TN Senator Turns On State Party, Tells Them Not To Attack Michelle

The Tennessee State GOP is running out of allies. A recent negative ad ridiculing Michelle Obama has prompted a round of national criticism, including a few fightin' words from Sen. Obama.

Now, Bob Corker, the state's Republican senator, has entered the fray. Unfortunately for local Republicans, he's taking the side of Democrats; his chief-of-staff delivered the following statement to his state party:

After the Republican National Committee damaged our campaign with their infamous 'Call Me' ad -- which we immediately denounced -- we have strongly encouraged the national party and state parties to absolutely refrain from getting involved in negative personal campaigning, and we have asked the state party to remove their You Tube ad from their Web site.

Republicans will be in much better shape if we spend our time focused on issues like reducing federal spending, lowering the cost of health care and creating a coherent energy policy.

Meanwhile, it appears the ad, which features "proud Americans," isn't comprised of the most wholesome Americans. One Bob Pope, a gun rights advocate who appears in the negative ad, is also a former strip club investor. No word if he's proud of that too.

[Watch the ad that started it all]

[Watch Obama's response]

Comments

[klosskid]

07:14 AM on 05/21/2008

"Republicans will be in much better shape if we spend our time focused on issues like reducing federal spending, lowering the cost of health care and creating a coherent energy policy." And therein lies the republicans' problem. After seven disastrous years of the current administration, any attempt to focus on important issues would be viewed as laughable and totally out of character.

[Waitaminute]

03:08 AM on 05/21/2008

The GOP know who their supporters are. They are pigs (Racist) dressed up with lipstick on. They try to keep them in the pig pin in the back yard. But once in a while, a pig or two breaks out, run to the front yard without its lipstick and embarrass its owner.

[swamijo]

12:19 AM on 05/21/2008

'Hey, I'm Tate, a rich white male Vandrbilt grad student, and I's proud ever time I looks at the 'Merkan flag cuz it makes me cry fer sum reasun..and I don' likes me sum uppity negra womens sayin' she won't wear a 'Merkan flag in her lapel...she prolly don' even haves no lapels!'

'...Ahm Bob and I luvs da guns I gots in my house and car jus' in case I runs across any uppity nigras who ain't proud of 'Merka'

yep gotsa luv dem Tennesseeans (or whatever the hell they call thenselves?) I'm bettin' most of 'em cain't find Tennessee on da map!

[HerbTee]

10:09 PM on 05/20/2008

Well, it's nice that Senator Bob Corker has spoken out against the TN Republican Party's smear ad against Michelle Obama. However, I think Corker's effort is very disingenuous at best. I don't recall Corker doing the same when the TRP ran nasty and racially polarizing ads against African American and former TN Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. during a TN Senate run against Ford. Make no mistake that Corker was not above using these types of ads when they suited him. I am glad to see him trying to stop the ads against Michelle. But I also see him as a blatant hypocrite.

I recall one TRP ad with a very pretty young White woman beckoning, winking and cooing for Ford to "Call Me!" in an attempt to link Ford with gentlemen porno clubs and risque behavior. It was race-baiting at it's finest in TN, a state where rural and conservative locals would surely frown on any hint of interracial liaisons between Black men and White women.

As we’ve learned, racially polarizing political ads by the GOP is nothing new. Remember the "Willie Horton" ad? Also, remember the "White Hands" ad by Senator Jesse Helms against his AA opponent, Charlotte mayor Harvey Gant in an NC Senate race to unseat Helms? I am glad the Michelle ad was stopped. However, the GOP loves to "ride dirty" when it comes to racial politics and they have used such ads effectively.

[Barbarossa03]

10:46 PM on 05/20/2008

It's funny that you think that Corker does it out of civility (in the midst of a party that has none), but then when you really think about it's actually because that these malicious and cowardly tactics have not been bearing the fruit like the Republicans had been having in the past.

[Nolewoman]

11:08 PM on 05/20/2008

You have it exactly right. It is not out of decency that they are pulling back, but because it is not working for them in this point in time. Do not be deceived, they are not fair minded people.

[OnceProudAmerican]

11:09 PM on 05/20/2008

"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" Wise advice.
The Republicans are in 'Damage Control Mode' and will say or do anything to get up on anyone who gets in thier way.

[CubanPete]

09:38 PM on 05/20/2008

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH AND FACTCHECK - Free Concert by Popular Band Preceded Obama’s Big Rally
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/robert-knight/2008/05/20/free-concert-popular-band-preceded-obama-s-big-rally

[matomom]

09:52 PM on 05/20/2008

And I guess everyone was surrounded and locked in so they could not leave after the concert....that's why they all stayed??

[Nolewoman]

11:17 PM on 05/20/2008

As your evil leader would say, so? Who drew the crowd for whom?

[rsg5354]

09:10 PM on 05/20/2008

Thank You Sen. Corker for being a fair individual.

[marykins123]

09:01 PM on 05/20/2008

Senator Corker, as an Independent voter in your state.....thank you for coming out on negative ads!!! I called the TN GOP, but did not feel I was a call that they wanted to record. You, Senator, have given me hope.....I was so disenchantened by the TN GOP I wouldn't give them a second look. Thank you!!

[strandwolf]

08:17 PM on 05/20/2008

The Bob Pope dude is a fat fack of fit.

[dawn2dusk]

08:19 PM on 05/20/2008

that is sooo stupid, I am soooo LOL! ha

[bison2]

07:57 PM on 05/20/2008

A white male has called for the ad to be nixed were are the feminist?

[pupbayer]

08:20 PM on 05/20/2008

Please see my explanation and definition of feminism below.

[bison2]

07:47 PM on 05/20/2008

The ad places Michelle juxtaposition of white middle age blue collar workers is a high tech lynching of a Michelle and what are we going to about it? I am appalled by the lack of feminist outrage! I have learned that the Republican candidate in TN called for the ad to be nixed. Heretofore, African American women could not even dream of becoming First Lady. Our nation's history did not define them as women. The Obama campaign has broaden dreams for black and minority women in traditionally female roles. Michelle is fighting to be were Hillary has already been. Where is Hillary’s outrage? Hillary has walked in Michelle's shoes as a wife of a candidate? Both of them are sisters in the struggle! Defending Michelle as a woman, as a wife of a candidate, takes nothing away from her as a presidential candidate. Instead, it would show Hillary’s solidarity with women and her magnanimous side.

The ad gives cover for white men to go after black women. The subliminal message is that this is equivalent to the high-tech lynching party that O’Reilly spoke about on his show. The legacy of lynch terror and its ramifications lingers in the in the Americans experience. It portrays white men gaining up on a black woman– a lynch mob, harassment, violence, intimidation against a woman. I’m concern about the deafening silence I’m hearing from my feminist sisters in the struggle. This ad is misogynist and racist.

[pupbayer]

07:58 PM on 05/20/2008

A "high tech lynching?" Oh, puhleeeeeze. You have no idea what you are talking about.

As far as why feminists haven't cried out...feminism is about being treated equally. Do you think if Bill Clinton had said the things Michelle Obama said he wouldn't have been verbally attacked? Any man would have been. So, there is no outcry. Equal...that is what it is about...not treating women with kid gloves.

I didn't even read the rest of this nonsense message. I have my limits with unfounded sensationalistic reactions and ignorance of what feminism is. If you don't understand it, don't talk about it.

[dawn2dusk]

07:59 PM on 05/20/2008

ditto






signed AA woman

[XME]

08:46 PM on 05/20/2008

I agree with you that feminism is about being treated equally. While I have seen some questionable comments during the Democratic primaries regarding Clinton, I have been diheartened by the women who've somehow opted to place the blame on Obama and to punish the entire country by voting for McCain if Clinton isn't given the nomination.

Sadly, both democratic candidates have had to put up with inappropriate comments regarding race or gender, and if either camp blames the other candidate for things various people have said (not the candidates) we all lose. And as you said, feminism is about being treated equally, and to do that we cannot complain and play victim constantly claiming sexism when we get into the ring with the "boys" and we get punched. Politics is dirty and unfair and playing the victim card only hurts our credibility (as does threatening to vote for the "enemy" if we don't get our way). Any comment can be twisted to be taken as sexist or racist, and we need to take that charge very seriously before making accusations or they become meaningless.

[dawn2dusk]

07:58 PM on 05/20/2008

I wasn't aware that AA women were recognized by the Feminist movement. History would not support that assumption, me thinks.

[PhDiva]

07:24 PM on 05/20/2008

I think this is an honorable response from the senator. I actually think that ultimately attacking the wife of a candidate will backfire.

[blueshield]

07:08 PM on 05/20/2008

Given the Senator's track record, this smells like a 'leave the sheets at home" ploy. Instead of the old 'compassionate conservative' , the new GOP is 'colorblind conservative'.

[BethStuart]

07:02 PM on 05/20/2008

I'm skeptical that the Tennessee Republican organization will pull their ads attacking Michelle Obama. I'm suspicious that Corker is trying to have his cake and eat it too by asking the ads be pulled and then standing by while the ads run anyway. We already have an example of this ploy in North Carolina where McCain supposedly asked the state GOP not to run an attack ad which the state GOP went ahead and ran anyway.

The Tennessee GOP is well-known for its race baiting. Most people remember all too well the ad in 2006 featuring a blond woman inviting Harold Ford, an African-American candidate to call her. Nothing subtle about that.

[jdenham]

06:30 PM on 05/20/2008

Senator Cocker one of the 3 top politician in the State of Tennesee cant get the Tennesee GOP to stop the ad. It appears he is not all that influential in his own State Party. Makes me wonder if he is leader or just a follower. I would bet if a Democratic Senator told the State party to stop running an ad they would. I guess we can wait and see if Corker has any Power.

[pacats]

06:18 PM on 05/20/2008

The GOP continues to focus on demonization of people as a substitute to address the issues of the people. One of the people in the ad, Bob Pope is a former strip club invester. The tngop is okay with this. So much for respect for woman. They try to pretend they are the party of family values, but they fail.
www.armchairsubversive.org" They represent the worst of what American has to offer.