Carr's big boost

Joe Carr is out with a fundraising release. Sounds like he's doing a bit better:

Today, conservative Republican Joe Carr announced 4th quarter fundraising totals for his primary challenge to Senator Lamar Alexander and highlighted a dramatic surge in contributions over the previous quarter. In an FEC filing due at the end of this month, Carr's campaign will report raising $250,000 — including contributions from over 1,000 new donors -- in the 4th quarter of 2013.

“As I’ve traveled from one end of Tennessee to the other, the response has been tremendous. These numbers show that our message is resonating with Tennesseans. They agree that we need conservative leadership in the Senate and a Senator who isn’t afraid to stand up to Barack Obama and Harry Reid.”

“Our campaign finance reports also highlight a fundamental difference between the two campaigns. Senator Alexander is supported by the political establishment and Washington special interests who want to protect the status quo. Our campaign is backed by grassroots conservatives who want to take back their party and clean up the mess created by the liberal career politicians in Washington. I’m proud to have their support in this fight,” said Joe Carr.

The surge in campaign donations to the Carr campaign has coincided with deteriorating poll numbers for Senator Alexander. A recent Vanderbilt University poll showed a staggering 20% decline in Senator Alexander’s approval rating among voters who identify with the Tea Party — and an overall rating under 50% - the lowest number of any statewide elected official in Tennessee. Other publicly released polling has showed Senator Alexander receiving only 46% of the vote in the Republican primary – a remarkably low number for a candidate who is well known to voters after a 40 year career in Tennessee politics.

An uphill fight, but I’m glad to see him in the fight.

My biggest complaint with Senator Alexander is that I just can’t envision him leading the charge on conservative issues. He might find it convenient and politically safe to vote for a balanced budget amendment, but will he lead the charge to slow spending? He might find it convenient and politically safe to vote pro-life, but will he lead the charge against the homosexual agenda? He may find it convenient and politically acceptable to vote with conservatives on half or more of the votes, but will he lead the charge against the confirmation of liberal justices?

I just don’t see anything changing for the better because of his continued presence in Washington.

I voted for Ed Bryant in 2002. (Bryant got over 42% of the vote.) I anticipate voting for Carr this year. Realistically, I doubt if Carr will win, but hope springs eternal.

“He may find it convenient and politically acceptable to vote with conservatives on half or more of the votes, but will he lead the charge against the confirmation of liberal justices?”

Alexander, like Mitch McConnell, is an expert at diversionary maneuvers. He will vote for cloture to fund ObummerCare or allow a vote to go forward on a leftist judge in order to make sure it can pass with a lesser threshold of votes and therefore ensure its passage. Then in the final vote, he will switch to “No” so he can claim to the yokels back home that he opposes ObummerCare and is against leftist judges.

In short, the guy is a disgusting weasel. (No offense intended to respectable weasels.)

“I just don’t see anything changing for the better because of his continued presence in Washington.”

In fact, he gets bolder in his leftist tendencies with each passing term. He was dying to vote for amnesty 6 years ago when Jorge Bush was pushing it but knew it could have done in his reelection bid. So after being on the fence for a long time (and having many angry constituents button-hole him at campaign stops), he voted “No.” But this year, even facing another reelection, he felt brave enough to vote “Yes” on the Rubio/Schumer Shamnesty Bill. If reelected this year, he will be even more openly liberal.

“I voted for Ed Bryant in 2002. (Bryant got over 42% of the vote.) I anticipate voting for Carr this year. Realistically, I doubt if Carr will win, but hope springs eternal.”

I voted for Bryant, too. And I'll certainly vote for Carr. I think this could be the year Ole Flannel Shirt bites the dust. Just like Al Gore, Sr. finally wore out his welcome, as did Al, Jr. (in his presidential bid), I think TN voters have had it up to the gills with Alexander. Time to throw the trash overboard.

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