The final days of any election get a little bit crazy, but the 2026 primary season threatens to go completely off the crazy rails.
Marsha Blackburn really doesn’t like a dark money PAC dubbing her “The Queen Pharma Mama” in a TV ad. The ad aired by the American Exceptionalism Institute appears to be entirely AI-generated. It features a woman somewhat resembling Blackburn partying with generic pharmaceutical executives while a song plays during the ad featuring the lyrics:
“Our pain-killing pills wouldn’t sell, so we paid Sen. Marsha Blackburn to pass our bill.” It is clearly a parody of the kinds of ads promoting various pharmaceutical products that they air regularly. And it is an issue that has been plaguing Blackburn for a number of years.
It continues with a caution that the “side effects of paying Marsha include an opioid crisis, over 20,000 overdose deaths in Tennessee, billions for Big Pharma, millions for Sen. Blackburn,” referring to Blackburn as the “Queen Pharma Mama.” It is definitely creative, humorous, and cuts through the late election season noise, which makes it effective.
Blackburn has responded to the ad with her lawyer sending a “cease-and-desist” letter claiming that the ad is defamatory and violates new legislation in Tennessee regarding the failure to disclose AI-generated ads. The ad clearly failed to meet the Tennessee standards regarding disclosure of AI use in a political ad in state races. Out-of-state third-party dark money groups should take note: check Tennessee laws, even new ones, before airing ads that might be allowed in other states, but carry consequences in Tennessee. The failure to include the required disclosure could result in a misdemeanor prosecution and civil action.
The group pulled the ad, though they may simply add a disclosure and begin re-airing it soon, and the Blackburn team has sent letters seeking criminal prosecution under the new statute. Stay tuned, as they say in TV land.
OGLES TEAM CALLS OUT HATCHER FOR NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN MAIL DESPITE PLEDGE TO “PLAY CLEAN”.
Early in the campaign, 5th district congressional candidate and dairy farmer Charlie Hatcher said he would not run “negative ads” in his campaign against incumbent Congressman Andy Ogles. He also said that he might “state facts about what has happened or occurred” but wouldn’t engage in typical negative campaigning. He acknowledged that third parties might do that, but that he would not.
The Ogles team is now claiming that a new mail piece from Hatcher violates that pledge. Based upon the intense level of negative ads flying fast and furious in that campaign and many others, the reference to some of Ogles’ problems seems a bit tame by comparison. And it does seem to be more comparative than negative. Nevertheless, we report; you decide. Does this Mail piece cross the line?
BLACKBURN HOSTING ELECTION DAY CLOSED EVENT.
On Election Day, around midday, the Blackburn campaign is hosting an invitation-only, closed-door event being represented as a “get out the vote” effort. Some political observers have questioned the strategy of drawing potential volunteers into a closed event rather than having them work the polls during lunchtime on Election Day. Others point to the fact that an elitist-type, limited-attendance event doesn’t really fit a claim that Blackburn “talks to Tennesseans every single day.” Unless, of course, you assume that she means she only talks to wealthy contributors “every single day.” Again, we just report and let you decide. Do you think regular Tennesseans will be welcomed at that event?
ROSE’S RED TRUCK GETS ATTENTION
John Rose has posted a picture of a red truck featuring large air horns that he says he and his friend John drove around the Capitol during the “horn honking” Tennessee income tax battle that came to a dramatic and successful (for taxpayers) conclusion in 2021.
Some critics have claimed they “don’t recall seeing John there” and demanded he produce additional photographic evidence to prove his claim.
First of all, I don’t think anybody seriously questions that I was there. Nor do I ever recall anybody “taking roll” of those who were in their cars and trucks driving around time after time as we called out the forces to protest in opposition to the income tax plan. There was no list.
And John Rose wasn’t a particular celebrity at that time that someone would have noted, kind of like the tens of thousands of other regular working Tennesseans who showed up day after day to block efforts to impose an income tax upon us.
Finally, some of the critics questioning his presence are not people I remember ever seeing there, nor have I seen any photographic evidence that they can prove that they actually participated themselves. The criticism of Rose seems contrived, and perhaps to some extent compensated. But it does underline that we have truly entered the silly season of campaign politics.
And while I do not recall that specific red truck, I do remember that there were only a handful of vehicles that had the huge air horns that literally rattled the fillings of your teeth.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
