From the Tennessean:

Tennessee Democratic Party leaders voided a bitterly contested Senate primary result on Saturday, a move likely to result in the ouster of the Senate’s second-most-powerful member, Sen. Rosalind Kurita, and a hard-fought victory for her opponent.

The party executive committee voted 33-11 to declare the Senate District 22 primary “incurably uncertain” and referred the election outcome to county party executives to decide. The result of that vote is also uncertain, but many predicted that county officials would declare Clarksville attorney Tim Barnes the winner.

Sometimes it’s just tough being a Republican.  Foolish, foolish Republicans thought that if they told Congressman David Davis to just shut his mouth and not challenge the organized Democrat crossover that beat back Congressman Davis, that all would be good with the State Senate Kurita seat.  And Congressman Davis capitulated and went with the party unity strategy.

I guess I was one of the lone bloggers out there telling Davis to go for it.  

But as I’ve said many a time before, Republicans bring knives to gunfights.  So now instead of the hard-core warrior for American energy that we had in David Davis, we get Congressman Roe who demonizes “big-oil” and will now owe a few favors to local Democrats.  And Speaker Ramsey loses the Gregory Family support for Ramsey’s PAC.

Just great.

And the shameless Democrat Executive Committee tosses out Kurita’s race, but sit mum, tight-lipped, and oh-so-holy when their party members down in the Davis Congressional District voted Republican to monkey with that race.  Good for thee, but not for me.  Or in other words, good when we Democrats are crapping in your pond, but not when you Republicans are peeing in ours.

Am I surprised?  Not even remotely.  But then maybe I’m much more realistic and pragmatic and regrettably, even a touch cynical at times.

Oh well.  There’s lots of work to do.  And Sarah Palin is a bright star who has fired up Republicans like I’ve not seen in quite awhile.  And she’s proving to have some coat tails as we’ve seen in recent polling.  

Things were looking good in Nashville.  The Senate was learning with their majority.  Like an adolescent male, they didn’t know what kind of strength they possessed, and were almost surprised at times when they used it.  But they were finding their way.  

But now you’ve moved out Sen. Finney and put in that sell-out, charlatan Overbey who ran like he is really a conservative.  I can’t wait to see his “tough on illegal immigration” legislation that he supposedly champions.  

There are major issues to flesh out next session.  And you’ve got a delicate balance considering the numerous GOP Senators who campaign like Republicans but govern like Democrats.  How to hold together such fragile coalitions when so many are willing to fold?  It’s a tough job for the GOP Senate leader.

Tennessee is in need of an inspiring, genuine leader at the helm.  I argued long, long ago that it was Fred, not Van Hilleary who should have run for Governor.  No offense to Van, but Fred could have turned this corrupt state around with his sheer ability to communicate with people.  Maybe it’s not too late for that to happen, though I can certainly picture Fred Thompson in a position to make a difference in a McCain administration.  Whether that means a seat on the bench or something else, I don’t know.

But Tennessee could sure use a Fred.