What if the government began running your local supermarket?

Nashville, TN – Today, President Barack Obama held a “town hall meeting” in a Bristol area supermarket. The Tennessee Republican Party finds it both interesting and ironic that the President chose the American Supermarket, the most familiar example of today’s free-market system, as a location to make his pitch for government-run healthcare.

“Given the fact he wants to limit patient choice with his healthcare plan, it is interesting that President Obama picked a grocery store, something that illustrates consumer choice at its best, to highlight that plan,” stated TN Republican Party Chair Chris Devaney

The modern American supermarket is place full of choices. When families go to their local supermarket, they have a variety of products and foodstuffs available to purchase to prepare their weekly meals. It is doubtful that many Americans would choose to shop at a government-run marketplace where choices are limited, check-out lines are long and there is a rationed limit on the number of items you may purchase.

If the government ran a supermarket chain, be assured they would limit your choices, provide less variety and quality and still cost about the same. How can Americans believe that government-run healthcare would be any different?”

The President is promoting a one-size fits all government-run plan for healthcare. In Tennessee the TennCare program has already been stretched to its limits. Even Governor Phil Bredesen expressed his skepticism of the Obama Healthcare plan in a recent New York Times article:

Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, said he feared Congress was about to bestow “the mother of all unfunded mandates.”

“Medicaid is a poor vehicle for expanding coverage,” added Mr. Bredesen, a former health care executive. “It’s a 45-year-old system originally designed for poor women and their children. It’s not health care reform to dump more money into Medicaid.”

Several other Governors also have concerns of their own, click here for the July 19th article from the NY Times.

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney announced today that he has hired John Newman to be his Chief of Staff and State Director. Newman is a long-time Republican grassroots leader from West Tennessee with extensive experience in campaign management and administration.

Newman will manage the day to day operations of the Tennessee Republican Party and oversee grassroots and political development throughout the state.

Chairman Devaney said, “John understands grassroots politics from the inside and out and has extremely strong organizational skills. As we look toward the critical elections of 2010, John and the rest of our team will be ready to help lead our party to victory.”

Newman, who has extensive business experience, also has had a long career in supporting Republicans including service as West Tennessee Field Representative for U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, a member of the Republican State Executive Committee and Chairman of the Madison County Republican Party. He was named Tennessee Republican Party Statesman of the Year in 1999 and has been instrumental in consulting many winning campaigns over the years.

“I have known Chris for a long time and know the kind of leadership he brings to this organization and I’m proud to have the opportunity to work at the State Republican Party under his direction. It is exciting to be part of a team that is ready to help Republicans solidify their majority in the General Assembly and to help elect a Republican Governor,” Newman said.

Newman is a native of Jackson, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Union University with a B.S. in Organizational Leadership.