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Rex in the City: Born to Run
Monday, September 3, 2007 at 11:16pm
The thinly veiled, class-related slams on former public defender Karl’s Dean’s mayoral aspirations have been easy to discern.
Conservative critics of Dean maintain Dean is another in a line of Yankee liberals trying to win the top spot in Metro government. A Volvo driving, Chablis sipping, New Englander in the vein of Bill Purcell and Phil Bredesen is the way one recent blog comment described Dean.
Dean’s staff pushed back a little last week, offering that Dean’s personal car is not actually a Volvo, but a car about as Southern as one can find short of a pick-up truck; a red, convertible, 2005 Ford Mustang GT with a stick.
That’s right, the business elite in this city has been gnashing their teeth for the better part of two years over the prospects of having the twangy Clement representing a newly progressive Nashville worldwide in his Middle Tennessee bray. However, if Dean is elected, Nashville’s next mayor will drive a V8-powered, Detroit built ‘Stang. By comparison, Clement’s staff said the former Congressman’s personal vehicle is a green Mazda Miata with camel ragtop.
So much for Dean inheriting the David Briley “green” vote when he unveils the potential mayoral muscle car. It might go over well at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Madison, though.
Rex tried to confirm there was some kind of NASCAR sticker on Dean’s muscle car, but apparently there is only a Boston Red Sox sticker. The staff of the City Paper urges Dean to at least put a “Fear This” or “Git ‘er Done!” window laminate on the mayoral Mustang if he wins.
Down in JungleLand
Local politics makes for strange bedfellows, and this year’s mayoral race is no exception. It seems the state’s leading GOP fundraisers are all over the place when it comes to the current run-off race.
Renowned Tennessee Republican fundraiser Kim Kaegi has been helping Dean’s mayoral campaign continue to bring in the big bucks — and not just from his wife.
Kaegi was recently brought on board the campaign, but last year, she helped a Tennessee pol by the name of Bob — as in Corker — raise millions for Corker’s eventual Senate victory.
Kaegi also worked briefly for Fred Thompson, organizing some early fundraising activities and reaping a $35,000 payday for her organization.
Through helping Dean, Kaegi is going up against another renowned GOP fundraiser, Ted Welch.
Welch, the former finance director for the Republican National Committee, has been raising money for the Democrat Clement’s bid.
It also is ironic that the former Corker aide Kaegi will be working with two former Harold Ford Jr. staffers that are now Dean aides — Tom Lee and Jim Hester.
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Tom Lawless, the present chairman of the Davidson County Republic Party and a former Howard Gentry-for-Mayor supporter, cautioned Rex last week that former local party chairman Jon Crisp — in his several pro-Bob Clement, anti-Karl Dean postings on Internet news sites — is “apparently not in step” with a majority of the local Republican Party’s executive committee.
“The present executive committee is not as combative in its style as Jon — we want to work with our elected officials, not try to embarrass them,” Lawless said.
“The general feeling of the executive committee is that Karl Dean is not a wide-eyed, ‘foreigner,’ liberal from Massachusetts. … He’s not a wag-job left-winger. He probably, if I had to classify him, [is] a moderate Democrat, and that doesn’t bother me. A moderate Democrat and a moderate Republican are the same thing. We just approach things a little bit differently.”
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Filed under: City News
I worry about a man who spent years at Metro legal defending the worst of the worst. Someone who will leave his job to spend a million dollars of his wife's money (to date) for a job that will pay him little more than what he was making to begin with. What's his motivation - stepping stone to govonor or senator. He has a history of going against the wishes of taxpayers in this city & still supports Chief Serpas after the poor job of policing in (espically) East Nashville as well as the rest of nashville proper.
Dean was doing a job period.You wonder about his aspiratins we already know what Clements are he got BEAT for Senator and he wants the power.He is a sleezebag that wants to load us up with things we don't need like choo-choo trains (he is responsible for the Star and wants more plus light rail plus AMTRACK) and the Sounds.He is a kid that never grew up and use to using other peoples money to buy his toys.Must be in the genes the old man has a choo-choo museum in Dixon.See the article about the artwork? They are waiting for the next mayor. Guess he promised them a greenlight too.Truth is we can't afford Clement and he has the machine behind him to getitdone. He even has the republicans in his pocket.
tv try reading the Constitution instead of listening to the radio. The rights of the accused are protected by law, by the constitution. It's a good thing too, otherwise some well intended folks might be having lynching parties every weekend.
Negiti. Why are you here? Dean went to law school here and like thousands of other Nashvillian transplants, likes it better than the highly-taxed, cold, rainy north east. Since when is that a bad thing?
This article isn't sour grapes, is it?Does anyone know the theme(s) behind the artwork they are proposing to place in Downtown Nashville? Will it be along the same lines as the gaggle of naked LSD users at the Music Row roundabout? Perhaps less restrained?How badly does Nashville need a gay district - another supposed Dean innovation?Who eliminated ALL the other candidates with their collective apathy? - a hint: - they constitute seventy percent of the voting population. Dean and Clement are what less than one third of the public left for the more than two thirds to work with. Nice work.(I asked this already) Why is Dean here, hundreds if not a thousand miles from where he started? If he is such a political powerhouse and competent civil overseer, don't they need him in New England or wherever? Signed,former Yankee, but never liberal
Those who think someone like Karl Dean is running for office just for the salary is seriously missing the point. Dean obviously doesn't need the income. It's about something bigger than that. If you're cynical, you see sinister motives. However, if you give the man the benefit of the doubt, you see that he might be running for Mayor because he cares about a city he lives in and loves and wants the one job that will allow him to shape it's future for the better.I would do the same.
The former Yankee may be "on to something." As a Southerner all of my life, I have to wonder why Northerners all believe we need them to 'care for us' and direct the future of Nashville or any other portion of the South. Could it be that they still see us as all from Appalachia or somewhere they consider just as backwards? When a man spends his own money to get what he wants, we all admire his inventiveness or moxie; but, when he spends his wife's money or his wife's family money, there is no glory in that no matter how the "pols" choose to describe it. Intelligent people know better. The folks backing the Dean campaign are basically folks who have the most and they don't want to lose any of it now by changing who they can influence most or by re-directing city government to include everyone in development plans, building and "urbanization." Look around you, Nashville, has your voice been heard on any issue? Or, are the "movers and shakers" still in control of decisions?
A lawyer, involved in Tennessee politics, that ain’t go no money. How pathetic is that? Yet, Dean wants to be our Mayor… Chortle, chortle, chortle.
Am I the only one the sees a strong physical resemblance between Purcell and Dean? Could they be related?
global_citizen, “Allow him to shape its future for the better”. Okay, specifically (I am asking for specifics), how would Dean shape Nashville/Metro Davidson County for the better?
It is usually the "public defender" type that is much better equipped to co-exist with common standard people; like the sort that would wish to drive an "05 stang
Plant, you're always good for a laugh. Crispy might describe you as a "liberal-baiting, plant-watering, yankee-hating, warmongering, convention-center-loving hypocrite" if he didn't share your point of view.We'll find out that Dean not only drives a Mustang but drinks Bud Lite instead of Chablis.I'm still waiting for a joke from id about Clement's Miata.Clement still has a week to make about thirty more promises per day.
plantsman, I'm not the one running for office, nor am I Dean's spokesman. I'm only telling you why I might run for the office and why the salary would be irrelevant to me. I won't presume to speak for the candidate. We all have different ideas about what would make Nashville better, but that's a topic best hashed out over a few beers at happy hour, not this discussion board.
By: Time for Truth on 9/4/07 I'm still waiting for a joke from id about Clement's Miata.***********************************The sad joke is that the dems had all those clones running and the republicans couldn't/didn't give us one conservative choice. They backed Clement the good old boy who has more family on the public dole then most people have family.I am not a happy camper with the choices we had and have now.I would rather have Gentry then either of these two.Darron Hall could have won on first ballot as he seems the only one that cares what the people want and makeing our city safe.Like to see him as Police Chief.
global_citizen, Sam’s Place in the Village is my favorite, but only when Mah, Ha is holding court.
Time for Truth, there you go again. Using words that you do not know the meaning. Nonetheless, that Dean cannot handle anything stronger than Bud Lite speaks so eloquently of him. Not only is he broke, having to rely on the taxpayers (as he masqueraded as a lawyer) and his wife for financial support; he cannot handle regular Budweiser. Heck, I would bet dollars to donuts that Dean has to water down distilled liquors before his wife allows him to take a drink. BTW, Time for Truth, are you and Dean drinking buddies? Karl Dean – A GirlieMan’s Man”… Chortle, chortle, chortle…
Plant, I enjoy beer but not Bud Lite. I have no idea what Dean actually drinks or even if he drinks, that was a joke that you jumped all over. Typical.Also funny that you call Dean a girlie man when he drives a Mustang GT and Clement drives a Miata. Chortle, chortle.id, I would have liked to see Gentry as a choice also, he was my choice. He came close and would have been an easy winner in a runoff against either existing candidate.
Time for Truth that was a joke?! I apologize. More so, ever since the Federal Government vis-à-vis Environmental Protection Agency forced Detroit to castrate the horses in its engines I have not associatedMasculinity with American Automobiles. No matter how Ford tries, the day of the Shelby 500 is distant memory. Heck, even General Motors shelved the Trans Am and Firebird. Nonetheless, I would not want to be associated with Karl Dean either.
well looks like i got something started .we need someone who is going to rein in the chief hopefully control the budget & not give benefits to gay, bi,& trans gender metro employees as Carl Dean said publicly this morning on the radio. he is far too progressive for this city & the south in general.i dont care if he has been here 25 years it is in the water up in new england. lets not let it happen down here. Bredesen gave this city to bud Adams, dell & Craig Leopold off the taxpayers back guess where he was from.
“A moderate Democrat and a moderate Republican are the same thing. We just approach things a little bit differently.”Yeah, you both are too Liberal to be in government or anywhere that has governance over our tax dollars and/or taxpayer sponsored services.
Plantsman...I agree. Unfortunately the Republican Party still has a few "Country Club" types who are only in touch with Karl Deans family and have no real concern for Dean's stance on taxes, the 2nd Amendment, illegal immigration and English First, or his "vision" for a more Gay Nashville(As the GLBT endorsement reads!). Too bad...these type leaders will take the Republican Party back to the party of Herbert Hoover...If I recall, they weren't winning too much in those days.
tv, would you like to have Boner back? Then vote for Clement. I often wonder if the 'Naaaashville' pronunciation has any correlation to sheep.Plant, our history has shown that moderates are on are the only leaders who get anything positive done in our government. Look at the tunnel-visioned idiot in there now and what a mess he's made. The first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, would probably be called a moderate in today's political environment. Unfortunately, subsequent Republican presidents have never reached Lincoln's level and have sunk to an historic low as of 2001. But I am glad that you have yet again betrayed your extremist leanings.GM shelved the Camaro and Firebird because they were outsold, as a pair, three to one by the Mustang. The current Mustang GT has approximately 115 MORE horsepower than the 1994 model, and gets better gas mileage. Saving resources is a legitimate function of government although it does force big business CEO's to work, which is likely against your political philosophy which requires them only to buy politicians.I never said I wouldn't associate with Karl, only that I haven't. As I stated earlier, he wasn't my favorite in the primary, but he certainly is in the runoff.Kudos for disguising your talking points as an olive branch. We're all just friends here anyway and friends just disagree. id and I have been locking horns for several years now, we even agree on occasion.Still wondering why you support the MCC boondoggle....
Time....still attacking everyone personally?I guess it keeps you from having to defend Dean...which is a full time job... but you seem to enjoy it. Go ahead and attack me too...its the easy way to deflect the discussion from Dean's positions, endorsements, and record.
Crispy, I think you are the one who wants to take us back to 1928. As you are an avowed supporter of an anti-citizen, pro-CEO/war profiteer national agenda, and as you also support a pitiful anti-citizen councilman here in Nashville, your unflagging support for Clement scares me. What did Clement promise YOU?The business community that supports Karl Dean looks at Clement and sees Bill Boner. That's all there is to that. It's sad that these elections so often become a contest of lesser evils but Dean is definitely the lesser evil.
I wonder why there's so little coverage of at-large? Some real stinkers running in that one, but the public will vote based on which commercial or sign they've seen. Which gives an advantage to guys like Tygard and Loring who have raked in PAC money.