Victor and Joan Ashe had lunch with former U.S. Sen. Bill Brock and his wife, Sandy, in Palm Beach yesterday. Victor said Brock, 87, was in good form and on top of the issues.
What fun to have heard their conversation.
It’s doubtful either could win election statewide in Tennessee today. The party has shifted that far to the right. In 2018, we’re probably going to see two women, Marsha Blackburn and Diane Black, carry the GOP banner for U.S. senator and governor, respectively. Reckon 50 years from now, they’ll be dining in Palm Beach, reminiscing about the good old days?
Brock led the resurgence of the Republican Party in Tennessee, winning election to Congress from Chattanooga in 1962 and paving the way for Howard Baker Jr. to win election to the Senate in 1966. Brock himself then toppled Sen. Albert Gore Sr. in 1971. He served six years and was defeated for re-election by James Sasser. Brock immediately was named chair of the National Republican Committee where he aided in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. He went to the White House with Reagan, serving first as U.S. Trade Representative and later as secretary of the Department of Labor.
Brock was considered more conservative than either Ashe or Baker, although all three supported the Equal Rights Amendment and were generally pro-Civil Rights. All three played the game of politics skillfully: Brock as a strategist, Baker as a conciliator, Ashe as a gadfly.
Ashe was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1968, at age 23. He won the Republican Primary for state Senate in 1974, but was thrown off the ballot because he would not be the constitutionally-required age of 30 on election day. Ashe’s mother, Martha, was chosen to replace Victor on the November ballot. She was elected and then resigned, allowing the Knox County Commission to appoint Victor. He turned 30 on Jan. 1, 1975, and was sworn in later that month and served nine years in the state Senate. Ashe went on to serve 16 years as mayor of Knoxville and was appointed by President George W. Bush as ambassador to Poland.
Diane Black
Sunday talk shows: Atty. Gen. Charme Allen (on WATE) said Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to battle opioid addiction is good, but Knox County is ahead of other parts of the state, primarily because of the leadership of Helen Ross McNabb Center here.
U.S. Rep. Diane Black, running for governor, handled herself well (on WBIR) under cross examination from panelist Don Bosch. He tried to trip her on state Medicaid funding, but she had the facts. After all, she has chaired the House Budget Committee for a year and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Stupid people: Jarrod Casteel, editor of the Bearden Rotary newsletter, had this great quote from Mark Twain: Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.