As Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn begins to populate key positions in her Administration it is clearly shaping up to be directed and controlled by her longtime political consultant Ward Baker. In fact, his Baker Strategies firm seems to be simply moving wholesale into forming BlackBaker, Inc. to run Tennessee.
But the unsurprising power grab of Baker’s employees emerging in control of the Governor’s office extends beyond the nuts and bolts operations and access. The announcement that Ward Baker will be heading the Inauguration Committee also underlines his firm control over the BlackBaker, Inc. regime. Every donor, lobbyist, and corporation seeking influence over the Blackburn Administration must start with going through Baker to fund her Inauguration. Every seat at her swearing in, tickets to the celebration events, and anything else related to Inauguration Day will come at a price, paid through Ward Baker.
Another key player in the inauguration apparatus is a name that might’ve escaped attention from the uninformed. Mary Morgan Ketchel is the “strategic advisor” to the Blackburn Inaugural Committee. It is interesting that her maiden name was omitted from the announcement. Blackburn. She’s Marsha’s daughter. It is not the first time, and clearly won’t be the last, that Marsha has directed money to her daughter and son-in-law, or firms that they control.
The Blackburn transition team, headed by Governor Bill Lee’s right and left hand guy, Stuart McWhorter, also gives great insight into what we can expect from her administration. Mainly that it will be Bill Lee 2.0.
McWhorter is the one who crafted the $30 million Starbucks corporate welfare deal that Blackburn claimed would be quickly repaid by the “payroll tax.” A tex that isn’t actually paid to the state of Tennessee and will never reimburse the money given to Starbucks.
McWhorter is also the guy who has spearheaded Lee’s push to get toxic nuclear waste dumped in Tennessee under the guise of economic development.
As Chair of BlackBaker, Inc.’s transition team he will be primarily responsible for assembling the Blackburn Cabinet. That’s right, the same guy who brought luminaries into the Lee Administration like Lizette “I’m not qualified to be education commissioner, but I’ll get Tennesseans to pay for my tuition” Reynolds and Corrections Commissioner Frank “I’ve botched executions in two states” Strada to Tennessee.
Seems like the perfect guy to put Marsha’s team together, many of whom are likely to be holdovers from the currently administration, or elevating deputy commissioners into the commissioner spots. For example, Brian Clifford, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation, and also a county commissioner in Williamson County, is likely to be elevated to Commissioner under Blackburn. Will he balk at the dumping of nuclear waste in Tennessee promoted by McWhorter or “go along to get along” to get the job?
Nepotism may also be a recurring theme as the BlackBaker regime takes hold. The fight between Sens. Jack Johnson (joined at the hip to Marsha Blackburn for decades and a long time client of Baker) and Paul Bailey for the Lt, Governor slot in the Senate GOP Caucus gave us a glimpse. Johnson emerged as the Caucus pick by a reportedly narrow margin of 15-12 votes from the 27-member caucus. Outgoing Lt. Governor Randy McNally had been quiet during that contest until his daughter, Margie McNally Kimball, was named to the transition team for the Department of Children’s Services on the eve of the vote.
Suddenly, Lt. Gov. launched into action and started making phone calls on behalf of Jack Johnson and apparently shifted a few late votes into his column. Kimball certainly has the qualifications and background to serve in a highly paid deputy commissioner slot at DCS, and will most likely be named soon. But the timing and optics are certainly suspect and may foreshadow what we can expect in the coming weeks.
Blackburn won the GOP primary with just 43% of the vote. Meeting 57% of Republican voters preferred somebody other than her. She received 45% of the vote in the general election, meaning 55% of Tennessee voters preferred someone else as Governor. That certainly limits the pool of talent available to an incoming administration.
But rather than reaching out and seeking to unify the party and the state, she and her team have chosen a path of retribution, threats, punishment, and targeting those she deems as “Enemies.”
Major Republican leaders and donors have been told they are on a “blacklist” and are not welcome to attend or be involved in anything related to the incoming Administration. The vindictive approach that Democrats are embracing in Washington will apparently play out in Tennessee with the BlackBaker, Inc. team. Neither approach is the best way to keep or attract the talent necessary to make either America or Tennessee better. But elections do have consequences, as we will painfully learn over the next several years.
