Coyotes can be wiley
David Oatney says folks in White Pine want a more open season on coyotes.
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Was Jesus intolerant?
The conversation continues regarding my own comments on Knox County schools allowing the Franklin Graham Festival organizers access to students during school hours.
Today, David Oatney weighs in:
As a Catholic, it is a fair assessment to say that Franklin Graham and I wouldn’t see eye-to-eye theologically, but when Graham said that abortion is a murder and [...]
Read More..>>An Esco Jarnigan witchhunt?
WBIR blogger David Oatney has some thoughts on recent developments with the sheriff in Hamblen County:
Hamblen County Sheriff Esco Jarnigan is one of the best Sheriffs in this State-at least in my opinion. We’ve only met a couple of times, but Sheriff Esco strikes me as a man who is seriously committed to his job [...]
Read More..>>New hyper-local newspapers across East Tennessee?
David Oatney says he’s heard some talk:
An interesting rumor that I have heard in recent weeks is that a consortium of people may be readying themselves to start a number of small “Today” newspapers in small towns and communities across East Tennessee. One of these papers may be called White Pine Today, I’ve been told.
[...]
Read More..>>Some new WBIR bloggers
The response to my call for folks interested in blogging at our soon-to-be-launched, completely redesigned WBIR.com has been huge. I’m still trying to wade through dozens and dozens of e-mails from great people who’ve expressed an interest in becoming one of the featured bloggers for the new site. So for those of you who have [...]
Read More..>>UPDATED: (Grand)parents’ rights?
I was lucky enough to have (and still have) a really great relationship with my grandparents, who basically helped raise me. And my four children, too, have very involved, loving grandparents who play huge roles in their daily lives. I am a big fan of grandparents.
But as a parent myself, I believe the decision as [...]
Obama on the (charm) offensive
David Oatney says he is impressed with Obama’s Pennsylvania strategy:
Everyone knows that he stands as a long-shot in Pennsylvania, but with 23 days to go there until the Primary, he doesn’t need to win to make it impossible for Hillary Clinton, he only needs to race her close. Even a 15-point spread would keep Obama [...]
Read More..>>GOP demands loyalty
David Oatney:
… if you’ve ever become involved as a conservative activist with Republican politics in any way, shape, fashion, or form, you know that the one thing that the GOP asks of its conservative adherants is loyalty. There is a good reason for this-with rare exceptions, the Democrats fail to offer much in the way [...]
Legislating (dis)respect
David Oatney was visiting on the state senate floor this week when John Wilder announced his resignation, and he was none too happy with his own senator’s sartorial selections:
Having been on the House floor a couple of times, I know that the rules of the House are rather lenient on dress but do require that [...]
Read More..>>Bill Hobbs was wrong
A week or two ago, TNGOP spokesman Bill Hobbs offered his rather anecdotal assessment of the economy:
Take a look around you. Most people have not lost their homes or their jobs. Most businesses are still open, still doing business. Yes, there are problems - high fuel prices, rising food costs, a housing sector that’s taken [...]
Read More..>>Note to Dems: don’t get too excited about big turnouts
David Oatney says the Democrats should look at history before getting too worked up about voter interest this primary season:
Democrats do have reasons to be enthusiastic about their primary and caucus turnout numbers this election cycle. However, they should keep one thing in mind about history-there were similar large turnout numbers in Democratic primaries nationally [...]
Does the News Sentinel not-so-secretly want metro government?
David Oatney thinks so.
The constant comparison between Knoxville City government and Knox County government in the editorial pages of the News-Sentinel is a testament to what the KNS is really trying to accomplish-a metropolitan government in Knox County and the end of county autonomy there.
Metro government is what the News-Sentinel’s real editorial agenda is all [...]
McCain having a negative impact on congressional fundraising?
David Oatney thinks so:
Watching Minority Leader John Boehner implore his House colleagues to get off their “dead asses” and help raise money for the struggling National Republican Congressional Committee is a helpful reminder of the importance of morale in determining the balance of power in Congress.
And the Republican leader wasn’t the only lawmaker berating [...]
East Tennessee Republicans salute their own
David Oatney blogs a full report from the Jefferson County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner:
One of my Jefferson County Commissioners, Nina Snodgrass, was honored as Jefferson County Republican Woman of the Year. It is a well-deserved recognition for all of the time that Ms. Nina devotes to the community and the GOP, but she really is [...]
Read More..>>Hillary adjusting her expectations?
David Oatney thinks maybe:
Hillary was so congenial to Barack Obama at certain points in the debate that it was enough to make some observers wonder if she is beginning the process of ceding the nomination to Obama. If the Clinton camp does believe that their quest may be nearing its end, is the sudden effort [...]
Ragsdale’s receipts
Interested parties are awaiting the release of the Knox County audit, which will apparently happen relatively soon. In the meantime, blogger David Oatney is unhappy with some of Mayor Ragsdale’s spending that’s already been made public:
Here we see the expense report for a trip that Mayor Ragsdale took to Nashville on August 21, 2007. In [...]
Read More..>>It should have been Wolfenbarger
So opines David Oatney:
A few of my Knox County readers might remember that I once aspired to a County Commission seat in the Second District.
While I am not in a position to serve in that capacity, I did have a favorite candidate in the special appointment process for the B seat in the Second-Bob Wolfenbarger. [...]
An East Tennessee conservative blogger on influence
David Oatney:
Limbaugh’s listeners will do what they think is best in the voting booth, but that doesn’t mean that Limbaugh’s words have no impact-to deny this would be like me saying that my words in the blogosphere have had no impact in East Tennessee. I enjoy writing and I want to have readers-and I know [...]
Read More..>>What’s Hillary’s comfort level?
David Oatney says her next wins have to be by notable margins:
She can’t just win, but must win “comfortably.” If she’s out after performing uncomfortably, what would qualify as an “uncomfortable” win for her?
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Un-Christian thoughts about Hillary
About the weekend caucus victories for Obama, David Oatney says:
A few more nights like last night for Barack Obama and Hillary might as well get out of this before her political capital is entirely spent. I would also prefer she get out of the race before I start having un-Christian levels of enjoyment watching her [...]
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