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TN-09: Ooops, One More Dive Into the Dumpster

by: Crisitunity

Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 4:28 PM EDT

Yesterday I discussed the ad from Nikki Tinker, the challenger in the TN-09 primary on Thursday, which made a visual linkage between Steve Cohen and a KKK rally. I assumed this was the Tinker campaign's closing argument, ending the campaign on the most distasteful note possible.

Well, I was wrong. They've released another ad. In a race that's been about gender and race, they're back where they started: religion.

CHILD'S VOICE: "Now I lay me down to sleep..." ANNCR: "Who is the real Steve Cohen anyway?" CHILD'S VOICE: "I pray the Lord my soul to keep..." ANNCR: "While he's in our churches, clapping his hands and tapping his feet..." CHILD'S VOICE: "If I should die before I wake..." ANNCR: "He is the only senator who thought our kids shouldn't be allowed to pray in school." CHILD'S VOICE: I pray the Lord my soul to take. ANNCR: "Congressman, sometimes apologies just aren't enough." TINKER: "I'm Nikki Tinker, and I approve this message."

Note the narrator's remarkably ham-fisted emphasis on "our" churches. (Cohen is Jewish.) Nice anti-Semitic dog-whistle... although it seems the Tinker campaign accidentally grabbed the bullhorn instead of the dog-whistle on the way out the door.

Crisitunity :: TN-09: Ooops, One More Dive Into the Dumpster

Tags: TN-09, Steve Cohen, Nikki Tinker, (All Tags)

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TN-09: Ooops, One More Dive Into the Dumpster | 30 comments

Wow

is anybody else picking up on her horrendous racist//anti-semetic hate spewing? I hope she is never elected to public office in her life, let alone Congress.

"[Rush Limbaugh] is a sorry excuse for a human being and a has-been hypocrite loser who was more lucid when he was a drug addict." Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL)

by: Menhen @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:30:20 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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How can the CBC look at themselves in the mirror?

How can they morally and, in the case of Maxine Waters, financially support someone like this? Identity politics is old as time itself, but there was to be a line.

by: RandySF @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:33:24 PM CDT

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I can only hope ..

Cohen crushes her .. and isn't it funny .. this is the only primary race .. where DC elites weigh in on the side of the challenger .. when was the last time that happened?

by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:39:34 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Ya, even GA-12 they backed Barrow over an AA candidate

Despite Barrow's horrendous voting record. Just bizarre.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:42:37 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Or EMILY's List

Their credibility is mangled. I mean, they didn't intervene on Cynthia McKinney's behalf in 2006, despite the fact that she has a uterus and Hank Johnson doesn't. And over the last week Tinker has been making McKinney look like the paragon of grace and subtlety.

by: Crisitunity @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:07:14 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Bottom of the barrel

Even Karl Rove would consider that add too sleezy.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:33:36 PM CDT

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Attention Nikki Tinker

I'm Glenn Magus Harvey, and I DISAPPROVE of your message.

You take back that trash rhetoric NOW, or I threaten to anti-endorse you in all of your future political aspirations.

And I though Republicans were the only bigots going around...how ironic this is coming from a female minority candidate.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:51:02 PM CDT

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Alternate title suggestion

"TN-09: Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back Into the Dumpster..."

by: James L. @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 15:56:27 PM CDT

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Oh brother...

Nikki Tinker is really trying to see just how low she can go, isn't she? Jesus Christ this is disgusting.

Your go-to source for great sarcasm

by: DGM @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:10:51 PM CDT

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I just looked at her webiste

She even has Morgan Freeman's endorsement.

by: RandySF @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:14:19 PM CDT

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Morgan Freeman was in a serious auto accident yesterday

Odd timing.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:15:44 PM CDT

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hope he's all right

maybe he should look at her ads and reconsider his endorsement though.

So let me get this straight, a democrat, in an overwhelmingly democratic district, is criticizing another democrat for upholding the constitutional right not to forced to pray in a place of education? She's really selling her soul to the Religous elements of the black area. She'll probably win too, these areas control most of the black vote because there congregants make sure to vote. To read a good book about the influence of the church on the black community, try James Baldwin's fictional book, (I believe his name was), book, "Go Tell it on the Mountain". Hopefully not, these ads sicken me, as do is it sicken me that she supports sacrificing my confort so a few people can pray at school. There is no need to force this on us, people can still pray, they have that right, just as long as they are not disruptive. There is no right to force that time of silence on people. There's no place for it in a place of education. I say this not as an atheist, but as a church-attending Christian Skeptic. Mrs. Tinker, you are not representing Christianity well, and I see through your sleazy use of Religion for personal gain, the worst possible offense. Politics has no place for the likes of this.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:20:34 PM CDT

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I'd imagine Cohen is saavy too

Considering he's served the better part of his career representing heavily black areas I would assume he's good at communicating well with black voters, probably even speaking in their churches.

I've lived my entire life in the south and most of the elderly black folks I know have a lot of respect for white Jews due to their instrumental part is supporting civil rights in the 60's. Maybe the Jew bashing will work somewhat with younger blacks, but it's not likely to when it comes to the older ones.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:31:26 PM CDT

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This is the kind of shit..

that Republicans can try and use to turn Jewish voters away from Obama. But somehow I don't think Tinker worried about anyone but herself.

by: RandySF @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:24:01 PM CDT

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IS THE ONLY SENATOR???

I wonder if Ms. Tinker's campaign is aware that Rep. Cohen is no longer a state senator...

by: jeisrael @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 16:30:09 PM CDT

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I said it before and I'll say it again

I really understand how Tinker probably feels that it is kind crap having a 60% black district and it being represented by someone who is white. As a minority (gay totally counts), I can see how she'd be annoyed by this (once the white man gives you something, they come and take it away type of feelings I'm sure) but you dont run a campaign on racism and anti-semitism. Absolutely disgusting.

Furthermore, I think him trying to join the CBC is indicative of him being a huge supporter and a great ally to the black community of Memphis. He is a solid progressive voting how they want and if he makes it through this primary, the district should just stop bothering him and realize, they have a white guy as their Congressman who is doing a damn good job.

by: Andrew @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 17:22:06 PM CDT

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then I guess

we whites better get rid of Sanford Bishop and Emmanuel Cleaver who both Represent 55% + white districts. They're not white, so, hey, they have no business representing a white district. I like that logic.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:22:10 PM CDT

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So let's help Cohen

I sent a message to Tinker through her web site telling her that her commercial was bigoted and disgusting, and that she had moved me to donate to Cohen. Then I donated to Cohen. http://www.actblue.com/contrib...

by: ericf @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 17:49:53 PM CDT

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Looks like Cohen had a meltdown of his own

Politico

The freshman lawmaker, facing a racially tinged primary battle Thursday, was hit earlier today by an ad that questions his religious convictions. And Wednesday afternoon, he literally hit an Armenian-American photographer who had been trailing him.
In a must-see video provided by WHBQ-TV, Cohen is seen getting up and confronting the cameraman and shoving him out of his house.
"Nikki Tinker is supported by the Armenians, and these are her Armenian photographers who have been harassing me last night and continue to harrass me," Cohen told the group of reporters before the confrontation. "And they should be out of here. They have gotten in my face, and I don't want these people in my house."

by: RandySF @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:11:51 PM CDT

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I'd probably

lose it too if nobody would give any peace. Still, this doesn't helphim soclsoeto theelection. I really hope he wins, he is one of the best congressmen in the House, and was long one of the best State Senators. The Ford's are behind this, I'm sure, as Tinker was the pawn of the Ford political machine last time around.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:24:08 PM CDT

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Exactly

That's the other part of the story that's not talked about much nationally, but I'm sure very well understood in Memphis. Harold, Jr. seems to be the only member of the extended political family that hasn't been indicted or convicted of something, and they seem to think that the Memphis seat in Congress is their natural right.

by: IndianaProgressive @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:39:22 PM CDT

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Guess he's lost the Armenian vote

Luckily there are only 139 of them in TN-09.

by: Crisitunity @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 21:39:25 PM CDT

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At least this part is good to see

(From the same Politico link)

UPDATE: EMILY's List president Ellen Malcolm issued a statement Wednesday evening condemning Tinker's most recent ad. The group, which endorses Democratic women who favor abortion rights, has been Tinker's most prominent backer.
"We were shocked to see the recent ads run by the Nikki Tinker for Congress campaign. We believe the ads are offensive and divisive," said Malcolm. "EMILY's List does not condone or support these types of attacks."

by: Crisitunity @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 21:43:22 PM CDT

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You might need a new story.

On the DailyKos diary about this, the local Fox channel is reporting that assault charges have been filed against Cohen.

Also, that Armenian dude he pushed out of his home? He's a former GOP staff member. Oh, and he's a Trojan too, which just doubles the putridness in my book. But that's just me.

by: BruinKid @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 21:48:45 PM CDT

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Emuily's List Funding Antisemitic Campaign

Tell Emily's List that being pro-choice doesn't excuse anti-Semitismm -- or any other anti-. Emily's List knew BEFORE it endorsed Tinker what was going on and moneyu from Emily's List helped to fund this garbage. Log onto http://www.emilyslist.org/ an e-mail your disgust.

by: carl160 @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 18:46:25 PM CDT

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Aaaaaaaaand she just got Olbermann's Worst Person award for this.

by: Xochi @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 19:50:22 PM CDT

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That takes hard work

It takes hard work for a Democrat to make Olbermann's worst person list. Very hard work.

by: ChadInFL @ Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 20:29:48 PM CDT