Obama Abandons Tennessee - No State Campaign HQ

While I was in the ATT store tending the broken CrackBerry, a "gentleman" came in wearing a blue polo shirt with the horrid "O" Obama emblem over the heart and "Rusty" stitched on the left. It seems he is an acquaintance of the ATT tech fellow who was trying to fix my phone. They began conversing about the 2012 Election during which the Obamite stated he is fairly high in the Tennessee Obama minion structure and that Obama will not establish a Tennessee campaign headquarters. It seems Obama's team has given up on Tennessee as a "Red State."

The Obama minion went on to state that the Tennessee Obamites are traveling to North Carolina to campaign there instead of in Tennessee as they think it will be a closer contest and a more likely Obama win.

Fair Warning to Bob Owens and Sister Toldjah... Targets headed your way.

Tennessee Firearms Alert - Employee Safe Commute and Non-Discrimination Bills

In the Inbox from TFALAC this AM:

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc.
Legislative Action Committee

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UPDATE ON EMPLOYEE SAFE COMMUTE --

So, one might ask, what is the status of the Employee Safe Commute (SB3002/HB3560) legislation at this point?

The bill has been delayed in the Senate. It is unclear if this was a move by the governor or those who are bowing to the pressure of "Big Business" or a benefical strategic move by the sponsor. At any event, progress in the Senate, if statements of legislators are accurate is positive. The biggest risk is that some form of amendment, probably bought by Fedex or its cohorts) could substantially remove the objectives of the original bill. To guard against that, citizens who support this bill must be called and contacting legislators to encourage and demand of them that no amendments pushed by Fedex or other Big Business dollars be accepted unless approved by firearms interests.

Senate Action Plan

• Call and email you individual senator (use the email and phone number lookup on the Senate directory. It is important for you to get a written statement if possible that they will co-sponsor and support the bill as written and that they will oppose any Fedex or other "big business" amendments that would dilute the intent of the bill.
  
• Call and email to encourage the sponsor Sen. Mike Fault to keep the bill free from Fedex or "big business" amendments
  

  Faulk, Mike

  R

  - 615

  741-2061

  sen.mike.faulk@capitol.tn.gov

• Call and email to ask that the Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey work with citizens to keep the legislative effective and to defeat any Fedex or other "big business" amendment.
  

  Ramsey, Lt. Gov. Ron

  R

  - 615

  741-4524

  lt.gov.ron.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov

With respect to the House, we are expecting that there will be at least 30 House co-sponsors. Many of those are Republican legislators who are probably starting to realize that the mandates of House Leadership (Beth Harwell, Debra Maggart, and Gerald McCormick) would probably cause those legislators to violate their promises to constituents, to violate their personal convictions, to violate their constitutional oaths of office or their fundamental beliefs that they were elected as conservatives to protect the rights of citizens and to minimize the influence of government in areas where government influence is nothing more than government tyranny needlessly supplanting the rights of citizens.

We do not expect, in part because of the pressure being exerted by FedEx and other "Big Business" interests on those legislators that they controll through their funds (both reported and "indirectly" applied), that the bill will move forward in the House without SUBSTANTIAL pressure and interest from individual voters. It was made clear repeatedly this week by statements to news reporters from House leadership such Debra Maggart and Gerald McCormick that House leadership is working to kill any pro-2nd Amendment legislation and that they are applying pressure in the nature of the proverbial "hounds of hell" against their own members to abide by the demands of leadership's own masters.

For example, this week Debra Maggart told Channel 4 News in response to an apparent question about the Employee Safe Commute legislation :

"We have been focused on what we know what people of Tennessee want us to work on. Our economy needs to be looked at, and we want to make sure it's a job-friendly state," said Rep. Debra Maggart, R-Hendersonville.

Now, you have to put this into context that Debra Maggart has "represented" to firearms owners in the past that she was soundly in support of the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment and working for firearms owners. Indeed, she even has used the firearms owners to raise campaign funds through programs such as her On Target to Win in 2010"1st Annual Sporting Clay Fun Shoot fund raiser (see, https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=160853824412 ) that was heavily promoted not only to the Tennessee Firearms Association but to others as well.

So what did Maggart really mean with her statement this week to Channel 4?

Essentially, that the House Leadership have been admonished by "Big Business" that they want "their" legislators to do what they want them to do - including killing the Employee Safe Commute bill and firearms nondiscrimination bills - or the floodgates of corporate campaign money may be redirected against them or cut off. She probably meant that because "we" are addicted to the corporate money to crush the Democrats and even any prospective primary opposition, we will do what is requested of us to make sure we, individually, are able to get re-elected and to recruit more RINO's and moderates to help us implement our agendas (which do not put any emphasis on constitutional rights).

Why does it appear that these Republican House leadership (and a few in the Senate as well) are so clearly deeply obliged to "Big Business"? Well, step away and look at one of the most common themes that you hear from House Republican leadership this year - "jobs, jobs, jobs". What they mean when they say that is NOT that they are creating more government jobs (although they likely are). It is not that they are making it easier for people to start new small businesses. It means most probably that they want to do whatever is possible - forget the Constitution (look what they did last year to the 7th Amendment and their lack of any focus on the 10th Amendment) - to appease businesses like FedEx, Bridgestone, AT&T, Amazon, etc. Their idea of "jobs, jobs, jobs" is to court big business in hopes that many minimum wages will suddenly be made available to Tennesseans. Not high paying jobs. Not careers. Just simply any job will do.

A verification of that comes from the enormously misguided statement made by Gerald McCormick this week concerning Rep. Eddie Bass. Rep. Bass - a very conservative legislator - has indicated he is considering running this year as a Republican. Perhaps he senses that the Democratic party continues to move left under the leadership of Obamit. Perhaps he feels that his conservative voting record is more consistent with Reagan style leadership than it is with Obamit/Pelosi leadership. It really does not matter because the "hint" from McCormick is in what he said to the news when he REJECTED the potential that Rep. Bass might run as a Republican.

Leader McCormick made this statement to the AP this week:

Republican House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga said he's heard that Bass has been mulling a party switch for the last two or three years, but said he is satisfied with potential GOP candidates considering a bid in House District 65.

"I'd rather he'd stay where he is, to tell the truth," McCormick said. "He's not doing himself any favors running that gun bill." * * * House Republicans would prefer not to take up the bill in an election year.

McCormick apparently believes that his leadership (Harwell) is of the opinion that the progress for citizens such as the Employee Safe Commute bill is not "favorable." Clearly, firearms owners are a significant voting segment and they favor this bill overwhelmingly. Who does not? Well, clearly House Leadership and that is probably because their "masters" - "Big Business" do not want it.

Also note that House Leadership, according to McCormick, "prefer not to take up the bill in an election year."

Why is the election year so significant that he would mention it? Campaign funds? News coverage? The foolish belief (after the last 15 years) that voting FOR 2nd Amendment rights would cause a legislator to lose a material number of votes rather than voting AGAINST 2nd Amendment rights causing sustained frustration and anger from voters.

House Leadership has picked its bedfellows and those bedfellows are purchasing their "favors" primarily with cash. Not the Constitution. Not Biblical principles. Not natural rights. Not common sense. Not the demands of their voting constituents. CASH - and that is one of the oldest professions known to man.

House Action Plan

• Call and email you individual representative (use the email and phone number lookup on the House directory. It is important for you to get a written statement if possible that they will co-sponsor and support the bill as written and that they will oppose any Fedex or other "big business" amendments that would dilute the intent of the bill.
  
• Call and email to encourage the sponsor Rep. Eddie Bass to keep the bill free from Fedex or "big business" amendments
  

  Bass, Eddie

  D

  615

  741-1864

  rep.eddie.bass@capitol.tn.gov

• Call and email to demand that Speaker Beth Harwell honor her oath of office and support the Constitution and the rights of citizens even if "Big Business" is paying her to do otherwise.
  

  Harwell, Speaker Beth

  R

  615

  741-0709

  speaker.beth.harwell@capitol.tn.gov

• Call and email Rep. Debra Maggart and demand that she honor her oath of office and support the Constitution and the rights of citizens even if "Big Business" is paying her to do otherwise.
  

  Maggart, Debra Young

  R 615

  741-3893

  rep.debra.maggart@capitol.tn.gov

• Call and email Rep. Gerald McCormick and demand that he honor his oath of office and support the Constitution and the rights of citizens even if "Big Business" is paying her to do otherwise.
  

  McCormick, Gerald

  R 615

  741-2548

  rep.gerald.mccormick@capitol.tn.gov

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Big business access

Big business and their lobbyists often have direct access to legislators through their cell phones and their personal (non-government) email addresses. If you have access to this information, please post it on the TFA Online Forum so that we can take that step to leveling the playing field of legislative access. This would be particularly true for leadership in both houses and in both caucuses.

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TFA Action Center

The TFA Action Center remains up and operational. So far, more than 10,000 emails have been sent to the legislature just on the issue of the Employee Safe Commute bill.

I encourage you to use it at least once a weel. It is important that you edit both the subject and the message to reflect your personal thoughts. Edit them even if you agree with the sample message. Legislators do not want or need to see 1000 of the same message. They want to hear from constituents and individuals. They do not need long messages, angry messages or threats but they do need to hear that citizens support this legislation.

Share this link, this effort and this mission with every firearms owner, constitutionalists or friend you have. Make sure that they keep the messages going to our legislators that we want progress made on this legislation even if "Big Business" is buying influence with House Republican leadership to do otherwise.

Keep in mind that FedEx, Bridgestone, Nissan, AT&T, Amazon and others spend hundreds of thousands on their lobbyists and contribute hundreds of thousands more - if not millions (directly and, uh, "indirectly") to purchase their desires from the legislators. But, these corporations do not vote. These corporations do not speak for all of their employees. Often, its only a handful of the "upper management" that make these "policy" decisions and those decisions often do not reflect the desires of the shareholders, owners and certainly not the employees.

It can be done but it is critical that voters get involved to remind the legislators that the citizens elected them as our representatives and we do not appreciate them selling their time and efforts, once elected, to whichever "Big Business" will wine and dine them, give them money and perform all manner of indirect "perks" that provide photo opportunities in their districts.

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If you would like to join or renew your membership, you can do so online at this link JOIN TFA
www.tennesseefirearms.com

Tennesseans Voted for THIS?

Why is GOP Speaker Beth Harwell (Twitter @SpeakerHarwell) stonewalling conservative legislation that expands recognition of the rights of citizens to self defense? From TFALAC:

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc.
Legislative Action Committee

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House Leadership playing "Naifeh Style" maneuvers to kill bill?

There are at least 4 bills pending this year that address the issue of allowing handgun permit holders to commute to and from work without being disarmed by employer policies which blindly prohibit the employees from leaving a firearm secured in their vehicles. These bills include SB2061/HB2021 that remains pending from 2011. New bills this year include SB3002/HB3560 (the primary TFA bill), SB2941/HB3479 and SB3451/HB3660.

All of these bills deal with the exact same issue. All of these bills in the Senate are assigned to the Judiciary where historically firearms related bills are assigned.

Now, what has happened in the House is interesting and harkens back to Jimmy Naifeh's creation of the "Constitutional Protections" subcommittee that he created specifically to kill firearms related legislation. In 2011, HB2021 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee by the Speaker's office. That is where firearms bills are historically assigned in the House even though they usually would be further reassigned to one of 2 or 3 subcommittees of the Judiciary committee to start.

However, 2012 is a new year. It is a year in which House Republican leadership has made known to the rank and file caucus members that the leadership (Speaker Harwell and her task force of shadow operatives) do not want any firearms related legislation to surface in the House in 2012. Perhaps they blame it on the unfortunate arrest of Rep. Curry Todd on DUI and firearms possession charges last year after he successfully carried firearms legislation for many years. Perhaps they want to "lay low" on firearms legislation in an election year so that moderates and liberals might view them as "acceptable" candidates to vote for in the election. Perhaps they want to deprive election opponents of challenging whether or not these Republicans really are "good on the 2nd Amendment" as Speaker Harwell claims with increasingly less credibility to firearms owners.

Whatever the reason, a decision was made, perhaps intentionally, to depart from historical practices in the House Speaker's office. This year, all of the Employee Safe Commute bills (except for HB2021 which was already in Judiciary) have been assigned by Harwell's office to the House Committee on Consumer and Employee affairs. Everyone realizes that this committee has a long history of addressing firearms issues including this specific issue - Right! One could easily surmise that Harwell's office intentionally sent this bill to that committee thinking or hoping that it would not get the attention that the House Judiciary normally has and that she would have a much greater chance of having the bill killed or gutted in the Consumer and Employee affairs committee or subcommittee than would otherwise be the case in the House Judiciary.

Of course, this could have been a legitmate decision to place the bills elsewhere thinking that an employee affairs committee would have more expertise than the committee (Judiciary) which has dealt with firearms legislation almost exclusively since at least 1994. Perhaps the Speaker was not aware that this is primarily a firearms related bill that impacts criminal prosecutions and the removal of infringements as required by the State and Federal Constitutions. Of course, the Speaker has been serving since the 96th General Assembly which gives her approximately 23 years of experience on committee assignments and perhaps this was a stroke of genius to realize that this bill deals more with employee affairs than it does with constitutional rights.

However, that same 23 years of experience may have also impressed on the Speaker's office how her predecessors, such as Jimmy Naifeh, worked to kill bills in packed subcommittees without every having a representative floor vote where the voice of all legislators representing all citizens of the state could be heard on a topic so fundamental as the right to effective self-defense and the 2nd Amendment.

Membership in the House Employee and Consumer Affairs Committee and their profile links:

Committee Officers

• Jimmy Eldridge, Chair
• Mark White, Vice-Chair
• Jimmy Matlock, Secretary

Members

• Glen Casada
• G. A. Hardaway
• Sherry Jones
• Steve McManus
• Gary Moore
• Mark Pody
• Joe Towns
• Johnnie Turner
• Tim Wirgau
• Rick Womick

Tennessee Firearms Alert

From the In Box:

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc.
Legislative Action Committee

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TFA Email Campaign on Employee Safe Commute Legislation

URGENT - the link/page below is directly to the action center on the TFA website. This page will allow you (and all your friends) to send emails to the Tennessee General Assembly (your individual legislators + all members of both judiciary committees + the governor) telling them how YOU feel about the EMPLOYEE SAFE COMMUTE bill (a/k/a parking lots bill).
It is important that we let our voices be heard - by the thousands - to support this bill because it is almost certain that Speaker Beth Harwell and others who are "first and foremost aligned with Big Business" will try to stop this legislation. It is going to require that we call upon the conservative legislators (not necessarily equal to ALL of the GOP) in both houses and in both parties to carry this bill to law. It will have substantial resistance by those with large and powerful PACS.

Please go to this site now and take less than a minute to participate. Then, forward this message to every email list that would be interested in this change in the law. Next, post this campaign and link on every web forum, blog or bulletin board whose members you believe may have an interest in this change in the law.

TFA Action Center - Employee Safe Commute (Parking Lot) Campaign

Et Tu, Blackburn?

From Smitty at TOM:

Et Tu, Blackburn? Early last month I was singing the praises of Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who was taking a bold stand against Net Neutrality and FCC over-reach at the Defending the Dream summit.

Via Instapundit, we discover that the legacy media are funding the Stop Online Piracy Act in a big way.

Sigh... One consolation in living in Rep. Jim Cooper's (D-TN) district was that a responsible Congress Critter was one district over. C'mon, Marsha!

I thought that Rep. Blackburn sounded quite educated on the technical aspects of Net Neutrality. Maybe she can enlighten us on how the First Amendment is less important than media profits. I don’t see where her fellow Defending the Dream summit panelist Seton Motley has commented on SOPA.

Also on that list is our Sen. Bob Corker. What is it with Tennessee Republicans? Stop SOPA!

Tennessee House GOP Ignores The TeaParty Voters

They chose the RINO for Speaker.

NRA Convention Coming to Nashville in 2015

So says the Tennessean. They'll be meeting at downtown locations that have yet to be built...

Should Tennessee Enact Arizona Style Immigration?

The Nashville Business Journal wants to know what you think. Go take their poll.

Sorry, Vols. LSU Wins!

While closing up at work I was able to see the ending to this game.

My wife was at a reunion party and I left to join her after finishing up at work. We spent several hours with Vols fans who seemed fairly happy... While driving home I remarked upon their demeanor. My wife said, "LSU won? They think Tennessee won..." Seems they stopped watching after the botched snap.

Heh. Vol fans.

Has It Been A Year, Already?

#tnguns .
WizardPC points out that it has been a year since Ben Goeser was gunned down at a local Nashville sports bar and links a video tribute on YouTube.

When we posted on this story a year ago Nikki Goeser wrote to us of the horror of seeing her husband killed in front of her: "If I could have been allowed to carry my gun (because I do have a permit) perhaps I could have saved him. People that have gone through proper training, background checks, registered their weapon and have the permit should be allowed to carry a concealed gun for their own protection as long as they are not drinking alcohol. Just remember....when seconds count, the police are minutes away. Bad guys don't care about Laws. Let good citizens have the ability to protect themselves and their families. I never want anyone I love to be a sitting target again. Never again. Please, help wake these lawmakers up. I need your help. If there is anything you can do for me....please do this. Do this for Ben."

WWW.BenGoeser.com has been established to "assist families finding themselves in a similar situation. Nikki began the fund knowing that Ben would want her to help others. The pain one goes through when a loved one is taken so suddenly, so violently is immeasurable! The ABSOLUTE last thing they should have to worry about is how they will survive financially. Ben was always bringing people together, making everyone feel as though they were family. We can all come together and make a huge difference in the lives of families coping with such extreme loss. This fund is a Big Ole' "Ben Bear Hug" from above. Through his fund and your help he will always be here to do his usual...lend his helping hands."

Tennessee Handgun Carry: Belle Meade Still Honors Permit

#tnguns .
After going around the horn of argument with several other permit holders about the Belle Meade City Ordinance (2010-2) Belle Meade acted on today and reading the differing reports of what it means, I decided to go to the "horse's mouth" and phoned the Belle Meade PD. The person* answering the phone affirmed what I and others thought: This has nothing to do with Handgun Permits and Belle Meade PD will honor valid permits as they always have. (*The officer answering the phone gave his name and permission to be quoted but I'll keep his name out of this public forum.)

The issue is about the old way the ordinance was worded that allowed - and, in fact, mandated as the only carry allowed - carry "in open hand" of 19th century style black powder "Army and Navy" pistols. The new wording strips this from the city ordinance. This was brought to the fore by the actions of Leonard Embody that we wrote about earlier here and here.

So, despite the email sent by NRA-ILA, Belle Meade has not banned Handgun Permit holders from exercising their self defense rights in their city.

More:
SayUncle -

I sent an email to some folks to see if they had heard of it and ACK posted about it. Turns out (via ACK), not so much:

The current Belle Meade municipal code includes a section on firearms and weapons that says “it is unlawful for any person to carry in any manner whatever, with the intent to go armed and razor, dirk, knife, blackjack, brass knuckles, pistol, revolver or any other dangerous weapon or instrument…”

It also includes the phrase “except the army or navy pistol which shall be carried openly in the hand.”

The new ordinance deletes the exception that would include the Navy black powder pistol Leonard Embody carried when he walked down Belle Meade Boulevard in mid-February.

The author, Sherry Phillips, continues:

Embody, who is active on many gun rights blogs, first gained attention in December when he brandished a loaded AK-47 pistol at Radnor Lake State Park.

Embody may be active, but his activity consists mostly of getting banned and ridiculed on those "gun rights blogs" which are mostly online message forums and not blogs...

Pithed Off Another One

Pith in the Wind (written by Jeff Woods) didn't like the TFA's "Merchant - Please Don't Post" card (Thanks for the Pithing link, BTW).

The Tennessee Firearms Association produces handy cards to blackmail restauranters.

Uh huh. So what do YOU have against us letting merchants know we value our rights to do business with whom we please?

In the same Pithed off item Woods quotes Nikki Goeser in the BBC video we cited yesterday. It seems that Jonny's Sports Bar - the bar where Ben Goeser needlessly lost his life - has posted signs banning guns. But they are being real quiet about it...

Pith called Jonny's and asked to speak to the owner or manager. The guy who came to the phone confirmed Jonny's has banned guns but wouldn't talk about it. He said other media outlets know Jonny's has banned guns but have agreed not to report this news for reasons that escape Pith.

"We put the signs up," he said, "but I don't want to be quoted at all."

Hey, Linoge, another one for your list... As one commenter observed, "Keep listing places that are banning handguns. The gun nuts need to know where not to spend their money." Another commenter asked on Day Two under this law, "Where is the blood in the streets where is the OUTRAGE?!?!?!?! Where are the Dirty Harrys???"

That's the thing about law abiding folk, which Tennessee handgun Permit Holders are by definition... They are law abiding.

In other BREAKING NEWS - courtesy of Pithed commenters - A MAN CARRIED A HANDGUN INTO MULTIPLE FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE RESTAURANTS! No one was harmed or even alarmed, or so we are told...

"My Gun Could Have Saved My Husband"

The title is something that Nikki Goeser should never have had to think, much less say. As the owner of a Tennessee Handgun Permit Goeser was trained and licensed to carry her handgun. But when a stalker decided to kill she didn't have her gun.

And her husband died.

Back then, just a few months ago, Tennessee did not allow permit holders to carry their weapons in restaurants that served beer and alcohol. Now it does.

Too late.

On a BBC special Goeser explains why our Second Amendment rights can't end at the door of a restaurant.

Quote of the Day: Guns in Restaurants! Oh, No!

From Linoge at Walls:

This is a message to all the pants-wetting morons in Tennessee who are claiming they will not patronize a restaurant that does not post a "no guns allowed" sign: you are, of course, aware that law-abiding, handgun-carry-permit-holding citizens like myself have been frequenting McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger Kings, Pizza Huts, Buddy's, Chick-Fil-As, Pop-Eyes, Subways, Taco Bells, Firehouses, Arby's, Kentucky Fried Chickens, Dominos, Blimpies, Quiznos, Sonics, and countless other fast-food restaurants for years, right?

Right?

Yup. Pizza Hut just yesterday, as a matter of fact. That was something I commented to my wife (who was there, too, and was not traumatized or otherwise harmed by the presence of a GUN) while we were in there... When did Pizza Hut stop serving beer?