Well said Terry. I only hope he hears and listens!

By Toni on 05.19.09 8:57 pm

[...] Governor, Terry Frank has a message for you and I think you should read and take heed. I heard you earlier in the year at the Williamson County [...]

By Bear Creek Ledger » A Message to Lt Governor Ramsey on 05.19.09 9:08 pm

What’s astonishing is that Ron Ramsey, by adhering to Constitutional principles in the Retention-election debate stands to gain virtually every advantage in distinguishing himself and his campaign for Governor. Yet, he continues to waffle. It’s not even something like the Judicial Selection Committee ever did the Black Caucus any big favor, or something like that. It stiffed them too.
From what’s visible to me Ramsey makes no sense.
It looks like a bad political mistake and an opportunity he won’t get back.

By Tony Gottlieb on 05.20.09 2:29 am

Can we all agree that the state desperately needs a real leader?

Can we all agree that the state Republican Party needs a front runner for governor?

Can we agree that a man’s oath should be honored?

Can we all agree that this is an absolute no brainer in the minds of voters?

If Ramsey wants to be governor…this is his moment.

By Kay Brooks on 05.20.09 11:05 am

I am not from East Tennessee but I do not understand why everybody is pushing and begging Ramsey to uphold the constitution.
If the man was trustworthy ,he would have already done it. If the man was an outstanding ethical leader, he would have already made a move but HE DID NOT. You are trying to make drink a donkey which is not thirsty…. and this is impossible

I was never impressed by Ramsey when I saw him favoring and praising Jamie Woodson.

When you have a senator , a woman , who is able to do what she did in the Michael Firestone ’s case, you can tell right away that the women is not worth a penny of trust.

http://michaelfirestone.org/pdf/bw_20060308.pdf

Please also read the article of the TBA regarding judicial selection. A group of predatory lawyers are desperate and lobbying to keep the crooks in control of their bread and butter.

Information Central

Bills to continue merit selection and retention elections advance in both houses
In the House, a bill sponsored by Rep. Joe McCord (R-Maryville) is set for floor action on Thursday. As amended, HB1448/SB1573 establishes a new judicial nominating commission appointed by the speakers, requires the commission to submit to the governor three names for appointment, and allows the governor to request an additional three names, for a total of six. The bill also continues and reconstitutes the judicial evaluation commission and continues retention elections until 2014, the new sunset date for the commissions. The TBA has worked closely with House leaders in fashioning common sense changes to the current system embodied in the bill. Members may wish to contact their local lawmaker urging adoption of the McCord bill.

In the Senate, the Judiciary and Government Operations committees both voted out three different versions of judicial election legislation. The Senate companion to the McCord bill, SB1573, was amended to maintain judicial selection in a modified form, hold retention elections and have a two-year sunset. Also reported out was a bill — SB1715/HB1892 — sponsored by Sen. Doug Overeby (R- Maryville) and Rep. Kent Coleman (D-Murfreesboro) that has stronger merit selection, retention elections, and a 2015 sunset. Finally, legislation to grant the Governor unlimited power to appoint, retention elections for intermediate appeals judges only, contested elections for Supreme Court justices, and a call for a constitutional convention on judicial elections was added to a bill — SB2114 — sponsored by Sen. Mark Norris (R- Germantown). All three bills will be on the Senate Finance committee calendar tomorrow.

It is a done deal. No one is stepping up for the Constitution The only tentative was made by Brian Kelsey but he cannot do it alone.

As far as the Governor race is concerned,I hope Mr Ramsey does not get the Republican nomination.
We need to support candidate with guts , a little knowledge of the Constitution
and a big heart of his constituents.

Such a candidate is very hard to find in this state.

By Rosine Ghawji on 05.20.09 12:25 pm

I think that what Ramsey is doing is indicative of what the “ruling class” is doing across the nation. We, at first, were happy as pigs in slop when People’s Republic of California voted the way they did.

But what really does that mean? It means that the California pols will do what TN pols and those in DC do every day. They will do what benefits THEM! They will politely spit in our eye and do what they want to anyway. Look at immigration. Look at what I used to call “Tax and spend” it’s more accurately called “SPEND AND TAX” since they are always running on a deficit budget and having to tax and re-tax to make up for their shortcomings as leaders, organizers and for being a waste of skin and oxygen. These officials in California, many of which weren’t even elected, will just cut the programs that people need and will pay for so that the pet projects are safe and sound. Let’s face it: providing welfare, medical, food, housing, schooling, cell phones, and civil rights protection for illegal immigrants is SOOOO much more important that educating and protecting those that are here LEGALLY. So I can see why Arnie, the Taxinator, wants to cut police and other vital services instead of cutting back on park maintenance on unused parks that have bloated budgets and maintaining the illusion that they are “green.”

While I hope that Ramsey and the rest of the elites that hold office will finally start doing what is right for the people of this state and this nation, I am convinced that honorable politicians that work for the good of the people, that strive to maintain freedoms that our Constitution secure for us, live on the same block as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Right between the Tooth Fairy and the monster that used to live under my bed.

By BCB on 05.21.09 8:25 am

BCB

Some politicians are really working for the people . They are rare and precious but it is up to us to find them and support them,
In the West side of the State, I know that Brian Kelsey .Paul Stanley are out fighting for their constituents.

but never forget that a legion of peasants can easily take down an emperor.It is up to the people to make a choice and to vote out the one who does not fit the profile of and ethical leader.

By Rosine Ghawji on 05.21.09 8:45 am

Terry,

This would appear that we are trying, as Reagan said, to make the Conservative Republicans™ “feel the heat even if they do not see the light”.

Quite frankly, I am not interested in supporting any candidate that simply cannot grasp keeping their word – in this case, upholding our state constitution as promised upon taking office. I am not interested in electing someone that I must continually “put the heat on”, just to keep them from giving away our rights. Rosine is right. This isn’t a hard issue. Ramsey can blame it all on 1870 and John Wilder.

Alternate Conservative Republicans™ are RedLight-$cameraman-against-guns Haslam and Bailout Wamp.

My state senator and rep. (both Conservative Republicans™) are the ones pushing the retention legislation, when they aren’t getting called out by Boss Hogg for raising taxes.

The Republican party is dead.

By Eric Holcombe on 05.21.09 12:41 pm

Eric, I agree that the Republican Party, as anything useful, is dead. And Conservatives in this country have been labeled as “Extremist” by the Dept of Homeland Security. I truly feel as if I’ve been declared an enemy of the state. Their state, not mine. As an enemy of the state, what is the next move?

Rosine, I will grant you that there are some Conservatives that are working for us. They are few and far between. They need to be held up as examples and they need to have their numaes thrust in the faces of the media that ignores them or casts them in a poor light. The Grassroots type of thing will be what gets these people into office and holds them there in the face of the self-serving pols. Only through education will we bring more people to our just cause and keep them there: the alternative is another type of “Grassroots” movement….

By BCB on 05.21.09 1:25 pm

BCB

the alternative is another type of “Grassroots” movement….

Like what … we are ready for anything….

By Rosine Ghawji on 05.22.09 6:33 pm

I honestly think that if our politicians keep on ignoring the will of the people and what is best for the nation, then as a group they may rise up. Again. Didn’t that start out as a sort of “Grassroots” movement when those people were ignored and exploited?

We, and the elected egos, need to examine how far they will go and how far we might let them before the rubber band that holds it all together snaps. There might not be a way to come back from that, once it starts.

By BCB on 05.22.09 9:15 pm

“They” rising up would be the people. Sorry not very clear there was ? I guess if our elected officials ever “rise up” we will see it by the involvement of the military and the “police.” After all, B-HO’s Homeland Security Office released a memo an Intel Assessment that labeled many, many citizens as potential “Right Wing Extremists” and now he wants to “… pursue a new legal regime to detain terrorists.” Keep in mind that the Intel Assessment dealing with domestic groups used stronger language than the assessment dealing with International Terrorism. Didn’t Nepolitano strike the word “terrorist” and replace it with “man made disaster”? So when B-HO speaks of terrorism, it might seem that he reserves that label for US. Doubt me? Check out the new government released lexicon and dictionary that they released and try to find as many references to Islamic based terrorism and then compare that number to how many you might find on any number of Right Wing references. It is clear that those that stand for the lives of the unborn must be stopped while those that have a different belief set and create “man made disasters” must be embraced, coddled and used to help shape our laws and cutlure.

A wise man recently summed up our current political situation: “Beans and bullets. That’s what a smart man needs to be buying.” I’m sure he’s on some list by now.

By BCB on 05.23.09 8:36 am

Justice is one of the most important part in the building of a country. If all the citizens feel protected by the law and they can be sure that the law will be uphold by their elected members,the country will be safer and able to move forward and prosper.

I am looking at the present situation not with a local southern eye but with an international eye.

I have experienced first hand the judicial system in the State of Tennessee . The less I can say, is that I have never seen so much ignorance, corruption, greed,and disrespect for the law and the Constitution than in the family court of West Tennessee.

Justice is not in the hands of the lawmakers . Justice is in the hands of a corrupt , greedy group of lawyers who
have been getting away with murder for many years.

Now as BCB says , how far are we willing to let it go?

It is up to us, residents of Tennessee .
If we take a look at history, we can notice that major changes started with a hand full of people ready to clean up the place.
Democrats were in charge in the State . Now after so many years, Republicans are in charge,

They promised a lot of changes. As far as the Judicial mess is concerned not only none of the major problem was put on the table,but no one except for Brian Kelsey stood up for justice and tried
to solve the problem

So far the powerful machine of the Tennessee bar association is going full strength in trying to blow away the fundamental rights of the citizens and keeping the Constitution on the sidewalk.
It sounds like the fight between David and Goliath…. we already know the end of this story in the Bible, It is up to us , people of Tennessee to manufacture the end of our fight using our own principles, values and courage.

let us start by limiting the number of elected lawyers in the legislature. Put in power not the one we must beg for honesty but the one who has already proven his values.

After all it is our taxpayer money that is on the grill, we, the people can decide where to spend it.

By Rosine Ghawji on 05.23.09 9:04 am

Terry, first of all, thanks for watchin our backs! however, I have to say, that while Ron may be over-reaching on this issue, he has ALWAYS defended the conservative cause…people aren’t perfect and you may not agree with Ron on this one, but trust me, he would be a blessing to the governor’s office!

By T-republican on 05.25.09 4:33 am