Some background on the Kurita situation

As everyone knows, my initial reaction to the TDP's voiding of the Senate 22 primary was not a good one, as I believed the TDP screwed up. Certainly, without knowing the backstory, the average voter would have come to the same conclusion that I did, that Democratic voters were disenfranchised.

After checking into this a bit further, not so much.

My sources, some of whom sat in that room Saturday, have told me a different story. I have learned that the primary, which was decided by 19 votes, was corrupted by GOP voters who deliberately crossed over to influence the race. At least 138 of them were found by Barnes' legal team to have voted in 8 of the last 8 GOP primaries, and a few hundred more were found to have voted in at least 4 of the last 8 GOP primaries.

Now wait, you say, we don't have party registration, people can legally vote in whichever primary they choose, just not both at once. This is true; however, each party has the legal right to determine who may run under their banner, and if it is determined that the voting process was corrupted to the point of being “incurably uncertain”, they may void such a primary election.

Other things learned at the meeting on Saturday is that some of Barnes' would-be voters were told by their election judges, according to one of my sources, that in order to vote for Barnes, they would need to vote in the GOP primary, only to learn that he was not in that primary, then to be told that nothing could be done. Who's disenfranchising WHOM at this point?

In addition, my sources have advised that there WERE Republicans who sought to run for Kurita's seat, but were apparently told by Ron Ramsey that they were protecting Kurita, and asked them not to run.

As all of these happened with numbers far larger than the 19-vote margin, and as this was a PRIMARY, and not a general election, the Tennessee Democratic Party was within their rights to boot Kurita. They then made the decision to put the burden for deciding the nominee on the Democratic Executive Commitees of Houston, Cheatham & Montgomery Counties, the three counties that make up District 22.

On Wednesday night, they voted 61-4 to nominate Tim Barnes, a bona fide Democrat, to run. Kurita has filed to wage a write-in campaign, which is difficult to win but not impossible, especially with the support of the GOP, to whom she threw control of the State Senate back in January 2007.

Having learned what I learned, I now believe the TDP had no choice other than to boot Kurita. However, this comes with a warning: You need to take the steps necessary to prevent a recurrence, such as requiring registration by Party in order to vote in a primary election, and taking pre-emptive action to prevent someone who stabs the party in the back, as Kurita did in 2007, from ever having the opportunity to represent the Democratic Party.

Do you think the GOP would have put up with something like this? Hell no, so why should we?

Barnes-Kurita, Round 2

Well, to the shock of few sentient beings, Rosalind Kurita filed as a write-in candidate for Senate District 22 to run against Tim Barnes in the November election. She can do that, today was the deadline, and presumably she will have every Gooper in that area writing her name in.

This, of course, is in response to the TDP ExecCom voiding her 19-vote landslide victory over Barnes in the August primary.

You know that I thought this was a bad move, but if this is going to be on, then I'm in Tim Barnes' corner, because she's gotta pay for her sins, folks. I don't like what the TDP did, but if you're going to do this, then it's time to step it up and put your money where your votes are.

This is where the lesson has to be learned. If you live outside the city of Memphis and you're a Democrat, this is one of the biggest races in the state. I know her name won't be on the ballot, but you're going to tell me that the Goopers are going to abandon her when they know Tim Barnes will vote for someone other than Ron Ramsey for Senate Speaker? Hell no, not after the guy they got to challenge Mike Williams (I-NASCAR-Maynardville), Mike Faulk, apparently got caught fooling around with a married woman who happened to be the former head of the Hawkins County Young Republicans.

Their hold on the State Senate is tenuous, and we need to ensure that the Democrats take back the Senate, or we will face near-destruction in two years, as Ilissa Gold smartly notes. We need to draw the line here and now, or we will be crushed in two years.

We can start by helping Tim Barnes.

The Assassination of Rosalind Kurita

Yesterday, the State Democratic Executive Committee made a misguided decision in voiding the primary election in Senate District 22, and I have a bad feeling that it will come back to bite them on the ass.

You all know that I thought Rosalind sold us down the river when she voted for Ron Ramsey, and I openly endorsed Tim Barnes to replace her. However, he LOST by 19 votes, and if the recount failed, they should have backed down. Just as I opposed the voiding of the Ophelia Ford election, I oppose this as well.

So, Republicans may have crossed over to vote for her in the primary? No shit, really? Who knew?

Look, TDP, you're the ones that have opposed registration by party, which could prevent this shit, but you haven't had the collective cojones to do something about it, so this is to a great extent YOUR fault. Why should I be surprised, since you couldn't even get OBAMA SIGNS to the home county of the last REAL Democratic Governor of Tennessee, Ned Ray McWherter, except at gunpoint?

As much as I wanted to see Rosalind Kurita pay for her sell-out of the Senate Democrats, I wanted to see it at the ballot box, not by a hijacking. TDP, you have effectively disenfranchised the Democratic electorate of District 22, and you are wrong. You want to fix the crossover problem? GET PARTY REGISTRATION.

The State Democratic Party doesn't seem to know, or care, that there is a world outside their precious Nashville, and they're absolutely PETRIFIED of the state's largest (and most DEMOCRATIC) county, Shelby. Those whitebread folks up there have no clue how to deal with us; thank heavens we have David Upton and Gale Jones Carson up there, or they'd be completely lost.

No, TDP, you fucked up yesterday, and you'd damn well better hope that you're able to win the Senate back, or else Ramsey and his crew will refuse to seat Tim Barnes, and order a new election. Then, you'll see Rosalind back as either an indy or a Gooper, and you'll never be able to get rid of her. And whose fault is that?

YOURS.

UPDATE: We have others weighing in on this screw-up:

R. Neal at TennViews

Andy Axel at TennViews

Newscoma

Sharon Cobb

GoldnI

Sean Braisted

Vibinc

Look, again, NO ONE is saying Kurita didn't screw the Party, but this is NOT how you address this issue, and the TDP is refusing to address the real issues that are crippling the Democratic Party in Tennessee. Note to TDP: It's not 1976 any more.

All About the politics today

First, for the latest on the Florida/Michigan fight at the Rules & Bylaws Committee, go to Vibinc's live blog.

Second, for those who don't know, Emily' List has shit in its own bed AGAIN with an endorsement of Nikki Tinker, backing a corporate shill who is only nominally pro-choice over the South's most progressive Congressman. See the take of Matt Stoller of OpenLeft.com here.

Third, I attended the truly kick-ass headquarters opening of my Congressman, and there is news from there. After a music set by official Memphis Flyer Hottie Grace Askew (she is as talented musically as she looks) Steve Cohen was introduced by Councilor Myron Lowery and gave a terrific speech.

Now, about the news. Myron said to both Jackson Baker and I the following: "If the Mayor of Memphis resigns his office and there is a special election for that office, I am running." He repeated this and made sure we knew that this would be the case regardless of whether AC Wharton or Carol Chumney would enter that race.

Folks, that just made the day more interesting. Myron is one of a VERY few officials in this city who easily gets votes regardless of the area of town, and he could make this a REAL race. Wow.

Among the other elected officials there was my beloved Senator, Beverly Marrero, who confirmed to me Jackson Baker's report that Senator Rosalind Kurita refused in a Senate Democratic Caucus meeting to commit to voting for a Democrat for Senate Speaker. Enough is enough, friends.

It is never easy for me to openly oppose a sitting Democratic elected official in a primary, but I must in this instance. It is CRUCIAL that we have a Democratically-controlled State Senate, and that will not happen as long as Senator Kurita remains in her seat.

As you know, I am of the firm belief that Charles Schumer screwed her over by working to cut off her fund-raising when she ran for the US Senate, and I attacked him here for that reason. What she has failed to understand is that neither John Wilder nor Joe Haynes nor Jim Kyle had anything to do with that, and her vote for Ron Ramsey for Lt. Governor has completely undermined Democratic attempts to pass legislation. On top of all this, despite the fact she refused to commit to a Democratic candidate for Speaker, she requested campaign funds from the Caucus, I have been told.

Because of this, I must ask my fellow Democrats to aid and assist her Democratic primary opponent, Tim Barnes. His MySpace page is here, and his Facebook page is here. This is about which party will control redistricting after the 2010 Census and what type of legislation with go through the General Assembly. Since Senator Kurita has decided to put her own interests over those of her Party and her constituency, I must endorse Tim Barnes for State Senate and ask that you do as well. This is too vital for our Party.

I do this with a heavy heart, but do so I must. Please contact Tim Barnes at the links above; when the Austin Peay College Democrats got behind Tim, I should have known there was a good reason.

Rosalind Kurita may have sealed her own doom

Jackson Baker is reporting that Sen. Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) may have sealed her own fate last week in a Senate Democratic Caucus meeting. Kurita, whom we all remember for her failed US Senate campaign (which we supported) and her voting for Ron Ramsey for Lt. Governor (which we did NOT), is facing primary opposition in the form of local attorney Tim Barnes.

Barnes may be getting a LOT of Democratic Party support now, after this:

The meeting - of the admonitory sort that politicians refer to
irreverently as a "come-to-Jesus" affair -- took place at the request of
Democratic caucus chairman Joe Haynes of Goodlettsville during the last week of
the 2008 legislative session. It was a day after Kurita had voted with Senate
Republicans to defeat a key Democratic-backed bill to amend eligibility
requirements for lottery-funded Hope scholarships. She was taken to task by
several caucus members for that vote and for other breaks with the party
majority but vigorously defended her right to cast her votes as she saw
fit.

She was then asked if she would at least pledge to support the
caucus' candidate for Senate Speaker at the beginning of the next legislative
session, in January 2009. She declined to make such a commitment.

Kyle cannot afford to support her now, nor can we, folks. Sorry, Rosalind, as the old saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. OK, at least you're not trying to fool us any more; we know where you stand, so part company we must.

You had to see this coming

Although I don't necessarily believe it's a good idea.

Both Volunteer Voters and R. Neal have picked up on Adam Groves' story that Senator Rosalind Kurita may face a Democratic Primary challenge at the hands of former Montgomery County Mayor Doug Weiland.

The Senate Democratic Caucus supports her, as does the Tennessee Democratic Party; however, I seriously doubt you'll see the Senate Democratic leader, our own Jim Kyle, campaigning for her. Although he would never publicly admit it, a Weiland victory is more likely to make him happy, since he can't be sure that, in the event of another 16-16-1 Senate after the 2008 elections, that Kurita would vote for him over Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville).

Look, I know Kyle is still furious over this, but I have an answer for him: GO BEAT SOME REPUBLICANS AROUND THE STATE AND YOU CAN BE SPEAKER. It's as simple as that.

You know, I was stunned when she voted for Ramsey, and I met with her, as several of my brethren in the blogging community did, and I wasn't really satisfied with her answers.

However, the blunt truth is that A) she was screwed by the DSCC in her aborted US Senate race, for which I have yet to forgive Chuck Schumer, B) since that time, she has continued to work for progressive causes, and C) I do like her personally, and as much as I would like to see her punished for voting for Ramsey, we are in no position to do so unless the Caucus gets a few more members.

As far as I'm concerned, the oust-Kurita movement is wasted effort, as I suspect her district likes her just fine, and will re-nominate and re-elect her. Now, it would help if she would openly declare that she would vote for Kyle for speaker, but since the likelihood of that is the same as Heidi Klum calling me to ask for a date, I'm not holding my breath.

Rick, you tried to warn me....

The first time I met the Freedonian, we got into an argument over Rosalind Kurita, who I insisted would have been elected to the United States Senate over Bob Corker if only Chuck Schumer and the DSCC had not gotten in her way. It was a lengthy but fun argument, with each agreeing to disagree.

Once Rick is your friend, he has your back. Despite his concerns, he agreed with us that Ford was not a good candidate, and fought the good fight on Daily Kos, warring with those who had drunk the Kool-Aid for Ford right alongside us crazy bloggers.

He was also there for us when Rosalind Kurita stunned us all by casting the vote that elected Ron Ramsey as Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate, not once wagging an "I told you so" finger when clearly, it was his right to do so.

Today, however, angered at how Kurita's move A) gave the Goopers the majority and the Senate chairmanships that will injure all Tennesseans making less than six figures a year, and B) angered at how her Memphis supporters (his friends) had been hurt by this, our Freedonian went medieval on Kurita. Here's a taste:

First, her "reasoning" is ludicrous. More from her email: "The most basic tenet of democracy is that the majority rules. In the Tennessee state Senate, Republicans have held the numerical majority for three years. Yet, we were in a "peculiar" situation where the minority continued to keep the majority in the form of the Lt. Governor. That is not our democracy."

As AC Kleinheider pointed out, if that was the case... Then wouldn't she be helping the Republican majority out on every vote? And since when is it incumbent upon a state senator elected as a Democrat to help level the playing field for Republicans? Does Alex Rodriguez feel the need to help out the other team because the Yankees' enormous payroll puts them at an unfair advantage (Okay, given A-Rod's record last year, that could be a bad example)?

If Wilder was so incompetent/corrupt/whatever negative description you want to apply to him, wouldn't the proper time to have voted against him be the caucus? She couldn't be bothered to do that--- In caucus, she voted for Wilder. Earlier in the day, she voted again for the Democratic senators to stand as one behind Wilder--- And then cast the crucial vote for Ron Ramsey. And what of Ramsey?

What about the man calling the dances on this legislative landscape that Kurita and her conscience helped to create? "We'll have a little more of a pro-business agenda. I'll make sure the Commerce Committee leans toward the business side. Things like tort reform that we've sought will be brought to the floor. "

First, it would be difficult for the law in Tennessee to carry "a little more of a pro-business agenda". We are already a state where just cause for termination sounds like some crazy liberal ideal. There's not much to Tennesee Employment Law, and what little there is can be subverted by the current system of "at will" employment. "No, I didn't fire him because he's black/Hispanic/gay--- But I don't have to list an official reason".

(snip)

And what happens to someone that IS terminated unjustly? Well, that's where the second part of his statement comes into play: "Things like tort reform that we've sought will be brought to the floor". Tort reform--- The Republican stealth campaign to destroy the rights of the working class. Wrongfully terminated? Too bad--- Tort reform will restrict your rights to legal recourse. Hurt in the workplace? Welcome to the wonderful world of Republican-imposed damage caps. And no one is isolated from having to pay the high cost of tort reform--- Even if your job is "safe", you will, through your taxes, absorb the cost. After all, what happens to the employee who's injured too badly to work again? Rather than his medical costs being absorbed by the employer that provided the unsafe working environment, the tab will be picked up by you and me.

Sexually harrassed in the workplace? Too bad. Tort reform. Women's groups would do well to remember this the next time Kurita comes around begging for money.

These are the priorities of the man that Kurita handed the Senate over to. Well, that and maintaining a Tom DeLay-style money laundering operation. This is the product of Rosalind Kurita's "conscience".

How bad is it? The new chair of the Judiciary Committee, where "tort reform" will be hashed out, is Mae Beavers, who doesn't even have a freaking law license!!!

Oh, we got chairmanships, Thelma Harper is at Government Ops, Tommy Kilby, who is not running for re-election in 2008, will chair Conservation, and Joe Haynes will chair Ethics. Did I mention that, for her thirty pieces of silver, Kurita was named Speaker Pro Tem? How delightful.

Rick, thanks for having our back and not going medieval on those of us who believed in Kurita when you had every right to do so. We had to learn the hard way, I guess.

What a fun two years we will have!

Senator Kurita explains...

I received this in my email box this morning, I offer for your perusal and comment:

State Senate
State of Tennessee
Opinion Column

(Nashville, TN) - This past week I have been asked many times why I voted for a new Lt. Governor.

How could I vote for someone who is not a member of my own political party?

The answer is very straightforward: I voted my conscience.

The most basic tenet of democracy is that the majority rules. In the Tennessee state Senate, Republicans have held the numerical majority for three years. Yet, we were in a "peculiar" situation where the minority continued to keep the majority in the form of the Lt. Governor. That is not our democracy.

It was time for a change in the structure. The dedication to keeping a status quo was preventing our state from putting real energy and bi-partisan effort into solving problems and moving Tennessee forward.

I chose to break the logjam so there can be a vigorous, but civil, policy discussion over the current and future direction of our state.

We face a host of issues -- from improving education, healthcare, and jobcreation to new alternative energy proposals and a more open government. We cannot afford gridlock or stagnation if we are to help solve these problems.

It may seem ironic to some, but only now are Democrats and Republicans free to work together on real issues. I voted my conscience.

Now we can work on improving our state's education system - an issue important to every Tennessean. The future of the children of our state depends upon our ability to inspire high school students to graduate and continue their education. We are currently 48th in high school graduation rates. That must change.

When it comes to higher education, less than one in five Tennesseans has a college degree, several points below the national average. We must provide the hope and the tools to help first-generation college students realize their dreams for a better future.

Our health care system must shift focus to encourage disease prevention and promote individual responsibility so we solve problems before they start. This includes anti-smoking programs and, yes, raising the tax on cigarettes. It is the 4th lowest in the nation.

Open government should also be a part of the legislative agenda. One way to accomplish this would be to allow every voter an equal opportunity to vote for our state's constitutional officers: Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Comptroller. They are currently elected by the members of the General Assembly.

Tennessee is one of very few states where voters are not empowered to make such important decisions on high-ranking government officials. Letting our citizens vote increases accountability and makes sure government is held accountable.

Nationally, Democrats benefited from being in the minority because it forced our party to hone a message that resulted in the tremendous gains of 2006. I believe we can now use this time to communicate a new message to Tennesseans that will emphasize people over party and benefit our state as a whole.

Every member of the Senate is tired of being 49th in so many areas. I intend to work with my fellow Democrats and Republicans as well as the new Lt. Governor to create legislation that moves our state forward.

The era of the smoke-filled back room is over and we are now free to have a healthy public policy debate that can only benefit the citizens of this great state.

Sen. Rosalind Kurita represents District 22 in the Tennessee state Senate.

Pamela George

Executive Secretary

State Senator Rosalind Kurita

6 Legislative Plaza Nashville, Tennessee 37243

(615) 741-1100

EXT. 44392

Kleinheider offers HIS theory here.

Now that the bleeding has stopped

And I've had a night's sleep, I am coming to the sad conclusion that the Freedonian was right after all, and I didn't meant to take shots at him or Desi with the prior post, i was just attempting to inject a little humor at the end of a long, trying, day.

Go read Sharon Cobb. She has two posts up about the Kurita situation, which seems to indicate that she knew early yesterday morning that she would vote for Ramsey.

Here are my thoughts: Yes, Andy Axel, there was a shiv in her back, but it didn't say TNDP on it, it said DSCC. She was betrayed by DC, not John Wilder or Bob Tuke or anyone here; hell, most of us loved her because she was the Anti-Ford.

Yes, Wilder needed to go, but not at the expense that it cost. There's simply going to have to be a better explanation for all who supported her than "I voted my conscience". Every one of us who are active in Democratic politics in this state who supported her deserves that.

UPDATE: Sean Braisted has a good take on this as well.

Chapter Two: I Am Nailed To The Hull

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Making sense of today.

Rosalind Kurita has always had guts, but nobody knew she had a pair like that.

Yes, as I was reminded a while ago, it was her vote that ended John Wilder's 35-year reign as Lt. Governor and Senate Speaker of Tennessee. Chris Jackson has already attacked her at Volunteer Voters, and some of us returned fire.

It's tough for Tennessee Democrats right now to imagine the Goopers in control of the Senate for the first time in 140 years. However, as I noted at Rick's site earlier today, we haven't been in REAL control of the Senate since 1987 and the failed Democratic coup against Wilder. WILDER has controlled the Senate to his liking, whether it was to the liking of the activists of either party or not. He gave committee chairs to Goopers as well as Democrats, thwarting any real progressive agenda.

One of my best friends says that Democratic activists around the state need to TRIPLE their contributions just to make up what the lobbyists are going to throw at Gooper Senators instead of Democratic Senators. OK, fair enough; but maybe we also need to start pushing for public financing of elections.

Hell no, I know the Goopers won't go for that, but after they have whored themselves out enough, the public will realize the truth of elections; either we pay less now with public funding, or we pay MORE later for goodies given to corporations by lobbyists and Gooper legislators.

We also have to be prepared to win at least TWO more Senate seats in order to regain full control of the Senate, and we need to do this by the end of the 2010 elections, so that we can have control over redistricting. NEWS FLASH: We needed to do that ANYWAY. Then, we would be in position to elect a full-blown Democrat and not just someone holding power for power's sake.

Yes, it's going to hurt in the short-term, and it means that the Senate Democratic Caucus is going to have to raise money beyond lobbyists and turn to smaller donors, which means we are going to have to step it up to help them as well.

We start by keeping District 30 Democratic, and you know who I believe gives us the best chance to do that. Then, we have to fight like rabid badgers to win back some Senate seats around the state.

But first, we have to ACCEPT today's results, quit bitching and move forward.

We really don't have any choice in the matter.