The Tennessean goes after Senator Brian Kelsey

Brian Kesley

To me, the Tennessean's reporting on alleged campaign finance irregularities by Senator Brian Kelsey is much to do about nothing. What they report is that Senator Kelsey made campaign contributions to other lawmakers and to a political action committee out of his state campaign fund. Those receiving the contributions gave money to a PAC. The PAC gave money to another PAC and that PAC bought advertising to advocate for Kelsey's 2016 campaign for Congress.

No proof of campaign collusion has been offered. Lots of politicians have PACs and lots of elected officials support the campaigns of other politicians.  If you see that A gives money to B and B gives money to C and C spends money to benefit A, that proves nothing. Observing a money trail and jumping to a conclusion of wrong-doing is sort of like hearing a statistic and jumping to a cause-effect conclusion.  A good Tennessean story would be that people who carry cigarette lighters are more likely to get lung cancer, therefore carrying cigarette lighters causes lung cancer.

One of the PACs involved is The Standard Club PAC.  The Standard is the private exclusive dinner

The Standard

club in "The Smith House,"  an 1840's stately home located at 167 Rosa Parks Boulevard. It is a favored meeting place of Republican politicians in Nashville.  I have never had a meal there but have attended several fund raisers and receptions there and enjoyed their delicious hors d'oeuvre and the ambiance. The Tennessee did an expose' of The Standard that exposed nothing back in April (link).

I still read The Tennessean because I want to know what they are reporting. Primarily because I blog, I want to be informed.  The Tennessean, however, is not much of a newspaper.  They do a pretty good job of reporting tabloid type stuff about the music scene and country music stars and I like that.  I am not much of a sports fan but understand they do a pretty good job of covering sports. They do a lousy job of keeping one informed about local government.  They seldom do any investigating reporting and seldom break stories.  They don't carry any national columnist and mostly they just post press releases.  When they do report on politics they are so biased they might as well be the official organ of the Democratic Party.

For more on this hatchet job by The Tennessean and this story about nothing, read the following:
The Tennessean: More Sen. Brian Kelsey campaign transactions hint at possible straw donor issues.  
Humphrey on the Hill: Legality of Kelsey-PAC campaign money shifting questioned.

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