"I oppose Tony Shipley because he is ineffective [and] comes across as a person lacking basic human intelligence..."
And for these same reasons, I oppose Sarah Palin, even though I consider myself more conservative than liberal.

Wilbur, you are way off base there. I am a conservative and I have never attacked Palin for anything. Just because someone calls himself a "conservative" and makes it part of his political identity does not mean that you have to go down the line for others who call themselves conservative. I oppose Tony Shipley because he is ineffective, comes across as a person lacking basic human intelligence, and has introduced some very foolish bills in his short time in office.

richard brown,

you are absolutely right that the parade would not have been the place to call shipley out. not to mention, he wouldn't have stopped! when he came by and high fived my son, he was literally jogging and out of breath...not that i could blame him, it was HOT. as i said, we were on ft. henry drive toward the end of the parade....and he seemed to be running toward the finish line...probably looking for some water. so, yeah, whoever it was that said you should've spoken to him because it's his job to listen was obviously not there!

Shipley must be voted out and replaced with someone that has read the Constitution.

Shipley is a gestapo and violates the Constitution every chance he gets! He has introduced over 200 pieces of legislature since taking office. Every time they introduce new laws you lose freedoms! He wants millions of our tax payer money to direct it to memorial blvd to make it safer, Hummm how about spending allot less and teach these non driving people how to drive instead of wasting millions, how about that!

"They only attack conservatives that they are scared of."
Then how do you explain the ubiquitous criticism of Sarah Palin?

Now I know Tony Shipley is doing a great job in Nashville. He's being attacked by all the Liberals just like Sarah Palin was. They only attack conservatives that they are scared of. When was the last time you heard a Lib say anything bad about Kent Williams?

How do we know that Provost is not Shipley himself? I don't believe I've ever read a comment by Provost that was doing anything except glorifying Shipley.

What a guy, this Shipley cheerleader! Isn't he something to behold? "you are not man enough ...." he says, knowing full well he can say that and get away with it here on this more or less anonymous forum!

Shipley is one lucky fella to have such an artful supporter. He never fails.

Its ok Jerry. I'm quite impervious to you commenting on my manhood. I am confident in my masculinity. Sticks and Stones, Sticks and Stones.

That's not what I was implying at all, Richard. Perhaps going over and saying, "Hi, I'm Richard Brown, you know, the one always critquing every breath you take. Perhaps we could have some coffee sometime and discuss things so I can be fully informed on both sides before relentlessly bashing you." Something like that would have been appropriate, but again, I'm fairly certain you're not man enough to do that.

"If you were this close to the man you critique so much, why didn't you have the balls to confront him and voice your disagreement with the way he represents you in Nashville? It's his job to listen, and I'm absolutely sure he would have."



Maybe, Jerry, its because its not a matter of listening, but rather he doesn't want HIM (no offense) in the job? Why is that so hard to understand?

Yes Jerry, you are right. I should have absolutely started screaming at Shipley, calling him out for all his untruths and his shameful legislative efforts, right there on Center Street in front of God and everybody. I should have torn in to him in the presence of hundreds of kids and parents who were just there to watch the parade. I should have made the entire episode about me and my feelings for Shipley. Get a clue Jerry, there is a time and place for everything...and surely you agree that Kingsport's 4th of July parade is not the place to do it. And no, I'm not going to engage in discussion because, to be quite frankly, I think it would be fruitless. He obviously has no common sense and probably wouldn't know half of the words I would use in the conversation. "The fourth amendment? What's that?," I imagine he would say. The best way to deal with Shipley is to hope that the rest of the legislature blocks his silly legislative efforts and vote him out in 2010.

You know, Richard, I've been thinking. If you were this close to the man you critique so much, why didn't you have the balls to confront him and voice your disagreement with the way he represents you in Nashville? It's his job to listen, and I'm absolutely sure he would have. If you have so many insightful ideas, why didn't you take the opportunity with him being so close to share them? Probably because you're not nearly the man he is. That goes for the rest of you, too. Are you really so weak that you have to hide behind a comment forum, but you can't engage the man you critique so heavily in honest discussions?

While we're on the subject, I also noticed that Mayors Godsey and Phillips were also riding in their car and NOT walking. Another thought as well - I wonder what you guys would be saying about him had he been the only one to get out of the car and interact with the viewers one-on-one walking and slowing down the parade tremendously. If Roe was already going to, why not join in?

I again challenge you to go critique him in the story of the poor mother that has had a struggle for the last 35+ years with her disabled children (http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9014979
). Surely as good as you all are at finding fault, you can dig something out to bash in there. What did your hero, the previous representative, ever do for them? I never saw that in the paper. Perhaps we should go ask him.

I live on Memorial Blvd. I hope they do something with the highway quickly. I am terrified for my teens to drive on it. The speed limit signs are also a waste of time, the road needs to be fixed...I also noticed the DB cheerleaders, they definately looked bored to me, and yes I have children that attend DB.

It matters not,what Rep Shipley thinks,says,does,he's a Republican,& here in NE TN,that's ALL that's matters.To use a sports analysis,neither he nor Ramsey,can carry Governoe Bredesen's jock.

We don't have to say anything bad about Shipley to make him look bad. He takes care of that all by himself.

that's funny. shipley walked up to my son and gave him a high five....i was on ft. henry though so i don't doubt he wasn't walking before that. kind of like the north cheerleaders who were walking and doing cartwheels...while the DB cheerleaders rode on the back of the truck giggling at each other instead of doing tricks and waving to the kids. don't get me wrong, i went to DB and would vote for their band any day...but you can see a difference...even in something as small as a parade.

You guys are just incredible. You finally have a state rep fighting for you in Nashville, and all you can do is trash talk him. You don't really have anything to say about this article, so why not just start in on something completely unrelated (and probably not even true or definitely exaggerated..)

Why don't you read the other article talking about your arch enemy... “I kept fighting it and fighting it and fighting it, and you couldn’t get anywhere. You couldn’t get anywhere. So I called Tony Shipley, and he put us in touch with legal aid. I called him and 15 minutes later he was at my house,” Bostic said. http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9014979

Gonna go bash him there, too? You guys are just like the whiners after Al Gore lost in 2000. Bush could do nothing right in your eyes, and I suspect this time around is just the same. Get something and wash all that bitter taste out of your mouth from your defeat in 2008. It'll make you feel better.

That's because he's the pawn & puppet. Shipley can't think for himself... He has proven that over & over...heck I saw him give a rebuttal about comments he had made that were addressed as being blatantly not factual and he couldn't even answer on his own, he had to have a puppeteer there to make sure he answered the way "they" wanted him to answer and didn't fowl it up like he has during session when he was interviewed without coaching. And I bet he claims to see Russia from his house too... two peas in a pod I would say... oh wait... he's the one that's suppose to use that phrase against people in a derogatory way, my mistake.

I was at the 4th of July parade and, I have to say, I witnessed the most incredible thing. Phil Roe came walking by shaking hands with people. Tony Shipley, in the back of his convertible, came up to Roe and Shipley yells: "Phil, are you walking? I guess I should too." So Shipley got out of his car and started walking and talking to the people. This was about the 1400 or 1300 block of Center St. I swear, if an original idea ever crossed Shipley's mind it would be the shortest trip in the county.