Tonight is the annual "Stateman's[sic] Dinner" in Nashville. It is the state party's major fundraising event for upcoming state sente and house elections. This is the 32nd annual event, and includes a new feature: NO PRESS ALLOWED.
This was reported on The Huffington Post back in early June with this note
Karl Rove, Republican grand strategist and now news analyst, has been booked as the keynote speaker for the Tennessee Republican Party's annual Statesman's Dinner July 26 at the Nashville Convention Center. The fundraiser is one of the state party's main events of the year.
Rove, who is working with the McCain campaign, will undoubtedly be speaking on the current political climate and the national strategy for maintaining GOP control of the White House.
On their official web site the party says it "cordially invites you to participate" and then, later in the announcement, says again, "join us." Members of the media, however, are not invited to attend.
That may explain just about everything. Wouldn't you hide if you were associating with that guy? Is he officially a fugitive yet?
But the Tennessee Democratic Party offers its own top ten reasons why the event is top secret.
TOP 10 REASONS WHY THE TNGOP STATESMAN'S DINNER IS CLOSED TO THE PRESS
- It's Karl Rove
- GOP fundraising is so slow, they have asked the press corps for contributions
- George W. Bush might show up
- There is a silent auction on FEMA trailers
- Dick Cheney might show up
- Karl Rove is afraid the process servers might drop by to serve him his Congressional subpoena
- Fred Thompson's campaign buttons will outnumber John McCain buttons
- Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker would rather be at an "undisclosed location"
- Instead of wine, they're drinking oil
Contribute to the Tennessee Democratic Party today to keep our field staff on the road, in your districts, and away from comedy writing.
And now for the number one reason why the Tennessee Republican Party is not allowing media into their annual "Statesman's Dinner" . . .
- M.C. Rove doesn't do shows for free (see video here)
Even some Tennessee Republicans recongize that this is bizarre decision. In The Tennessean today, we have this reaction from Congressional Representative John J. "Jimmy" Duncan (R TN-02)
U.S. Rep. John "Jimmy'' Duncan Jr. says barring news media from the annual state Republican fund raising dinner featuring former top White House adviser Karl Rove is "ridiculous.''
State GOP spokesman Bill Hobbs says the Statesmen's Dinner in Nashville on Saturday is like other political fundraisers, which "are typically not open to the public.''
But Duncan, an 11-term Republican congressman from Knoxville, says such events have always been open to the media and always should be.
Seems they can't keep their story straight.