Tag Archives: president

Onetime TN reporter tells of ‘sex, booze and the briefing room’ in Washington

Sam Youngman splashed down for a few months in Nashville in 2003 as a state government and politics reporter for the Commercial Appeal, then went off to become a big-time political reporter in Washington. In a Politico article, Youngman doesn’t mention his Nashville sojourn, but he harshly critiques the Washington political and media scene – and himself – while hailing the virtues of his new job as a state government and politics reporter in his home state of Kentucky.

The article is entitled “Take This Town and Shove It; a White House reporter’s tale of sex, booze and the briefing room.” An excerpt:

It must be said: Much of my time in Washington was one hell of a party, an endless and decadent blowout bash more suited to VH1’s Behind the Music than working in the nation’s capital.

The first couple years, I spent almost every night downing bourbon—and sometimes indulging in harder substances—at Capitol Lounge before walking back to my studio apartment in Eastern Market, occasionally with some female congressional staffer whose name I was almost always too drunk to remember. (I later sought out and apologized to as many of those women as I could. To the ones I missed: I’m profoundly sorry for my behavior.)

As my self-importance grew, I needed a more pretentious watering hole to match. The bar Off the Record at the Hay-Adams became my second home, and for a long time I couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of seeing former Sen. Gary Hart and Ron Kirk, Obama’s first U.S. trade representative, in the same bar—my bar. Hard as it is to believe, even that thrill eventually wore off.

I suppose part of my disillusionment had to do with my breakup with bourbon, after a real-life, devastating romantic breakup that was followed by a downward spiral. When I returned from my 28 days in rehab, in January 2010, it was harder to ignore the near criminal disconnect between Washington and the rest of the country, especially in an industry that has turned neighbors against each other while its instigators clock out and meet for a beer together, skilled actors who in many cases spend the day feigning hatred for each other on camera but are actually bound by their shared nihilism and reckless self-absorption. In Washington, a divided America is good for business.

Obama: TN Politics ‘aren’t always great for me’ and Chattanooga Congressman Cooper (?)

In his speech at Chattanooga today, President Obama praised “your congressman, Jim Cooper,” as “one of the finest gentlemen I know.”

Cooper, a Democrat, represents Tennessee 5th Congressional District, anchored in Nashville. The 3rd Congressional District, anchored by Chattanooga, is represented by Republican Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, who did not attend and who has repeatedly criticized Obama.

State House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, whose House district includes the Amazon Fulfilment Center visited by Obama and who was on the stage during Obama’s speech, said he noticed the congressional mixup but did not know if it was intentional.

“I don’t know how well he keeps up with Tennessee congressional districts,” said McCormick.

McCormick said he got to meet briefly with Obama at the event and found him “very personable” – even though finding the speech “a lot more partisan than I had hoped it would be.”

Gov. Bill Haslam and all Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation missed the speech. Haslam said he had previously scheduled events elsewhere, including one in Morgan County. The state Republican Party ran a TV ad in the Chattanooga area giving the message to Obama that Tennessee is a success “not because of your liberal policies, but in spite of them.”

Some of Republican congressmen issued statements criticizing Obama to coincide with the speech. But Sen. Bob Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor who played golf with the president recently, issued a statement expressing his regrets.

“I hated for the president to come to my hometown and not accompany him, especially because it would have provided an opportunity for us to talk more about our country’s fiscal challenges,” said Corker. “But ultimately, with only three days left in this work period and several scheduled hearings and votes today, it seemed best to stay in Washington and do the work Tennesseans elected me to do.”

Fleischmann, who before the event sent out a mock post card to Obama stating that “Obamacare” was a threat to job creation, said in a statement after the event he was also skeptical of the president’s proposal outlined in the speech.

“In today’s speech the President mentioned a lower corporate tax rate and an increased focus on manufacturing jobs and infrastructure,” Fleischmann said. “However, until he does more than give a speech on these issues I’ll remain in the ‘believe it when I see it’ category.”

Obama, at the outset of his speech, thanked Amazon General Manager Mike Thomas and company Vice President Dave Clark, who acted as his tour guide, as well as Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, a Democrat. Then he added:

“And you’ve got one of the finest gentlemen I know, your Congressman, Jim Cooper.”

In the speech, Obama also acknowledged at one point, “I know that the politics for Obama aren’t always great in Tennessee.

“I understand that. But I want everybody to just hear the honest truth. I’ve run my last campaign, so I don’t need to spin,” Obama said.
McCormick said he thought the speech was overtly partisan and laced with “left-wing views,” but added, “At least he was honest – I’ll give him that.”

The state House majority leader said there were some other Republicans on the stage with the president, including Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and several county commissioners.

DesJarlais, Tracy Compete in Obama-bashing

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais and state Sen. Jim Tracey, who is opposing DesJarlais in next year’s Republican primary, have joined in the GOP Obama critiques tied to today’s presidential visit to Chattanooga, reports Andy Sher.

Tracy in a video: “We conservatives in Tennessee just have to thank you. Your left-wing polices have created such a backlash we now have control over the Tennessee General Assembly and our congressional delegation.

“And it’s been good for the people of Tennessee,” Tracy says. “You see, we do things differently down here. While you’ve been in Washington racking up our national debt of over $16 trillion, here in Tennessee we have the lowest debt ratio in the nation. There’s a lot you can learn from us.”

DesJarlais’ office issued a release in which the congressman says the president “could certainly learn a thing or two about creating jobs from Tennessee. Thanks to our state’s low taxes, right-to-work policies and pro-jobs regulatory framework, Tennessee is leading the country in innovation and opportunity.

“Unfortunately,” DesJarlais added, “President Obama’s approach of bigger government, more spending and higher taxes has created a situation where the federal government is actually hurting economic growth across our state.”

Note: The split personality of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press editorial boards is on display over the Obama visit.

Headline on the Times editorial today: Welcome, Mr. President:
GOP ads, obstructionism

Headline on the Free Press editorial today: Take your jobs plan
and shove it, Mr. President

 

 

Hargett Becomes NASS President

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News release from Secretary of State’s office:
ANCHORAGE, AK – The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), currently holding its annual summer conference in Anchorage, Alaska, today inducted its new slate of national officers for the 2013-2014 cycle. Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett will serve as president of the professional organization for state officials through July 2014, marking the first time in more than three decades that a Tennessee official has held this position.
“I look forward to continuing the strong leadership that my predecessors have provided to NASS for almost 110 years,” said Hargett of Tennessee. “Now more than ever, citizens are looking for collaborative bipartisan leadership from their state officials. Citizens are counting on us to lead the way in developing and sharing best practices for running honest and efficient elections, for increasing voter turnout and civic awareness and for protecting our people and our businesses from unnecessary federal laws and regulations.”
Hargett added that under his leadership, NASS will continue to serve as a forum where members can learn from each other how best to provide the services their offices are charged with delivering to the public.

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Fleischmann donated to Obama!

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U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and his wife, Brenda, contributed a combined $605 to President Barack Obama’s inaugural committee, reports the Chattanooga TFP.
Political observers may find the donations unusual because the Ooltewah Republican supported Mitt Romney and generally lines up against Obama whenever possible.
Records show Fleischmann was the only Tennessean in Congress to give at least $200 to the president’s second-term kickoff. Even the Volunteer State’s two congressional Democrats aren’t listed in the report naming inaugural donors, who gave more than $43 million.
Fleischmann contributed $300 and his wife donated $305. It’s possible that other Volunteer State lawmakers pitched in. People who gave $200 or less did not have contributions documented and itemized in Federal Election Commission records.
A Fleischmann aide acknowledged the donations Tuesday in a statement to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
“Congressman Fleischmann’s record shows that he fervently opposes the President at practically every turn,” Fleischmann spokesman Tyler Threadgill said in a written statement. “However, in the spirit of democracy he and his wife did attend a bipartisan event as part of the inaugural ceremonies.”
Threadgill said Fleischmann’s contributions covered the cost of two tickets for an official inauguration event. He said he didn’t know specifics beyond that.

Ashe Exit from Broadcasting Board Stirs Protests

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Victor Ashe’s departure from a federal board that oversees the government’s foreign broadcasting agency is causing almost as much conflict as his tenure on the panel, reports Michael Collins.
President Barack Obama is looking to replace Ashe on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency that watches over government-supported broadcasters such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe.
But Ashe’s removal has brought howls of protest from conservatives and some broadcasting groups, who note that he is the only Republican on the board, even though by law the panel is supposed to be evenly split among Democrats and Republicans. Obama has nominated another Republican, former Ambassador Ryan Crocker, as Ashe’s successor. But Ashe’s backers argue he should be allowed to stay on as well given the dearth of GOP representation on the panel.
What’s more, some of Ashe’s defenders suspect he is being replaced because his attempts to ferret out waste and mismanagement have rankled the broadcasting agency’s top executives.
“He has upset a lot of people who were used to having the board rubber stamp what they want to do,” said Timothy Shamble, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1812, the union that represents broadcasters and journalists at Voice of America.
Shamble and others have written letters to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asking him to help keep Ashe on the board.
Ashe, a former Knoxville mayor who also served as U.S. ambassador to Poland, said he is not seeking another term on the board. Obama appointed him to the panel in late 2009 to fill an unexpired term. Ashe’s term ended in August 2010, but by law he is allowed to continue serving until his successor is nominated and confirmed.
“I will continue serving until replaced and work on those issues which I have previously worked on,” Ashe said via email, citing openness in government, less waste, fairness to employees and outreach to people living under repressive regimes that censor objective news.
Ashe said Crocker is “an excellent nominee” to serve on the board. But he, too, believes it’s important to have four Democrats and four Republicans on the nine-member panel. (By law, the ninth board member is the sitting secretary of state.) A bipartisan split on the board “helps to assure an objective, honest approach to news reporting,” Ashe said.
Right now, five of the nine board seats are vacant.

Corker Golfs With Obama; Partner Chambliss Sinks Hole-in-One

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From the News Sentinel:
Just weeks after breaking bread with President Barack Obama during a rare dinner at a fancy restaurant near the White House, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker scored another rare invitation on Monday: A chance to golf with the commander-in-chief.
The Chattanooga Republican was one of three senators invited to play golf with Obama — an invitation usually extended only to the president’s closest advisers and friends.
The golfing party, which also included U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., arrived at the first green at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland around 1:20 p.m. under overcast skies. Obama, wearing a blue jacket and baseball cap, chipped his a shot beyond the hole and later appeared to miss a putt.
Corker, also casually dressed in a gray sweater and khakis, tossed Obama a ball from about 15 feet. Later, the two stood together and chatted as Chambliss and Udall putted.
At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said the golf outing was in keeping with Obama’s recent efforts to reach out to lawmakers of both parties, but Republican senators in particular, to see if they can find common ground on challenging issues, such as deficit reduction.
“He’s willing to try anything,” Carney said, when asked if Obama believes golf is conducive to discussions on policy.
Corker, who joined a handful of other Republican senators for dinner with Obama back in March, indicated he saw no harm in a little golf-game bonding.
“With the major fiscal issues our country is facing, not to mention foreign relations issues around the world, anytime you can get the president’s ear for a few hours, I think that’s a good thing,” the senator said in a statement released by his office.
Corker was rated one of the best golfers in Congress by Golf Digest as part of its 2011 list of Washington’s Top 150 Golfers. Corker came in 12th on the list, right behind Udall. At the time, both golfers had a handicap of around 2.
During Monday’s outing, Obama, who has the highest handicap of the foursome, paired up with Udall, who has the lowest. Chambliss and Corker, aided by Chambliss’ hole-in-one on the 11th, won the match.
—
From the Associated Press:
WASHINGTON — So much for overshadowing your rivals, Mr. President.
Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss didn’t seem fazed by a rare congressional invitation to golf with President Barack Obama Monday, sinking a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th hole. The ace shot helped lead Chambliss and GOP teammate Sen. Bob Corker or Tennessee to victory over the Democratic duo of Obama and Colorado Sen. Mark Udall on an outing meant to strengthen ties between the president and Congress.
Chambliss told reporters upon his triumphant return to Capitol Hill that “everyone went crazy” when he made the shot and there were high-fives all around. The president retrieved the Chambliss’ ball from the hole, while Corker took a picture.
“I told him since I made the hole-in-one, he ought to give us everything we want on entitlement reform,” Chambliss said with a smile. That’s Washington speak for legislation to change benefits like Social Security and Medicare.
Obama took the senators to a favorite course at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base, where he frequently plays on weekends with aides and friends. He once took along House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and has also included Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., but this was his first outing with any lawmaker in his second term.
The afternoon game added a recreational twist to Obama’s months-long effort to strengthen ties with lawmakers, hoping some quality face time now can lay the groundwork for compromise on pressing issues down the road.
The foursome played under overcast skies that seemed to threaten rain that never came. Their game was cut short on the 15th hole so the senators could get back for a vote to allow states to tax Internet sales. The casually-dressed lawmakers had to rush in and shout their votes from the Senate’s cloakroom since they did not have time to put on ties that are required in the chamber.
Corker said they agreed not to say much about what happened on the course, other than Chambliss’ ace shot. “We talked a little business but mostly enjoyed just being out there,” Corker said.

Brad Martin to Serve as Interim President at University of Memphis

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Shelby County businessman and former Saks Inc. CEO Brad Martin will run the University of Memphis until a successor to retiring President Shirley Raines is found.
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan appointed Martin to the temporary post Tuesday.
According to The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/112uwYC), Morgan was ready for questions about whether a businessman could effectively lead U of M when he appeared before students and faculty members Tuesday.
“I believe he has a clear understanding of the value of the university and the role the university plays in society more broadly than simply the business connection,” Morgan told them.
During an interview at his East Memphis office, Martin said he will not be a candidate to succeed Raines and his mission is to maintain momentum
“There are a lot of good things going on the university, and during this transition period it’s important we do not miss a beat,” Martin said.
Martin said it was Raines who first approached him about becoming interim president and he agreed after discussions with Morgan, Gov. Bill Haslam and Regents Vice Chairman Greg Duckett.
Martin doesn’t see establishment of an independent board to govern the university as a job priority for him. Nor does he expect to argue against declining state revenue flowing to U of M.
“I wouldn’t count on that,” he said.
The better route would be to pursue grants, partnerships with private industry, internships and other support outside of government, Martin said.
Martin is a 1976 U of M graduate and chaired the school’s Board of Visitors and the University of Memphis Foundation Board.
He is a native of Columbus, Ohio.
While studying political science at what was then Memphis State University, Martin served as president of the Student Government Association. He eventually earned a bachelor’s degree, but it was interrupted when he was elected at age 20 to the Tennessee General Assembly where he served three terms in the House of Representatives.
Martin earned his MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Corker, Other GOP Senators Have ‘Constructive’ Dinner With Obama

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U.S. Sen. Bob Corker described a rare dinner between President Barack Obama and GOP senators as a “very sincere and open discussion” and said he walked away feeling Democrats and Republicans might find a way to solve some of the nation’s fiscal problems, reports Michael Collins.
“I thought it was constructive and left there with a more positive outlook than I did coming in,” the Chattanooga Republican said.
Corker was one of a dozen GOP senators invited to have dinner Wednesday night with Obama at a hotel near the White House to exchange ideas on how they could work together to deal with the nation’s fiscal problems. Obama suggested the get-together in a phone call with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who put together the guest list. The White House said Obama paid for the dinner.
Corker said the group agreed not to disclose specific policy ideas that were discussed. But in general, he said, the discussion involved “some structural reforms that need to take place and certainly a focus on how to get there.”
Democrats and Republicans are looking for ways to blunt the impact of $85 billion in federal budget cuts that took effect last Friday and to avoid a government shutdown March 27, when current funding for federal agencies is set to expire. Also looming is a battle over raising the federal debt ceiling.
Asked if he thought Obama was sincere about wanting to work with Republicans, Corker said, “I did.”
“I think, if anything, that’s what struck people at the meeting more than anything else was the apparent sincerity that was there,” Corker said. “I think everyone there to a person would say it was a good foundation and good beginning, and hopefully it will lead to results.”

Haslam: At Least 20 People Would Be a Better President Than Me

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Despite recent press suggesting Gov. Bill Haslam should be on the list of presidential contenders, the governor said there is “zero” truth to rumors he would consider a bid, reports Andrea Zelinski.
“There’s about 20 people who would be better at it, no, more than that,” Haslam told reporters after addressing small business groups like the National Federation of Independent Business Tuesday morning at the Downtown Hilton. “There’s at least 20 people who’d be better than me.”
When asked directly whether there were truth to the rumors he would consider running for president, he said, “there’s zero.”
Haslam also told reporters he plans to decide whether to expand Tennessee’s Medicaid program by the end of the month and added that he is likely to sign legislation that would allow legally storing guns in locked vehicles parked in lots.