Reveille
January
2002
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Reveille January |
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Published by
International Press Service
BEFORE AND AFTER pictures of President James K. Polk show how young he looked before taking office and how he aged before he left. Photographer Wesley Schultz brought out pictures from his file after reading our article on aging in office. Wes shot these pictures while visiting the Polk House in Columbia, TN. Eager
for slow kiss of death George W. Bush is already showing the wear and tear of the strain
brought on by being President. It
may be a slow kiss of death, but there is never any shortage of takers. Same thing with lesser offices. There
certainly has to be a penalty of health that comes with the mantle of
power. Whether it’s the
U.S. Senate, governorship or city council member, the stress must take its
due. That doesn’t frighten
the wannabees. In Tennessee, a crowded field looks toward the governor’s mansion in
Nashville. Only one can have
it. There are only three viable contenders to date.
One major Democrat and two main Republicans. Democrat Phil Bredesen is overwhelming the competition with his presence
and, very importantly, money. A
successful businessman and former mayor of Nashville, he has yet to be
successful on the statewide political scene.
Considered an uninspiring and lackluster candidate, he is at home
with the business community but not comfortable with the good ole boys.
He attended a country style gathering of folks.
They wore bib overalls and he was dressed as if going to a formal
ball. If Phil trades on his record as Nashville mayor, he may have some dark
shadows there. His successor
feels he could have left him a more solvent package to work with. This campaign will undoubtedly see a Forbes type effort.
How many votes can money buy?
And it can buy a lot. The
poor man without deep pockets has an uphill fight for today’s elections.
Phil will have the funds to buy billboards, TV, radio, newspaper,
yard signs and campaign staff. Is
the governorship for sale? Rep. Van Hilleary has been running for the governorship for three years
while serving from his congressional district.
He is a favorite of the conservative right wing of the Republican
Party and has a good record in Washington.
Service as a pilot in the Gulf War adds to his credentials.
His critics say he knows his way around Washington but is a
stranger to the statewide scene. Van took aim and made a painful shot in the foot recently over the state
budget. He called it a
fictitious myth. This was the
same as saying the governor and all the legislators of both parties were
deliberately deceiving the people of Tennessee.
He didn’t make many friends with that poorly advised bit of
political advice—unless, of course, he really doesn’t know any better
and believes that. Jim Henry is emerging fast as the stable candidate the GOP wants to hang
their hopes on. His military
background includes distinguished service in Vietnam.
His public service record is staggering. He was mayor of his hometown in Kingston and went on to the
state legislature where he served 12 years.
He was the House Republican Leader.
The business community likes Jim because he has the successful
background of running his own company.
He heads Omni Visions which employs 650 people. Phil has the successful business experience but comes up short on
statewide political savvy and charisma. Van has experience is Washington but lacks a businessman’s background
and familiarity with the state government. From a financial standpoint, Phil Bredesen could bankroll his own
campaign. Van Hilleary
started early, amassed a respectable war chest and courted the right wing
of the party. Van’s money
began drying up when Jim Henry entered the race.
He is having to rely on PAC money now from out of state donors who
owe him favors. Jim Henry depends on contributions from individuals but he’s moving up
fast. His standing with the
Republican Party statewide is unparalleled. Political insiders say that the Bredesen camp has political dirt to throw
at Van but don’t want to use it until after the primary, where they hope
Van will be the Republican nominee. They
don’t want to face Jim in November. The President is watching the election from Washington.
He would like to see a Republican in the governorship and doesn’t
want to see a bitter battle between two of the GOP persuasion.
But that’s democracy and somebody will pay the mortality toll
after November with four years in the heat at Nashville. ******** MOH
still looking for a permanent home The sign on the door tells
the story: Closed. No heat. That’s
on the door of the Medal of Honor Museum’s Fourth and Georgia location. There has never been a
surplus of operating funds for the museum, but they’ve always managed,
especially during the years Leo Smith supervised.
Right now they are temporarily locating at the Combustion
site on Riverfront Parkway and dreaming of something better at the
Volunteer location on Bonny Oaks. Chief fund raiser for the group is the annual dinner held at
Jacques Charton’s place in Tiftonia.
Biggest expense is the power bill. Unpaid volunteers perform duties for operation. The directors have lost several opportunities to have a
permanent home. As county
executive, Dalton Roberts offered them property off I75. Mayor Gene Roberts and then Jon Kinsey gave them the St. Elmo
School and put $150,000 into renovation.
Both were rejected. The
GOP wanted Fred in Nashville Sen. Fred Thompson was the
number one choice of Tennessee Republicans to run for governor this time.
The popular senator chose to retain
his senate seat after much delay. Before George W. Bush
surged to the surface, many wanted to see Fred take a shot at the
presidency. No interest
there. The Tennessean to watch is
Sen. Bill Frist. Although he has said this
was his last term in the senate, his surge to national leadership
following the Sept. 11 attack puts him in the national spotlight. He is a viable candidate for the presidency assuming George
W. Bush wins a second term. Bill
would be the man at the forefront for 2008. Question is what would Bill
do in the interim. In
politics, if you step out of the arena the public forgets. If he wants the
presidency, he would likely run once more for the senate. Then what happens to Rep.
Zach Wamp. Pledging to serve
no more than 12 years in the House, Zach would be leaving office in 2006. He has made no secret that
he plans to run for the senate—when Bill steps down. Zach has too much talent and ability to offer to put it
on a shelf. The country needs
hi Vets View . . . Pete
Chaney Much has been made
recently—mainly by politicians—about the posting or not posting of the
Ten Commandments in public buildings.
The proponents say ours is a Judeo-Christian society. Opponents say there must be a separation of church and state. Maybe too much is being
made about the religious connotation
and not enough about these just being good suggestive rules for
morality. People don’t
follow them any way. Of
course, there must be a separation of church and state.
We don’t want America to be another Taliban oriented society
where only one religious view is allowed. Our coins say: “In
God We Trust.” And
different religions generally acknowledge there is but one God, by
whatever name He is called. The
Lord’s Prayer doesn’t reach just one religion.
If the majority want to recite it at a gathering, the atheist
doesn’t have to join in. We
need government to have the religious morality without the dogma and
ritual. Politicians should
show by example, not hot air. Post Script Any body remember GARY DAVIS?
He was the one-man activist after WWII pushing for world
government, all nations under one flag.
The idea didn’t fly. ******** Give ‘em credit. Our
congress has a lot of gall and arrogance.
In the face of a faltering economy and unemployment everywhere,
they voted themselves nearly a $5,000 annual pay raise. To their credit, Tennessee’s senators BILL FRIST and FRED
THOMPSON did not vote for it. ******** In politics it takes more than being a good guy.
Talk is that JIM BURNETT, Rep. VAN HILLEARY’s chief of staff and
point man for the campaign, is being eased out of his prominence in the
campaign. ******** Another name change has come up for the old nursing home
still best known as Mountain Creek Manor.
New name is Grand Court Terrace of Mountain Creek.
Owners are still in Florida, but the paychecks are coming in on
time now. ******** It’s been no secret for months that CARL LEVI planned to
run for BILL NOBLE’s job if Bill stepped aside as county trustee.
Carl has picked up his papers but he needs to mend fences for the
woman’s vote. He drafted
new bylaws for the Chattanooga Area Veterans Association which bar
auxiliaries and women’s organizations from membership.
They can only be associate members if his rules are approved in
March. ******** She’s the sweetheart of area veterans and EDITH WHITMAN’s
work at the Veterans Day ceremony in November was an inspiration.
She represented the local chapter of the World War I Auxiliary and
is a former national president.
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