It is a shame that you are shown the truth in the world of politics and common decency but lack the power of understanding for what you see. I don't condone lying, cheating, and misrepresentions in politics as you insist I must do. I also quit complaining about the results and will again vote for the candidate of my choice next time.

Él servirá solamente un término, man.

Oliver, you are absolutely correct. The Shipley folks LIKE the hate-speech, the bigotry, and the baseless claims. Its really just a lost cause to make any statements to the contrary.

Well, I mean we could probably find some cute insult to throw your way Val, but after reading your history here, I can't figure out what your point actually is. RF has it spot-on, and unless you were standing down there yourself, what are ya even talking about?

Ah, RF! These fine upstanding commenters here are just positive all this stuff you claim about the man is GOOD - not bad! He MUST be one of them, if that's how he feels. Bully. Plunder. Lie. Cheat. Steal. But profess your love and worship of Jesus and God and you're okay. 'Member how the former "president" did it? He was a godly man. He named Jesus as his mentor. He smirked when he said it and snickered, but they were sure he meant it. This local man is just another of those godly men. You can spot 'em a mile away. They are especially easy to spot because of the crowds who support them. Bless their hearts. They don't know any better.

The more you write RF the better the shoe fits------- your foot.

Shipley is a fool. He only gives a crap about one small group of voters in this area; the Bible toting bigoted hypocrites. His group of stumpers standing outside the voting places were disgusting in their constant onslaught against anyone wearing a button or sporting a Obama bumper sticker. As I said in an earlier post, one insane woman (I refuse to call her a lady) called me a "baby killer" and "communist" while Shipley was standing there. God help you if you were there as a supporter for a democratic candidate the barrage went on off and on all day. So don't tell me the man is not a fool. Anyone who would surround himself with idiots such as those is defiantly a fool.

That story is infuriating on two levels. One is Shipley talking about greased pigs. Goodness....way to make us look backwards. Second, since I am a Republican, it really bothers me that they attribute our area's conservatism to being (paraphrasing) poor, uneducated, and religious. As if we are somehow left behind while the rest of the nation is somehow progressing. That drives me up the wall. The reporter completely missed the context of Mumpower's quixotic quest for the Speaker's seat which, I would gather, is a more important factor then race....especially since Vaughn had won two terms previously.

Go to NPR site and search under
Lessons From Tenn., A Southern GOP Stronghold
and you will find it.

Do you have a link to the NPR story Jeff?

WOW I didn’t even post and my name is brought up. LMAO

1. Ok let me start by saying that I have copies of both web sites and if you want to have a battle of wits with me you will be unarmed.

2. I do not hide behind Domains by Proxy like Mr. Gilmer did and BTW D.B.P is a Republican owned business.

3. I don’t hide my identity like most republicans do when they post on comment section in the newspaper. You will always see my name because I am proud to be a democrat.

4. Dear Jerry I am not just the web boy for Nathan Vaughn, Wait till next election you will see what I mean.

Democrats do not use fear to win election we use hope. Tony the greased pig Shipley (as was his quote on NPR radio should voice everything that he feels because it will just give us more sour grapes to use during the next election cycle. Just remember this folks Tennessee is always behind the Nation in change and that rumbling you are hearing in the distance is a storm of reckoning that’s coming and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Lets start with Shipley stating he's ready to repeat "...what we did in 1860." Mr. Shipley is a very proud and vocal bigot, but hey, half the people on these boards would support him simply for that fact. One term, "Chesny", you watch.

Such judgment! "one eye closed and half of your mind working." "Lost all sense of reality." Because I comment on a story about a man who deliberately stole a man's name and good reputation and sullied it - and I think that's wrong and you think that's right? And you think I am the one who has lost all sense of reality????? Eyes wide open. Most of my mind working most of the time. Reality is a constant in my life, even when I'd like to escape reality and live in Utopia. If you disagree with me, that's acceptable. You have no right to say insulting things about me personally. Just state your disagreement and get it over with. Insulting me personally does nothing for your side. But it IS typical.

You walk through life with one eye closed and half of your mind working. I won't go into all of the election fiascos created by both parties but if you pretend it is a republican or democrate problem you have lost all sense of reality.

Well, you missed by a mile, but that's okay. No. Actually, from all I've read here, it's okay to commit a crime against a Dem. But not a publican. After all, look what they've done to Mr. Williams. He's been demonized and ostracized and treated as though he's a traitor and a villain - all because he voted for himself instead of voting for the publicans' choice. The stealing of the Nathan Vaughn web site names is not a good thing. See, if someone had been looking for some info about Vaughn and they googled Nathan Vaughn, they'd have found those two domains with all kinds of incorrect information about Vaughn. And that's okay by you? And saying Vaughn IS a union sympathizer, as though that's some kind of low-life crime? THAT is very telling. Unions support the real WORKERS in this country - not the elite - not the rich - not the haves. Unions help get fair treatment and fair pay for those who actually work for a living. Unions helped stop the 14-hour, seven days a week work schedule of the past. Unions helped stop child labor. Unions helped get vacations and other humane treatment for WORKERS - those people who made this country what it used to be - before Reagan started the union busting. And now look at what we have. Nothing. Thanks to the Reagan, Bush Daddy, and Bush Jr. administrations, we are now a joke around the world. We have sold our collective soul to the devil, and to heck with the working man and woman. But if that's what you like, more power to you. Seems the rest of the country has seen the light. Only a few die-hard states (in the bible belt) stick to their guns and keep putting publicans in office, criminals welcome! Let's call everyone we don't like "liberals," and when that stops working, let's call them "socialists." Whatever it takes. Let's lie and cheat and steal and if the election works to your advantage, you're happy. Sheesh!

If you mean us by saying y'all you are sadly mistaken about our character. We look everyone in the eye not crawl to the feet. Every election has merit and every election has a winner. Those winners must be accountable regardless of party affiliation. Go ahead and be in misery everytime you have perceived that you have lost in the Great American Right to Vote. You actually win everytime you cast a vote reguardless of the outcome.

Just curious - how do all y'all people - who are bowing to the hallowed feet of Shipley - feel about the Coleman-Franken election debacle? Y'all think Coleman is righteous and good and all that is American and Franken is not. Right? Yeah. That's what I thought! 'Scuse me, but your true colors are shining through.

If you lose an election it has to be someone
else’s fault or could it be that one candidate
received more votes and voters wanted a change.
Blaming others for losing an election is irresponsible
and begs for a billion dollar injection of funds to
help those that refuse to be.
Holding elected officials accountable with our
votes is still working despite the antics of politicians
and their “winning ways”. Still shaking my head at
the honorable things that were done this past
election cycle. Didn’t like the outcome of all of contests
but feel confident that the actual voters will always do
the right thing for those who earn the right to represent.

I challenge Eric Taylor, Jeff Adams (did he change his name or something since I called him out on being Nathan's web boy?) or Momma Mia to respond to Mr. Daugherty. He took up my earlier challenge to contact Rep. Shipley and look what happened. I'd be more than willing to bet there are only a handful of us on here that have talked to both men at length. The rest of you are flying blind. Looks like Sid can't even say that, though, since Nathan wouldn't even return his calls. I guess that explains why he only had 15 out of session days last year in the office -- he simply wasn't doing the job. Maybe that's why he got beat?

If the shoe was on the other foot the Democrats would have nothing to say about it.But That is how they are.I do know that when Vaughn was in office you could never get in contact with him or anyone in his office or to do anything for you.I personally know this because he never returned a single call . I called his office 5 times in one week and just got a recording.
When the time came that I needed to get in contact with Tony ,He called me back the same day. I also had a problem with getting records and test results for my 13 year old son from his dr. Tony took action immediately and introduced this bill (H.B 1762 and S.B 2089) that would Require the Dr's to give parents the results of the test to the parents without having to ask for the child's permission. He is fighting to protect the rights of all parents . I have Had the Honor to Meet Tony and talk with him through the weeks as this bill has went forward.You will not find a better man or a more God Fearing Man than He is .Another thing about Tony that many don't know is that he is a war Vet.And liberals hate that,He is a recipient of the Bronze Star He was wounded in Battle and refused the Purple Heart because he said that there were many wounded a lot worse than He was. If anyone out there who reads this can say the same about Vaughn let me know cause I believe that vaughn will do anything and everthing to get Tony's seat. even If that means Lie steal or cheat. (Vaughn is though, a Liberal)

Let's see...Nathan lost (get over it!) and not enough people visited Gilmer's deceptive web site to make a difference in the election. In the eyes of many here, that seems to be enough to exonerate Gilmer of any wrongdoing. Nothing to see here...move along. Gilmer's mission was accomplished: Nathan was defeated. Why should he be the least bit remorseful? These web sites were insurance for Shipley in case his (and his supporters') traditional campaign efforts fell short & the public support started leaning towards Nathan. The suggestion that the sites didn't (or wouldn't) draw enough visitors to affect the election didn't seem to be a concern with Gilmer, for if it was then he wouldn't have wasted the effort. These "truths" about Nathan could just as easily been posted on Shipley's web site, and likely were. But it wasn't enough to do that, was it? And no, Mr. Jackson, creating faux usernames here in the comments section is not the same thing. Now, if I created the username "Dennis Phillips" and then tried to convince everyone that I was the mayor of Kingsport with the content of my posts, then you'd have a point. Finally, Mr. Provost, I wasn't aware that Hank Hayes had such editorial control over what does, and does not, get published in the Times-News. Apparently the Associated Press has it out for ol' Gilmer too, for they have picked up the story as well (which I found on the Tennessean's web site).

I'm sorry, Mr. Morrison, but how exactly should one interpret your statement that "I just wonder how many won fair and square, not too many I would think." How should I have read that, other than an endorsement of Mr. Gilmer's tactics?

Now now now, just how did you come up with all of that babble. I read my comment and it was fairly simple to understand and you have managed to twist into a profound far-reaching document with an entirely self-serving purpose. Sounds political to me. A little easier: one half of the candidates lose in contested elections and elections are not always honorable. Hope this helps richard.

That is wonderful logic Dr. Holiday. You are basically arguing that, since the election system is corrupt in other places, it matters not that this guy pleaded no contest to setting up a fraudulent election site. I refuse to think that the "cost of doing business" in American politics these days is this anything goes mentality where lying, cheating, and committing criminal offenses is ok. I never heard any charges of election fraud when Vaughn won his seat, during his re-election campaign, or, quite frankly, during any other 2nd district contest. Call it "whining" if you like, but if this is the ethical standard of a candidate before he is even in office, I shudder to think how he will behave in office. Apparently, though, if I don't call his office or have a cup of coffee with him I have no room to talk.

Well, Mr. Cole, by your performances here leading up to the election...let me help get that foot outta there.

More cheese with your whine richard? He lost just as McCain lost, half of all the candidates lost, it's crazy how that works in America isn't it? I just wonder how many won fair and square, not too many I would think.

The GOP mischaracterized his voting record. Calling Nathan Vaughn a liberal while conveniently leaving out his pro-life stance is one example of how his record was spun. Nathan Vaughn has a much more conservative record than Pelosi or Obama, yet he was tied to them consistently. It is one thing to list every vote Vaughn made without comment. It is another to cherry-pick a number of votes and use them to tie Vaughn to an ideology he didn't uphold.

It's not illegal to provide public information about a candidate's voting record. It was properly documented.

"I heard that..." THAT sums up the entire Shipley/Mumpower/Gilmer campaign strategies.

He is your representative as he was voted in by the majority of your peers. Whether you like it or not the fact remains that he represents you, just as the sun rises everyday whether anyone likes it or not.

FALSE, Mr. Bozeman

Mr. Provost, My marriage failed because of an abusive, alcoholic adulterer. In the eyes of God... That is justifiable for a marriage ending, and yes my marriage failed because I made the CHOICE not to be found on the side of the road BEFORE it came to that. Thank you for the gracious offer of a good weekend. I wish you all the good will you have bestowed upon others. And I can throw the stones because I'VE BEEN IN THE GLASS HOUSE AND WAS HIT WITH THE SAME "STONES". Think about your words Mr. Provost. But then again, I presume that since you seem to agree with the behavior, you also feel that those that partake of it are also good christian men as long as they say they are. I'm not perfect and have never claimed to be, and have never felt the need to reduce a human being just to feel power. I was the one that walked outside singing the praises and hiding the pain, and do so to this day when it comes to my child and his feelings for the "man" that gave me my most precious gift in life, but I can not sit by and let the likes of people like you offer hate and lies when you know the facts of the person you elected and continue to say he's good man! And like I said before, YOU can choose to be represented by someone like that but I will NEVER accept soemone such as him as my Representative. He's YOURS not mine... you can have him, with friends like the TNGOP & their supporters who needs enemies! In my previous post I also made an error, I meant to say that I was NOT raised in the type of christian environment that was exhibited by his supporters. I was raised to be kind to others, and to be respectful and cautious of the feelings of others because you never know what they've been through in their life or are currently going through, and I am very cautious not to throw stones at glass houses, unless of course I can stand up and say I've been there and can understand! Good day to you Mr. Provost, I hope you and your family are never in a situation of need or desperation! You couldn't take it!

I heard that Mr. Vaughn once sued the AAU. What's up with that?

The liberal dems from LA to San Fran will be as they slowly slide into the sea. That's the reason I moved to Tennessee to get away from that lunacy.

If Vaughn was half the Statesman some of you think he is, he would've won by a landslide over Tony regardless of Gilmer's tactics. Regarding the sites in question; it is unlikely that a person who makes the effort to vote would've been swayed by them anyway, which I'm sure is the reason Gilmer was only fined $50 and put on unsupervised probation.

I have some buddies who voted for Nathan first time around, but had enough after his numerous "about-faces" regarding campaign promises. Like former Republican Governor Don Sundquist, Nathan proved to be nothing more than "a wolf in sheeps clothing". Tenneseans don't take kindly to that, and that's why whether Liberal or Conservative, you won't be back if you don't deliver on your watch. It's just that simple.

I'm very glad that the actor who played Doc Holiday and Batman (before George Clooney ruined the role) has seen fit to comment on this election. Welcome Mr. Kilmer. Do you think the film industry will be in jeopardy when California falls off into the sea?

Losers whine every time.

I'm actually afraid to meet with Tony Shipley to be honest. I am afraid he will tell me that California is going to fall off into the sea or what not. But regardless, I see that the Tennessee GOP and the pro-Shipley folks are using the "Michael Jackson" strategy of campaigning. Remember back in the early 1990s when Michael Jackson started calling himself "The King of Pop." He, his publicists, and his record label said that over and over...Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. This is, of course, to sell records. After hearing it over and over, reporters started picking it up and calling Michael Jackson the King of Pop. Then, it wasn't too much awful longer until people on the streets began calling Michael Jackson the King of Pop. It was nothing but a self-made delusion, yet it gained traction in the press because, if you lie to the people long enough, people eventually start to believe it. The idea that Nathan Vaughn had a liberal voting record, as Andy Bozeman is always quick to tell us, is an example of the same phenomenon. The Tennessee GOP, to win votes, made up a characterization of Vaughn's voting record. Nathan Vaughn never had a liberal voting record, yet it was picked up on during the campaign, repeated ad nauseum, and the people started to buy it. The people were swindled. Bring on 2010.

Millard Jackson - you're exactly right. Thanks for bring that excellent point up. I doubt any of the democrats here will comment on it, though. Momma - I find it funny you start throwing personal attacks at our sitting state representative and his previous marriage and end your post with talking about your own failed marriage. He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones. Glad you decided to say hello. Enjoy your weekend.

Tony Shipley has already proven that he is an incompetent fool with his idiotic and backwoods comments concerning adoption in this state. He ran a slimy campaign, and those hateful, lying folks that stood at the civic auditorium holding up his signs represent the true Tony Shipley. This guy is a one-term joe, if he makes it through that full term.

Mr. Provost and Mr. Millard, apparently you are not as keen with your "research" and knowledge as you claim to be. The website was publicly viewed and there were reports of it. The one that keeps being referenced was the kinder of the two. Trust me when I say that the first one they posted had CLEAR and blatant lies and misrepresentations of the FACTS in which the Mumpower/Shipley mafia chose to use as dirty tactics. There was even a link to e-mail. Our stateman Vaughn of which had no direct link to HIM but then again, in your eyes, that is perfectly valid and honorable. It's ok to distort a voting record of which the paper wouldn't even accurately report, It's ok to make false promises and statements all in the name of "conservative christianity". If what I witnessed during this election by the supporters of Mumpower & Shipley as being Christian, than God help us all because it sure was the example of Christian behavior that I was raised in. Reperesentative Vaughn was too much of a gentleman to pull out all the dirt on Tony Shipley(sorry, in my eyes he'll never be MY representative). Maybe someone should have asked the people he taught with as to WHY he's no longer a teacher, or his former family members as to WHY his first marriage failed or his blood relatives as to WHY most of them have nothing to do with him. Then you can see what a gentleman Nathan Vaughn truely is. He could have proven how "ethical and conservative and christian" Tony Shipley REALLY is, but then again, a real man shouldn't have to drag another through the dirt and lie, cheat & STEAL to get ahead. YES! Mr. Vaughn's name and trademark were STOLEN by the GOP. This not only affects a campaign, but can also be detrimental to a person's livlihood. Find a conscience... would ya! Mr. Provost, I've had about enough of you and the likes of you willing to lick the dirt off the feet all in the name of a party! I've read enough from you and finally had to stand up and say something. And Mr. Millard, if you want to admonish me for posting a false name, it has nothing to do with hiding my identity for this matter, it is simply due to a personal matter relating to an ex-husband!

All these post and no one ever made this much about all the stuff Mr.Roe said about Congressman Davis to all the public. No body new of the web site till election week. What was done is not any differnt than what 90% of you post and sign with a faux name.
Put your real name and address on your next post when you are knocking someone. Where was Gilmer's actions any different. Should have not been charged.

$50 is the maximum fine for this offense. If you have a problem with it just being a Class C misdeamenor, start lobbying for the law to be changed. This in no way had an effect on the election - the website was up for basically no time at all. None of you would have even known about it had Hank Hayes not decided to make it a personal goal to demonize Scott Gilmer. I would challenge all of you Nathan Vaughn fans to take a look at Tony's legislative package (http://wapp.legislature.state.tn.us/apps/sponsorlist/default.aspx?id=H020) and call him up to have a cup of coffee to talk about issues and your concerns. He's been more than happy to talk to me when I've had issues. Of course, I've made that challenge to Richard Brown before in the past and he didn't care to hear out both sides. Last time I checked his number was on his website... Who's going to step up to the plate?

And, thanks Hank Hayes for keeping us informed. Wonderful story.

I can not believe he got away with only a $50.00 fine.
I think this story is very relevant, and it exposes the tactics that some will go to in order to get someone into office that never should have been there. Vaughn was an excellent Rep. and you could go to him with a variety of complaints or problems, he made them priority one. He was a Represenative truly for the people, not like others doing favors for those they know, and "JoeBob" who is friends with his daddy. He helped everyone, rich, poor, black, or white. I think it is truly disgraceful at the tactics used against him, and instead of defending these men, their supporters should hang their heads in shame.

Murray Rothbard once said, "The State is nothing more than criminal gangs, writ large". Be it wholesale redistribution of wealth by Uncle Sam, or political hacks slandering political hacks on a state-level... they're all still crooks and thieves. It's the Bloods versus the Crips- they're ALL equally contemptible.

Guys, sounds like this was nothing more than an oversight that one line was left off--probably by accident. The facts remain that Nathan Vaughn wasn't the legislator he claimed to be. Shipley won by pointing out that Nathan Vaughn's liberal voting record wasn't in line with the values of our community. I hope Mr. Vaughn will get past the sour grapes he has shown and let our community move forward.

The sad truth of this whole ordeal is that Shipley, Casada, and Mumpower will probably all win their re-election bids when the time comes around. People are too focused on keeping the "liberals" out of power and letting slime like these gentlemen walk through the front door of the state legislature. With actions like these before the elections, it is no wonder the GOP acted like the babies they did when Williams was elected speaker. Wake up Tennessee before the entire legilative system is corrupted! Nathan Vaughn is one of the best statesmen to ever represent Kingsport and it is a shame that he lost, especially since it was due to underhanded tactics instead of a fair election. I hope he runs again and wins back the seat that is rightfully his.

I don't know if you can tar the entire Republican Party because of this guy's actions. I mean, we can find lots of examples of Democrats failing to pay their taxes, cheating on their wives, and trying to sell Senate seats. However, I am more than willing to tar the Tennessee GOP, Tony Shipley, and Jason Mumpower because of this guy. Mumpower's win-at-all-costs mentality cost this area a great representative in Nathan Vaughn. Whether you agree with his union support, his pro-life stance on abortion, or any other issues, the man overall represented our values well. The only way Shipley could have won was to misrepresent Vaughn and his record. I certainly hope that Vaughn runs again in 2010 for this seat.

Justice was not served for Mr. Vaughn. The $50 fine is a joke. I hate to see a great person like Nathan Vaughn not get justice for someone using his name illegally. And for those that feel this story isn't relevant, here is one that is. This link is a story written by a child advocacy worker who met with Mr. Shipley in Nashville recently during advocacy week. You will be surprised to see what he has to say .... http://www.openpen.org/?p=1017

I'm curious what all the Tony Shipley fans think of this. C'mon, don't be shy.

FYI, running a red light camera is a $100 fine.

Wow, this guy illegally rigged the election and he gets no conviction, no jail time and a $50 fine. That's pretty interesting. I wonder what political party the judge belongs to. Obviously since these are the stakes, rigging elections is worth it.

The issue here is not whether Mr. Vaughn is a union sympathizer or not. The issue is a representative of our government broke a law, not out of ignorance but to illegally manipulate an election.

The issue is his superiors did nothing to stop or punish him for what he did.

The issue is he was "punished" with a paltry fine. Mr. Gilmer should know right from wrong especially relating to election issues. Mr Gilmer is still an aide to the Representaive.

What does this say about the people we trust to make decisions regarding our lives everyday? Another sad day, another disappointing desicion.

what is wrong with being a Union sympathizer?

Wow - $50.00. Justice was not served here today. I've seen more from people that setup fake MySpace pages acting as though they are someone else.

What do you expect? It's a red state. If he was a dem he'd got 2--3 years.

Being a union sympathizer isn't the issue. Tampering with an election is. Its the TennGOP's answer to Acorn. And since its only a $50 fine, I can see why all these voter manipulation entities thrive.

Also - can we start running front page news stories whenever anybody is cited for running a red light by the cameras? I think that's a $50 fine, too. We could do it up right and put their picture in the paper and everything.

Vaughn IS a union sympathizer! I saw his signs being held by people wearing union hats, shirts, etc. outside polling locations last November. Additionally, there's a picture of him from the last campaign cycle floating around with him and local union leaders standing together behind the union banner. How is that false? Hank Hayes is just refusing to let this story die. How many times has he run a story on this very issue now? Cover something relevant for a change, Hank.