STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

by John Murphy

(I received the following email from my friend John Murphy. Some of the formatting and highlighting is lost and I have not embedded the links, but this is very good, detailed research and clearly explains why we must defeat Jim Cooper. The links can be copied and pasted into your browser, if one wants to follow the links.)

Early Voting is over, please forward this Email to everyone on you email list. Our last chance to help stop run-a-way spending and unconstitutional bills is on November 2nd

YouCut http://republicanwhip.house.gov/ – a first-of-its-kind project - is designed to defeat the permissive culture of runaway spending in Congress SEE JIM COOPERS RECORD BELOW!

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week1.htm First Proposal: “You Cut” New Non-Reformed Welfare Program – Savings: $2.5 billion, Congressman Jim Cooper voted to continue the spending of tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week2.htm Second Proposal: Federal Spending Cut: Eliminate Federal Employee Pay Raise - Savings: $30 billion over ten years, Congressman Jim Cooper voted to continue the spending of tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week3.htm Third Proposal: Federal Spending Cut – Reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Savings estimated at $30 billion, Congressman Jim Cooper voted to continue the spending of tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week4.htm Fourth Proposal: Federal Saving Cut – Sell Excess Federal Property - Potential savings of up to $15 billion, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week5.htm Fifth Proposal: Federal Saving Cut – Prohibit Hiring New IRS Agents to Enforce the Health Care Law - Savings of $5 billion to $10 billion over 10 years, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week6.htm Sixth Proposal: Taxpayer Subsidized Union Activities – Saves potentially $120 million a year and $1.2 billion over ten years, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week7.htm Seventh Proposal: – Prohibit Stimulus Funding for Promotional Signage and Recoup Previously Spent Funds – Saves: Tens of millions of dollars, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week8.htm Eighth Proposal: Prohibit "First-Class" Subsidies on Amtrak – Potential savings of $1.2 billion over ten years, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week9.htm Ninth Proposal: Bipartisan Proposal to Terminate the Advanced Earned Income Tax Credit Saves $1.1 billion over ten years, Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week10.htm Tenth Proposal: Require Collection of Unpaid Taxes from All Federal Employees, political appointees and civil service employees or face termination of employment. Savings potential – $1 billion. Congressman Jim Cooper voted against the collection of unpaid taxes from Federal Employees!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/week11.htm Eleventh Proposal: Reduce Government Employment to 2008 Levels Saves taxpayers $35 billion over ten years. Congressman Jim Cooper voted against saving the tax payer’s money and to continue to expand the Federal Government!

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

Additional Votes cast by Congressman Jim Cooper

Cash for Clunkers - called the Car Allowance Rebate System (C.A.R.S.). Congressman Jim Cooper voted for this tax wasting bill.

SANTA MONICA , Calif. — October 28, 2009 — Edmunds.com, the premier resource for online automotive information, has determined that Cash for Clunkers cost taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle sold.

Nearly 690,000 vehicles were sold during the Cash for Clunkers program, officially known as CARS, but Edmunds.com analysts calculated that only 125,000 of the sales were incremental. The rest of the sales would have happened anyway, regardless of the existence of the program.

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

American Clean Energy and Security Act – H R 2454, better known as CAP and Trade, 26-Jun-2009

Congressman Jim Cooper voted Aye (YES) for H.R. 2454 Cap and Trade Bill

One of the provisions of this bill had it passed the Senate would have had the following impact on every American. To sell your home you would have had to retrofit your home to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act. H.R. 2454, the "Cap & Trade" bill. In effect, this bill would have prevented you from selling your home without the permission of the EPA administrator. To get this permission, you will have to have the energy efficiency of your home measured. Then the government will tell you what your new energy efficiency requirement is and you will be forced to make modifications to your home under the retrofit provisions of this Act to comply with the new energy and water efficiency requirements. Then you will have to get your home measured again and get a license (called a "label" in the Act) that must be posted on your property to show what your efficiency rating is; sort of like the Energy Star efficiency rating label on your refrigerator or air conditioner. If you don't get a high enough rating, you can't sell. The Congressional Budget Office (supposedly non-partisan) estimates that in just a few years the average cost to every family of four will be $6,800 per year. If would have been the largest tax increase any of us has ever experienced.

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

$814 Billion Economic Stimulus Package – Congressman Jim Cooper voted for this tax wasting bill.

The CBO found that the stimulus package -- with its combination of targeted tax cuts, government-funded construction projects and energy investments -- added 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs to the U.S. economy from April through June, lowering the overall unemployment rate by 0.7 percent. When you consider there was a net loss of around 3,000,000 jobs during the same period, and official unemployment remains at almost 10% and actual unemployment is well above that (see www.usdebtclock.org) how can the Economic Stimulus be deemed a success?

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

Affordable Health Care for America Act – H.R. 3962, 7-Nov-2009, better known as Obamacare. (See http://www.ncpa.org/ for healthcare analysis – extract from that analysis presented below)

Congressman Jim Cooper voted Aye (YES) for H.R. 3962 Obamacare

Some of the provisions in Obamacare that will impact every American are presented below.

•Beginning in 2014, you will be required by law to have health insurance and to attach proof of insurance to your tax return.
•If you fail to insure, you will be fined — with the penalty rising to $695 ($2,085 per family) in 2016 or 2.5% of your adjusted gross income, whichever is greater.
•If your employer fails to offer you health insurance, your employer can be fined as much as $2,000 per employee per year.
•The type of insurance you must have — including co-pays, deductibles and the employee’s share of the premium — will all be determined by federal regulations, rather than by you and your employer.
•If you are not covered by an employer plan, Medicare, Medicaid or other government plan, you will be required to buy insurance in a government-regulated health insurance exchange, where competing insurers will offer the government-mandated health insurance benefit package.
•How your doctor practices medicine and how you obtain care are likely to substantially change.
•$523 billion of health reform’s first 10-year cost will be paid for by cuts in spending on Medicare enrollees, according to Congressional Budget Office.
•In addition, there are new taxes on drugs and on such medical devices as wheelchairs, crutches, pacemakers, artificial joints, etc. — items disproportionately used by Medicare enrollees.
•Of the 15 million people expected to enroll in Medicare Advantage programs, 7½ million will lose their plans entirely, according to Medicare’s chief actuary, and the remainder will face higher premiums and lower benefits.
•Nearly 6 million retired employees will lose their employer drug coverage, according to the most recent Medicare Trustees report.
•A new tax on health insurance is likely to cost the families of employees of small businesses more than $500 a year in higher premiums.
•A 40% tax on the extra coverage provided by expensive “Cadillac” plans will apply to about one-third of all private health insurance in 2019; and because the tax threshold is not indexed to medical inflation, over time the tax will eventually reach every health plan.
•Scores of other items will be taxed, ranging from tanning salons to the sale of your home, in some cases.
•Health insurers will have to raise premiums for everyone in order to charge people with pre-existing conditions less than the expected cost of their care. Young people, for example, could see a doubling or tripling of their premiums, according to industry estimates.
•In order for employers to provide health insurance (or more generous insurance) to their employees, they will have to reduce what they pay in wages and in other benefits.
•The extra burden on employers could cost as many as 700,000 jobs by 2019.
•Under the law, Medicare fees paid to doctors are required to drop by 30% in the next three years.
•Medicare fees paid to doctors and hospitals will fall below Medicaid levels by 2019 and going forward will fall increasingly behind the rates paid by other patients. By 2050, Medicare fees are projected to be only one-half of what the private sector pays. By 2080, they will be only one-third.
•The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 9 million employees will lose their employer plan.
•Medicare’s chief actuary estimates that 14 million employees will lose the coverage they now have and, of those, about 2 million will enroll in Medicaid.
•A former CBO director is predicting a much larger employer response, with 35 million employees losing their current coverage.
•Loss of Medicare Advantage Coverage. About half of the enrollees in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans (7½ million people) are likely to lose their coverage and will be forced to return to conventional Medicare. If you are able to keep your MA plan, expect higher premiums and fewer benefits.

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

The news media has done nothing to expose any of the information contained above. The media has not ask any questions concerning the burdens that are being placed on the tax payer by the total disregard of any kind of fiscal responsibility by Congressman Jim Cooper. He claims to be conservative, but his track record states that he will vote for every spending bill that comes along and will increase taxes on a regular basis. This country is broke! We have a $13.5 Billion debt and another $110.6 Billion in un-funded obligations for a total obligation of every citizen (man, woman and child) of over $400,000 each. I don’t know about you but I don’t have $400,000 to spare, DO YOU? See: http://www.usdebtclock.org/ We must stop the insane spending on every social program that can be dreamed up, reduce spending and start revising or eliminating programs that were never conceived of or provided for in the U.S. Constitution.

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

Evaluations of Congressional Voting Record Monitoring Groups or Agencies are presented below.

http://www.ntu.org/ Rating by National Taxpayers Union – America's independent, non-partisan advocate for overburdened taxpayers. Congressman Jim Cooper – Party: Democrat Party – State: Tennessee

Year Grade Score Rank

2003 D 28% 269

2004 F 15% 266

2005 D 33% 234

2006 D 36% 229

2007 D 21% 204

2009 F 15% 219

http://www.conservative.org/ Founded in 1964, American Conservative Union ACU represents the views of Americans who are concerned with economic growth through lower taxes and reduced government spending and the issues of liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values and national security. During Congressman Jim Cooper’s tenure as a Congressman he has voted against issues of liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values and national security 77% of the time.

STOP THIS MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://www.nrapvf.org/upcoming-elections/Tennessee.aspx The National Rifle Association of America scores Representatives on their support of the Second Amendment to our U.S. Constitution. Congressman Jim Cooper received a grade of “C” which is “Not necessarily a passing grade. A candidate with a mixed record or positions on gun related issues, who may oppose some pro-gun positions or support some restrictive legislation.”

STOP THIS ANTI U.S. CONSTITUTION MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND. DAVID HALL RECEIVED AN “A”

http://www.nrtwc.org/ The National Right to Work Committee, established in 1955, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens’ organization dedicated to the principle that all Americans must have the right to join a union if they choose to, but none should ever be forced to affiliate with a union in order to get or keep a job. Congressman Jim Cooper recently voted for the “Card Check” Bill which if passed will strip workers of their right to a secret ballot election when union organizers target their workplace. This not only nullifies a person’s right to cast a secret ballot, it allows union bosses to intimidate workers one-on-one into signing a so-called union authorization card which would unionize the company automatically. Ask yourself, if you were at the election poles and someone or several someone’s were standing over your shoulder indicating how you should vote, does that sound like the FREE America we have all known in the past?

STOP THIS ANTI U.S. CONSTITUTION MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/debt-has-increased-5-trillion-since-pelosi-became-speaker-of-the-house/ When Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave her inaugural address as speaker of the House in Jan 2007, she vowed there would be “no new deficit spending.” Since that day, the national debt has increased by $5 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Pelosi, the 60th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has added more to the national debt than the first 57 House speakers combined. Congressman Jim Cooper who has ran a campaign ad stating that he is conservative and frugally watches over the expenditure of tax payer’s money has voted 9 times out of 10 (THAT’S 90% OF THE TIME) with Rep. Nancy Pelosi. THAT MEANS THAT HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING INCREASE OUR NATIONAL DEBT BY ABOUT $4.5 TRILLION IN THE LAST THREE YEARS! Can you, your children or grandchildren afford this kind of frugal spending?

STOP THIS ANTI U.S. CONSTITUTION MADNESS – VOTE FOR DAVID HALL NOVEMBER 2ND.

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Chinese Professor: turning their back on the principles.

Every American should see this! It only takes 60 seconds to view. Please pass it on.

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Health Savings Accounts to be taxed, regulated.

by guest blogger Matt Nemeth

Look out: the government has found a new way to tax and regulate your life. That is, only if you have a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Starting next year, the IRS will require you to take a doctors note to a pharmacist if you want to buy a simple bottle of over-the-counter Tylenol using your HSA card.

If you’re not familiar with the HSA it is a type of high-deductible medical insurance program introduced to consumers in 2003. Simply put, when enrolled, you have a savings account put into your name. You and your employer can add tax-free money into the account. That money is used to pay your medical bills out-of-pocket. If your treatments exceed your deductible then the insurance portion takes over and pays the rest.

This type of insurance may cost more up front but has a great side effect: individual responsibility. When the cost of a medical bill is put in the hands of the consumer, they tend to make better decisions to save money while maintaining their health.

Another benefit to the HSA is that unused funds will remain in the account indefinitely. So, if you have spent very little money over the years and want to get Lasik surgery, simply use the funds in your HSA to cover the costs.

Of course, since the individual is holding the money, the government sees this as problematic. Under new regulations being imposed by ObamaCare roughly 15,000 over-the-counter medicines will require the note from a physician if you want to use the HSA to buy them.

Who will impose these regulations? The IRS.

If you go against the new law and use your HSA to buy the OTC drugs without a note, then be prepared to pay a 20% tax on the medicine to the Feds. There is no clarity yet if a 1099 or other tax form will need to be filed along with your receipt.

Last I checked we call this an “unintended consequence”.

What other unintended consequences will this create? Well, if you have to go to a doctor to get Tylenol then you may as well ask for its stronger and more expensive version containing Codeine. After all, since you will be paying for the visit to the doctor you may as well make it worth your time. What will that do to drive up the cost of health care?

This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, though. The President has seemed to have a certain personal vendetta against the concept of the HSA since he took office. Individual responsibility is a concept that liberals have never been comfortable with.

This election cycle, let’s make sure Washington understands our frustration with ObamaCare and elect people who want to put the power back in the hands of the individual.

Matt Nemeth is the host of the West Nashville Eggs and Bacon Summit. It meets every 3rd Saturday of the month at the Shoney’s on White Bridge Rd. He works as a salesman and is currently the campaign manager for Timothy Lee running for State House. He currently lives downtown with his dog, Sam.

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$20K Saturday: Raising $20,000 for Final Media Push for David Hall

Hey David Hall Volunteer Army!

Our targeted, grass roots campaign is bearing fruit, and we want to have a media push during the last few days before the polls open on November 2nd, to carry us over the top.

But playing ads on television takes money, so we're calling on you--our volunteer army, to help make it happen.

More than 700 people will receive this email directly from our campaign, and if everyone on the list invests $30 we can raise over $20,000 to broadcast our message to the entire 5th District. (Of course, a contribution of $50 or $100 would be even better.) Our message? That Jim Cooper is masquerading as a conservative or Blue Dog Democrat when in Nashville and voting like a Pelosi liberal when he's in DC. People need to see the facts about Cooper's voting record. And your financial support will make it happen.

Go here to make your secure, online donation before Saturday at 5pm.

Go here to view our "Where's Jim Cooper?" Ad.

Please forward this to like-minded folks in your sphere of influence!

Fire Jim Cooper! Fire Nancy Pelosi! Elect David Hall!

Comment: I just made my $30 contribution. Please, Please do it now. Don't put it off. It is quick and easy and painless. We are in the final lap of the race. Don’t stop now! This could put David Hall over the top. Thanks, Rod

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End the Murfressboro mosque circus

EDITORIAL: Time for ruling on mosque lawsuit
THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL • October 27, 2010

Rutherford County Attorney Jim Cope got it right last week when he used the term "circus" to describe Chancery Court hearings on construction of a Veals Road mosque.

In fighting the issuance of more building permits for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, the plaintiffs and their attorney, Joe Brandon, impugned the character of the county mayor, planning director, several county commissioners and the entire Islamic population — not just the Muslims living in Rutherford County — while also attacking the very essence of Islam as a religion. (link)

Comment: Amen!

I have closely followed the story of the Murfreesboro Mosque trial in the Daily News Journal reports and from time to time I have followed the on-the-scene tweets of Scott Broden. This is high drama, and it is entertaining and disgusting. It is like watching a train wreck.

This trail would make a good screen play. If someone writes the screenplay they would probably not have to use a lot of creative license. The transcript of the trial would be sensational and entertaining enough. The screen play would make a good movie. It is the perfect sequel to the Scopes Monkey Trial. Like Scopes, it features religion, bigotry, and ignorance and takes place in a sleepy Tennessee town. (Well, Murfressesboro is not that much of a “sleepy” town but for the movie it could be portrayed as such.) I which I could have attended this trial. I did not view the trial in person but from what I read I could cast the characters and I can almost envision the movie version of the trial.

Here are some of the highlights and the twist and turns of the trial:

• Attorney for plaintiffs insinuated that County Mayor Ernest Burgess had a financial interest in seeing site plans approved.
• Plaintiff's attorney argued the single burial on the site could contaminate ground water.
  
• Plaintiffs argued that the Muslim faith is not really a religion and, "Shariah Law is the real issue."
• Frank J. Gaffney Jr, who is president of the the anti-Islamic, Center For Security Policy in Washington, D.C testified on the dangers of Shariah law but admitted he's not an expert in Shariah law.

There has already been six days of hearings that have spread over a month and the trial resumes November 11. Total cost to the Rutherford County taxpayers is estimated to exceed $40,0000. This is ridiculous. Get on with it!

The Muslim faith is clearly a religion and should not be on trial in Murfressboro. Planning commissions are to consider zoning, and land use and impact on traffic; they are not supposed to conduct investigations of the security risk of a project’s investors. They do not have the expertise or staff.

This trial should have been about the simply question of whether or not the County followed the sunshine law. If someone associated with the mosque project expressed sympathy for the Palestinians during the recent Gaza strip fighting between Hamas and Israel, that should be of no concern to the Planning Commission and should have no bearing over whether or not a building permit should be issued.

What is on trial in Murfressoboro is the First Amendment. I am rooting for religious liberty. End this circus, now!

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David Hall gets support from Sarah PAC

By: Chas Sisk, In Session, Oct. 26, 2010

David Hall, the Repub­li­can nom­i­nee for the 5th Con­gres­sional Dis­trict seat held by Rep. Jim Cooper, wrapped up a fairly good cou­ple of weeks of fundrais­ing (by his stan­dards) with a $5,000 con­tri­bu­tion from Sarah PAC, the polit­i­cal action com­mit­tee of for­mer Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, accord­ing to a dis­clo­sure filed last week with the Fed­eral Elec­tion Commission.(link)

In the primary, Sarah Palin endorced the Cece Heil candidacy.

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Tim Lee Campaign to City Paper: You Lie.

Mr. George,

I am the campaign manager for Timothy Lee who is running to be the House Representative for District 55. Today I read the endorsements that you made in the City Paper (http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-voices/voter-s-guide-city-paper-endorsements).

Your endorsement of Gary Odom comes as a surprise - not because you threw your weight behind a 22-year incumbent but because you out-right lie about how this decision was made.

"After candidate interviews and deliberation, decisions were made..." Really? When did these interviews take place? Tim was not interviewed nor was any interest expressed to learn more about him. Based on what you wrote in your own editorial section you have lied.

If you claim that you have not lied, then please, tell me something about Tim that is not listed on his website. Something that would indicate you took the time and patience to speak with the very person who is putting his name and personal finances on the line in order to be elected to public office.

I would like to know the following:

- What source did you reference to learn more about Tim Lee and thus decide to NOT endorse him?
- When was the last time you actually spoke with Tim?
- You have 22-years of voting history to judge Odom, what information about Tim did you use to create a level and unbiased playing field on which to choose your endorsement?

If you cannot provide this then please admit in a follow-up piece that you have not actually spoken with the candidate.

You have every right to make any endorsement you wish. The issue is in the betrayal of your own audience's desire to read an honest publication. This is something you have failed to provide. Please call so we can discuss.

Regards,

Matthew Nemeth
Campaign Manager
Committee to Elect Timothy Lee

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High Cost Of Security Could Slow Mosque Construction

"the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is spending $5,000 a month on a private company to provide security at the construction site. That's money the Imam said could go toward construction." (link)

It is a shame that vigilantism can deny someone their freedom of religion. If someone starts a legitimate "Friends of Religious Freedom" fund drive to help pay the cost of providing security, I will contribute.

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David Hall will be a guest speaker at the Tea Party Express!

The Tea Party Express is coming to Nashville TOMORROW and David has been invited to be a featured guest speaker! Don't miss this exciting opportunity to rally with like-minded conservatives and take a stand for our freedoms.

The event starts at 4:00pm and is located at Scoreboard Restaurant across from Opryland Hotel:
2408 Music Valley Dr
Nashville, TN

Click here for a map

David will speak to the crowd and his remarks will also be broadcast via live video streaming to the network of Tea Partiers across the nation! To find out more about the Tea Party Express or watch videos from their previous stops across the nation go to their website: http://www.teapartyexpress.org/

David hopes to see you there!

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Hall-Cooper NWPC event cancelled.

The following was just received from the Hall Campaign:

Hey friend of the David Hall for Congress Campaign!

We appreciate the support of those of you who have purchased tickets or planned to purchase tickets to a previously advertised forum between David and Congressman Jim Cooper this Friday, Oct. 29, 2010 at 7:00am.

Unfortunately, we were not able to come to mutual agreement on the terms of the event with the event's organizers, the Nashville Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), so we notified them on Wednesday of last week that we could not participate. It was simply too important to David that people not be forced to pay to attend the only head-to-head discussion of the issues between the two candidates.

The NWPC has stated that they will provide a refund of the ticket price to persons who contact Joyce McDaniel at NWPC@Nashvillewpc.com and request a refund before noon on Oct. 26, 2010.

Nonetheless, we hope you will keep your schedule open on Friday morning to allow you to participate in an alternative and free forum between the two candidates. We'll be sending more information as soon as it is available.

We need a real debate between Hall and Cooper, not a "forum" loaded with a Cooper-friendly audience.

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Belle Meade Police Chief confirms ‘signgate’ story.

In response to my request for additional confirmation of the political yard sign stealing incident in Belle Meade, I received the following email from the Belle Meade Chief of Police:

I can confirm that Ms Barclay had contact with Sgt. Dale Corter on October 21st at 9:14 p.m. Sgt. Corter observed her removing a David Hall sign from private property. The matter is still under investigation at this time and I cannot release any further information until the issue is reviewed by the DA’s office to determine if any charges can or should be filed.

There are still some questions about who had permission to do what. We hope to have this case closed by early afternoon at which time I will be happy to release the requested information.

Thank you,

Chief

Tim Eads

Belle Meade Police Department

The fact that someone is stealing political yard signs is not really newsworthy; it happens in almost every campaign. I have been the victim of it when I was a candidate and my opponents also claimed they were the victim of it and I know I have never stolen a yard sign. Yard signs do disappear. Sometimes, I suspect it is the work of over zealous supporters of the candidates; probably people not even associated with the campaign. Sometimes I suspect that a homeowner changes his mind or a spouse or other family member objects and removes it after one family member has given permission. And, probably some are just ripped up by mischievous kids.

What makes this case so interesting is that the person accused of stealing the yard sign is a lawyer, a person of stature in the community, someone with a reponsible important job, and someone who is closely connected to the candidate.

Krissa Barclay is not a kid or just some overly enthusiastic supporter who spontaneously decided to take a yard sign.

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Make calls for Obama!

This is fun, fast, quick and easy. I just "called" several hundred of these. They were all "GOP Supporters" or "NO" or "wrong number" or "deceased."

Do it! Spread the word.

Friend --

This movement is about people like Kelsey K.

Kelsey is a 63-year-old part-time teacher from Greencastle, Indiana.

Last week, she made more than 200 calls to make sure Hoosiers in her community are planning on voting this fall.

She talked to a 19-year-old recent high school graduate. He's currently unemployed and living with his mom, a single parent. Kelsey talked to him about the importance of this fall's elections, and she secured his commitment to vote.

And she got him so fired up that now, in between job-hunting, he's calling up his former classmates and making sure they're committed to voting on November 2nd, too.

Conversations like that one will win help us win races this fall. That's why, today, we're launching our 7 in 7 campaign -- reaching out to voters 7 million times on the phones and on the doors in seven days -- right up to the start of the final GOTV push next weekend.

Join supporters like Kelsey and use our call tool to make calls right now, or commit to doing it in the next seven days:

Kelsey also spoke to a brother and a sister who are both away at colleges in Iowa and in New York. They voted two years ago -- and hadn't even realized that there was an election going on this year.

Now that they know, they're planning on voting -- and they're reaching out to all of their friends on Facebook, making sure they're committed, too.

Kelsey's calls put words in motion -- each person securing the commitment of the next, and propelling this movement forward.

Our call tool has never been easier to use -- just one click and you're brought to a person to contact in your area and a script to guide you.

But without supporters like you -- the tool is just a webpage. Pixels on a screen.

You make it work.

And the outcome of this election is in your control -- you have the power, right now, to make sure folks make their voices heard at the polls this fall.

Can you join Kelsey and the tens of thousands of supporters like her who are reaching out to voters every day?

http://my.barackobama.com/ReachOut

Let's go have the conversations we know change the outcomes of elections.

Thanks,

Natalie Foster
New Media Director

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Gonna Have a Tea Party by Bruce Bellott

This is a Nashville Tea Party song. I love it!

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Where's Jim Cooper?

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Jim Cooper as "the Man with Two Faces"

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