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Alexander: Tennesseans Voted for a Senator "Who Knows How to Get Things Done, Not Just Make a Speech"

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:00:00 EST

In victory speech says he'll help move the country in a new direction and get results

Lamar Alexander told supporters following his re-election to the United States Senate tonight that he will help move the country in a different direction.

Speaking at the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville, Alexander said, "I ran for re-election to be part of a new majority in the Senate that will fix our broken system, get the right things done, and begin to move our country in a new direction. I’ll do this in a way Tennesseans know well—to work with others to get results. Tennesseans want a senator who knows how to get things done, not just make a speech."

The senator is currently the top Republican on the Senate committee overseeing health care, education and labor, and he is also the top Republican on the appropriations subcommittee on energy overseeing funding for facilities such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In a Republican Senate, he would be poised to serve as chairman of both committees.

Alexander's full remarks as prepared follow:

"Thank you to the people of Tennessee for re-electing me to the United States Senate.

Like most Tennesseans, I am not happy with the direction of our country. I am not happy with the way Washington is NOT working. I know America is better than that.

I ran for re-election to be part of a new majority in the Senate that will fix our broken system, get the right things done, and begin to move our country in a new direction. I’ll do this in a way Tennesseans know well—to work with others to get results.

Tennesseans want a senator who knows how to get things done, not just make a speech.

A few minutes ago I received a call of congratulations from Gordon Ball. I thanked him and congratulated him for a strong campaign.

I congratulate and thank Gov. Haslam and Congressman Duncan on their re-election and thank them and Sen. Corker, others in the congressional delegation, Lt. Gov. Ramsey, Speaker Harwell and our former Republican state chairmen for supporting me.

I thank our campaign team: David Cleary, Mark Braden and Alice Rolli, Steve Smith and Jim Haslam and Bryan and Kim Kaegi— Tom Ingram who has been with me the whole way—and the volunteers who have worked so hard.

I will continue to do my best to represent everybody, from all sections of the state, from all political parties, whether you voted for me or not.

I especially thank Honey and our family—Drew, Leslee, Kathryn and Will—for allowing me to live such a public life.

For us Alexanders, calling Tennessee home goes back a long way. Our two-year-old grandson, Houston Lamar Alexander, was baptized last year in Hesse Creek in Blount County, making him and Taylor and Lauren and Helen—all of whom are here tonight—ninth-generation Tennesseans. Our first election night celebration was here in Knoxville, 40 years ago.

But tonight is not about where we’ve been. It is about where we can go. I’m ready for this new opportunity to go to work with others to fix our broken system, get the right things done and move our country in a new direction."

Tennessee Editorial Pages Across the State: Alexander Will Get Results

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:00:00 EST

NASHVILLE – Newspaper editorial boards across Tennessee have recognized Senator Alexander's ability to get results. Below are excerpts from recent editorials on the choice Tennesseans face in the general election:

Maryville Daily Times: "[Alexander] is Blount County’s only native son to serve as Tennessee governor, U.S. senator and president of the University of Tennessee, responsibilities he has filled with honor and significant achievement. … based on his experience, achievement and dedication we think Lamar Alexander deserves our support for re-election to the United States Senate." (Editorial Oct. 29)

Knoxville News Sentinel: "A protege of the late Howard H. Baker Jr., Alexander is principled yet pragmatic. He will serve the state well if re-elected. Should the GOP gain control of the Senate, as not a few observers see as possible, he would be in an even better position to advance the state's interests in Washington." (Editorial Oct. 7, 2014)

Chattanooga Times Free Press: "If Republicans win control of the Senate, Alexander would be in line to chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. As a member of the [committees] in the past year, he sponsored bills -- that actually passed the stagnant Senate -- that expanded research, education and intervention related to premature births and that prohibited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from restricting access to fishing below the dams on the Cumberland River. (Free Press editorial Oct. 9, 2014)

Tennessean: "Sen. Alexander, however, is a seasoned mainstream politician who is willing to work on big, bipartisan ideas. In the next session of Congress, he should prove to be a problem-solver in what will be an otherwise polarized Senate." (Editorial Nov. 2, 2014)

Commercial Appeal: Alexander: Republican majority would make U.S. Senate work

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

A Republican majority in the U.S. Senate won in next week’s election would grease the wheels of that body and produce results for Tennessee, Sen. Lamar Alexander said Tuesday in Memphis.

“Sen. (Mitch) McConnell has said with Republicans in charge, we’ll put bipartisan bills on the floor, we’ll debate them, we’ll work Mondays and Fridays, and we’ll start dealing with the problems that Americans expect us to deal with,” Alexander said. “And it’s absolutely ridiculous that we haven’t been in Washington these last several weeks.”

Alexander said this could mean replacing the Affordable Care Act “as rapidly and responsibly as we can,” stressing local decision-making on education, defending right-to-work laws and reducing the “growth of runaway spending and fix the debt.”

“Perhaps more important than anything else, we’d try to restore the Senate,” he said. “We’d try to put the Senate back to work.”

Alexander spoke to The Commercial Appeal Tuesday afternoon after spending some of the day in Jackson, where he helped Republican state Senate candidate Ed Jackson campaign. Alexander was to hold a fundraiser, his last of the 2014 cycle, in Memphis Tuesday night before heading to East Tennessee Wednesday to continue his efforts in the final week of a campaign against Democratic nominee Gordon Ball.

In Memphis Monday at the first stop of a West Tennessee bus tour, Ball said the recipe for change wasn’t in changing leadership, but in changing Tennessee’s senator.

“If you want six more years of Mitch McConnell and Lamar Alexander, then the people of this state can go vote for them,” Ball said.

McConnell, the Senate minority leader from Kentucky, is poised to become majority leader if Republicans claim the Senate — and if he defeats Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Rhodes College graduate, in that state’s race. The New York Times’ statistical projection gives Republicans a 68 percent chance of winning the Senate, which is about in the middle of the various projections it has collected on its site.

Republicans need to win six seats to win the majority.

Alexander, 74, who is seeking a third six-year term, shrugged off a question about whether this is his last campaign — “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it” — but said the chances of serving in a GOP majority were central to his desire to seek re-election. He is poised to become the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

Alexander reiterated his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, and singled out the medical device tax that he says is endangering jobs in Memphis.

“Those are very good jobs in Shelby County,” he said. “And the president of Costa Rica has a ‘Welcome to Costa Rica’ sign out for medical device companies who can move there easily.”

But that’s for 2015 and beyond.

There’s a matter of next week’s election, and a recent poll shows Alexander well ahead of Ball.

Asked for his closing argument to voters Monday, Ball offered his belief that changing Washington means changing the people.

Offered the same opportunity Tuesday, Alexander stuck to his theme: “He’s one more vote for the Obama agenda, and I’m one more vote for a new majority to move our country in a more conservative direction. I think if you want to change Washington, the only way to do it is to change the Senate leadership. And the only way to do that is a new Republican majority.”

Alexander wouldn’t comment specifically on the flap involving a Florida man who has sued Ball in small claims court over a condo deal. “I think that speaks for itself,” he said.

Alexander Closing TV Ad: "I've Seen What Can Happen When Tennesseans Work Together"

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Alexander Closing TV Ad: "I've Seen What Can Happen When Tennesseans Work Together"

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Lamar Alexander's campaign for re-election today announced the launch of a closing statewide TV ad, entitled "Together," in which the senator tells voters he's "seen what can happen when Tennesseans work together," and says he'll work to move the country in the right direction as part of a new Senate majority.

The ad, which started airing today, begins, "I've seen what can happen when Tennesseans work together to create better schools, recruit auto jobs, balance budgets, and build the best highways with zero road debt.

"Trust me with your vote and I will put that kind of Tennessee common sense to work in a new majority in the United States Senate, and we can begin to fix our broken system and move our country in the right direction."

Alexander Receives Endorsement from Angus King

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

The Alexander for Senate campaign today announced that Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is endorsing Lamar Alexander's re-election.

Alexander said: "I appreciate the endorsement of Senator King. As a conservative senator who focuses not just on making a speech but also getting a result, I am glad to have the support of an independent like Senator King who has a reputation of doing the same.

King said: "Senator Alexander is the kind of person who we absolutely need in the United States Senate. He is someone who listens, and who is interested in solving problems."

Both Alexander and King are former governors. In 2013, when student loan interest rates doubled, they helped pass into law legislation that brought those rates back down and tied them to the market, making them more affordable to students and fairer to taxpayers.

Alexander has also received a range of other endorsements, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former head of the American Conservative Union Al Cardenas, and former Ronald Reagan economist Art Laffer.

King made his endorsement while speaking to reporters following a higher education roundtable on simplifying the student financial aid process. The event was held at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

Statement from Lamar Alexander on Gordon Ball's Nashville Appearance Today

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Lamar Alexander today released the following statement on his Democrat opponent, Gordon Ball, making an appearance in Nashville:

"A man who runs around with a chicken isn't running a serious campaign, though the chicken does look pretty good in plaid."

On Wednesday, the Alexander campaign released a statement on Ball's announcement that he had launched a bus tour. You can read that statement here.

Daily News Journal: Alexander responds to plaid-clad chicken

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said any candidate who campaigns with a chicken dressed in plaid isn't trying to run a "serious campaign."

"These are serious times …" he said. "Running around with a chicken is not serious."

The chicken is a gimmick for Democratic nominee Gordon Ball's campaign and part of a bus tour criticizing the senator for Alexander's refusal to debate before the Nov. 4 general election.

"He won't come out, he won't come out and fight. He'll fight on TV, and he'll fight through his TV ads, but that's it," Ball said.

The Alexander camp contends that they did indeed debate issues Oct. 16 at the Tennessee Farm Bureau forum at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.

"A man who runs around with a chicken isn't running a serious campaign, though the chicken does look pretty good in plaid," Alexander said.

A plaid shirt was Alexander's trademark when he campaigned for governor in 1978 by walking across the state.

Alexander addressed the dressed-chicken issue after he made a campaign stop Thursday afternoon in Murfreesboro where he toured the manufacturing facilities at Reeves-Sain before delivering a stump speech to the gathered faithful.

Shane Reeves, co-owner of the medical supply company and pharmacy on Memorial Boulevard, said he invited Alexander to tour the business because of the role the senator played in getting legislation passed regulating compounding pharmacies.

"If we hadn't had that, that business would be gone," Reeves said, pointing to his compounding pharmacy that fills thousands of orders a year. A compounded prescription is one that has been individually prepared to address the needs of a particular patient.

Reeves was referring to the Pharmaceutical Compounding Quality and Accountability Act, which arose after a 2012 meningitis outbreak left 16 people dead and 153 sickened in Tennessee. Nationally, 64 patients died while 750 were sickened.

The outbreak was traced to a compounding facility in Massachusetts that sent out thousands of vials of fungus-tainted methylprednisolone acetate.

In the months that followed, legislators in Washington, D.C. took action and developed a bill to regulate compounding facilities.

"We had a tragedy in Tennessee," Alexander said at the campaign stop.

He said legislators had a challenge in balancing the need to protect the public while keeping businesses open.

So he brought ideas back to Tennessee and bounced them off supporters like Reeves.

Reeves said the legislation clarifies the roles of compounding pharmacies, like Reeves-Sain, and manufacturers, like the one in Massachusetts, as well as set rules for regulating the industry.

Rick Sain, Reeves's partner, said Alexander was instrumental in getting legislation passed that both ensures the safety of the public but protects smaller firms like Reeve-Sain.

Alexander then asked for the crowd's support in the election, calling for votes against President Barack Obama's agenda and help getting a Republican majority in congress.

Before his campaign speech, Alexander toured Reeves-Sain's medical building, extended care pharmacy and drug store.

Memphis Commercial Appeal: Alexander says he'll replace several provisions of the Affordable Care Act

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander acknowledged Thursday that the Affordable Care Act won’t be totally repealed if Republicans win control of the Senate, but he believes some provisions would be replaced, including a medical device tax that he says is costing jobs in Memphis.

He said popular ACA provisions banning insurance companies from denying coverage for people with pre-existing health conditions and allowing young adults to age 26 to remain covered by their parents’ health policies will be left intact.

In addition to repealing the medical device tax, the senator said, Republicans would also reduce or eliminate the higher taxes on high-deductible catastrophic care policies — but gave no further indication what other provisions of the ACA he will target for outright repeal.

But other GOP leaders have said the act’s mandate for individuals to buy health insurance if they don’t have employer- or government-sponsored coverage tops the party’s repeal agenda.

“I’m sure there’ll be a vote to repeal (the ACA as a whole), and I’ll vote for it, but I don’t think President Obama is going to sign a repeal of Obamacare. It would take 67 votes in the Senate to override his veto, but we shouldn’t just sit there — we should move as rapidly and responsibly as we can to repair the damage that Obamacare has caused,” Alexander said before a speech to automobile industry executives.

If he wins a third term and his GOP wins control of the Senate Nov. 4, Alexander is in line to be chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where any repeal or replacement legislation for the Affordable Care Act will be drafted.

“What I will do if I’m chairman of the Health Committee is move as rapidly and responsibly as we can to replace Obamacare with steps that provide more choice, more freedom and lower costs. There are a number of provisions that we can do that I believe Democrats would also support, and we’ll put them on the President’s desk and hope that he signs them.”

Alexander said he wants to let people buy insurance across state lines where they may find cheaper policies, let small businesses pool resources to buy cheaper coverage, and let employers provide lower-cost insurance to employees who lead healthy lifestyles.

He said higher taxes on cheaper high-deductible catastrophic care have prompted insurers like the Tennessee Farm Bureau to cease selling such policies. He did not say how lost revenue from its repeal, and from abolishing the medical device tax, would be replaced.

Asked if he would repeal mandatory coverage for pre-existing conditions, he said, “the steps that we would take do not include changing that.”

Alexander told the auto industry conference that Tennessee can continue recruiting automaker and other jobs if the state maintains its Right to Work law (which says workers don’t have to join unions in union-covered workplaces), “keeps the best highways in the country” and improves job skills among the workforce.

Five blocks away and 15 minutes later, Democratic challenger Gordon Ball and six third-party and independent candidates debated each other in a hotel ballroom. Alexander declined to join them, heading instead to a drug company in Murfreesboro for a prearranged visit.

At the debate, Ball repeated his position: “I think health care is a right. Lamar Alexander thinks it’s a privilege.

“The real question now we have to decide or figure out is how to pay for the Affordable Care Act, and I think one of the ways we do that is to eliminate the antitrust immunity for insurance companies. In other words, don’t allow them to fix the prices on health insurance. That’s what they’re doing, that’s what they’ve done forever. Once we’ve done that, they compete on the open market and the consumer will be benefitted.”

Nashville Buisness Journal: Lamar Alexander lays out three keys for Tennessee’s automotive industry

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

While sharing anecdotes on bringingNissan's first manufacturing plant to Tennessee during his time as governor, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander outlined Thursday three keys for the state to maintain its position in automotive manufacturing.

Alexander, who was speaking at AutoConnect 2014, an auto industry conference hosted byFrost Brown Todd law firm at the Music City Center, first pointed to preserving Tennessee's right-to-work status.

"Defend the right-to-work law. That's important and it's under attack," Alexander said, adding that union actions before the National Labor Relations Board "can send a real chill to efforts to recruit a tier-two supplier to Tennessee.

"If a plant in Michigan, a supplier who wants to come to Tennessee and gets stopped by an action by the National Labor Relations Board, that might discourage that from happening," Alexander said. He pointed to a union attempt to prevent Boeing from moving part of its operations from Washington to South Carolina, which has a right-to-work law.

The attempt to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga has been the most visible push against Tennessee's predominantly non-union automotive sector, with a potential impact for automakers throughout the Southeast, as the Nashville Business Journal reported last year.

In a February vote, workers voted not to affiliate with the UAW, though the union group has since started a voluntary campaign to sign up workers. Volkswagen has said it would recognize the union once it represented 50 percent of the plant's workers.

"Defending [right-to-work] in the future may be just as important to us as it was in the past in terms of attracting, not just Nissan and Volkswagen, but General Motors and the UAW partnership," Alexander said Thursday.

Alexander's second point: maintaining the state's highway infrastructure, which he said is crucial for suppliers getting their parts to factories and manufacturers delivering their products to dealerships.

Tennessee has been able to build its roads without accumulating any debt, which Alexander says "has been a tremendous advantage to our state."

Yet he adds, "There will come a time, in order to maintain our [highway] advantage, the state will need to pull out a road plan … they don't need to wait on the federal government for a solution."

And lastly, Alexander said, Tennessee needs to enhance its skilled-labor pool. Alexander, who is up for re-election to the U.S. Senate this November, applauded fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's program to make two-year community and technical college free to the state's high-school graduates.

"These are highly skilled jobs that need more highly skilled people," Alexander said.

The Hill: Alexander promises education reforms if in majority

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) vowed that passing his bill to end the “national school board” President Obama has established if Republicans take control of the Senate.

Several vulnerable Democrats are seeking reelection in red states. Republicans need to gain six seats in order to become the majority party.

Alexander is the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — if the Senate flips he would become chairman. He has introduced the Every Child Ready for College or Career Act, which would eliminate some federal curriculum requirements in order to give local school boards more autonomy.

“Last year, Democrats refused to pass the bill,” Alexander said Wednesday. “Next year, if I am chairman of the Senate Education Committee, it will be my top priority. We will return to states and local school boards all decisions about academic standards, curriculum and evaluation of teachers.”

Republicans on the committee support his legislation, but Democrats voted against it.

The Tennessean: Nashville touted as new auto industry leader

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

A leading automotive expert called Nashville “the capital of the new American auto industry” and urged its leaders Thursday to pay close attention to three major trends unfolding at the same time.

Paul Ingrassia, managing editor of Reuters and a Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive industry journalist and author, said there are significant changes on the way in the way car engines work, in the use of satellite communications technology and in the emerging development of unmanned vehicles.

“Three simultaneous technological revolutions are sweeping across the global auto industry. They all have significant social implications as well as industry implications. And they’re occurring against the backdrop of an industry that is enjoying a rare state of prosperity … in most major markets around the globe.”

Tennessee cannot remain stagnant if it wants to continue to see growth among automotive manufacturers and suppliers, which now have a presence in nearly every county, Ingrassia said.

“There’s a lot of experimentation going on right now,” he said.

The AutoConnect event was created last year to improve understanding of industry trends and bring together car makers, suppliers, financiers and legislative experts.

“The market is back,” said Robert Sartin, co-chair of the automotive team for the Frost Brown Todd law firm, which organized the event. “The question is, what can be done to sustain that?”

Sartin said success depends on different segments working together. For example, right now the demand for new vehicles is up, but their parts are not being manufactured fast enough.

Ingrassia said that for the first time since he started covering the industry in the mid-1980s none of the top-tier auto-makers is on the brink of bankruptcy. “Today almost all the major companies are posting solid financial results, and some frankly are better than solid,” he said

Because it is centrally located, Tennessee is positioned to reap the benefit of the widespread economic recovery in the automotive industry, Sartin said. That, in turn, helps other parts of the country.

“This region is so important to the industry,” he said.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, in the keynote address, told auto industry leaders that Tennessee must stay the course if it wants to remain attractive to auto manufacturers and suppliers. That means maintaining good roads, improving job skill training and protecting the right-to-work law, which limits the power of unions.

“They’re three pretty obvious things,” he said.

The Republican leader, who is running for another term, was governor in the early 1980s when Nissan built a massive plant in Smyrna. Others have followed.

Alexander said the state must not mess with what works if it wants to continue to see growth. “We’re pretty proud of our state, where we’ve come from, but we’re more excited about where we’re going,” he said.

WJHL: Sen. Alexander in town for Eastman ceremony

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

WJHL.com

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander stopped by Kingsport Wednesday to join Eastman Chemical Company in a topping off ceremony.

The ceremony commemorated the completion of the new Corporate Business Center's steel work.

The building will house 815 employees and will be about 300,000 square feet.

Alexander said Eastman's investment is a good sign for Tennessee.

“It's able to compete in a worldwide market place, that's terrific news for Tennessee. So as important as Eastman's past is, its commitment to the future is even more important and its renewed commitment to Upper East Tennessee,” Alexander said.

The new center is part of Project Inspire, which is Eastman's 1.6 billion dollar investment in the Kingsport site.

The building is set to be done by the end of next year.

Statement from Alexander Campaign on Gordon Ball Bus Tour

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

The Alexander for Senate campaign today released the following statement on a bus tour launched by Senator Alexander's Democrat opponent:

"Just last week, Senator Alexander and Mr. Ball met at the Tennessee Farm Bureau forum, and Mr. Ball knows all too well what a good exchange of views they had," campaign spokesman Brian Reisinger said. "Once again, Gordon Ball is trying to distract Tennesseans from the fact that he'd be one more vote for the Obama agenda on Obamacare, guns, unions, life and taxes."

Third Alexander Statewide TV Ad: "Trust Me With Your Vote"

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Says new Senate majority will be able to stand up to terrorism, secure the border, make it easier for Americans to find a job and "begin to fix our broken system"

Lamar Alexander's campaign for re-election today announced the launch of its third statewide TV ad in the general election, in which the senator asks Tennesseans to "trust me with your vote" and choose a new Senate majority that can "begin to fix our broken system."

The ad, which started airing today, begins, "These are serious times, and here’s the choice. A vote for my opponent is just one more vote for Barack Obama’s agenda. Trust me with your vote. It could mean a new Senate majority that will stand up to terrorism, secure our borders, and make it easier to find a job. And finally, we’ll begin to fix our broken system."

Commercial Appeal: Alexander, Ball battle as Senate race enters final stretch

Sun, 19 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

The inescapable smell of corn on the cob and freshly smoked barbecue sweetened the mid-October air as U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander took the stage beneath a tent in a city park.

The country is in trouble, the two-term senator warned the Republican crowd, yet the Democrat who wants to replace him in the Senate is a slick-talking trial lawyer who, if elected, would be one more vote for the agenda of President Barack Obama.

“Let’s send a message to Washington — we don’t want one more vote for Obama to take the country down the wrong direction it’s heading today,” Alexander concluded, drawing cheers and a standing ovation at the GOP get-out-the-vote rally last week.

A few hours earlier, halfway across the state, Democrat Gordon Ball hardly looked the part of the slick-talking trial lawyer as he shopped for votes in less-than-animated fashion.

“I’m Gordon Ball, and I’m running for U.S. Senate against Lamar Alexander,” the white-haired Ball, dressed casually in jeans and a navy blazer, announced as he strolled into the game room at St. Clair Senior Center in Murfreesboro, where a dozen elderly men and women were absorbed in card games.

“What are you going to do for seniors?” one man asked, without even looking up from his hand.

“Everything I can,” Ball replied.

A few minutes later, the center’s executive director approached Ball in the hallway, politely informed him that politicking isn’t allowed at the facility and said he’d have to leave. “I can’t say I’ve been turned out of a better place,” Ball said, injecting a bit of levity into the awkward situation.

With the Nov. 4 election just two weeks away, Alexander and Ball are making their final sales pitches to voters in a race that most political watchers believe really isn’t a race at all.

Alexander, 74, a former governor, is the heavy favorite to win a third six-year term in the Senate. But after surviving a closer-than-expected primary challenge in August from state Rep. Joe Carr, who had backing from tea-party groups, Alexander is taking no chances in his race against Ball, who has never held public office.

In hard-hitting campaign ads and at campaign events, Alexander has been pummeling Ball, arguing he’s trying to deceive voters into believing he’s a moderate Democrat when in fact he’s a liberal who represents “one more cut-and-paste vote” for Obama and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who Republicans loathe almost as much as the president.

“If (Ball) were elected, he wouldn’t even have to go to Washington,” Alexander said. “He could just let Harry Reid vote twice.”

Alexander’s hard edge is a striking contrast from the primary, when his campaign ads focused heavily on issues and his own personal background without ever mentioning his opponent by name.

“A primary is a family discussion — a discussion in a great big, rambunctious family,” Alexander said. “I didn’t run one single negative radio or television ad because I knew that if I won, I’d need all of those votes in the general election. The general election is completely different. Here we have a huge choice.”

Ball said he has been surprised by the aggression.

“I never thought they would attack me — I thought Lamar and his advisers would just ignore me,” Ball said, seated on a sofa in his room at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Ball, who grew up in Cocke County and now lives in Knoxville, knows he’s the underdog in the race. But Alexander lost 29 counties in the primary, including Blount County, his home. To win, Ball figures, he needs to run even with Alexander in East Tennessee, carry Davidson and Shelby counties and run strong in the rest of West Tennessee.

Despite Alexander’s efforts to paint him as a liberal, Ball, 65, insists he’s “a bit of hybrid” — left-leaning on some issues, conservative on others. He opposes the Common Core education standards, wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, promises to fight amnesty for undocumented immigrants and insists he won’t be afraid to stand up to his party leaders when he thinks they’re wrong.

As for Alexander’s attempts to link him to Obama, Ball said he voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary, but supported Obama in the 2008 and 2012 general elections. Still, he said, he would have approached the presidency different than Obama has.

“I think he’s great on TV,” Ball said of the commander-in-chief, “but I don’t think he has the ability to sit down with people on the other side and get things done.”

As the campaign enters its final stretch, Ball said he will continue traveling across the state, stopping anywhere he can to make the case that Alexander has been in Washington too long and that Tennessee should be represented by new blood more in touch with voters.

“I wish you luck,” attorney Ken Burger told Ball last week after Ball made an impromptu stop at Burger’s law office in downtown Murfreesboro. Noting that Ball was campaigning in solid Republican territory, Burger added, “I don’t know if you’re naïve or courageous. I hope you’re courageous.”

Back in East Tennessee, Alexander took his campaign to Wright’s Cafeteria, a Knoxville restaurant known for its down-home menu and as a favorite gathering spot for everybody who’s anybody in politics. Between bites of fried okra, creamed corn and chocolate meringue pie, Alexander shook hands with well-wishers, posed for photos and chatted with other diners about the state of his race.

Alexander said he feels good about the prospects for his own re-election and about the GOP’s chances of winning a Senate majority for the first time in eight years.

“I think most Tennesseans believe our country is headed in the wrong direction,” he said, “and a vote for me could produce a Republican majority to begin to move our country in a new, more conservative direction.”

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Lamar Alexander attacks Ebola czar, says Obama appointee not "accountable" to Congress

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

At a Memphis roundtable to discuss Shelby County's preparedness for infections diseases, Lamar Alexander expressed concern with President Barack Obama's plan to fight Ebola.

Alexander said the choice of a a former aide to Vice President Joe Biden as Ebola czar means that the national fight against the fearful disease won't be accountable to Congress, adding that a czar was "not what I had in mind."

Alexander prefers a cabinet member accountable to Congress, he said in a tweet.

When it comes to Tennessee's readiness to fight Ebola, Alexander said the state has "a terrific health department — one example is the heroic response to the recent fungal meningitis outbreak."

He also defended his remarks on Sept. 15 that Ebola was as serious as ISIS, the terrorist group, rebutting critics who said at the time that he had made an overstatement.

Alexander, a Republican, is locked in a heated election with Democrat Gordon Ball. The two have attacked each other repeatedly, upping the ante at a Thursday debate in which Alexander linked Ball to Obama, and Ball attacked Alexander as too moderate, and part of Washington's gridlock.

Alexander at Tennessee Farm Bureau Forum: Senate Election Offers Tennesseans Clear Choice

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

Says he'll be part of a new Senate majority to take the country in a different, conservative direction; opponent will be "just one more vote for Barack Obama's agenda"

NASHVILLE – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander spoke at the Tennessee Farm Bureau's candidate forum Thursday morning, discussing issues of importance to Tennessee's agriculture industry and urging members to support his bid to become part of a "new Senate majority that will fix our broken system and take the country in a new direction" over his opponent, who would be "just one more vote for Barack Obama's agenda."

Alexander appeared alongside Democrat opponent Gordon Ball at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, taking questions from Farm Bureau leadership and the audience and drawing a contrast with Ball over what Alexander said is a "clear choice for Tennesseans on Nov. 4." Among the major issues Alexander discussed were the importance of the rural economy, how difficult it is for Americans to find a job, federal overreach burdening farmers and his conservative positions on Obamacare, the Second Amendment, abortion, Unions, and taxes and spending.

Alexander said in a statment: "From fighting to repair the damage of Obamacare to pushing back against overreach by the EPA, I will continue to stand with Tennessee farmers. The choice this fall is clear: I'm one more vote for a new Senate majority that will take our country in a different and more conservative direction, while a vote for my opponent is just one more vote for Barack Obama's agenda."

"Don't Let Him Fool You"
Alexander campaign releases comparison making clear opponent Gordon Ball's status as one more vote for the Obama agenda

The Alexander for Senate campaign today released the following comparison of the records of Lamar Alexander and Gordon Ball in relation to their joint appearance at the Tennessee Farm Bureau candidate forum.

Alexander noted that Ball was "trying to fool you with his slick talk." The following is a breakdown of seven issues on which Gordon Ball has tried to avoid or disguise his positions to escape his clear status as being one more vote for Barack Obama's agenda:

Obamacare
Alexander: Voted against Obamacare 23 times
Source: http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/?p=repealing-obamacare

Ball Supports Obamacare, wants to expand it.
“I support the Affordable Care Act, with a few modifications.”
Source: http://www.knoxviews.com/node/21887

A single-payer system "should be studied" if Obamacare fails.
Source: http://www.knoxviews.com/node/21887

Second Amendment Rights
Alexander: Endorsed by NRA, received an "A rating"
Source: https://www.nrapvf.org/articles/20140912/nra-endorses-lamar-alexander-for-us-senate-in-tennessee

Ball: Supports new restrictions on guns, received an "F" rating from NRA

Gordon Ball supports universal background checks.
“I believe in the 2^nd Amendment, but I believe that we need to have universal background checks.” (YouTube, “Gordon Ball For U.S. Senate - Education, Health Care, 2nd Amendment”
Source: http://www.gordonballsenate.com/videos.html

Gordon Ball supports restrictions on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Knox Views:  “Do you support restrictions on high capacity magazines and military style firearms?”
Mr. Ball: “Yes. High-capacity magazines are used to kill more people more quickly and, from what I have read, have been used in more than half the mass shootings since 1982.”
Source: http://www.knoxviews.com/node/21887

Abortion
Alexander: Pro-life; Endorsed by National Right to Life
Source: http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/06/sen-lamar-alexander-receives-national-right-to-life-endorsement/#.VD2kNhba7x4

Ball: Pro-choice
“So long as the termination of the pregnancy is safe and legal, women     should be able to make this very difficult personal decision in concert with their doctors and their family.”
Source: http://www.knoxviews.com/node/21887

Unions
Alexander: Defends Tennessee's right-to-work law against assaults by the Obama administration
Source: http://www.nooga.com/printme/162641

Ball: Endorsed by AFL-CIO
Source: http://www.nooga.com/167759/tennessee-labor-council-endorses-      gordon-ball/

Taxes and Spending
Alexander: Would reduce the growth of out-of-control entitlement spending by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.
Source: http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/one-pagers-and

Ball: Would consider raising payroll taxes
“I am not opposed to considering a modest, graduated payroll tax increase.”
Source: http://www.knoxviews.com/node/21887

Immigration Reform
Alexander: Voted in 2013 to secure the border and end perpetual amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants already here by requiring them to pay a penalty before being able to apply a green card.
Source:     http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2e15fcce-7dbe-41b4-812b-f4db73cf184e

Ball: Supports a "legal path to citizenship" without any mention of a penalty -- the definition of amnesty
Source: http://www.gordonballsenate.com/immigration.html

Common Core
Alexander: Has introduced legislation, supported by every Republican senator on the education committee, which would get Washington out of Tennessee's public schools and move decisions about education, including those about whether to adopt common core, back to states.
Source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113srpt113/pdf/CRPT-113srpt113.pdf

Ball: Wants to tell Tennesseans what to do about common core, and every Senate Democrat on the education committee opposed Senator Alexander's legislation that would give Tennessee the right to decide for itself about common core.
Sources:
Ball statement: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2014/sep/17/ball-targets-carrs-tea-party-supporters//print
Senate bill: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113srpt113/pdf/CRPT-113srpt113.pdf

Forum Fact Check: Lamar Alexander Supports Veterans

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

FACT: Lamar Alexander OPPOSED cuts to military pensions in the 2014 budget agreement.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00281

FACT: Lamar Alexander voted AGAINST the final budget agreement saying:
“It is particularly troubling that the budget agreement takes money from pensions in a way that treats military retirees worse than the civilian federal employees.” – Lamar Alexander
Source: http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=e3617c65-6af7-48d3-91b5-e4c23c416782

FACT: Lamar Alexander voted to restore retiree’s pension cuts on February 12, 2014 because they were wrong in the first place.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=2&vote=00035

FACT: Lamar Alexander SUPPORTED the Veterans bill that allows veterans to get medical treatment outside the VA if they live more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility or if they cannot get an appointment within a reasonable period of time.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=2&vote=00187

Forum Fact Check: Lamar Alexander Opposes the Obama Administration's National School Board

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:00:00 EST

FACT: Sen. Alexander’s Every Child Ready for College or Career Act would stop the U.S. Department of Education from acting like a “National School Board”
The Every Child Ready for College or Career Act would let States decide whether schools and teachers are succeeding or failing. It would end the growing pile of Federal mandates that have built up on States and local school districts and has created, in effect, a national school board.
Source: http://www.help.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=3f7e7905-b348-44fd-b41b-22e175884794&groups=Ranking

FACT: Every Republican on the Senate Education Committee SUPPORTED Sen. Alexander’s Every Child Ready for College or Career Act

Source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113srpt113/pdf/CRPT-113srpt113.pdf

FACT: There has never been a vote in the United States Senate to support “Common Core” and Sen. Alexander OPPOSES federal mandates on state and local education
Source: Diane Ravitch’s book “National Standards in American
Education: A Citizen’s Guide” (p. 146)

Secretary Alexander advised the president to veto the bill if it came to his desk, because the legislation “creates at least the beginnings of a national school board that could make day-to-day school decisions on curriculum, discipline, teacher training, textbooks, and classroom materials… A federal recipe dictating how to operate a local school board does not make schools better.”
LINK: http://books.google.com/books?id=8fk2yE1a0PEC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=%22creates+at+least+the+beginnings+of+a+national+school+board+that+could+make+day-to-day+school+decisions+on+curriculum,+discipline,+teacher+training,+textbooks,+and+classroom+materials%22&source=bl&ots=-cfdDEMf6G&sig=2gEsTndWccYvF3G2F5zpraXki-Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g2w9VMuSMsj-yQSdh4L4DQ&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22creates%20at%20least%20the%20beginnings%20of%20a%20national%20school%20board%20that%20could%20make%20day-to-day%20school%20decisions%20on%20curriculum%2C%20discipline%2C%20teacher%20training%2C%20textbooks%2C%20and%20classroom%20materials%22&f=false