thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Sparks Fly at Richmond Mayoral Debate Between Stoney and Gray

The top four candidates for Richmond ’ s mayor debated on Tuesday night in a forum where incumbent Mayor Levar Stoney again defended his record from attacks on all sides .
Council member Kim Gray and candidate Justin Griffin took turns attacking Stoney for corruption and mismanagement while candidate Alexsis Rodgers suggested that many of Stoney ’ s best ideas for the future are cribbed from her own platform .
Recent polling has Stoney and Gray at around 35 percent each .
The rest of the candidates together are far enough behind that , if the poll is accurate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In her opening statement , Gray said , “ I made the decision to run after nearly four years of working with this mayor and his administration , I ’ m running to end the corruption and cronyism and lack of common sense.
” Gray added , “ We are currently this very second in a situation where our own Mayor is under criminal investigation for a $ 1.8 million contract that he issued to a major political donor.
” Stoney didn ’ t take the bait , and instead used his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last four years you ’ ve given me the greatest honor of my life , Richmond , to serve as mayor of Virginia ’ s capital city.
” The forum was a combination of long-form questions targeted at individual candidates and lightning-round questions for everyone .
Gray used many of her questions to hit Stoney .
When asked about the city ’ s response to COVID-19 and improvements she would offer , Gray expressed concerns about Richmond Public Schools ’ virtual learning .
“ My [ children ] log in at 9:15 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the afternoon.
” Then , she pivoted to Stoney ’ s handling of the crisis .
“ I think that the less-than-24-hour warning that restaurants were given that we weren ’ t moving into the next phase was unjustified and it hurt a lot of our restaurants.
” Stoney said his approach has led to low COVID-19 positivity rates in Richmond .
“ I think our approach has been data driven from day one .
This is not a gut decision you can have .
You have to be data driven.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why we slowed down the process of reopening.
” The next question gave Stoney a chance to defend his removal of Richmond ’ s Confederate monuments with a $ 1.8 million contract paid to a firm linked to one of Stoney ’ s political donors .
Stoney said he wasn ’ t involved in the process of selecting the firm .
When the Commonwealth ’ s Attorney reviews the contract , Stoney said , “ What they will find is that what we did was legal , it was appropriate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contract , saying , “ There are many red flags with respect to this contract.
” She said Stoney ’ s name is the only name on the paperwork .
Gray also questioned if the contractor had a license in Virginia to perform the work .
“ To this date there have been no permits produced that were pulled to do the work , and it ’ s very questionable.
” Stoney replied , “ I do believe it ’ s rich coming from one of the only members of city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even having the right to remove monuments in the City of Richmond .
This is the same opponent , the same candidate , the same city councilwoman who now is funded by those on Monument Avenue who want to see those racist monuments still on their pedestals here in the City of Richmond.
” “ Here ’ s the thing , ” Stoney said , “ Miss Gray has always been an impediment to change , an impediment for progress in the City of Richmond , and you see that now being championed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Kim Gray ” by Kim Gray .
Background Photo “ Richmond Mayoral Debate ” by VPM .

The top four candidates for Richmond’s mayor debated on Tuesday night in a forum where incumbent Mayor Levar Stoney again defended his record from attacks on all sides. Council member Kim Gray and candidate Justin Griffin took turns attacking Stoney for corruption and mismanagement while candidate Alexsis Rodgers suggested that many of Stoney’s best ideas for the future are cribbed from her own platform.
Recent polling has Stoney and Gray at around 35 percent each. The rest of the candidates together are far enough behind that, if the poll is accurate, the election is essentially a two-way race.
In her opening statement, Gray said, “I made the decision to run after nearly four years of working with this mayor and his administration, I’m running to end the corruption and cronyism and lack of common sense.”
Gray added, “We are currently this very second in a situation where our own Mayor is under criminal investigation for a $1.8 million contract that he issued to a major political donor.”
Stoney didn’t take the bait, and instead used his opener to say, “For the last four years you’ve given me the greatest honor of my life, Richmond, to serve as mayor of Virginia’s capital city.”
The forum was a combination of long-form questions targeted at individual candidates and lightning-round questions for everyone. Gray used many of her questions to hit Stoney.
When asked about the city’s response to COVID-19 and improvements she would offer, Gray expressed concerns about Richmond Public Schools’ virtual learning. “My [children] log in at 9:15 in the morning and are online until 4:15 in the afternoon.” Then, she pivoted to Stoney’s handling of the crisis. “I think that the less-than-24-hour warning that restaurants were given that we weren’t moving into the next phase was unjustified and it hurt a lot of our restaurants.”
Stoney said his approach has led to low COVID-19 positivity rates in Richmond. “I think our approach has been data driven from day one. This is not a gut decision you can have. You have to be data driven.” Stoney added, “And that’s why we slowed down the process of reopening.”
The next question gave Stoney a chance to defend his removal of Richmond’s Confederate monuments with a $1.8 million contract paid to a firm linked to one of Stoney’s political donors. Stoney said he wasn’t involved in the process of selecting the firm. When the Commonwealth’s Attorney reviews the contract, Stoney said, “What they will find is that what we did was legal, it was appropriate, and it was right.”
Gray again criticized the contract, saying, “There are many red flags with respect to this contract.” She said Stoney’s name is the only name on the paperwork. Gray also questioned if the contractor had a license in Virginia to perform the work. “To this date there have been no permits produced that were pulled to do the work, and it’s very questionable.”
Stoney replied, “I do believe it’s rich coming from one of the only members of city council who stood in the way of us even having the right to remove monuments in the City of Richmond. This is the same opponent, the same candidate, the same city councilwoman who now is funded by those on Monument Avenue who want to see those racist monuments still on their pedestals here in the City of Richmond.”
“Here’s the thing,” Stoney said, “Miss Gray has always been an impediment to change, an impediment for progress in the City of Richmond, and you see that now being championed in her campaign backed by Republicans.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Kim Gray” by Kim Gray. Background Photo “Richmond Mayoral Debate” by VPM.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Report Says Ohio Unemployment Trend Doesn’t Follow COVID-19 Restrictions

Ohio bucked the trend shown in a new report that compared state ’ s COVID-19 restrictions and unemployment rate .
Ohio ranked 16th in the nation for fewest restrictions but ranked 39th in unemployment ranking , according updated rankings released Tuesday by WalletHub , a personal-finance website .
Not surprisingly , states with the fewest COVID-19 restrictions had lower unemployment rates than states with more .
“ There is a strong correlation between a state ’ s restrictiveness and its unemployment rate , ” Jill Gonzalez , a WalletHub analyst said .
“ WalletHub ’ s analysis found 68 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low unemployment rates .
This makes sense because states with fewer restrictions allow more places to open , which in turn provides more opportunities to work.
” States with fewer restrictions also generally ranked higher in COVID death rate .
Ohio ranked 36th in COVID-19 death rate , according to the report .
In terms of restrictions , Ohio ranked one spot below neighboring Indiana , but well ahead of Kentucky , Michigan , Pennsylvania and West Virginia .
WalletHub used 17 key metrics to identify which states have the fewest restrictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalties for noncompliance or state ’ s required masks in public and health checks at restaurants .
Each of the metrics received a point number .
State ’ s points were tallied to determine rankings .
South Dakota ranked as the state with the fewest restrictions , while Idaho , Utah , Oklahoma and Iowa rounded out the top five .
“ South Dakota ranks as the state with the fewest coronavirus restrictions in part because it is one of just five states that have not taken any action on face coverings in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no limits on large gatherings , ” Gonzalez said .
An Ohio native , J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor and publisher .
Davidson is a regional reporter for The Center Square .

by J.D. Davidson
Ohio bucked the trend shown in a new report that compared state’s COVID-19 restrictions and unemployment rate.
Ohio ranked 16th in the nation for fewest restrictions but ranked 39th in unemployment ranking, according updated rankings released Tuesday by WalletHub, a personal-finance website. Not surprisingly, states with the fewest COVID-19 restrictions had lower unemployment rates than states with more.
“There is a strong correlation between a state’s restrictiveness and its unemployment rate,” Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst said. “WalletHub’s analysis found 68% of states with few COVID-19 restrictions had low unemployment rates. This makes sense because states with fewer restrictions allow more places to open, which in turn provides more opportunities to work.”
States with fewer restrictions also generally ranked higher in COVID death rate. Ohio ranked 36th in COVID-19 death rate, according to the report.
In terms of restrictions, Ohio ranked one spot below neighboring Indiana, but well ahead of Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
WalletHub used 17 key metrics to identify which states have the fewest restrictions. The metrics included if a state had penalties for noncompliance or state’s required masks in public and health checks at restaurants.
Each of the metrics received a point number. State’s points were tallied to determine rankings.
South Dakota ranked as the state with the fewest restrictions, while Idaho, Utah, Oklahoma and Iowa rounded out the top five.
“South Dakota ranks as the state with the fewest coronavirus restrictions in part because it is one of just five states that have not taken any action on face coverings in public and one of 15 states that have no limits on large gatherings,” Gonzalez said.
To view the full report visit https://wallethub.com/edu/states-coronavirus-restrictions/73818/
– – –
An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional reporter for The Center Square.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Commentary: Pence Can Win this Debate by Letting Ohio Know about Harris’ Record of Radicalism

Vice President Mike Pence has a relatively straightforward job to do : help the American people understand the true nature of Senator Kamala Harris .
As the two meet on the debate stage in Salt Lake City , Harris is still introducing herself to a large portion of the electorate .
The Biden campaign no doubt prefers it that way , because the Democratic vice presidential hopeful ’ s California-centric career offers relatively little that would appeal to most Americans in the Heartland .
The first and only vice presidential debate represents an opportunity for Harris to present herself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ Tupac is the greatest rapper alive ” and campaigns in Timberland boots — to an audience that is largely unfamiliar with her background as a ruthless California prosecutor and the only U.S .
Senator with a voting record to the left of Vermont democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders .
The Vice President will have no such opportunity .
Unlike Harris , Mike Pence is a well-known quantity in the American political consciousness , especially here in the Midwest , where he spent 15 years as an anchor of traditional Christian conservatism and fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency .
Since then , he ’ s distinguished himself primarily as a committed and effective spokesman for President Trump ’ s America First agenda , though Democrats continue to focus their criticism on his religious views .
No doubt Harris will endeavor to hit Pence where her side believes he ’ s vulnerable — on issues such as abortion , religious freedom , and traditional marriage .
But most voters here in Ohio are already well aware from his years in Congress and as the governor of neighboring Indiana that Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be forced to violate their religious beliefs to appease sexual minorities and novel family arrangements .
The same can not be said about Harris ’ s record .
Outside of California , her habit of using the powers of her previous elected offices to build a name for herself is not widely known .
How many people in Ohio know that she threatened to lock up the parents of truant school children before she became a U.S .
Senator ?
For that matter , how many people are aware that Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was a member of the Knights of Columbus ?
Even the far-left record Harris has compiled over the course of this very campaign season — such as advocating for decriminalizing prostitution , “ defunding the police , ” and letting convicts vote from their prison cells , as well as comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) to the Ku Klux Klan — isn ’ t well known to those who aren ’ t committed followers of national politics .
Neither is her commitment to the policy of letting criminals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging supporters to donate money to bail violent rioters out of jail .
That general unfamiliarity gives Mike Pence an opportunity to define Harris to the American public before we decided whether to place her one heartbeat of a frail septuagenarian away from the presidency .
Vice President Pence should view his role in the debate as that of an educator , exposing the true nature of Kamala Harris to public scrutiny .
Her record is out there , and if more people in Ohio know about it after the debate , Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackwell served as the mayor of Cincinnati , Ohio , the Ohio State Treasurer , and Ohio Secretary of State .
He currently serves as a distinguished fellow at the Family Research Council in Washington , D.C .

by Ken Blackwell
Vice President Mike Pence has a relatively straightforward job to do: help the American people understand the true nature of Senator Kamala Harris.
As the two meet on the debate stage in Salt Lake City, Harris is still introducing herself to a large portion of the electorate. The Biden campaign no doubt prefers it that way, because the Democratic vice presidential hopeful’s California-centric career offers relatively little that would appeal to most Americans in the Heartland. The first and only vice presidential debate represents an opportunity for Harris to present herself in relatable terms — the candidate who proclaims that “Tupac is the greatest rapper alive” and campaigns in Timberland boots — to an audience that is largely unfamiliar with her background as a ruthless California prosecutor and the only U.S. Senator with a voting record to the left of Vermont democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders.
The Vice President will have no such opportunity. Unlike Harris, Mike Pence is a well-known quantity in the American political consciousness, especially here in the Midwest, where he spent 15 years as an anchor of traditional Christian conservatism and fiscal restraint before being elevated to the vice presidency. Since then, he’s distinguished himself primarily as a committed and effective spokesman for President Trump’s America First agenda, though Democrats continue to focus their criticism on his religious views.
No doubt Harris will endeavor to hit Pence where her side believes he’s vulnerable — on issues such as abortion, religious freedom, and traditional marriage. But most voters here in Ohio are already well aware from his years in Congress and as the governor of neighboring Indiana that Mike Pence is unequivocally pro-life and believes Christians should not be forced to violate their religious beliefs to appease sexual minorities and novel family arrangements.
The same cannot be said about Harris’s record. Outside of California, her habit of using the powers of her previous elected offices to build a name for herself is not widely known. How many people in Ohio know that she threatened to lock up the parents of truant school children before she became a U.S. Senator? For that matter, how many people are aware that Kamala Harris tried to disqualify a judicial nominee because he was a member of the Knights of Columbus?
Even the far-left record Harris has compiled over the course of this very campaign season — such as advocating for decriminalizing prostitution, “defunding the police,” and letting convicts vote from their prison cells, as well as comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Ku Klux Klan — isn’t well known to those who aren’t committed followers of national politics. Neither is her commitment to the policy of letting criminals go free without posting bail, and encouraging supporters to donate money to bail violent rioters out of jail.
That general unfamiliarity gives Mike Pence an opportunity to define Harris to the American public before we decided whether to place her one heartbeat of a frail septuagenarian away from the presidency.
Vice President Pence should view his role in the debate as that of an educator, exposing the true nature of Kamala Harris to public scrutiny. Her record is out there, and if more people in Ohio know about it after the debate, Pence will have won hands down.
– – –
Ken Blackwell served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Ohio State Treasurer, and Ohio Secretary of State. He currently serves as a distinguished fellow at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.
Photos “Vice President Mike Pence” and “Senator Kamala Harris” by Gage Skidmore CC2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Nashville Metro Council Gives Mayor John Cooper the Power to Deputize Certain City Employees to Cite

Nashville Metro Council Gives Mayor John Cooper the Power to Deputize Certain City Employees to Cite Bars and Restaurants That Violate Coronavirus Rules

The Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday gave Mayor John Cooper the authority to deputize certain city workers to issue citations against bars and restaurants that violate his coronavirus restrictions , The Tennessean reported .
Metro Health Department employees are overworked in trying to combat businesses , the newspaper said .
Only workers who already have citation powers will be authorized to serve as restaurant police , according to the bill that passed on third reading .
The mayor must still given written permission to workers to use this new power .
This nearly four-hour-long meeting was Metro Council ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Metro Council was discussing deputizing city workers back in September , WMOT reported .
One official was worried about overworking the Health Department because of businesses reopening .
Cooper ’ s move is the latest in his feud against bars and restaurants , especially on Lower Broadway , as The Tennessee Star recently reported .
Dennis Ferrier of Fox 17 has revealed how Cooper cracked down on restaurants and bars despite knowing they accounted for less than one-half of one percent of Davidson County ’ s 25,000-plus coronavirus cases , as The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity to 50 percent after a July 2 press conference , citing “ record ” cases tied to bars and restaurants , even though he reportedly knew better , The Star said .
Citizens who have decided to fight Cooper ’ s coronavirus crackdown and 34 percent property tax hike continue to mount an effort to recall him , with some organizing on the Restore Nashville website and Re-open Nashville Facebook page .
A “ Recall Mayor Cooper Petition Kickoff Rally ” is scheduled for October 12 at 1 p.m. Public Square .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ & have some fun.
” There will be a recall petition , music , food trucks and more .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Metro Council Meeting ” by Metro Nashville .

The Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday gave Mayor John Cooper the authority to deputize certain city workers to issue citations against bars and restaurants that violate his coronavirus restrictions, The Tennessean reported.
Metro Health Department employees are overworked in trying to combat businesses, the newspaper said. Only workers who already have citation powers will be authorized to serve as restaurant police, according to the bill that passed on third reading. The mayor must still given written permission to workers to use this new power.
This nearly four-hour-long meeting was Metro Council’s first in-person meeting since April 6.
The Metro Council was discussing deputizing city workers back in September, WMOT reported. One official was worried about overworking the Health Department because of businesses reopening.
Cooper’s move is the latest in his feud against bars and restaurants, especially on Lower Broadway, as The Tennessee Star recently reported.
Dennis Ferrier of Fox 17 has revealed how Cooper cracked down on restaurants and bars despite knowing they accounted for less than one-half of one percent of Davidson County’s 25,000-plus coronavirus cases, as The Star has reported.
Cooper began limiting capacity to 50 percent after a July 2 press conference, citing “record” cases tied to bars and restaurants, even though he reportedly knew better, The Star said.
Citizens who have decided to fight Cooper’s coronavirus crackdown and 34 percent property tax hike continue to mount an effort to recall him, with some organizing on the Restore Nashville website and Re-open Nashville Facebook page.
A “Recall Mayor Cooper Petition Kickoff Rally” is scheduled for October 12 at 1 p.m. Public Square.
Organizers say: “Protest Mayor Cooper & have some fun.”
There will be a recall petition, music, food trucks and more.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Metro Council Meeting” by Metro Nashville.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Commentary: Trump, Atlas Want America to Face Down Coronavirus Fear

The uproar over the president ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis made one thing abundantly and terrifyingly clear : Coronavirus hysteria is here to stay—and there are signs it might be getting worse seven months after we first confronted the unknown disease .
Rather than accept that nearly all the early advice dispensed by self-proclaimed “ experts ” was not just wrong but resulted in devastating consequences that will impact the country for years to come , lots of Americans—including the entire news industry and leaders of both political parties—are endorsing more punitive government decrees to “ stop ” a virus that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the overwhelming majority of Americans .
People are fixated on masks ; the president of the United States isn ’ t allowed to take a brief ride in an SUV with people trained to take a bullet on his behalf without enduring widespread condemnation for “ risking the lives of others ” even though everyone wore a mask and other protective gear .
Most of Monday night ’ s town hall meeting with Joe Biden revolved around mask use .
Panic rules daily life at the same time we have fewer reasons to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control confirms that nearly everyone under the age of 70 who contracts the disease recovers ; 95 percent of adults over 70 recover , too .
Most sufferers report mild symptoms ; overly-sensitive tests give false positives for people showing no symptoms at all .
Hospitals are not overflowing with COVID patients and , with few exceptions , never were .
But the paranoia is so baked in that it seems unlikely the country will emerge from this constant state of fear anytime soon .
How can we regain our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepting that this virus is not unlike other serious viruses that we ’ ve handled in the past without tanking the economy , surrendering to house arrest , or running around screaming about face coverings ?
The president , thankfully , emerged from his brief convalescence with a new fighting spirit .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life , ” the president tweeted Monday morning when he announced he would be headed home from Walter Reed Medical Center .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some really great drugs & knowledge.
” In a video taped at the White House Monday evening , the president underscored his have-no-fear message .
“ I learned so much about coronavirus .
And one thing that ’ s for certain , don ’ t let it dominate you .
Don ’ t be afraid of it .
You ’ re gon na beat it.
” It appears that Trump ’ s new COVID advisors are having an impact .
In August , the president appointed Dr. Scott Atlas , a critic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus ; Atlas , 65 , is a much-needed antidote to the attention-hungry , flip-flopping Anthony Fauci , who refuses to exit the media ’ s adoring spotlight or entertain any opposing viewpoint .
I talked to Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday afternoon , shortly after the president announced he would be leaving the hospital and getting back to work , which prompted yet another round of convulsions from the cult of Trump haters who simply can not get a grip on reality .
“ The president isn ’ t going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Atlas told me .
“ He wants to go to work .
He wants to see Americans and he wants to interact with others .
He won ’ t hide in the basement or frozen in fear behind a mask.
” ( Atlas also has been advising Florida Governor Ron DeSantis , who lifted restrictions on bars and restaurants on September 25 in his pursuit to normalize his state ’ s economy . )
Contrary to Joe Biden ’ s frequent accusation that the president won ’ t “ listen ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ narrative could not be more wrong .
There is a difference of opinion in the scientific community .
There is no monopoly on knowledge.
” Atlas named several top scientists , including noted epidemiologists , who refute the efficacy and humanity of lockdowns , especially school closings .
Dr. John Ioannidis , who like Atlas is associated with Stanford University , wrote a prescient article in March 2020 forewarning the “ fiasco ” of extended lockdowns .
( Ioannidis ’ explanatory video that same month was removed from YouTube for violating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which meant the professor of medicine and epidemiology at one of the world ’ s premier universities dared to hold an opinion outside mainstream thinking at the time . )
Other experts such as Dr. Jay Bhattacharya , Dr. Martin Kulldorff , and Dr. Sunetra Gupta are partnering with Atlas to use science and logic in hopes of deprogramming a largely brainwashed public .
The trio this week issued a statement , called the Great Barrington Declaration , aimed at promoting “ focused protection ” that would safeguard high-risk populations while encouraging life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
“ As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies , ” the declaration states .
“ Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health.
” Thousands of experts and members of the public have signed the petition so far .
The United States is the only country in the world , Atlas said , with this level of hysteria over reopening schools .
“ We are sacrificing our children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities .
It ’ s harming low-income families most because the lockdown is the luxury of the rich.
” Atlas doesn ’ t argue with the initial response to the virus .
The attempt to prevent hospital overcrowding and buy time to prepare the health system was “ appropriate , ” Atlas said .
But the medical and scientific community knows much more about the virus now .
“ It isn ’ t March or April , it ’ s October .
We can ’ t continue to just believe people we thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those people—Atlas didn ’ t name names but I will—include Fauci , Dr. Deborah Birx , and Dr. Robert Redfield , the hapless head of the Centers for Disease Control .
Fauci is taking shots at Atlas in the press , referring to him as an “ outlier.
” Beltway insiders , on the other hand , are attempting to smear Atlas by distorting his view on herd immunity , a scientific concept that up until a few months ago was universally accepted as truth .
Suddenly the term is presented in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the latest Republican-fueled conspiracy theory .
“ Denying herd immunity is like denying gravity , ” Atlas told me .
“ But there is no policy recommendation , none , that cites herd immunity as a strategy.
” Democrats have planned to leverage the twin crises of COVID-19 and the economic shutdowns to win in November .
Biden ’ s message , not surprisingly , is all over the place , at once condemning the president for not doing enough to stop the spread then condemning the president for the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was intended to stop the spread .
Polls consistently show low approval ratings for the president on his handling of the disease ; most respondents believe Biden would do a better job even though his plans do not differ from the president ’ s .
Biden continues to flip-flop on a national mask mandate but has publicly said he would authorize another economic lockdown .
It ’ s increasingly likely the election will be a referendum on Coronavirus and its after-effects , which means Trump ’ s new tack is a risky , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push back forcefully on this destructive course with reason , compassion , and yes , science .
The president needs to explain that he will lead us back to the life we abruptly left behind in March .
“ What we ’ ve seen is the arrogance of the elite in a highly charged political climate , ” Atlas said .
“ Leaders have to make decisions that make sense that take into account the impact of their policies.
” “ We need to save lives and get America back to work.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and senior contributor to American Greatness .
She is the author of Disloyal Opposition : How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President .

by Julie Kelly
The uproar over the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis made one thing abundantly and terrifyingly clear: Coronavirus hysteria is here to stay—and there are signs it might be getting worse seven months after we first confronted the unknown disease.
Rather than accept that nearly all the early advice dispensed by self-proclaimed “experts” was not just wrong but resulted in devastating consequences that will impact the country for years to come, lots of Americans—including the entire news industry and leaders of both political parties—are endorsing more punitive government decrees to “stop” a virus that poses almost no serious health threat to the overwhelming majority of Americans.
People are fixated on masks; the president of the United States isn’t allowed to take a brief ride in an SUV with people trained to take a bullet on his behalf without enduring widespread condemnation for “risking the lives of others” even though everyone wore a mask and other protective gear. Most of Monday night’s town hall meeting with Joe Biden revolved around mask use.
Panic rules daily life at the same time we have fewer reasons to panic. Recent data crunched by the Centers for Disease Control confirms that nearly everyone under the age of 70 who contracts the disease recovers; 95 percent of adults over 70 recover, too. Most sufferers report mild symptoms; overly-sensitive tests give false positives for people showing no symptoms at all. Hospitals are not overflowing with COVID patients and, with few exceptions, never were.
But the paranoia is so baked in that it seems unlikely the country will emerge from this constant state of fear anytime soon. How can we regain our senses and return to normal life while accepting that this virus is not unlike other serious viruses that we’ve handled in the past without tanking the economy, surrendering to house arrest, or running around screaming about face coverings?
The president, thankfully, emerged from his brief convalescence with a new fighting spirit. “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” the president tweeted Monday morning when he announced he would be headed home from Walter Reed Medical Center. “We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.” In a video taped at the White House Monday evening, the president underscored his have-no-fear message. “I learned so much about coronavirus. And one thing that’s for certain, don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re gonna beat it.”
It appears that Trump’s new COVID advisors are having an impact. In August, the president appointed Dr. Scott Atlas, a critic of lockdowns and our one-size-fits-all remedy to cure the virus; Atlas, 65, is a much-needed antidote to the attention-hungry, flip-flopping Anthony Fauci, who refuses to exit the media’s adoring spotlight or entertain any opposing viewpoint.
I talked to Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday afternoon, shortly after the president announced he would be leaving the hospital and getting back to work, which prompted yet another round of convulsions from the cult of Trump haters who simply cannot get a grip on reality.
“The president isn’t going to hide from the public or the press,” Atlas told me. “He wants to go to work. He wants to see Americans and he wants to interact with others. He won’t hide in the basement or frozen in fear behind a mask.” (Atlas also has been advising Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who lifted restrictions on bars and restaurants on September 25 in his pursuit to normalize his state’s economy.)
Contrary to Joe Biden’s frequent accusation that the president won’t “listen” to the scientists, Atlas said that “narrative could not be more wrong. There is a difference of opinion in the scientific community. There is no monopoly on knowledge.”
Atlas named several top scientists, including noted epidemiologists, who refute the efficacy and humanity of lockdowns, especially school closings. Dr. John Ioannidis, who like Atlas is associated with Stanford University, wrote a prescient article in March 2020 forewarning the “fiasco” of extended lockdowns. (Ioannidis’ explanatory video that same month was removed from YouTube for violating the site’s terms of service, which meant the professor of medicine and epidemiology at one of the world’s premier universities dared to hold an opinion outside mainstream thinking at the time.)
Other experts such as Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, and Dr. Sunetra Gupta are partnering with Atlas to use science and logic in hopes of deprogramming a largely brainwashed public. The trio this week issued a statement, called the Great Barrington Declaration, aimed at promoting “focused protection” that would safeguard high-risk populations while encouraging life to return to normal as quickly as possible. “As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies,” the declaration states. “Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health.” Thousands of experts and members of the public have signed the petition so far.
The United States is the only country in the world, Atlas said, with this level of hysteria over reopening schools. “We are sacrificing our children. We are eliminating socialization and group activities. It’s harming low-income families most because the lockdown is the luxury of the rich.”
Atlas doesn’t argue with the initial response to the virus. The attempt to prevent hospital overcrowding and buy time to prepare the health system was “appropriate,” Atlas said. But the medical and scientific community knows much more about the virus now. “It isn’t March or April, it’s October. We can’t continue to just believe people we thought had the whole story at first.”
Those people—Atlas didn’t name names but I will—include Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, and Dr. Robert Redfield, the hapless head of the Centers for Disease Control. Fauci is taking shots at Atlas in the press, referring to him as an “outlier.”
Beltway insiders, on the other hand, are attempting to smear Atlas by distorting his view on herd immunity, a scientific concept that up until a few months ago was universally accepted as truth. Suddenly the term is presented in the media in scare quotes as if it’s the latest Republican-fueled conspiracy theory. “Denying herd immunity is like denying gravity,” Atlas told me. “But there is no policy recommendation, none, that cites herd immunity as a strategy.”
Democrats have planned to leverage the twin crises of COVID-19 and the economic shutdowns to win in November. Biden’s message, not surprisingly, is all over the place, at once condemning the president for not doing enough to stop the spread then condemning the president for the economic and societal consequences of the lockdown that was intended to stop the spread.
Polls consistently show low approval ratings for the president on his handling of the disease; most respondents believe Biden would do a better job even though his plans do not differ from the president’s. Biden continues to flip-flop on a national mask mandate but has publicly said he would authorize another economic lockdown.
It’s increasingly likely the election will be a referendum on Coronavirus and its after-effects, which means Trump’s new tack is a risky, but necessary, one.
Someone needs to push back forcefully on this destructive course with reason, compassion, and yes, science. The president needs to explain that he will lead us back to the life we abruptly left behind in March. “What we’ve seen is the arrogance of the elite in a highly charged political climate,” Atlas said. “Leaders have to make decisions that make sense that take into account the impact of their policies.”
“We need to save lives and get America back to work.”
Indeed.
– – –
Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness. She is the author of Disloyal Opposition: How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris Refuses to Answer Question on Packing the Supreme Court

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris wouldn ’ t answer a question about packing the Supreme Court during the vice presidential debate Wednesday .
Harris refused to explain her position on packing the court during a discussion on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Vice President Mike Pence pushed Harris on her position multiple times .
“ I think the American people really deserve an answer , Sen. Harris .
Are you and Joe Biden going to pack the court if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States , ” Harris said after speaking about Abraham Lincoln .
“ And then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land.
” Pence responded : “ People are voting right now , they ’ d like to know if you and Joe Biden are going to pack the Supreme Court if you don ’ t get your way in this nomination.
” Harris responded to Pence ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s record of nominating conservative judges to lower courts .
“ She never answered the question , ” Pence said .
“ Maybe in the next debate , Joe Biden will answer the question.
” Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden similarly refused to answer a question about packing the Supreme Court during the first presidential debate on Sept. 29 .
“ I ’ m not going to answer that question , ” Biden said .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Thomas Catenacci
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris wouldn’t answer a question about packing the Supreme Court during the vice presidential debate Wednesday.
Harris refused to explain her position on packing the court during a discussion on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Vice President Mike Pence pushed Harris on her position multiple times.
“I think the American people really deserve an answer, Sen. Harris. Are you and Joe Biden going to pack the court if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed?” Pence said.
“The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States,” Harris said after speaking about Abraham Lincoln. “And then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land.”
Pence responded: “People are voting right now, they’d like to know if you and Joe Biden are going to pack the Supreme Court if you don’t get your way in this nomination.”
Harris responded to Pence’s prompt by speaking about the Trump administration’s record of nominating conservative judges to lower courts.
“She never answered the question,” Pence said. “Maybe in the next debate, Joe Biden will answer the question.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden similarly refused to answer a question about packing the Supreme Court during the first presidential debate on Sept. 29.
“I’m not going to answer that question,” Biden said.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Rally Against Nashville Mayor John Cooper Scheduled for Monday

Organizers have scheduled a rally against Nashville Mayor John Cooper between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday , Oct. 12 , at Nashville ’ s Public Square , located at 1 Public Square .
This , according to a Facebook group called “ Stop Mayor Cooper.
” The group says the event will include music and art , a food truck , and opportunities for people to sign a petition against Cooper .
“ Please email Governor Lee and let your voice be heard about Mayor Cooper .
He and his administration ’ s misrepresentation and misreporting of Covid statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and federal laws , ” the group posted ; adding : Two people are listed at the administrators of the Stop Mayor Cooper group , which to date has over 1500 members .
One of them , Frank E Platt , describes himself as a self-employed Nashville resident .
The other admin , Brooke Siebel , lives in Brentwood .
As The Tennessee Star reported Tuesday , members of the group Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government , said on the website RestoreNashville.org , that they advised Cooper “ to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he did not.
” As reported , Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government fought Cooper ’ s 32 percent property tax increase in May .
Cooper , the website said , demonstrated poor fiscal stewardship , showed indifference to children and young families , and destroyed businesses and jobs .
Among only some of the things Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government said of Cooper : • “ He promised to address Nashville ’ s long financial problems .
Yet as mayor , when it was time to create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the budget and plans to spend the unexpected sales tax revenue.
” • “ He then passed an exorbitant 34 percent ( 37 percent ) property tax increase .
Renters now pay an additional $ 150/month ( $ 1,800/yr ) and homeowners pay an additional $ 750/yr on a $ 300k home.
” • “ He is now threatening to sue the Election Commission if they put the Tax Payer Protection Act on the ballot as 30,000 voters demanded .
Having no choice , the EC has now sued Nashville citizens.
” As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoting unidentified pediatricians , say schools should open .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ John Cooper ” by John Cooper .

Organizers have scheduled a rally against Nashville Mayor John Cooper between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at Nashville’s Public Square, located at 1 Public Square.
This, according to a Facebook group called “Stop Mayor Cooper.”
The group says the event will include music and art, a food truck, and opportunities for people to sign a petition against Cooper.
“Please email Governor Lee and let your voice be heard about Mayor Cooper. He and his administration’s misrepresentation and misreporting of Covid statistics are politically motivated and may have violated state and federal laws,” the group posted; adding:
Cooper owns a real estate business and he is purposely crushing our economy so property and business values plummet. The allows his business partners to buy everything with pennies on the dollar. He must be stopped.
Two people are listed at the administrators of the Stop Mayor Cooper group, which to date has over 1500 members. One of them, Frank E Platt, describes himself as a self-employed Nashville resident. The other admin, Brooke Siebel, lives in Brentwood.
As The Tennessee Star reported Tuesday, members of the group Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government, said on the website RestoreNashville.org, that they advised Cooper “to cut below costs before taxing Nashville citizens, and he did not.”
As reported, Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government fought Cooper’s 32 percent property tax increase in May.
Cooper, the website said, demonstrated poor fiscal stewardship, showed indifference to children and young families, and destroyed businesses and jobs.
Among only some of the things Nashville Citizens for Fair & Transparent Government said of Cooper:
• “He promised to address Nashville’s long financial problems. Yet as mayor, when it was time to create a budget, he made no cuts to the budget and plans to spend the unexpected sales tax revenue.”
• “He then passed an exorbitant 34 percent (37 percent) property tax increase. Renters now pay an additional $150/month ($1,800/yr) and homeowners pay an additional $750/yr on a $300k home.”
• “He is now threatening to sue the Election Commission if they put the Tax Payer Protection Act on the ballot as 30,000 voters demanded. Having no choice, the EC has now sued Nashville citizens.”
As for school closures, the website, quoting unidentified pediatricians, say schools should open.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris Dodges Addressing Whether China Is an Ally or Adversary

Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris dodged addressing whether China is an ally or an adversary during Wednesday night ’ s vice presidential debates .
Moderator Susan Page asked Harris how she would describe the United State ’ s “ fundamental relationship with China , ” asking Harris whether China is a competitor , adversary , or enemy .
Harris dodged addressing this question and instead focused on President Donald Trump ’ s actions .
“ Susan , the Trump Administration ’ s perspective and approach to China has resulted in the loss of American lives , American jobs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ There is a weird obsession that President Trump has had with getting rid of whatever accomplishment was achieved by President Obama and Vice President Biden.
” “ For example , they created within the White House an office that basically was responsible for monitoring pandemics .
They got rid of it , ” Harris said , though Pence said this was incorrect .
“ There was a team of disease experts that President Obama and Vice President Biden dispatched to China to monitor what is now predictable and what might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We now are looking at 210,000 Americans who have lost their lives , ” Harris said .
Harris said that the United States economy has lost large numbers of jobs as a result of the trade war with China , calling it a “ failed war.
” “ Pew , a reputable research firm , has done an analysis that shows that leaders of all of our formally allied countries have now decided that they hold in greater esteem and respect Xi Jinping , the head of the Chinese Communist Party , than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States , the commander in chief of the United States.
” “ This is where we are today , because of a failure of leadership by this administration , ” she concluded .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris dodged addressing whether China is an ally or an adversary during Wednesday night’s vice presidential debates.
Moderator Susan Page asked Harris how she would describe the United State’s “fundamental relationship with China,” asking Harris whether China is a competitor, adversary, or enemy. Harris dodged addressing this question and instead focused on President Donald Trump’s actions.
“Susan, the Trump Administration’s perspective and approach to China has resulted in the loss of American lives, American jobs, and America’s standing,” Harris said. “There is a weird obsession that President Trump has had with getting rid of whatever accomplishment was achieved by President Obama and Vice President Biden.”
“For example, they created within the White House an office that basically was responsible for monitoring pandemics. They got rid of it,” Harris said, though Pence said this was incorrect.
“There was a team of disease experts that President Obama and Vice President Biden dispatched to China to monitor what is now predictable and what might happen. They pulled them out. We now are looking at 210,000 Americans who have lost their lives,” Harris said.
Harris said that the United States economy has lost large numbers of jobs as a result of the trade war with China, calling it a “failed war.”
“Pew, a reputable research firm, has done an analysis that shows that leaders of all of our formally allied countries have now decided that they hold in greater esteem and respect Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party, than they do Donald Trump, the president of the United States, the commander in chief of the United States.”
“This is where we are today, because of a failure of leadership by this administration,” she concluded.
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--McCloskeys Indicted on Gun Charges From Standoff at St. Louis Mansion

Mark and Patricia McCloskey , the St. Louis couple charged in July with brandishing weapons at rioters who broke into their gated community , have been indicted by a grand jury .
The McCloskey ’ s were indicted Tuesday on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering , according to their attorney Al Watkins , Fox News reports .
The couple contends that in June , protesters broke through an iron gate , ignored a “ No Trespassing ” sign , and screamed threats of arson and rape at them , while protest leaders say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were made .
Watkins accused the prosecutors of tampering with the pistol by assembling it in a way that it could be fired .
“ This is b——t , ” Watkins told Fox News .
“ Hate to say it , but the state has a lot of problems with this one .
And they transcend not just the evidence , but they actually are remarkably problematic from the standpoint of prosecutorial misconduct.
” The couple appeared in court Tuesday for a status hearing before the grand jury rendered the decision .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at which time , Schwartz said , the McCloskeys will enter a not-guilty plea .
Outside the Carnahan Courthouse , Mark McCloskey criticized the City Counselor ’ s Office for opting against prosecuting protesters for trespassing and that he and his wife are being “ persecuted.
” “ What you are witnessing here is just an opportunity for the government , the leftist , democrat government of the City of St. Louis to persecute us for doing no more than exercising our Second Amendment rights , ” McCloskey said .
“ Every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my house was a criminal trespasser .
They broke down our gate .
They trespassed on our property .
Not a single one of those people is now charged with anything .
We ’ re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses , ” McCloskey added .
Nine protesters were initially served police summonses , but City Counselor Michael Garvin said on Sept. 29 that trespassing charges would not be pursued .
A judge set the next court date for Oct. 14th , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the grand jury indictment .
Gov .
Mike Parson ( R ) has said he ’ ll pardon the couple if they are convicted ; Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a motion to dismiss the case .

by Catherine Smith
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple charged in July with brandishing weapons at rioters who broke into their gated community, have been indicted by a grand jury.
The McCloskey’s were indicted Tuesday on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering, according to their attorney Al Watkins, Fox News reports.
The couple contends that in June, protesters broke through an iron gate, ignored a “No Trespassing” sign, and screamed threats of arson and rape at them, while protest leaders say that the march was peaceful and no threats were made. Watkins accused the prosecutors of tampering with the pistol by assembling it in a way that it could be fired.
“This is b——t,” Watkins told Fox News. “Hate to say it, but the state has a lot of problems with this one. And they transcend not just the evidence, but they actually are remarkably problematic from the standpoint of prosecutorial misconduct.”
The couple appeared in court Tuesday for a status hearing before the grand jury rendered the decision. The hearing was postponed until next week, at which time, Schwartz said, the McCloskeys will enter a not-guilty plea.
Outside the Carnahan Courthouse, Mark McCloskey criticized the City Counselor’s Office for opting against prosecuting protesters for trespassing and that he and his wife are being “persecuted.”
“What you are witnessing here is just an opportunity for the government, the leftist, democrat government of the City of St. Louis to persecute us for doing no more than exercising our Second Amendment rights,” McCloskey said.
“Every single human being that was in front of my house was a criminal trespasser. They broke down our gate. They trespassed on our property. Not a single one of those people is now charged with anything. We’re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses,” McCloskey added.
Nine protesters were initially served police summonses, but City Counselor Michael Garvin said on Sept. 29 that trespassing charges would not be pursued.
A judge set the next court date for Oct. 14th, but that is likely to change in light of the grand jury indictment.
Gov. Mike Parson (R) has said he’ll pardon the couple if they are convicted; Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a motion to dismiss the case.
– – –
Catherine Smith reports for American Greatness.
Photo “McCloskeys” by Reuters.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Voters Increasingly Support Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court, Poll Shows

Voters are increasingly backing the confirmation of President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , a Morning Consult and Politico poll released Wednesday showed .
Almost half , 46 % , of voters polled by Morning Consult/Politico between Oct. 2 – 4 said that the Senate should confirm Barrett , the poll found .
These numbers were up 9 percentage points since Trump first announced he was nominating Barrett on Sept. 26 , according to the poll .
Since polling was conducted on the question Sept. 26 , the publication reported , the number of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett ’ s nomination fell by three percentage points to 31 % .
The percentage of Republican voters who back Barrett ’ s confirmation rose six points from the previous month to 77 % , the poll found , and the number of independent voters who said Barrett should be confirmed rose by eight percentage points to 36 % .
The number of Democratic voters who agree Barrett should be confirmed rose by 10 percentage points to 24 % , the poll found .
Support for quickly confirming Barrett is also increasing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters said that regardless of the 2002 presidential election ’ s winner , the Senate should confirm Barrett as soon as possible .
This number has risen four percentage points since Trump announced Barrett as the nominee , according to the poll .
The number of those who say lawmakers should only vote to confirm Barrett if Trump wins the election dropped three percentage points to 37 % , the poll found .
Before Barrett ’ s nomination , polling that did not mention Barrett ’ s name found that half of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Only 37 % of voters thought Trump should pick the new justice .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
Voters are increasingly backing the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, a Morning Consult and Politico poll released Wednesday showed.
Almost half, 46%, of voters polled by Morning Consult/Politico between Oct. 2 – 4 said that the Senate should confirm Barrett, the poll found. These numbers were up 9 percentage points since Trump first announced he was nominating Barrett on Sept. 26, according to the poll.
Morning Consult/Politico polled roughly 2,000 registered voters with 2-point margins of error.
Since polling was conducted on the question Sept. 26, the publication reported, the number of voters who said that the Senate should reject Barrett’s nomination fell by three percentage points to 31%.
The percentage of Republican voters who back Barrett’s confirmation rose six points from the previous month to 77%, the poll found, and the number of independent voters who said Barrett should be confirmed rose by eight percentage points to 36%.
The number of Democratic voters who agree Barrett should be confirmed rose by 10 percentage points to 24%, the poll found.
Support for quickly confirming Barrett is also increasing, the poll found: 43% of voters said that regardless of the 2002 presidential election’s winner, the Senate should confirm Barrett as soon as possible. This number has risen four percentage points since Trump announced Barrett as the nominee, according to the poll.
The number of those who say lawmakers should only vote to confirm Barrett if Trump wins the election dropped three percentage points to 37%, the poll found.
Before Barrett’s nomination, polling that did not mention Barrett’s name found that half of voters thought the 2020 presidential election winner should fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Only 37% of voters thought Trump should pick the new justice.
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--The Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe Weighs in on the Upcoming Vice Presidenti

The Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe Weighs in on the Upcoming Vice Presidential Debate Between Harris and Pence

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe to the newsmakers line to weigh in on how he felt the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence would pan out .
Leahy : We are joined by our good friend Neil W. McCabe .
Neil I think you recognize that intro music .
Don ’ t you ?
Leahy : That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s own John Cahn .
American Heart .
Yeah , I talked to him last night and he gave me the authorization to use that music .
You know , you hear it on the Sirius XM show that Alex Marlow hosts .
But now we can use it here and that was John wrote it and sand and performed it .
Yeah , great guy .
McCabe : I will tell you Mike that most of my interactions with John when I was at Breitbart where I got with my being in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you never in trouble with us .
( McCabe laughs ) So you are our national correspondent Neil .
The big news , I guess tonight is the debate between vice president Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris the Democratic nominee for vice president .
Give us a preview of what you think is going to happen tonight .
McCabe : I tell you I really feel good about what Pence is going to do .
Pence did very very well for years ago against Kane .
I had the pleasure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago in a theater in Silver Spring , Maryland in the heart of Montgomery County with the Montgomery County Democratic Committee .
And they were so geeked up and giddy in the beginning and when they left ( Chuckles ) when they left you could tell they had bet on the wrong horse .
They were very sullen .
Pence is solid .
Pence was prepared .
Pence worked very hard as a congressman where he had a reputation for knowing the issues .
And I think we ’ re going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me of sort of the performances that Dick Cheney put in and that number two slot .
Especially remember when he dismantled John Edwards in 2004 .
I feel really good about it .
And I think that that we ’ re going to see that Trump ’ s ticket really is a Trump-Pence ticket .
There are Pence people working in the White House .
There are Pence people working for President Trump in the Oval Office .
It ’ s a very nice mix and I just don ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries that I would say she can take on Pence .
Leahy : What do you think Kamala Harris is going to try to accomplish tonight in this debate ?
McCabe : Well , I think it ’ s the same playbook as by he Biden .
Biden ’ s strength in the polls is with race relations and with dealing with COVID .
And so the media is going to continue to spin up the COVID panic as they ’ ve been doing for the last few months .
And obviously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris has to be very careful because of two factors : One , when she brings up race and racism it ’ s going to remind everybody that she ’ s the one who called Biden a racist during the primaries .
And the second thing is that you know on race relations Biden is doing very well with Whites who think he ’ s going to be better dealing with race problems among African-Americans .
Especially African-American men .
They are breaking for Trump .
And that ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has tremendous support among Hispanic , African-American other minority men who are voting as men , not as ethnics .
And Kamala Harris has to be very very careful because she could very well push African American men towards Trump even further if she plays her cards wrong .
Leahy : So what would be an example and by the way , she certainly has the capability to do that if you if you ’ ve witnessed any of her screechy attacks on Brett Kavanaugh during the 2018 Senate confirmation here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean and nasty side of her argument .
Carmichael : Neil doesn ’ t she have a pretty terrible track record as a prosecutor and of prosecuting and putting Black men in prison ?
McCabe : Vicious .
Absolutely vicious .
And you know that ’ s going to come out .
In the end , you know , the vice-presidential choice , it isn ’ t the factor deciding things that we think we always think it ’ s more important than it is .
It is a factor in certainly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate or vice president .
In the case of Pence , it can help the ticket tremendously .
And certainly , Pence is going to you know , it ’ s going to work like a horse to get Trump reelected and I look for good things for him tonight .
Leahy : So but in this particular cycle , 2020 , I would argue see if you agree with this Neil , that the vice presidential debate is more important than it has been really for any time in my memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly past his prime .
He has lost his fastball , you know put in whatever description you want .
Leahy : And so the possibility that Kamala Harris could if he were to be elected president could become president in the next four years .
I think it ’ s pretty high .
and then , you know , Pence has this sort of stabilizing element in his relationship with President Trump it seems to me so .
I think it ’ s going to be more important than ever before and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this particular one .
Would you agree with that ?
McCabe : We saw it with Sarah Palin and John McCain .
Palin really scared the beJesus out of the Obama campaign and they were able to shame McCain in to stop campaigning with Palin .
The McCain-Palin rallies were they were together we ’ re doing tremendously well .
McCain was feeding off of Palin ’ s energy .
And when that team was broken up and they had to campaign separately you saw the energy sort of dying down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ good friend Jack Posobiec that One American News Network did together there .
He did a tweet that I think it was yesterday where he showed how the Biden campaign is actually having Kamala Harris in the foreground of the pictures .
Biden is out of focus and is blurred slightly and Kamala Harris is the focus .
Kamala Harris is the real candidate .
It ’ s going to be clear that Kamala Harris and her people are fully expected to be running the White House when this whole thing is over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty secret in its attention that is being downplayed by the media .
But I imagine that the fight between Harris and the Biden staff is becoming absolutely horrific .
McCabe : Hillary Clinton did not pick Elizabeth Warren for VP because Warren did so well in from of the crowds .
Clinton was afraid of being overshadowed by Elizabeth Warren .
So you can imagine the tension going on in the Biden camp when they got to hook this guy up the booster cables every morning .
( Leahy laughs ) Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a good point because when Kamala Harris campaigned she can draw at least two dozen people .
( McCabe scoffs ) More than a dozen more like Biden and 10 of those are the press .
One of them is his wife .
Leahy : Hey Neil , so Julie Strauss-Levin wrote a really outstanding commentary yesterday that we published in all our titles and basically said a Harris Administration will be the most radical in American history .
and notice and it ’ s done very well for us in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framed that .
A Harris administration .
McCabe : The Obama administration set out to transform this country .
And if you think about all of the things , think about what it was like before Obama was President , right ?
Our attitude toward children smoking marijuana .
We now have kids is vaping marijuana in school , right ?
You think about the rules loosening up whether gays should serve in the military openly .
To think about women in combat roles and think about all of these different things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the freedoms and privileges now granted to people who claim to be transgender .
That was absurd 10 years ago .
Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe to the newsmakers line to weigh in on how he felt the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence would pan out.
Leahy: We are joined by our good friend Neil W. McCabe. Neil I think you recognize that intro music. Don’t you?
McCabe: Who’s that?
Leahy: That’s John Cahn. Breitbart’s own John Cahn. American Heart. Yeah, I talked to him last night and he gave me the authorization to use that music. You know, you hear it on the Sirius XM show that Alex Marlow hosts. But now we can use it here and that was John wrote it and sand and performed it. Yeah, great guy.
McCabe: I will tell you Mike that most of my interactions with John when I was at Breitbart where I got with my being in trouble or something.
Leahy: Well, you never in trouble with us. (McCabe laughs) So you are our national correspondent Neil. The big news, I guess tonight is the debate between vice president Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris the Democratic nominee for vice president. Give us a preview of what you think is going to happen tonight.
McCabe: I tell you I really feel good about what Pence is going to do. Pence did very very well for years ago against Kaine. I had the pleasure of watching the vice presidential debate four years ago in a theater in Silver Spring, Maryland in the heart of Montgomery County with the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. And they were so geeked up and giddy in the beginning and when they left (Chuckles) when they left you could tell they had bet on the wrong horse. They were very sullen. Pence is solid. Pence was prepared.
Pence worked very hard as a congressman where he had a reputation for knowing the issues. And I think we’re going to be very happy with Pence. It reminds me of sort of the performances that Dick Cheney put in and that number two slot. Especially remember when he dismantled John Edwards in 2004. I feel really good about it. And I think that that we’re going to see that Trump’s ticket really is a Trump-Pence ticket. There are Pence people working in the White House. There are Pence people working for President Trump in the Oval Office. It’s a very nice mix and I just don’t think Kamala Harris showed me anything during the primaries that I would say she can take on Pence.
Leahy: What do you think Kamala Harris is going to try to accomplish tonight in this debate?
McCabe: Well, I think it’s the same playbook as by he Biden. Biden’s strength in the polls is with race relations and with dealing with COVID. And so the media is going to continue to spin up the COVID panic as they’ve been doing for the last few months. And obviously, there’s the racial, but Kamala Harris has to be very careful because of two factors: One, when she brings up race and racism it’s going to remind everybody that she’s the one who called Biden a racist during the primaries.
And the second thing is that you know on race relations Biden is doing very well with Whites who think he’s going to be better dealing with race problems among African-Americans. Especially African-American men. They are breaking for Trump. And that’s going to be the big story of this election. Trump has tremendous support among Hispanic, African-American other minority men who are voting as men, not as ethnics. And Kamala Harris has to be very very careful because she could very well push African American men towards Trump even further if she plays her cards wrong.
Leahy: So what would be an example and by the way, she certainly has the capability to do that if you if you’ve witnessed any of her screechy attacks on Brett Kavanaugh during the 2018 Senate confirmation here, you’ve seen that really mean and nasty side of her argument.
Carmichael: Neil doesn’t she have a pretty terrible track record as a prosecutor and of prosecuting and putting Black men in prison?
McCabe: Vicious. Absolutely vicious. And you know that’s going to come out. In the end, you know, the vice-presidential choice, it isn’t the factor deciding things that we think we always think it’s more important than it is. It is a factor in certainly. But you can make a strong vice presidential candidate or vice president. In the case of Pence, it can help the ticket tremendously. And certainly, Pence is going to you know, it’s going to work like a horse to get Trump reelected and I look for good things for him tonight.
Leahy: So but in this particular cycle, 2020, I would argue see if you agree with this Neil, that the vice presidential debate is more important than it has been really for any time in my memory because, A, Joe Biden is clearly past his prime. He has lost his fastball, you know put in whatever description you want.
McCabe: The back nine.
Leahy: And so the possibility that Kamala Harris could if he were to be elected president could become president in the next four years. I think it’s pretty high. and then, you know, Pence has this sort of stabilizing element in his relationship with President Trump it seems to me so. I think it’s going to be more important than ever before and people going to be paying more attention to this particular one. Would you agree with that?
McCabe: We saw it with Sarah Palin and John McCain. Palin really scared the beJesus out of the Obama campaign and they were able to shame McCain in to stop campaigning with Palin. The McCain-Palin rallies were they were together we’re doing tremendously well. McCain was feeding off of Palin’s energy. And when that team was broken up and they had to campaign separately you saw the energy sort of dying down. You’re seeing with Harris my good friend Jack Posobiec that One American News Network did together there.
He did a tweet that I think it was yesterday where he showed how the Biden campaign is actually having Kamala Harris in the foreground of the pictures. Biden is out of focus and is blurred slightly and Kamala Harris is the focus. Kamala Harris is the real candidate. It’s going to be clear that Kamala Harris and her people are fully expected to be running the White House when this whole thing is over. It’s kind of a dirty secret in its attention that is being downplayed by the media. But I imagine that the fight between Harris and the Biden staff is becoming absolutely horrific.
Leahy: I would imagine.
McCabe: Hillary Clinton did not pick Elizabeth Warren for VP because Warren did so well in from of the crowds. Clinton was afraid of being overshadowed by Elizabeth Warren. So you can imagine the tension going on in the Biden camp when they got to hook this guy up the booster cables every morning. (Leahy laughs)
Carmichael: Well, I think that’s a good point because when Kamala Harris campaigned she can draw at least two dozen people. (McCabe scoffs) More than a dozen more like Biden and 10 of those are the press. One of them is his wife.
Leahy: Hey Neil, so Julie Strauss-Levin wrote a really outstanding commentary yesterday that we published in all our titles and basically said a Harris Administration will be the most radical in American history. and notice and it’s done very well for us in terms of traffic. And notice how she framed that. A Harris administration.
McCabe: The Obama administration set out to transform this country. And if you think about all of the things, think about what it was like before Obama was President, right? Our attitude toward children smoking marijuana. We now have kids is vaping marijuana in school, right? You think about the rules loosening up whether gays should serve in the military openly. To think about women in combat roles and think about all of these different things that were unheard of. Look at all of the freedoms and privileges now granted to people who claim to be transgender. That was absurd 10 years ago.
Leahy: And it’s moved so rapidly.
Listen to the third hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Mike Flynn Seeks to Remove Judge Overseeing Case, Alleging Bias

In a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud , lawyers for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday filed a motion to disqualify U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan from considering the request to dismiss their client ’ s case , arguing the jurist has demonstrated “ contempt and disdain for the defense.
” The filing by attorneys Sidney Powell and Jesse Binnall came after the defense and judge clashed several times at a hearing last week .
It also follows Flynn , retire Army lieutenant general , having tried to get an appeals court to issue a writ of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
The defense won an initial ruling by a three-judge panel before it was reversed by the full D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals after Sullivan appealed .
In the new motion , the defense lawyers argued that Sullivan met the standard for dismissal or recusal because he created the appearance of bias “ when he actively litigated against General Flynn ” in the appeals court .
“ He has since far exceeded it – rising to the level of demonstrating actual bias , ” the lawyers wrote , citing Sullivan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing .
“ The court ’ s contempt and disdain for the defense was palpable throughout the hearing on September 29 , 2020 , including when defense counsel made an oral motion for his immediate disqualification , which he refused to allow even to be fully stated for the record.
” Sullivan has defended himself , saying he has a right to weigh all the issues before deciding whether to dismiss a charge of lying to which Flynn previously pleaded guilty .
Both the defense and the Justice Department say recently discovered evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounted to misconduct justifying a dismissal .
Sullivan declined to immediately grant the dismissal , instead hiring a retired judge to offer arguments opposing the idea .
You can read the new filing here .

by John Solomon
In a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud, lawyers for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday filed a motion to disqualify U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan from considering the request to dismiss their client’s case, arguing the jurist has demonstrated “contempt and disdain for the defense.”
The filing by attorneys Sidney Powell and Jesse Binnall came after the defense and judge clashed several times at a hearing last week. It also follows Flynn, retire Army lieutenant general, having tried to get an appeals court to issue a writ of mandamus forcing Sullivan to immediately dismiss the case.
The defense won an initial ruling by a three-judge panel before it was reversed by the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals after Sullivan appealed.
In the new motion, the defense lawyers argued that Sullivan met the standard for dismissal or recusal because he created the appearance of bias “when he actively litigated against General Flynn” in the appeals court.
“He has since far exceeded it – rising to the level of demonstrating actual bias,” the lawyers wrote, citing Sullivan’s comments during last week’s hearing. “The court’s contempt and disdain for the defense was palpable throughout the hearing on
September 29, 2020, including when defense counsel made an oral motion for his immediate disqualification, which he refused to allow even to be fully stated for the record.”
Sullivan has defended himself, saying he has a right to weigh all the issues before deciding whether to dismiss a charge of lying to which Flynn previously pleaded guilty. Both the defense and the Justice Department say recently discovered evidence of prosecutors’ activity in the case amounted to misconduct justifying a dismissal.
Sullivan declined to immediately grant the dismissal, instead hiring a retired judge to offer arguments opposing the idea.
You can read the new filing here.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Michael Patrick Leahy and Crom Carmichael Discuss the Battle of Metro Schools and the Tennessee Boar

Michael Patrick Leahy and Crom Carmichael Discuss the Battle of Metro Schools and the Tennessee Board of Education

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio At the end of the third hour , Leahy and Carmichael discuss the battle between Metro schools and the state board of education in the survival of charter schools .
Carmichael added that success for many lower-income and minority families depends on these charter schools like KIPP that do a wonderful job .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Crom , there is a story .
And I know you ’ re very interested in charter schools .
There ’ s a story at WPLN .
This battle between metro schools and the state board of education has ended in a third KIPP Nashville school and the fifth charter overall being authorized against the district ’ s wishes .
Some local board members say this will hurt the district more than ever given the pandemic .
But KIPP families in Southeast Nashville say the school is desperately needed .
Carmichael : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LEAD Academy is and some of the other charter schools do a great job for lower-income families .
Especially Black and Hispanic children in Nashville .
They do a wonderful job .
They do a wonderful job .
and because of that our school board is against it because our school board is a bunch of union cronies .
Leahy : With the exception of our friend Fran Bush .
Carmichael : The board is dominated by union cronies .
Leahy : We ’ re going to try a little experiment here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have time to send it to our producer .
We ’ re just going to Crom , you ’ re going to play it on your phone and we ’ ll see if it comes to your microphone .
Leahy : That was Joe Biden .
He doesn ’ t like charter schools .
He has said they ’ ll be gone if he ’ s president .
Carmichael : So if you are a Black person and you want your children to get a quality education and if you vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your last for the last hope of being able to have a choice in schools .
Joe Biden is an absolute cronies of the unions .
In fact , he wants to unionize just about every job he can possibly unionize .
and he ’ ll destroy .
he says he wants to do away with the right to work laws in 28 states that have them .
by the way you have to pack the court first .
Yeah , that ’ s what he ’ ll do .
Leahy : He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Wallace won ’ t ask him that question in a debate .
Carmichael : But Biden is very much on the record that he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the teacher ’ s unions and the thugs .
Not the teachers .
The thugs who run the unions .
You know , I liken the teachers ’ unions to the Communist Chinese Party .
You have the Communist Chinese Party , which is a very small cadre of people who rule and who dominate the Chinese people .
Chinese people are good people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thugs who run the unions are like the Communist Chinese Party .
And they don ’ t like any competition .
They look out for their own personal interests .
And they do not have the children ’ s education ’ s at heart .
If they did then they would be open to competition .
They would be open to giving low-income mothers and fathers school choice for their kids .
And they don ’ t .
And here in Nashville , it ’ s unfortunate .
And that ’ s something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council could have a say in .
And in fact , if the voters repeal the 34 percent tax increase Leahy : As they should legally have the right to vote on .
They have had the right to vote on it and hopefully , they ’ ll get the right to vote .
And if the voters in choose to eliminate that 34 percent tax then the mayor and the council will have no choice but to get rid of a lot of the bureaucracy and waste that ’ s over on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would do is because the way it works here , they would simply cut the school budget by x amount .
Right ?
And then the school board and the director of schools would have less money .
to when Carmichael : That would be a very interesting thing to see how the school board would work because then it would be front and center .
Because right now for example in Nashville in a classroom of 20 students the total budget and this does , by the way , does not include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the operating budget for 20 children there are $ 250,000 spent .
How much does the teacher in that classroom get maybe $ 60,000 ?
So gives you an idea of how much money is spent in places other than the classroom .
Now compare that to Thales Academy with a $ 5,300 tuition .
And it covers all of the operating costs at $ 5,300 .
We have $ 12,000 .
We can ’ t seem to cover operating costs .
and we do a terrible job of educating .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to spend more money , that ’ s like saying I ’ m going to pay a head football coach who ’ s been 0 and 11 for three years in a row I ’ m going to double his salary and expect him to become a winner .
I ’ m sorry , it won ’ t happen .
Leahy : Not going to happen at all .
Carmichael : It ’ s I think it ’ s appropriate .
You know just ask the people of Texas A & M @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most overpaid guy in the country .
But this battle and the way that this ended up for Nashville is good .
and I hope we see more and more charter schools .
I ’ m a big big fan of KIPP Academy .
A big fan of LEADS .
And there are some wonderful charter schools .
Even our magnet schools in Nashville , they do a good job .
but then the magnet schools are given a lot of autonomy that the other schools are not given .
And the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a form of education that if that obviously doesn ’ t work .
when I was doing junior achievement , I taught at Stratford High School for two years , and the principal at Stratford High School they had 1500 students .
Okay , so that ’ s a budget of 1500 back in those days was probably eight thousand .
Carmichael : That ’ s I mean , it was a lot of money but 8,000 times 1500 is the total amount of money that he had at his discretion to spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He had very little discretionary ability .
Carmichael : $ 20 a student was at his discretion .
Leahy : Not not not a good plan for success .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio
At the end of the third hour, Leahy and Carmichael discuss the battle between Metro schools and the state board of education in the survival of charter schools. Carmichael added that success for many lower-income and minority families depends on these charter schools like KIPP that do a wonderful job.
Leahy: 27 days until the elections. Crom, there is a story. And I know you’re very interested in charter schools. There’s a story at WPLN. This battle between metro schools and the state board of education has ended in a third KIPP Nashville school and the fifth charter overall being authorized against the district’s wishes. Some local board members say this will hurt the district more than ever given the pandemic. But KIPP families in Southeast Nashville say the school is desperately needed.
Carmichael: You have the KIPP academies and the LEAD Academy is and some of the other charter schools do a great job for lower-income families. Especially Black and Hispanic children in Nashville. They do a wonderful job. They do a wonderful job. and because of that our school board is against it because our school board is a bunch of union cronies.
Leahy: With the exception of our friend Fran Bush.
Carmichael: The board is dominated by union cronies.
Leahy: We’re going to try a little experiment here. We have a clip but we didn’t have time to send it to our producer. We’re just going to Crom, you’re going to play it on your phone and we’ll see if it comes to your microphone.
(Joe Biden clip plays)
Leahy: That was Joe Biden. He doesn’t like charter schools. He has said they’ll be gone if he’s president.
Carmichael: So if you are a Black person and you want your children to get a quality education and if you vote for Joe Biden you are voting for your last for the last hope of being able to have a choice in schools. Joe Biden is an absolute cronies of the unions. In fact, he wants to unionize just about every job he can possibly unionize. and he’ll destroy. he says he wants to do away with the right to work laws in 28 states that have them. by the way you have to pack the court first. Yeah, that’s what he’ll do.
Leahy: He won’t tell you that and Chris Wallace won’t ask him that question in a debate.
Carmichael: But Biden is very much on the record that he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the teacher’s unions and the thugs. Not the teachers. The thugs who run the unions. You know, I liken the teachers’ unions to the Communist Chinese Party. You have the Communist Chinese Party, which is a very small cadre of people who rule and who dominate the Chinese people. Chinese people are good people.
The teachers are good people. the thugs who run the unions are like the Communist Chinese Party. And they don’t like any competition. They look out for their own personal interests. And they do not have the children’s education’s at heart. If they did then they would be open to competition. They would be open to giving low-income mothers and fathers school choice for their kids. And they don’t. And here in Nashville, it’s unfortunate. And that’s something I think that the mayor and the council could have a say in. And in fact, if the voters repeal the 34 percent tax increase
Leahy: As they should legally have the right to vote on.
They have had the right to vote on it and hopefully, they’ll get the right to vote. And if the voters in choose to eliminate that 34 percent tax then the mayor and the council will have no choice but to get rid of a lot of the bureaucracy and waste that’s over on Bransford Avenue. I mean what they would do is because the way it works here, they would simply cut the school budget by x amount. Right? And then the school board and the director of schools would have less money. to when
Carmichael: That would be a very interesting thing to see how the school board would work because then it would be front and center. Because right now for example in Nashville in a classroom of 20 students the total budget and this does, by the way, does not include capital budget at all. This is just the operating budget for 20 children there are $250,000 spent. How much does the teacher in that classroom get maybe $60,000?
So gives you an idea of how much money is spent in places other than the classroom. Now compare that to Thales Academy with a $5,300 tuition. And it covers all of the operating costs at $5,300. We have $12,000. We can’t seem to cover operating costs. and we do a terrible job of educating. So, people who say well you just need to spend more money, that’s like saying I’m going to pay a head football coach who’s been 0 and 11 for three years in a row I’m going to double his salary and expect him to become a winner. I’m sorry, it won’t happen.
Leahy: Not going to happen at all.
Carmichael: It’s I think it’s appropriate. You know just ask the people of Texas A&M.
Leahy: That’s funny.
Carmichael: He may be the most overpaid guy in the country. But this battle and the way that this ended up for Nashville is good. and I hope we see more and more charter schools. I’m a big big fan of KIPP Academy. A big fan of LEADS. And there are some wonderful charter schools. Even our magnet schools in Nashville, they do a good job. but then the magnet schools are given a lot of autonomy that the other schools are not given.
And the other schools are kind of forced to follow a form of education that if that obviously doesn’t work. when I was doing junior achievement, I taught at Stratford High School for two years, and the principal at Stratford High School they had 1500 students. Okay, so that’s a budget of 1500 back in those days was probably eight thousand.
Leahy: That was real money.
Carmichael: That’s I mean, it was a lot of money but 8,000 times 1500 is the total amount of money that he had at his discretion to spend was about $35,000.
Leahy: He had very little discretionary ability.
Carmichael: $20 a student was at his discretion.
Leahy: Not not not a good plan for success.
Listen to the full third hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.