Republicans are raising a ruckus over a spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s use of foul language and name-calling, especially since that spokesman has been vigorously promoting the candidacy of Democrat Phil Bredesen for the U.S. Senate, who has expressed outrage at being called a “liberal.” The former governor, who…
Read MoreMonth: July 2018
Commentary: Tennessee Democrat Wrongly Pushes TVA as Broadband Solution
The Democrat seeking to replace the retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R) is pushing the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a solution to solve the rural broadband gap. But, history shows that kind of big-government method will only take a bite out of taxpayers. Bredesen, the former governor of the Volunteer…
Read MoreRumor Control: Setting the Record Straight on PreK/Kindergarten Portfolios
Social media was hard at it this weekend over the PreK/Kindergarten Student Growth Portfolio Model. While Professional Educators of Tennessee is not sold on the portfolio process, it is the current law (see T.C.A. §§ 49-6-103–49-6-110). We believe the current portfolio system takes up too much time for our educators. …
Read MoreSen. Rand Paul Backs Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh
Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who had publicly wavered as to whether he would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, endorsed him Monday. Paul of Kentucky says he will back Kavanaugh despite his misgivings about the judge’s views on surveillance and privacy issues. Few had expected Senator Paul would oppose President…
Read MoreTrump Promotes More Jobs for Americans … at the UN
by Fred Lucas The Trump administration is trying to secure more jobs for American citizens in the United Nations bureaucracy, as a recent State Department report finds woeful underrepresentation even though the United States contributes more to the world body than any other government. The U.S. funds almost one-quarter…
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE: Jim Jordan Explains His Bid For Speaker of the House
by Robert Donachie – Jim Jordan is running for speaker and he believes he can win. – His main goals are to shake up how Congress operates, giving members more say in policy and more control over how the House operates. – He wants to deliver on the promises Republicans…
Read MoreAuthor Discusses ‘Dangerously Clever’ Founding Father and Tennessee Town’s Namesake, Albert Gallatin
by Gabrielle Orkun Founding Father Albert Gallatin was a “dangerously clever” man who saved the United States from debt, the author of an upcoming book on the subject told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Gregory May, lawyer and tax policy expert, wrote about the overlooked Gallatin in his latest book “Jefferson’s Treasure:…
Read MoreCommentary: Is ‘Uncle’ Joe Biden a Threat to Steal Trump’s #MAGA Voters?
by Jeffery Rendall “But Barack, I want to run, I need to run…” The words hung in the air as Joe Biden clung to the edge of his chair in the Oval Office in late 2015. The vice president fiddled nervously waiting a response from the president, a normally impatient man who’d just spent…
Read MoreRep. Steve Cohen Predicts That Trump Jr., Kushner Will Be Indicted But President Will Pardon Them
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said he believes that special counsel Robert Mueller will probably indict Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner and then the president will pardon both. The Memphis representative made the remark on CNN in response to Rudy Giuliani saying he is not sure so-called “collusion” with…
Read MoreAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Campaign Platform Explains Her Primary Victory
by José Niño After pulling off a major upset in the Democratic Primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now being touted as the new face of the Democratic Party. Ocasio’s victory has rejuvenated the Democratic Party and liberals nationwide. For many on the Left, Ocasio’s recent victory…
Read MoreNashville Businessman Lee Beaman Endorses Diane Black for Governor
Well-known Nashville businessman and conservative stalwart Lee Beaman endorsed Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) for Governor on Monday. “There is only one true conservative in the race and her name is Diane Black,” Beaman said in a statement. “Diane will fight to protect and defend out Tennessee values. She will be an…
Read MoreTennessee House District 75: Bruce Griffey Challenge to Rep Tim Wirgau Has Become a House Race to Watch
While much of the focus during the Republican primary season has been on the 18 House seats vacated by Republican legislators who are retiring or seeking other offices a handful of challenges to incumbents are attracting increasing attention. One of those races is in West Tennessee’s 75th District (covering Henry,…
Read MoreMemphis Democrat Steve Cohen Increasingly Unhinged, Calls President Trump and Rudy Giuliani ‘Pathological Liars’
Memphis-area Democrat Representative Steve Cohen appeared on MSNBC’s “Live With Alex Witt” Sunday to react to the latest, if unusual, developments with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen (no relation) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing ‘Trump-Russia Collusion’ investigation. The five-term congressman has a well-established record of vitriolic statements aimed at conservative…
Read MoreDespite the Media-Driven Rhetoric, the Constitution’s 14th Amendment Does Not Grant ‘Birthright Citizenship’
by James D. Agresti Michael Anton, a former national security official in the Trump administration, recently argued in a Washington Post op-ed that the current federal practice of granting citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants “is an absurdity—historically, constitutionally, philosophically and practically.” A number of media outlets have published fiery rebuttals declaring that…
Read MoreImproving Economy In US Could Predict Next Baby Boom
by Jessica Kramer The U.S. saw a 30-year record low for birth rates in 2017, but the country’s increasingly prosperous economy could soon lead to a surge in childbirth. A Gallup poll showed 70 percent of American adults on average preferred having three or more children between 1938 and…
Read MoreDemocrats Target Republican Mae Beavers with Facebook Attack Claiming She ‘Opposes Tax Cuts’
A Democrat Party PAC is hitting conservative Republican candidate for Wilson County Mayor Mae Beavers with a Facebook ad that claims she “opposes tax cuts.” The Tennesseans for Common Sense PAC, with leadership that includes longtime liberal Democrat activist Carol Andrews, is also running radio ads, purchased at least one…
Read MoreJohnson City Press Endorses Republican Bill Lee, Democrat Craig Fitzhugh in Tennessee Gubernatorial Primaries
The Johnson City Press endorsed Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Craig Fitzhugh in the Tennessee gubernatorial primaries. A Sunday editorial said, “After sitting down with all six viable contenders to succeed Haslam in both parties, our team was most impressed with Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Craig Fitzhugh.” The editorial…
Read MoreTrump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Border Wall Funding
President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to shut down the government if Congress does not fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration. The U.S. leader claimed opposition Democrats need to give him “the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!” and other tougher national…
Read MorePresident Trump, New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger Spar Over President’s Attacks on US Media
President Trump said Sunday he recently told the publisher of The New York Times how he came to describe the mainstream news media as the “Enemy of the People,” but the news executive said he in turn told Trump his language was “inflammatory” and “increasingly dangerous” for journalists around the world. In…
Read MoreCommentary: Democrats Show Symptoms of ABKDS (Acute Brett Kavanaugh Derangement Syndrome)
by Jeffery Rendall In a modern American culture where people hardly agree on anything, one thing is crystal clear to everyone these days: if you turn your back on someone, you’re insulting them. That’s exactly what’s happening on Capitol Hill as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is receiving the…
Read MoreWhy the LGBT Alliance Could Be on the Brink of Schism
by Spencer McCloy and Monica Burke Events at the July 7 Pride in London parade revealed deepening fractures that could lead to a schism in the LGBT community. A group of eight lesbians interrupted the parade to protest the inclusion of transgender individuals in the LGBT community. One protester shouted, “A man who…
Read MoreBill Lee Targets Memphis in Final Push for August 2 Win
As the bitterly contested Republican primary for Governor comes to an end, Bill Lee is targeting Memphis in a late push for votes in West Tennessee. Lee has surged in the past two weeks and the few public polls show him with either a slight lead or in a dead…
Read MoreGOP Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd’s Foundation Hands Out $1 Million For 37 Tennessee Community Pooch Parks in Days Preceding Election
Isn’t free money to support man’s best friend a good thing? What if the money is coming from a gubernatorial candidate just before the election? Republican candidate Randy Boyd’s foundation is handing out cash. The Randy Boyd Foundation presented the city of Jackson with the grand prize check of $100,000…
Read MoreSeven Steps Next Director Can Take to Make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Less Awful
by Norbert Michel The Trump administration has nominated Kathy Kraninger to be the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Roll Call reports that her confirmation hearing was “as politically contentious as it’s gotten in the last year and a half” on the otherwise “senatorial Senate Banking Committee.” Ignore the…
Read More‘Eliminating Foreign Intervention In Elections Act’ Aims to Confront Illegal Voting
By Printus LeBlanc Since President Trump was elected in 2016, the mainstream media, the left, and the Washington D.C. establishment have gone mad over election interference. Facebook memes are serious business in the nation’s capital now. Yet despite millions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of man hours, and lives turned upside…
Read MoreWilliamson County Early Voting Numbers Hit 20,000 as Early Voting Ends – Almost Double 2014 Turnout
The early voting period for the August 2 Primary and Local General Elections ended Saturday with voter turnout continuing on a record pace across the state. The Tennessee Star will have more detailed analysis of the statewide and key county turnout figures next week once the Secretary of State posts…
Read MoreCommentary: Trump, Reagan, and Big Government
by Jeffery Rendall As I strolled through the excellent and memory-provoking exhibits at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (in Simi Valley, CA) the other day I was struck by how similar President Donald Trump’s approach to today’s politics is to the way Ronald Reagan handled the subject a half…
Read MoreRepublican Rep. Gaetz Threatens Twitter with FEC Complaint Over Twitter Suppression, Claims Twitter May Be Giving Opponent Illegal Advantage
by Peter Hasson and Joe Simonson – Twitter’s recent algorithm change suppressed, or “shadow-banned,” prominent conservatives, including Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a new report found. – Gaetz is considering filing a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against Twitter, he told The Daily Caller News Foundation. – Gaetz said…
Read MoreHere’s What Happened When A Trump Supporter Became A ‘Commie Camp’ Counselor
by Rob Shimshock A 20-year-old supporter of President Donald Trump resigned from her position as a counselor at a summer camp known as “Commie Camp,” she told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an exclusive interview. Gabriella Mamet said she resigned as a counselor at Camp Kinderland in Tolland, Massachusetts,…
Read MoreLetter to the Editor: Message, Media, Money, and Matheny
Dear Tennessee Star, It wasn’t until I heard an interview with the social research scientist Robert Epstein about the impact of Internet messages on political thought that I first grasped the complete gravity of this problem. Epstein’s conclusion was that moderate and conservative Republicans are the voter group most easily…
Read MoreChristianity: The First Major Religion That Stripped the State of Its Theocratic Powers
by Cuatro Jones When discussing the history of the West and exploring the ideas and philosophies that led up to the creation of the Magna Carta and the U.S constitution, eventually the religion of Christianity must be brought forward in the discussion. Why? Well, despite the many sins of Christians (and there are many),…
Read MoreLetter to the Editor: When Bold Men Are Called to Lead – Tennessee’s Gubernatorial Race
Dear Tennessee Star, Mr. Mark West expressed his opposition to Bill Lee for Governor in The Tennessee Star several days back. West began with the Old Testament story of a brief conversation between Deborah and Barak. This is a story I’ve not known scholars to hold up as a turning…
Read MoreTrevecca’s Shining Star: Dr. Suzann Harris
Professional Educators of Tennessee recognized Dr. Suzann “Suzie” Barker Harris with one of our prestigious “Friend of the Educator” Award. She is a shining star for Trevecca and a model for people of faith who is worthy of distinction to all educators.
Read MoreThree People Are Dying Each Day From Opioids In Tennessee
by Steve Birr A new report reveals the deteriorating national opioid epidemic is hitting Tennessee particularly hard, killing three people across the state each day. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam created the Tennessee Commission on Pain and Addiction Medicine Education Jan. 24 to investigate the addiction crisis and develop new standards for…
Read MoreGlobalist Sen. Lamar Alexander Bemoans President’s ‘Shot to the Foot’ From Tariffs
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) bemoaned President Trump’s “shot to the foot’” over tariffs on Fox News’ Journal Editorial Report. Tennessee’s senior senator, praising globalism, introduced the Automotive Jobs Act of 2018 Wednesday to delay the tariffs. He said, “Zero tariffs is exactly the right policy.” He also called for an…
Read MoreLee Company Sends a Cease and Desist Letter to Diane Black’s Gubernatorial Campaign
The Lee Company sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) on Friday, calling for the removal of information alleging the company wrongfully fired a veteran who once worked there, The Tennessee Journal’s On the Hill reported. GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee is the owner…
Read MoreTrump Touts Strong 2nd Quarter US Economic Growth
by William Gallo U.S. President Donald Trump touted the economy’s strong second quarter performance Friday, saying “we’re on track to hit the highest annual average growth rate in over 13 years.” The U.S. economy grew at a 4.1-percent annualized rate in the second quarter, its fastest pace in nearly four…
Read MoreCommentary: It’s On! Jim Jordan Announces For Speaker Of The U.S. House of Representatives
by CHQ Staff Back in May a virtual Who’s Who of conservative movement leaders, led by CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie, came together to urge Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4), the former Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, to run for Speaker of the House. Yesterday, Rep. Jordan made it…
Read MoreTennessee’s 8th District: Trump Tweets Endorsement of Congressman Kustoff
“Congressman David Kustoff has been a champion for the Trump Agenda – I greatly appreciate his support,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter late Friday afternoon as he endorsed the 8th District Congressman for reelection. “David is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Get…
Read MoreDavid Fowler Commentary: Summing Up the Republican Gubernatorial Primary
by David Fowler I don’t watch much television for fear it will rot my mind, but I’ve sure heard complaints about all the “negative” television ads and mail pieces paid for by some Republican gubernatorial hopefuls. Whether perceived by voters as negative or not, ads and literature that truthfully…
Read MoreThe Top Ten Most Epic Presidential Vetoes in American History
by Lawrence W. Reed President James Garfield named his beloved dog Veto. The pooch was a monstrous but lovable black Newfoundland weighing more than a hundred pounds. Congress got the message: A bad or unconstitutional bill would go straight to the Garfield doghouse. (Sadly, none ever did because Garfield served…
Read MoreTwitter Suspends Conservative Pundit Kathleen McKinley For Opposing Trans In Military, Tying ‘Extreme Muslim Beliefs’ To Honor Killings
by Peter Hasson Kathleen McKinley, a conservative blogger and political commentator for a local Fox station in Houston, was surprised Friday to find an email from Twitter announcing her account had been suspended. Twitter listed two tweets that it claimed violated rules against “hateful conduct,” emails that McKinley shared with…
Read MoreAnalysis: The Trump Economy Booms in Q2 with 4.1 Percent Growth, But There’s Plenty to Do to Break 3 Percent for the Year
By Robert Romano After a rip-roaring 4.1 percent inflation-adjusted economic growth for the second quarter of 2018, the economy under President Donald Trump is making tremendous progress to full recovery, after more than a decade of stagnant growth. The U.S. economy has not grown above 4 percent since 2000, and not above…
Read MoreFormer New York Assembly Speaker Gets 7 Years in Prison
Sheldon Silver, the former New York Assembly speaker who brokered legislative deals for two decades before corruption charges abruptly ended his career, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison. The punishment, announced by U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, was five years less than the 12-year sentence she gave to…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: The Intent and Spirit of Collaborative Conferencing
Are we striving toward achievement of the original objective of the PECCA law? It is clear, a course adjustment may be in order. Eliminating needless lawsuits, staying focused on the purpose, including more teachers in the process, and having impartial training moving forward will better establish a peaceful, stable employer-employee relationship. Who could oppose those common-sense changes?
Read MoreEinstein Was Right: Astronomers Confirm Key Theory
A consortium of astronomers said Thursday they had for the first time confirmed a prediction of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing the gravitational effects of a supermassive black hole on a star zipping by it. The German-born theoretical physicist had posited that large gravitational forces could stretch…
Read MorePapa John’s Founder Suing Company, Accuses It Of Planning ‘Coup’
by Kyle Perisic Papa John’s founder and former CEO John Schnatter is suing the company, seeking documents related to the person who outed him saying the N-word and accused the company of planning a “coup” against him. “Instead of standing behind the founder and working with news media to…
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE: Marsha Blackburn Tells The Tennessee Star ‘Chuck Schumer Has Bought and Paid For Phil Bredesen’s Vote’
In an exclusive interview with Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill on Friday, U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) hit her Democratic opponent square in the jaw, calling him out over one of his greatest vulnerablities. “Chuck Schumer has bought and paid for Phil Bredesen’s vote,” Blackburn told Gill.…
Read MorePAC Ad Supporting Harwell Says Legalized Marijuana Will ‘Create a State That Lets People Live in a Better State’
A new ad from a PAC called TN State Victory touting gubernatorial candidate Beth Harwell’s support of medical marijuana has hit the airwaves. Sources tell The Tennessee Star the PAC is spending $87,000 to run the ad on broadcast and cable television stations around the state, beginning today and continuing…
Read MoreVice President Mike Pence Endorses Diane Black for Governor
Vice President Mike Pence tweeted his strong endorsement for Diane Black for governor of Tennessee on Friday, as early voting is set to close in the August 2 Republican gubernatorial primary. He wrote, “@DianeBlackTN is running for Governor of TN & a strong supporter of #MAGA agenda of tax cuts,…
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