My regrets for being late on sending Saturday's events in Middle Tennessee. We had another great day campaigning, starting our day at Bongo Java in East Nashville with a "Coffee with Harold". There was a terrific crowd, which included my friend and Davidson County Party chair Krissa Barclay. Joyce McDaniel and other active members of the party joined us for some campaigning as well.Representative Rob Briley and Councilman David Briley organized the event and made possible a chance to meet Bob Bernstein, the owner, his manager Sandy Livingston and master brewer Drew Parks. Mr. Parks explained to me how, much like what ALCOA and FedEx face, high energy costs are a real concern for the company. It just reinforces the need for a smarter and more comprehensive policy than what Bush signed last week. After Charles Robert Bone and I watched him brew the coffee a little longer, it became clear that my role at a coffee shop is to drink the coffee.
There was a great group at the coffee shop including: Councilman Mike Jameson, who also helped organize the event, John Donelson, Jamie Qualk, Priscilla Norman, Antonio Compton, Randy Ratliff, Adria Lambert, Addison Pate, Wesley Weeks, Jay Hardcastle, Trina Smith, Jane Grimes, David Rutter, and Zelda Brown.
After leaving Bongo Java, we headed for a Democracy for Tennessee breakfast at the SEIU hall where I connected with my good friend Ms. Gayle Alley. I love her. The event was well attended, and I thank Mark Naccaroto for helping to organize the breakfast. The conversation was lively - one thing is for sure, our party wants a new direction for the country. And, if we articulate a clear path, the country will follow us. We talked war and peace, jobs and how to create them and ownership options for working Americans. It was good. I thank Philip Giardrias for his very direct questions.
From Democracy for Tennessee, we headed for lunch at a meat and three vegetable place called Harper's. It was good food and company, as I sat with my friend A.J. Starling and leaders from the NAACP, UAW, SEIU and Teamsters, among other leaders. It was also graduation weekend for Tennessee State University. I took pictures with the great Bond family from Brownsville, Tennessee as they celebrated one of the boys' graduations. After we put bumper-stickers on every car in the parking lot, I walked to Jefferson St. Baptist Church to meet with the legendary Pastor Tex Thomas. He gave terrific advice and then we prayed.
We left the church and headed to the Williamson County Fair to join my friends Molly O'Neal, Jon and Maggie Fail, James House, Jim Jones, John Cain and Juvenile Court Clerk Brenda Hyden. We walked the fair together, met all the young people working the booths and I took time to watch the mule pull in the middle field. I also met Franklin Mayor Tom Miller, who recently lost his son-in-law in the war on terrorism. The Mayor's family remains in my prayers. Another good guy I met was Wiliamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson.
We met so many good people at the fair - public safety officers, business people, pastors, students, politicians, including County Commissioner Judy Hayes, and firefighters Chuck Hood and John Lopicoolo, who invited me back to participate in an emergency response drill in late September.
So to all there, especially the Williamson County Democratic party, I say thank you. Here are a few I want to thank Todd, Angela and Alex Sharp, Charles Berger, TNDP Vice Chair Elissa Parker, Williamson Co. Democratic Party Chairman John Brake, Ace Wilson, Heather Amaral, Paul Dillen, Monique McCullough, Maggie Throckmorton, Christina Archie, Jim Garrison, Elizabeth Squire, James Hobse, Frank Polk, John Herrmann, Tom Miller, Carol Cochran, Kelly Shearin, Jon Faill, Gloria O'Steen, Aaron Fletcher, Bob Leonard, DeWayne Perry, Robert Ness, Judy Ide, Jim Jones, Dallis Polk, and Hildred Buford.
We returned to Nashville Saturday night and started Sunday on the 411 Show with Sharon Kay, then dashed over to WQQK studios for Connie Donnell's Gospel Program and went on for 15 minutes with Connie Donnell. Both shows, with their rich gospel and community outreach formats, went well. I thank both Sharon Kay and Connie Donnell again for having me on and the listeners for hearing me.
Then it was back to Memphis for a series of events. In short, we are doing well.
Those who want to give to the campaign, please do. Although we are having success raising money, our goal is to have the best ground operation in the country. We will need this grassroots effort to win, and it will take money to do it. So, please give to the campaign at Harold Ford, Jr. for Tennessee.
Again, thanks.
Harold
From: Campaign email
