It's Now Official: Kim is OUT, Mike McWherter is The Last Candidate Standing

Here's the official press release received moments ago:



Dear Steffens,

Over the past days and weeks friends have gently (and some not so gently) encouraged me to run for Mayor of Clarksville, my home and Tennessee’s 5^th largest city. My answer was simple, “I love Clarksville, but I’m running for Governor.”

And run I’ve been doing. Since April of 2008, with a notepad in my hand, a dream in my heart, and a commitment to listen to Tennesseans, I’ve visited homes and hospitals, schools and factories, diners and drive-ins . . . well, you get the point, I’ve been to a lot of places. I’ve loved every minute of it.

I’ve often been told that “timing is everything.” Well, I’m not sure timing is everything, but I do know it’s important. I also know that timing rarely consults our calendar – in fact, it often seems to disrupt our careful plans.

From the time of this writing, the 24 hours just behind and the 24 hours immediately ahead have become pivotal. Yesterday at 3 p.m., Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper announced that he will not seek re-election. Tomorrow at noon is the filing deadline for Governor.

I‘m going to answer the call of my friends; I’m going to run for Mayor of Clarksville.

I hope you’ll understand and though it may be too much to ask, I hope you’ll forgive me if my decision disappoints you. Thank you so very much for your support and the many kindnesses you’ve shown to me. Please call on me if I can help you.

I believe I can make a difference as Mayor of Tennessee’s 5^th largest city.

For our young people, the ones born here, and the thousands that come here to Austin Peay and Fort Campbell and don’t want to leave, I want to help make Clarksville America’s best place to live. Clarksville, we’re on our way, but there’s work to be done and I want to help do it!

I’ll work hard to link our academic resources, our military resources, our natural resources, and our amazing workforce into a 21^st century economic engine.

I’ll concentrate on keeping the jobs we have and growing the jobs we need. I’m proud of our success in recruiting Hemlock Semiconductor, and I’ll continue to use my relationships across the state and across America to tell the tremendous Clarksville story to companies large and small.

And I also know this, behind the headlines of recruitment success lays the heart of long term job growth – existing businesses. As we reach out, we’ll also reach in. I’ll help existing businesses cut through the red tape that can stifle growth and I’ll work hard to connect them to opportunities in every way I possibly can. I know that keeping the good jobs we have takes just as much effort as recruiting the good jobs we need!

At the heart of American’s best place to live are safe neighborhoods. Crime and gang activity literally hold millions of American’s hostage inside their own homes – but we can’t let that be true here in Clarksville, America’s best place to live. I’ll make sure that our first rate law enforcement team leads all of us in a community wide commitment to public safety.

I’ve been working for Tennessee and for Clarksville for a long time. As a public leader, I’ve always taken fairness and openness very seriously, and I promise you that fairness and openness will continue to be at the center of all that I do.

Very Truly Yours,

Kim McMillan

LWC here again: It's now time to get behind Mike McWherter, unless you LIKE the idea of a gazillionaire oilman running our state.

Well, if this is true, it's not like we didn't see it coming!

As first suggested by Post Politics newbie JR Lind earlier this afternoon, and then followed up by Mr. Ross at STP earlier this evening, Lind comes back and just implies it out loud: Kim McMillan may be about to jump out of the Democratic Governor's race and into the Clarksville Mayor's race.

That, of course, would mean an uncontested victory for Mike McWherter in the Democratic race for Governor, allowing him to train his sights on Republicans only.  This, it seems, Mike has already started, according to Nashville Scene reporter Jeff Woods, complete with humorous title provided.

I, of course, had opened my vote up for courting a mere two weeks ago, yet it seems I will only have one candidate from which to choose.  Well, as long as he bashes Pilot Oil Boy as much as possible, I guess I can live with it.

Kim? Mike? Can we talk?

Ok, so maybe I over-reacted a tad when I found myself abandoned by my gubernatorial candidate last month.  I'm sure you can understand that here was a Shelby County guy giving us RED MEAT in his speeches, he seemed to be doing quite well, and then he bailed.

All righty then.  I have decided at this time NOT to endorse either of you, not because I'm going over to THAT side, but because, well, I have decided to ask you both to tell me why I should vote for one over the other in the August Democratic primary.

That's right, court me.

First, some apologies are in order on my part.

Kim, I apologize for calling you "Bredesen in a skirt", you should have punched me for that, but you didn't.  You have certainly proven otherwise, to my delight.

Mike, sorry for referring to you as NOT NED RAY.  I can only imagine that, while he is a big inspiration to you (as he has always been to all of us), but that's a hell of shadow you have to deal with, and that wasn't fair.

OK, now that that's out of the way, here's what I would like to hear from both of you:

First, tell us how you're going to LEAD Tennessee.  We have had 16 years of managers in the Republicans Sundquist and Bredesen (at least Sundquist tried to get us an income tax) and we need a LEADER.  You still have to manage, but you've got to lead and inspire.  Sorry, but this is the party that you've chosen and that's what I expect.  It CAN be done, as it was from 1987-1995. (Oops, there's that damn shadow again, sorry.)

Tell me why you are a Big D Democrat, tell me why you can LEAD this state as well as manage it, DIFFERENTIATE yourself from those boring-to-idiotic fellows on the other side of the divide. GIVE ME A REASON TO BELIEVE, as Rod Stewart once sang.

Remember, this is NOT the general, this is the PRIMARY, and you have to SOLIDIFY and WIN OVER your base.  And despite what those Blue Dog schmucks may tell you, I am your base, as 40% of the August Democratic vote will come from right here, and it's yours for the taking.

Kim, you've got guts, get in somebody's face (preferably Haslam's) and challenge him as to just how a rich boy who inherited everything can relate to the average Tennessean compared to an adopted child who has busted her butt for all she's gotten.

Mike, you need to remind people that you EARNED your business empire, and built it YOURSELF, as opposed to Mr. Pilot Oil.

Both of you need to attack the GOP as hard as you can; let them know that while the state desperately needs jobs, the Gooper-led General Assembly is too worried about an income tax that can never pass or make sure everyone over the age of 2 can pack when going into a restaurant.

Yes, I just gave you the out on the income tax, and no, I don't like it. Sigh.

Anyway, each of you are invited to our Drinking Liberally meeting on a Wednesday night (Kim's already been here once, Mike, you need to show up, too)  and we will enjoy hearing from each of you.

It's a long way to August, and I am undecided, win me over.  Then we can go kick Haslam's ass in a spirit of unity!

From Kim McMillan's event last night in Midtown

Jackson Baker has the story and provides this video:

Kim McMillan has a web video out

I'm still with my Shelby Countian, but this IS impressive, nice work by Kim and her team.

KnoxViews has a lengthy interview with Kim McMillan

Props to our friend R. Neal at KnoxViews for scoring this talk with Kim McMillan.

While, despite my frustration with his stand on the income tax, I may have found my own candidate. However, I still want you to go read the interview, she makes a lot of good points here.

I'm about to go to the Kyle announcement

But I almost decided to tell him where to put his campaign after something I read yesterday.

Now, a lesson in framing. I got up Monday morning and spit out my coffee after reading this CA article on Kyle's announcement, which had this little bundle of joy in it:

But Kyle has repositioned himself on an issue sure to haunt him: his vote for a tax-reform plan that included a state income tax in exchange for exempting grocery food from sales taxes and cutting the sales tax rate on everything else. As a member of the Finance Committee during former GOP governor Don Sundquist's push for tax reform, Kyle voted to send the bill to the Senate floor, where it was never called up for a vote after failing in the House.

"That was almost 10 years ago. I am against an income tax, and I will veto it. Phil Bredesen has proven we can manage this government without an income tax and frankly showed me I was wrong to consider an income tax."

What the fuck? This is the very reason I kicked Phil Bredesen in the balls on a daily basis since 2002, and this is a quote from a guy I'm preparing to support for Governor? Really, what the fuck?

Understand that two things are working at the same time here: 1) Tennessee DESPERATELY needs an income tax due to its horribly regressive tax structure and 2) the Goopers have poisoned the well on this issue to the point that if anyone supports it, they will probably be strung up on the spot. So, it's not that I wanted Kyle to actively support an income tax, I just wanted him to shut up about it.

No matter what the polls may say, WHOEVER is elected Governor is going to have to face an income tax at some point in their upcoming term, because the budget problems are only going to get worse, not better, and to dig yourself a hole like this is just plain stupid.

Not only that, by saying what he said, he reinforced the anti-taxation meme of the GOP, which HURTS Democrats and a progressive agenda. That's not acceptable.

Props to Kim McMillan here, who simply said to me, when I asked her about it earlier this year, that the people simply do not want an income tax at this time, and there is no point in pushing it. THAT, my friends, is a simple restatement of political reality, and does not reinforce any Republican meme.

Fortunately, Jim Kyle has LOTS of good friends here in Big Shelby working with the campaign, and my rage has been made known to him and I am hoping that this simple lesson in framing gets through to him. If we continue to discuss issues based on GOP definitions and framing, the Democratic Party here may as well not exist.

See you at the rally!

It's been busy, and it could get busier

As you may have read over at Vibinc's place, former House Majority Leader and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan of Clarksville came to Drinking Liberally last night; we hope to have pictures up later. She is friendly, down to earth, and impressed me that she has the personality and skillsets necessary to lead the state. It's still early, but I liked what I heard. go click on her name and check out the website.

Tonight, I attended a reception and then an impromptu gathering afterwards featuring House Speaker Kent Williams (CCR -Elizabethton), House Democratic Leader Gary Odom (D-Nashville), and House Democratic Caucus Chair Mike Turner (D-Old Hickory). Williams impressed me off the bat as being someone who has a understanding of where we are as a state and that now is not the time for silliness, and as someone who will work with anyone, but NOT someone who suffer fools (Hello, Stuntbaby of Germantown) gladly. He is still very much a Republican, but one who knows that we have to get things done in Nashville, because people are suffering.

This is Speaker Williams' first ever visit to Memphis, and we welcome him as he tours the city this weekend.

I also met with SCDP Chair candidate Javier Bailey, I will be talking to him further as several of us in the blogosphere meet all Chair candidates. He understands the problems, we will talk more about solutions later.

Well, there will be more as the weekend goes on, it's time to hit the hay.