No WhiteWash!

Nathan Vaughn has file ethics complaints against two top republicans and also has filed a criminal complaint.  Read more on Nathan Vaughn

Apparently, Tennessee Rep. Nathan Vaughn liberal voting has caught the attention of a liberal blog named Abomination.TN420.org,…………they are giving an endorsement.

TN420.org Election Endorsements ’08

Well, this will be brief and easy….

After careful consideration of the subject matter at hand, we have come to the following conclusions…

President of the United States:

Since Dennis Kucinich gave his blessing, and in the interests of America and her people, TN420.org gladly endorses Barack Hussein Obama, Democrat, for President of the United States of America.

United States Senate:

All at TN420 proudly endorse our friend and blogging comrade, Chris Lugo, of the Green Party, for United States Senate.

United States House of Representatives:

TN420 hereby endorses Rob Russell, Democrat, for TN-1 Congressional Representative.

Tennessee State Representative:

TN420 is pleased to endorse Nathan Vaughan, Democrat, for Tennessee House.

As for the rest, we wholeheartedly endorse Democratic candidates for all challenged positions within the state.

That means Mumpower, Godsey, Lundberger, and the rest of those Right-Wing idiots can kiss our asses.

There are a great number of organizations that help voters understand the issues and where candidates stand on them.  Family Action Council of Tennessee deals with many issues that deal with families.  Some of the issues are as follows:

They have a neat web site and I would encourage you to visit.  They keep up with the bills in the Tennessee Senate and House that affect the above areas.

They also have a survey for candidates that are running for office to indicate whether or not they support or oppose an issue.  There are 13 questions in the survey and they are below.

Also, you can go to the “Voter’s Guide – Tennessee House & Senate”.  If you do not see the information for the candidate you are looking  for, then try the link above for “Your District Only”.

Do you support or oppose:

1. Abstinence Education: Allowing local school systems to use “abstinence only” curriculum in connection with sex education classes?
2. Parental Rights: Prohibiting public school based mental examinations from being performed on students without express written consent from parents?
3. “Voluntary” PreK: Keeping enrollment in and attendance of pre-kindergarten classes voluntary?
4. Abortion – Amendment: Amending the state constitution relative to abortion to include the language found in SJR 127 as adopted by the Tennessee Senate in the 105th General Assembly?
5. Abortion – Full Vote: Voting to bring to the floor for a vote by the membership of the body to which you are elected a resolution to amend the state constitution to make it silent on the issue of abortion if the resolution becomes stalled in any subcommittee or committee of that body?
6. RU-486 Restrictions: Requiring doctors who prescribe the abortifacient RU-486 either to follow the Food and Drug Administration’s protocol for use of the drug or to inform the woman in writing that they are not following the protocol?
7. Adult Business Regs.: Regulating sexually-oriented businesses to the fullest extent allowed by law?
8. Limit Obscene TV Ads: Prohibiting television stations and cable television companies from advertising or promoting the sale of materials that are obscene for minors during the hours from 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.?
9. Religious Freedom: Enacting a state law patterned after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act relative to state action and state law?
10. Civil Unions: Giving legal recognition to “civil unions” or “domestic partnerships” between people of the same sex?
11. Domestic Partner Benefits: Requiring, as a condition of providing goods and services to state or local government, that employers provide “domestic partner” benefits to unmarried heterosexual couples or to homosexual couples.
12. Sexual Orientation Rights: Including sexual orientation or preference under Tennessee’s equivalent of the federal civil rights laws?
13. Elected Judges: Open and contested elections for judges on the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals such as were held before the current process of Gubernatorial appointment followed by unopposed retention elections?

Below is information from many media sources concerning Tennessee Rep. Nathan Vaughn’s filing of paperwork for Community Enhancement Grants in a timely matter.

Bristol Herald Courier

A Kingsport, Tenn., legislator’s not meeting a filing deadline could cost his constituents $100,000

BRISTOL, Tenn. – A Kingsport state legislator missed a deadline that could cost his constituents $100,000 in grant money.

State Rep. Nathan Vaughn, a Democrat, concedes he missed the deadline to deliver applications on behalf of several Sullivan County organizations for Community Enhancement Grant money.  Read more on Legislator not meeting a filing deadline

Kingsport Times-News

The Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) is taking state Rep. Nathan Vaughn to task for missing a deadline to file requests for state grant funds — a charge that Vaughn labels a smear tactic.   More on  Vaughn, Tennessee GOP tangle over grants

BillHobbs.com

More blame-shifting and excuse-making from Tennessee state Rep. Nathan Vaughn, D-Kingsport, in the Kingsport Times-News, trying to defuse the criticism over his failure to help local community organizations get their share of the state’s Community Enhancement Grants money.

In today’s Times-News article, Vaughn tries to shift the discussion, calling Republicans hypocritical because they voted against the CEG program in the first place:  More on Nathan Vaughn Whinery

Tennessee Republican Party

The Tennessee Republican Party today calls on state Rep. Nathan Vaughn, D-Kingsport, to stop blaming others for his failure to secure $100,000 in Community Enhancement Grant funding for the 2nd House District.

Vaughn missed the submission deadline for applications toward $100,000 in Community Enhancement Grants (CEG) for Sullivan County that were made available via legislation passed in the last session of the state legislature. In response to media coverage of his failure to secure the CEG funds for his district, Rep. Vaughn has lashed out at Republicans, accusing them of hypocrisy, of using smear tactics, of partisanship, of trying to discredit him, and of piling on for political reasons.

Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE – The city of Knoxville served as a conduit for state Rep. Nathan Vaughn in sending state grant money to charities in the Kingsport area, a move that is being criticized by some Republicans.

“Nathan Vaughn has used the city of Knoxville to help launder Community Enhancement Grant money,” House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower said last week. “It looks like our Democrat secretary of state and other Democrat officials helped cover Nathan’s hide after he fouled up royally.”  Read more on Grant issuance criticized

I decided to do some fact checking concerning Nathan Vaughn’s assertion that he voted against providing health insurance for convicted lawmakers.

It appears that Nathan Vaughn would like for everyone to think that he voted against this bill (HB2568).  The bill was voted on in the “Calendar & Rules Committee” of which Nathan Vaughn is the Secretary.  The committee voted to refer it to the Judiciary Committee which was closed for the session, thus effectively killed the bill.  A voice vote was requested to be recorded and Nathan Vaughn did not have a recorded “N0” vote against sending the bill to the Judiciary Committee.  In fact, he did not vote a yes or no, he just sat there on videotape and said nothing.

The video below will show Nathan Vaughn’s concerns that he had in providing insurance coverage for convicted state lawmakers.  I am not surprised, because Nathan is in the insurance business.

It appears that Nathan Vaughn would like for the citizens to think that he was against this bill, but his actions in Nashville prove otherwise.

HB2568 by Curtiss

CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE:
Recommended for passage – refer to: Judiciary Committee

4/29/2008

Voice Vote – Ayes Prevail

Rep.(s) Casada, Curtiss, McDaniel, Mumpower, Overbey requested to be recorded as voting No

Click on the two links below for more information on this issue

Vaughn Voice Vote In Dispute

Naifeh backs killing of bill revoking benefits