Cohen Wins By Huge Margin

So I received the good news last night that my political boyfriend, Steve Cohen barely beat Nikki “Not To Smart At Politics” Tinker.

Heh, I tease. 79 percent of the vote for Congressman Cohen isn’t bad at all.

From the always wonderful Jackson Baker from the Memphis Flyer who attended the victory ceremony.

It was, as he said amid the delirium of his victory celebration in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn on Central Avenue, a triumph for the idea that “we can all work together” and a refutation of the “negative politics” that a desperate challenger had attempted in the last few days to save herself from the palpable yearning for unity that had reached high tide among the communities of the 9th.

Egalia and Sharon have more.

As Angela said, “Dear Nikki Tinker, God don’t like ugly.  Voters don’t either.  Now you know.  Best wishes.”

And more news from across the state where something has happened for the first time in 42 years.

Tinker, Cohen And I’m A Bouncer

Autoegocrat writes a hell of a post about Nikki Tinker.

The Nikki Tinker campaign and its surrogates have spent a few hundred thousand dollars and a tremendous amount of energy trying to portray an incumbent Democrat in good standing as a Jesus-killing atheist gay Jewish Klansman, and the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party interprets this as “a commitment to civil rights which transcends partisan labels and political attacks.”

Vote for my political boyfriend, Steve Cohen.

And, for the record, I tossed out a guy at the office yesterday too. I found out later that Homer and Squeegee Monkee had to get rid of the same guy at their business across the county.

He was pushy and didn’t leave when I asked him kindly to do so.

Then I tossed him.

I could get a job as a bouncer. Maybe Cohen’s bouncer?

Steve, call me.

Steve Cohen And Scotty McClellan

I watched the livestream of Scotty McClellan’s hearing yesterday.

Tennessee was represented with my political boyfriend, Rep. Steve Cohen during yesterday’s soirée.

From the Commercial Appeal:

Cohen: “Do you believe that Vice President Cheney was most responsible for deterring President Bush from being the great president and uniter that you think he could have been?”

McClellan: “The president has to bear responsibility for his presidency veering off track like it did more than anyone else, but there are certainly some influences on him that I think were negative influences in that regard and I would include the vice president in that.”

And here’s more:

The former White House press secretary suggested that Bush could do much to redeem his credibility on the Plame matter and his reasons for going to war in Iraq if he would embrace “openness and candor and then constantly strive to build trust across the aisle.”

“This is a very secretive White House … There’s some things that they would prefer not to be talked about,” McClellan said.

And shifting to another topic, Sharon Cobb makes a good point here. As I was called this word this very week and a racial slur that accompanied it which made me feel very small by the absolute hate tied to it, it just seems to me that Sharon is right and MSM should report it.

I’m none to fond of it.

Steve Cohen Is Blogging

If you aren’t getting Left Wing Cracker’s daily e-mails, well, you should be. He’s amazing, tireless and just the best.

He sent me a link to where Steve Cohen is blogging. I love it when politicians’ blog.

My vision for that generation is one of fully recognized freedoms for all individuals living in a nation where government helps those less fortunate to be a part of our great society. My vision is of one People, one Nation, one America. “E Pluribus Unum” is not merely some trademark stamped on the Great Seal as part of some American branding scheme. It is a vision of our world. It is a call to unity. It is, in and of itself, a sacred purpose.

As a society we do not gain the right to call ourselves unified or just if we are not. Just being American does prove us great and good. It is those things that Americans have done that has made America so, and America will continue to be great, to be good by continuing to expand civil liberties for all, by embracing all walks of life into one society, into one America.

There’s more here.

On another note, I’m watching Sen. Joe Lieberman defend John McCain this morning. Mabel may have to get back in the race if Lieberman keeps it up. Just so she can bite him. I’m a pacifist. She’s not.

Brats And Philosophy

As many of you know, I dig Steve Cohen and I do. I was fortunate enough to see a ton of his interns and some of his staff last night at Bratfest (man, how wonderful Bratfest is) at Left Wing Cracker’s house. It was lovely to sit around talking politics uncensored. There was an unbridled sense of enthusiasm and good natured joy bubbling about with young people in bright blue Cohen shirts hanging out.

I like uncensored. When I go to Memphis and Nashville, sometimes for just an evening, it’s really invigorating to sit and listen and talk about politics without a filter. I get that more in Memphis actually but most likely because the bloggers I know in Memphis I met at Drinking Liberally.

One thing that SQ and I talked about after we left, other than our undying affection for the folks we visited with, was the reality that Cohen represents our more liberal philisophy than the Blue Dog community we reside in. The elected officials in our district are much more conservative than our way of thinking or at least are, for lack of a better phrase, much more in the closet about it if they are.

I can’t help but wonder if it’s the political history in District 8 that has created the more conservative Blue Dog streak that is enmeshed in the area. I’m not sure. Jere Cooper was replaced with Fats Everett who was replaced by Ed Jones who was followed by John Tanner who took over the job in 1988 after Jones retired.

Is the people of the area that have created the conservative Southern Democrat vibe or is it the politicians that represent them that have set the tone?

Man, this is too deep on this Memorial Day holiday.

I’ll change the tune, go look at this picture of a wombat.

Cohen, Clinton, Obama And Election Fatigue Syndrome

Congressman Steve Cohen has a reputation of saying what is ever on his mind and usually his words are laced with pop culture analogies, Memphis anecdotes as well as that he is Tennessee’s only liberal rep in Congress.

And he has mightily pissed off the Tennessee Guerilla Woman as well as others for this comment on Hillary Clinton.

This week, Obama-backing Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said on local television, when asked about Sen. Clinton, that “Glenn Close should have just stayed in the tub.”

[He was] referring to Close playing the insane, deluded Alex Forrest — the wronged “other woman” who refuses to accept her fate and just go away, and becomes suicidal and homicidal. . as the late great Pauline Kael wrote in The New Yorker at the time, the “film is about men seeing feminists as witches.”

Cohen issued an apology on the thread at TGW. Here’s a snippet:

I sincerely apologize for the comments I made about Senator Clinton’s campaign. I have great respect for Senator Clinton as a US Senator. She has waged an historic campaign which has done much to break the glass ceiling.

Braisted weighs in:

While I certainly think Obama is going to be the nominee, as he has been able to win a key demographic during this primary….voters; I don’t think it helps to go around comparing Clinton to psycho women in movies.

I agree with Braisted. I also think everyone, Clinton, Obama, **insert name here** has said some dumb things at different times. (Hillary and the Bosnia sniper fire thing was huge to many people I’ve spoken to who are not political pundits. She’s been talking unity. I’m glad for that one.)

One thing: during these last days before the Democratic Party has a nominee, Hillary supporters aren’t going to be happy if she doesn’t get the nomination and Obama supporters aren’t going to be happy if he doesn’t get the nomination.

Clinton is a formidable politician as is Obama. Clinton and Obama’s campaigns has collectively left many non-political people with a huge case of Election Fatigue Syndrome. Cohen shouldn’t have said what he did but on the other hand, he’s always said things and has had to take his foot out of his mouth on occasion.I’m not condoning his Glenn Close comment with that said.

And he did apologize.

I like Cohen. I didn’t like what he said but I also know that nine times out of ten, I like how he votes in Washington.

I’m just saying.

Vibinc Is Asking Questions

Vibinc, a blogger in Memphis, is digging around and doing a bit of citizen journalism at his blog on Pinnacle/Labor Negotiations and has even interviewed a member of the Air Line Pilots Association in three parts of a series called Something Stinky In The Air.

Last time, we learned about the willingness of Pinnacle to lose business for the sake of maintaining an adversarial relationship with their employees. Below is a response from a source at the ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association) to some questions I submitted about the negotiations and general conditions at Pinnacle.

To read the whole thing in order. start here.

This story is multi-layered. We are reading not only about an issue that Vibinc is passionate about, but we are watching him dig beneath the surface on an issue that some people might not fathom.

Nikki Tinker is running against Congressman Steve Cohen in District 9. Vibinc is wondering about the details and just asked. This is what he got:

So, what we’re left with is a picture of a company intent on maintaining a discordant relationship with their workforce despite potential revenue loss from their largest customer. Attempts by management to end around labor in the acquisition of a failing airline, with money losing routes, not to mention “union busting” tactics from the highest quarters in the management team. Sounds like managerial brilliance huh? I had one more question that needed to be answered.

Q. What role has Nikki Tinker, VP, Labor Relations and General Counsel, and candidate for Democratic nomination to the US House, played in the contract negotiations?

A. Nikki Tinker has had little involvement with the pilot group since her hiring. Initially, she sat in contract negotiating sessions but was she was so anti-productive at the table the company asked her to step down. She also had a small period of involvement in the grievance process but once again her general disdain of reasonability and completely foreign concept of “organized” labor and contractual rights rendered her input worthless and the company once again asked her to step down.

Vibinc is asking questions.

Memphis, Something To Know

It’s a press release but it’s still important.

Friday, March 28, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Congressman Bob Filner (CA-51) will host a brief open meeting for those wanting to learn about federal legislation and issues affecting veterans from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. at the R.Q. Venson Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 11333 located at 280 Cynthia Place.  Congressman Filner serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

“I am very pleased to have Congressman Filner join me in the 9^th District to discuss important issues related to veterans,” said Congressman Cohen.  “Congressman Filner is the foremost authority on veterans issues in the House of Representatives, and in his role as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, he has been a tireless fighter for veterans.  During his time in Washington, he has won the praise of thousands of individual veterans and high accolades from national veterans’ organizations.  I have been proud to support each of his initiatives in the 110^th Congress.”

 

Some of the important veterans’ issues before the Congress this year include obtaining more access for counselors in response to the increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans returning from Iraq and more resources to treat veterans with traumatic brain injuries. In 2007, the House passed the largest veterans’ health care funding increase in history.  Additionally, the House passed the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, in response to the Walter Reed scandal; Veterans Outreach and Improvement Act, which partners VA with state and local governments; Returning Service Member VA Healthcare Insurance Act; Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement/Long-Term Support Act; Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation for severely injured service members; and Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.

 

Congressman Filner has received praise from veterans groups because of his support for healthcare initiatives affecting Gulf War and Vietnam soldiers.  He has also focused on increasing mental health and GI bill benefits that will pay for veterans’ education at four-year public colleges and universities. 

 

The meeting is open to the public.  For more information, please contact the Memphis District Office of Congressman Steve Cohen at 544-4131.

 

Give it a look and call the number for more information. 15 minutes isn’t a lot of time and this is not unusual, but I have a feeling there will be more of these.

H/T: LWC.

Steve Cohen And I’m Just Damned Late About It All

I’ve been a busy beaver the last few days and on top of it all, I’m on Meth Benedryl, the lovely drug that makes me somewhat of a snot-filled goddess.

Notice I said goddess. I didn’t mean it but you know, we have to keep up illusions.

But this is just so damned ridiculous I just can’t even speak and I’m late out of the gate in crying foul. As many of you know, I adore Steve Cohen. I hope he throws a stick at this whole situation.

I can’t believe that crap like this still exists but every time I think we have moved forward I’m reminded that we haven’t. If you are AGAINST a candidate, go after their policies, how they vote or how they wear bad ties. (Steve, I like your ties. Seriously. And I’ve met you and you smelled pretty good. And you were the first politician to call me Newscoma after I introduced myself which wigged me out.) Okay, I dig Cohen. I’m being transparent here.

With that said, Christian Grantham has a pretty good rundown of national media covering this. And here is the Commercial Appeal story (once again, I’m a day late and a dollar short.)

Nikki, I don’t know you from Adam. I’m sure you are kind to puppies, like a good Cafe Latte and have a good heart, but, baby, you need to condemn this immediately.

Right. Right. We all agree then, so we have that going for us.

And a little blurb isn’t going to get it and GoldnI painstakingly found but it isn’t good enough. Nikki, you need to denounce this in a big way.I mean you said “My faith teaches me to love, not hate,” said Tinker, who is Christian.” but I just don’t think that’s enough. Nice enough but not enough. Was that it? Seriously, someone tell me.

But the AP ran a story yesterday that said this:

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement from Atlanta describing the flier as an attempt “to incite tension between the Memphis African-American and Jewish communities.”

The flier, which was also sent by mail to the Memphis Jewish Federation, included a contact name, the Rev. George Brooks, and a phone number in Murfreesboro, a town near Nashville and some 200 miles outside Cohen’s district.

A woman who would only identify herself as a friend of Brooks answered a call to the number and said he was out of town. Repeated subsequent calls went unanswered and messages were unreturned.

Now, why is a dude from Murfreesboro getting into Memphis politics? I’ve seen flyers like the one above by Fred Phelps.

Sharon Cobb had it first (sorry I’m so late on this.)

Update: Wait, I’m adding Vibinc because he said Tony Alamo and is, as usual, right.