New TN Democratic party treasurer donated a lot to Republican candidates.

[madfloridian]

Including Harold Ford's opponent. Including Governor Phil Bredesen's opponent. That seems so odd to me.

Records show Freeman gave $24K to Dems, $10K to GOP

NASHVILLE — Campaign finance records show the newly named treasurer of the Tennessee Democratic Party has made heavy campaign contributions to Republicans, including to Gov. Phil Bredesen's opponents in the 2002 and 2006 elections.

Party Chairman Chip Forrester on Saturday denied that treasurer Bill Freeman's contributions will exacerbate divisions between himself and the prominent elected Democrats who supported his opponent in last month's vote for party chairman. Freeman, a Nashville real estate investor, was named Forrester's successor as treasurer on Friday. Records show Freeman has made substantial contributions to both Democratic and Republican candidates and causes in the past.

"It is not unusual for business people to participate in making contributions on sort of both sides of the aisle in politics," said Forrester, who also noted that Freeman raised more than $200,000 for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

..."In the 2006 U.S. Senate race, Freeman gave $4,100 to Republican Bob Corker and $500 to Democrat Harold Ford. Corker won that race by fewer than 3 percentage points.

Freeman also gave $5,000 each to Republican gubernatorial nominees Van Hilleary and Jim Bryson in 2002 and 2006. Also in 2006, Freeman gave $1,000 to the political action committee of then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

Talk about post partisanship?

Speaking of Bill Frist...has he been chosen to lead the way on Tennessee's educational future or is it something he is doing on his own?

Frist Launches A Statewide Education Reform Initiative

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Wednesday he will chair "a non-partisan, citizen-led statewide initiative whose goal is to accelerate K-12 education reform in Tennessee" for the next year and beyond.

Called the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), the statewide initiative is aimed at making education Tennessee's top priority, said Frist, a retired surgeon, in a conference call to state and national media.

The call followed a press conference at Fall Hamilton Elementary School in Nashville, led by Frist and Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Also at that event were Tennessee Commissioner of Education Tim Webb, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, and many other education, community, political and business leaders from across Tennessee.

Sounds like his own initiative.