Sunday, August 27, 2006
Larry Daughtrey, historian
If ignorance is a virtue, Larry Daughtrey is the most virtuous SOB in the city of Nashville. Daughtrey, the Tennessean's premier left-wing hack, has demonstrated time and again that he doesn't know jack about economics or international relations (or politics for that matter, even though writing about politics is his day job). Daughtrey's now proved that he don't know jack you-know-what about Tennessee history.
According to Daughtrey, Henry Horton was a "capable" governor (Horton, a Democrat, served as Tennessee's chief executive from 1927-33). How capable was Horton? So capable that he damn near got himself impeached.
At the direction of Governor Horton, the state of Tennessee deposited some $6 million in banks owned by Luke Lea, a former U.S. Senator, and Rogers Caldwell, a businessman whose Kentucky-based rock asphalt company supplied asphalt for Tennessee highways. When the Lea-Caldwell banks were forced to close, Tennessee taxpayers were left holding a substantial bill.
When the Tennessee General Assembly convened in 1931, a legislative committee was appointed to draft articles of impeachment against Governor Horton. Horton's allies were able to defeat the articles of impeachment when the issue made its way to the floor of the house and senate. Horton's name had thus been sullied, and he decided against a bid for re-election.
How capable is a journalist who favorably name-checks a former governor who lost a big chunk of state money and was almost tossed from office? Not very, in my opinion.
According to Daughtrey, Henry Horton was a "capable" governor (Horton, a Democrat, served as Tennessee's chief executive from 1927-33). How capable was Horton? So capable that he damn near got himself impeached.
At the direction of Governor Horton, the state of Tennessee deposited some $6 million in banks owned by Luke Lea, a former U.S. Senator, and Rogers Caldwell, a businessman whose Kentucky-based rock asphalt company supplied asphalt for Tennessee highways. When the Lea-Caldwell banks were forced to close, Tennessee taxpayers were left holding a substantial bill.
When the Tennessee General Assembly convened in 1931, a legislative committee was appointed to draft articles of impeachment against Governor Horton. Horton's allies were able to defeat the articles of impeachment when the issue made its way to the floor of the house and senate. Horton's name had thus been sullied, and he decided against a bid for re-election.
How capable is a journalist who favorably name-checks a former governor who lost a big chunk of state money and was almost tossed from office? Not very, in my opinion.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Sunday, August 27, 2006 
