“College Democrats are coming out of the wood work on Tennessee campuses like I’ve never seen before,” said Alex Youn, TFCD President. “We hope to have the most productive conference in the history of our organization.”

“This conference will provide the tools necessary for local chapters to grow and prepare for the coming elections.”

The conference is an opportunity for College Democrats around the state to meet and network with each other. Those who attend will have the opportunity to participate in breakout sessions on a variety of issues, including: chapter development, fundraising, and voter registration.

The summit will be held on Saturday, March 31st. We ask that all those attending plan on staying in Nashville from 9 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

To attend the summit, we ask that you visit the following website and complete the registration form:

http://www.tfcd.org/2007-spring-conference/

UTC students interested in attending the conference should also write to utcdems@utc.edu.

About the TFCD

The Tennessee Federation of College Democrats is a group designated to unite, lead and coordinate chapters of College Democrats of America on college campuses throughout Tennessee.

We’ve gone all out to register students to vote. Our voter registration drive included knocking on every door on campus and sending voting instructions and forms to all 8,923 students who attend UTC!

We are going to use the same level of determination to get students to actually vote. This week and next week, we’re going door to door again to distribute information about the candidates and early voting.

This only builds up to Election Day. We're going to contact students again just before Nov. 7 to remind them to vote if they haven't already done so, and vote Democratic. We plan to provide a shuttle from the UTC University Center to our local polling station to make sure no students have an excuse not to vote.

That is just what is occurring on our campus. We’re working with party headquarters and directly with several campaigns. We’ve recruited volunteers to help canvass for Bill Lusk, Brent Benedict, and Harold Ford all across Hamilton County. In fact, the assistant campaign manager for Bill Lusk is our former President, Adam Green. Through programs we’ve done in the past, such as going to conferences held by the Tennessee Federation of College Democrats and the National College Democrats of America, in addition to our everyday work, we’re training the next generation of leaders in the Democratic Party.

David Elliott
President
UTC College Democrats

Tennessee had a delegation of 27 students representing 14 schools, and had the third largest number of votes in the CDA national elections.

While at the convention the Tennessee Federation of College Democrats (TFCD) was named State Federation of the Year.

Read more at the TFCD Website.

College Democrats dominate campus politics
By: Heather McPherson
Source: utcecho.com

Although both sides of the political spectrum are represented on UTC's campus, student Democrats have had a more prominent presence for the last several years.

Democrats and Republicans have organized groups on campus, but most people agree that the College Democrats have been the most noticeable political force at UTC. The College Republicans group is not registered with the school, but it does exist.

He also cited a pro-life group as being active, but all other clubs -- Republican, Green and Libertarian -- have disappeared from the university's radar.

"Most people really don't know we're here," said David Goldman, president of the College Republicans for fall 2005 to spring 2006. "But come fall, we'll have a regular meeting place [and] we'll make sure the times we meet on a regular basis are well-known."

Most political groups agree that the struggle is that people join and work at election time, but don't want to do anything on an ongoing basis.

"When there's a big presidential election, everybody's really active and then it dies down and someone has to restart it about every three years," said Meredith Preston, president of the College Democrats. "But we've actually been going about two to three years now."

Robert Swansbrough, faculty adviser to the College Democrats, said the secret to a lasting political group is a core of highly committed members.

When the College Democrats elected Preston last year, she vowed to not allow the group to become inactive again.

"We're actually trying to start a sort of scrapbook for the new people coming in so that if it does die down [again], people have the resources … so they don't have to start from scratch," she said.

The Republicans are truly starting from scratch to re-establish themselves.

"The group is young," Goldman said. "This semester was just a lot of organizational [planning] [and] getting us to where we want to be."

The club has re-ordered their leadership, begun writing a new constitution, and re-addressed its most basic functions.

Goldman said they decided to do a lot of this after attending the Tennessee College Convention.

"It was a learning experience," Goldman said. "What we came back with was the feeling that we needed to be involved on the state level and with other presidents of other groups … all the different College Republican groups. We need to be in contact with them and work with them."

Both groups agree that it's important for everyone to get involved in political groups.

"College students may feel that the political involvement and political issues really don't pertain to them and they don't really have a stake in the issues, but everybody has a stake in political issues," Goldman said. "Being able to organize [people] in a group makes your voice just a little louder for those in power."

Swansbrough agreed. "One of the things I've found over the years, thinking back during the Vietnam era when I was in graduate school, was that so often college students feel impotent -- powerless -- because they don't get involved," he said. "Politicians really want to attract young people to vote, but the way to really woo and influence lawmakers is to be active, involved and have [the] opportunity to express your views."

Meeting time and place may vary next year, but currently the College Democrats meet at 4 p.m. on Thursdays in Fletcher Hall. The Republican group meets at 6 p.m. on Thursdays in the UC.

The purpose of the College Democrats is to support the philosophy and candidates of the Democratic Party and to support all efforts to increase student participation in Democratic affairs, according to the group's constitution.

"[Our purpose is] to get people more involved and get more people aware," Preston said. "We just want people to be educated on issues and know how they can help. And our primary purpose is to help get Democrats elected."

The Republicans responded with a more global goal.

"The purpose of the UTC College Republicans is to be an outlet for students to get involved with issues and campaigns that will make a positive impact within the community, state and entire nation," Goldman said.

"As a group, our mission is to spread our conservative philosophy and core principles for the advancement and empowerment of society. An essential goal of the group is to serve as an environment where our members can develop professional business and leadership skills with the intention of being productive and thoughtful citizens and public servants."

Though many of the students in both groups are political science majors, other majors are represented as well.

Preston said the College Democrats include environmental science students, English students and a few graduate students. The Republicans have many medical and business students, Goldman said.

For more information on College Democrats, contact Adam Green at Adam-Green@utc.edu.

For the College Republicans, contact Ronald Noe at Ronald-Noe@utc.edu.

TFCD Executive Board Members from UTC:- Adam Green, a junior political science major from McMinnville, Tenn., was reelected to his position as Communications Director. Adam serves as Communications Director for the UTC College Democrats and as President for the Hamilton County Young Democrats.
- Margaret Franklin, a sophomore political science major from Memphis, Tenn., was reelected to her position as Minority Affairs Director. Margaret is Vice President of the UTC College Democrats and is UTC Campus Organizer for Team Ford, the student arm of the Harold Ford, Jr. for U.S. Senate Campaign.
- Taylor Helton, a freshman political science major from Franklin, Tenn., was elected to the position of Programs Director.

The UTC College Democrats currently have the largest representation on the TFCD Executive Board. All three students are highly involved in local politics.

"I am pleased to see that Adam Green and Margaret Franklin are returning to the executive board, and at the same time am excited to have Taylor Helton joining our group,” Alex Youn, TFCD vice president, said.

“The members from UTC have always brought both the experience and leadership needed to push our organization to its current strength; I look forward to working with these three individuals to address the issues that matter most to college students across the state of Tennessee."

About the TFCD
The Tennessee Federation of College Democrats is a group designated to unite, lead and coordinate chapters of the College Democrats of America on college and university campuses throughout Tennessee. The TFCD currently is made up of 26 chapters across the state, representing more than 2,000 students.

Look who’s “fancy” now

Last week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took a shot at Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford — a contender for the Senate seat Bill Frist is vacating — by launching fancyford.com. The site took Ford to task for living “the good life”– fancy hotels, an Armani suit, fine dining and a stop at Playboy’s Super Bowl party last year. There was something subtly racist about the whole thing; maybe it was the use of the word “fancy” — “fancy man” being a synonym for pimp — or maybe it was the picture of Ford’s black face hovering above a photo of four white Playboy Bunnies.

Whatever it was, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has just fired back. The DSCC’s veryfancyfrist.com is a spot-on replica of the fancyford site, with the focus turned on the man who’d like you to think that he’s the Republicans’ presidential front-runner.

It’s a little silly all the way around — is anyone really surprised that members of Congress stay in nice hotels and (sometimes) wear good suits? — but at least the DSCC manages to substitute substance for racism. In place of that photograph of the Playboy Bunnies, the DSCC site has a stack of cash and a photo of a ship in port, reminders of the ongoing investigation into Frist’s financial dealings and his flip-flop on the Dubai Ports World deal.

– Tim Grieve

Click here to watch.

This quote makes me wonder what the Founders would think about the state of our Nation, not to mention how we are rated in the world.

What do you think?

Attendees will receive grassroots campaign and activism training from the DNC training team. There will be great speakers, including Dave 'Mudcat' Saunders, widely acclaimed 'rural strategist' who is responsible for Mark Warner being elected governor of Virginia in 2001.

If you are College Democrat interested in attending the conference, please visit the TFCD website.

The time is now to fix the problem.

The Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives has been convicted four times of ethics violations, and is under indictment for money laundering; the Majority Leader in the Senate, one of our Senators, is under investigation, both criminally and civilly; and for the first time in 135 years someone working in the White House has been indicted. Here at home in Tennessee, long-trusted elected officials sold our trust for a few thousand dollars.

This has to end.

“We believe that ethics reforms should be of highest standards,” said Christy Holden, TFCD President. “Democrats are committed to making government once again open and honest.”

Democrats in Congress have proposed a plan to end business as usual in the nation’s capital. With their “Honest Leadership, Open Government” Act, Democrats pledge to:

Learn more about the Declaration.

Learn more about the Legislation.

Watch the Video.

(Ocoee) – State Representative Sally Love (D – Polk County) today challenged her opponent, Eric Watson, to return $12,000 in campaign contributions he received from Political Action Committees (PACs) with ties to John and Joseph Gregory and King Pharmaceuticals.

“This raises serious questions about Eric’s loyalty. How can he fight for lower prescription drug costs and more affordable health care when he is clearly bought and paid for by the drug companies,” said Representative Love. “I challenge Eric to return these contributions immediately.”

According to the most recent campaign disclosure filings, Watson received contributions from Tennessee Conservative PAC, Volunteer PAC, and Target PAC. In 2005, these PACs along with the State Republican Party have received approximately $895,000 in contributions from John and Joseph Gregory.

“My opponent has chosen raw ambition over what is right and truthful,” said Love. “I am the only candidate in this race who will fight for our seniors and our families. Clearly, Eric cannot be trusted.”

King Pharmaceuticals was the subject of an SEC investigation for over-inflating its stock value and was recently assessed $1.25 million in fines for Medicaid fraud.

###

Happy H*******!

HOW HAROLD FORD COULD WIN.
Ford Focus
by Clay Risen
The New Republic [Online Only]
Post date: 12.16.05

Many people have already written off Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and his beleaguered 2008 presidential aspirations. But if the Frist campaign is over before it has even begun, the race to fill Frist's Senate seat, which he will vacate next year, remains wide open. That's because, with three GOP candidates locked in a tough primary, Memphis Democratic Congressman Harold Ford suddenly has a real chance of winning--and becoming the first black senator from the South to be elected since 1874. Indeed, a recent poll by the Ford campaign showed him besting each of his three rivals in head-to-head match-ups. There are a lot of "to be sures" here: Tennessee is a red state, Ford is African American, and Republicans are going to throw everything they've got into keeping Frist's seat in the GOP column. But if Ford pulls out a win, it will be a landmark election--for Democrats and for the country.

East Tennessee's moderation, though balanced out by west Tennessee's staunch conservatism, is important to keep in mind when surveying the traffic jam that is the GOP primary. The three candidates are a pair of arch-conservative former congressmen--Ed Bryant, who lost the 2002 Senate primary to Alexander, and Van Hilleary, who lost to Bredesen--and moderate former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. Each candidate has an edge: Corker has the most money, Hilleary has an early lead in the polls, and Bryant has a slew of endorsements from right-wing interest groups.

But all of them face the same problem that besets Democrats in national races: The base demands they tilt far from the center, but the general electorate is easily turned off by any whiff of political extremism. All three are grasping for the conservative mantle, and not always politely--Hilleary, for example, has excoriated Corker for playing host, as mayor, to a Tennessee Black Caucus conference (not because of the members' race, but because of their liberal politics). "This is going to be a rough-and-tumble campaign," Bryant recently told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Fortunately for Ford, this political dynamic will persist until just a few months before the general election--the primary is on August 3, leaving the winner just three months to rush back to the center.

If Corker wins, Ford will face a difficult, and likely losing, battle. Corker has the backing of popular ex-Senator Fred Thompson, as well as the state's business community. But given his long record as a moderate--he's donated thousands of dollars to state Democratic candidates, and he recently accepted $5,000 from the electricians' union--he's unlikely to pull in enough of the base to best either of his opponents. And if the nominee is Bryant or Hilleary the entire calculus changes in Ford's favor. Both are congenital right-wingers who rode the 1994 Republican revolution into Congress; and, unlike Frist, they can't tack convincingly between moderation and conservatism. Cultural extremism is their political fuel--they simply can't not talk about gay rights and abortion, even when it's to the exclusion of practical concerns like transportation or the deficit. And it's exactly that penchant for immoderation that sank Hilleary's 2002 campaign against Bredesen. (This has been a theme in a number of recent Virginia and North Carolina races as well.)

Ford's best shot would probably be a matchup against Hilleary, who has already lost a statewide general election, has little political achievement to run on, and has a proven record of eschewing policy for demagoguery. And while he talks about being a good ole Tennessee boy, these days he's also a well-connected Washington lobbyist, complete with ties to Jack Abramoff. During his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, he took in $10,000 from two Indian tribes, the Coushutta and the Tigua, who were clients of the indicted lobbyist (Hilleary denies knowing the source of the funds). But any of the three candidates would likely emerge in August in a similar position--tired, overspent, and politically compromised.

Even better, Ford has no serious Democratic opposition, which means he can spend the next eight months doing what he has spent his entire House career doing: emphasizing his moderate credentials. Ford consistently votes with the GOP on matters such as gay marriage and guns; in 2004 he even supported a measure that would strip Washington, D.C. of many of its gun-control provisions. If he can play up these votes, he'll diffuse many of Hilleary and Bryant's talking points.

One factor in the Republicans' favor is Frist, the state's best-known Republican. But even here, there are mitigating factors. For one, as it has on the national level, Frist's star has lost some luster among Tennesseans, particularly because he seems to spend more time shuttling between Bush and the Christian Right than promoting the state's interests in Congress. But there's also the question of whether Frist, who still hopes to run for president in 2008, will want to be seen actively campaigning against someone trying to become the first black Southern senator in over a century. What might otherwise have been a hindrance for Ford--the fact that he is black and running in the South--could turn out to be an advantage.

Ford also benefits from Bredesen. The governor still enjoys immense bipartisan support: While some liberals have soured on him since he cut back the state's health care program, he regularly polls close to 60 percent among Republicans. As a result, he has yet to pick up a GOP challenger; one possible opponent even turned down an offer to run because he agreed with Bredesen on most issues. So even if a strawman Republican emerges, Bredesen and the state's Democratic Party can put plenty of energy and money into the Ford race.

Despite these advantages, Ford will still face a tough general election. Distinctions among its various regions aside, Tennessee is a conservative state, and it would be wrong for anyone to view Ford as a lock. But it would be equally wrong for national observers to dismiss the race as already lost.

In addition to other benefits, a win would provide strong momentum for a revived Tennessee Democratic Party in 2008, possibly putting the state in play for the presidency. And even if Tennessee is unlikely to turn blue anytime soon, Ford's decent odds should give Democrats hope that it might turn a little more purple next November.

Clay Risen is an assistant editor at TNR.