently announced their endorsement of Steve Fincher in his campaign for Congress. [Nashville Post, 3/4/10]

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Ruling: “Thursday’s opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts on political commercials on the grounds that corporations should be treated just like individuals when it comes to First Amendment rights. The problem, former Federal Election Commission Chairman Scott Thomas told ABC News, is that it’s much tougher to determine whether foreign money is behind a political ad when the check is cut by a multi-national corporation.” [ABC News, 2/24/10]

A recent Washington Post/ABC News Poll indicates that 8 in 10 Americans oppose the decision. [Washington Post, 2/17/10]

TEA Party attacked Fincher before. Fincher was previously criticized by the Mid South TEA party for his receipt of federal farm subsidies and for financing his political campaign with donations of those who receive federal farm subsidies. [Press Release, 12/14/09]

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said he was disappointed that U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker chose to vote against an extension of unemployment insurance for nearly 34,000 out-of work Tennesseans and almost $11 million in road projects for the state.

The two Tennessee Republicans voted Tuesday night against a temporary measure to extend federal unemployment benefits for a workforce that has lost more than 8 million jobs since the recession began at the end of 2007. The measure passed, but had it failed, nearly 34,000 unemployed Tennesseans would have exhausted their benefits by the end of the month, analysts noted.

“I do not understand why Mr. Alexander and Mr. Corker turned their backs on Tennessee families struggling to make ends meet in an economy that was put in a ditch by the failed policies of a previous Republican White House,” Forrester said.

“Too many Republicans in Washington are playing partisan games by saying ‘no’ to every piece of legislation sponsored by Democrats or this White House. It’s fine to have disagreements over policies, but simply refusing to vote for a piece of legislation to score cheap political points is inexcusable.”

Not only did Alexander and Corker vote against extending unemployment benefits for Tennesseans, they also voted against a 30-day extension of the highway trust fund, which is being used to help pay for Tennessee road projects at Cades Cove Loop Road, Shiloh National Park and Catoosa Wildlife Management Area.

The federal Department of Transportation furloughed 2,000 workers on Monday after the bill temporarily extending unemployment benefits and federal highway programs was held up last week by Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, who finally relented Tuesday night and allowed a vote.

Through measures enacted in the Recovery Act, states were able to extend unemployment benefits for people exhausting their regular jobless benefits. The federal funding, however, expired on Sunday, Feb. 28, which halted the disbursement of $768 million in highway trust funds and jeopardized unemployment benefits to more than 1 million jobless Americans.

“As we face the most serious slowdown we have experienced since the Great Depression, it baffles me to see our friends over on the Republican side stoop to such petty and partisan politics,” Forrester said. “Too much is at stake here.

“Our nation and our state cannot afford this kind of obstruction. I would ask Mr. Alexander and Mr. Corker to set aside their differences with our president and work with the Tennessee Democrats serving in Congress to get people back to work and this economy going again,” he added.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester condemned U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky for holding up legislation that extends unemployment benefits to nearly 34,000 out-of-work Tennesseans and funds nearly $11 million worth of road projects here in the state.

Forrester is calling for Tennessee Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker to denounce the Kentucky senator’s action.

“People are getting tired of the games being played in Washington,” Forrester said. “We have too many hard-working families in this state who are struggling to make ends meet. Sen. Bunning shouldn’t punish people for being out of work because of a weak economy.

“Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker should be furious at Mr. Bunning for his shenanigans. Families are depending on those benefits to feed their children and pay their bills.”

Bunning today continued his objection to a bill that temporarily extends unemployment benefits and federal highway programs until April 5. Through measures enacted in the Recovery Act, states have been able to extend unemployment benefits for people who had exhausted their regular jobless benefits. The federal funding, however, expired on Sunday, Feb. 28.

Bunning’s objection also stops the disbursement of $768 million from the federal highway trust fund. As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation furloughed 2,000 federal workers today, including inspectors overseeing highway projects on federal land.

The projects affected in Tennessee include work at Cades Cove Loop Road, tour routes and parking areas at Shiloh National Park and a bridge replacement at Catoosa Wildlife Management Area.

“As we face the most serious slowdown we have had since the Great Depression, it baffles me to see our friends over on the Republican side stoop to such petty and partisan politics,” Forrester said. “Too much is at stake here.

“Our nation and our state cannot afford this kind of stalemate. Let’s put aside our differences for a while and work together to get people back to work and this economy going again,” he added.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester wants to know how many members of Tennessee’s Republican congressional delegation have requested Recovery Act funding or written letters of support for Recovery Act projects in Tennessee.

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp voted against the stimulus package last year and have made critical statements about the measure. Alexander, however, requested Recovery Act funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wamp praised a $71.2 million Oak Ridge National Laboratory Recovery Act project for creating jobs.

“If that isn’t the definition of hypocrite, I don’t know what is,” Forrester said. “The Recovery Act created or saved about 2 million jobs in the U.S. and kept this economy from falling off a cliff. But Republicans rail against the Recovery Act while playing partisan politics in Washington.

“They come back home, though, and smile into the cameras while taking credit for stimulus dollars that fund vital infrastructure projects and create much-needed jobs. Mr. Alexander and Mr. Wamp have been called out by the media on this hypocrisy.

“I would like to know if the other Republicans representing this state in Congress have been as hypocritical about the Recovery Act. Or have they decided to play games with the economic security of the people they are supposed to be representing by turning down job-creating projects.”

To date, nearly $6 billion in stimulus money has been committed to Tennessee, creating or retaining more than 10,000 jobs across the state and providing much-needed infrastructure improvements. The Tennessee Department of Transportation, in fact, recently obligated all of the $572 million in Recovery Act funds made available to it for highway infrastructure projects.

U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Phil Roe and John Duncan also voted against the Recovery Act, as did U.S. Sen. Bob Corker.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said he was disappointed that the Republican members of the Rutherford County Election Commission may cost taxpayers more than $32,000 for trying to fire the current election administrator.

A federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Rutherford County Election Administrator Hooper Penuel and several other county election administrators in Tennessee contending Republicans violated their constitutional rights by conspiring to treat their jobs as political patronage.

“Hard-earned tax dollars could have been put to better use,” Forrester said. “There is no excuse for what they did. Mr. Penuel did an excellent job as the election administrator. They had no business trying to fire him just because they believed him to be a Democrat. That is taking partisan politics too far.

“At a time when our communities and our state face serious financial challenges, why would you jeopardize precious resources to cover an illegal act by a partisan board? We need to focus our energy on creating more jobs, improving our schools and keeping our communities safe.”

Penuel agreed to end his participation in the federal suit if the commission would pay him $7,500 to cover his attorney and litigation fees, which the election commission accepted Monday afternoon. Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on the election commission. Penuel asserted in the suit that the commission’s Republican members informed him that he would be replaced because of his perceived political affiliation.

Penuel also agreed to retire from his position as election administrator no later than Dec. 31 of this year. The election commission decided by a three-to-two vote to use another $25,000 to cover legal fees incurred by the board in defense of the suit, according to press accounts of the meeting.

A temporary restraining order was issued last year stopping the Rutherford County Election Commission’s efforts to replace Penuel after the state’s attorney general opined that state and federal laws prohibit the firing of an employee based on political affiliation unless that employee is in a policy-making position. Penuel has asserted he is not in a policy-making position.

Republicans gained control of the state Legislature in November 2008 and now control local election commissions in all 95 counties.

“You would think that someone who has the wealth of experience and knowledge of the election process that Mr. Penuel has would be a commodity,” Forrester said. “This kind of display of raw political patronage is not only damaging our political process, but it is also putting our communities in a financial bind. No wonder we have so many people disillusioned with the political process.”

“I’ve had the personal pleasure of knowing Rep. West for more than 25 years. His commitment to public service has been stellar. He comes from a long line of public servants – including his father, the former mayor of Nashville – who helped shape and guide our city and state with strong Democratic values and ideals.

“Rep. West always did what he thought was best for the people of Nashville and the state of Tennessee. For that and his tireless service in the General Assembly, Mr. West has earned the admiration and respect of many.

“Although he has announced his intention to retire at the end of his current term, Mr. West remains committed to doing all that he can to make Nashville a safer and more prosperous place to live. I’ll truly miss him, but know that he is just a phone call away. The next Democrat to serve in that seat will have some big shoes to fill.”

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said state Rep. Susan Lynn should focus more on helping the people of Wilson and Sumner counties than on trying to establish a system of government already in place.

Lynn has introduced a resolution, HJR 0722, calling for an amendment to the state Constitution establishing a free-enterprise system of government.

“Mrs. Lynn knows full well that this country and this state operate in a free-enterprise market,” Forrester said. “She is simply pandering to the anger and frustration many of us are experiencing today as a result of the downturn in the economy.

“What she and other like-minded politicians have been doing lately is blame the economic slowdown on Democrats. That’s revisionist history. The failed policies of a previous White House administration nearly collapsed our financial markets and are the reason many of us are hurting now.

“Mrs. Lynn can introduce all the crazy bills and resolutions she likes, but they are not going to change the fact that a Republican president and a Republican-controlled Congress sent this economy into a tailspin,” he said.

Forrester pointed out that the Mount Juliet lawmaker also sponsored a resolution last May reasserting state sovereignty and urging the federal government to stop usurping its constitutional authority. She has also introduced legislation and resolutions in the state Legislature opposing proposed health-care insurance reforms.

“Rep. Lynn evidently doesn’t know her role in the state Legislature,” Forrester said. “She is supposed to help balance a state budget and help the people she represents in Sumner and Wilson counties.

“Trying to get Tennesseans to secede from the Union and reject any help they may need with health-care costs is lunacy. If I didn’t know better, I would think Mrs. Lynn was running for Congress in the 19th Century instead of the state Senate in the 21st Century,” he added.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said he was disappointed that Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney questioned the integrity of state Rep. Eddie Yokley after voting for a bill that makes it easier for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to cast absentee ballots.

Devaney issued a press statement today criticizing Yokley for voting against a similar but inadequate bill that failed last year in a subcommittee he chaired. The ill-conceived bill was sponsored by state Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga. Yokley is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

“It is shocking to me that Mr. McCormick and Mr. Devaney would resort to such despicable tactics,” Forrester said. “Everyone in this state should call for an apology from those two. Rep. Yokley served his country honorably while in the Army. He is now serving his state honorably in the state Legislature.

“Everyone who knows Rep. Yokley can attest to the fact that this is a man who works hard to represent the people of Greene and Cocke counties. Trying to paint him as someone who would vote against the best interests of the brave men and women who serve our country is disturbing.”

Devaney’s critical statement was released after the Subcommittee on Elections, which Yokley chairs, passed a bill today allowing county election officials to e-mail ballots to military personnel serving overseas. Military personnel must return an appropriate and secure ballot by traditional mail in order for their vote to count, the bill stipulates.

The failed bill would have allowed a soldier or someone impersonating that soldier to have simply faxed or e-mailed the absentee ballot, opening a huge window for possible voter fraud.

“The well-being and ready status of our troops is something I think of everyday,” Yokley said. “I have a son now serving in the military. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about him. As a state legislator, there are a number of ways that I try to do my part in serving our troops.

“Our right to vote is our most sacred right. It is what makes this country a democracy. The men and women of our armed forces make sacrifices everyday to defend the right to vote. Exposing our soldiers to the possibility of voter manipulation would be a disservice to their sacrifice. The bill we just passed is much better than the one that came before this subcommittee last year,” he added.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester and state House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner called out state Rep. Tony Shipley today for trying to take credit for a road-improvement project along a dangerous stretch of highway in Sullivan County.

Shipley conducted a press conference this morning at a local business along Memorial Boulevard to claim credit for work that first began on the road in 2004. Former state Rep. Nathan Vaughn pushed for the road-improvement project soon after being elected to the General Assembly in November 2002.

“Trying to take credit for the work that Rep. Nathan Vaughn did on that road-improvement project is pitiful and deceitful,” Forrester said. “Everyone in Sullivan County knows that Rep. Nathan Vaughn did all the heavy lifting for that project.

“Mr. Shipley should be honest with his constituents and give credit where credit is due.”

According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the state spent $2 million for project planning and environmental work on State Route 126 (Memorial Boulevard) between 2004 and 2008. The state during that period also added new highway striping, guardrails, reflectors and center-line rumble strips, and redesigned the intersection at Carolina Pottery.

TDOT officials have said that planned long-term improvements along Memorial Boulevard, which include reconstruction of a length of the highway, have been estimated at $90 million. Shipley defeated Vaughn by 322 votes in a controversial November 2008 election that included inflammatory campaign literature being distributed against the three-term incumbent.

“Mr. Shipley wasn’t even in the state Legislature when Nathan (Rep. Vaughn) convinced the state to start making improvements up there,” said Turner, who attended this morning’s press conference. “In fact, the complete project is going to cost another $90 million.

“Calling a press conference to take credit for someone else’s work is low down. He shouldn’t be calling for a press conference until he gets that $90 million. Sullivan County residents and motorists need to thank Nathan Vaughn for getting the state to fix a dangerous road,” he added.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s call to privatize Social Security and Medicare underscores her oblivious service to the elderly and her inability to understand financial markets.

“Most people who invest in the stock market understand the risks involved,” Forrester said. “Congresswoman Blackburn evidently doesn’t. Social Security and Medicare are programs that have helped millions of people.

“People pay into those programs and are assured a monthly retirement check and medical care in their golden years. You don’t gamble with people’s lives like that. Those programs are about as secure an investment as you can make. Putting that money in a private account and hoping for the best is not only inappropriate, it’s also reckless.”

Blackburn is a co-sponsor of a budget proposal that eliminates the nation’s long-term deficits, but at a tremendous price to senior citizens who rely on the government’s Social Security and Medicare programs, Forrester noted.

The proposal is authored by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee. It would return the budget to surpluses through strict cost controls, such as:

• replacing Medicare with a voucher program that allows senior citizens to buy private insurance. The growth of the vouchers, however, would be far slower than the expected growth of health-care costs.

• replacing traditional Social Security with private, individual accounts
“Talk about irresponsible budgets,” Forrester said. “That is the kind of budget that makes draconian cuts right across the backs of our senior citizens.

“I’m tired of the irresponsible rhetoric being regurgitated by Republicans like Marsha Blackburn and Paul Ryan. They want to demagogue about runaway spending and huge deficits, but they are the ones most responsible for it. They supported the failed policies of a Republican White House that nearly collapsed our financial markets.

“President Obama and this Congress now have to clean up the mess. I wonder if any of our current Tennessee candidates running for Congress support privatizing Social Security and Medicare. If they do, I hope people remember that in November,” he added.